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Player News
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Deshaun Watson CLE QBBrowns' Deshaun Watson: Making 40-yard throws
6m agoBrowns GM Andrew Berry said Thursday that Watson (shoulder) has been making throws of up to 40 yards, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
While not quite willing to guarantee that Watson will be ready for the regular-season opener, Berry did confirm that's the expectation and said the Browns are "pretty optimistic" about the rehab process so far. Watson spoke with reporters Tuesday, mentioning that the team medical staff favors a cautious approach that would see him wait until training camp before returning to full practice participation. The 28-year-old QB thus figures to be limited during OTAs, giving free-agent additions Jameis Winston and Tyler Huntley more chances to throw to the team's top receivers. The Browns traded for WR Jerry Jeudy in March and still have WRs Amari Cooper and Elijah Moore and TE David Njoku. There's also a strong chance of improved blocking this season, after 2023 saw the Browns lose their top three OTs to season-ending knee injuries. Watson is the biggest variable, though perhaps more so because of his disappointing 2022-23 performance than the ongoing rehab from Nov. 21 surgery to repair a displaced glenoid fracture in his right shoulder.
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Nick Chubb CLE RBBrowns' Nick Chubb: Running on land again
30m agoChubb (knee) resumed running on land within the last week, Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram reports.
Chubb took his rehab to the next level shortly after agreeing last Thursday to a contract alteration that converted a large portion of his scheduled $11.75 million base salary into incentives. He's entering the final season of a three-year extension and still faces a long path to complete his rehab from surgeries in September and November to address ACL, MCL and meniscus injuries in his left knee. It's the same knee in which he suffered a major injury Oct. 2015 -- his sophomore season at Georgia -- and he later had an MCL sprain in the knee Oct. 2020. The Browns hope the 28-year-old is ready for Week 1, but they're also preparing for the possibility of missed time, having added RBs D'Onta Foreman and Nyheim Hines (knee) to a roster that still has Jerome Ford and Pierre Strong.
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Cam Brown NYG LBDolphins' Cam Brown: Inks deal in Miami
14h agoBrown agreed to a contract with the Dolphins on Wednesday, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com reports.
Brown appeared in 60 career games as a special-teams ace during his first four seasons with the Giants, tallying 24 tackles over that span. The 26-year-old played exclusively on special teams in 16 games during the 2023 campaign, so he'll more than likely fulfill a similar role for Miami in 2024.
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Justin Murray CLE OTJustin Murray: Hangs it up
14h agoThe Browns placed Murray on the retired/reserve list Wednesday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
Murray played for the Raiders, Cardinals, Bills and Titans during his six-year NFL career, appearing in 41 games with 20 starts during his professional tenure. The soon-to-be 31-year-old joined Cleveland's practice squad last November and then signed a futures contract in January, but he never played in any games for the team.
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J.K. Dobbins BAL RBChargers' J.K. Dobbins: Slated to join Chargers
16h agoDobbins (Achilles) is in line to sign a one-contract with the Chargers, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
A second-round pick of the Ravens in 2020, Dobbins had two of his first four pro seasons cut short due to an ACL tear in 2021 and then a torn left Achilles in Week 1 of the 2023 campaign. In his 24 career appearances, he's averaged a robust 5.8 yards on 234 carries, gathered in 27 of 35 targets for 177 yards and scored 13 total touchdowns. Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache penned a letter to NFL teams in late March that Dobbins had received medical clearance to participate in football activities, but his new contract will be contingent on a physical. Once the move west to L.A. becomes official, Dobbins will join forces with former teammate Gus Edwards at the top of the RB depth chart, giving him some sway in fantasy working alongside QB Justin Herbert.
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Darius Slayton NYG WRGiants' Darius Slayton: Seeking new deal
19h agoSlayton (thumb) hasn't reported to the Giants' voluntary workouts while he seeks a contract extension, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com reports.
Slayton, who led the team with 770 receiving yards in 17 games in 2023, has attended the Giants' voluntary offseason program in the past. The 27-year-old wideout is in line to earn $6.2 million in the final year of his contract in 2024, but Slayton is evidently looking to amend those terms. At this stage, Slayton -- who is recovering from an offseason procedure on his right thumb -- is poised to retain a key role in a Giants wideout corps that currently includes Wan'Dale Robinson and Jalin Hyatt.
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Orelvis Martinez TOR SSBlue Jays' Orelvis Martinez: Could be nearing promotion
2m agoMartinez crushed a 10th-inning grand slam Wednesday to give Triple-A Buffalo a 12-9 win over Columbus.
The ball traveled an estimated 469 feet and left Huntington Park completely, landing onto a second-floor patio in a building behind the left-field bleachers. Martinez has had a strong start to the season, slashing .296/.356/.519 over 14 games with six doubles, two homers and 10 RBI, and his 20.3 percent strikeout rate is a significant step forward from the 27.0 percent mark he posted with Buffalo in 2023. The Blue Jays have used four different players at second base already this season, rotating Cavan Biggio, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Davis Schneider and Ernie Clement through the keystone, but none of them offer the upside of the 22-year-old Martinez. If the front office deems him ready for the next challenge, his big-league debut could come at any time, but his bat may not be the thing holding him back -- Martinez has committed five errors already this season in his 13 starts at second base.
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Romy Gonzalez BOS SSRed Sox's Romy Gonzalez: MRI comes back negative
20m agoAn MRI on Gonzalez's left wrist came back negative, Gabrielle Starr of the Boston Herald reports.
Gonzalez felt pain while taking swings Wednesday, but it appears he's avoided a serious setback. The Red Sox still figure to shut him down for a bit to let the wrist calm down. Gonzalez had been hoping for a return from the injured list when his 10 days are up, but that's unlikely now.
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Rafael Devers BOS 3BRed Sox's Rafael Devers: Needs MRI on knee
21m agoManager Alex Cora said Thursday that Devers is out of the lineup for the Red Sox's series finale versus the Guardians while he receives an MRI on his left knee, Christopher Smith of The Springfield Republican reports.
Devers was removed from Tuesday's 10-7 loss to Cleveland due to left knee discomfort, but he felt well enough to serve as the Red Sox's designated hitter in Wednesday's 2-0 win. Though he played the entire game, Devers went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts and didn't bounce back from the knee issue as strongly as he had hoped. Cora suggested that Devers' injury was more precautionary than anything just to ensure nothing is structurally wrong with the third baseman's knee, but his availability for Friday's series opener in Pittsburgh would appear to be in jeopardy nonetheless.
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Nick Pivetta BOS SPRed Sox's Nick Pivetta: Set for bullpen session Saturday
26m agoPivetta (elbow) is scheduled to throw a bullpen session Saturday, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.
Pivetta will play catch from 120 feet Thursday, and if all goes well, he'll take a big step forward in his recovery from a right elbow strain by getting back on the mound this weekend. The right-hander will likely need to complete multiple bullpen sessions before he's cleared to face hitters in live batting practice. After that, Pivetta will likely require a brief minor-league rehab assignment to get stretched back out, so he could be hard pressed to make it back from the injured list in the minimum 15 days. A return in the first or second week of May could be realistic, provided Pivetta avoids any setbacks while ramping back up.
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Nate Lowe TEX 1BRangers' Nathaniel Lowe: May not return this weekend
33m agoRangers manager Bruce Bochy said Wednesday that Lowe will need "about 30 [at-bats], could be more" during his minor-league rehab assignment before returning from the 10-day injured list, Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News reports.
After kicking off his rehab assignment at Double-A Frisco last Friday, Lowe looked as though he could be ready to rejoin the Rangers by the weekend. However, Bochy's comments suggest that the Rangers are planning for Lowe to have a more extended stay in the minors to get his timing back at the plate before reinstalling him as their everyday first baseman. Lowe has since shifted his assignment to Triple-A Round Rock and has gotten in 16 at-bats over five total minor-league games, recording just one hit (a home run) while drawing two walks. If Bochy sticks to his estimate of Lowe needing about 30 at-bats before being activated, the 28-year-old seems poised to remain with Round Rock through the weekend before rejoining the Rangers for the start of their homestand next Tuesday.
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Ben Rortvedt TB CRays' Ben Rortvedt: Sits against righty
1h agoRortvedt is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Angels, Steve Carney of StPeteNine.com reports.
Rortvedt has started in just one of the Rays' last five games. The first three of those absences came against left-handed starting pitchers, but the lefty-hitting Rortvedt will give way to the right-handed-hitting Rene Pinto on Thursday even while right-hander Griffin Canning takes the hill for the Angels.
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Nicolas Batum PHI PF76ers' Nicolas Batum: Shines off bench Wednesday
1h agoBatum provided 20 points (7-12 FG, 6-10 3Pt), five rebounds and one block in 28 minutes during Wednesday's 105-104 Play-In Game victory over the Heat.
It was widely known that Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey were going to carry the Sixers in this matchup against the Heat, but the truth is that Philadelphia wouldn't have gotten the win hadn't it been for Batum's impressive effort off the bench. The 20-point output was a season-high mark for the veteran, and even though his role is not going to change drastically in the first-round matchup against New York, he should continue to see decent minutes on a regular basis. Perhaps surprisingly, he went scoreless in the four times he faced the Knicks during the regular season.
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Joel Embiid PHI C76ers' Joel Embiid: Plays big minutes in Play-In win
1h agoEmbiid logged 23 points (6-17 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 9-10 FT), 15 rebounds, five assists and one steal over 38 minutes during Wednesday's 105-104 Play-In Game victory over Miami.
Embiid had a complicated matchup against Bam Adebayo, arguably one of the best defensive centers in The Association, and even though his efficiency was subpar, he still led Philadephia in scoring while coming through with a clutch performance from the charity stripe. Embiid should be in line for a productive first-round series against the Knicks, and even though he only faced them once in the regular season, he delivered a 30-point, 10-rebound, three-block performance on Jan. 5.
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Tyrese Maxey PHI PG76ers' Tyrese Maxey: Scores 19 in win over Miami
1h agoMaxey accumulated 19 points (6-16 FG, 1-6 3Pt, 6-6 FT), three rebounds and six assists across 44 minutes during Wednesday's 105-104 Play-In Game victory over the Heat.
Maxey had a rough night from three-point range, but he still salvaged his stat line by sniffing the 20-point mark and dishing out six assists. Maxey is expected to play a prominent role on offense in the first-round matchup against the Knicks, and it's worth noting he averaged 26.3 points per game in three games vs. New York during the regular season.
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Jaime Jaquez Jr. MIA SFHeat's Jaime Jaquez: Decent stat line in loss
1h agoJaquez closed Wednesday's 105-104 Play-In Game loss to the 76ers with 15 points (6-11 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 1-2 FT), five rebounds, two assists and one steal across 22 minutes.
Jaquez looked good despite coming off the bench and was one of Miami's top contributors on offense. He's widely expected to move into the starting lineup for Friday's matchup against the Bulls due to the absence of Jimmy Butler (knee), and that would translate into an uptick in his usage rate.
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Bam Adebayo MIA CHeat's Bam Adebayo: Double-double in loss Wednesday
1h agoAdebayo posted 10 points (5-9 FG, 0-2 3Pt), 12 rebounds, one assist and two blocks across 31 minutes during Wednesday's 105-104 Play-In Game loss to the 76ers.
Adebayo wasn't as involved as expected on the offensive end of the court, as he had to deal with a tough matchup against Joel Embiid, but he still found a way to finish with a double-double even if the Heat came up short of winning. Knowing the Heat will be without Jimmy Butler (knee) for Friday's game against the Bulls, Adebayo should experience an uptick in usage rate and volume while dealing with the matchup of Nikola Vucevic, who's nowhere near as good as Embiid on the defensive end of the court.
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Tyler Herro MIA PGHeat's Tyler Herro: Paces team in scoring in loss
1h agoHerro registered 25 points (9-27 FG, 4-14 3Pt, 3-3 FT), two rebounds and nine assists over 41 minutes during Wednesday's 105-104 Play-In Game loss to Philadelphia.
Herro might have needed 27 shots to score 25 shots, but the uptick in usage rate happened since Jimmy Butler suffered a knee injury in the first quarter, which limited him considerably, and Bam Adebayo had a rough matchup with Joel Embiid. Herro has reached the 20-point mark in four of his last six outings, and considering Butler will miss Friday's win-or-go-home matchup against the Bulls, he should be in line for another heavy usage rate vs. Chicago.
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Thomas Chabot OTT DSenators' Thomas Chabot: Surgery not necessary?
10m agoChabot (upper body) most likely won't need surgery in the offseason, per Wayne Scanlan of Sportsnet.
Chabot battled injuries most of the year, ultimately playing in only 51 games. The 27-year-old recorded nine goals and 21 assists to go along with 118 shots on goal over that stretch. Another update on Chabot's status should surface if it's decided surgery will be necessary.
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Marc-Andre Fleury MIN GWild's Marc-Andre Fleury: Starting Thursday
16m agoFleury will start Thursday at home against Seattle, per Jessi Pierce of NHL.com.
Fleury struggled in his last start against one of his former teams, surrendering seven goals on just 30 shots in a 7-2 loss to Vegas on Saturday. The 39-year-old has recorded an .895 save percentage and a 17-14-5 record in 39 appearances this year. He will have a favorable matchup against Seattle, who ranks 29th in goals per game at 2.59.
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Brock Boeser VAN RWCanucks' Brock Boeser: Not playing Thursday
20m agoBoeser (undisclosed) will not be in the lineup in Winnipeg on Thursday, per Irfaan Gaffar of The Fourth Period.
Boeser has been dealing with an undisclosed injury and did not travel with the team to Winnipeg. He should be fine for Game 1 of the playoffs. Boeser ends the regular season with 40 goals and 73 points in 81 games -- including 16 goals and nine assists on the power play. Phil Di Giuseppe could enter the lineup on the fourth line Thursday.
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Mats Zuccarello MIN RWWild's Mats Zuccarello: Returning to action Thursday
39m agoZuccarello (personal) will be back in the lineup Thursday versus Seattle, according to Jessi Pierce of NHL.com.
Zuccarello missed the last three games, but he will get into the final game of the season as the Wild are out of the playoffs. Zuccarello has 11 goals and 62 points in 68 appearances this season. He is expected to return to the top line with Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek, as well as see time on the top power play.
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Nikita Kucherov TB RWLightning's Nikita Kucherov: Makes history in finale
39m agoKucherov scored an even-strength goal and added a power-play assist in Wednesday's 6-4 win over the Maple leafs.
His second-period helper on a Brayden Point tally put Kucherov in the history books as the fifth player in NHL history to accumulate 100 assists in a season -- rarified air that was previously only reached by Wayne Gretzky (a mind-boggling 11 times), Mario Lemieux and Bobby Orr (once each) before both Kucherov and Connor McDavid did it in 2023-24. The 30-year-old Lightning superstar claimed his second scoring title with a career-high 144 points through 81 games, while his 44 goals were also a personal best. Kucherov will lead the Lightning into the playoffs beginning Sunday against the Panthers.
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Bryan Rust PIT RWPenguins' Bryan Rust: Records career-high 28 goals
40m agoRust managed to set a new personal best with 28 goals this season, despite playing in just 62 games.
Rust almost certainly would have reached the 30-goal threshold were it not for his 20-game absence this season. Looking ahead to next year, the veteran winger should be a lock for a top-six role, which will have him playing alongside either Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin. If he can stay healthy, Rust should finally be able to crest that elusive 30-goal mark.
