Sports

Falcons not feeling pressure to name starting quarterback, but clock is ticking

Published

4 minutes ago

August 17, 2026

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The Atlanta Falcons are three weeks into training camp and about to head to Indianapolis for two joint practices against the Colts. And it doesn’t sound like they are any closer to naming a starting quarterback than they were when training camp began in July.

“I am very comfortable with where we are right now, and that’s kind of where I will leave it,” coach Kevin Stefanski said Monday. “We are continuing on our process, keeping the main thing the main thing, which is the practices this week.”

Tua Tagovailoa started Friday’s preseason opener and had a chance to build a lead over Michael Penix Jr. in the competition, but Tagovailoa finished 3-for-5 for 22 yards and led the offense to just one first down in two series.

“Obviously we evaluate everything that our players do, on the field, in the meeting room,” Stefanski said. “He wants to be better. Our offense wants to be better. Our coaches want to be better, but our focus will be on continuing to get ready for this season and not getting too far ahead of ourselves. We want to be where our feet are.”

Drake London breaks down film, space vs. leverage, Kevin Stefanski and more

Robert Mays

Tagovailoa described himself as “frustrated and disappointed” with his performance.

“You have to make use of every opportunity you have, and that’s not what we did,” he said. “Definitely not up to standard. I have to be better for our guys.”

Tagovailoa would like to play in Saturday’s second preseason game against the Colts, but the starters won’t play because they’ll be getting so much work during the joint practices, Stefanski said.

Penix is still being held out of 11-on-11 practice work and games while he rehabs the torn ACL he suffered in Week 11 last year. He will continue with his current practice regimen — working in individual drills and seven-on-seven work — and Stefanski and Indianapolis head coach Shane Steichen have built in time during each of the two practices to make sure Penix can participate.

There is no timetable for naming a starter, Stefanski said Monday, and that’s not the only decision the Falcons have to make at the position. With veteran Cooper Rush and undrafted free agent Jack Strand also in camp, Atlanta will have to decide by Aug. 30 whether it wants to keep two or three quarterbacks on its opening 53-man roster.

“I have been a part of doing it both ways, but I think you have to take everything into account. Can you afford the luxury of keeping those guys? Sometimes you can. Sometimes you can’t,” Stefanski said.

The Falcons haven’t decided if Rush or Strand will start Saturday’s game in Indianapolis. Either player could be put on the practice squad if he doesn’t make the 53-man roster, but other teams could claim them.

Strand was 6-of-12 for 50 yards and had one rushing touchdown in his NFL debut on Friday.

“Always room for improvement, but proud of him for his first time out there,” Stefanski said. “It’s a testament to him and what he was able to do early in camp when he was the one guy standing there. Like any rookie, (there’s) so much to work on. And that’s the fun part of working with our rookies. Jack’s got a great attitude. Love how he is in the meeting rooms, love how he is on the grass.”

“It was pretty cool,” Strand said. “It was a little different from playing in a Division II stadium (he played in college at Minnesota State Moorhead), but it’s the same game I’ve been playing since I was 6 years old.”

Sports

Hendrick Motorsports signs star NASCAR prospect Connor Zilisch, starting in 2028

Published

9 minutes ago

August 17, 2026

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Connor Zilisch is headed to Hendrick Motorsports, as the powerhouse NASCAR team announced Monday it has signed the 20-year-old driver to a multi-year deal that begins with the 2028 season.

Zilisch, considered one of the sport’s most talented prospects, will drive the team’s No. 48 Ally-sponsored Chevrolet in NASCAR’s premier Cup Series, replacing Alex Bowman, who has already announced that the 2027 season will be his last as a full-time competitor.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed, only that Zilisch and Hendrick had reached a “multi-year agreement” to join the Rick Hendrick-owned organization that has won more championships than any other.

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“This is one of those moments you dream about as a kid,” Zilisch said in a statement. “Hendrick Motorsports has always represented the standard in our sport and being entrusted to help continue that legacy means everything to me.”

Zilisch began racing at 5, and it wasn’t long before he established himself as an emerging young talent. He moved from North Carolina at 11 to race go-karts in Europe, and his success there — winning a major race in Italy against a field that included current Formula One championship points leader Kimi Antonelli and winning the FIA Karting Academy Trophy in 2020 — seemingly put Zilisch on a path to F1.

But a lack of funding meant Zilisch had to pursue racing in a less expensive form of motorsport, so he turned his attention to NASCAR, and before long his ability caught the attention of numerous team owners. His stock only continued to climb in 2024 when he earned class victories in the prestigious Rolex 24 at Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring sports car races, then later that year won his debut race in NASCAR’s second-tier O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. Last year, Zilisch won 10 O’Reilly races and the regular-season points championship.

Zilisch advanced to Cup full-time this season, driving for Trackhouse Racing. He has one top-10 finish in 24 starts and currently ranks 34th in points. He will continue to drive for Trackhouse through the 2027 season before moving to Hendrick.

Zilisch and Hendrick’s link has been anticipated for some time, the only question being when. But the answer to this question came into focus this spring as Bowman weighed his future. Hendrick identified Zilisch as a leading candidate to succeed Bowman should they need to fill his spot on its four-driver roster. When Bowman announced last month that he would return to Hendrick for one final season, it increased the likelihood that Hendrick would move to have Zilisch take his place.

“Connor is a truly gifted young racer,” Rick Hendrick said in a statement. “His talent behind the wheel is exceptional, but I’m even more impressed by the person he is. When someone with that kind of ability and character becomes available, you do everything you can to bring them into your organization. We have tremendous confidence in Connor, and we believe he’s the right driver to build on the legacy of the No. 48 Ally team for many years to come.”

Sports

How to watch White Sox vs. Cubs: TV channel and streaming options for August 17

Published

15 minutes ago

August 17, 2026

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The Chicago White Sox will look to keep a three-game winning streak going when they visit the Chicago Cubs at 8:05 p.m. ET on Monday. Shota Imanaga (8-9, 3.74 ERA) will start for the Cubs, who are 72-53 this season and second in the NL Central. Luis Castillo (4-9, 4.96 ERA) is the expected starter for the White Sox, who are 65-58 and first in the AL Central.

How to watch Chicago White Sox vs. Chicago Cubs

White Sox vs. Cubs odds

Favorite Moneyline: Cubs -169
Underdog Moneyline: White Sox +140
Total: 8
Total Over Odds: -115
Total Under Odds: -105

Injury reports

Cubs

Matt Shaw: 10 Day IL (Hand), Daniel Palencia: 15 Day IL (Elbow), Hoby Milner: 15 Day IL (Appendicitis), Gavin Hollowell: 15 Day IL (Shoulder), Phil Maton: 15 Day IL (Knee), Riley Martin: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Porter Hodge: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Justin Steele: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Shelby Miller: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Hunter Harvey: 60 Day IL (Tricep), Cade Horton: 60 Day IL (Forearm), Christopher Austin: 60 Day IL (Knee), Ben Brown: 60 Day IL (Neck), Dansby Swanson: day-to-day (Side)

White Sox

Joey Bart: 10 Day IL (Hand), Kyle Teel: 10 Day IL (Ankle), Chris Murphy: 15 Day IL (Flexor), Davis Martin: 15 Day IL (Finger), Tanner Murray: 60 Day IL (Shoulder), Prelander Berroa: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Ky Bush: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Mike Vasil: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Jordan Leasure: 60 Day IL (Flexor), Brooks Baldwin: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Drew Thorpe: 60 Day IL (Elbow)

Stats to know

Chicago’s Pete Crow-Armstrong is slashing .276/.374/.533 this season with 28 home runs (9th in MLB), 75 RBIs (15th in MLB) and an OPS of .906 (6th in MLB). He has a 27.2% strikeout rate and an 11.7% walk rate in 555 plate appearances, and he has scored 87 total runs. Crow-Armstrong has recorded 30 steals on 37 attempts.
In 557 plate appearances, Alex Bregman has hit 16 long balls, tallied 61 RBIs and scored 69 runs. He is batting .251/.343/.402 and has posted a 15.8% strikeout rate and an 11.1% walk rate.
Chicago’s Miguel Vargas is slashing .239/.344/.491 this season with 28 home runs (9th in MLB), 72 RBIs and an OPS of .835. He has a 17.8% strikeout rate and a 12.8% walk rate in 533 plate appearances, and he has scored 83 total runs. Vargas has recorded 12 steals on 14 attempts.
In 497 plate appearances, Chase Meidroth has slashed .278/.354/.416 this season. He has hit 12 long balls and driven in 49 runs with a strikeout rate of 22.3% and a walk rate of 9.9%. and has scored 71 runs.

This watch guide was created using technology provided by Data Skrive.

Betting/odds, ticketing and streaming links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.

Photo: Jamie Squire, Ishika Samant, Scott Taetsch, Alika Jenner / Getty Images

Sports

How to watch Braves vs. Twins: TV channel and streaming options for August 17

Published

22 minutes ago

August 17, 2026

qasimgillani

Aug. 17, 2026 12:16 pm EDT Updated

The Atlanta Braves visit the Minnesota Twins to start a three-game series at Target Field, with first pitch at 7:40 p.m. ET on Monday. Martin Perez (8-6, 2.96 ERA) gets the start for the Braves, who are 74-50 this season and first in the NL East. Bailey Ober (7-4, 4.64 ERA) is expected to start for the Twins, who are 60-65 and third in the AL Central.

How to watch Atlanta Braves vs. Minnesota Twins

Braves vs. Twins odds

Favorite Moneyline: Braves -130
Underdog Moneyline: Twins +110
Total: 9
Total Over Odds: -120
Total Under Odds: +100

Injury reports

Braves

Reynaldo López: 15 Day IL (Knee), Robert Suarez: 15 Day IL (Elbow), Spencer Strider: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Spencer Schwellenbach: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Joey Wentz: 60 Day IL (Knee), Joe Jimenez: 60 Day IL (Knee)

Twins

Joe Ryan: 15 Day IL (Glute), Pablo Lopez: 60 Day IL (Elbow), David Festa: 60 Day IL (Shoulder), Cole Sands: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Mike Paredes: 60 Day IL (Oblique), Anthony Banda: 60 Day IL (Lat), Mick Abel: 60 Day IL (Elbow)

Stats to know

Matt Olson is hitting for a .264 BA, .340 OBP and .551 SLG with a 25.1% strikeout rate and a 10% walk rate. His OPS is .891, which ranks 9th in MLB, and he has scored 88 runs. In 541 plate appearances, he has hit 36 home runs (2nd in MLB) and driven in 77 runs (13th in MLB).
In 530 plate appearances, Ozzie Albies has hit 20 long balls, tallied 64 RBIs and scored 72 runs. He is batting .251/.308/.423 and has posted a 14% strikeout rate and a 7.2% walk rate.
Brooks Lee has hit 18 home runs this season. He has also tallied 66 RBIs and has scored 54 runs. In 478 plate appearances, he has recorded a .245 BA, .300 OBP and .424 SLG with a 6.9% walk rate and a 16.5% strikeout rate. He has been effective on the base paths, recording seven steals on 11 attempts.
In 487 plate appearances, Josh Bell has hit 16 long balls, tallied 72 RBIs and scored 61 runs. He is batting .253/.315/.420 and has posted a 20.9% strikeout rate and an 8% walk rate.

This watch guide was created using technology provided by Data Skrive.

Photo: Jamie Squire, Ishika Samant, Scott Taetsch, Alika Jenner / Getty Images

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Aug 17, 2026