Sports

How to watch Royals vs. Blue Jays: TV channel and streaming options for August 27

Published

31 minutes ago

August 27, 2026

The Toronto Blue Jays host the Kansas City Royals at 7:07 p.m. ET on Thursday, with both teams hoping to win the series. Spencer Arrighetti (7-6, 4.73 ERA) will start for the Blue Jays, who are 65-69 this season and fifth in the AL East. Noah Cameron (8-8, 4.02 ERA) is the expected starter for the Royals, who are 59-75 and fifth in the AL Central.

How to watch Kansas City Royals vs. Toronto Blue Jays

Royals vs. Blue Jays odds

Favorite Moneyline: Blue Jays -110
Underdog Moneyline: Royals -110
Total: 8.5
Total Over Odds: +100
Total Under Odds: -120

Injury reports

Blue Jays

Josh Smith: 10 Day IL (Hamstring), Luis Urias: 10 Day IL (Quadricep), Jonatan Clase: 10 Day IL (Foot), Shane Bieber: 15 Day IL (Back), Jameson Taillon: 15 Day IL (Forearm), Trey Yesavage: 15 Day IL (Knee), Cody Ponce: 60 Day IL (Knee), Anthony Santander: 60 Day IL (Shoulder), Jake Bloss: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Bowden Francis: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Joe Mantiply: 60 Day IL (Knee), Addison Barger: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Yimi Garcia: 60 Day IL (Elbow), José Berrios: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Patrick Corbin: 60 Day IL (Shoulder)

Royals

Maikel Garcia: 10 Day IL (Hamstring), Tony Gonsolin: 15 Day IL (Elbow), Beck Way: 15 Day IL (Back), Jonathan India: 60 Day IL (Shoulder), Cole Ragans: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Luinder Avila: 60 Day IL (Forearm), Alec Marsh: 60 Day IL (Shoulder), Carlos Estévez: 60 Day IL (Foot), Nick Mears: 60 Day IL (Shoulder), Stephen Kolek: 60 Day IL (Flexor), Connor Seabold: 60 Day IL (Lat), James McArthur: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Michael Massey: day-to-day (Head)

Stats to know

Toronto’s Ernie Clement is slashing .282/.307/.398 this season with nine home runs, 43 RBIs and an OPS of .705. He has a 9.8% strikeout rate and a 3.4% walk rate in 522 plate appearances, and he has scored 54 total runs.
In 503 plate appearances, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is hitting .262/.334/.353 with a .687 OPS and seven steals on 10 attempts. He has hit seven long balls, driven in 46 runs and scored 62 times.
Bobby Witt Jr. has hit 16 home runs this season. He has also tallied 48 RBIs and has scored 72 runs. In 508 plate appearances, he has recorded a .288 BA, .366 OBP and .458 SLG with a 10.8% walk rate and a 17.7% strikeout rate. He has been effective on the base paths, recording 35 steals on 42 attempts.
In 473 plate appearances, Jac Caglianone has hit 22 long balls, tallied 60 RBIs and scored 59 runs. He is batting .274/.326/.486 and has posted a 26.2% strikeout rate and a 6.1% walk rate.

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

England v Pakistan Second Test: Khurram Shahzad makes an incredible diving catch to remove Jordan Cox

Published

4 minutes ago

August 27, 2026

qasimgillani

England’s Jordan Cox sees his innings ended on 55 after an unbelievable, diving catch by substitute Salman Agha, with England 187-6 on the opening day of the second Test at Lord’s.

FOLLOW LIVE: England v Pakistan – Second Test, day one

Available to UK users only.

Sports

Colts take Alec Pierce off PUP list; WR to rejoin practice

Published

10 minutes ago

August 27, 2026

qasimgillani

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis Colts have taken wide receiver Alec Pierce off the physically unable to perform list, the team announced Thursday. Pierce is expected to take part in practice this afternoon, according to league sources who were not permitted to speak publicly. If Pierce practices Thursday, it will mark the first time he will have participated in an on-field team activity since undergoing left ankle and heel surgery in late March. While on the PUP list, Pierce has missed all of training camp amid his monthslong rehab.

Pierce initially tried to avoid surgery at the end of last season, opting for a platelet-rich plasma injection instead. However, when that injection didn’t alleviate the discomfort Pierce felt, which he said he’d been managing since the 2024 season, he eventually moved forward with a procedure. Pierce revealed in June that he faced a four- to six-month recovery timeline that could threaten his availability for the start of the season.

Another catch from #Colts WR Alec Pierce in his first practice since undergoing left ankle/heel surgery in March.

(This is a warmup before anyone starts any nonsense about him not running full speed.) pic.twitter.com/PVlRlJ19A6

— James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) August 27, 2026

Now, less than a month away from Week 1, Pierce is on track to be on the field when the Colts host the Baltimore Ravens. The fifth-year pro signed a four-year, $114 million deal in March, the richest free-agent contract for a receiver in NFL history. Pierce, who is the 15th-highest-paid wideout annually, has led the NFL in yards per reception in each of the past two years (22.3 in 2024 and 21.3 in 2025).

Pierce is poised to take over as Indy’s No. 1 receiver after the team traded veteran Michael Pittman Jr. to the Pittsburgh Steelers in March. Pittman led the Colts in catches in four of the past five years. In Pittman’s absence, the Colts’ starting receiver trio will consist of Pierce, Josh Downs and, most likely, Keenan Allen. Allen, a six-time Pro Bowler, reached a one-year agreement with the Colts last week.

The 34-year-old is one of 18 players in NFL history to reach 1,000 receptions; he’s also recorded at least 65 catches, 700 yards and four touchdowns in nine consecutive seasons.

Sports

Tight end Jonnu Smith agrees to deal with Green Bay Packers: Source

Published

17 minutes ago

August 27, 2026

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Jonnu Smith #81 of the Pittsburgh Steelers runs the ball against Denzel Ward #21 of the Cleveland Browns.

Jonnu Smith was released by the Steelers after one season in Pittsburgh. Joe Sargent / Getty Images

Aug. 27, 2026 12:34 pm EDT Updated

Veteran tight end Jonnu Smith has agreed to a free-agent deal with the Green Bay Packers, a team source confirmed to The Athletic on Thurday. The source spoke on the condition of anonymity because they didn’t have permission to comment publicly.

Smith has spent the past four seasons on four different teams, including the 2025 season with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Smith was a third-round draft pick of the Tennessee Titans in 2017 and spent his first four seasons there. He signed with the New England Patriots in 2021 and played two years under Bill Belichick before being traded to the Atlanta Falcons. After one year in Atlanta, Smith signed a two-year deal with the Miami Dolphins in 2024 but was traded to the Steelers last offseason.

Is Green Bay Packers offensive line ‘good enough’ going into 2026 NFL season?

Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen

The Packers are thin on proven options at tight end. Tucker Kraft appears to be fully healthy after rehabbing his torn ACL and is their No. 1. Their No. 2, Luke Musgrave, suffered a neck injury this offseason and hasn’t yet practiced in camp. They also have Josh Whyle, Drake Dabney and Messiah Swinson at the position, but Whyle might be the only one the Packers trust to play significant meaningful snaps in the regular season and even he doesn’t seem to be much of a threat.

Smith has experience with Packers head coach Matt LaFleur, who coached him as the Titans’ offensive coordinator in 2018.

Smith has been a supplemental part of the passing game for most of his nine-year NFL career. He had one outlier season in 2024, when he set career highs with the Dolphins, catching 88 passes for 884 yards and eight touchdowns. That marks the only time Smith has had more than 50 catches or at least 600 receiving yards in a season.

Smith’s 2025 season was expected to produce better results, as the Steelers’ offensive coordinator was Arthur Smith, who was Smith’s position coach with the Titans and the head coach in Atlanta during Smith’s year with the Falcons. However, the Steelers ended up having more of a tight end-by-committee season from the position, and Smith had just 38 catches for 222 yards and two touchdowns in 17 games.

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Aug 27, 2026