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The Philadelphia Phillies already boast one of MLB's best starting pitching rotations, and that five-man group is set to welcome another member in the coming days.

Manager Rob Thomson told reporters today that Aaron Nola will be making his return to the Phillies after missing the last three months with an ankle injury and a subsequent stress fracture to his ribs.

Nola is set to make his return to the rotation on Sunday against the Nationals, and Thomson informed reporters that Philadelphia will go with a six-man pitching rotation for the time being, via ESPN. He didn't specify how long that would last, though he said the team will go through the rotation "once, for sure" and reassess after that.

Given the performance of their starting pitchers this season, it's a move that makes plenty of sense. The Phillies have two Cy Young candidates in Zack Wheeler and Cristopher Sanchez, and four starters––Wheeler, Sanchez, Ranger Suarez and Jesus Luzardo––with a bWAR of 2.4 or greater. Taijuan Walker has also been a solid rotation member since returning to starting duties, and he owns a 3.05 ERA over his last five starts.

It's not a bad problem to have, as the Phillies map out their pitching plans for the remainder of the season. Getting a sixth man in the rotation will allow all of the starters to get a bit more rest, which could prove valuable down the stretch run of the season.

Nola had uncharacteristically struggled before landing on the IL. The 32-year-old had a 6.16 ERA in his first nine starts, and had surrendered 11 home runs in 49 2/3 innings. After a lengthy spell on the shelf, he'll hope to return to his previous form as he gets back to the mound.

The New York Yankees stunningly designated veteran infielder DJ LeMahieu for assignment Wednesday, putting an abrupt end to his tenure with the organization just days after the team announced plans to demote him to a bench role.

Aaron Boone spoke to reporters after the news broke of LeMahieu's release, and he offered an explanation as to how things unraveled to the point where the 36-year-old was DFA'd.

"It's been a tough couple days. Some hard conversations and then ultimately coming to this conclusion (to DFA LeMahieu) for what's been a great player and who has done a lot of great things for this organization. Difficult, but in the end (we) feel like this is the right thing to do at this time," Boone said.

Boone clarified that although LeMahieu did not take the news of his demotion too well, he did not ask to be released by the team. He added that he, LeMahieu and GM Brian Cashman had all had "respectful" conversations about the situation.

LeMahieu had been playing second base for the Yankees since returning from injury in May, but the organization opted to move Jazz Chisholm Jr. back to the position, leaving LeMahieu as the odd man out. Boone said that playing third base was something the veteran was open to but it proved to be too physically demanding.

It was a rather unceremonious end to LeMahieu's time in New York, especially considering how important he was to the team in the early 2020s.

The two bowlers picked up four wickets apiece and Taijul also completed 250 Test wickets

Mohammad Isam23-Nov-2025

Hasan Murad broke through Ireland’s resistance on the fifth day in an improbable chase of 509 to complete Bangladesh’s 217-run win in the second Test in Dhaka. Curtis Campher remained unbeaten on 71 from 259 balls for an effort that lasted more than six hours. Gavin Hoey and Campher survived for more than 31 overs, before Murad removed both Hoey and No. 11 Matthew Humphreys in consecutive balls to complete Bangladesh’s 2-0 win.Murad and Taijul Islam finished with four wickets each, but Mushfiqur Rahim’s century in his 100th Test was the highlight of the match. Taijul also completed 250 Test wickets, becoming the sixth left-arm spinner to reach the mark. He had earlier gone past Shakib Al Hasan’s 246 wickets to become Bangladesh’s highest wicket-taker.Campher and Hoey batted with remarkable composure on the fifth morning, as Bangladesh’s frustration grew after lunch with only two wickets left for victory. The pair ensured that Ireland batted 59.3 overs on the last day, despite there being a few close calls.Ireland started the day on 176 for 6 and Campher offered the full face of the bat while his overnight batting partner Andy McBrine survived for almost an hour before he was trapped lbw by Taijul for 21 to become his 250th Test wicket. Jordan Neill started off with a string of boundaries off Taijul, using the square cut and cover drives, before launching him down the ground. Neill’s only six came off Murad, though he also survived a dropped chance by Litton, on 23. It was Mehidy Hasan Miraz who got one to spin past Neill’s forward prod, which snuck through to hit the stumps soon after the second new ball was taken. Campher got to his fifty with a straight six that sailed over the long-on boundary.Campher and Hoey then took Ireland to lunch on 263 for 8 with a stand that crossed 50 in the second session, barely scoring at two runs an over. Even as Campher continued to resist, it took Murad just two balls in the end to seal the game.

Confusion over whether opening batter Muneeba Ali was actually deemed run-out caused a brief stoppage in the fourth over of Pakistan’s chase against India in their World Cup match in Colombo, with Pakistan querying the decision on the edge of the boundary while the dismissed batter Muneeba remained on the edge of the field of play.The sequence of events that led to the confusion was unusual. First, Muneeba had not been attempting a run – she had been batting out of her crease (presumably to counter swing) as India appealed for an lbw off the bowling of Kranti Goud. As that appeal went up, Muneeba had promptly grounded her bat behind the crease before the throw from Deepti Sharma came in from the slip cordon. However, she had very briefly raised her bat off the ground again without having grounded any other part of the body behind the line, and it was in the moments her bat was slightly raised that Deepti’s throw hit the stumps and dislodged the bails.ICC Playing Condition 30.1.2 does allow for a batter to lose contact with the ground beyond the crease and not be given out, but that exception is only granted to a batter who is “running or diving towards her ground”. Muneeba was merely stepping back into the crease, and there was no momentum that would have necessitated her bat leaving the crease.The playing condition states: “However, a batter shall not be considered to be out of her ground if, in running or diving towards her ground and beyond, and having grounded some part of her person or bat beyond the popping crease, there is subsequent loss of contact between the ground and any part of her person or bat, or between the bat and person.”Related

• TV umpiring slip-ups come under the scanner at Women's World Cup

• Sidra Amin reprimanded for breaching ICC code of conduct

• Harmanpreet: 'It wasn't an easy pitch to bat'

• Goud, Deepti seal another big win against Pakistan

• Bugs halt play between India and Pakistan in Colombo

The confusion was partially caused by conflicting third-umpire decisions being flashed on the big screen. Muneeba was initially given “not out” on the screen and even the India players had returned to their places. But that decision was soon changed to “out”, prompting celebrations from the India players and a puzzled expression from Muneeba, who animatedly sought clarification from the on-field umpires.It is possible third umpire Kerrin Klaaste had first given Muneeba not out before having seen the footage beyond Muneeba’s initial grounding of the bat. It is likely that after seeing the full set of replays – where Muneeba raised her bat again – Klaaste changed her decision.Once the on-field umpires confirmed she was out, Muneeba began to leave the field, but a flurry of activity near the Pakistan dugout gave her pause. She seemed to be getting instructions from her team-mates to remain on the field while they queried the decision again, this time from fourth-umpire Kim Cotton, who was at her station in between the two team dugouts. Muneeba was seen to be in further discussion with her team-mates – captain Fatima Sana in particular – as next batter Sidra Amin stood on the edge of the boundary without entering the playing area.Eventually, Sana appeared to signal to Muneeba that she may leave the field, likely having received further clarification surrounding the dismissal. Amin entered the field and went on to take strike. The incident caused a stoppage that went for several minutes longer than a regular run-out would take.Muneeba would also have been given out lbw off that delivery had India reviewed the on-field umpire’s not out decision. Her dismissal left Pakistan 6 for 1 in four overs in their chase of 248.

يستعد فريق برشلونة، بقيادة المدرب هانز فليك، لخوض مباراة جديدة في إطار منافسات بطولة الدوري الإسباني لكرة القدم، وذلك يوم السبت المقبل بعد فوزه المثير يوم الثلاثاء.

وخاض برشلونة مباراته المقدمة من الجولة التاسعة عشر من بطولة الدوري الإسباني، موسم 2025/26، على ملعب “كامب نو” ضد أتلتيكو مدريد.

وتمكن برشلونة من قلب الطاولة على أتلتيكو مدريد حيث حقق فوزًا بثلاثة أهداف مقابل هدف، بعدما كان متأخرًا في النتيجة، ليعزز صدارته في جدول الليجا برصيد 37 نقطة (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا). موعد مباراة برشلونة القادمة بعد فوزه على أتلتيكو مدريد في الدوري الإسباني

من جهة أخرى، يخوض برشلونة مباراته في الجولة الخامسة عشر من الدوري الإسباني لكرة القدم يوم السبت المقبل ضد خصمه فريق ريال بيتيس، على ملعب الأخير، في تمام الساعة 7:30 مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة، 8:30 بتوقيت السعودية.

MatériaMais Notícias

Com caminho definido na Sul-Americana 2024, o Corinthians conheceu seus adversários no torneio internacional. O presidente Augusto Melo aprovou o grupo do Timão, especialmente pela logística.

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➡️ Tudo sobre o Timão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso canal Lance! Corinthians

De acordo com o mandatário alvinegro, o deslocamento é um ponto favorável à equipe na competição. A delegação corintiana viajará para Argentina, Uruguai e Paraguai e enfrentará Argentino Juniors, Racing e Nacional. Mesmo assim, ele ponderou que atualmente o futebol é equilibrado, e o Corinthians não terá vida fácil na Sul-Americana.

– Gostei muito da logística. Grupo é complicado, futebol hoje é equilibrado. Em termos de logística foi muito bom – afirmou, em entrevista à ESPN nesta segunda-feira (18).

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Augusto Melo também enalteceu a importância da Sul-Americana e demonstrou estar otimista com a possibilidade do Corinthians conquistar o título do torneio.

– Acho que a tendência é crescer cada vez mais a Sul-Americana, principalmente para os brasileiros. O Corinthians não tem ainda esse título e quer buscar. Nosso time está cada vez mais criando corpo. Quem sabe esse título não podemos buscar – concluiu.

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CONFIRA OS GRUPOS DA SUL-AMERICANA 2024

Grupo A

Defensa y Justicia (ARG)Independiente Medellín (COL)Cesar Vallejo (PER)Always Ready (BOL)

Grupo B

CruzeiroUnión La Calera (CHI)Universidad Católica (EQU)Alianza FC (COL)

Grupo C

InternacionalDelfín (EQU)Belgrano (ARG)Real Tamayapo (BOL)

Grupo D

Boca Juniors (ARG)FortalezaNacional Potosí (BOL)Sportivo Trinidense (PAR)

Grupo E

Athletico-PRDanúbio (URU)Sportivo Ameliano (PAR)Rayo Zuliano (VEN)

Grupo F

CorinthiansArgentino Juniors (ARG)Racing (URU)Nacional (PAR)

Grupo G

Lanús (ARG)Metropolitanos (VEN)CuiabáDeportivo Garcilaso (PER)

Grupo H

Racing (ARG)Coquimbo (CHI)Sportivo Luqueño (PAR)Bragantino

Tudo sobre

CorinthiansFutebol NacionalSul-Americana

Liverpool have now joined the race to sign a defensive reinforcement alongside interest from rivals Chelsea and Manchester United.

Slot shaping Liverpool future without Salah?

Arne Slot simply had to make a big call last weekend. PSV Eindhoven’s 4-1 thrashing took Liverpool’s form from a blip into a full-blown crisis and something had to give. Unfortunately, that something against West Ham United was Mohamed Salah.

Liverpool’s Egyptian King was forced to watch on from the bench as the Reds finally put in a more controlled performance and Alexander Isak netted his first Premier League goal for the club. But as much as that victory came as a relief, it also raised a serious question about Salah’s place in Slot’s best side.

Ahead of Liverpool’s crucial clash against Sunderland on Wednesday evening, Slot revealed Salah’s reaction to being dropped – telling reporters: “It’s a normal reaction from a player that is good enough to play for us.

“He wasn’t the only who wasn’t happy he wasn’t starting. The way he behaved is the way you would expect of a professional. He handled himself really well. A top professional.”

Whether we’ll see Liverpool’s star make a return to action in midweek remains to be seen. After returning to winning ways, Slot may be asking himself whether he can afford to change things up.

He's like Arteta: Liverpool line up "best coach in the PL" to replace Slot

Arne Slot is under intense pressure at Liverpool after a shocking run of form.

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By
Angus Sinclair

Dec 2, 2025

Of course, it’s worth noting that a large part of the Dutchman’s backline simply can’t be changed. Whilst Conor Bradley is back in training, he won’t be ready to face Sunderland, which leaves Joe Gomez as the only other more recognisable right-back unless Dominik Szoboszlai drops in again.

Meanwhile, Slot still has just two centre-backs available in Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate, which is a problem that the Reds could solve by signing Castello Lukeba in January.

Liverpool join January race to sign Lukeba

As reported by Caught Offside, Liverpool have now joined the race to sign Lukaba alongside Man United, Chelsea and Newcastle United in the January transfer window.

The RB Leipzig defender no longer has a release clause worth €90m (£79m) and will be available for just €60m (£52m) in the winter window. As concerns continue to grow that Liverpool could still miss out on Marc Guehi, Lukeba has suddenly emerged as an ideal option.

Compared to Manchester City’s Josko Gvardiol by the Bundesliga’s official website, the Frenchman could yet make a similar impact on England’s top flight next year, ranking in the 99th percentile against other centre-backs in the top five leagues for successful take-ons.

It’s easy to see where the comparisons with Gvardiol have come from. Lukeba is an excellent central defender who’s great on the ball, capable of carrying or passing it forward and destined for a big move.

Dubbed “unique” by Como scout Ben Mattinson last year, the Leipzig star is also still just 22 years old and yet to reach the peak of his powers. Even if Konate does sign a new contract at Anfield, Lukeba could arrive and take his place in Liverpool’s strongest side in 2026.

Better move than Semenyo: Liverpool set to table bid to sign £53m "machine"

West Ham boss Nuno Espírito Santo faces a fresh concern about star winger Jarrod Bowen, with the Englishman poised to play a key role in the Hammers’ fight against relegation.

The 2025/26 campaign has plunged Bowen into the most challenging period of his West Ham career. While the 28-year-old continues delivering on an individual level, his club finds themselves in a perilous battle at the wrong end of the Premier League table that threatens to define his future.

The Hammers captain has been West Ham’s top goalscorer for four consecutive Premier League seasons, netting 47 times in that period, cementing his status as the club’s talisman since his arrival from Hull City in January 2020.

Bowen is surely a shoo-in for Thomas Tuchel’s 2026 World Cup selection, having only missed out on two England squad inclusions since 2023, but the questions lie around his long-term future with West Ham currently in a dogfight.

West Ham’s results in the Premier League so far

Sunderland 3-0 West Ham

West Ham 1-5 Chelsea

Nottingham Forest 0-3 West Ham

West Ham 0-3 Tottenham

West Ham 1-2 Crystal Palace

Everton 1-1 West Ham

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

West Ham 0-2 Brentford

Leeds 2-1 West Ham

West Ham 3-1 Newcastle

West Ham 3-2 Burnley

Bowen will get real encouragement by the fact West Ham have just won back-to-back home games for the first time since last year, and the Irons are a club he absolutely adores. He put pen to paper on a long-term seven-year deal back in 2023, keeping him at the club until 2030, but those were very different times back then.

After his winner against Fiorentina in the Conference League final that year, which gifted West Ham their first major trophy since the 1980s, optimism around the London Stadium was high.

However, amid fan protests against the ownership and their steep decline in the last two years, speculation surrounding Bowen’s future is rife.

Liverpool are exploring a deal to sign Bowen ahead of 2026, with West Ham reportedly willing to consider selling their captain if they receive an ‘irresistible’ offer. The connection to Anfield isn’t new, but the circumstances have changed dramatically. Former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp previously described Bowen as his favourite player outside his own squad, and Bowen actually shares an agent with Reds defender Andy Robertson.

Arne Slot’s side could be keen on the 28-year-old as an heir to Mohamed Salah, but he’s also been linked with the likes of Tottenham and Newcastle.

West Ham dealt Jarrod Bowen blow as Nuno faces fresh concern

That is according to CaughtOffside, who also report the star forward’s stance on leaving West Ham in 2026.

As per their information, it isn’t good news, with Bowen looking to leave West Ham next summer and potentially compete for a Champions League club to test his own ambitions.

With 130 goal contributions in 250 appearances since joining from Hull, Bowen’s contribution at West Ham absolutely dwarfs his teammates.

The fan favourite’s departure would leave a gaping void that West Ham’s current squad lacks the quality to fill. Beyond stats, Bowen embodies leadership, consistency and the ‘West Ham way’ during very turbulent times – qualities desperately needed as the club battles a drop to the Championship.

Selling a homegrown hero who married into East London royalty and delivered European glory would also come as a major disappointment to the fanbase.

Replacing Bowen’s goals, assists, work rate and leadership would require multiple signings, and perhaps even more than that.

The task would be David Sullivan’s biggest one yet, and amid all-time high unrest over his leadership, the chairman needs to tread carefully.

Saransh Jain bagged his second successive five-wicket haul, while Kumar Kartikeya finished with a four-for as the Central Zone spinners ran through South Zone on the opening day of the Duleep Trophy final.Under cloudy skies and on a surface with a greenish tinge, Jain picked 5 for 49 and Kartikeya returned 4 for 53 to bowl out South Zone for 149 in 63 overs at BCCI’s Centre of Excellence. In reply, the Central Zone openers Danish Malewar and Akshay Wadkar were steady in their approach before bad light ended the first day early.At stumps, Central Zone were on 50 for 0, trailing South Zone by just 99 runs.South Zone’s new opening pair of Mohit Kale and Tanmay Agarwal weathered the new-ball storm, adding 24 runs in 15 overs. When spin was introduced in the 16th over, Kale’s went for a slog, only to be cleaned up by Kartikeya.Related

• Patience and precision: how Kartikeya turned the Duleep final on its head

• Hungry and on the move, C Andre Siddarth sets sights on Ranji Trophy glory

Soon after, R Smaran swiped Kartikeya across the line, but could only manage a top-edge and was caught at square leg 1.There were immediate signs of extra zip and bounce for both Kartikeya and Jain, who operated in tandem. South Zone then lost Tanmay Agarwal through a run-out. Looking for a second run, Tanmay and Ricky Bhui collided in the middle and the former was found well short.Kartikeya struck for a third time when South Zone captain Mohammed Azharuddeen was squared up and bowled for 4 as South Zone went to lunch at 64 for 4. Jain joined in on the wicket-taking fun after lunch, trapping Bhui lbw.Salman Nizar took 13 balls to get off the mark by going on the assertive against Kartikeya, striking for a six and four. C Andre Siddarth also clipped Kartikeya through mid-on for four. But aggression got the better of Siddarth when he waltzed down to Jain, got beaten in the flight and was stumped as South Zone slipped to 97 for 6. That became 116 for 7 when Jain got a length ball to kick off the surface, rapping Nizar’s gloves, with Patidar taking a low catch at slip.Kartikeya then picked his fourth trapping Gurjapneet Singh lbw. Vasuki Koushik and Ankit Sharma tried to delay the end, but Jain picked his fifth wicket with a straight delivery that breached Ankit’s defences and trapped him in front.South Zone started with the spin of Ankit at one end and the left-arm pace of Gurjapneet at the other.Wadkar and Malewar hit Gurjapneet for three fours in an over to kickstart the charge as they reached the 50 mark in 17 overs. There was an appeal for lbw by Ankit against Wadkar but replays suggested that the ball would have clearly missed leg stump.Koushik got the ball to move around late in the day, but the two batters hung on.

On a day KKR batters were trying to manufacture shots to coast home, Chahal’s advantage was amplified and he returned to form in grand style

Ekanth15-Apr-20252:07

Rayudu: ‘Chahal bowled to get a wicket, not to defend’

Yuzvendra Chahal just couldn’t catch a break. After being bought for INR 18 crore in the IPL 2025 auction, he hadn’t completed his quota in three of his first five games for Punjab Kings (PBKS). In the last of those, he hurt his shoulder but recovered in time to face Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). His team had been struggling to get him into the game and that threatened to be the case again in Mullanpur on Tuesday.KKR had rolled PBKS over for 111 and were in control of the chase in the seventh over. They needed 52 from 13 overs with eight wickets in hand. That’s when Chahal was introduced.The pitch was far from a minefield. Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy had picked up two wickets each, but they were getting turn in a way mystery spinners do – with quicker speeds and shorter lengths while keeping the stumps in play.Related

• Unstoppable and unsatisfied: how Punjab Kings marched into their first IPL playoffs in 11 years

• RCB return home aiming to avoid a hat-trick of defeats

• 'Composure as a person' makes Shreyas Iyer the captain he is

• Chahal four-for stuns KKR as PBKS defend 111

• Rahane: 'I take the blame for the loss; I played the wrong shot'

Chahal didn’t have that luxury. He is more old-school who looks to deceive batters in the air and off the pitch. That hadn’t worked for him so far this tournament. He started his spell with a legbreak to Ajinkya Rahane that got a bit of turn, which signaled to both the bowler and his captain Shreyas Iyer that they were in the game.”Shreyas said we needed a slip because we couldn’t let go of even a single chance – there was no point bringing in a slip after a ball goes for four through there,” Chahal said after the game. “We had to attack, because we had few runs to work with, and we knew that we could win only by picking up wickets.”The first googly he bowled beat Rahane on the sweep and trapped him lbw. Chahal was lucky to have that wicket as ball-tracking showed that the impact was outside off stump and KKR didn’t review. More importantly, it was clear that Chahal’s methods suited not only the conditions but also the situation.He didn’t need to bowl magic balls. Instead, he had to make the batters generate their own pace, especially if they were looking for boundaries. On a day where a lot of the wickets fell not because of good balls but batters trying to manufacture shots as a marker of initiative and, in KKR’s case, to coast home, Chahal’s advantage was amplified.Yuzvendra Chahal returned to form in grand style•Getty ImagesAngkrish Raghuvanshi, who was well set at 37 off 27 balls, made room and tried to go inside out over cover but the ball dipped on him and landed slightly shorter than what he would have hoped for. It meant that he had to reach further away and couldn’t open the face of the bat to control the direction in which the ball went.”I was varying my pace,” Chahal said. “If the opposition’s batters wanted to hit sixes, they had to put in effort to do it.”In the games against Rajasthan Royals (RR), Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), he bowled short in his first over and went for boundaries. That did not allow him to settle into his spells. The same thing could have happened against Raghuvanshi. Instead, Chahal had two wickets in seven balls.

The moment where Yuzvendra Chahal turned the game #TATAIPL | #PBKSvKKR | @PunjabKingsIPL pic.twitter.com/D2O5ImOSf4

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 15, 2025