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In the world of global sports, mononyms — going by a single name — has become one of the more popular parts of the sport. Icons like Pelé, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, and Kaká don’t need a surname to identify themselves to the world. But while it looks like a calculated marketing strategy for modern brands, the origin of the soccer mononym is actually rooted in deep cultural traditions, nicknames and the informal nature of soccer itself. Where Did It Come From? The phenomenon is most famously tied to Portuguese and Spanish-speaking countries, particularly Brazil. In Portuguese culture, naming conventions are exceptionally long, often combining multiple maternal and paternal family names. For example, Pelé (born Edson Arantes do Nascimento) remains the most famous one-name soccer star. But broadcasting or printing long names on a match sheet often became impractical. To solve this, players started to use apelidos (nicknames). Some current players who follow this trend are Brazil’s Raphinha, born Raphael Dias Belloli or Vinícius Jr, born Vinícius José Paixão de Oliveira Júnior. Another Brazilian star, Neymar, was Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior. The same goes for Spain’s Pedri, born Pedro González López, and Rodri, born Rodrigo Hernández Cascante. In Brazil, soccer has historically been a game of the working class, played in streets and dirt lots where formal surnames carry little weight. Players are christened with nicknames by teammates, fans, or family based on physical traits, childhood stories, or where they grew up. When younger players transition to the professional ranks, the street names stick. Ultimately, what began as a linguistic shortcut and a nickname has evolved into one of soccer’s biggest badges of honor. A single name connects an athlete with the fan, turning a player into a household name. Famous Examples A few famous examples of players going by a single name include: Pelé | Brazil Pelé’s apelido was a childhood mispronunciation of his favorite local goalkeeper, Bilé. But no one will mistake this name ever again, as the three-time World Cup winner (1958, 1962, 1970) is considered the greatest soccer player ever. Naturally, Pelé is also known as “O Rei” – which is “The King” in Portuguese. Ronaldinho and Ronaldo | Brazil The name Ronaldo is very come in Portuguese-speaking countries (Lusophone countries to be precise). You’d be forgiven then if it was slightly confusing when referring to two legendary figures from Brazil. Ronaldinho – whose full name is Ronaldo de Assis Moreira – means “Little Ronaldo,” adopted to distinguish him from older teammate and fellow icon, Ronaldo (whose full name is Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima). Of course, Ronaldo went by “Ronaldinho” for a short time as well during his early playing days. And that’s not even to mention Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo, who is often referred to by one name as well. Kaká | Brazil Kaká – born Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite – earned his apelido from his younger brother’s inability to pronounce “Ricardo.” The Brazilian was also often referred to by “Ricardo Kaká” during is playing days, combining his real name and his more famous moniker. Pedri | Spain One of the best players in today’s game, Pedri (Pedro González López) is already known by fans across the globe for his playmaking skills for club (Barcelona) and country (Spain). So why doesn’t he just go by Pedro? As he has previously explained, he played alongside another boy named Pedro in his youth team days who was bigger than him. As such, he earned the more diminutive nickname.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Brazil has made an injury replacement to its World Cup roster less than a week before its first match against Morocco, with right back Wesley out and midfielder Ederson in. The Brazilian soccer confederation said Sunday that Wesley injured a muscle in his left thigh. He left early in the team’s friendly game against Egypt on Saturday night in Cleveland, and imaging found it significant enough to knock Wesley out of the World Cup. “Wesley is an athlete loved by the group and will always be considered part of this team that seeks the six-time world championship,” the Brazilian confederation said. Éderson, 26, is now set to join the team in the U.S. as part of the 26-player roster. Brazil opens World Cup Group C Drawn into Group C play on Saturday in the Meadowlands in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Brazil will face Morocco on June 13, Haiti on June 20, and Scotland on June 24. Another injury situation is still ongoing with 34-year-old forward Neymar, who did not travel to Cleveland with the rest of the group. Neymar is currently sidelined because of a calf injury. The Associated Press contributed to this report.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Soldier Field (CHICAGO) — As the American and German players filed out of their locker rooms toward the buses following Saturday’s exhibition match, the air of excitement was impossible to ignore. Next stop for both teams? The 2026 FIFA World Cup. For the United States men’s national team, this moment has been eight years in the making. The USA was awarded co-hosting rights, along with neighbors Canada and Mexico, just months after the Stars and Stripes’ epic failure to qualify for the 2018 tournament. A new generation of players  responded by reaching Qatar 2022, where they fielded the youngest lineup in the competition and still reached the knockout stage. Now in their prime and employed by some of soccer’s marquee clubs, they’re aiming to make history on home soil. “Excited to get going, man,” heart and soul U.S. midfielder Tyler Adams told the gaggle of reporters after Mauricio Pochettino’s team lost 2-1 to the four-time world champions on Leroy Sané’s second-half goal. “Now it’s down to business.” Or, more accurately: the business of winning games. And that begins when USA next take the pitch for the real deal on Friday against Paraguay in its World Cup opening match in Los Angeles. Pochettino’s team performed well against Germany in both sides’ final pre-World Cup warm-up. They outshot and out-possessed FIFA’s 10th ranked team, and even dominated the star-studded Die Mannschaft for long stretches — a feat made more impressive considering they trailed less than two minutes after kickoff on Kai Havertz’s goal. “We can take a lot of positives,” said veteran left back Antonee “Jedi” Robinson, whose stunning volley pulled the hosts level before halftime. “Conceding that early, we could have easily crumbled, and it could have been a very, very bad day to be going into the tournament with. “But we fought back, and at times played some really good football, and looked good, looked competitive…we’ve still got time to shore up a few mistakes that we’ve made going into the first game.” Mistakes are often fatal at the highest level. And as encouraging as the Americans’ response and overall performance was, they still lost the game. Winning is a habit. At the World Cup, there is no such thing as a moral victory. The U.S. players know that as well as anyone. Opening the tournament with a victory over the Paraguayans on Friday is imperative, even though the new 48-team format is more forgiving than the previous editions; 32 countries will now qualify for the knockout stage, including eight third-place finishers across the 12 four-team groups. As one of the dozen No. 1 seeds — a privilege automatically afforded to the three hosts — the U.S. has a manageable path to the second round, with Australia and Türkiye rounding out Group D. Those games won’t be easy, but the U.S. is favored to advance. After that, though, a true world power could await. “We’re gonna face teams like this in the World Cup,” star forward Christian Pulisic said after the Germany match.  “We have to be ready to compete with some of the best, and yeah, we’ve had good performances, but we still want to win these games.” Being able to focus solely on the World Cup now should help. The U.S. delegation flew directly to Irvine, California on Saturday night and will remain there until jetting to Seattle ahead of playing Australia on June 19. The first and final group game against Türkiye will then be back in Los Angeles. That’s a far cry from the USA’s recent itinerary. Pochettino’s 26-man roster was introduced in New York City on May 26. Over the next 11 days, they traveled to Atlanta, Charlotte, back to Atlanta, Chicago and finally onto Irvine. “It’ll be nice to just get in one place and be able to settle in, try and minimize the travel as much as possible,” Adams said. “We’ve been in a million different places, a million different facilities, in and out.” Now that they’re on the ground, what’s the plan? “Watch the film, obviously, and get the little details right,” Pulisic said. “[We’ll] keep working as a team, and we think that we can do it when it really matters.”​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

SOLDIER FIELD (Chicago) – After a terrible start to the game, conceding off a free kick in the second minute, the United States grew into Saturday’s friendly against Germany finishing the 1st half as the better side. The Americans slowly got into a rhythm after Kai Havertz’s header opened the scoring. They probably should have had a second goal outside Antonee “Jedi” Robinson’s volley in the 37th minute. After not taking their chances and conceding again in the second half, the U.S. is heading into its World Cup opener against Paraguay off the back of a loss to the 10th-best team in the world, according to FIFA’s rankings, in Germany. Here are my player ratings for the United States’ starting XI against Germany. (Ratings are out of 10.) You need players who can step up and create big moments. That’s exactly what Antonee did. I dare him to try to score a better goal! That was a fantastic strike, and the timing of it was so important, getting the U.S. level going into halftime. Robinson is one of the most important players for Mauricio Pochettino, so the fact that he went down in the second half before having to walk slowly off the field was not encouraging. We’ll keep our fingers crossed that it was nothing more than cramps. This was a very different game for the U.S. in terms of the defensive structure it faced compared to Senegal last week. That didn’t stop Christian from finding ways to be a threat on the ball. He had an early long ball that almost put Sergiño Dest through on goal, and he was constantly getting on the ball and looking to dribble into space. Overall, an encouraging two games for the USA’s most dangerous attacker. He looks confident and hungry heading into the World Cup. I like the freedom that Dest has in this system to push higher up the pitch. He had an early chance on that long ball from Pulisic that I mentioned, which is an example of how important he’ll be in attack for the U.S. He didn’t have the same impact as last week against Senegal, but I like that Sergiño is always willing to make himself dangerous in the attacking third and take risks. Balogun found it a little more difficult against Germany than he did in the second half against Senegal last week, although he still had some moments when he looked a threat. I would have liked to see Flo turn one of his half-chances into a better look at goal – or better yet score. His work rate was tremendous, though. A big moment for Tillman, starting this game against a lot of players he’s familiar with, having been born in Germany. Malik can play in midfield or higher up the pitch, which was evident from his starting position. Sometimes he stayed higher up the pitch, while other moments saw him drop deeper to help build the attack. Finding a balance between where he plays and Weston McKennie when he makes his runs forward from midfield will be important. Overall, he helped create a couple chances and did a good job pressing the German defense. Adams committed a silly early foul that led to the free kick that saw Havertz open the scoring for Germany. Like the rest of the team, though, he responded well. I thought Tyler offered a lot of personality in midfield against a quality opponent. He showed his leadership with some key tackles in midfield that started some U.S. attacks in transition. Weston had some moments that showed why he’s so important to this team. He will slot into midfield next to Adams this summer, which allows him to make an impact on both sides of the ball. Wes brings a lot of energy and combativeness to midfield. He’ll need to be at his very best next week against Paraguay. Overall, I think Freese was solid on the night. I’m not going to blame him for either of the two goals that were conceded. This game showed that he will be in net against Paraguay next week and is the USA No. 1 goalkeeper ahead of Matt Turner. Freeman has earned his starting spot as the right center back in the USA’s back three. He played well last week against Senegal and held his own against a tougher opponent. Alex can play as a right back, as well as more centrally in defense. That versatility will be important at the World Cup, starting with the game against Paraguay. Ream started as the left center back for the U.S. and was clearly targeted by Germany. For the most part, he held his own and didn’t allow the Germans to exploit his lack of pace. Tim is a veteran, and his experience showed in his calmness on the ball and ability to pass out of the back under pressure. That should come in handy. Robinson didn’t do enough to track Havertz on the opening goal. He followed that up with some good moments, as well as some shaky ones, for the rest of the first half. Chris Richards expressed optimism this week that he’ll be ready to take his place at the center of the U.S. defense against Paraguay on Friday. If he isn’t, the question is whether Robinson has shown enough to convince Pochettino that he should start over Mark McKenzie, who played the first 45 minutes last week against Paraguay and finished this game.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

There were plenty of bright spots for the United States men’s national team in their 2-1 loss to No. 10-ranked Germany on Saturday at Soldier Field in Chicago: Antonee Robinson’s wonder strike, Christian Pulisic’s confidence and the play from the fullbacks. However, the jury is still very much out on the situation in goal with Matt Freese and Matt Turner. Freese got the starting nod in goal against Germany after Turner started the first half of the United States’ friendly against Senegal on Sunday. For many, Freese’s selection in Saturday’s squad was a sign of his standing in Maurico Pochettino’s pecking order, but for Alexi Lalas, Freese still has something to prove. “The second goal from Germany, again, was a letdown,” Lalas said on his “State of the Union” podcast. “I want to be fair, there was a little bit of a deflection on the shot, but it just goes back to Matt Freese has yet to make the save he shouldn’t make, and there are plenty of big-time goalkeepers in the world that would find a way to make that save.” Lalas’ criticism was not limited to Germany’s second goal. The former U.S. international also placed much of the blame for Kai Havertz’s opening strike on Freese, arguing that the goalkeeper failed to take command of his penalty area. With the United States deploying a high defensive line while defending the set piece, Lalas believes Freese needed to be far more aggressive in coming off his line and dealing with the danger before Havertz could capitalize. “I think the majority of this blame goes on Matt Freese,” Lalas said. “It used to drive me crazy when coaches and goalkeepers would want you as high as possible, and I would say fine, but recognize that you are putting me at a huge disadvantage in terms of meeting the ball and being goalside of my attacker. “If you are going to create what amounts to a 10-15 yard space, your goalkeeper damn well better come out and clean house, and that is certainly not what Matt Freese did on this. You are left as defenders having to retreat and then get goalside.” The goalkeeping position remains one of the biggest question marks for the United States heading into the World Cup. Matt Turner has struggled to build on the momentum he gained from his strong performances at the 2022 World Cup, despite putting together a solid season with the New England Revolution. Meanwhile, Freese has established himself as the current No. 1, but he has yet to fully cement the role with consistently standout performances. Unlike previous generations, when the United States could call upon multiple elite goalkeepers, the current pool lacks the same level of proven international talent. As a result, the competition between Freese and Turner remains open heading into the tournament. Despite his criticism, Lalas still expects Freese to start the United States’ World Cup opener against Paraguay next Friday. He also suggested that the lineup used against Germany is likely close to the team Mauricio Pochettino will deploy, with the exception of Miles Robinson. “I’m not saying that Matt Turner is going to start,” Lalas continued. “I still think it’s Matt Freese. Matt Freese is going to have to step up his game as the World Cup happens here next week. Again, make that save where you go, ‘Wow, I didn’t know he had it in him.’ We haven’t seen any of those moments from Matt Freese other than saving penalties. Which is wonderful, but who knows when we’re going to get to penalties?”​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Golden Tempo won the 158th running of the Belmont Stakes on Saturday, capturing the third leg of the Triple Crown five weeks after winning the Kentucky Derby and making more history for trainer Cherie DeVaux. With jockey Jose Ortiz aboard, Golden Tempo charged down the stretch at Saratoga Race Course to win the Belmont, holding off Commandment before the finish line at the historic track. Commandment was second and favorite Renegade third. The pace was not nearly as fast as it was at Churchill Downs, yet Golden Tempo still was able to close in time to win the 1 1/4-mile race in 2:03.49. DeVaux, after becoming the first woman to train a Kentucky Derby winner, is the second in four years to do so at the Belmont. Jena Antonucci won it with Archangelo in 2023. This was the third and final time for the Belmont at Saratoga in upstate New York while its traditional home on the border of Queens and Long Island is getting demolished and rebuilt. The race is set to return to Belmont Park next year. DeVaux was born in Saratoga Springs and began her training career at the track. Reporting by The Associated Press.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Soldier Field (CHICAGO) — There are no more World Cup warm-ups for the U.S. men’s national team. Nothing left to do but blow the whistle next Friday and see how the team stacks up at the 48-team tournament it is co-hosting. Saturday’s defeat to Germany was the final pre-World Cup preparation match for a USA squad looking to make some history this summer. The Germans took the lead less than two minutes in on an unmarked header from Arsenal star Kai Havertz — a goal that was canceled out later in the first half by Antonee “Jedi” Robinson’s spectacular full volley. Unfortunately for the World Cup co-hosts, the U.S. wasn’t able to capitalize on a number of good scoring opportunities before veteran Germany forward Leroy Sané put the four-time champions up for good with just over half an hour to play. Here are my takeaways from Saturday’s defeat. 1. A Terrible Start Gifts Germany The Opener … It was a dreadful, almost unforgivable beginning from the hosts. Giving up a completely unmarked goal less than two minutes in against a team like Germany can be fatal, the type of error that loses teams games at the World Cup. Havertz — who a week ago was playing in the UEFA Champions League final with Arsenal — probably never scored an easier goal in his career. Sure, the USA’s response was good. We’ll get to that. But the fact remains that Mauricio Pochettino’s team needs to clean things up defensively, and quickly. It took an all-world strike by Jedi to cancel out Havertz’s tap-in, but no team can count on an equalizer like that. “I was upset, of course,” Pochettino said of the first goal during his post-game press conference. “To concede early against a team like that is always pretty s***,” Tyler Adams added. Falling behind before some fans have reached their seats puts any team in a terrible position, forcing them to take risks going forward that can leave them vulnerable to a second, possibly insurmountable, two-goal deficit. The U.S. will get scored on this summer. What this team can’t do is give away goals. If that happens when it matters most, it’s almost impossible to see Pochettino’s squad making a deep run this summer. 2. … But USA’s Response Was Encouraging. It’s hard to score a better goal than Jedi’s. Yet from a pure soccer perspective, it wasn’t the best moment of the game for the Americans. As was the case last week against Senegal, the U.S. attack pinned the Germans in their own end of the field for the final 20 or so minutes of the first half and much of the second, too. The team combined with each other, moved the ball quickly, and frequently got behind the German backline. “Going into a World Cup it means a lot to know, in my mind, that I’ve scored something like that,” Jedi said during the post-match press conference. His teammates enjoyed it almost as much. “After he scored, I was like, ‘Can you save that for next weekend?’” Adams joked. Still, had Christian Pulisic, Folarin Balogun, Sergiño Dest and Malik Tillman been a bit more accurate with their shots on this day — at the hour mark against Germany, Jedi’s goal was the only one of the seven U.S. tries on frame — the U.S. could’ve added a few more. Germany keeper Oliver Baumann didn’t make his second save of the game until the 87th minute, a diving stop on substitute Brenden Aaronson. Sure, those efforts must be more clinical at the main event, when open looks are significantly harder to come by. But for a team that managed just three goals in four games at the last World Cup, getting scoring opportunities in the first place is positive. “We’re creating a high volume of chances right now, which I think is a really good sign,” Adams said. “Guys are getting in the right spots. It’s just a matter of time before they start going in.” 3. This Was USA’s World Cup Lineup — With One Exception. The thinking all along was that Pochettino would use last weekend’s tune-up against Senegal as a glorified training session as far as personnel were concerned. That’s exactly how it played out, with 10 players subbed out at halftime of that 3-2 victory in Charlotte and 22 players used overall. Saturday’s match was always going to be a dress rehearsal for the real thing. Sure enough, Pochettino went with what he almost certainly believes is his strongest possible lineup except for injured center back Chris Richards. The hope and expectation is that Richards will be ready to go when the World Cup kicks off on Friday. Pochettino made it clear he wasn’t going to risk his best defender’s health in a game that, high-profile as it was, didn’t count. If Richards can’t go against Paraguay in Los Angeles, Miles Robinson will get the nod. That’s obvious. But what Saturday’s lineup decisions tell us is that fullback/winger Tim Weah — who started all four of the USA’s games at the 2022 World Cup and scored the first of their three goals in Qatar — will most likely begin this year’s edition on the bench behind Sergiño Dest. Which makes sense. On a team lacking difference-makers in the attack, Dest’s all-planet ball skills can change games or even win them; as noted, he came close to scoring on multiple occasions on Saturday. Meantime, Weah will likely be the first sub off the bench, or perhaps even start one of the final two group games if Poch opts to rotate. “Sergiño is dangerous,” said star forward Christian Pulisic, who can use all the help he can get up top. “He’s such a good dribbler with the ball, there’s a lot of things he can help us with.” 4. Does This Result Matter? Take A Look At History. No, and not just because it doesn’t count in the actual World Cup standings. This U.S. side would be thrilled to emulate the 2002 team that shocked Planet Fútbol by reaching the quarterfinals (controversially losing to Germany) in what is still the best World Cup performance by the American men since the inaugural tournament almost a century ago. What few remember is that the USA also lost its send-off match that year, a 2-0 defeat to a Netherlands team that hadn’t even qualified for that year’s World Cup in Japan and South Korea. That performance was better than the score indicated, though, and the Americans — led by a legend-in-the-making in Landon Donovan — stunned pre-tourney favorite Portugal in its first group game en route to the last eight. Home fans will be hoping a similar scenario repeats itself this summer. “At the end of the day, it means nothing,” Pulisic said of the two pre-Cup friendlies. “We have to go out, and we have to perform when it matters on Friday [at the World Cup].” 4 ½. Now, Finally, Onto The World Cup! It’s now been almost eight years since the U.S. and North American neighbors Canada and Mexico were awarded co-hosting rights for the first 48-team World Cup — the biggest ever in history. Pochettino was hired to lead the Stars and Stripes 21 months ago. All of it has been building to this moment. Whether the U.S. squad is ready doesn’t matter. Friday’s curtain raiser against Paraguay in Los Angeles is now just days away. The ball won’t lie. But after two of the best attacking performances in recent memory, fans have legitimate reason to be optimistic. We’re all about to see if this team can take them on a ride they’ll never forget. Pulisic probably said it best: “What an opportunity we have in front of us.”​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Portugal forward Rafael Leão was sent off for punching an opponent during a 2-0 win over Chile in a World Cup warm-up on Saturday. Leão got into a heated altercation with Chile defender Ivan Román after he felt he had been fouled by a different opponent. Leão was spotted throwing a punch and Román reacted angrily and both were shown straight red cards on the stroke of halftime. Cristiano Ronaldo started the match but was taken off at halftime and his replacement, Gonçalo Guedes, scored the opening goal. Bruno Fernandes doubled Portugal’s lead in the 75th and Lucas Cepeda netted for Chile in stoppage time. Portugal is in Group K at the World Cup along with Colombia, Uzbekistan and Congo. Portugal opens against Congo on June 17 in Houston. Ronaldo is set to make a record-tying sixth World Cup appearance.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

YANKEE STADIUM (New York) – Most players would have shut it down. Aaron Judge kept showing up. For more than a month, the Yankees captain played with a stress fracture on the first rib on his right side. He took swings, chased fly balls and crashed into walls, absorbing the pain in silence while anchoring the Yankees lineup. There were too many important pieces sidelined, including Giancarlo Stanton and left-hander Max Fried, for the slugger to consider missing time — until the injury revealed itself in his swings. “Big G’s hurt. Max Fried’s hurt. We got a lot of guys banged up,” Judge said on Friday afternoon at Yankee Stadium. “You gotta be out there. That’s what they’re paying me to do, is to go out there and play.” Judge, speaking to a horde of inquiring reporters in front of his locker in the Yankees clubhouse, believes he sustained the stress fracture on April 26 while diving for a fly ball during the Yankees’ series against the Astros in Houston. He called it “an awkward dive” because he was also trying to avoid running into an oncoming teammate in right field. He started feeling the pain the following day, when the Yankees opened a series against the Rangers in Texas. He felt the symptoms of his stress fracture for the past month. Judge was familiar with the pain, because it’s in the same area as the rib fracture he sustained in Sept. 2019. Yankees manager Aaron Boone noticed that Judge’s swings were off last weekend during the team’s series against the Athletics in West Sacramento. After voicing his concern with the team captain, Boone pulled Judge from the series finale against the A’s on May 31. “We did everything we could to make sure we could be out there, and Sacramento just got a little worse,” Judge said. “I fought as long as I could.” Is it possible that Judge made the injury worse because he played through it? “Probably,” Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said on Friday in the team’s press conference room. “I mean, I think it’s a culmination of different things. But no one can pinpoint when it occurred. That’s the undiscovered situation. He was never coming in, getting treatment, per se. He didn’t have any complaints.” The injury was first brought to Cashman’s attention this past Monday. “I was caught off guard by the call on the off day,” the GM said. Cashman then checked with the Yankees’ medical and training staff to find out whether Judge had shifted from his usual treatment routine. Judge receives pregame and postgame work, as well as a full-body massage, as part of his daily treatment. Everything Cashman found out from the training staff was all consistent with Judge’s normal routine. “He’s been here a long time, and I’ve talked to our trainers, and they know our players inside out,” Cashman said. “They know their tells. They can project that something’s bothering them, but they’re not really saying it. It’s just how their demeanor is, how they go about their business, and then they coax them into spilling the beans, if there’re any beans to spill — because these guys are supersapiens. “They’re unbelievable about how they can withstand more than you and I maybe can withstand. They’re amazing, strong, athletic, and this is a rigorous schedule of 162 games. So to be able to play as much as these guys do, they’re always playing with something.” The Yankees spent four days trying to understand what exactly Judge was dealing with. There was edema, or swelling, in the area of the stress fracture, so it was difficult to understand and diagnose Judge’s injury. Before getting a clear answer, the Yankees had hoped at one point that he could avoid the injured list altogether. On Thursday, the team sent his MRI, CT scan, and X-ray images to a vascular surgeon, Dr. Gregory Pearl, who specializes in treating thoracic outlet syndrome. Late Thursday night, the club was able to rule it out, before landing on the final diagnosis of a fractured rib. Cashman said because the team “ran him through a car wash of testing,” he believes that even if Judge had flagged the injury to the medical staff on April 26, they wouldn’t have found an issue. An injury this severe was not on anyone’s radar, even as Judge’s performance started to dip around the middle of May. He batted .267 with a 1.043 OPS and 16 home runs through his first 41 games of the season. Since May 11, Judge has batted .206 with a .613 OPS and one home run in his last 18 games before going on the injured list. “You’re not going to replace Aaron Judge,” Boone said of the prolonged absence of his best player. The Yankees expect Judge to rest for 4–6 weeks, giving time for the bone to heal. Both Boone and Cashman said they are intentionally not disclosing a roadmap for when exactly to expect Judge back in the Yankees lineup. It could be July. It could be August. It could even be September. But they do expect the face of their franchise to play again before the season is over. For now, Cashman said Judge’s injury does not change his upcoming trade-deadline strategy. And don’t even bother asking Judge about his timeline to return to play. “Oh, I don’t like talking timetables,” Judge said. “That stuff’s all made up. You never know what’s going to  happen.” For now, Judge is limited to lower-body activities only. He is not permitted to run, throw, or swing the bat. For the next few weeks, Judge will try to keep his legs fresh by using a stationary bike, and he’ll try to stay locked in at the plate by using the team’s Trajekt machine to track pitches. Even though he can’t physically help the Yankees win games, he’s still making sure his voice is heard. Judge has been one of the loudest voices in the room during the team’s hitter meetings to prepare against opposing pitchers. While the insight from a three-time MVP and seven-time All-Star will always help, the Yankees, who entered the weekend with the most wins in the American League (37), will need more from the rest of the roster this summer. To that end, they called up top outfield prospect Spencer Jones on Friday in correspondence with Judge’s move to the IL. Jones is expected to roam right field most games, with utility players Jose Caballero and Max Schuemann serving as other options. More help is on the way after outfielder Jasson Dominguez began a rehab assignment on Friday. He could return in the next week or so. Designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton, who has been out since April 24 with a right calf strain, is 2–3 weeks away from potentially rejoining the Yankees. “We built this team the last couple of years trying to shore a couple of things up,” Boone said of the Yankees’ run-it-back roster. “We have a lot of good players and some that are going to get opportunities to try and run with something. I feel great about our club. There’s no getting around missing Aaron, of course. “But hopefully this is something that over the long haul puts us in a better position because we get to find out about more people, and more guys have an opportunity to maybe carve out a role — all with the expectation that we’re going to get our captain back later in the year, too.” The Yankees just have to survive until then.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

TAMPA BAY — Baker Mayfield set a tone for his extension negotiations with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in his first comments to the media this offseason: He wants to be the team’s long-term quarterback, but he’s willing to play out the final year of his contract without a new deal in place. “Contract stuff is happening, starting, talks and whatnot, not anywhere close to what we were thinking,” Mayfield said Friday during a youth football camp he’s hosting at the Buccaneers’ indoor practice facility. “Would love to be here long-term, and as of right now, that’s not exactly the case. I’m under contract for 2026. The guys in that locker room, the staff know that I’m still going to be me, still going to do everything I can to help this team win a Super Bowl. To me, that’s the priority. Everything else will take care of itself.” Mayfield, who has one year remaining on a three-year, $100 million contract he signed in 2024, added that his deadline to get an extension done is the start of training camp. “Obviously, yes, I’d love to have a long-term deal done, but they know my deadline,” Mayfield said. “As soon as training camp starts, we’re not doing any contract stuff. It’s all ball. It’s not up to me when that gets done by. Hopefully before that. If not, we’ll still have a good year.” While the Bucs haven’t announced when training camp will begin, it’s usually late in July. So, the clock’s now ticking on both parties to get something agreed to before then. But what should both sides be looking for in the potential extension? That’s tough to figure out. Mayfield, who turned 31 in April, has seen a career resurgence in Tampa, taking over in 2023 after Tom Brady’s retirement. Once a No. 1 overall pick of the Cleveland Browns, Mayfield was traded from his first NFL home to the Carolina Panthers in the summer of 2022, struggled there and finished that season with the Los Angeles Rams. When he first signed with the Buccaneers, it was a one-year, $4 million deal that got up to $7 million with a strong first year. He led the Bucs to back-to-back division titles, passing for a career-best 41 touchdowns and 4,500 yards in 2024. But Mayfield, much like the Buccaneers, was inconsistent last year, playing through multiple injuries while key offensive pieces were sidelined throughout the season. The Bucs opened the year 6-2, with Mayfield throwing 13 touchdowns against two interceptions. Then, they lost seven of their last nine, with Mayfield throwing 13 touchdowns against nine interceptions. The Bucs finished in a three-way tie atop the NFC South standings, losing to the Panthers due to a tiebreaker to miss the playoffs for the first time in six years. The Buccaneers have dealt with significant departures this spring, with two beloved players from their 2020 Super Bowl roster now gone. Linebacker Lavonte David retired after 14 seasons in Tampa, and Pro Bowl receiver Mike Evans signed with the San Francisco 49ers after 12 seasons in Tampa Bay. That leaves Mayfield as the unquestioned face of the franchise, and creates questions as to just how much it will cost for Tampa to keep him. Mayfield hasn’t publicly stated how much money he’s looking for in his next contract, but Spotrac projects his value at around four years and $214 million. That works out to $53.6 million per year, a figure that would make him the seventh-highest-paid quarterback in the league. However, most of those deals were to quarterbacks who were younger at the time of signing, with two exceptions. Dak Prescott signed a $60 million-per-year pact at age 31 with the Dallas Cowboys, and 38-year-old Matthew Stafford signed a one-year, $55 million extension this spring with the Los Angeles Rams following his MVP season. If Mayfield ends up playing out the 2026 season without a contract for 2027, though, he’d be in line to potentially become a prime franchise tag candidate or one of the most coveted players at any position next offseason. The franchise tag for quarterbacks in 2027 is likely to be about $51 million for one year, a significant raise that would take up a larger chunk of the 2027 cap than a long-term extension. In the event Mayfield isn’t tagged, he’d join a relatively deep talent pool of free agents at quarterback. Kyler Murray (Minnesota Vikings) and Tua Tagovailoa (Atlanta Falcons) are on one-year rests after being cut from huge contracts, while a veteran like Deshaun Watson (Cleveland Browns) could be an option for teams looking to add at quarterback next March. Of course, Mayfield’s play in 2026 will largely dictate what the Buccaneers plan to do with him if he doesn’t sign an extension this offseason. It could go two very different ways for the Bucs: If Mayfield looks like the first half of last season and gets Tampa Bay back to the playoffs, he’d have leverage for an even larger contract. But if he and the team struggle, the Bucs could move on from him and head coach Todd Bowles, perhaps looking in another direction for both key spots. Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht has made it clear the team loves Mayfield and wants to keep him in Tampa on a long-term deal, but such a contract would be the largest in franchise history. Recent deals for Tagovailoa, Murray and Watson can show how getting a $200 million deal wrong can damage an NFL franchise, though resetting at the position is not an easy process as well. A four-year extension, though, could also elevate Mayfield’s spot in franchise lore. If he signed such a contract, Mayfield would likely have all the franchise’s major passing records by the time the deal ends. The Buccaneers haven’t had good luck with sustained success from their quarterbacks, which was a big reason why they missed the playoffs 12 years in a row from 2008-19. But they’ve become a playoff mainstay since the turn of the decade, with Mayfield mostly doing his part. And even after missing the playoffs last season, Tampa Bay is still the oddmakers’ favorite to win the NFC South in 2026. It’s clear what both sides ultimately want, though. Mayfield has made it evident he wants to stay in Tampa, where he’s found stability in his career, and his family has found a home, with he and wife Emily welcoming daughter Kova and son Maverick since he arrived. But there was a leverage aspect to Friday’s comments, as Mayfield’s the top quarterback entering a contract year that’s negotiating a huge deal. So, the question now is whether the Buccaneers want to pay enough to sign on for the same stability or take their chances letting the season play out without a new deal. “They know who I am,” Mayfield said Friday. “They know it doesn’t matter what the contract is. It’s not going to change my work ethic, the leadership aspect of it, what I try to bring with guys, trying to elevate everybody. … You worry about giving somebody that much money, if it’s going to change their attitude, how they show up in the building. With me, that’s not the case. They gave me a chance at a point in my career when I really needed it, helped me out, but I think I did the same as well. It’s time to get something done long-term, and I would love to be here long-term.”​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports