Golden Boy Promotions’ first show of 2026 will see Alexis Rocha and Raul Curiel run back last December’s majority draw on Friday, January 16th in Palm Desert, CA.

With Rocha (25-2-1, 16 KO) reeling from a rout at the hands of Giovani Santilan the prior year and Curiel (16-0-1, 14 KO) riding high amidst a 10-fight knockout streak, their first meeting seemed like a straightforward passing of the guard. Instead, Rocha outboxed Curiel in the early going before falling into a slugfest and narrowly gutting out an MD.

Rocha has not fought since, while Curiel stayed busy with a four-round beatdown of Uruguay’s Victor Ezequiel Rodriguez on last June’s Paul-Chavez undercard.

“January 16th isn’t a new fight, it’s Round 13,” said Alexis Rocha. “Curiel and I left something unfinished, and this time I’m not stopping until there’s no doubt left in anyone’s mind. He’s going to feel everything I’ve carried since that night. At Acrisure Arena, I’m ending this story — permanently.”

“I am very excited to continue to build my legacy, be able to fight and continue this boxing saga,” said Raul Curiel. “I am filled with emotions knowing that I will represent Mexico and my hometown of Tampico.”

In other rematch action, Manuel “Gucci Manny” Flores (20-1-1, 16 KO) faces Jorge Chavez (14-0-1, 8 KO) after fighting to a draw in their July 24th main event.

“I feel blessed to be making an appearance in this new arena,” said Manuel Flores. “I am ready to showcase in this rematch that we are on different levels.”

“Everyone knows I won our last fight,” said Jorge Chavez. “Manuel knows this, the fans know this, his team knows this and more importantly I know this. Now it’s my job to take this out of the judges’ hands and to show Manuel once and for all who the real winner is between us.”

South Bay standout: Lakers G-Leaguer earns player of the week honors originally appeared on The Sporting News.
Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Los Angeles Lakers have dealt with injuries throughout the early portion of the season. Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves have both missed time, while LeBron James still has yet to make his season debut as he works his way back from a back injury. Gabe Vincent, who has been sidelined for 11 straight games with an ankle issue, has finally been cleared to return to action tonight.

While the NBA roster has struggled to stay healthy, the organization’s G League affiliate has stepped up in a major way. The South Bay Lakers have showcased impressive depth behind the standout play of former Gonzaga star Drew Timme, who was named the G League Player of the Week for the period of Nov. 7–16. During that span, Timme helped lead South Bay to three wins while averaging 30 points, seven rebounds and 4.7 assists per game.

Timme built a national reputation at Gonzaga, where he became one of the most decorated players in program history. He earned All-America honors three times and won WCC Player of the Year twice while helping the Bulldogs remain a perennial title contender. Since turning pro, Timme has played for four G League teams: the Wisconsin Herd, Stockton Kings, Long Island Nets and now South Bay.

His strong showing last season with Long Island led to a 10-day contract with the Brooklyn Nets, where he impressed in limited action. In nine NBA appearances, he averaged 12.1 points and 7.2 rebounds, showing he could produce at the highest level.

If Timme continues his elite start with South Bay, he may soon draw serious consideration for another NBA call-up — potentially even from the injury-stricken Lakers themselves.

More NBA news: 

• Injury update: San Antonio loses another young star
• Hometown hero: Kon Knueppel scores career-high 32 in Milwaukee return
• Suns acquire 20 PPG scorer from G-League
• Jaime Jaquez Jr. emerging as early Sixth Man of the Year candidate for Heat

PEORIA — The Peoria Rivermen found themselves with a shorthanded roster Tuesday after several players and head coach Jean-Guy Trudel were suspended by the SPHL for incidents in a game last weekend.

So they helped fill that void with a retired star.

Two-time SPHL Defenseman of the Year Zach Wilkie, who retired last spring, agreed to sign a five-game tryout contract with the Rivermen and will play this weekend in a series against Quad City.

Wilkie lives in Peoria and works now for a local software company. He’s also coaching bantam minors for the Peoria Youth Hockey Association.

“It’s one of those things where I did talk about it with (Rivermen head coach) Jean-Guy Trudel about maybe getting some home games,” said Wilkie, 28. “My last game before I retired was in the playoffs on the road. I’d like to maybe retire on home ice in front of our fans.

“And right now, with the suspensions the team has to deal with, I have a chance to help the team out. I’d like the chance to get in there behind the scenes, too, and maybe work with some of the newer, younger guys on what Rivermen hockey is all about.”

The Villa Park native had one of the most decorated careers in the 44-year history of the Peoria franchise.

He wore an “A” for the SPHL’s elite team and piled up accolades during a four-year run with Peoria that included 203 regular-season games, 39 goals, 128 assists, 167 points and a +135 total rating.

More: ‘Fantastic era’: Former Peoria Rivermen playoff hero, coach headed to ECHL Hall of Fame

He notched 8 game-winners and was the key piece in the league’s top-rated power play unit during his era.

He appeared in an additional 20 playoff games, with 3 goals and 8 assists and another game-winner.

Wilkie was at the heart of two Rivermen championships in the 2021-22 and 2023-24 seasons.

He was twice named SPHL Defensive Player of the Year, in 2022-23 and 2024-25.

He notched a four-goal game in the 2024-25 season that was the most goals scored by a defenseman in a single game in league history, and in Peoria’s 43-year franchise history.

His trophy case also includes:

• Named All-SPHL First Team in 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
• His 43 assists in 2024-25 were the fourth-most by a defenseman in a single season in SPHL history.
• Scored four goals in a single game in 2024-25, the most by a defenseman in SPHL history and in the 43-year history of the Rivermen franchise.
• His 56 points in 2024-25 were the fourth-most points in a single season by a defenseman in SPHL history.
• His +42 rating in the 2022-23 season was the second-highest by any player in the history of the SPHL.
• Named to the Rivermen Captain’s Booster Club Pete BardezBanian Award as the fans’ Most Popular Player in 2022 and 2023.
• Named to the Bruce Saurs Leadership Award in 2025.
• He was part of two Rivermen teams that won the William B. Coffey Trophy as regular-season league champions.
• The Rivermen host Quad City on Friday at Carver Arena, then play a rematch in Moline on Saturday.

Dave Eminian is the Journal Star sports columnist, and covers Bradley men’s basketball, the Rivermen and Chiefs. He writes the Cleve In The Eve sports column for pjstar.com. He can be reached at 686-3206 or deminian@pjstar.com. Follow him on X.com @icetimecleve.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: He’s back: Why Rivermen star left retirement to help Peoria in the SPHL

The Yankees protected a trio of top prospects from the Rule 5 Draft on Tuesday, officially adding outfielder Spencer Jones and right-handers Chase Hampton and Elmer Rodríguez to the 40-man roster.

All major league clubs had until Tuesday’s 6 p.m. ET deadline to set their rosters, and Jones was among five prospects inside MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 rankings list who would’ve been exposed to the draft process and eligible to be poached.

New York’s decisions were no-brainers, as Jones (No. 4), Hampton (No. 8), and Rodríguez (No. 3) are consensus Top 10 prospects within the organization. Their big league debuts are projected to arrive between the 2026 and 2027 seasons, according to MLB Pipeline.

As one of the best minor league hitters in 2025, Jones slashed .274/.362/.571 (403 at-bats) with 35 home runs, 23 doubles, 80 RBI, 102 runs, and 29 stolen bases in 116 combined games with Double-A Somerset and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The 25-year-old also placed second among all qualified minor leaguers in home runs and fifth in slugging.

Hampton, who underwent Tommy John surgery in February and missed the entire 2025 campaign, has produced a 3.45 ERA with 161 strikeouts over 125.1 innings (27 starts) across three different levels, reaching as high as Double-A in 2023 and 2024. The 24-year-old was a sixth-round pick in 2022.

Rodríguez, named the Yankees’ top minor league player by Baseball America this season, produced a sharp 2.58 ERA with 176 strikeouts across 27 appearances (26 starts) between Triple-A, Double-A, and High-A Hudson Valley. The 22-year-old’s strikeouts mark ranked second among all minor league pitchers.

Here are the latest news updates and possible return dates for Knicks players…

---

Nov. 18, 6:50 p.m.

The Knicks upgraded Jalen Brunson (ankle) to questionable for their Wednesday tip against the Mavericks in Dallas. 

Brunson had missed the team’s last two games since suffering a right ankle sprain back on Nov. 12 against the Orlando Magic at MSG. Already without OG Anunoby (hamstring), the Knicks could use their captain to try and get their first road win of the season. 

Oct. 28, 7:18 p.m.

Before the Knicks’ tip-off against the Bucks, the Knicks announced that Towns (right quad strain) will play, but Yabusele (left knee sprain) will be out, joining McBride (personal) and Robinson (ankle sprain management) as players who are unavailable for Tuesday’s game.

Oct. 28, 3:35 p.m.

Miles McBride has been downgraded from questionable to out for the Knicks’ game on Tuesday at the Milwaukee Bucks, the team announced. This is the second-straight game the guard missed due to personal reasons. He was out for Sunday’s loss against the Miami Heat.

Oct. 27, 6:45 p.m.

Mitchell Robinson still isn’t ready to make his season debut, as the Knicks have officially ruled him out again for Tuesday night’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks. 

Robinson has been sidelined for the first three games due to left ankle injury management, and it’s still unknown when he’ll make his return to the court. 

New York has also listed Karl-Anthony Towns (right quad strain), Miles McBride (personal reasons), and Guerschon Yabusele (left knee sprain) as questionable for the contest. 

Yabusele is the only new addition to the injury report. Towns has been included heading into each of the first three games, but played in all three, and McBride missed Sunday’s game against the Heat for personal reasons. 

Yabusele left Sunday’s game at one point and had his knee checked, but he was able to return and saw regular time off the bench down the stretch.

Oct. 23, 6:10 p.m.

The latest NBA injury report has been released and the Knicks have designated center Mitchell Robinson (left ankle injury management) as out for Friday’s home game against the Celtics.

Robinson missed Wednesday’s season opener and the Knicks are being cautious with their big man this season as they want to have him at close to full strength for an anticipated long playoff run.

The Knicks have also designated both Josh Hart (lower back) and Karl-Anthony Towns (right quad strain) as questionable. 

Hart also missed the season opener but has not seen action since the first preseason game where he tweaked his back. Towns almost missed Wednesday’s game but toughed out his quad strain and to help the Knicks’ win against the Cavaliers.

OG Anunoby, who played Wednesday despite being questionable with an ankle sprain, is probably for Friday’s game.

Oct. 22, 10:59 p.m.

Karl-Anthony Towns was questionable, then doubtful, then questionable again in the hours leading up to the Knicks’ win over the Cavaliers and now we know exactly why.

The Knicks forward told reporters after Wednesday’s win that he is playing through a Grade 2 quad strain. 

“I’ve been banged up and haven’t really got a chance to practice or play in the last two preseason games,” Towns said. “I didn’t want to disappoint the fans, dealing with a Grade 2 quad strain. It’s not something that’s easy to do. We made it happen tonight. Glad the fans respect the effort I put in to play tonight, and my teammates, too. Shoutout to them for supporting me, knowing the situation that I was in.”

Towns played through the pain to give the Knicks 19 points and 11 rebounds in 30 minutes.

The Yankees finally made it to the World Series in 2024 after a 15-year absence and then they were ousted — convincingly — by the Blue Jays in the ALDS a year later.

It was a disappointing end for a team that had high hopes despite the loss of Juan Soto. The additions of Cody Bellinger, Max Fried, Paul Goldschmidt,and others helped the Yanks get out to a hot start before their usual summer swoon cost them the AL East. Even though the Yankees ended the 2025 regular season on a heater, and bounced the rival Red Sox in the Wild Card round, they weren’t able to get past the eventual AL champions.

So, how can New York finally get over the hump? That’s a question principal owner Hal Steinbrenner and GM Brian Cashman have to answer, and it won’t be easy. 

Although the starting rotation is set — once the injured arms return — the Yankees need to rebuild the back end of the bullpen and the lineup needs some tweaks to surround Aaron Judge with quality bats. 

Two moves have already been made, one by Cashman and the other by Trent Grisham. The Yankees’ first signing this offseason was bringing back Ryan Yarbrough on a one-year deal, while Grisham accepted his qualifying offer.

As the offseason chugs along, here’s a look at the team’s payroll situation for the upcoming season and beyond…

SALARY COMMITTED FOR 2026

The last two seasons, the Yankees’ payroll eclipsed the top luxury tax (competitive balance tax) and they will be close to doing so again in 2026.

The first luxury tax threshold is set for $244 million this upcoming season, so it’s hard to imagine a world where the Yankees will not exceed the top threshold (set for $304 million in 2026) again, despite how ownership may feel.

After Grisham’s qualifying offer, the Yankees have approximately $190.25 million committed for 2026, coming from seven contracts: Judge ($40 million), Gerrit Cole ($36 million),Fried ($27.25 million), Carlos Rodón ($27 million), Giancarlo Stanton ($22 million), Grisham ($22 million) and Ryan McMahon ($16 million).

Then there’s the dead money.

Aaron Hicks and his $10 million will be off the books this season (after a $1 million buyout) and give the Yanks more flexibility. Unfortunately, it’s offset by the contract of DJ LeMahieu. The Yankees released the utility man midseason, but he will still be owed $15 million in 2026. LeMahieu’s contract was destined to be bad, but it was compounded by how New York tried to utilize the former batting champion in 2025, when his skills were clearly diminished.

The team eventually made the right decision to release him, but he’ll still be owed money this coming season. Luckily, it’s just for one season. That pushes the committed payroll to $183.25 million.

Aside from Hicks’ contract, here are the Yankees’ free agents and what they earned in 2025 after Grisham and Yarbrough’s return:

• Cody Bellinger ($27.5 million)
• Paul Goldschmidt ($12.5 million)
• Devin Williams ($8.6 million)
• Luke Weaver ($2.5 million)
• Amed Rosario ($688,200)
• Austin Slater ($573,900)
• Paul Blackburn ($159,400)

With Hicks’ $10 million gone, that brings the total to around $61 million off the books. That’s a nice chunk of change, but there are serious decisions to be made about which players the Yanks should think about bringing back. Bellinger was arguably the team’s second-best hitter this season and brought elite defense.

Cashman said at the GM Meetings this offseason that the possibility of Grisham accepting the qualifying offer wouldn’t change their pursuit of Bellinger, but we’ll see if that is true, now that it has happened. 

The potential losses of Williams and Weaver put the bullpen in a tough spot, but Yarbrough gives the Yankees flexibility to have a longman out of the bullpen while also having a potential starter to fill in spots left open by injured starters Cole and Rodón. 

The Yankees’ bench is also in need of some additions. Rosario was a great right-handed bat that gave manager Aaron Boone some flexibility and should be a player the organization considers bringing back.

The Yankees had two players with options, and they accepted one and declined the other. Jonathan Loaisiga ($5 million) will not return under that contract, while Tim Hill ($3 million) will.

WHAT WILL THE ARBITRATION-ELIGIBLE AND 0-TO-3 PLAYERS MAKE?

The Yankees have 14 players who are eligible for arbitration. Those players, along with their expected 2026 salary via Cot’s Baseball Contracts, are:

• Jazz Chisholm Jr. ($10.25 million)
• David Bednar ($8.5 million)
• Camilo Doval ($6 million)
• Clarke Schmidt ($5.25 million)
• Anthony Volpe ($3.525 million)
• Mark Leiter Jr. ($2.75 million)
• Jose Caballero ($2.325 million)
• Luis Gil ($1.9 million)
• Fernando Cruz ($1.2 million)
• Ian Hamilton ($1.1 million)
• Jake Bird ($1 million)
• Oswaldo Cabrera ($1 million)
• Jake Cousins ($841,050)
• Scott Effross ($800,000)

The combined salary of the arbitration players is approximately $46.45 million, and that’s if the Yanks don’t non-tender certain players. And out of this list of 14(!), there are a few candidates who may not get offered arbitration — they come out of the bullpen.

Leiter has been mercurial since arriving at the deadline in 2024, and this is his final arbitration-eligible season. Hamilton and Bird finished 2025 in the minors due to poor performance, but both have two more years of arbitration, so the Yankees may want to keep them around. The same goes for Cousins — who underwent Tommy John surgery in mid-2025 and will likely be out for 2026 — while Effross has one more year of team control after 2026 and wasn’t effective when he returned from injury in the middle of the season.

Adding in all the arbitration players, the Yankees’ payroll in 2026 would be at $229.7 million.

This list doesn’t include players who are not eligible for arbitration and will make the league minimum ($780,000). Those players include Austin Wells, Jasson Dominguez, Ben Rice, Will Warren and Cam Schlittler.

HOW MUCH MONEY IS THERE TO ADD PLAYERS THIS OFFSEASON?

With committed salaries and estimated arbitration salaries and raises, the Yankees currently have approximately $271.4 million on the books for their 40-man roster in 2026, already going over the first tax threshold, and threatening the top threshold. 

It’s unlikely the Yankees remain below $300 million as ownership would like, but it’ll be interesting to see how Cashman approaches the offseason with the recent additions. 

The Yankees still need to add to their outfield with Bellinger gone. While the Yanks have made it clear they want to bring back Bellinger, they won’t be the only team looking for the former NL MVP’s services. 

Kyle Tucker is now a free agent and should be a target for the Yankees, who can use a consistent bat to go alongside Judge. Going after Tucker would be a longer-term commitment than one the Yanks would give to Bellinger. It’ll likely come down to money and how much Steinbrenner is willing to spend. However, it’s very likely that Grisham’s QO will limit the money the Yankees could offer Tucker in 2026, so we’ll see what happens on that front.

Although the Yankees’ starting rotation is pretty much set once Cole and Rodon return, opportunities to add are possible. The Yankees could want to bring in a stop-gap arm to go alongside Fried, Gil, Warren, and Schlittler. There’s also the trade market the Yankees could explore. Tarik Skubal is a name the hot stove has thrown out there, and he would fit in a rotation that is already one of the best in the majors.

And then there’s the bullpen. It’s unlikely that both Weaver and Williams will be back, but re-signing Weaver — who will likely be cheaper — and then adding arms to fill out the rest of the bullpen, like with Yarbrough and bringing back Hill, could make sense.

The Yankees also need to add to their bench. Luckily, Cabrera will return to be Boone’s Swiss-Army Knife alongside Caballero. However, a right-handed hitting first baseman option to platoon with Rice may be needed this offseason. 

And what about Volpe? Will the Yankees stay patient with their former prospect, or try to look outside the organization? Bo Bichette is a free agent, but it’s highly unlikely the Yankees will spend the big money to acquire him.

Will the Yankees go over the $304 million top threshold? With what they need, it looks likely. 

WHAT ABOUT EXTENSIONS FOR UNDER-CONTROL PLAYERS?

In previous years, you could have listed names like Volpe or Wells, but after subpar 2025 seasons — and with so many years of arbitration still left — the Yankees will likely let their play dictate whether an extension is in the cards.

There is one player who could be receiving an extension, and that’s Chisholm. The talented infielder is in the final year of arbitration and will be a free agent after the 2026 season. The organization clearly likes Chisholm for his athleticism, versatility, power, and locker room presence. He made his second career All-Star Game this season and became just the third player in Yankees history to record a 30-30 season.

There’s a world where the Yanks extend Chisholm (entering his age-28 season), buying out his final year of arbitration and keeping him in pinstripes for the foreseeable future.

THE PAYROLL SITUATION IN 2027 AND BEYOND

Here are the Yankees’ projected 40-man roster salary obligations from 2027 to 2030, via Cot’s: 

2027: $166.33 million
2028: $125.33 million
2029: $71.5 million
2030: $71.5 million

After 2027, it gets interesting. 

Stanton has a club option that the Yankees will most likely not exercise after that year, freeing up $15 million. McMahon will also be a free agent, adding another $16 million to the Yankees’ coffers. However, by then, Chisholm and Bednar will be free agents, unless they are extended. There will be big holes to fill — as per usual with this team — so that money will need to be used to shore up the infield and the closer’s role.

Looking past 2028, only Judge and Fried have guaranteed contracts — Cole and Rodon are free agents after 2028 — so it’ll be interesting to see where Cashman puts the money.

The Yankees do have young arms who are major league ready, like Gil, Warren, and Schlittler, who could eventually replace Cole and Rodon for much cheaper. Meanwhile, prospects like Carlos Lagrange, Elmer Rodríguez and Chase Hampton are close to the majors. The Yankees’ pipeline of pitchers is rich and its future is seemingly bright. 

The same might not be said about the Yankees’ infield situation. Outside of George Lombard Jr., who is close to the majors and could realistically usurp Volpe sooner rather than later, there isn’t much developed. The same can kind of be said about the outfield. 

This season will be big for Dominguez, as it’ll show the Yankees whether he can be an everyday outfielder for them. 

There’s also Spencer Jones, who skyrocketed up to Triple-A this past season and could be an option in the outfield in 2026. But outside of Judge, there’s a lot of unknowns in the outfield, which won’t change in the near future, even with Grisham returning next season.

So while the Yanks would love to stay below the top tax threshold, it’s not realistic for the next few seasons. And it won’t be realistic unless these prospects start to develop and prove they can perform at the big league level. 

Until then, expect more big contracts from the Bronx, and that’s OK. The Yankees, despite the guaranteed bucks, can work in that realm and remain flexible.

The Milwaukee Bucks suffered a critical loss on Monday, as star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo exited the team’s defeat in Cleveland with a left groin injury. Ahead of the team’s practice on Tuesday, Bucks head coach Doc Rivers said that Giannis would likely be out for two weeks.

ESPN’s Shams Charania reports that the forward has been diagnosed with a low-grade strain. Let’s look at how Antetokounmpo’s absence will impact the Bucks’ rotation and fantasy basketball.

Who will move into the Bucks’ starting lineup?

With Kyle Kuzma (24% rostered on Yahoo) already in the starting lineup, filling that role the last four games, the Bucks will need to turn elsewhere to fill the void. One possibility is that Gary Trent Jr. (7%) returns to the lineup after coming off the bench the last three games. As a starter, he’s averaging 10.0 points, 1.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.2 steals and 2.3 3-pointers in 28.1 minutes, shooting 37.7% from the field and 70.6% from the foul line. Trent has primarily been a points and 3-pointers option, offering limited value in the other categories.

Another option, if Milwaukee were to go big, would be veteran forward/center Bobby Portis (25%). However, like Trent, his fantasy production has been underwhelming this season. Averaging 9.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.3 3-pointers in 20.9 minutes. This is the least productive that Portis has been since his second season in the NBA (2016-17). However, according to Cleaning the Glass, Portis and starting center Myles Turner have only shared the court for 120 possessions this season. Given that number, Portis’ chances of starting may be slim.

Even if he comes off the bench, there will be opportunities for Portis to provide greater value, but fantasy managers can’t assume that he’ll come through.

How does Giannis’ absence impact the entire rotation?

The gravity that Antetokounmpo has offensively opens things up for the entire team, even with his lack of a reliable perimeter shot. Ryan Rollins (51%) has emerged as a fantasy standout this season, sitting just outside the top-50 in 9-cat, per-game value. Turner (97%), one of the league’s better pick-and-pop big men, will also be impacted by Antetokounmpo’s absence. AJ Green (7%), who has provided solid 3-point value, could be in a challenging spot in terms of delivering consistent production while the Bucks await Giannis’ return.

Turner and Rollins are the safest bets to benefit from Giannis’ absence, with the latter being the only appealing option who’s still available in 12-team leagues. Outside of those two, fantasy managers may be best served taking a patient approach to see how Rivers handles the rotation, or simply looking to other teams to help account for Antetokounmpo’s absence.