Aaron Donald posted a new workout video on Instagram Wednesday with an interesting caption: “Feel relaxed, healthy and ready. I’m back #ramshouse”.

On any other day, that would be a clear sign that he’s planning to come out of retirement and play for the Rams again. There’s just one problem. He posted it on April 1 – also known as April Fools’ Day.

Surely, if Donald was actually planning to come back, he would’ve announced it on one of the other 364 days in the year. But because he picked April Fools’ Day, it’s clearly a joke, one that Rams fans quickly caught onto after reading the comments.

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The Golden State Warriors have had over 600 players don the more than 60 jersey numbers used by their players over the more than 75 years of existence the team has enjoyed in its rich and storied history.

Founded in 1946 during the Basketball Association of America (BAA – a precursor league of the NBA) era, the team has called home the cities of Philadelphia, San Francisco, Oakland, and even San Diego.

To commemorate the players who wore those numbers, Warriors Wire is covering the entire history of jersey numbers and the players who sported them since the founding of the team. For this article, we begin with the first of two players who wore the No. 77 jersey for the Warriors.

That player would be Golden State forward alum Vladimir Radmanovic. After starting his pro career abroad, Radmanovic was picked up with the 12th overall selection of the 2001 NBA Draft by the Seattle SuperSonics.

The Trebinje, Bosnia and Herzegovina native played parts of the first five seasons of his pro career with Seattle. He also played for the Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, and Charlotte Hornets before he was dealt to the Dubs in 2009. His stay with the team lasted until he signed with the Atlanta Hawks in 2011.

During his time suiting up for the Warriors, Radmanovic wore only jersey No. 77 and put up 5.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game.

All stats and data courtesy of Basketball Reference.

This article originally appeared on Warriors Wire: Warriors jersey history – No. 77 – Vladimir Radmanovic (2009-11)

The Brooklyn Nets have 52 jersey numbers worn by over 600 different players over the course of their history since the franchise was founded in 1967 as a charter member of the American Basketball Association (ABA), when the team was known as the “New Jersey Americans”.

Since then, that league has been absorbed by the NBA, with the team that would later become the New York Nets and New Jersey Nets before settling on the name by which they are known today, bringing their rich player and jersey history with them to the league of today.

To commemorate the players who played for the Nets over the decades wearing those 52 different jersey numbers, Nets Wire is covering the entire history of the franchise’s jersey numbers and the players who sported them since the founding of the team.

And for today’s article, we will continue with the sixth of seven people to wear the No. 50 jersey, guard alum Eddie House. After ending his college career at Arizona State, House was picked up with the 37th overall selection of the 2000 NBA Draft by the Miami Heat.

The Berkeley, California native played the first three seasons of his pro career with the Heat. He also played for the Los Angeles Clippers, Charlotte Hornets, Milwaukee Bucks, Sacramento Kings, and Phoenix Suns before he signed with the Nets in 2006. His stay with the team lasted until he signed with the Boston Celtics in 2007.

During his time suiting up for the Nets, House wore only jersey No. 50 and put up 8.4 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game.

All stats and data courtesy of Basketball Reference.

This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Nets jersey history No. 50 – Eddie House (2006-07)

Ohio State basketball head coach Jake Diebler will have a new top assistant coach next season.

Ohio State men’s basketball associate head coach Joel Justus is leaving the program for an assistant coaching job at Vanderbilt, ending a two-year run on Jake Diebler’s staff. Justus, who joined the Buckeyes in April 2024, had served as Diebler’s top assistant and was part of the staff that helped Ohio State return to the NCAA Tournament this season.

Before Ohio State, he spent two seasons at NC State, one season at Arizona State and seven years at Kentucky in various roles, including assistant coach, special assistant to the head coach and director of analytics. At Kentucky, he was part of staffs that won SEC championships and helped land highly ranked recruiting classes, including a 2017 class widely regarded as one of the best ever and the nation’s No. 1 class in 2020.

Joel brought his years of experience with other top programs to Columbus and worked closely with the guards for coach Diebler. His official biography on the university athletics page says that he was also the associate head coach on the staff.

Justus’ biggest calling card seems to be his recruiting. On top of the success at Kentucky mentioned earlier, he helped build portal classes at NC State that brought in immediate contributors that led that team to an ACC tournament title.

News: #OhioState associate head coach Joel Justus is leaving the #Buckeyes for a job at Vanderbilt, multiple sources have told me.https://t.co/LwrDrMBNmB

— Adam Jardy (@AdamJardy) March 31, 2026

Justus’ latest move to Vanderbilt continues his tradition of being affiliated with winning programs. Joel is a native of North Carolina, where he played for UNC Wilmington and was a team captain his senior year.

Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion. Follow Sunny on X:@thesunnyv

This article originally appeared on Fighting Irish Wire: Ohio State basketball top assistant coach leaving the program

It was August 2023 that Shane McClanahan last pitched in a regular season game. In his highly anticipated return Tuesday evening in Milwaukee, the Rays’ lefty cruised through four innings while keeping the Brewers hitless on 51 pitches and averaging 95.4 mph on his heater. To that point, it could not have been a better outing.

McClanahan hit a wall of sorts in the fifth when he allowed two hits and, most irksome to him, walked two batters and was charged with three runs (two earned) in taking the loss in a 6-2 setback.

Overall, the 28-year-old’s outing was a success. Again, it was his first regular season outing in what was four months shy of three years.

“I was really happy and proud of him,” manager Kevin Cash told reporters after the game. “He came out, executed, and gave us an opportunity to win the ballgame. If that continues, we’re going to be in really good spot with ‘Mac.’”

Two-time all-star not satisfied

It is no surprise Cash provided rave reviews of McClanahan’s performance. After all, he nailed it when he said his club will be in a good spot should the two-time all-star continue to perform in a like manner throughout this 2026 season. The pitcher, though, was not interested in praise.

“We lost,” he said following his outing. “I am having a hard time with that. That it has been two and a half years is no excuse. I want to win. I am here to win. I have to execute better. I am frustrated.”

McClanahan was particularly frustrated by something that should come as no surprise given how long he was sidelined: His stamina is not where he wants it to be.

“I kind of got a little winded,” he said of the 79-pitch outing, including 28 in the fifth inning he was unable to complete. “I have to get in better shape and I have to do a better job of controlling what I can control. I want to go out there and go eight innings, nine innings. I hate the fact it might still not be there yet. We’re going to improve on it. I can guarantee you that.”

That is likely to happen, and perhaps by his next outing, which is scheduled for Monday against the Cubs. That will be Tampa Bay’s home opener and the re-opening of Tropicana Field. The Rays played their 2025 home schedule at Steinbrenner Field while the dome was undergoing extensive exterior and interior repairs following damage caused by Hurricane Milton in October 2024.

“I have the next five, six days to figure some stuff out,” said McClanahan. “I just have to be better. That’s what it boils down to.”

Lengthy journey amid multiple setbacks

McClanahan’s intensity shall not be mistaken for someone who does not appreciate the opportunity to take the mound again in a big-league game. Rather, he demands much of himself.

“I am very grateful to be back, but I want to win,” he said. “You know you might not be who you want to be just yet, and that’s frustrating because I have such high standards for myself.”

Such standards have resulted in a mark of 33-16, a 3.02 ERA and 1.10 WHIP in 74 career starts prior to his prolonged absence. McClanahan, who became the first pitcher to make his MLB debut during the postseason when he appeared out of the bullpen during the 2020 American League Division Series, had a strong spring in the aftermath of, speaking of setbacks, losing of his father, James, in January.

The former University of South Florida standout went 3-0 with a 2.08 ERA during the Grapefruit League schedule. Far more important is that the results were not accompanied by any discomfort. After all, it was a week prior to his scheduled 2025 Opening Day start at Steinbrenner Field against the Rockies when a nerve issue during his final spring assignment surfaced and ended his season before it began. It was the second straight year McClanahan was sidelined after having sat out 2024 while recovering from Tommy John surgery.

Now, McClanahan is back on the mound and only one thing matters.

“I’m here to win,” he said.

This article was originally published on Forbes.com

PHOENIX — Ok, maybe the entire town of Kingman, Arizona, wasn’t on hand Wednesday afternoon to see their hometown hero, but that lower section down right field, toward the concourse at Chase Field, certainly made their presence known loud and clear.

They watched their famous Kingman native mow down the Arizona Diamondbacks, but only this time, the two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal didn’t get his Detroit Tigers teammates to cooperate.

Skubal, despite giving up just one run and six hits in seven dominant innings, lost 1-0 to the Diamondbacks. It was the first time he lost a 1-0 game since May 31 last season against the Kansas City Royals when he also gave up one run in seven innings.

Skubal gave up a home run to Corbin Carroll on his ninth pitch of the game, and allowed only one runner to reach second base after the third inning on shortstop Javier Baez’s error. He threw 60 of his 87 pitches for strikes, but took no solace in his latest dominant performance, with the Tigers having scored in just four of their last 49 innings.

“Obviously, it doesn’t really matter,’’ said Skubal, 1-1 with a 0.69 ERA, vying to join Hall of Famers Greg Maddux and Randy Johnson to win three consecutive Cy Young awards. “We lost. The goal of every game that I’m pitching, I want to win. It doesn’t really matter how it happens.

“Individually, fine, but it’s a team game. And we need to win. So it doesn’t really matter how I felt because it comes in a loss.’’

Skubal struck out just three batters, but he induced nine ground ball outs, including three double-play balls. His only real mistake was throwing a 97-mph fastball at the top of the strike zone on an 0-and-2 pitch to Carroll in the first inning, which he hit 406 feet over the center-field fence. He gave up only one 0-2 pitch for a home run all last season.

Then again, you ask Skubal, and he didn’t consider it a mistake at all.

The pitch was exactly right where he wanted. He gave all of the credit to Carroll, who became just the sixth left-handed hitter to ever homer off Skubal, and just the third since he began his Cy Young run in 2024.

“Great pitch, great pitch,’’ Skubal said. “I thought I executed it great. If you told me an 0-2 heater, that I’m going to execute it there 10 more times, I would do it 10 more times. It’s just one of those things. He’s a really good hitter, too, and he put a good swing on it.

“So, sometimes you got to tip your cap, and that was one of those times. That’s obviously a difference-maker in the game, but I don’t take that pitch back by any means.’’

Carroll, who’s hitting .333 with two homers, a double and triple despite breaking his hamate bone this spring, certainly appreciated the compliment. It’s not as if he was about to ask Skubal to autograph the baseball for him, but to join Freddie Freeman and Edouard Julien as the only left-handed batters to homer off Skubal since 2024 season, he realizes it’s pretty select company.

“Obviously, he’s one of the best in the game, if not the best,’’ Carroll said. “It’s really fun to go to battle against guys like that.’’

Carroll’s homer might have dampened the enthusiasm from the folks who drove three hours down from Kingman, with Skubal leaving 50 tickets, but it hardly ruined the performance. Skubal, making only his second start at Chase Field, showed the kids at home that you can be born with a club foot, go completely ignored by the three major universities in the state, and still work to become the greatest pitcher in baseball.

“No doubt, I like to enjoy the environment and to show that I care about the people that support me,’’ Skubal said. “So, it’s really cool whenever I get to back here and make a start. … I get to perform in front of my family, and understanding that I’m not around a ton, so I want to put on a good performance in front of them.’’

Skubal, who was able to sleep in his own bed in Scottsdale, Arizona, during the Tiger’s four-day stay, enjoyed seeing friends and family. He teased them that since the Tigers have only one more trip within driving distance of Kingman — a three-game series July 17-19 against the Los Angeles Angels — that “now they’re all going to have to get their ass on a plane to Detroit if they want to see me.’’

Skubal laughed. Who knows, considering the Los Angeles Dodgers can sign whoever they want with their unlimited resources, they could be seeing a lot of him in the future since he will be the most prized free agent on the market this winter. He’s expected to sign the richest contract for a pitcher in baseball history, exceeding $400 million.

Diamondbacks starter Zac Gallen, who outdueled Skubal by giving up just four hits in six shutout innings, knows he’ll be in the same free-agent marketplace, and heartily laughed when it was suggested he’d gladly take $1 million less than whatever Skubal receives.

“I’m all in,’’ he said.

Skubal isn’t going to sit around and worry about his future now. He knows he’ll be handsomely paid, setting up his family for generations. For now, he’s got a World Series championship to win.

And a small town of 35,000 in northern Arizona to impress, just like he did when he stopped in Kingman before heading off to Lakeland, Florida, for spring training.

“I go talk to the elementary schools and just go get in front of them,” Skubal says. “I think it’s important to give back to kids. A lot of those kids kind of idolize me, so it’s good to get in front of them and just talk to them. Let them know I’m a human and that I played basketball in the same gym that they did. I think that stuff’s pretty cool. …

“Being in my position is a privilege, and it’s something that I don’t take lightly. Getting in front of kids in my hometown, kids in Detroit, or anywhere, and just kind of [letting] them understand that whatever your dream is as a kid, whatever your passion is, just go do it and pursue it. Enjoy it. Life’s too short not to.

“I think that that’s the message I try to portray to kids.”

And, yes, as he reminded them one last time Wednesday, he was one of them not too long ago, driving down to catch Diamondbacks games during the season, or spring training games in March, dreaming that one day he’d be standing on the same mound.

“I got some special memories of this place,’’ he said. “I remember coming to games here. The tickets I would get would be three seats up from the roof. I remember being terrified up there, just how high up it was.’’

Now, the only ones being terrified are the opposing lineups he faces, with one team being the fortunate ones to sign him.

“Someone,’’ Carroll said, “is going to be paying that guy a lot of money after this year.’’

The Diamondbacks can only hope it’s not to their hated rivals to the West.

They saw enough of him Wednesday to last a season.

Follow Bob Nightengale on X @Bnightengale.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tarik Skubal’s dominant start ends in tough Tigers loss vs. D-backs

The Kannapolis Cannon Ballers should be one of the more intriguing stops in the system this season. Not necessarily because they’re built to dominate the Carolina League, but because of what they represent. This is what the early stages of a rebuild actually look like.

A roster packed with teenagers, recent draftees, and projection players isn’t going to overwhelm anyone out of the gate. But if things go right, Kannapolis could be where the foundation quietly starts to take shape. It will be less about wins and losses, and more about whether the organization can build anything resembling a functional pipeline again.

The Ballers will have a fresh face guiding that process in Jayson Nix, who takes over for Chad Pinder after Pinder’s rapid ascent to Triple-A Charlotte. Nix brings a blend of big-league and recent coaching experience, having spent time on the Los Angeles Angels’ staff under Ron Washington.

For a roster this young, that experience matters. Development here isn’t just mechanical; it’s about teaching players how to handle failure, adjust, and survive a grind they’ve never experienced before.

Last year’s 64–68 finish certainly doesn’t jump off the page, but the way Kannapolis got there does. They hovered around .500 most of the season before catching fire late, winning 11 of their final 14 games and at least making things interesting down the stretch.

More importantly, the Ballers did what they were supposed to do: develop players. Names like Braden Montgomery and Caleb Bonemer moved up the ranks, and that’s the real currency at this level.

This season, three of Chicago’s top-30 prospects (per MLB Pipeline) are set to open 2026 in Kannapolis. Let’s break down that trio, along with a few other names worth keeping tabs on.

The kids are (very) young

This year’s position-player group leans heavily into projection, which is supposed to be a theme across the White Sox system under GM Chris Getz.

Roony Bardghji has endured more frustration over the international break with Sweden. The Barcelona star complained about his lack of minutes at Camp Nou after being called up but didn’t feature in either of his country’s games against Poland and Ukraine.

The Barcelona forward wasn’t even in the match-day squad for the vital game against Poland that sealed Sweden’s place at World Cup 2026. Manager Graham Potter explained why he left Roony out of his selection for the must-win match.

“It was a difficult decision. We have a lot of players. We had Gustav (Lundgren) as an option on the right. We knew we had Besfort (Zeneli), Taha (Ali), Gustaf Nilsson, etc,” he said.

“Bardghji’s position was sold out. But everyone knows his qualities. That’s the difficult part of a coach’s job when there are many options, but you have to choose.”

Roony now heads back to Barcelona and will be hoping he can enjoy some first-team minutes between now and the end of the campaign. Barcelona are back in action on Saturday against Atletico in La Liga.

Bayern Munich has recently struggled to find a balanced and reliable group who are able to direct and control the team, while adapting to the changes of the world of football panorama, and continuing the foundations Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Uli Hoeneß laid for many years. In 2023, the club found itself in a difficult situation, firing Oliver Khan and Hasan Salihamidzic, and the board had to go back to Rummenigge for advice. The former Bayern CEO talked about his return in 2023 after stepping down in 2021.

“It wasn’t planned. But Uli Hoeneß and Herbert Hainer contacted me because they weren’t happy with the overall situation. Bayern have always been a serious, solid club. Franz Beckenbauer used to say success is key, but always financed in a sustainable way. At some point we drifted, investing too much in wages and agent commissions, but we’re correcting that now,” Rummenigge told AS (as captured by @iMiaSanMia).

His return helped the team return to their fundamental values of trying to reduce the wage structure, and negotiating for better deals in the transfer market. Moreover, the presence of someone like Rummenigge offered clarity and direction at the board level, something Bayern has been working on with Sporting Director Cristoph Freund and board member for sport Max Eberl.

If you are looking for more Bayern Munich and German national team coverage, check out the latest episodes of Bavarian Podcast Works, which you can get on Acast, Spotify, Apple, or any leading podcast distributor…

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