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Washington Nationals closer Sean Doolittle announced he and his teammates will commit funds to "make whole" the minor leaguers whose stipends were cut by the team. After the Washington Nationals cut more than two dozen minor league players—while cutting down weekly stipends from $400 to $300—Nationals closer Sean Doolittle announced that he and the current Major League members of the team will commit funds to make up for the difference. “All of us were minor leaguers at one point in our careers and we know how important the weekly stipends are for them and their families during these uncertain times,” Doolittle said on Twitter . “Minor leaguers are an essential part of our organization and they are bearing the heaviest burden of this situation as their season is likely to be cancelled. We recognize that and want to stand with them and show our support.” On Thursday, Dodgers pitcher David Price committed to paying each minor league player in the Dodgers' system $1,000

In its proposal to the league, the MLB Players Association requests for a 114-game season and the opportunity for players to opt-out if they don't want to play. The MLB Players Association submitted its proposal to the league on Sunday, according to Jeff Passan .  In its plan, the union proposes a 114-game season that would commence June 30 and end on Oct. 31. Per Passan, players want three weeks to train, allow time for travel -- domestically and internationally -- and for coronavirus testing. It also requests that all players have the option to opt-out if they don't want to play. Players considered "high risk" that opt out of playing would receive their salaries, while others opting out would just receive service time. As Passan notes, the deal would need to be completed this week. Earlier this week, it was reported that the players were seeking access to the league's financial documents that would paint a clearer picture of MLB's economic distress. T

Brad Keselowski inherited his second win of the season when Chase Elliott and Joey Logano collided as they raced for the victory Sunday at Bristol Motor Speedway. BRISTOL, Tenn. — Brad Keselowski inherited his second win of the season when Chase Elliott and Joey Logano collided as they raced for the victory Sunday at Bristol Motor Speedway. Keselowski was in third with a lap and a turn remaining when he lucked into his second victory in three Cup races. Logano had cleared Elliott for the lead with three laps remaining, but Elliott was stalking him while seeking his second win in three days. They made contact in the fourth turn and drifted into the wall as Keselowski slid past with a lap remaining. He had just one trip around the .533-mile concrete bullring to close the victory. Keselowski, in a contract year with Team Penske, got his first victory of the season last Sunday in the Coca-Cola 600. Elliott was roughly two laps away from the win when a caution flew and Keselowski

Alabama football coach Nick Saban released a statement addressing the tragic deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery. Alabama football coach Nick Saban released a statement on Sunday addressing the tragic deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery.  Countless athletes and coaches across sports have spoken out  after Floyd was killed under police custody in Minneapolis, Minn. on Monday. In his statement, Saban said he is "shocked and angered" and called out the injustices faced by many in the country.  "We're at an important moment for our country, and now is the time for us to choose kindness, tolerance, understanding, empathy, and most importantly...it's time to love each other," Saban wrote . "Every life is precious, and we must understand we have so many more things that unite us than divide us."  Saban went on to reference Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks as figures he is "inspired and encour

TMZ Sports posted a video on Sunday in which J.R. Smith beats a man that he alleges vandalized his car in Los Angeles during George Floyd protests. In a video published by TMZ Sports , former Cleveland Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith is shown beating up a man he alleges damaged his car while in a residential area. The incident reportedly occurred in Los Angeles during the protests over the death of George Floyd. In the video, the man Smith alleges broke his car window is seen lying on the ground while Smith kicks and hits him. After people who appear to be Smith's friends intervene, the man gets up and flees. Smith later posted a video in which he explained the incident. "One of these little, motherf***ing white boys didn't know where he was going, and broke my f***ing window in my truck...I chased him down, and whooped his ass," Smith said. "This ain't no hate crime, I ain't got no problem with nobody that ain't got no problem with me. It's a p

Patrice Bergeron knows what to say when it comes to rallying his team and it's a voice that has evolved over the course of his distinguished career. When hockey stopped, the Boston Bruins were the best team in the NHL. Whenever hockey gets rolling again, the Bruins will likely remain as one of the favorites to win the Stanley Cup. Boston has been in a fantastic position for years thanks to a solid dressing room to go along with the requisite talent needed to go far. The Bruins played for the championship last year before falling to St. Louis, while also going to the final in 2013 and winning the title in 2011. Amazingly, much of Boston’s current core was on that Cup-winning team, including netminder Tuukka Rask, star defenseman Zdeno Chara, pesky and talented Brad Marchand and two-way ace Patrice Bergeron. As alternate captain, Bergeron has an important leadership role on the team, so I asked him what his message will be to the rest of the squad once the Bruins get the green lig

NBA legend Michael Jordan issued a statement Sunday on the ongoing and widespread protests across the United States. NBA legend Michael Jordan issued a statement Sunday on the ongoing and widespread protests across the United States: Jordan, who has largely stayed away from any political commentary throughout his public life, issued his comments nearly a week after the death of George Floyd, an unarmed African-American man who died Monday evening after being violently apprehended by a Minneapolis police officer. Floyd was 46-years-old. Video of a Minneapolis police officer kneeling on Floyd's neck went viral earlier this week and sparked ongoing protests throughout the country. On Friday, former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who was was seen on video kneeling on Floyd's neck, was arrested on charges of third-degree murder and manslaughter. With his comments, the Bulls' legend becomes the latest athlete to comment publicly on the developing unrest. O

Each test costs approximately $125, the league says, and commissioner Gary Bettman estimated 25,000-35,000 will be needed to get through the playoffs. Nick Foligno watches Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s coronavirus briefings and appreciates the value of the information. It is part of the reason the Columbus captain supports NHL players undergoing daily testing if the season resumes. “Testing is a must because it’s the only way you’re going to know and feel confident every time you step on the ice that everyone is in the same boat as you and you can play the game to the best of your ability,” Foligno said. The first major North American professional sports league to announce a format for its potential return to competition also has a comprehensive COVID-19 testing strategy. There are screening protocols in place for voluntary workouts and training camp in the hands of individual teams. Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly also said the NHL plans to test all players every day when games start h

Borussia Dortmund winger Jadon Sancho took off his jersey to reveal the message "Justice for George Floyd" after scoring on Sunday. Borussia Dortmund winger Jadon Sancho took off his jersey to reveal the message "Justice for George Floyd" after scoring one of his three goals on Sunday in his team's 6–1 win over Paderborn.  Floyd, 46, died Monday evening, shortly after being violently apprehended by a Minneapolis police officer. His death sparked a wave of protests throughout the United States and many in the sports world, among other places, have reacted in force following the altercation. The 20-year-old Sancho was born in England and shown a yellow card for removing his jersey.  Dortmund defender Achraf Hakimi also removed his jersey after scoring in the contest, revealing the same message.  Also on Sunday, Borussia Monchengladbach forward Marcus Thuram took a knee after scoring his first goal in honor of the ongoing protests . "Together is how

UFC president Dana White responded to compensation disputes with Jon Jones, saying the fighter has "tarnished" his own reputation. A verbal feud between UFC president Dana White and light heavyweight champion Jon Jones continued on Saturday. On May 21, Jones tweeted that he was being denied increased compensation for a potential heavyweight fight with Francis Ngannou. White and Jones have since exchanged words, with the UFC president responding to comments from Jones stating that his reputation is being tarnished. "He can do whatever he wants," White said after  Saturday night's UFC event . "He wants to sit out, fight, he can do whatever. He can say whatever he wants publicly. It's his God-given right in America. He can say whatever he wants. When he's ready to come back, he can. In one of his tweets, he said I tarnished his name. I tarnished you? You've done a very good job of tarnishing you." Among a variety of charges during his UF

Clippers head coach Doc Rivers issued a statement Sunday on the ongoing and widespread protests across the United States. Clippers head coach Doc Rivers issued a statement Sunday on the ongoing and widespread protests across the United States: "My father was a 30-year veteran of the Chicago police department, and if he were still with us right now, he'd be hurt and outraged by the senseless acts of racial injustice that continue to plague our country," Rivers said. "Being black in America is tough. I've personally been called more racial slurs than I can count, been pulled over many times because of the color of my skin, and even had my home burned down. "The response we are seeing across the nation, to the murder of George Floyd, is decades in the making. Too often, people rush to judge the response, instead of the actions that prompted it. We have allowed too many tragedies to pass in vain. This isn't an African-American issue. This is a human i

Celtics guard Jaylen Brown led a peaceful protest march through Atlanta on Saturday, doing so after traveling by car from Boston to Georgia. Celtics guard Jaylen Brown led a peaceful protest march through Atlanta on Saturday, doing so after traveling by car from Boston to Georgia. "I drove 15 hours to get to Georgia, my community," said Brown, a native of nearby Marietta. "This is a peaceful protest. Being a celebrity, being an NBA player, don't exclude me from no conversations at all. First and foremost, I'm a black man and I'm a member of this community. ... We're raising awareness for some of the injustices that we've been seeing. It's not OK. "As a young person, you've got to listen to our perspective. Our voices need to be heard. I'm 23 years old. I don't know all of the answers. But I feel how everybody else is feeling, for sure. No question." Pacers guard Malcolm Brogdon and forward Justin Anderson, who is a membe

If you were waiting for a changing of the guard in the welterweight division, look no further than Gilbert Burns. If you were waiting for a changing of the guard in the welterweight division, look no further than Gilbert Burns. In his first UFC main event, Burns (19-3) was spectacular. He defeated Tyron Woodley (19-5-1) in a unanimous decision victory, dictating the pace of the entire five-round fight. Burns’ striking was crisp from the start. He dropped Woodley with a right hand and right upper cut in the opening round, busting open a cut above Woodley’s left eye. Burns followed that up with heavy ground pressure, and Woodley looked overmatched after not fighting for the past 15 months. The victory extends Burns’ win streak to six. Following the one-sided affair against Woodley, who was the top-ranked contender in the division entering the fight, Burns wants a shot at Kamaru Usman’s Welterweight Championship. “I love the champ, my training partner Kamaru Usman, but I want to fig

Towns, a graduate transfer from Harvard, was briefly detained but not arrested during a rally in Columbus. Just one day after graduating from Harvard, Ohio State grad transfer Seth Towns was detained by local police while participating in a protest following the death of George Floyd. "In a span of just 24 hours, I walked across a Harvard virtual graduation stage into the back of police van alongside other peaceful protestors-both of which I am equally proud of," Towns said in a tweet Saturday afternoon. A video of Towns being detained was tweeted by Eleven Warriors, where Towns can be seen shouting "Say his name!" as others respond by shouting "George Floyd!" Ohio State spokesman Dan Wallenberg said Towns was detained briefly but not arrested, according to ESPN's Myron Medcalf . George Floyd's death at the hands of police officers in Minneapolis has sparked reaction across the sports world , while many cities have broken out in protest

Although lacking a true superstar fantasy player, the Minnesota Twins' roster is packed with overachieving and dependable options. But that doesn't mean there aren't any guys on the cusp of something special. Breakout: SP Jose Berrios Over the previous three seasons, Berrios went 40-27 with a 3.80 ERA and 536 strikeouts over 538.1 innings. In 2019, he broke the 200-inning barrier (200.1) for the first time in his career while showing improvement in his walk rate (2.3). Even with better command, his strikeout rate (8.8) regressed from 2018 (9.5) while still giving up too many home runs (26 – 1.2 per nine). Berrios had success but didn’t dominate right-handed (.254) or left-handed (.247) batters. Over his first 22 starts, he posted a 2.80 ERA and 133 strikeouts over 141.2 innings before disaster struck on August 6th (nine runs and 13 baserunners over 5.2 innings). He allowed two runs or fewer in just three of his final ten starts, which led to a 5.83 ERA, 1.517 WHIP, an

Free-agent quarterback Cam Newton may reportedly wait to sign until teams are able to resume regular activities. Free-agent quarterback Cam Newton is expected to "take his time" before he signs with a new team, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler .  As the market has cooled in free agency over the past month, Newton may reportedly wait to make a decision on his next step. The former MVP may hold on signing until teams are able to resume regular activities amid the coronavirus pandemic, allowing suitors to assess his physical status and meet in-person, per Fowler .  Newton entered the free-agent market in March when he was released from the Carolina Panthers . He spent nine seasons with the team after being selected with the No. 1 overall pick in 2011 and went on to become the second African-American quarterback to win MVP in NFL history, following Steve McNair, for the 2015 season. According to ESPN , league sources are still unsure if Newton is open to taking a back

"We are so heartbroken. We are devastated. We are speechless." Patriots safety Devin McCourty and his wife Michelle shared the heartbreaking news Saturday that her pregnancy with their third child, Mia, resulted in a stillbirth. Both Devin and Michelle McCourty posted her note on Instagram about their devastating Memorial Day weekend. "My pregnancy had resulted in a stillbirth at almost 8 months of being pregnant—at exactly 31 weeks 2 days, when we found out that the baby girl growing inside me no longer had a heartbeat after being completely fine the week prior at my last doctor’s appointment. We are so heartbroken. We are devastated. We are speechless. We are angry. We are sad. We are confused. We are numb," Michelle McCourty wrote. "I can't explain my thoughts in the moment. My faith has always been strong, but it definitely wavered. I was so angry. So sad. I had to call on my most faith-filled friends and support systems to help me deal with this r

Jericho discussed the excitement surrounding his Triple Whammy cruise, his ongoing story with Mike Tyson and last week’s Stadium Stampede match. Once again, Chris Jericho is trending. What’s old is new again in AEW, as Jericho had a must-see altercation with Mike Tyson this past Wednesday on Dynamite . The story is rich in pro wrestling, as Jericho demands an apology from an incident that occurred between them nine years ago in WWE. A master of his craft, Jericho’s segment with Tyson garnered massive attention and publicity, including an above the fold story in one of Portugal’s top sports sections. Jericho also announced this week that his Rock ‘n’ Wrestling Rager at Sea will be back for a third cruise in February 2021, sailing from Miami to Grand Bahama Island with “Le Champion” serving as the master of ceremonies at sea. Speaking with Sports Illustrated , Jericho discussed the excitement surrounding his Triple Whammy cruise, his ongoing story with Mike Tyson and the creativity

With a minor improvement to his steals category, Polanco will challenge to perform as a high-end SS2. SI Fantasy expert Jaime Eisner is leaning towards growth. The still-to-be-determined start of the 2020 MLB season has added an interesting wrinkle to fantasy baseball draft prep. We here at SI Fantasy want to provide you with the best information possible heading into your drafts in these unprecedented times. Our "Draft or Pass" video series takes a closer look at a fantasy player that will be debated often leading up to fantasy drafts, in many cases, because of the delayed start to the season. Are our hosts targeting this player specifically? Are they avoiding him entirely? Today's video focuses on Minnesota Twins shortstop Jorge Polanco. Draft or Pass at current ADP: 148.6 (SS21)? Polanco broke out last season with 107 runs, 22 home runs, 79 RBI, 4 steals, and a .295 batting average. Going back a little further, he's been rock-solid since returning from his 80

Denver Broncos and Syracuse legend Floyd Little has been diagnosed with a "treatable but aggressive form" of cancer. Hall of Fame running back and Denver Broncos legend Floyd Little has been diagnosed with cancer, former Syracuse teammate Pat Killorin said .  According to Syracuse.com , Little is fighting a "treatable but aggressive form" of cancer. The Hall of Famer, 77, currently lives in Las Vegas with his wife, DeBorah.  “No doubt it will be the toughest fight of his life," Killorin wrote . "Although he has lived a full life admired and enjoyed by many, Floyd doesn’t believe he has yet written, with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the final play of his life.” Little first made his mark on the football world at Syracuse University from 1964-66, where he was one of the program's legendary "44's." One of the most celebrated sports figures in Syracuse history, Little was a three-time All-American and finished his college career wit

McKennie wore an armband that said "Justice for George" during Saturday's Schalke-Werder Bremen match. USMNT midfielder Weston McKennie paid tribute to George Floyd—a black man who died Monday evening while being violently apprehended by Minneapolis police—with a special message on his armband Saturday. McKennie sported an armband that said "Justice for George" during the Bundesliga match between Schalke and Werder Bremen. After the game, Schalke tweeted a photo of the midfielder wearing it and included the same message as a hashtag. McKennie, a Texas native like Floyd, also posted on social media after Schalke's 1–0 loss. "To be able to use my platform to bring attention to a problem that has been going on to long feels good!!! We have to stand up for what we believe in and I believe that it is time that we are heard!" Floyd's death  sparked many reactions from athletes and the sports world. Former NBA player Stephen Jackson led

2019 couldn't have gone much worse for New York Jets running back Le'Veon Bell. That's why SI Fantasy expert Jaime Eisner sees value where everyone else sees decline. It's never too early to start your fantasy football research, and we here at SI Fantasy want to provide you with the best information possible heading into your drafts. Our "Draft or Pass" video series takes a closer look at a fantasy player that will be debated often leading up to fantasy drafts. Are our hosts targeting this player specifically? Are they avoiding him entirely? Today's video focuses on New York Jets running back Le' Veon Bell. Draft or Pass at current ADP: 35.3 (RB17)? The mighty have fallen after missing the entire 2018 season due to a contract dispute; then, Bell moved from the high-powered Pittsburgh Steelers offense to an Adam Gase-led offense in New York. However, the hate may be going a little too far on Bell, providing some upside opportunity. Unless he decid

Coaches and athletes across the NFL, NBA and other sports released statements Friday before another wave of protests swept the country in the wake of George' Floyd's death. ‘Honesty, Transparency, and Empathy’ "I lead a group of young men who have the potential to make a real impact in this world. My message to them and anyone else who wants to listen is that honesty, transparency, and empathy go a long way in bringing people together and making change. I hope that the tragedies of the last few weeks will open our hearts and minds to a better way of communicating and hopefully create that change." That’s the final piece of a statement from Miami Dolphins’ head coach Brian Flores on Friday afternoon , hours before another wave of protests and riots swept across the country and four days after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Flores was one of several coaches and athletes across the NFL, college football and other American sports to release statements on F

Thanks to his next-level command of the strike zone, Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Shane Bieber is a high-floor fantasy option with three great pitches in his repertoire. Controlling WHIP should be your top priority when building an elite fantasy pitching staff. Cleveland Indians pitcher Shane Bieber delivers that in spades. He came into 2019 with an incredible command of his pitches, which in turn led to his development into a legit ace arm. Last year, he led the American League with the lowest walk rate (1.7). This helped Bieber boost his strikeout rate (10.9) well above his minor league career average (8.4) and even the success he found in his rookie 2018 season (9.3). Across three MiLB seasons, he posted a 16-6 record with a 2.24 ERA and 270 strikeouts over 277 innings. His best stat (which is unreal) coming into the majors was his 0.6 walk rate. In 2019, Bieber made it very difficult for batters to draw contact (.230 BAA - .285 in 2018), although his home run rate was a