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Player News
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Ryan Santoso NYG PGiants' Ryan Santoso: Inks future deal
1h agoSantoso signed a reserve/future contract with the Giants on Tuesday, Ralph Vacchiano of SportsNet New York reports.
Santoso has experience as a kicker and a punter, and he'll add depth at both positions heading into the 2021 season. With Graham Gano and Riley Dixon both under contract, Santoso's a long shot to make the final roster.
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Jordan Whitehead TB FSBuccaneers' Jordan Whitehead: Should be ready for Super Bowl
1h agoWhitehead (shoulder) is expected to play in the Super Bowl against the Chiefs, ESPN.com reports.
Whitehead exited the NFC Championship Game early in the third quarter and didn't return. However, it appears the 23-year-old will be able to play through the issue, so he's on track to start at free safety Feb. 7. Through 16 regular-season games, Whitehead produced 74 tackles, two sacks, four pass breakups and two interceptions. He added seven tackles and two forced fumbles in the postseason as well.
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Antoine Winfield Jr. TB SSBuccaneers' Antoine Winfield: On track for Super Bowl
2h agoWinfield (ankle) is expected to play in the Super Bowl against the Chiefs, ESPN.com reports.
Winfield sat out of the NFC Championship Game win over the Packers, but he's on track to play Feb. 7. The rookie safety has been a key figure on Tampa Bay's dominant defense this season, recording 94 tackles, three sacks and six pass breakups. He may still be limited when the Buccaneers reveal their first official practice report.
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Nick Mullens SF QB49ers' Nick Mullens: Doesn't need TJ surgery
2h agoMullens (elbow) avoided Tommy John surgery and should be healthy for the start of training camp, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.
Mullens did have surgery on his injured right elbow in late December, but he avoided the famous procedure that often causes MLB pitchers to miss entire seasons. He can become an unrestricted free agent this offseason, while fellow 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo has been oft-mentioned as a potential cap casualty. Of course, the Niners presumably will try to find someone better than Mullens if they do end up moving on from Garoppolo.
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Aaron Rodgers GB QBPackers' Aaron Rodgers: Not expecting trade
2h agoRodgers expects to stay with the Packers for 2021, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports. "I don't think that there's any reason why I wouldn't be back, but there's not many absolutes in this business," Rodgers said Tuesday.
While an MVP award may not be enough to stop trade rumors, it doesn't sound like 2021 will mark the beginning of the Jordan Love era in Green Bay. Packers CEO Mark Murphy was emphatic earlier this week when a radio host asked him about the QB situation, saying "there's no way in heck Aaron is not gonna be on the Packers," per NFL.com. That doesn't necessarily mean Rodgers will stay with the Packers through the end of his contract in 2023, but he'll likely stay put for at least one more season.
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Le'Veon Bell KC RBChiefs' Le'Veon Bell: Should be ready for Super Bowl
4h agoBell (knee) is expected to be available to play in Super Bowl LV, ESPN's Dianna Russini reports.
Assuming Bell is available a week from Sunday, it remains to be seen what his role might be versus the Buccaneers. Though Clyde Edwards-Helaire was able to play in the AFC Championship Game, it was Darrel Williams who served as Kansas City's lead back in the team's 38-24 win over the Bills. Bell therefore seems likely to work in a complementary role if he suits up against Tampa Bay.
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Ivan Nova DET SPPhillies' Ivan Nova: Lands with Phillies on minors deal
1h agoNova (triceps) signed a minor-league contract with the Phillies on Tuesday, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.
The deal will pay the veteran righty $1.5 million if he's able to make the big-league roster. Now 34 years old, Nova appeared to have something left in the tank up until very recently, recording an unexciting but acceptable 4.31 ERA from 2016 to 2019. His 2020 campaign went quite poorly, however, as he struggled to an 8.53 ERA and a 9:9 K:BB in four starts before being shut down with triceps tendinitis. Beating out Vince Velasquez for the Phillies' fifth starter spot is certainly not an insurmountable task if Nova is fully healthy, though he won't be a particularly exciting fantasy option if he does win the job, as he's been a low-strikeout innings eater for the bulk of his career.
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C.J. Hinojosa SF SS
Astros' C.J. Hinojosa: Finds home in new organization
2h agoHinojosa agreed Monday with the Astros on a minor-league contract, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.
Hinojosa was most recently a member of the Brewers organization, slashing .280/.338/.400 across 460 plate appearances at Double-A Biloxi in 2019 before he was released last summer. The 26-year-old infielder will likely begin the 2021 campaign with Houston's Double-A affiliate in Corpus Christi.
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Ehire Adrianza MIN 3BBraves' Ehire Adrianza: Joins Atlanta on minors deal
2h agoAdrianza signed a minor-league contract with Atlanta on Tuesday, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports.
Adrianza has spent eight years in the majors as a useful enough utility man, though he shouldn't be relied on for much more than that. His career .244/.310/.360 slash line gives him a shot at a bench role considering that he can play anywhere except catcher and center field, but he'll have to prove that his awful .191/.287/.270 line in 101 plate appearances last season was just a small-sample fluke.
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Andrew Knapp PHI CPhillies' Andrew Knapp: Back in backup role
2h agoKnapp will head back to his typical backup catcher role this upcoming season, as Craig Mish of SportsGrid.com reports the Phillies signed J.T. Realmuto to a five-year, $115.5 million deal Tuesday.
Realmuto became a free agent after declining a qualifying offer in November, leaving Knapp potentially lined up to enter the season as a starter. He'll now revert to the backup role which probably suits him best, as his .230/.337/.350 career slash line isn't exactly starter material given his mediocre glove. The Phillies' hitter-friendly home park and Knapp's encouraging .278/.404/.444 line in a small sample of 89 plate appearances do make him an interesting option should Realmuto miss time at any point this season, but Realmuto has always handled a heavy workload when healthy, so there's little sense picking up Knapp unless that happens.
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J.T. Realmuto PHI CPhillies' J.T. Realmuto: Remaining in Philadelphia
3h agoRealmuto agreed to a five-year, $115.5 million deal to return to the Phillies on Tuesday, Craig Mish of SportsGrid.com reports.
There was no better player to fill the Realmuto-shaped hole in Philadelphia than Realmuto himself, so it makes sense that he and the Phillies were able to come to terms on a deal that suits both sides. Realmuto's average annual value of $23.1 million will be the highest ever for a catcher. It's hard to say the contract is undeserved, as he's been the top backstop in the league over the last several seasons. Heading into his age-30 season, Realmuto will presumably start declining sometime soon, but he showed no signs of doing so last season, hitting .266/.349/.491 with 11 homers and four steals in 47 games. He should remain a key piece of a decent lineup in a hitter-friendly park for the foreseeable future.
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Julian Merryweather TOR RPBlue Jays' Julian Merryweather: Viewed as starter
5h agoMerryweather is seen as a starter by the Blue Jays, Scott Mitchell of TSN.ca reports.
The righty made his debut as a 28-year-old last season, making three starts and five bullpen appearances. He was much more an opener than a true starter, however, as he didn't throw more than two innings in any game, but he was primarily a starter in the minors. His inexperience suggests he won't be a favorite to make Toronto's starting five, though his 27.3 percent strikeout rate last season did hint at some promise.
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Wendell Carter Jr. CHI CBulls' Wendell Carter: Out four-plus weeks
9m agoCarter will be reevaluated in four weeks after an MRI confirmed a severe right quadriceps contusion Tuesday.
The 21-year-old missed the past three games due to the injury and will now be sidelined for at least the next month. It's a familiar story of missing time with injuries for Carter, who played 44 games and 43 games over his first two years in the league entering this season. Daniel Gafford has started in his place for the Bulls, but Lauri Markkanen and Thaddeus Young could also see increased run at center.
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Jimmy Butler MIA SFHeat's Jimmy Butler: Out again Wednesday
14m agoButler (COVID-19 protocols) has been ruled out for Wednesday's game against the Nuggets, Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press reports.
The 31-year-old was expected to clear the NBA's health and safety protocols Monday, but he'll still be sidelined for his ninth straight contest. Butler hasn't seen game action since Jan. 9 and will likely need to ramp up his conditioning once cleared to retake the court.
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Hassan Whiteside SAC CKings' Hassan Whiteside: Feels good to go
1h agoWhiteside said Tuesday that he feels ready to return after missing the last four games with a hip injury, James Ham of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.
Players feeling optimistic about their own health isn't always a signal that they'll be cleared to play, but this still appears to be a good sign. Whiteside has played a small role for the Kings this season, averaging 6.4 points and 4.2 rebounds in 12.7 minutes per game over nine contests.
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Domantas Sabonis IND PFPacers' Domantas Sabonis: Day-to-day with bruised knee
1h agoAn MRI on Sabonis' knee came back clean Tuesday, and the big man is considered day-to-day, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports.
This is a major sigh of relief for Sabonis and the Pacers after he exited Monday night's game in the second quarter following a collision with Toronto's Kyle Lowry. An X-ray taken Monday night also came back negative, so it appears Sabonis is simply dealing with a bruised left knee. It's possible he could still miss a game or two in the short term due to swelling and discomfort, but Sabonis figures to be back in the lineup within the next few games -- and perhaps as soon as Wednesday night in Charlotte.
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Kelly Oubre Jr. GS SGWarriors' Kelly Oubre: Shows improvement in Monday's win
2h agoOubre finished with 14 points (4-9 FG, 2-3 3Pt, 4-5 FT), six rebounds, four assists, three steals and one block in 28 minutes Monday in the Warriors' 130-108 win over the Timberwolves.
Oubre's solid all-around shooting was a welcome sight after he had combined for 12 points on 4-for-19 from the field between the Warriors' previous two games. In addition to the bounce-back outing on the offensive end, Oubre did a good job of making his presence felt defensively, recording four or more steals plus blocks for the fourth time this season.
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Pascal Siakam TOR PFRaptors' Pascal Siakam: Deemed questionable for Wednesday
2h agoSiakam (knee) is considered questionable for Wednesday's game against the Bucks, Blake Murphy of The Athletic reports.
Siakam has been sidelined for the Raptors' last two games with left knee swelling, but the team is hoping that a few days of rest will be enough for the forward to gain clearance for Wednesday. If Siakam can't make it back for the matchup with Milwaukee, head coach Nick Nurse would likely rely on Stanley Johnson, Yuta Watanabe and Chris Boucher to fill most of the minutes at power forward.
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Cedric Paquette OTT CSenators' Cedric Paquette: Will return Wednesday
6m agoPaquette (lower body) will return to the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Canucks, Brent Wallace of TSN.ca reports.
Paquette missed Monday's loss to the Canucks, but he'll be back in action for Wednesday's rematch. The 27-year-old posted no points, 14 hits and a minus-5 rating over five games prior to his absence.
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Brian Pinho WAS C
Capitals' Brian Pinho: No longer on active roster
15m agoPinho has been removed from the Capitals' active roster, Tom Gulitti of NHL.com reports.
Washington has yet to release any details, but it's safe to assume Pinho has been reassigned to the taxi squad, where he began the season. The 25-year-old pivot has gone scoreless in two appearances with the big club this campaign.
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Connor McMichael WAS C
Capitals' Connor McMichael: Shifts back to taxi squad
26m agoMcMichael was assigned to the taxi squad Tuesday, Tom Gulitti of NHL.com reports.
The 2019 first-round pick (25th overall) made his NHL debut in Sunday's 4-3 shootout loss to the Sabres and posted two PIM and a shot on net over 9:54. He'll go back to the taxi squad for now, and he could end up being assigned to the AHL before the minor-league season begins.
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Michael Sgarbossa WAS CCapitals' Michael Sgarbossa: Receives promotion
29m agoSgarbossa was promoted to the active roster Tuesday, Tom Gulitti of NHL.com reports.
Sgarbossa could make his season debut in Tuesday's game versus the Islanders. The 28-year-old played just two games with the big club last year. Through 50 career NHL games, Sgarbossa has posted 10 points and 23 PIM.
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Daniel Carr WAS LWCapitals' Daniel Carr: Bumps to active roster
34m agoCarr was activated from the taxi squad Tuesday, Tom Gulitti of NHL.com reports.
Brian Pinho and Connor McMichael are both going back to the taxi squad, while Carr and Michael Sgarbossa received promotions. Carr is now eligible to make his season debut in Tuesday's game against the Islanders. He'll likely draw in if Tom Wilson -- who is a game-time decision with a lower-body injury -- can't go.
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Scott Wedgewood NJ GDevils' Scott Wedgewood: Set to start Tuesday
39m agoWedgewood will patrol the home crease in Tuesday's game versus the Flyers.
After a rocky season debut, Wedgewood bounced back in a big way, sporting a 28-save shutout in Sunday's win over the Islanders. MacKenzie Blackwood is still in COVID-19 protocol, so Wedgewood will make a third straight start. He's in line for another tough matchup. The Flyers rank seventh in the league with 3.50 goals per game and 10th with a 31.0 power-play percentage.
