Mariners News
The Mariners made a flurry of roster moves ahead of tonight’s series opener against Detroit.
As expected, the team activated Brendan Donovan off the injured list, with the utility man set to make his return today after a groin injury took him out for two and a half months. He also recently celebrated the birth of his second child.
Along with Donovan, the team officially added a pair of trade additions to the major league roster in outfielder Taylor Ward and reliever Seranthony Dominguez, along with catcher Jhonny Pereda from the Tacoma Rainiers.
To make room, the team released catcher Mitch Garver and outfielder Rob Refsnyder.
Mariners GM Justin Hollander also told Seattle Sports 710 that outfielder Luke Raley will likely miss the rest of the season with a left forearm strain that landed him on the injured list over the weekend.
The Mariners continue their homestand tonight when they host the Detroit Tigers for the first of a three-game series.
The M’s are looking to win their third straight and make up some ground in the division race. They’re currently tied for second place with the Texas Rangers and sit two-and-a-half games behind the first-place Houston Astros.
The Tigers, meanwhile, are finding their footing after shipping off two of their best starting pitchers ahead of the trade deadline, including 2x Cy Young award winner Tarik Skubal. They’ve still won three straight amid their race for the AL Central lead.
Emerson Hancock is on the mound for tonight’s opener. Coverage begins at 5:30 and first pitch is at 6:40 on KPUG.
Bells News
The Bells are back tonight for their penultimate game of the regular season.
They’re looking to even up their series against Edmonton in Game 2 against the Riverhawks.
Bellingham fell to Edmonton 5-4 in the series opener last night, which snapped their eight game win streak. Matt Churchill hit his team-leading sixth home run of the season in the loss.
The Bells have already booked their ticket to the playoffs, but the Riverhawks are still fighting for a berth. Edmonton is currently tied with Kelowna for the fourth and final playoff spot in the North Division with just two games left in the regular season.
The Bells will have to hold off a hungry Hawks club if they want to enter the playoffs with a full head of steam. First pitch is at 6:35 from Joe Martin Field.
Seahawks News
The Seahawks are on the national stage tonight for the first episode of HBO’s Hard Knocks.
The series will follow Seattle throughout training camp, giving fans a behind-the-scenes look at Mike Macdonald, John Schneider, Sam Darnold and all the other parts of the team.
It’s the first time the Seahawks have been featured on Hard Knocks and the first time in the history of the 25-year-old series that it will follow a reigning Super Bowl champ.
The first episode will be available to stream on the HBO Max app at 6:00 tonight before airing live on the HBO channel at 9.
The next four episodes will also be released every Tuesday through Sept. 1.
NFL News
The NFL’s running back market just reset with a record-breaking contract.
ESPN reports the Atlanta Falcons have reached an agreement with Bijan Robinson to make him the highest-paid running back in league history.
The three-year extension is worth up to $75 million and includes $51 million guaranteed.
The 24-year-old led the NFL with nearly 2,300 scrimmage yards last season. His average annual value of 22 and a quarter of a million dollars surpasses Saquon Barkley’s previous record.
But that record could be broken again in the coming weeks, with Detroit Lions star Jahmyr Gibbs also holding in while he waits for a contract extension.
Storm News
The Storm’s latest losing streak continued last night.
They fell to the New York Liberty 95-83 to extend their skid to nine straight.
Flau’jae Johnson continued her impressive rookie campaign with a game-high 25 points, but Seattle couldn’t pull out the win. They only trailed by three points late in the third quarter, but New York scored the final nine points of the period and never looked back.
The Storm will have another chance to top the Liberty tomorrow in a rematch at Barclays Center.
In other WNBA news, Cleveland’s expansion team unveiled its team name as the “Sirens” today ahead of their introduction into the league in 2028.
Cleveland will be followed by Detroit in 2029 and Philadelphia in 2030 as the league continues its expansion to 18 teams.
