The New York Yankees placed right-handed closer David Bednar on the paternity list and recalled right-hander Jake Bird from Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre to fill his roster spot ahead of Monday’s home series opener against the Detroit Tigers.

Bednar, 31, is 2-3 with 16 saves and a 3.09 ERA in 33 relief appearances this season. In eight major league seasons, he is 20-26 with 127 saves and a 3.14 ERA in 348 relief appearances for the San Diego Padres (2019-20), Pittsburgh Pirates (2021-25) and Yankees (2025-26).

Bird, 30, opened the season 1-1 with a 4.88 ERA in 29 relief appearances before he was optioned to Triple-A earlier this month. He had three consecutive scoreless outings at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre following his demotion.

In five major league seasons, Bird is 12-12 with a 4.78 ERA in 220 appearances (three starts) for the Colorado Rockies (2022-25) and Yankees (2025-26).

–Field Level Media

By Shrivathsa Sridhar

LONDON, June 29 (Reuters) – Defending Wimbledon champion Jannik Sinner said he was relieved to have avoided a serious injury after slipping at the baseline and falling to the turf during his first-round win over Miomir Kecmanovic on Monday.

The fall occurred in the third set of Sinner’s 4-6 6-3 6-7(6) 6-2 6-3 win, with the 24-year-old briefly clutching at his left hip afterwards, but he soldiered on to seal the win for a meeting with Nuno Borges in the second round.

Sinner, who injured his elbow during the fourth round of his triumphant Wimbledon run last year, was thankful that his latest tumble did not cause any lasting damage and highlighted the need to continue moving positively.

“One fall is a tough one because you can get injured,” Sinner told reporters.

“It’s the most normal thing. Grass courts are like this. Especially the first couple of matches when the grass is very new, you slip a bit more.

“I got lucky there because things can go wrong very quickly. I try to still trust in my movement. Also the third, fourth and fifth sets were very important to keep moving in a natural way, which I did. I’m very glad nothing happened.”

The Italian said being a talented skier in his youth did not necessarily mean that he had better technique to avoid injuries during falls.

“There are some movements you can’t really control. It’s just normal instinct,” Sinner said.

“Skiing can help you in certain moments, but not when you fall, when you have zero control. We did a lot of prevention before this tournament because we knew things like this could happen potentially.

“Today it happened. So the most important thing is to take this part away and keep moving like before because if not, when you’re very scared, everything goes too slow. On this surface you can’t do that.”

(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar; Editing by Alison Williams)

LONDON, June 29 (Reuters) – French Open champion Mirra Andreeva was given a good grasscourt workout on Monday before beating 59th-ranked Pole Magda Linette 7-5 6-4 in the first round at Wimbledon.

The 19-year-old Russian fifth seed, who triumphed at Roland Garros this month, used her big serve to great effect with eight aces but she also produced seven double faults as she tried to outgun the experienced Linette, 15 years her senior.

Linette produced some delicate dropshots and sharp volleys to test Andreeva as the players traded service breaks in both sets, but the Russian hit two unreturnable serves to take the first set and wore down her opponent in the second, serving out for the win.

Andreeva is bidding to become the first player to win back-to-back French Open and Wimbledon titles since Serena Williams in 2015.

She faces a tough second round battle with 2024 Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova.

(Reporting by Clare Lovell; Editing by Alison Williams)

NBA free agency in 2010: Everyone waited for LeBron James to make a decision.

NBA free agency in 2026: Everyone is waiting again for James to make a decision.

James was the biggest domino to fall in the NBA’s offseason player movement period 16 years ago when he decided to join Miami, and he may be the biggest domino to fall — at least in free agency — this summer as well. Free agency opens in the NBA on Tuesday evening, with James’ future atop the list of most intriguing storylines that will be solved over the coming days and weeks.

It seems like retirement isn’t happening yet, which would mean the NBA’s all-time leader in points scored, minutes played and games played coming back for a record-extending 24th season and potentially — when including playoff contests — appearing in the 2,000th game of his career.

His options would figure to include staying with the Los Angeles Lakers, returning to Miami or Cleveland (both would have interest for obvious reasons) or even thinking about moving elsewhere like Golden State and teaming up with longtime friends Stephen Curry and Draymond Green to chase one more title.

Green — who is not expected to leave Golden State — on Monday declined his $27.6 million option for next season, doing so to give the Warriors more maneuverability to add players in the coming days, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because that detail was not revealed publicly by the team, and it raises the possibility that the Warriors might now have more of a selling point to pitch to James.

“When the time comes, you guys will know what I decide to do,” James said when the Lakers were eliminated this spring by Oklahoma City in a 4-0 sweep.

The time is coming.

The window when teams can begin officially talking with free agents — other than the ones on their own team, those talks could begin when the NBA Finals ended — opens at 6 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday, and deals could be flying not long afterward.

In most cases, any new deals cannot be executed until at least the end of the NBA’s offseason moratorium on July 6.

“This period we’re in right now, kind of from mid-May to mid-July, it’s a two-month sprint through the draft, combine, free agency, Summer League, all that,” Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. said earlier this month. “We’re super busy right now. But it’s a fun time of year. This is where we get to make decisions, shape the roster, do all that stuff.”

The NBA finalists — champion New York and runner-up San Antonio — both will have moves to make in the coming days, though they are expected to keep their cores largely intact.

Plenty of decisions and roster-shaping already has happened around the league, either by trades (such as the Giannis Antetokounmpo blockbuster) or teams re-signing or extending their own players (such as Trae Young’s $212 million deal with Washington and Austin Reaves’ $185 million deal with the Lakers).

Miami will land Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis in a trade that sends Tyler Herro, other players and draft capital to Milwaukee, but that won’t be finalized until that moratorium date passes. But in the interim, the Heat will be looking to add shooters — Tim Hardaway Jr., whose father’s number is retired in Miami, and longtime Antetokounmpo favorite Khris Middleton make a lot of sense.

The Heat will be keeping Andrew Wiggins, who on Monday exercised his $30 million option for this coming season and, according to a person familiar with the talks between the sides, has agreed in principle on a $34 million deal for the following two seasons — with 2028-29 at his option.

More trades could be coming, with a person familiar with the negotiations confirming to the AP that Toronto has spoken with the Los Angeles Clippers on the possibility of Kawhi Leonard — who led the Raptors to the 2019 NBA title — returning to Ontario next season. And Boston is still believed to be holding talks about the possibility of trading 2024 NBA Finals MVP Jaylen Brown, who was the centerpiece of the Celtics’ ultimately futile offer to land Antetokounmpo in trade discussions with Milwaukee.

“Nobody has won more combined regular-season and playoff games since I entered the league 10 years ago,” Brown posted on social media over the weekend. He’s right: The Celtics have won 523 games with Brown in the lineup, including playoff contests, which is six more than Denver has won with Nikola Jokic over that span.

___

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/nba

A Florida judge set a $1 million bond Monday for Detroit Lions player Terrion Arnold, who is accused of orchestrating the abduction and beating of three men who prosecutors believe he wrongly suspected of having stolen luxury goods and $100,000 in cash from him.

Prosecutors had wanted the cornerback held without bond on the eight felony charges he faces, including four counts each of kidnapping and assault. But Chief Circuit Court Judge Christopher Sabella granted bond to Arnold, who won’t be required to wear an ankle monitor because it would prevent him from taking the field for games and training.

The judge said Arnold already has a “paparazzi monitor,” referring to the photographers who have been watching his movements.

“If he shows up on a beach in Tahiti, he’ll be on social media,” Sabella said at the end of the bond hearing in Tampa.

Sabella said that although the charges are serious — each could bring a life sentence if Arnold is convicted — prosecutors are “not there yet” in having a strong case for Arnold’s guilt.

The judge did order Arnold to remain at his home in Tallahassee except for when he’s playing, training and traveling with the Lions. He also said Arnold cannot have any contact with other people tied to the case.

Prosecutors allege that Arnold had three men in their late teens, including his driver, held at gunpoint in a Tampa apartment, pistol-whipped and beaten in February after the luxury items and cash were reported stolen from an Airbnb in the area. Arnold initially set up the kidnappings by telling others he thought he knew who had stolen from him and saying he wanted to confront them, prosecutors allege.

“Our office remains committed to seeking justice for the three victims in the case who were beaten, robbed, and held against their will,” said Erin Maloney, a spokesperson for the state attorney’s office.

Denise White, the CEO of EAG Sports Management, which represents Arnold, said the judge’s ruling “confirms that there is very little evidence to even suggest any criminal involvement by Mr. Arnold.”

The Buffalo Sabres re-signed forward Beck Malenstyn to a six-year, $17.5 million deal on Monday, two days before he was set to become a free agent.

Malenstyn, 28, was acquired from the Washington Capitals ahead of the 2024-25 season. He has 24 regular-season points (11 goals, 13 assists) across his first two seasons in Buffalo, including a career-high seven goals in 2025-26.

Malenstyn largely made his presence felt in other areas. He set a franchise record this past season with 282 hits (fifth-most in the league) and finished second on the Sabres with 75 blocked shots.

He also recorded the fastest skating speed recorded in the NHL Edge era (since 2021-22) when he reached a speed of 24.94 mph in a March game against the Capitals.

“Being somebody that tries to play that heavy, hard, fast, physical game all the time, I think there are moments where you maybe create a little bit more space for yourself and don’t take advantage of them,” Malenstyn said. “… I think I was able to take a step in that direction this year, create a little bit more offense when I was on the ice.”

His new average salary of just over $2.9 million annually more than doubles his previous salary with Buffalo ($1.35 million).

Malenstyn helped the Sabres snap an NHL-record 14-year playoff drought this past season, with the run coming to an end in the second round against the Montreal Canadiens.

–Field Level Media

CF Montreal transferred forward Kwadwo “Mahala” Opoku to Greek side Panetolikos FC on Monday.

Montreal will retain a percentage of any future transfer for the 24-year-old Ghana international.

Opoku recorded seven goals and four assists in 42 regular-season appearances for Montreal from 2023-26

“We would like to thank Mahala for his contributions and professionalism during his time with the club,” said Luca Saputo, Montreal’s managing director of recruitment and sporting methodology. “We wish him the best of luck in the next chapter of his career.”

Opoku previously played for LAFC from 2020-23, recording nine goals and six assists in 60 MLS matches.

–Field Level Media

By Amy-Jo Crowley

LONDON, June 29 (Reuters) – Naomi Osaka made her mark on Wimbledon day one with a first-round victory over Elsa Jacquemot after she caught fans’ attention with an eye-catching Japanese-inspired outfit.

The four-time Grand Slam champion walked onto Court 3 in an all-white kimono, the traditional national dress of Japan, paired with a traditional kanzashi hair ornament, before unveiling a white Nike dress.

The kimono, which was decorated with embroidered cranes and cherry blossoms, was created by Tokyo-based designer Hana Yagi and covered in “British Vogue” as the tournament opened.

Osaka told reporters after her win that her culture, combined with Wimbledon’s strict dress code, which instructs players to wear almost entirely white attire from the moment they enter the courts, helped inspire the outfit.

“When I think about Wimbledon obviously it’s all white and the oldest tournament. There’s the tradition of it all and in my head when I think about that and I think about my culture, my heritage, which is Japanese and Asian, and then if I dive deeper into Japanese culture I think about the most iconic silhouette, which for me is the kimono,” she said.

“I was thinking about my favourite movies. I love ‘Kill Bill’ and then I remembered absolutely falling in love with Lucy Liu’s character, and she has an all white kimono. I remember thinking that was really cool and amazing.

“It was my interpretation of that and also my respect and love for Japan.”

It was Osaka’s tennis that grabbed all the attention when the match began, however, as she fired 34 winners and won four out of nine break points in the 79-minute mauling of Frenchwoman Jacquemot.

The former world number one, who retired midway through the Bad Homburg final against Karolina Muchova last week, showed no obvious signs of the foot injury that had hampered her.

She takes on Anastasia Gasanova or Emiliana Arango next.

Osaka also turned heads with a jellyfish-inspired outfit at the Australian Open in January this year, and a yellow-brown and gold dress during the French Open.

(Reporting by Amy-Jo Crowley; Editing by Alison Williams)

By Philip O’Connor

VANCOUVER, June 29 (Reuters) – Canada needed a stoppage-time goal from Stephen Eustaquio to beat South Africa and make it through to the last 16 at the World Cup, but they got an early vote of confidence from Christine Sinclair, the country’s greatest-ever player, who never doubted that they would progress. 

“During the first half of the South Africa game, I booked flights to Houston, I knew they were going to win,” a smiling Sinclair told Reuters the morning after the game. 

Canada will face the Netherlands or Morocco in Texas in the last 16 of a tournament they are co-hosting with the United States and Mexico, and Sinclair says the event and the team’s success have boosted the status of the sport in the ice hockey-mad country. 

“Something’s changed – like, we’ve become like a soccer country, and the fans are incredible and everyone seems happy and totally united. It’s been beyond my expectations, for sure,” Sinclair said. 

“Honestly, it has been absolutely amazing. I’ve known all along what the sport can do, and I’ve been fortunate to have played it and played in World Cups and Olympics, and I’ve seen in other places how it can bring people together.”

Sinclair and the Canadian women’s team have long been the standard-bearers for the sport in the country, hosting the World Cup in 2015 and winning Olympic gold in Tokyo, and by getting out of their group the men’s team have won their place in the nation’s hearts. 

With 190 goals in 331 caps, the 43-year-old Sinclair from Burnaby is the top scorer in the history of international football, and she was an integral part of the team that won Olympic gold in Tokyo.

Sinclair finds it mildly embarrassing that her voice can be heard on Vancouver’s SkyTrains during the World Cup, giving fans directions to the BC Place stadium and the FIFA fan festival in the city, but she is delighted at the involvement she has had in the tournament. 

SKYTRAIN VOICE

“Doing Kia commercials with Thierry Henry and Rio Ferdinand, just things that I would have never thought possible, andthen to be asked to do like the SkyTrain voice … I’m working at the stadium through some of the hospitality aspects of it, I didn’t think I would ever be asked to be involved as much as I am, but it’s an honour and a privilege and I get to go to the games, so it’s great,” she said. 

Sinclair is adamant that Canada should now be seen as a football country, but challenges remain. 

“We have an infrastructure problem here in this country … we don’t have the right stadiums or training facilities for these professional teams. Obviously our men’s teams in the MLS have appropriate training facilities, as they should, but we lack those 15 to 20,000, 25,000-seat stadiums,” she said. 

“Canada is a huge country, and I feel like a lot of the time, if you’re not in Vancouver or Toronto, you slip through the cracks and don’t have the same access that those in Vancouver and Toronto have.

“Canada is full of small communities, so it’s having those grassroots programs, the appropriate coaching, the facilities across the country, not just in your big hubs.”

All of those discussions are on hold as Canada’s march in the tournament continues, but for Sinclair, the legacy is clear.

“We’re creating lifelong soccer fans and future soccer stars dreaming of being the next Jonathan David,” she said. 

“Our country has been in love with our women’s team for many years now, and I’m happy that it’s happening to the guys now.”

(Reporting by Philip O’Connor, editing by Ed Osmond)

Bond was set at $1 million for Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold in a court hearing on Monday, with a Hillsborough County (Fla.) judge denying a motion by prosecutors to hold him without bail to face charges of armed robbery and kidnapping.

If he posts bail, Arnold is prohibited from contacting any of the six co-defendants and must surrender his passport. But a judge ruled Arnold doesn’t have to wear a GPS tracking device to permit him to perform his professional duties for the Detroit Lions.

His travel will be limited to attending team functions and court and legal appointments.

Arnold was taken into custody last week and is accused of being the ringleader of a plot to avenge a theft in February by detaining and pistol-whipping the men he believed were responsible. But authorities said none of the victims Arnold and co-conspirators allegedly kidnapped and attacked were involved with stealing items from Arnold.

The 23-year-old who played at Alabama and was drafted by the Lions was the primary conspirator, according to prosecutors. All three victims are in their teens, according to court documents.

Arnold reported the theft of more than $250,000 in property from an Airbnb in Largo, Fla., near Tampa, three days before the alleged kidnapping and assault occurred.

The Lions begin training camp in four weeks.

–Field Level Media