All-Star closer Emmanuel Clase has been put on indefinite paid leave as part of a sports betting investigation by Major League Baseball that has already implicated fellow Cleveland Guardians pitcher Luis L. Ortiz.

ESPN was first to report the move, with the Guardians confirming it in a social media post on Monday, July 28, saying Clase was ‘placed on non-disciplinary paid leave per an agreement with the Players Association.’

The team added that ‘no additional players or Club personnel are expected to be impacted.’

Clase had one of the best seasons by a relief pitcher in baseball history in 2024, converting 47 saves in 50 opportunities and posting a 0.61 ERA in 74 ⅓ innings. He finished third in the AL Cy Young voting behind winner Tarik Skubal and runner-up Seth Lugo.

This season, he’s racked up 24 saves, but with a 3.23 ERA.

Ortiz was put on leave July 3, after ESPN reported that two of his pitches – both sliders far outside the strike zone in games on June 15 and June 27 – received unusual gambling activity.

The league did not specify what the investigation was about, but said in a statement Ortiz ‘has been placed on non-disciplinary paid leave through the end of the All-Star break.’

Although the break has concluded, Ortiz has yet to return to the Guardians’ active roster.

Mired in a losing skid, the Detroit Tigers received some more bad news on Monday, July 28.

Detroit, which has lost eight of its 10 games to start the second half of the season, will be without starting pitcher Reese Olson for the remainder of the season due to a shoulder strain, Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris told reporters on Monday.

Olson has been a dependable and effective pitcher for the Tigers since debuting in 2023, as he effectively ends his 2025 season with a 3.15 ERA in 68 2/3 innings pitched with 65 strikeouts.

Olson’s injury likely played into Detroit’s decision to trade for Minnesota Twins back-end starter Chris Paddack, who was acquired by the Tigers alongside fellow right-hander Randy Dobnak for minor-league prospect Enrique Jimenez.

What does Olson’s injury mean for the pitcher-needy Tigers? Here’s what to know of where Detroit goes from here:

Reese Olson injury: What it means for Detroit Tigers

The Tigers, who are in first place in the AL Central standings despite their recent skid, were in need of starting pitching even before Olson’s injury. The 25-year-old right-hander going down puts Detroit in a precarious position with the trade deadline looming.

The Tigers used a bullpen-heavy approach in 2024 that led to their Cinderella run to the ALCS, but they’d likely prefer a traditional setup that starts with starting pitchers taking the bulk of the workload.

Detroit’s addition of Paddack gives the Tigers another usable arm, but likely not one it’d prefer to use in a playoff series. Paddack has a 4.95 ERA this season and hasn’t finished with above 1.0 wins-above replacement in a season since his rookie year in 2016 with the San Diego Padres.

The Tigers already are without Jackson Jobe, who’s also out for the season, and Alex Cobb, although the veteran is hoping to return from a hip ailment before the regular season is over. Veteran right-hander Jose Urquidy, who’s also on the 60-day injured list alongside Cobb, is another pitching option for Detroit.

Detroit’s top three starting pitchers of ace Tarik Skubal, along with Jack Flaherty and Casey Mize have been reliable, but the Tigers are almost assuredly in the market for an impact starter before the trade deadline comes at 6 p.m. ET on Thursday, July 31.

Baker Mayfield enjoyed the best season of his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2024. He completed a career-high 71.4% of his passes for 4,500 yards, 41 touchdowns, 16 interceptions and a 106.8 passer rating while leading the Buccaneers to a fifth consecutive playoff appearance.

Tampa Bay is rewarding the 30-year-old signal caller handsomely for his strong performance.

The Buccaneers are guaranteeing $30 million of the salary owed to Mayfield for the 2026 NFL season, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. Previously, none of the $40 million salary owed to Mayfield in 2025 was guaranteed.

How does that restructuring change Mayfield’s contract? Here’s what to know about the terms of his deal with the Buccaneers.

Baker Mayfield contract details

Mayfield inked a three-year, $100 million contract with the Buccaneers ahead of 2024 NFL free agency. The basic structure of that deal – including its term, total value and average annual value (AAV) – will remain unchanged.

However, Mayfield will receive an additional $30 million in guarantees as part of his restructured deal with the Buccaneers. Originally, only $40 million of his deal was fully guaranteed; an additional $10 million became guaranteed on March 16, 2025 as part of a roster bonus.

Below is a complete look at Mayfield’s contract in the wake of his recent restructure:

Term: 3 years
Total value: $100 million
Average annual value (AAV): $33.3 million
Guaranteed money: $80 million

Guaranteeing an extra $30 million to Mayfield won’t necessarily make him any more expensive overall for the Buccaneers. It would simply make it more costly for Tampa Bay to release him following the 2025 NFL season, which is unlikely to happen given his strong first two seasons as a Buccaneer.

Providing Mayfield with additional guarantees is a smart strategy for the Buccaneers, as it can help foster goodwill with the quarterback ahead of his next potential contract extension.

Mayfield’s contract will still expire following the 2026 NFL season. That said, the 30-year-old quarterback has three void years on his deal. As such, he will continue to count against Tampa Bay’s salary cap through the 2029 campaign even if he doesn’t remain with the team beyond 2026.

The Denver Broncos are making another long-term commitment to top wide receiver Courtland Sutton.

Denver is signing Sutton to a four-year extension, as was first reported by Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz.

Sutton has been with the Broncos since being selected in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft. The 29-year-old enjoyed one of his best seasons in 2024, his first working alongside Bo Nix, generating 1,081 yards and eight touchdowns on a career-best 81 catches.

Sutton’s new contract will tether him to Denver through the 2029 NFL season, his age-34 campaign. Here’s what to know about his new deal and how it compares to other wide receiver contracts around the NFL.

Courtland Sutton contract details

Sutton signed a four-year extension with the Broncos ahead of the 2025 NFL season. Below is a breakdown of the basics of the deal, according to multiple reports:

Term: 4 years
Total value: $92 million
Average annual value (AAV): $23 million

Sutton’s deal will tie him with Tennessee Titans wide-out Calvin Ridley as the NFL’s 11th-highest-paid receiver in total contract value and the 16th-highest-paid in average annual value (AAV). The guarantees included within it were not immediately clarified.

Highest-paid NFL WRs

As mentioned, Sutton doesn’t quite crack the top 10 in either AAV or total contract value. Here’s a look at the top 10 in each category ahead of the 2025 NFL season, per Spotrac.com:

AAV

Ja’Marr Chase, Bengals: $40.25 million
Justin Jefferson, Vikings: $35 million
CeeDee Lamb, Cowboys: $34 million
D.K. Metcalf, Steelers: $33 million
Garrett Wilson, Jets: $32.5 million
A.J. Brown, Eagles: $32 million
Amon-Ra St. Brown, Lions: $30.0025 million
Tyreek Hill, Dolphins: $30 million
Brandon Aiyuk, 49ers: $30 million
Tee Higgins, Bengals: $28.75 million

Total contract value

Ja’Marr Chase, Bengals: $161 million
Justin Jefferson, Vikings: $140 million
CeeDee Lamb, Cowboys: $136 million
D.K. Metcalf, Steelers: $132 million
Garrett Wilson, Jets: $130 million
Amon-Ra St. Brown, Lions: $120.01 million
Brandon Aiyuk, 49ers: $120 million
Tee Higgins, Bengals: $115 million
DJ Moore, Bears: $110 million
A.J. Brown, Eagles: $96 million

Courtland Sutton stats

Below is a look at Sutton’s career stats across his seven seasons with the Broncos to date.

Games played: 98
Targets: 646
Receptions: 379
Receiving yards: 5,340
Receiving TDs: 32
Yards per reception: 14.1

Sutton ranks ninth all-time among Broncos in receptions and 11th overall in both receiving yards and touchdowns.

Deion Sanders and Randy Moss have a lot in common. They were both star athletes that helped define a generation of NFL talent, multi-time Pro Bowl and All-Pro honorees, members of their respective teams’ Rings of Honor and members of both the College and Pro Football Hall of Fame.

More recently, they’ve both added another shared experience to their already impressive résumés: cancer survivors.

Sanders, 57, revealed in a Monday press conference with his medical team that he had been diagnosed with – and subsequently had defeated – bladder cancer. As he shared details about his cancer battle, Sanders took the time to thank Moss for his support during the treatment.

‘Randy Moss called me every other day to make sure I was straight,’ he said. ‘Randy Moss prayed for me. He and his wife told me what I needed to be doing. He’s gone through some things very similar.’

Sanders was referring to Moss’s recent battle with bile duct cancer, which led the former Vikings receiver to announce a leave of absence from ESPN’s NFL coverage in early December. Moss announced later that month that he was a cancer survivor and returned to ESPN’s ‘Sunday Night Countdown’ for Super Bowl 59 coverage in February.

The Athletic recently reported Moss would return to ‘Sunday Night Countdown’ full-time for the 2025 season.

‘Randy Moss, man. I love him to life. Love him more than ever,’ Sanders said. ‘He gave me so much strength and so much guidance. And so much love and respect and appreciation.’

The Colorado Buffaloes’ head football coach had been battling his health issue for months – leading him to miss a recruiting event and former Colorado star Travis Hunter’s wedding, among other things – before returning to Boulder on Friday. Monday’s press conference with his medical team was the first time Sanders publicly disclosed his diagnosis and ensuing treatment.

Indiana Pacers star guard Tyrese Haliburton proposed to his girlfriend, Jade Jones, at center court of Hilton Coliseum at Iowa State where both attended college.

On one knee next to hundreds or rose petals and a large lighted sign that read “WILL YOU MARRY ME?” Haliburton had an engagement ring.

She said yes.

“The place where our story started, and where our next chapter begins,” Haliburton wrote on Instagram.

Haliburton was also wearing a walking boot to help recover from a torn Achilles tendon sustained in the NBA Finals against Oklahoma City last month and a knee walker was next to Haliburton to help him keep weight off that leg.

Haliburton and Jones met at Iowa State – he played for the men’s basketball team and she was a cheerleader – and have been dating since college.

Haliburton played two seasons at Iowa State and was the No. 12 pick by the Sacramento Kings in the 2020 NBA Draft. The Kings traded Haliburton to Indiana in 2022, and he helped the Pacers reach the Finals this season. He won a gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics and made the All-NBA team the past two seasons.

With one of the best records in MLB, the Chicago Cubs wasted no time extending president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer to a multi-year extension.

The Cubs announced the decision Monday afternoon with the 2025 MLB trade deadline looming, scheduled for Thursday, July 31 at 6 p.m. ET. The Cubs are expected to be active, given they are currently tied with the Milwaukee Brewers for first place in the NL Central and are looking to gain an edge.

Hoyer has been with the Cubs for 14 years now, moving to the president of baseball operations role after Theo Epstein’s departure in 2020.

Statements from Cubs personnel

Cubs executive chairman Tom Ricketts was excited for the extension. ‘Jed and his baseball operations staff have built a healthy player development organization and put an exciting, playoff contending team on the field,’ he said.

Said Hoyer: ‘The Cubs are a special organization with an amazing fan base. I’m excited to keep building on the momentum we have and to work with a terrific baseball operations staff to consistently deliver a championship-caliber team for this great city.’

Hoyer’s history of aggressive dealing

In just a few years as the team’s president of baseball operations, Hoyer has made aggressive deals time and time again.

In 2021, Hoyer’s first full year in the role, he was arguably the most aggressive dealer at the trade deadline, moving franchise cornerstones like Kris Bryant, Javier Baez, Anthony Rizzo, Kyle Schwarber and Willson Contreras within a short span. Those deals wound up working out well for the most part, getting back some key pieces that have fueled their 2025 run, including breakout star Pete Crow-Armstrong as part of the Baez deal.

Before the 2025 season, Hoyer was equally aggressive, replacing outfielder Cody Bellinger with an upgrade in Kyle Tucker and adding Matthew Boyd to the rotation. Each of them wound up representing the National League in this year’s All-Star Game.

With that in mind, the Cubs could be a team to watch as the deadline approaches. With five prospects currently listed on MLB’s Top 100, the Cubs have the farm system necessary to grab one or two game-changing players for the remainder of the season.

The Cubs have expressed interest in several pitchers on the trade block, including the Nationals’ MacKenzie Gore, the Pirates’ Mitch Keller and even the Guardians’ Emmanuel Clase − though Clase is currently on non-disciplinary paid leave as part of a sports betting investigation by MLB.

Colorado football coach Deion Sanders and his medical team revealed that he had bladder cancer and had his bladder removed but is now cured.

He held a news conference Monday, July 28 in Colorado to discuss it after being away at his estate in east Texas in May and June while he recovered. He was accompanied at the news conference by his doctor, Janet Kukreja, and Colorado athletic trainer Lauren Askevold.

‘It’s been a tremendous journey,’ Sanders said.

He said he lost 25 pounds and ‘can’t pee like I used to pee’ but was grateful and is starting his third season as coach at Colorado.

‘I depend on Depend,’ Sanders said with a sense of humor, referring to the underwear brand for incontinence. He also encouraged men to get screened for the condition.

‘I always knew I was going to coach again,’ Sanders said, ending any rumors that he planned to retire. But he noted he is going through a lifestyle change with his recovery. He joked that his baby grandson, Snow, has the same issue with urination, and ‘we see who has the heaviest bag at the end of the night.’

‘If you see a Porta Potty on the sideline, it’s real, OK?’ Sanders said.

How Deion Sanders discovered his cancer

He said he didn’t have symptoms but instead was checked for his other vascular issues. The checkup ended up leading to the discovery of the cancer.

Askevold said Sanders was aware of the situation in April and had the surgery by early May.

Kukreja said it was a “very high-risk, non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer.” She added that if it did progress to the muscle, the rate of metastasis is about 50% and that only about 10% of people live five years.

Sanders then faced two general options. He could get recurring treatment for it, which would include regular trips to medical facilities. Kukreja said there’s about a 50-percent rate of recurrence in this case. Or he could have the bladder removed. He chose the latter so he could dedicate more time to his team and family. The procedure was assisted by a robot and involved making a new bladder from his small intestine.

“I didn’t want to be running down to the hospital once a week,” Sanders said

Sanders thanked an array of supporters who helped him, including former NFL receiver Randy Moss. Sanders said Moss called him every other day.

‘Get checked out, because It could have been a whole ‘nother gathering if I hadn’t,’ Sanders said, implying a funeral instead.

Deion Sanders’ health history

Sanders, 57, declined to disclose his condition until now, even though he acknowledged in late May that he had suffered an unspecified health setback. He missed several events during that time, including the May 24 wedding of his star player from last year, Travis Hunter, along with Colorado’s annual youth and high school football camps on campus in June. Recruits who came to campus in June were told he was out sick. He also missed a speaking appearance scheduled for June 8 in Florida but still said he was OK on social media without revealing what the problem was.

He made an appearance at a Big 12 Conference media days event in Frisco, Texas, July 9, but declined to talk about his health. He didn’t return to Colorado until July 25, two days before his players were due to report to campus for the start of preseason camp.

He has a history of blood circulation issues in his legs and has said blood clots run in the family, with one uncle dead because of it. He spent 23 days in the hospital in the fall of 2021 and said he nearly died there as he battled compartment syndrome on his left leg and had two toes amputated from his left foot. He missed three games because of it that season as head coach at Jackson State in Mississippi but healed enough to lead his team to a 11-2 record that season, including the three games he missed.

He underwent more surgeries to fix blood clots in the summer of 2023 and even had to miss a Pac-12 media days event because of it.

What does Deion Sanders’ contract say in this regard?

He agreed to a new five-year contract earlier this year worth more than $10 million per year. It requires him to notify the athletic director if he’s absent for more than five consecutive working days.

It has a disability provision:

“If after engaging in the interactive process with the University’s Center for Disability & Access, Coach is deemed unable to perform the essential functions of his job with or without reasonable accommodation, this Agreement will automatically terminate, and Sanders’ salary and all other benefits shall end in the month of such termination notice.”

If he decided to retire from coaching, it says he wouldn’t have to pay liquidated damages to the university to buy out his contract but would owe some damages if he retired and then changed his mind to coach somewhere else.

Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com

Dave Parker did not make it to have his day in Cooperstown, dying from Parkinson’s disease on June 28, exactly one month before the Baseball Hall of Fame was set to induct the Cobra along with four other players.

Yet Parker, who was 74, seemed to sense this day was coming, and penned a poem that his son, David Parker II, read to the assembled throng at Cooperstown July 28.

It was equal parts defiant and reflective, braggadocious and appreciative and, for Pittsburgh, a balm. Parker played 19 major league seasons, the first 11 with the Pirates, helping them win the 1979 World Series. He went on to the Cincinnati Reds, won another title in Oakland and finished with one season in Milwaukee.

Yet Parker proclaimed ‘I’m a Pirate for life…the Bucs on my heart.’

Dave Parker poem

Here’s the full text of his son’s reading:

Here I am, 39.

About damn time.

I know I had to wait a little,

but that’s what you do with fine aged wine.

I’m a Pirate for life.

Wouldn’t have it no other way.

That was my family,

even though I didn’t go on Parade Day.

I love y’all, the Bucs on my heart

because those two championships I got,

y’all played in the first part.

I’m in the Hall now,

you can’t take that away.

That statue better look good —

you know I got a pretty face.

Top-tier athlete,

fashion icon,

sex symbol.

No reason to list the rest of my credentials.

I’m him, period.

The Cobra.

Known for my rocket arm,

and I will run any catcher over.

To my friends, families: I love y’all.

Thanks for staying by my side.

I told y’all Cooperstown would be my last ride.’’

Dave Parker induction

Parker hit 339 home runs and was a seven-time All-Star. He failed to garner the required 75% support on ballots submitted by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, peaking at 24.5% in 1998. He also failed to earn any votes in his first two appearances on a veteran’s committee ballot in 2014 and 2018, but earned 43.8% in 2020 and was named on 14 of 16 ballots in December 2024, enough for enshrinement.