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  • Flyers free agency primer: Cap space, top targets, biggest needs, and more

    Flyers free agency primer: Cap space, top targets, biggest needs, and more

    Free agency.

    That special time of year when general managers can fulfill their wish lists or end up with coal.

    Here’s everything you need to know before the frenzy begins.

    What time does free agency start?

    Beginning at noon on Wednesday, the Flyers can sign players from other teams to contracts. Of course, they could also lose members of the squad that led them to their first postseason spot since 2020.

    Although terms shouldn’t have been discussed prior, miraculously, teams always announce new contracts at the stroke of noon.

    It is also the kick-off point for offer sheets if anyone wants to be an agent of chaos.

    Who are the Flyers’ free agents?

    According to a league source on Tuesday, the Flyers have agreed to sign pending unrestricted free agent forward Carl Grundström to a one-year, $1 million contract. It comes one day after they handed out qualifying offers to four players and released six more to unrestricted free-agent status.

    Flyers qualify Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale, let six other RFAs walk

    Here is a breakdown of who the Flyers need to and could re-sign from the system.

    NHL unrestricted free agents: forwards Rodrigo Ābols and Luke Glendening; defenseman Noah Juulsen

    NHL restricted free agents: forwards Nikita Grebenkin and Trevor Zegras; defenseman Jamie Drysdale

    AHL restricted free agents: defenseman Hunter McDonald

    AHL unrestricted free agents: forwards Karsen Dorwart, Oscar Eklind, Brett Harrison, Boris Katchouk, Lane Pederson, Anthony Richard, Tucker Robertson, and Philip Tomasino; defensemen Adam Ginning, Maxence Guenette, Artem Guryev, and Christian Kyrou

    Dorwart, Harrison, Robertson, Tomasino, Guryev, and Kyrou were not given qualifying offers on Monday. They could all be signed to a new deal or an AHL-only deal to stay with the club. Garrett Wilson is listed as an unrestricted free agent on Puckpedia, but he is signed to an AHL contract for next season.

    A league source has told The Inquirer that Juulsen will not be re-signed.

    How much cap space do the Flyers have?

    According to Puckpedia, as of Tuesday, the Flyers have $32,681,250 of cap space before signing the four restricted free agents. The expectation is that McDonald will be in the minors to start the year, and Grebenkin, who was skating on Tuesday at development camp, is working his way back from an injury.

    Center Trevor Zegras and defenseman Jamie Drysdale are the Flyers’ most important restricted free agents that they need to sign.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    Not counting Grebenkin’s deal, the expected cap space to sign Zegras and Drysdale should come in at an approximate annual average value of $15 million combined. That leaves about $17 million, and then minus $3 million to $4 million to cover Grebenkin and McDonald, there is some room left to add pieces to the lineup.

    What are the Flyers’ biggest needs?

    The Flyers have a few spots in the lineup that could use a boost.

    The fourth line struggled at times this past season and went through a few retoolings. It needs at least a right winger, now that Garnet Hathaway has been traded to the Florida Panthers, and there is talk that Glendening could return, but nothing has been confirmed.

    12 players the Flyers could target to upgrade their roster via trade, free agency, or an offer sheet

    Although the wings are pretty much set, the center spot could always use an upgrade as the Flyers continue to search for a top-line pivot. And while the defense looks OK, there is always room for improvement, especially if the Flyers can find a defenseman to help the team’s dormant power play.

    Who are the top free agents?

    John Carlson, on a big-money, short-term deal, would make a lot of sense for the Flyers to help with the power play. But do the Flyers make sense for him? He’ll turn 37 during the season, and time is ticking on his window to win another Stanley Cup.

    Rumors are percolating that the Flyers could add Noel Acciari to the roster. A 5-foot-11 center who just played against the Flyers in the playoffs with the Penguins — he had one assist in the six games — the Rhode Island native would slot onto the fourth line and be a key piece in the faceoff dot as a coveted right-shot, as well as on the penalty kill. Fellow bottom-six center Teddy Blueger is another name to keep an eye on, as he played for coach Rick Tocchet in Vancouver.

    What about offer sheets/trade targets?

    As previously mentioned, the Flyers and Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse have a mutual interest, with the Flyers, Pittsburgh, and Boston on his short list of teams. He previously requested a trade and would need to waive his no-movement clause to approve any trade destination.

    The Flyers are obviously interested in Norris Trophy-winning defenseman Zach Werenski from the Columbus Blue Jackets and All-Star center Dylan Larkin of the Detroit Red Wings. Like Nurse, they would need to approve any trade. And they surely wouldn’t mind adding one of Shane Pinto or Dylan Cozens, two young centers from the Ottawa Senators, to the mix if either was made available via trade.

    Could the Flyers target Dallas’ Mavrik Bourque in an offer sheet or trade as a potential center solution?Steve Marcus

    Now, who doesn’t love an offer sheet? Would the Flyers be willing to partake in the one thing that gets everyone going? To be determined, but if they do, center Mavrik Bourque, 24, might be an attainable target given Dallas’ cap crunch.

    What about Dan Vladař?

    All signs are pointing to Dan Vladař signing a five-year extension with an average annual value of $5.5 million.

    The Czech goalie is coming off a season where he went 29-14-7, with a 2.42 goals-against average and .906 save percentage. It was the lowest GAA of his career and tied his career-best save percentage, although he played in 22 more games than in any previous season.

    Dan Vladař has been the Flyers’ MVP all season long. He’s also far from your typical goalie.

    He was even better in the postseason with a 2.18 GAA, .922 save percentage, and two shutouts after not posting one in the regular season.

  • It’s World Cup knockout time for the U.S. against Bosnia. Our writers weigh in on who wins and why.

    It’s World Cup knockout time for the U.S. against Bosnia. Our writers weigh in on who wins and why.

    Going solely off paper, the U.S. men’s national team has the talent to defeat Bosnia and Herzegovina and advance to the FIFA World Cup’s Round of 16. Oddsmakers all over have the United States winning and have even built parlays around the notion.

    When the U.S., No. 15 in FIFA world rankings, plays No. 61 Bosnia in San Francisco on Wednesday (8 p.m., Fox29), it will be the U.S. seeking its first win in the knockout stages since 2002. During the last World Cup in Qatar in 2022, the USMNT lost 3-1 to Netherlands in the round of 16.

    This is Bosnia’s first knockout-round appearance and just the second time qualifying for the tournament since its debut at the 2014 edition in Brazil.

    With five World Cup games down, and a massive one to go in Philly, did Croatia just snap the Rocky curse?

    This feels ripe for the taking. But again, this World Cup might go down as one of the most shocking in recent memory with teams in the knockout stage in their first-ever World Cup (see Cape Verde) and some even needed a playoff game to even make the tournament (see Democratic Republic of Congo). To equate this to casual American fans, this is March Madness, this is Florida Gulf Coast’s Sweet 16 run circa 2013, or tiny Fairleigh Dickinson knocking off No. 1 Purdue in 2023.

    It’s been a must-watch because the underdogs are bringing it. What does that mean for the United States, a team that showed dominance through the group stage but is coming off an eye-opening loss to Turkey entering the knockout phase?

    Did that loss recenter these players, and they’re ready to show what they learned against a Bosnia team happy to still be in the fight? Or will there be a World Cup-ending theater late on Wednesday night?

    Our team of writers take a look at the matchup and the tournament at large to offer where they think this one will end up.

    Jonathan Tannenwald

    I know it will shock all of you that I’m a cynic by nature, not just profession. The stakes for the U.S. losing this game are almost higher than for winning it, because everything the program has done for the last eight years — not just since 2022 — goes up in smoke if they go out now.

    The legacy of this generation of USMNT players rests on this World Cup’s knockout rounds

    Meanwhile, Bosnia is on house money, and I can only imagine how many emotions will be in Esmir Bajraktarević’s mind as he plays against the nation he used to represent. But in the end, the U.S. has the better talent and should have another electric home crowd behind it in the Bay Area.

    That’s good for one goal, and a first-choice starting lineup (even if the bench isn’t full) is worth another.

    Prediction: United States 2, Bosnia and Herzegovina 0

    Bosnia’s Esmir Bajraktarević (left) was in the U.S. youth system before committing to playing for Bosnia in the World Cup.Stephanie Scarbrough

    Kerith Gabriel

    How this plays out for me is largely determined by the lineup U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino puts out against a really big, physical Bosnia team that bullied its way to four points against Canada and Qatar after shaking off a 4-1 beat down to Switzerland in its second game of Group B.

    There are guys who need to be on the field for the U.S. in the biggest moments. Chris Richards is one of them. Tyler Adams is another, and obviously, a healthy Christian Pulisic and locked-in Matt Freese make the difference.

    Plus, moving to the next round on U.S. soil, on the West Coast, where the Americans have already found success, feels natural. Frankly, they should want it more. So if we’re talking about what’s at stake for the U.S. vs. what Bosnia stands to gain, it’s tough to see how this American contingent doesn’t take that into account, play the best 11 of the 26, and move on. But I’ll hedge that it won’t come easy.

    Prediction: United States 1, Bosnia and Herzegovina 1 (U.S. wins 5-4 on penalty kicks)

    Folarin Balogun (left) is all smiles during the U.S. national team’s practice at Great Park in Irvine, California, this week.Jonathan Tannenwald

    Owen Hewitt

    Key American players like Adams, Folarin Balogun, and Tim Ream watched from the bench as the U.S. conceded a 98th-minute winner to Turkey in the USMNT’s group stage finale.

    But since the Americans had already secured the group and a place in the knockout rounds, the worst the loss could do was produce a temporary sting. Now, a loss could end it all. The U.S. will need to follow up a strong group stage performance with its second-ever win in a knockout game at the World Cup.

    Pennsylvania’s tourism office believes Philly could exceed visitor and economic impact goals at the World Cup

    A win in the expanded knockouts wouldn’t quite have the magnitude of the “dos a cero” round of 16 win over Mexico in 2002, but knockouts are knockouts.

    The U.S. has played confidently at this World Cup, something it will need to continue to snap a 10-game losing streak against European sides. The Bosnians will be a tough test, but a well-rested American team should overcome its recent form against Europe.

    Prediction: United States 2, Bosnia and Herzegovina 0

  • Dean Wade joining Sixers turns quiet first night of free agency into a Mike Gansey reunion

    Dean Wade joining Sixers turns quiet first night of free agency into a Mike Gansey reunion

    Mike Gansey’s first free-agency move as the 76ers’ president of basketball operations is adding a player with whom he is quite familiar.

    Dean Wade has agreed to a four-year, $39 million contract, a league source confirmed to The Inquirer late Tuesday. The deal comes out of the nontaxpayer mid-level exception, and will hard cap the Sixers at the first apron.

    Wade was one of Gansey’s success stories in his previous job as the Cleveland Cavaliers’ general manager. The 29-year-old Wade evolved from undrafted player to rotation forward, and last season averaged 5.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 22.3 minutes across 59 games. His 6-foot-9, 230-pound frame allows for defensive versatility, and he is a career 36.7% three-point shooter.

    The Sixers might be better off without Quentin Grimes and Kelly Oubre Jr.

    Wade’s addition makes it less likely that the Sixers will be able to bring back starting forward Kelly Oubre Jr., and sixth man Quentin Grimes, who also entered unrestricted free agency. Yahoo! reported Tuesday night that Oubre planned to meet with at least the Sixers, Los Angeles Lakers, Indiana Pacers, and Portland Trail Blazers.

    The Sixers have between $5 and $6 million remaining of the mid-level exception to use on an outside free agent. They are $16.6 million total under the first apron.

    Unsurprisingly, multiple reports surfaced over the weekend that the Sixers were among the teams interested in signing Wade. Yet the offseason transaction cycle began quietly for the Sixers — even as significant NBA moves swirled around them.

    In the past nine days, stars Giannis Antetokounmpo, LaMelo Ball, and Ja Morant have been traded. Earlier Tuesday, the Los Angeles Clippers and Toronto Raptors agreed on a deal sending Kawhi Leonard back to the team he led to the 2019 NBA championship.

    Dean Wade helps fill a void in the frontcourt for the Sixers. David Dermer

    Also on Tuesday, LeBron James, an all-time great who is still an All-Star at age 41, informed the Lakers that he would join another team as a free agent. That potentially held up other business across the league — and indirectly affected the Sixers.

    Outsiders naturally linked James to another reunion with his hometown Cavaliers, who are coming off an Eastern Conference finals appearance and also are reportedly working on re-signing former Sixer James Harden to a multiyear deal.

    To accomplish all of that, the Cavaliers need to clear cap space. The Stein Line reported that the Cavaliers were exploring options to trade Max Strus and Dennis Schroeder. Yet if a Cleveland pursuit of James does not pan out — or even if it does — one could have viewed using that cap space to re-sign Wade as a potential Plan B before he instead opted to join the Sixers.

    NBA free agency news: Sixers add Dean Wade, likely spelling end for Kelly Oubre Jr. and Quentin Grimes

    Andre Drummond, Trendon Watford, and Kyle Lowry (who is expected to retire) are the other free agents for a Sixers team with limited financial flexibility. All-NBA guard Tyrese Maxey ($40.8 million), former MVP Joel Embiid ($57.7 million), and former perennial All-Star Paul George ($54.1 million) all remain on max contracts, accounting for the vast majority of the nearly $165 million salary cap.

    That top-heavy roster requires shrewd complementary moves, in addition to hoping Embiid and George can be healthier in 2026-27. Backup center becomes the positional priority as free agency continues. Rebounding and shooting will always be welcomed skills for a team that has struggled in both areas.

    Gansey began his first Sixers offseason by drafting Alabama guard Labaron Philon Jr., in the first round. Monday, he picked up the team options in Dominick Barlow and Dalen Terry’s contracts for the 2026-27 season.

    And now, Gansey has begun his first Sixers free agency by adding a player with whom he is quite familiar.

  • France and Paraguay will meet on July 4 in Philadelphia’s last World Cup game

    France and Paraguay will meet on July 4 in Philadelphia’s last World Cup game

    From the moment the World Cup draw was announced in December, Philadelphia and the soccer world started dreaming of a potential France-Germany showdown on July 4.

    Alas, that dream did not come true, thanks to Germany’s upset loss to Paraguay on Monday. But the other half of the equation has delivered, as the city already saw in the group stage. France will return to town as the favorite to win it all, with its superstar attacking core firing on all cylinders.

    After scoring 10 goals in the group stage, the most of any of the 48 teams in the tournament, Les Bleus laid a 3-0 hammering down on Sweden in the Meadowlands on Tuesday. Kylian Mbappé scored twice to match Lionel Messi’s six goals in the tournament to date, and Bradley Barcola struck his second goal of the summer.

    Ousmane Dembélé, the reigning world player of the year with the Ballon D’Or award, has four goals, and Desiré Doué has one. The fifth superweapon, winger Michael Olise, has a team-leading five assists — and came inches from a spectacular first World Cup goal on Tuesday when a bicycle kick attempt hit the post.

    Paraguay will arrive in town after overcoming its 4-1 loss to the United States in its group stage opener. La Albirroja beat Turkey, 1-0, held Australia to a scoreless tie, then toppled Germany in a penalty kick shootout after a 1-1 tie.

    Paraguay upsets Germany on penalty kicks to book a ticket to Philadelphia’s July 4 game

    This was the team that looked much more like the one that rode a stingy defense to its first World Cup berth in 16 years, finishing sixth in South America’s 10-team round robin with the second-lowest goals allowed total (10).

    Paraguay’s roster has many familiar faces to fans of MLS. Miguel Almirón (Atlanta United), Andrés Cubas (Vancouver Whitecaps), and Braian Ojeda (Orlando) play in the league now, and three others used to: Matías Galarza (Atlanta), Diego Gómez (Inter Miami), and Alejandro “Kaku” Romero Gamarra (New York Red Bulls).

    It’s easy to say the matchup is offense vs. defense, but France is also plenty stingy. It has allowed just two goals in four games so far, one each to Senegal and Norway. That’s what manager Didier Deschamps has always demanded in his 14-year tenure, just as he did as a player: the midfield anchor and captain of France’s 1998 World Cup and 2000 Euros champions.

    Sometimes, over the years, it has felt like that approach has stifled France’s constellation of stars. But the results have ultimately come: Euros runner-up in 2016, World Cup champion in 2018, UEFA Nations League champion in 2021, and runner-up to Lionel Messi’s Argentina in 2022’s all-time classic final.

    What to know about the World Cup knockout bracket

    This time, this team is all in for Deschamps’ final tournament on the bench. Even Mbappé, often criticized for not playing enough defense at his club, Real Madrid, is doing his part.

    They’re also in for Deschamps himself, as his mother died recently. He left the tournament for a few days to attend to that and returned in time for Tuesday’s contest. When Mbappé opened the scoring, he ran over to give his manager a big hug.

    Deschamps looked just as thrilled, no matter how much of Mbappé’s sweat landed on his suit on a hot day.

    Kylian Mbappé (left) embracing Didier Deschamps after scoring France’s opening goal against Sweden.Petr David Josek

    Now France is aiming to become just the third team in men’s World Cup history to make three straight finals. Brazil did it in 1994, ‘98, and ‘02, winning the first and third (and losing the second to France); and Germany did it in 1982, ‘86, and ‘90, winning the last of them.

    The world is watching and waiting to see how far this team goes. Philadelphia already had a front-row seat once, the 3-0 win over Iraq where Mbappé scored a spectacular strike and Dembélé scored his first major-tournament goal after many years of trying. Now the city gets a second turn.

    The Bay Area’s famed rallying cry rings true with the USMNT in town for the World Cup: Just win, baby

    France’s first visit also made headlines for the thunderstorms that delayed the start of the second half by two hours. Saturday’s game could land in Mother Nature’s crosshairs again, with the heat dome expected to crack that day and send the sky exploding. It’s just a question of what time, and whether it happens early enough to pass by kickoff.

    With that big caveat, the countdown is on. Clashes between European and South American teams have defined World Cups for generations, and this one will add another chapter to the history.

  • Cristopher Sánchez battles through a scrape, pitches seven scoreless innings in Phillies’ shutout win vs. Pirates

    Cristopher Sánchez battles through a scrape, pitches seven scoreless innings in Phillies’ shutout win vs. Pirates

    Cristopher Sánchez unleashed a first-pitch strike in the second inning and called for a trainer.

    Uh-oh.

    Three words the Phillies never want to see in the same sentence: “Cristopher Sánchez” and “trainer.” But there they were Tuesday night, and well, Citizens Bank Park held its collective breath.

    Sánchez, it turned out, cut loose a changeup and scraped the top of his left thumb, the evidence of which was a blood stain between the red pinstripes on his white pants. He smiled, even chuckled with a few teammates, and a few dabs later, the ace lefty was firing again.

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    Crisis averted. Sánchez kept throwing his signature changeup without incident, allowing three hits in seven scoreless innings. And the Phillies cakewalked, 8-0, over the Pirates to move within 2½ games of the first-place Braves, who lost at home to the Cardinals.

    Oh, and postgame fireworks went off as planned for the 41,710 paying customers.

    Scrape? What scrape?

    “Yeah, just a little scratch on the finger,” Sánchez said through a team interpreter. “It happens sometimes when I throw the changeup because of the touch with the finger. So, it’s no big deal.”

    But that momentary pit-of-their-stomach feeling as assistant athletic trainer Christian Bermudez went out to see Sánchez underscores the precariousness of this entire thing.

    Justin Crawford drove in the Phillies’ first two runs with a two-out single in the second inning Tuesday night at Citizens Bank Park.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer

    Look, there isn’t any replacing Sánchez, whose next home start may come for the National League in the All-Star Game in two weeks. He sits atop the rotation with a 2.00 ERA, second in the majors behind only the Brewers’ Jacob Misiorowski (1.45).

    But the Phillies lack the organizational pitching depth to cover for any of their starters if they miss even a turn or two. They already have back-of-the-rotation worries, with Aaron Nola’s 6.04 ERA and Andrew Painter’s return to triple A. The fifth-starter spot is occupied by Alan Rangel, who has twice been used behind an opener.

    One injury, and it all comes down like a Jenga tower.

    Surely, then, an anxious feeling came over interim manager Don Mattingly when Sánchez waved to the dugout.

    The Phillies still need a right-handed bat. Let’s take an early dive into some options before the trade deadline.

    “Yeah, a little bit,” Mattingly said. “Especially in the second [inning], right? You’re like, ‘Oh, not tonight.’ But once you get out there, you kind of see what it is. It’s not like a cut on a nail or anything like that where you feel like it’s going to keep getting extended. They did a nice job of stopping that.”

    Justin Crawford gave Sánchez a 2-0 lead by cueing a two-out single inside the third-base line. It was up to Sánchez to keep it that way because the Phillies didn’t break things open until scoring three runs in both the seventh and eighth innings.

    Trea Turner, on his 33rd birthday, had an RBI double in the seventh and a two-run homer in the eighth. Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer

    Trea Turner, on his 33rd birthday, levied most of that damage, with an RBI double in the seventh and a two-run homer in the eighth. Don’t look now, but he’s 19-for-55 (.345) over the last 13 games, a welcome sign for an offense that is looking for more production from the right side of the plate.

    “Is he going yet?” Mattingly said, mimicking questions about when Turner will get going at the plate. “I don’t know if he’s going yet or not. But to see Trea get a big hit down the line and then the home run, it really extends that lead where it saves us [from using] an arm in the bullpen.”

    Sánchez leaned on his changeup, as usual, but continued to spin more sliders. After throwing 26 in his last start, he mixed in 17 against the Pirates, six of which came in his first 19 pitches.

    No matter what he throws, Sánchez owns the Pirates. Six weeks ago, he struck out 13, a career-high, in a six-hit shutout in Pittsburgh. This time, he didn’t give up a hit until Nick Gonzales punched a two-out single in the fourth inning.

    Sánchez is lined up to pitch Monday in Kansas City and July 11 in Detroit, the closing arguments in his case to start three days later (it would be his bullpen day) in the All-Star Game.

    As you may have heard, it will be held in South Philly.

    “[It would be] another goal, another dream come true and more when you think about it in this beautiful city,” Sánchez said. “The fans deserve that and even more.”

    Is there a better duo in baseball than Zack Wheeler and Cristopher Sánchez? We asked the experts.

    Symbolically and strategically, Sánchez is a sensible choice to start for the NL. Misiorowski throws harder than any pitcher in history, with a fastball that’s been clocked at 105.5 mph. But Sánchez has allowed seven earned runs in 73 innings for a 0.86 ERA in 11 home starts. Since 2024, he has a 1.76 ERA in 280⅔ innings over 43 starts at home.

    In his latest gem, he pitched out of one quasi jam, a two-on, two-out spot in the fourth inning, by striking out Endy Rodríguez on a signature changeup, and sidestepped a one-out double by Billy Cook in the fifth inning.

    But even with a 100-degree heat wave rolling into town, it was no sweat compared to the Phillies’ dodging an injury to their ace. As Sánchez received a quick fix on the mound, Turner and other infielders looked on and laughed.

    “They were just giving me a hard time and joking around on the mound,” Sánchez said. “You know, these guys are terrible.”

    As long as the Phillies keep their pitchers healthy, the good times can keep rolling.

  • Phillies’ Derek Hill uses his artistic side to paint his own cleats as a ‘little getaway from the game’

    Phillies’ Derek Hill uses his artistic side to paint his own cleats as a ‘little getaway from the game’

    During the Phillies’ rain delay last week in Washington, Derek Hill kept himself busy with a Sharpie and pair of cleats.

    The outfielder spent the hour and a half coloring the white shoes red with a marker. It was just a way to pass the time while the Phillies waited for their game to start, but it’s not the first pair of spikes that Hill has customized.

    It’s actually a hobby of his, although typically it involves more elaborate designs and acrylic paint instead of a Sharpie.

    The Phillies have made history turning the NL East into a race again: ‘Just want to keep it going’

    “It’s like a little getaway from the game,” Hill said. “It’s pretty addicting. So, once I get going, I’ll go for like two months, and then I’ll stop for like two months, then I’ll just pick it up and just keep on going. But I got to make some for Philly.”

    @derek_hill

    Drop in the comments what design I should do next 🙏🏽 #fyp #mlbb #art #mlb #baseball

    ♬ original sound – derek_hill

    Hill, 30, has always been artistic. Not only does he love to draw and paint, he also had an interest in metalwork and ceramics growing up.

    This is the first year he’s tried painting his cleats, though, and found that the process helps him unwind.

    “Just don’t have any outside noise,” Hill said. “Just sitting there, it’s just quiet, and you get to relax, and just focus on one thing, and not worry about anything outside of that.”

    His new teammates don’t yet know about this side of him, as Hill was only acquired from the White Sox on June 11.

    He has already made an impression in the clubhouse with two clutch ninth-inning home runs in Washington and a home run-robbing catch against the Mets in New York. In 14 games since the trade with the White Sox, Hill is batting .313 with a .865 OPS. He’s become a key utility platoon outfielder, primarily starting against lefties or coming off the bench.

    But so far, his affinity for art has been under wraps. Even Brandon Marsh, who shares the outfield with Hill and played with him in 2019 as prospects in the Arizona Fall League, was unaware.

    “I had no idea how much of an artiste he was,” Marsh said.

    Derek Hill brings value to Phillies’ lineup, even when at-bats are limited: ‘He fits right in with our group’

    Hill said the favorite shoes he’s done recently were a colorful pair he made for Easter, with bright purple, orange, green, blue, and pink on a white base.

    The entire process, starting with a plain white pair, takes him about two days.

    “I acetone them down, to get rid of all the finisher that they put on it,” he said. “And then let that dry, throw my paint on, throw my clear coat on, and let it dry, and it’s good to go.”

    @derek_hill

    🔥🔥🔥#fyp #mlb #art #baseball #sports

    ♬ original sound – derek_hill

    Most of the cleats Hill has designed were with the White Sox in mind. He has a red, white, and black pair in his Phillies locker, but originally wore them with Chicago’s City Connect uniform, which draws inspiration from the red Chicago Bulls basketball jersey.

    For him, inspiration can come from anywhere.

    “Honestly, I just see something and I’m like, ‘Oh, let me see if I can recreate that,’” Hill said.

    Now that he’s settling in with his new team, he has plans for more at some point — maybe a pair that incorporates the Phillies’ powder blues.

    “We’re going to have some heat on the feet,” Hill said.

    Lou Trivino’s contract was selected by the Phillies on Tuesday.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    Extra bases

    The Phillies made a bullpen swap ahead of Tuesday’s game, optioning Chase Shugart and selecting the contract of right-hander Lou Trivino, a Green Lane, Montgomery County native. “Just needing a fresh arm,” said interim manager Don Mattingly. “Bullpen’s been on fumes. I know Shug gave up a couple homers lately, but he’s really good for us this year. He did what we needed from that role, taking the ball a lot, always ready to take it.” … Brad Keller (right forearm tendinitis) threw a live batting practice session on Tuesday. The Phillies will re-evaluate him on Wednesday to determine next steps. … Zack Wheeler (8-1, 2.03 ERA) is scheduled to start Wednesday opposite Pirates right-hander Paul Skenes (6-7, 3.10).

  • Serena Williams loses in opening round at Wimbledon in first singles match in nearly four years

    LONDON — Serena Williams showed plenty of what made her a 23-time Grand Slam tennis champion in her first professional singles match in nearly four years on Tuesday.

    But Williams, 44, couldn’t quite dominate like she used to and was beaten, 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-3, by an opponent less than half her age, 20-year-old Maya Joint of Australia, in the opening round of Wimbledon.

    “It was really great to be back at Wimbledon. I never expected to be here,” Williams, who did not meet with media after the match, said in a statement released by Wimbledon organizers. “The atmosphere was amazing. Walking out was amazing. I definitely relished it and missed it and enjoyed the moment more than anything.”

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    Williams displayed the same powerful serve and heavy groundstrokes that led her to seven Wimbledon singles titles, but the 87th-ranked Joint handled her pace and won more of the big points by hitting beyond Williams’ reach on Centre Court.

    “I don’t know what just happened, to be honest,” Joint said. “I didn’t get much sleep last night. I was up until like 2 a.m. just thinking about it.

    “She has such an aura, she’s just a legend, and this court has so many huge names that have played on it. I’ve been dreaming about this moment since I was a little kid, so this is pretty crazy.”

    While Williams played two doubles matches just before Wimbledon to announce her comeback to the sport she once dominated, she hadn’t played a singles match since the 2022 U.S. Open.

    Williams has 98 career victories in singles on the hallowed grass of the All England Club. By contrast, it was Joint’s first Wimbledon victory in just her second appearance at the All England Club after losing in the opening round last year.

    But Joint won a Wimbledon warmup in nearby Eastbourne last year and knows how to play on grass.

    Doubles match still to come

    Williams, who has no singles ranking after being out for so long, was given wild card invitations by Wimbledon organizers to play singles and doubles with her older sister, Venus. Her doubles match is later this week.

    Williams has said that having her two daughters off from school inspired her comeback, and it marked the first time that her younger daughter, Adira, who is almost 3, saw her play singles. Adira sat next to her 8-year-old sister, Olympia, in the front row of Serena’s players’ box.

    Standing ovation

    Williams was given a standing ovation as she walked on court before the match started under a closed roof and several supporters held up signs with messages like “Welcome Back” and one wore a T-shirt with the text “Unstoppable Queen.”

    Williams executed a delicate topspin lob winner early on and then cranked out a 121 mph ace to hold for 3-3 in the first set. But Williams also had a costly double fault that led to the only break of the first set.

    In the second set, Williams came back from 0-40 and saved four break points to hold for 6-5. Then Williams saved a match point in the tiebreaker with a big serve down the T followed by a forehand approach winner. Another big serve — clocking in at 122 mph — set up Serena’s first set point, which she converted when Joint missed a forehand long.

    After winning the set, Williams pumped her fist calmly.

    But Joint took control early in the third and a forehand from Williams sailed long on Joint’s third match point to conclude the encounter after 2 hours, 22 minutes.

    Williams then smiled as she walked off the court to loud applause.

    Williams and Joint both had 37 unforced errors, while Joint led, 40-26, in winners.

    Zverev, Świątek advance

    After opening day featured wins for No. 1s Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka, along with Novak Djokovic, French Open champion Alexander Zverev and defending Wimbledon champion Iga Świątek made it into the second round on Tuesday.

    In a match between hard servers, the second-seeded Zverev beat Alexander Blockx, 6-4, 6-7 (8), 7-6 (5), 7-6 (0).

    Świątek, who had her father and sister looking on from the Royal Box, struggled with her serve and committed nine double-faults before overcoming Taylor Townsend, 6-1, 2-6, 6-3.

    No. 2 Elena Rybakina also advanced, beating Lois Boisson, 6-4, 1-6, 6-3.

    Fourth-seeded Ben Shelton, a quarterfinalist here last year, lost to 140th-ranked Finnish qualifier Otto Virtanen in five sets, 6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (8), 6-2, 7-6 (9).

    Matteo Berrettini, a finalist in 2021, beat Stan Wawrinka, 6-7 (7), 7-6 (16), 7-6 (7), 7-6 (5). It was the final Wimbledon match for Wawrinka, who plans to retire at the end of the year.

  • The Bay Area’s famed rallying cry rings true with the USMNT in town for the World Cup: Just win, baby

    The Bay Area’s famed rallying cry rings true with the USMNT in town for the World Cup: Just win, baby

    SAN JOSE, Calif. — No one needed the reminder at this point, but it came anyway.

    While the U.S. men’s soccer team’s charter flight from Orange County to the Bay Area was in the air, a lightning bolt struck the World Cup when Paraguay toppled Germany.

    Germany undoubtedly wasn’t good enough, and not for the first time in this tournament. There must have been kegs worth of angst in the air at Brauhaus Schmitz on South Street, Philadelphia’s most famous fussball destination, among fans who’d dreamed of seeing the four-time champions come to town on July 4.

    But to lose to the same Paraguay squad that the U.S. ran off the field in their tournament opener? That was a shock and the latest of many lessons in this World Cup.

    Yes, anyone can get a result against anyone else these days. Which means the 64th-ranked Bosnia and Herzegovina team the U.S. faces on Wednesday night has more than a chance against the cohosts, who return to the site of an infamous loss in the 2016 Copa América and a triumph in the Gold Cup final a year later.

    There’s no taking any World Cup game for granted these days, especially when it’s a knockout contest. Nor can you take a moment off, as all three of Monday’s games proved. Before Paraguay-Germany, Japan gave up a 95th-minute winner to Brazil. Afterward, the Netherlands played a lot of ugly soccer, gave up a 90th-minute equalizer to Morocco, then lost on penalties.

    What to know about the World Cup knockout bracket

    “Hopefully we can get it done in regular time — the extra 30 minutes plus pens can get a little bit dangerous,” U.S. centerback Chris Richards said. “We saw the upset yesterday, so us going into this game, [it’s] making sure that we take care of business and go on.”

    The point really should have been hammered home in the American camp by the last-kick-of-the-game loss to Turkey in the group stage finale. But if it was your youth soccer team, Little League baseball team, or CYO basketball team, wouldn’t you make one last nudge before the big game?

    Chris Richards (center) on the ball during a drill at Tuesday’s practice.Jonathan Tannenwald

    “It’s a World Cup. You’re never going to get the so-called favorite winning every single time,” said playmaker Christian Pulisic, who called himself “definitely ready” to start after coming off the bench against Turkey.

    “This is soccer. This is the way things go: you can defend all game and win in a penalty kick shootout, and that’s the beauty of the game,” he continued. “So we have to be ready for whatever’s to come tomorrow. We don’t think it’s going to be easy by any means, so we have to put on a really high-level performance.”

    The legacy of this generation of USMNT players rests on this World Cup’s knockout rounds

    If it feels like this point has been overstated this week, it’s because it ranks so much higher than everything else there is to say.

    Sure, there’s a tactical analysis to write about how Richards will fare against 40-year-old Bosnian striker Edin Džeko, a veteran of big clubs including England’s Manchester City, Italy’s AS Roma and Inter Milan, and Germany’s Wolfsburg and Schalke. Or how young right winger Esmir Bajraktarević will fare against U.S. defender Antonee Robinson.

    Esmir Bajraktarević celebrates one of Bosnia’s goals against Qatar in their group stage finale last Wednesday.Lindsey Wasson

    There’s certainly much to say about Bajraktarević, and for good reason. The 21-year-old grew up in Appleton, Wis., and his parents were refugees from the Bosnian war of the 1990s.

    He spent a season in the Chicago Fire’s youth academy (2019-20), then moved to the New England Revolution, where he turned pro and spent three seasons before a move to Dutch club PSV Eindhoven — and is now teammates with U.S. veterans Ricardo Pepi and Sergiño Dest and formerly Malik Tillman.

    The USMNT has one World Cup knockout win ever. Right now is the best chance to change that.

    Along the way, Bajraktarević played for U.S. youth national teams at the under-19 and under-23 levels, and earned one cap for the senior U.S. squad in a January 2024 friendly. But because that wasn’t in an official competition, he could change nationality.

    When Bosnia called a few months later, he made the switch, and debuted in the fall. A year and a half later, he scored the shootout penalty kick that qualified the Dragons for this World Cup with a playoff upset of Italy.

    But if the U.S. team has its way, that story will become just a sidebar when the opening whistle blows. At that point, the motto will become one that’s well-known at the other end of San Francisco Bay from here, in Oakland: Just win, baby.

    Even Tillman, who was born in Germany and has grown into understanding American sports, gets the point.

    “Yeah, it’s true,” he said, when asked his opinion. “In the end, the win is the most important. And I think after, of course, you can analyze the game, but if you go to the next round, this is the most important.”

    I asked Mauricio Pochettino what he thinks of the "Just win, baby" slogan – and whether his saying "it's the final of the World Cup tomorrow" means more focus on winning at all costs, and less on tactics.

    Pochettino gave a long answer. Here it is in video form:

    youtu.be/iGVv_P8__jM?…

    [image or embed]

    — Jonathan Tannenwald (@jtannenwald.bsky.social) June 30, 2026 at 6:56 PM

  • Jett Luchanko out for development camp with ‘lingering’ injury; Nikita Grebenkin skates

    Jett Luchanko out for development camp with ‘lingering’ injury; Nikita Grebenkin skates

    Jett Luchanko will not be on the ice for any of the Flyers’ development camp this week.

    “He had a little lower body thing going on,” director of player development Riley Armstrong said Monday. “Should be back skating next week, and he’ll be ready for training camp, though.”

    The injury is a “lingering” one, Luchanko said, that has impacted him for a “couple of years,” but he declined to go into specifics about the injury or his recovery.

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    “It’s been dealt with, and I should be good for training on the ice next week,” the young center said. Luchanko missed last year’s development camp and rookie camp with a nagging groin ailment.

    He doesn’t expect the injury to impact his offseason training, outside of holding him out of on-ice activities at development camp. This offseason is critical for the Flyers’ 2024 first-round pick, who has aged out of the Ontario Hockey League and will be fighting for a full-time NHL roster spot for the first time on a team with a lot of depth up front.

    Luchanko, who turns 20 in August, made the NHL roster out of camp each of the last two seasons, but played just four games each year before getting sent back to the OHL. Including playoffs, he has not logged a point in any of his nine NHL appearances. He tallied seven goals and 43 points in 38 games in juniors last season split between the Guelph Storm and the Brantford Bulldogs.

    “We expect a big summer out of him,” general manager Danny Brière told the Inquirer ahead of the draft. Luchanko is an elite skater, but is still looking to develop his all-around offensive game.

    Luchanko should be “good to go” to get back in the gym next week, he said. The center said he wants to spend the summer working on “attacking with the puck, using my speed as much as I can.”

    Jack Berglund, a second-round pick of the Flyers in 2024, will also miss on-ice activities at development camp.

    Berglund’s exclusion is viewed more as precautionary after he played a lot of hockey this year, according to Armstrong. In addition to playing 40-plus professional games in Sweden, the center participated in the World Juniors, World Championships, and had a brief spell in the American Hockey League with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

    Grebenkin skates

    Nikita Grebenkin was a welcome sight on the ice during development camp Tuesday. Grebenkin played 55 games for the Flyers and scored four goals and added 10 assists, serving as a bottom-six spark plug after being acquired the previous season in the Scott Laughton trade. He missed the final months of the season following an upper-body injury in March.

    Flyers right wing Nikita Grebenkin skated Tuesday, potentially a positive sign regarding his rehab from an upper-body injury.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    Briére said at the end of the Flyers’ season that Grebenkin’s injury could keep him out for the start of next season.

    There was no official update on Grebenkin’s health, but seeing him on the ice could be a positive sign for his training camp availability. Grebenkin was also wearing No. 17 on his helmet, possibly his new number after Luchanko, who previously used the number, switched to 77.

    Back to school

    East Lansing is turning into Little Philadelphia with the number of Flyers prospects moving through that program. Porter Martone played one season at Michigan State last year, becoming one of the school’s highest-ever drafted players and ranking in the top 10 nationally with 50 points.

    Why is Porter Martone back at development camp? To teach the team’s prospects what it means to be a Flyer.

    “Having Porter there was unbelievable,” Flyers prospect and fellow Spartan Shane Vansaghi said. “Right from Day 1, the first day I met him, just the nicest kid, really good teammate, and one of those guys that you just want to have on your team, you want to play for, and really good in the locker room. He fit in really well at Michigan State, and got along with everybody, and I think everyone really liked him.”

    Now, fellow Flyers prospect Matthew Gard is also committed to Michigan State, starting in 2027, and said that Martone and Vansaghi’s endorsements of the school’s player development helped him make his decision. Gard said they spoke especially highly of the strength coaches, who Martone is headed back to East Lansing to work with again this summer.

    Flyers prospect Jack Nesbitt will be headed to the University of Michigan next season.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    There’s no rivalry brewing yet with 2025 first-round pick Jack Nesbitt, who will start at Michigan in the fall, but he’s not ruling it out.

    “We’ve been chatting a little bit, no rivalries yet,” Nesbitt joked. “I’m sure when we see who’s going to go farther, I’m sure there’ll be some chirping. We’re good right now, but I’m sure there’ll be something in the future.”

    Breakaways

    Flyers prospects Carter Amico and Jack Murtagh were selected for the Team USA World Junior Summer Showcase, putting them on the early list of prospects in contention to make the American team for December’s World Juniors in Alberta.

  • Flyers bring back forward Carl Grundström on a one-year deal

    Flyers bring back forward Carl Grundström on a one-year deal

    On the eve of free agency, the Flyers agreed to sign one of their depth forwards who could have hit the open market on Wednesday.

    No, not the long-speculated Luke Glendening. Carl Grundström has signed a one-year, $1 million deal to stay with the Flyers, the team officially announced Wednesday, a day after The Inquirer had confirmed the deal.

    After being acquired from the San Jose Sharks in the deal in which Ryan Ellis’ contract moved in early October (the contract subsequently was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks), Grundström played in 47 games for the Flyers after starting the season with Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League.

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    The winger notched 15 points in 19 games for the Phantoms before adding another 13 points (nine goals, four assists) with the Flyers. Grundström was inserted into the lineup in the postseason and had one assist in three games against the eventual Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes.

    Coach Rick Tocchet often lauded Grundström for his speed and puck pressure. He played up and down the lineup but mostly on the fourth line, where he infused a burst of speed. The Flyers traded fellow fourth-liner Garnet Hathaway to the Florida Panthers last week.

    After the season ended, Grundström suited up for Sweden at the IIHF men’s World Championships. He played on a line with Flyers prospect center Jack Berglund and had one goal and four points in seven games. Berglund had the secondary assist on his goal. Sweden lost in the quarterfinals to Switzerland, the silver medalists.