Arizona Diamondbacks player Ketel Marte missed a game against the Boston Red Sox. The team said his absence was linked to a "personal issue," but later reports revealed he will have an MRI for a knee problem.
Key Facts
Ketel Marte did not play in the game against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park.
The Diamondbacks placed Marte on the restricted list to free up a roster spot.
Manager Torey Lovullo said Marte's absence was due to a personal issue with limited explanation.
Reports say Marte was seen at the hotel bar late at night before the game.
An update indicated Marte will return to Arizona for an MRI on his left knee.
Marte has had knee discomfort for about a week and left a previous game early.
The team put him on the restricted list, not the injured list, despite the knee issue.
Marte was also on the restricted list last season after a home burglary incident.
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Barcelona has signed Spain captain Rodri from Manchester City for about 76.5 million euros ($88.5 million). Rodri, who was named the World Cup’s best player, will join Barcelona on a contract until 2030 and aims to help the team in their pursuit of a La Liga three-peat.
Key Facts
Rodri is the captain of Spain’s national team and was named the best player of the 2026 World Cup.
He transferred from Manchester City to Barcelona for around 76.5 million euros ($88.5 million).
Rodri’s contract with Barcelona runs until 2030.
He has played alongside other Spanish internationals at Barcelona, like Gavi and Pedri.
Rodri scored the winning goal in the 2023 Champions League final with Manchester City.
Real Madrid was also interested in signing Rodri but did not reach an agreement.
Rodri had minor back surgery after the World Cup and missed a recent Manchester City game.
Barcelona is also adding other players like Anthony Gordon and Joao Cancelo to strengthen their squad.
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Aston Villa have agreed to sign defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka from West Ham. The deal will start as a loan and will become permanent at the end of the season.
Key Facts
Aaron Wan-Bissaka is a right-back who has played for West Ham, Manchester United, and Crystal Palace.
Wan-Bissaka will join Aston Villa on loan first, with a required purchase later.
West Ham initially asked for a fee of £25 million for Wan-Bissaka.
Wan-Bissaka missed West Ham’s first two matches while the deal was being negotiated.
West Ham sold Mateus Fernandes for £85 million and Crysencio Summerville for £60 million this summer.
Aston Villa sold Morgan Rogers to Chelsea for £117 million this summer.
Villa have signed Johan Manzambi, Joao Gomes, Alejandro Garnacho (on loan with an obligation to buy), and Modou Keba Cisse.
Villa start their Premier League season against Brighton and will compete in the Champions League this season.
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Baltimore Ravens player Calais Campbell spoke publicly for the first time since his mother died and his brother was charged with murder. Despite the family difficulties, Campbell said football gives him joy and has helped him cope, and he continues to train with the team.
Key Facts
Calais Campbell is a 39-year-old defensive lineman for the Baltimore Ravens.
His mother died in late June in Atlanta; police found her during a welfare check.
Campbell's brother was charged with her murder and reportedly struggles with mental illness.
The Ravens allowed Campbell to miss early full-team practices to deal with the tragedy.
Campbell returned to practice on August 3 during the NFL training camp.
He signed a one-year contract with the Ravens in April, expecting his 19th NFL season.
Campbell has been selected to the Pro Bowl six times and has 117 career sacks.
New Ravens head coach Jesse Minter praised Campbell's leadership and versatility on the team.
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Ten years ago, on August 19, 2016, the Great Britain women's hockey team won their first Olympic gold by beating the Netherlands in a penalty shootout at the Rio Olympics. The match was intense and closely watched, including by the royal family, and marked a historic achievement for British field hockey.
Key Facts
The gold medal final took place on August 19, 2016, in Rio de Janeiro.
Team GB beat the Netherlands after a 3-3 draw, winning on penalty strikes by Helen Richardson-Walsh and Hollie Pearne-Webb.
The Netherlands had won the previous two Olympic golds and were top-ranked in women’s hockey.
Nearly nine million people in Britain watched the match on TV.
Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, watched the game at Balmoral and described the tension in the room, including from Queen Elizabeth II.
The GB team had superstitions like wearing the same clothes and sitting in the same bus seats before matches.
This was the first Olympic hockey gold for GB women's team and the first for Britain since the men's win in 1988.
Since 2021, the team has not medaled in major tournaments except for Commonwealth gold in 2022 and has not performed strongly in recent Pro League events.
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The New York Giants signed running back Najee Harris to a one-year contract after he worked out for the team. Harris is recovering from a major Achilles injury that ended his 2025 season with the Los Angeles Chargers, and he previously played four seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Key Facts
Najee Harris is a veteran running back who signed a one-year deal with the New York Giants.
Harris had a workout with the Giants before signing the contract.
He suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in Week 3 of the 2025 season while playing for the Los Angeles Chargers.
Harris played under coach Jim Harbaugh at the Chargers and will now play under John Harbaugh with the Giants.
Before joining the Chargers, Harris spent four seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
During his time with the Steelers, Harris had at least 1,000 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns each season.
Coach John Harbaugh said Harris is not fully back to football shape but showed promise in the workout.
The Giants’ 2026 season will begin with a game against the Dallas Cowboys on September 13.
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The Green Bay Packers lost their preseason opener 28-9 to the Pittsburgh Steelers, with starters playing only briefly. Head coach Matt LaFleur said that quarterback Jordan Love and other starters will play again in the next preseason game against the Denver Broncos to gain more game experience before the regular season.
Key Facts
The Packers lost their first preseason game 28-9 to the Steelers.
Starters, including Jordan Love, played only one series before backups took over.
Packers will face the Denver Broncos next in their second preseason game.
Coach LaFleur confirmed starters, including Love, will play against Denver.
Jordan Love became the Packers' full-time starting quarterback in 2023.
Love had strong stats last season, with over 3,300 passing yards and a passer rating above 100.
The Packers aim to improve on last year’s 9-7-1 record and make a deeper playoff run.
The regular season begins September 13 against the Minnesota Vikings.
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Quarterback Baker Mayfield said he is very impressed by new teammate Kenneth Gainwell’s skills during Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ training camp. Gainwell, a running back, joined the Buccaneers after playing for the Eagles and Steelers and brings both running and receiving abilities to the team.
Key Facts
Kenneth Gainwell signed a one-year, $14 million contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this offseason.
Baker Mayfield said Gainwell is more talented than expected and praised his running and blocking skills.
Gainwell played four years with the Philadelphia Eagles and was part of their Super Bowl LIX-winning team.
Last season, Gainwell played for the Pittsburgh Steelers, gaining 537 rushing yards and scoring five touchdowns.
Gainwell also caught 486 receiving yards and three touchdowns in the previous season, showing skill as a receiver.
He will be a backup running back for the Buccaneers, supporting starter Bucky Irving.
The Buccaneers aim to improve after an 8-9 record last season and missing the playoffs.
Head coach Todd Bowles announced Baker Mayfield will play in an upcoming preseason game on August 22 against the Kansas City Chiefs.
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Najee Harris, a running back who recently injured his left Achilles tendon, is signing with the New York Giants. He worked out for the team recently, but he is not fully healthy and may need time before practicing with the team.
Key Facts
Najee Harris is a 28-year-old running back.
He tore his left Achilles tendon in a game on September 21 while playing for the Los Angeles Chargers.
Harris worked out for the New York Giants on Monday before signing.
The deal was not yet officially announced when the news was reported.
Giants coach John Harbaugh said Harris is not fully healthy and it will take time for him to get back to full strength.
It is unclear when Harris will start practicing with the Giants.
Harris had four straight seasons with over 1,000 rushing yards playing for Pittsburgh from 2021 to 2024.
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Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy returned to work after his wife Mia was shot at their home in Virginia. Their son Elijah was arrested in connection with the shooting, and Mia is recovering from her injuries.
Key Facts
Mia Bieniemy was shot on July 26 at their Virginia home.
Their 27-year-old son Elijah Bieniemy was arrested for the shooting.
Elijah faces charges including malicious wounding and using a firearm during a felony.
Mia is recovering well from multiple gunshot wounds.
Eric Bieniemy left the Chiefs temporarily to support his family.
Even while home, Eric stayed involved with the Chiefs by watching practice and joining meetings remotely.
Eric returned to Chiefs training camp last week before their preseason game.
He thanked the Chiefs and Hunt family for their support during the situation.
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Brayan Bello started the baseball season struggling as a starting pitcher for the Boston Red Sox but has improved greatly after moving to the bullpen, where he now has the best earned run average (ERA) among relief pitchers. This change in role has helped him pitch well in multiple innings per game and return to the major leagues.
Key Facts
Brayan Bello was originally a starting pitcher but had a high ERA of 10.35 in eight starts.
The Boston Red Sox moved him to the bullpen (relief pitching role) after trying multiple strategies.
Bello signed a six-year contract extension two years ago.
As a reliever, Bello has a 0.85 ERA, the best among relief pitchers in Major League Baseball.
He pitched 52.2 innings out of the bullpen, surpassing Mason Miller’s 0.88 ERA in 51.1 innings.
Bello initially did not want to move to the bullpen but accepted it to stay in the major leagues.
The Red Sox do not allow Bello to start games despite his success as a reliever.
This shift is unusual but has resulted in improved performance for Bello.
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Jonathan Taylor, a running back for the Indianapolis Colts, was ranked No. 17 on the NFL Top 100 players list for 2026 as voted by current players. He had a strong 2025 season with 1,585 rushing yards, 18 rushing touchdowns, and caught 46 passes for 378 yards and two touchdowns.
Key Facts
Jonathan Taylor was selected for his third Pro Bowl in 2025.
He led the NFL with 18 rushing touchdowns in 2025.
Taylor rushed for 1,585 yards and caught 46 passes for 378 yards in 2025.
He ranked No. 17 on the 2026 NFL Top 100 players list, voted by active players.
This is Taylor’s second time on the Top 100 list; he was No. 5 after the 2021 season.
The Colts signed Taylor to a two-year, $44 million contract extension through 2028.
The Colts tied their first preseason game against the New England Patriots.
The Colts begin their regular season on Sept. 13 against the Baltimore Ravens.
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Barcelona has signed midfielder Rodri from Manchester City for about £65 million. Rodri, who won the 2024 Ballon d'Or and was named player of the World Cup tournament, has agreed to a four-year contract and will return to Spanish football after seven seasons in England.
Key Facts
Rodri joined Barcelona from Manchester City in a deal worth around £65 million.
He has signed a four-year contract with Barcelona.
Rodri last played in Spain in 2019 for Atletico Madrid.
He played seven seasons at Manchester City, making 298 appearances.
During his time at City, he won 12 major trophies including four Premier League titles and the 2023 Champions League.
His recent two seasons at City were affected by injury.
Rodri was named the best player at the 2024 World Cup, where Spain won the tournament.
Real Madrid was initially interested but ended their pursuit before Barcelona made the final agreement.
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Venus Williams, aged 46, received a wild card to play singles at the U.S. Open tennis tournament. The tournament is also holding a wild card spot possibly for her sister, Serena Williams, who may return to compete at 44.
Key Facts
Venus Williams got a wild card to enter the U.S. Open singles event at age 46.
This makes her the oldest singles entry since Renee Richards in 1981.
The U.S. Open is holding one wild card spot that might be for Serena Williams if she decides to play.
Venus and Serena recently played doubles together at the Cincinnati Open but lost in a close match.
Serena was injured at Wimbledon and has not played singles since the 2022 U.S. Open but hopes to continue if healthy.
Other women who got wild cards include 2017 champion Sloane Stephens and several younger players.
On the men’s side, wild cards went to players including 39-year-old Gael Monfils, who plans to retire after the tournament.
The main U.S. Open tournament starts on August 30, with qualifying rounds earlier that week.
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Joe Root has returned as England’s cricket team captain to lead a series against Pakistan at Headingley. He previously captained England for five years and is taking over during a period of transition and uncertainty after Ben Stokes’ captaincy and coaching changes.
Key Facts
Joe Root has captained England in 65 Test matches, holding the team record.
Ben Stokes recently stepped down as England captain after four years.
England’s Test coach Brendon McCullum was replaced by Stephen Fleming, who has not yet started, so Marcus Trescothick acts as interim coach.
England lost their last Test series 1-0 in the West Indies just before Root resigned as captain.
Root’s first captaincy had a 55% win rate, better than Ben Stokes' 54% and some previous captains.
Root is now 35 years old and is the oldest player in the England Test team.
Root’s batting average as captain (46.7) is lower than his overall career average (53.3).
The team faces challenges including inexperience and the impact of Covid-19 on earlier performances.
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Cam Skattebo, a running back for the New York Giants, started his NFL career strong but suffered a serious leg injury in his first season. As he prepares for his second year, he says he wants to stay aggressive but also use smarter running techniques to avoid injuries.
Key Facts
Cam Skattebo rushed for 410 yards and five touchdowns in his first eight NFL games.
He also caught 24 passes for 207 yards and two touchdowns during that time.
Skattebo’s play style involves running straight into defenders, using a lot of physical force.
He had a season-ending leg injury in Week 8 of his rookie season.
Skattebo is working on running around defenders more instead of always running through them.
His coach, John Harbaugh, values physical play, which suits Skattebo’s style.
Skattebo believes smarter moves could have gained him extra yards in past games.
The Giants have a preseason game coming up against the Miami Dolphins.
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Trey Mancini, a professional baseball first baseman, announced his retirement after eight seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for several teams including the Baltimore Orioles, Chicago Cubs, Houston Astros, and Los Angeles Angels and overcame cancer during his career.
Key Facts
Trey Mancini announced his retirement from professional baseball on social media.
He played eight seasons in MLB for the Orioles, Cubs, Astros, and Angels.
Mancini won a World Series championship with the Houston Astros in 2022.
He was diagnosed with Stage 3 colon cancer in March 2020 at age 27.
After surgery and chemotherapy, he returned to play in the MLB in 2021.
Mancini won the American League Comeback Player of the Year Award in 2021.
He spent time in minor leagues after being released by the Cubs in 2023.
Mancini returned briefly to the MLB with the Angels in June 2023 before moving back to Triple-A.
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The Boston Red Sox rookie pitcher Payton Tolle, 23 years old, has performed very well this season. He is open to talks about extending his contract with the team because he enjoys playing in Boston and feels supported by the city.
Key Facts
Payton Tolle is a starting pitcher for the Boston Red Sox.
He has an 8-6 win-loss record this season with a 2.97 earned run average (ERA).
Tolle has a 1.061 WHIP (walks plus hits per inning pitched) and a 3.21 FIP (fielding independent pitching).
He leads the Red Sox starting rotation in strikeouts (128), hits allowed per nine innings (7.1), and strikeouts per nine innings (10.0).
Tolle is willing to discuss a contract extension with the team but no talks have happened yet.
He feels Boston is a great baseball city and appreciates the strong support from the fans.
Tolle wants to stay with the Red Sox for as long as the team wants him.
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The Associated Press announced the preseason All-America college football team, with Texas having four players selected and the Southeastern Conference (SEC) having the most first-team picks at 14 out of 27. Notable players include Oregon quarterback Dante Moore, Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, and returning All-Americans Ahmad Hardy and Leonard Moore.
Key Facts
Texas leads all teams with four players on the preseason AP All-America team.
The SEC has 14 of the 27 first-team selections, the highest among conferences.
The Big Ten conference has eight first-team players, including Oregon quarterback Dante Moore.
Texas players named include Trevor Goosby (offensive lineman), Cam Coleman (wide receiver), Colin Simmons (defensive lineman), and Rasheem Biles (linebacker).
Ohio State’s only first-team selection is wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, who is also the Big Ten preseason offensive player of the year.
Returning first-team All-Americans on the preseason team include Missouri running back Ahmad Hardy and Notre Dame cornerback Leonard Moore.
Iowa’s Kade Pieper was voted first-team center, moving from guard to replace a key player.
The final AP All-America team for the season will be announced in December.
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Premier League chief Richard Masters criticized FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s plan to sell part of the World Cup’s commercial rights, calling it a self-inflicted problem for FIFA. The plan was dropped after opposition from several football groups, including UEFA, which threatens to boycott FIFA events. Masters supports the English Football Association’s decision to stop backing Infantino and wants a new leader to unite world football.
Key Facts
FIFA planned to create a new company to manage World Cup commercial and ticketing rights, selling 21% to private investors.
The plan faced strong criticism from European football bodies like UEFA, leading to its cancellation.
UEFA and other regional groups accused FIFA and Infantino of harming trust and the integrity of football.
The English Football Association and Premier League withdrew their support for Infantino’s presidency.
Infantino seeks a fourth term as FIFA president in March 2024.
Richard Masters said FIFA should keep the World Cup as a nonprofit event for football’s future.
Masters wants a “unity candidate” for FIFA president to bring positive changes and reform the organization.
The Premier League begins its new season soon, with Masters commenting on league challenges and recent club sanctions.
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