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Jaelan Phillips MIA LB
Dolphins' Jaelan Phillips: Set for fifth-year option
4h agoThe Dolphins plan to pick up the fifth-year contract option of Phillips (Achilles) before May's deadline, Marcel Louis-Jacques of ESPN reports.
General manager Chris Grier said Tuesday that Miami intends to pick up the fifth-year options of both Phillips and Jaylen Waddle. A right Achilles tear limited Phillips to just eight games last season, but he's reportedly on track to be ready for Week 1 of the 2024 campaign. He's been one of the Dolphins' more impactful pass rushers over the past three seasons, and the team will be more in need of those talents than ever with Christian Wilkins having moved on to Las Vegas.
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De'Von Achane MIA RB
Dolphins' De'Von Achane: Bulks up during offseason
4h agoAchane looks more muscular after working out this offseason, Joe Schad of the Palm Beach Post reports.
A photo of Achane showing up for OTAs went viral, with some saying he looks much larger than he did during his rookie campaign. It's his second offseason bulking up for football without also considering track and field, though at this point it's unclear how much he's added relative to his weight from the 2023 NFL Combine (where he ran a 4.32 40-yard dash at 188 pounds). Achane averaged 7.8 yards per carry and scored a TD per game last season, albeit with injuries (six missed games) and Raheem Mostert's presence (209 carries) limiting the rookie to 103 carries and 27 catches in his 11 appearances. The Dolphins still have Mostert under contract -- along with backups Jeff Wilson, Salvon Ahmed (foot) and Chris Brooks -- but they'll presumably task Achane with more of the backfield work in his second pro season.
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Royce Freeman LAR RB
Cowboys' Royce Freeman: Picked up by Dallas
19h agoFreeman signed a one-year contract with the Cowboys on Tuesday, Todd Archer of ESPN.com reports.
Freeman spent his first three seasons with the Broncos before stops with the Panthers, Texans and Rams the last three years. The journeyman tallied 319 yards and two touchdowns on the ground in Los Angeles last year across 14 games. Dallas lost Tony Pollard to free agency, so its running back room currently consists of Rico Dowdle, Deuce Vaughn (ankle), Malik Davis, Snoop Conner and Freeman. Freeman could get an opportunity to carve out a role for himself, but the Cowboys still seem likely to invest in the position during the 2024 Draft.
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Trent Taylor CHI WR
49ers' Trent Taylor: Returns to Bay Area
23h agoTaylor signed a one-year contract with the 49ers on Tuesday, Lindsey Pallares of the team's official site reports.
Taylor started his career in San Francisco before a two-year stay with the Bengals, and he spent the 2023 campaign with the Bears. The 29-year-old will have the opportunity to earn a role in the return game with the Niners after the departure of Ray-Ray McCloud in free agency this offseason.
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Trent Taylor CHI WR
Trent Taylor: Could return to Bay Area
23h agoTaylor has talked to the 49ers about a potential return to the team, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.
Taylor was selected by San Francisco in the fifth round of the 2017 Draft and spent three seasons there before stops in Cincinnati and Chicago. The 49ers do currently have a void in their return game, with Ray-Ray McCloud now in Atlanta, which is likely where the interest in Taylor lies.
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Deshaun Watson CLE QB
Browns' Deshaun Watson: Throwing full speed
1d agoWatson (shoulder) said Tuesday he's already resumed "throwing full speed" but that he's uncertain how large a workload he'll handle during OTAs and minicamp, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
Watson clarified that certain members of the Browns' medical staff are in favor of a more conservative approach to the quarterback's recovery from right shoulder surgery, Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram, which would have him wait until training camp to fully practice. Still, Watson is confident he'll be available for the Browns' season opener, and there appears to be no real worries about his Week 1 status. In case Watson misses part of the offseason, or struggles during the fall, Cleveland can lean on experienced backups Jameis Winston and Tyler Huntley.
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Luke Raley SEA RF
Mariners' Luke Raley: Back to bench Wednesday
4m agoRaley is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Reds.
The lefty-hitting Raley will head to the bench with southpaw Andrew Abbott on the hill for the Reds after going 2-for-10 with a triple and an RBI while starting in each of the past three games. Raley's opportunities to play against right-handed pitching look to be on the rise, but he's still not expected to be the primary replacement in left field for Dominic Canzone (shoulder), who was placed on the 10-day injured list earlier in the week. Instead, prospect Jonatan Clase is expected to get the first opportunity to fill in for Canzone.
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A.J. Puk MIA SP
Marlins' A.J. Puk: Cleared to start Thursday
4m agoPuk (illness) will start Thursday against the Cubs, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.
Puk's start had to be pushed back a couple times because he was under the weather, but he's feeling better and played catch at LoanDepot Park on Wednesday. The left-hander has really struggled in his first three outings this season, putting up a 5.91 ERA and 8:14 K:BB over 10.2 innings of work.
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Rafael Devers BOS 3B
Red Sox's Rafael Devers: Could be ready to play Wednesday
7m agoRed Sox manager Alex Cora said in an interview on WEEI that Devers (knee) is feeling better and could be ready to play Wednesday versus the Guardians, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.
Devers had to depart Tuesday's game against Cleveland with left knee discomfort, but it sounds like he's avoided a serious injury. The Red Sox should reveal their lineup shortly, so it will be known soon enough as to whether Devers will indeed avoid any missed time.
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Josh Rojas SEA 3B
Mariners' Josh Rojas: On bench against lefty
8m agoRojas is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Reds.
The lefty-hitting Rojas will make his way to the bench after starting each of the last three games while the Reds bring southpaw Andrew Abbott to the hill for the series finale. Platoon mate Luis Urias will check in for Rojas at third base.
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J.P. Crawford SEA SS
Mariners' J.P. Crawford: Gets first day off of season
11m agoCrawford is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Reds.
The Mariners are wrapping up their series against Cincinnati with a day game after a night game and a lefty (Andrew Abbott) is on the hill for the Reds, so Seattle skipper Scott Servais likely felt that it was an opportune time to give the lefty-hitting Crawford a day off. Crawford will cede shortstop to Dylan Moore while Julio Rodriguez replaces Crawford atop the batting order.
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Jeimer Candelario CIN 3B
Reds' Jeimer Candelario: Not ready to start Wednesday
17m agoCandelario (illness) remains out of the lineup Wednesday in Seattle.
He'll give way to Santiago Espinal at third base for a second game in a row while he recovers from an illness. The Reds have off Thursday, so Candelario will have some additional time to shake off the ailment before Cincinnati opens its homestand Friday versus the Angels.
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Kawhi Leonard LAC SF
Clippers' Kawhi Leonard: Not cleared for 5-on-5
5m agoCoach Tyronn Lue said Wednesday that Leonard (knee) is progressing but hasn't been cleared for 5-on-5 drills yet, Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints.com reports.
Leonard missed the final eight regular-season games due to right knee inflammation but returned to practice Monday, albeit in a limited fashion. His official status for Sunday's Game 1 against the Mavericks won't be known until Saturday afternoon, but Lue said he's preparing as if Leonard will be available to start the postseason.
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Zion Williamson NO PF
Pelicans' Zion Williamson: Out at least two weeks
1h agoThe Pelicans announced Wednesday that Williamson was diagnosed with a left hamstring strain and will be re-evaluated in approximately two weeks.
Williamson suffered the injury during the fourth quarter of Tuesday's Play-In Tournament loss to the Lakers and was already ruled out for the win-or-go-home matchup versus the Kings on Friday. The 2019 No. 1 overall pick's career has been defined by injuries, but he showed off his unique skill set when healthy this season and was dominant before leaving Tuesday's game, posting 40 points (17-27 FG) and 11 rebounds in 36 minutes. If Williamson is cleared right at the two-week mark, he could return late in a potential first-round series versus the Thunder, but the Pelicans must defeat Sacramento first to keep their season alive.
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Sam Merrill CLE SG
Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Participates in practice
1h agoMerrill (neck) went through Wednesday's practice without issue, Chris Fedor of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
Merrill missed the final three games of the regular season due to a neck strain. However, Merrill's participation in practice is a good sign of his availability for Saturday's Game 1 against the Magic.
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Zion Williamson NO PF
Pelicans' Zion Williamson: Won't play Friday
2h agoWilliamson (hamstring) has been ruled out for Friday's Play-In Game against the Kings, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports.
Williamson suffered a left hamstring injury in the fourth quarter of Tuesday's Play-In Tournament loss to the Lakers and won't be available for the win-or-go-home matchup versus Sacramento on Friday. This is a huge blow for Williamson, who shined during his first playoff exposure by posting 40 points (17-27 FG) and 11 rebounds in 36 minutes before leaving the contest. The 2019 No. 1 overall pick's career continues to be defined by injuries, but the extent of his latest one remains unclear. If the Pelicans defeat the Kings and advance to the opening-round series against the Thunder, Williamson's next chance to suit up would come Sunday night.
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Jontay Porter TOR C
Jontay Porter: Receives lifetime ban
3h agoPorter has received a lifetime ban from the NBA for violating the league's gaming rules, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports.
Commissioner Adam Silver suggested last week that a lifetime ban was on the table for Porter, and the league officially announced his punishment Wednesday. Per a press release from the NBA, Porter "disclosed confidential information about his own health status to an individual he knew to be an NBA bettor" and limited his playing time to impact his prop bets in at least one Raptors game. Porter also placed at least 13 bets on NBA games between January and March of 2024, although none of the wagers involved a game in which Porter played. The league's investigation remains open, but Porter will be permanently barred from playing in the league.
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Kenyon Martin Jr. PHI SF
76ers' KJ Martin: Full participant in shootaround
5h agoMartin (toe), who is questionable for Wednesday's Play-In Game against Miami, was a full participant in Philadelphia's morning shootaround, Ky Carlin of USA Today reports.
Martin continues to deal with a toe issue that forced him to miss the final three games of the regular season, but his participation in shootaround creates optimism that he'll be able to return as postseason play begins Wednesday. Over his final five appearances during the regular season, Martin averaged 5.2 points and 3.4 rebounds in 17.6 minutes per game.
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Noah Dobson NYI D
Islanders' Noah Dobson: Out Wednesday
4m agoDobson (upper body) will miss Wednesday's tilt versus Pittsburgh, according to Stefen Rosner of NHL.com.
It will be Dobson's third straight contest on the shelf. Given that this is the Islanders' season finale, he'll finish 2023-24 with 10 goals, 70 points, 36 PIM, 84 hits and 180 blocks in 79 outings. It remains to be seen if Dobson will be available for Game 1 of the playoffs, but if he does feature in that clash, it will likely be as a member of the top pairing.
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Calvin Pickard EDM G
Oilers' Calvin Pickard: Slated to face Coyotes
28m agoPickard is expected to start on the road against Arizona on Wednesday, per Bob Stauffer of the Oilers Radio Network.
Pickard will get a chance to rebound after stopping 25 of 28 shots en route to a 3-2 overtime loss to the Coyotes in his last start Friday. He has a 12-6-1 record, 2.41 GAA and .912 save percentage in 21 contests this season. Edmonton is resting defensemen Darnell Nurse and Cody Ceci against Arizona, which might make Pickard's task somewhat tougher.
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Cody Ceci EDM D
Oilers' Cody Ceci: Healthy scratch Wednesday
31m agoCeci is expected to be a healthy scratch Wednesday versus Arizona, according to Mark Spector of Sportsnet.
Ceci has five goals, 25 points, 90 hits and 106 blocks in 78 appearances this season. The 30-year-old is getting a breather as the Oilers look toward the playoffs, but he might draw back into the lineup for the season finale against the Avalanche on Thursday.
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Darnell Nurse EDM D
Oilers' Darnell Nurse: Resting Wednesday
34m agoNurse will be a healthy scratch Wednesday versus Arizona, per Mark Spector of Sportsnet.
Nurse has 10 goals, 32 points, 79 PIM, 168 hits and 169 blocks in 80 contests this season. Resting the defenseman will interrupt his four-game scoring streak (one goal, six points), but it will help keep him fresh for the playoffs. Nurse might draw back into the lineup for the season finale against Colorado on Thursday.
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Anthony Mantha LV RW
Golden Knights' Anthony Mantha: Practices without contact
37m agoMantha (undisclosed) practiced Wednesday but didn't take contact, Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports.
Mantha missed Tuesday's 3-1 win over Chicago because of the injury. His status for Thursday's season finale against Anaheim hasn't been determined. If does play against the Ducks, then he will likely serve in a middle-six capacity.
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Jayden Struble MON D
Canadiens' Jayden Struble: Reassigned to AHL Laval
1h agoStruble was demoted to the minors Wednesday.
Struble saw action in 56 games in his rookie campaign, registering three goals, seven assists and 120 hits while averaging 16:07 of ice time. The 22-year-old blueliner is unlikely to offer more than mid-range fantasy value given his limited offensive upside, though he could have value in formats that value hits and blocks.