Sports
Dodgers to place closer Edwin Díaz back on IL: Sources
Less than a month after he was activated off the 60-day injured list, the Los Angeles Dodgers are placing closer Edwin Díaz back on the IL, multiple team sources tell The Athletic. The specific injury has not yet been disclosed. Emmet Sheehan will be recalled from Triple A as the corresponding move and will serve as length in relief.
Díaz has struggled mightily since coming back from elbow surgery in late July. Since returning to the Dodgers, Díaz has allowed 11 earned runs on 16 hits — making for a whopping 12.91 ERA in that span.
How can the Dodgers solve their sudden closer issue?
Ken Rosenthal and Johnny Sweet
Those woes have gotten worse as of late. Since Aug. 7, Díaz has blown three out of his five save opportunities and has allowed nine earned runs in five innings. Still, manager Dave Roberts pledged his faith in his $69 million closer over the weekend, both to reporters and privately to Díaz.
“That’s going to help with my confidence, 100 percent,” Díaz confirmed to The Athletic on Sunday. “They keep trusting me. If it was in another position, maybe they put another guy, or give me a break. But they keep trusting me and give me the ball.”
The Dodgers believe they have identified a mechanical issue with Díaz, stemming from a significantly lower arm angle than in seasons past.
It was clear Roberts was looking for low-leverage lanes to allow Díaz to work on those changes. In Monday’s win over the Rockies, Roberts brought in Díaz in for the ninth despite the Dodgers’ nine-run lead. Díaz promptly gave up three runs before inducing a game-ending flyout with two runners in scoring position. The Dodgers won 11-5, but concerns regarding Díaz overshadowed the victory.
Díaz’s IL designation comes at a time when the back-to-back champs are scuffling. The Dodgers dropped a key four-game series at home to the Milwaukee Brewers and are 6-10 in August.
They had hoped Díaz’s return would lock down the bullpen and charge them through August. Instead, the ‘pen has struggled to perform overall — and the team has followed suit.
“They are giving me the chance to keep being successful in my position. So every time they give me the ball, I’ve just got to do my job,” Díaz said. “I’ve been having a good game, (then a) bad game, good game, bad game. I have to find a way to keep pitching good.”
Now, Díaz will first need to find a way to regain his health — and the Dodgers will go back to the drawing board for how they’ll close out the ninth.
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Sports
How to watch Diamondbacks vs. Red Sox: TV channel and streaming options for August 19
The Arizona Diamondbacks hope to stop their three-game losing run against the Boston Red Sox, at 4:10 p.m. ET on Wednesday. Payton Tolle (8-6, 2.97 ERA) gets the start for the Red Sox, who are 68-58 this season and third in the AL East. Brandon Pfaadt (7-1, 3.11 ERA) is starting for the Diamondbacks, who are 66-61 and third in the NL West.
How to watch Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Boston Red Sox
Diamondbacks vs. Red Sox odds
- Favorite Moneyline: Red Sox -169
- Underdog Moneyline: Diamondbacks +140
- Total: 8
- Total Over Odds: -115
- Total Under Odds: -105
Injury reports
Red Sox
Masataka Yoshida: 10 Day IL (Hamstring), Curtis Mead: 10 Day IL (Hand), Justin Slaten: 15 Day IL (Elbow), Garrett Whitlock: 15 Day IL (Elbow), Tanner Houck: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Zack Kelly: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Trevor Story: 60 Day IL (Abdomen), Garrett Crochet: 60 Day IL (Shoulder), Roman Anthony: 60 Day IL (Wrist), Johan Oviedo: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Isiah Kiner-Falefa: 60 Day IL (Forearm), Kutter Crawford: 60 Day IL (Wrist), Triston Casas: 60 Day IL (Knee), Jahmai Jones: day-to-day (Undisclosed)
Diamondbacks
Lourdes Gurriel Jr.: 10 Day IL (Adductor), Tommy Troy: 10 Day IL (Shoulder), Ryan Thompson: 15 Day IL (Back), Drey Jameson: 15 Day IL (Hip), A.J. Puk: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Cristian Mena: 60 Day IL (Shoulder), Blake Walston: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Ryne Nelson: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Zac Gallen: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Corbin Burnes: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Andrew Saalfrank: 60 Day IL (Shoulder), Nolan Arenado: day-to-day (Neck)
Stats to know
- Wilyer Abreu is hitting for a .257 BA, .336 OBP and .469 SLG with a 19.6% strikeout rate and a 10.7% walk rate. His OPS is .805 and he has scored 71 runs. In 535 plate appearances, he has hit 22 home runs and driven in 67 runs. Abreu has been crafty on the base paths, recording eight steals on 12 attempts.
- In 508 plate appearances, Ceddanne Rafaela has hit 16 long balls, tallied 64 RBIs and scored 66 runs. He is batting .287/.324/.468 and has posted a 20.1% strikeout rate and a 3.7% walk rate. Rafaela has recorded 16 steals on 23 attempts.
- Arizona’s Corbin Carroll is slashing .246/.345/.486 this season with 18 home runs, 57 RBIs and an OPS of .831. He has a 21.6% strikeout rate and an 11.8% walk rate in 533 plate appearances, and he has scored 77 total runs. Carroll has recorded 17 steals on 20 attempts.
- In 528 plate appearances, Geraldo Perdomo has hit nine long balls, tallied 43 RBIs and scored 59 runs. He is batting .246/.356/.374 and has posted a 12.5% strikeout rate and a 14% walk rate. Perdomo has recorded 17 steals on 26 attempts.
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
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Sports
Carlos Sainz signs new multi-year Williams F1 contract: ‘I’m thrilled’
Carlos Sainz will remain with Williams in Formula 1 after signing a new multi-year contract with the team.
The 31-year-old joined Williams in 2025 after a stint at Ferrari, and scored two podium finishes last year. A dip in the team’s on-track performance this season led to some question marks over Sainz’s future with the team — he has scored just six points so far with a best finish of ninth place.
Any doubts about Sainz’ future have now been removed with the announcement of this new deal on Wednesday.
The team said in a statement that Sainz had agreed a new multi-year contract which it called a “a show of faith in Williams’ long-term project to compete at the front
contract of the F1 grid”. It did not disclose how long the deal will run for.
The news follows Tuesday’s announcement that Sainz’ teammate, Alex Albon, had extended his contract into 2027, ensuring Williams will run an unchanged line-up in F1 next year.
“I’m thrilled to announce my continued journey with the Williams F1 Team family,” Sainz said in a statement. “I truly believe in the people that form this team, both at the factory and at the racetracks, and the investments and hard work that are happening in the background.
“We have what it takes to turn this around together. I’m as committed as I was on day one to helping get Williams back to where it belongs, and I look forward to creating more memories with the team.”
Analysis
Analysis by Madeline Coleman
Getting Sainz and Albon to sign contract extensions, at the very least for next season, is the best-case scenario for Williams.
The 2026 campaign has been a difficult year for the team, ranging from production delays and a missed first test to an overweight car and quite a dip in on-track performance. And with trying times, after so much effort and time were dedicated toward the 2026 car, questions arise.
It didn’t come as a total surprise that Albon is remaining with Williams. He’s been a constant for the team since it gave him a second chance in F1 back in 2022. He previously told The Athletic, “I live and breathe the team. I want this to go well. I poured a lot of my time and energy into this team, and I hope it’s for something.” But that doesn’t mean it’s a guarantee he’ll stay forever.
With Sainz, it seemed that there were more question marks as Williams has failed to even come close to its 2025 performance. The Spaniard went as far as to say Hungary, the last race before the summer break, was “a bit of an eye-opener” with seeing the gap between them and the top teams. He went from winning races with Ferrari two seasons ago to now entering the second half of the 2026 season with six points to his name.
Albon and Sainz have both signed extensions (Peter Fox via Getty Images)
Matters may not be perfect right now, but Sainz does appear to see something worth continuing to invest in. When he found his groove at Williams, he thrived last season. You can’t forget the two podium finishes near the end of the campaign.
As Albon said in the news release about his extension on Tuesday, “One tough year doesn’t tell the full picture.” Securing Albon and Sainz means Williams has two race winners with immense F1 experience helping guide its development journey into the second year of this regulation set. They have a combined 370-plus race starts, over 1,600 points and 31 podiums.
It’ll take a while for Williams to overcome years of underinvestment and grow from both a car development and infrastructure standpoint. But having one of the more experienced driver line-ups on the grid for another season (at least) gives Williams a fighting chance at righting the wrongs of this season.
And it comes at a critical time — Williams will celebrate 50 years of competing in F1 next year.
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Sports
Newcastle announce Kevin Keegan tribute plans for Liverpool game
Newcastle United have announced extensive plans to pay tribute to Kevin Keegan ahead of their Premier League opener against Liverpool on Sunday.
Keegan, the former Newcastle and Liverpool great, died aged 75 on July 20, after disclosing earlier in the year that he had stage-four cancer.
Newcastle initially set up a memorial outside St James’ Park, which led to thousands of tributes being laid in memory of the two-time Ballon d’Or winner, who managed the club twice and also played for them.
Keegan spent six years at Anfield during the 1970s, helping the club win three First Division titles, before joining Hamburg in Germany.
On Sunday, both Newcastle and Liverpool’s players will wear their usual training shirts for the warm up, but they will have ‘Keegan 7’ printed on the back as a mark of respect.
Many of the shirts that were laid outside of St James’ Park have been made into a mosaic that will be laid in the centre-circle before the match gets underway to honour the former England manager.
The club has also invited Jean Keegan, Kevin’s wife, and his family to the match — along with a number of his former players including Alan Shearer, Faustino Asprilla, David Ginola, Les Ferdinand, and other squad members from his spells in charge.
There will be a minute’s applause from both sets of players before kick-off on Sunday, while Keegan is going to be on the front cover of the matchday programme.
In a private ceremony, delegates from Newcastle United and Liverpool are expected to lay wreaths in a memorial garden. This would include Shola Ameobi and Bob Moncur on behalf of the Tyneside club.
Wor Flags — a supporter-led group that creates memorable visual displays through the use of flags, banners and tiffs — will also be paying tribute to Keegan with a takeover on Sunday.
Tributes have been paid outside St James’ Park to Keegan. (Newcastle United FC)
For the memorial outside the stadium, which was visited by thousands of supporters wishing to pay tribute to Keegan, the club worked closely with its Fan Advisory Board and the Newcastle United Supporters’ Trust.
As well as being visited by fans, many former players also made the trip to the memorial, including Shearer, Peter Beardsley and Lee Clark.
Alongside the memorial, the club had books of condolences outside for fans to sign, as well as a digital version for the supporters unable to make it to St James’ Park.
Some of the memorabilia laid at the memorial will now be given to Keegan’s family, while the club will keep some back for future tributes.
The flowers that were laid outside the stadium were turned into compost and spread across the club’s pitches.
Newcastle have asked supporters attending Sunday’s match, which kicks off at 4.30pm BST (11.30am ET), to arrive earlier than usual to ensure they can see the many planned tributes.
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