Mariners P Logan Gilbert accidentally catches line drive in his jersey but doesn’t get the out

Logan Gilbert made a wild catch on Wednesday. Just with the wrong tool.

In the first inning against the Athletics, the Seattle Mariners’ right-hander got a 107.8-mph comebacker off the bat of Carlos Cortes. The ball arrived before Gilbert could react and ended up nestled in his jersey.

Much to the confusion of Gilbert.

So that’s a catch, right? Because the ball never hit the ground? Unfortunately, no.

From the official MLB rulebook, here’s the comment that addresses this exact situation:

A CATCH is the act of a fielder in getting secure possession in his hand or glove of a ball in flight and firmly holding it; providing he does not use his cap, protector, pocket or any other part of his uniform in getting possession.

So you can use only your hand or your glove to catch the ball. Therefore, the play was ruled a single for Cortes, which loaded the bases with no outs.

That wound up being costly for Gilbert, who saw two runs score on a sacrifice fly from Tyler Soderstrom and an RBI single from Jeff McNeil that included a fielding error by center fielder Julio Rodríguez.

Gilbert finished his day with 4 innings pitched, 6 hits allowed, 3 runs (all earned), 2 walks and 3 strikeouts on 89 pitches. However, that didn’t stop the Mariners from notching a 5-4 win courtesy of a walk-off single from Josh Naylor.

That was the Mariners’ 24th walk-off win since the start of the 2024 season, the most in MLB. Their record is now 11-14, good for fourth in the AL West.

Juan Soto officially returns to Mets, admits he hasn’t talked to teammates amid 12-game losing skid

Juan Soto is officially back. Now we see if it’s already too late for the New York Mets.

The club officially activated its star outfielder from the 10-day injured list on Wednesday, amid a 12-game losing streak that has parked it at the bottom of the MLB standings. He will be batting second and operating as the designated hitter in his first game back against the Minnesota Twins.

Soto drew some attention before the game, however, when he had this exchange while speaking with reporters:

Reporter: “You’ve been talking to guys throughout and trying to gauge where they’re at and try to lift them as we go along here?”

Soto: “No, not at all. They’ve been on the road most of the time, so I haven’t talked to them.”

The video:

That’s, well, pretty blunt.

Even if there’s some context we’re missing here, the highest-paid player on a team with playoff expectations saying he hasn’t tried to encourage his teammates amid a historic losing streak is an odd look at best, especially when that player’s clubhouse leadership has been questioned in some corners since his move to Queens.

However, some unnamed Mets veterans did defend Soto in quotes to The Athletic later Wednesday. A sampling:

“If it’s getting a lot of attention,” one Mets player said, “then that’s wrong and way overblown.”

“They’re going through it, and you’re not there,” another veteran said. “He was here every day and on the top step when we were home. On the road, he’s taking care of business. What’s he going to say in a text message, anyway? What it comes down to is, we’ve needed to do our jobs, and we haven’t.”

While still only 27 years old, Soto is in his ninth MLB season and is playing for the Mets on the most expensive contract in the history of baseball, worth $765 million. His last appearance was on April 3, when he sustained a calf strain while running the bases. The Mets won their next three games without Soto, then began their worst losing streak since 2002, at 12 games and counting.

As Soto notes, they’ve been on the road for some of that streak. The first five losses came at home against the Arizona Diamondbacks and Athletics, then the team traveled to the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs and was swept in both three-game series.

They returned home Tuesday and once again lost, this time to the Minnesota Twins via a meltdown by new closer Devin Williams. Soto was definitely on hand for that game, as he was seen running the bases at Citi Field earlier in the day.

At 7-16, the Mets have the worst record in MLB despite the second-largest payroll (behind the Dodgers). They are 8.5 games back of first place after playing only 23 games. They certainly have talent on their roster and should be better, but the unfortunate news is that no team in MLB history has lost 12 consecutive games in a season and also made the playoffs.

Victor Wembanyama concussion recovery timeline: How does the NBA protocol work, when can he return for the Spurs?

San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama suffered a concussion after he fell and hit his face on the court during Tuesday’s loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. The NBA has a regimented return-to-play protocol that will ultimately determine when he might be able to resume playing in the teams’ first-round NBA playoff series.

Wembanyama was at the Spurs’ practice facility on Wednesday, and ESPN reported he is “hopeful” of traveling to Portland on Thursday. Once a player is diagnosed with a concussion he is not allowed to resume playing for at least 48 hours. Game 3 of the series is Friday, which falls outside that window, but Wembanyama will need to clear a rigorous series of tests and evaluations before he is cleared to play.

NBA teams use a baseline neurological evaluation given to players prior to the season to assess their recovery during the official concussion protocol.

According to the NBA’s concussion protocol, players are allowed to gradually resume physical activity 24 hours after the concussion was diagnosed — provided the activity doesn’t worsen their symptoms. Until then, they are encouraged to limit their use of electronic devices, including video games, and focus on their overall health and nutrition. They also are encouraged to not spend time around large groups of people.

To be allowed to resume playing in a game, players have to clear a handful of requirements in the protocol. The NBA defines these as:

  • “He is without concussion-related symptoms at rest

  • He has been evaluated by a physician with training and experience in the management of concussion

  • He has successfully completed the NBA return-to-participation exertion process

  • A team physician has discussed the return-to-participation process and decision with the Director of the NBA Concussion Program. “

According to the NBA, the final return-to-participation decision is made by the player’s team physician.

A player may not begin the return-to-participation exertion process until at least 24 hours after the time of injury. The process involves several steps. Each exertion stage must be monitored by the team’s medical staff. Players must be symptom-free to advance to the next step after a neurological exam is done.

The steps:

  • Stationary bike: low-intensity aerobic activity with no resistance

  • Jogging: light cardiovascular exertion

  • Agility work: more basketball-specific movement drills

  • Non-contact team drills: full practice activity, minus physical contact

If the player experiences symptoms, he must return to the stage where he was symptom-free and begin again. The NBA does not have a set timeframe to complete the entire process.

Arkansas G Darius Acuff Jr. declares for 2026 NBA Draft

Potential top-five pick Darius Acuff Jr. has made his NBA Draft intentions official.

The Arkansas guard said on ESPN’s “NBA Today” on Wednesday he would enter the 2026 NBA Draft. Acuff is considered a surefire lottery pick and could even be the second guard taken in June.

Acuff was also as capable as anyone in college basketball of dropping 30 points in a given game. He hit the 30-point mark six times and even scored 49 points in a 117-115 double-overtime loss at Alabama in February. Acuff was 16-of-27 from the field in that game and made 11-of-12 free throws.

Acuff shot at least 50% from the field in each of those six 30-point games and dropped 31 in a win over Auburn just four days before that loss to Alabama. Against the Tigers, Acuff was 10-of-15 from the field. On Jan. 24, Acuff was 13-of-19 as he dropped 31 points in a home win over LSU.

With Acuff leading the way, Arkansas finished 28-9 overall and was second in the SEC at 13-5. The Razorbacks were a No. 4 seed in the NCAA tournament and lost 109-88 in the Sweet 16 to No. 1 Arizona. 

In Yahoo Sports’ latest mock draft on Wednesday morning, Kevin O’Connor had Acuff going seventh overall to the Brooklyn Nets. Here’s what O’Connor wrote about him. 

Acuff is a wiry scorer who can get a bucket from anywhere on the floor with a quick trigger, slippery handle, and a feel for manipulating defenses. He can also thrive off-ball as a shooter and cutter, which would be vital for a Nets roster already full of ball-handlers. Acuff would have the highest upside of them all, though. He entered college with a scoring reputation, but has emerged as a skilled, low-turnover playmaker; he looks like a future All-Star who can toggle between a score-first or pass-first approach. Plus, he displays leadership qualities. The Nets are still badly in need of a lead dog. Acuff could be that guy.

Acuff came to Arkansas as a five-star recruit and the No. 9 player in the country. He was the No. 3 prospect in the state of Florida — he played his high school basketball at IMG Academy — and was the No. 2 point guard behind fellow 2026 NBA Draft entrant Mikel Brown Jr. 

Nuggets respond after Jaden McDaniels calls out team’s ‘bad defenders’ after Game 2 upset: ‘Let them talk’

The Minnesota Timberwolves must have been feeling good about themselves following Monday’s 119-114 upset win over the Denver Nuggets in Game 2 of the first round of the NBA playoffs. Following the contest, Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels unloaded on Denver’s defense, saying the team is full of “bad defenders.”

The Nuggets were asked about those comments Wednesday and mostly brushed them aside. Christian Braun gave perhaps the most measured approach, saying he believes McDaniels’ comments were all about stoking the rivalry between the two teams.

When asked whether those comments would light a fire under the Nuggets, Braun said a team shouldn’t be in a spot where it needs to light a fire during the postseason.

Cam Johnson, one of the players McDaniels called out by name, said there’s been a lot of trash talk from the Timberwolves. He encouraged them to get it off their chests.

Nuggets head coach David Adelman took a different track, implying McDaniels was saying those things to help with his “podcast” or increase his “social media” views.

Adelman then asked what the Nuggets’ defensive rating was in the series so far before moving on to the next question.

McDaniels’ comments came hours after Monday’s game. When asked what worked for the Timberwolves on offense, McDaniels decided to call out the Nuggets’ defense, saying, “They’re all bad defenders.”

He specifically called out players like Tim Hardaway Jr., Johnson and Aaron Gordon before just saying “their whole team” is full of bad defenders.

Perhaps the best response to McDaniels’ comments came early Tuesday morning. When informed that he was on McDaniels’ list of bad defenders, Gordon responded by saying, “Brother, I don’t care.”

Monday’s win evened the series, making it 1-1 heading into Game 3. The two teams are scheduled to play again Thursday in Minnesota. While the Nuggets tried to downplay their response to McDaniels’ comments, the team could come out with a little more energy and emotion in Game 3.

Adam Silver backs Memphis after LeBron James’ criticism, but open to Grizzlies playing ‘a few games a year’ in Nashville

Adam Silver isn’t on LeBron James’ side when it comes to Memphis. 

While the NBA commissioner is all for the Grizzlies remaining in Memphis, and said the team has no plans to relocate anytime soon, he isn’t opposed to the Grizzlies playing in the state’s capital city. 

“Obviously, Nashville is a city on the rise. There’s incredible things happening there,” Silver said on “Pardon My Take” on Wednesday. “If it were up to me, I would love for them to play a few games a year in Nashville and sort of be Tennessee’s team, to the extent that they can.”

Silver’s comments came a few weeks after James absolutely ripped Memphis. Clearly, the 41-year-old star doesn’t like playing on the road there. 

“You think I want to do that s**t, being in Memphis on a random-ass Thursday?” James said on the “Bob Does Sports” YouTube show while golfing. 

He then insisted that the Grizzlies need to relocate to Nashville, and claimed that he isn’t the only one in the league with those feelings. 

“We’re all like, ‘You guys have to move,’” he continued. “Just go over to Nashville. You got Vanderbilt over there. You got the f***ing NASCAR. You got a stadium, don’t they got a hockey team too? … They got everything.”

The Grizzlies first entered the league in 1995, though they started out in Vancouver and entered the NBA at the same time as the Toronto Raptors. The franchise then relocated to Memphis from Canada ahead of the 2001-02 campaign, and has been there ever since. 

While James has a point that Nashville is a larger city with sports infrastructure and other professional teams already in place — the NFL’s Tennessee Titans, NHL’s Nashville Predators and MLS’s Nashville SC already call that city home — Silver isn’t pushing for the Grizzlies to make the move to the center of the state.

And James’ opinion, Silver said, isn’t the dominant one throughout the league. 

“Players I talk to all the time like playing in Memphis,” Silver said. “I’ve never heard that issue of players not wanting to be in Memphis. … Memphis has been a great market historically for the NBA. There’s amazing history in that city, amazing culture. It’s a big country. As I look out at our 30 teams, we want teams to be able to do well everywhere. … From my standpoint, there’s no reason why the Memphis Grizzlies can’t be successful.”

Phillies reportedly to place catcher J.T. Realmuto on IL with lower back injury

Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto is headed to the injured list, The Athletic’s Matt Gelb reported Wednesday ahead of the team’s second-to-last game of a four-game road series against the Chicago Cubs.

Realmuto, a 35-year-old three-time All-Star, will be sidelined for at least 10 days due to a lower back injury, per Gelb. The Phillies placed closer Jhoan Durán on the 15-day IL last week, retroactive to April 15, due to a left oblique strain.

At 8-15, the Phillies have dropped seven games in a row and are 7.5 games back of the first-place Atlanta Braves in the NL East.

Dave Dombrowski, the club’s president of baseball operations, told reporters Tuesday before the Phillies’ latest defeat that he’s confident the team will put this rut in the rear-view mirror soon. Dombrowski also dismissed speculation that manager Rob Thomson is on the hot seat.

The Phillies enter Wednesday’s game at Wrigley Field with the worst run differential in MLB. They’re third-to-last in the majors in both runs scored (80) and ERA (4.99).

As for Realmuto, he missed the series finale against the Braves this past Sunday as well as Monday’s series opener in Chicago. He played Tuesday, but his injury was reportedly too restrictive.

The Phillies will fill the backstop’s void with a combination of Rafael Marchán and Garrett Stubbs, according to The Athletic’s report, which noted that Stubbs will be called up from Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

Realmuto has been durable during his Phillies tenure. This will be just his third stint on the IL in that eight-season span. But when Philadelphia re-signed him to a three-year, $45 million deal this past offseason, there were questions about whether his body would be able to withstand his workload going forward the way it has in the past.

Although Realmuto has been one of the Phillies’ more reliable right-handed hitters this spring — perhaps that’s not saying too much at this point — he has battled nagging back and foot injuries, per The Athletic.

Marchán is a meager 2-for-31 at the plate this season. Of his two hits so far, one was a homer, but he also has seven strikeouts to his name. Stubbs has appeared in 41 or more games each of the past three seasons for the Phillies. While with the IronPigs this season, Stubbs has slashed .289/.413/.632.

A tumultuous start to the 2026 campaign keeps getting rockier for a Phillies squad that retained most of its players from a fourth consecutive playoff trip last fall.

Where to watch Phoenix Suns vs. Oklahoma City Thunder Game 2 NBA playoffs: Live stream, start time, TV channel, odds for Wednesday, April 22

The Oklahoma City Thunder are looking to go up 2-0 in their first-round playoff series against the Phoenix Suns. The Thunder routed the Suns 119-94 in Game 1. Oklahoma City is heavily favored at -17.5 with an over/under of 215.5.

  • Spread: Oklahoma City Thunder -17.5

  • Moneyline: Oklahoma City Thunder -2500 (91.7%) / Phoenix Suns +1050 (8.3%)

  • Over/Under: 215.5

Game 1:Thunder 119, Suns 94
Game 2: Wed., April 22 at Oklahoma City (9:30 p.m., ESPN)
Game 3: Sat., April 25 at Phoenix (3:30 p.m., NBC)
Game 4: Mon., April 27 at Phoenix (TBD)
*Game 5: Wed., April 29 at Oklahoma City (TBD)
*Game 6: Fri., May 1 at Phoenix (TBD)
*Game 7: Sun., May 3 at Oklahoma City (TBD)

*if necessary