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  • An analysis of the Union’s roster at the start of the season, with new players in the mix

    An analysis of the Union’s roster at the start of the season, with new players in the mix

    As we do every year to start a Union season, here’s a player-by-player look at the team’s roster.

    The list at each position is in order of what looks to be the depth chart heading into the campaign, which starts Wednesday in the Concacaf Champions Cup at Defence Force FC of Trinidad & Tobago (6 p.m., FS2, TUDN). The regular-season opener follows on Saturday at D.C. United (7:30 p.m., Apple TV).

    Goalkeeper

    Andre Blake

    This analysis has been going since 2018, and the same name has gone first every time. It will stay first for as long as Blake remains, not just as the Union’s No. 1, but as the best goalkeeper in MLS for a decade.

    Andre Blake begins his 13th season with the Union, still waiting for fate to finally smile on him
    Andre Blake has won MLS’s goalkeeper of the year award three times.
    Andrew Rick

    He showed again last year that he’s a safe pair of hands as the backup, and he’s still only 20 years old. The question will be if he’s willing to wait longer than Matt Freese did — understandably — to get more playing time. If he is, his time will come, but Blake isn’t going anywhere yet.

    How Andrew Rick solidified his place as the Union’s No. 2 goalkeeper
    Andrew Rick making a save during a U.S. Open Cup game last year.
    George Marks

    A short-term contract last year earned him a longer deal to be the No. 3 in net.

    The Union weave Philly history into the design of their latest jersey ahead of the World Cup and America 250
    George Marks in action for the Union’s reserve team last year.

    Left back

    A player who hasn’t been signed yet

    There’s no other way to put it right now. The Union are shopping for a new starter, and are close to sealing a deal for that player to be 20-year-old Philippe Ndinga from Swedish club Degerfors. But as Yogi Berra might say if he was a soccer fan, it’s not official until it’s official.

    Jon Scheer, the Union’s head of academy and professional development, has been the face of the front office this winter with Ernst Tanner on leave.

    Frankie Westfield

    Until Ndinga settles in, Westfield is likely to do the job. The rise of the Northeast Philadelphia native last year was one of the season’s great stories.

    Frankie Westfield’s debut for the Union last year came as his brother was winning a Catholic League basketball title
    Frankie Westfield was one of the Union’s breakout players last year.

    Right back

    Nathan Harriel

    He has definitely earned the starting job, even though his attacking contributions are still limited. Once Ndinga gets going, Harriel might start platooning with Westfield to play in certain matchups.

    Nathan Harriel earned the U.S. men’s national team’s respect last year, not just the Union’s
    Nathan Harriel played 31 games last year, often stepping in at centerback when the Union were short there.
    Olivier Mbaizo

    He’s highly regarded in the locker room, especially as part of the unofficial welcoming committee for new players who come from abroad. But that doesn’t guarantee playing time, and it’s tough to tell how much he’ll get this year.

    Olivier Mbaizo got a contract extension at the end of 2024
    Olivier Mbaizo is going into his ninth season with the Union’s first team.

    Centerback

    Olwethu Makhanya

    He hadn’t played a second for the first team at the start of last year, but Bradley Carnell trusted his fellow South African to step up. Now the 20-year-old is a stalwart, and importantly the only returning player in the centerback group. That, perhaps, makes his role even bigger.

    A look back at Olwethu Makhanya’s breakout game last year
    Olwethu Makhanya was one of last year’s most impressive players.
    Japhet Sery Larsen

    The Union don’t often sign experienced players from abroad, preferring to find underrated names they can develop and sell. But they knew they needed a veteran to replace Jakob Glesnes, and the 25-year-old Denmark native fits the bill. Now, can he handle the physicality of MLS?

    Japhet Sery Larsen got an assist from Mikael Uhre as he decided to join the Union
    Japhet Sery Larsen is expected to have a big role on the Union’s back line this year.
    Geiner Martínez

    We haven’t seen much of the 23-year-old Colombian yet, but it’s a safe bet that we will in time. The Union have a busy schedule with the Concacaf Champions Cup, Leagues Cup, and compressed stretches of the regular season around the World Cup. Rotating centerbacks will be as important as ever.

    The Union continue to bolster their defense with the signing of Colombian centerback Geiner Martínez
    Geiner Martinez during one of the Union’s preseason games.
    Finn Sundstrom

    A 19-year-old prospect who grew up with North Carolina FC of the second-tier USL Championship, Sundstrom is a name for the future, and likely will spend more time with the Union’s reserves than the first team this year.

    Bradley Carnell opens up about what drives him and his tactics as Union manager
    Finn Sundstrom working out during a preseason practice.
    Neil Pierre

    The best centerback prospect in the Union’s academy pipeline is on loan to Denmark’s Lyngby, where the Union own a stake, through June. Hopefully he will be closer to ready for first-team minutes when he returns.

    Why hopes are so high for Neil Pierre’s potential
    Neil Pierre (right) made his Union first-team debut last year.

    Defensive midfielders

    Jovan Lukić

    Perhaps the best of last year’s signings, Lukić jumped effortlessly into the midfield engine room. His tackles and his talking can be a little too robust sometimes, but the total package has been great.

    It didn’t take long for Jovan Lukić to fit in with the Union
    Jovan Lukić getting stuck during a game last summer.
    Danley Jean Jacques

    A great partner to Lukić, Jean Jacques is now set for a true star turn with Haiti at the World Cup. It can’t be said enough how special it will be if he plays in Philadelphia against Brazil this summer.

    The World Cup puts Danley Jean Jacques in an even bigger spotlight
    Danley Jean Jacques also had a strong season in the Union’s midfield last year.
    Alejandro Bedoya

    The longtime captain is in his 11th season in Chester, and third in a series of one-year contracts. The mental side of his game is as sharp as ever, but the clock is inevitably running on a body that will turn 39 in April.

    The Union re-sign Alejandro Bedoya for another year
    Alejandro Bedoya models the Union’s new jersey this year.
    Jesús Bueno

    He probably deserves better than the playing time he gets. Carnell has hinted at it, too. Will this be the year it happens?

    Bradley Carnell orchestrated the Union’s success in 2025. His second season in charge matters more.
    Jesús Bueno in action last year.

    Attacking midfielder

    Milan Iloski

    His arrival in August was the turning point in the Union’s season. They likely would not have won the Supporters’ Shield without him. Carnell likes playing Iloski at forward sometimes, but the team as a whole is clearly better when he’s in midfield. That forces opposing defenses to open up.

    Indiana Vassilev

    Early on in his time in Chester, it looked like most of his contributions would come from industrious pressing. But over the course of last season, he blossomed into more, and finished last year with seven goals and four assists.

    Indiana Vassilev (center) celebrates scoring a goal for the Union in August.
    Quinn Sullivan

    When he returns from a torn ACL in July, after the World Cup break, it will give the team a huge boost. He’s been greatly missed on the field, although he’s fortunately been able to stay a vibrant presence off it.

    Quinn Sullivan ‘would love to be the face’ of the Union. When he returns from a torn ACL, he just might be.
    The Union greatly missed Quinn Sullivan (left) after his ACL injury in September, especially during the playoffs.
    Cavan Sullivan

    With two years to go until he leaves for Manchester City, the now-16-year-old is running out of time to make an impact on his hometown club. Or perhaps it’s better to say the club is running out of time for him to impact it. Will this be the year he breaks out?

    Cavan Sullivan looks ahead to what should be his biggest year yet with the Union
    Lots of people around the soccer world are waiting for Cavan Sullivan to truly break out on the field.
    Jeremy Rafanello

    The Delran native has become the unofficial closer for Union wins, but he isn’t likely to overtake the players ahead of him here. It also bears saying that time given to him is time that Cavan Sullivan could get instead.

    Everything you need to know about the Union ahead of the 2026 season
    Jeremy Rafanello (center) on the ball against Inter Miami last year.
    Ben Bender

    Carnell likes his willingness to sacrifice, which has led to testing the 24-year-old as an emergency left back. That doesn’t look likely to stand for the long term, but at least he has the manager’s respect.

    MLS strikes a deal with prediction market Polymarket, says it’s about protecting the integrity of games
    Ben Bender (right) has earned Bradley Carnell’s appreciation.
    CJ Olney

    He was a marquee prospect a few years ago, and is still just 19. But he has plateaued since signing a first-team contract in 2024.

    How the Union’s front office is handling player matters with Ernst Tanner still on adminstrative leave
    CJ Olney in action with Union II last year.

    Forward

    Bruno Damiani

    It was easy to see his strengths in his first season here: size, speed, physicality. But in the stats that mattered most, he tallied only nine goals and one assist in 40 games. That has to change this year, especially with Tai Baribo and Mikael Uhre gone.

    A look back at Union players’ salaries last year
    Ezekiel Alladoh

    You can tell just from practices why the Union broke their transfer fee record to sign the 20-year-old Ghana native. He’s still raw, though, and Carnell has preached patience. Alas, only so much will be given if he doesn’t find the net.

    New Union striker Ezekiel Alladoh speaks softly but hopes to carry many goals
    The Union paid a team record $4.5 million to sign Ezekiel Alladoh.
    Agustín Anello

    He’s an intriguing signing: born in Florida to Argentine parents, raised in Spain, and a pro career in four countries by age 23. Even better, he played with Harriel and Damiani at some of his stops along the way. He projects as the No. 3 striker right now but should still see significant playing time.

    Agustín Anello took the long way back to the United States, then found familiar faces with the Union
    Agustín Anello (left) is settling in with the Union after arriving late in preseason.
    Stas Korzeniowski

    A promotion to the first team was a nice reward for the former Penn star’s 12 goals for Union II last year.

    Three wishes for the Union heading into a massive year for soccer in America
    Sal Olivas

    He showed promise in his brief shots with the first team last year. A few more shots this year would be a welcome sight.

    What’s the secret sauce at the Union’s youth academy? Here’s a taste of it.
    Sal Olivas (left) got a brief run with the Union’s first team last summer.
    Eddy Davis

    Definitely still a prospect, but his work rate and enthusiasm make him easy to root for.

    Union alum Brenden Aaronson is on a hot streak with Leeds United at an ideal time for his World Cup hopes
    Markus Anderson

    He is reportedly going out on loan this year.

  • Source: Jabari Walker, Sixers agree to a two-year standard deal

    Source: Jabari Walker, Sixers agree to a two-year standard deal

    Jabari Walker and the 76ers have agreed to a two-year standard contract, a league source confirmed to The Inquirer Monday night.

    The standard deal comes after Walker, a 6-foot-7 forward, exhausted his 50 active NBA games allowed while on a two-way contract. As a result, Walker was unable to play in the Sixers’ last four games before the All-Star break.

    Before then, Walker had been in the Sixers’ rotation for the bulk of the season. He is averaging 3.7 points and 3.1 rebounds in 12.1 minutes across 45 games and has been praised for his high-energy playing style.

    Source: Guard Cam Payne rejoining Sixers for the rest of the season

    Walker’s contract conversion comes on the heels of the Sixers agreeing to a rest-of-season deal with veteran guard Cameron Payne, who spent part of the 2023-24 season in Philly and had been playing in Serbia. The moves help shore up the Sixers’ roster following the trade deadline, when they dealt away 2024 first-round draft pick Jared McCain and veteran guard Eric Gordon. The prorated deals will also keep the Sixers under the luxury tax threshold.

    The Sixers also converted starting forward Dominick Barlow’s two-way contract to a standard deal on Feb. 5. Dalen Terry and MarJon Beauchamp currently hold the Sixers’ other two-way slots.

    Once Walker’s contract is converted, the Sixers intend to sign forward Tyrese Martin to the vacated two-way roster slot.

    Martin, a 26-year-old Allentown native, last played for the Brooklyn Nets before being released to free up a roster spot at the trade deadline. The 6-6 Martin has averaged 7.2 points, three rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 113 career NBA games across three seasons.

  • Eagles WR DeVonta Smith’s celebrity softball game will return to Allentown in May

    Eagles WR DeVonta Smith’s celebrity softball game will return to Allentown in May

    Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith will host his fifth celebrity softball game in Allentown on May 2, the Lehigh Valley IronPigs announced Monday. The event will take place at Coca-Cola Park, the IronPigs’ home stadium.

    Smith had another successful campaign for the Eagles, recording 1,008 receiving yards and four touchdowns on 77 receptions. It was the third time Smith has topped 1,000 yards in a season.

    The softball game will feature some of Smith’s teammates, friends, and other NFL players. A home run derby will take place at 1:30 p.m. followed by the softball game at 3 p.m.

    Darius Slay (left) and A.J. Brown at DeVonta Smith’s celebrity softball game in 2024.

    Smith’s game has provided fireworks for fans in the past. Running back Saquon Barkley, defensive end Brandon Graham, tight end Dallas Goedert, and cornerbacks Darius Slay and Cooper DeJean participated last year, along with former Eagles wide receiver Terrell Owens. DeJean earned last year’s game MVP.

    Packers edge rusher Micah Parsons built his own team in 2022 to face Smith’s team. That year, Smith had wide receiver A.J. Brown on his team. Brown beat Parsons in the home run derby, then hit the walk-off home run to beat Team Parsons, which featured Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle and former Eagles running back Boston Scott.

    Participants for this year’s game will be announced at a later date.

  • E&S players left the bench to protect their teammates. Now their season is over.

    E&S players left the bench to protect their teammates. Now their season is over.

    The boys’ basketball players from Carver Engineering & Sciences who left the bench last week came onto the court after fans from Constitution’s stands rushed the court and surrounded their teammates, according to a report by one of the game’s officials that was submitted to the School District of Philadelphia.

    The referee said the altercation in Thursday’s Public League playoff game was started by a player from Constitution, who the ref said pushed the E&S player as the E&S player walked away.

    “Then I saw a crowd of people from the [Constitution] spectator area of the bleachers running towards those two players,” the referee wrote. “So, I gradually backed off because I didn’t know what was coming next.”

    What came next was the reserves from E&S leaving the bench. They “eased onto the court,” the ref said. And that was enough for E&S to be suspended from the league playoffs.

    The Engineers were ahead by 12 points with 1 minute, 11 seconds left when an altercation started by an opposing player was inflamed by opposing fans. And now that opposing team is taking E&S’ place on Tuesday against Imhotep Charter in the Public League semifinals at La Salle University.

    E&S hopes ‘unfair’ ruling is reversed after skirmish led to elimination from Public League hoops playoffs

    Representatives from E&S met Sunday night on Zoom with Jimmy Lynch, the Public League president. Lynch told them the ruling stood. League rules say that a team must forfeit once their “entire bench” enters the field of play.

    The PIAA told E&S that the decision stood with the school district. A school district spokeswoman said Monday that the decision would not be changed. Lynch could not be reached for comment.

    The representatives from E&S did not argue that their players left the bench but they were hoping that the rule could be applied with the context of the situation: the players came onto the court to protect their teammates once their teammates were surrounded by spectators. The E&S players did not throw a punch or look to fight, the parents said.

    “If our students engaged in the on-court incident we would’ve had penalties and suspensions,” said Miya Brown, a mother of an E&S player. “But because we avoided the confrontation, we have been disqualified from continuing on. All of this is so disgusting. It really is. The mission is supposed to be about student safety but they’re ignoring the safety part of this incident.”

    “If this brawl happened at the opposing team’s end of the bench and our student athletes ran to the other end of the bench, I could understand. If this happened on center court and our student athletes left the bench, I could understand. But this happened in front of our bench and the crowd is running toward our student athletes. There is no way you can make a just decision based on those facts. It got out of control.”

    E&S did not practice Monday but remained hopeful that something would change before tipoff of Tuesday’s semifinal. That seems unlikely.

    The Carver Engineering and Science boys’ basketball team after winning a tournament earlier this season.

    The Engineers were 20-4 this season before the forfeit became their fifth loss. They won a tournament in Northeastern Pa. and took Imhotep — the defending league champions — to overtime in January before losing. They wanted another shot.

    “That’s the matchup everyone wants to see,” said Dave McField, a father of an E&S player.

    The referee said he asked during the first quarter for security guards to be placed near the Constitution fans because “they were being unruly.” At halftime, he told E&S’ athletic director that he needed more security. He said a security guard stopped the game in the third quarter to warn the fans but the guard did not stay in the area.

    Public League boys’ basketball team disqualified from playoffs after skirmish

    “So when everything jumped off,” he wrote. “Those same unruly fans rushed the court.”

    The referee said he planned to eject the Constitution player from the game “because he started this chain of events” and “was the only player I saw push or hit any opponent.” The referee stood in the corner of the court as fans overtook the floor. E&S was 71 seconds left from reaching their first league semifinals in 20 years. Instead, their season was about to end.

    “I glanced at the [Constitution] bench area where I saw the head coach next to about five of his bench players,” the ref wrote. “At that time, I called the game and walked off.”

  • Phillies will test-drive the automated ball-strike challenge system this spring

    Phillies will test-drive the automated ball-strike challenge system this spring

    CLEARWATER, Fla. — Four innings before Orion Kerkering’s error sealed the Phillies’ fate in Game 4 of the 2025 National League Division Series, home plate umpire Mark Wegner made a call that may have helped tilt the game.

    Cristopher Sánchez’s 2-2 pitch to Alex Call in the seventh, which caught the inside edge of the plate, was called a ball. What could have been a strikeout ultimately became a walk, and Justin Dean, who pinch ran for Call, went on to score the tying run in a game the Los Angeles Dodgers won, 2-1, in 11 innings.

    In the quiet clubhouse after the Phillies were eliminated, Sánchez said that Wegner actually apologized to him for missing the strike.

    “He knows he missed it,” Sánchez said through a team interpreter. “He knows he missed it because he told me, and he apologized to me. But a lot of pressure, important game, important situation, you can’t miss those things. You can’t miss those calls.”

    With the automated ball-strike challenge system arriving to MLB in 2026, it’s possible those impactful misses could be a thing of the past. Under the system, each team starts with two challenges, which can be used by the pitcher, catcher, or batter to challenge a pitch call. If a challenge is unsuccessful, the team loses it.

    According to the rules, challenges must be made immediately after the umpire’s call, and no input from the bench or manager is allowed. A team without challenges in extra innings will receive an additional one.

    The Phillies piloted the system during spring training last year, and they will use this spring as a chance to get further acclimated.

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    “I think it will change the game a lot late, just making sure those calls are right in the biggest moments,” shortstop Trea Turner said. “Even if a team challenges and they’re wrong, at least you know the call is right. So I think that’s going to be big later on.”

    Some critics of the system think that ABS removes the “human element” of baseball in the umpire’s strike zone.

    “It’s kind of now that human element’s back on the players,” Turner said. “So that’s kind of interesting. It’s going to be fun to watch.”

    The Phillies will eventually develop a strategy for using ABS as the regular season begins. Some teams only allow catchers to challenge, rather than pitchers, since they have a better vantage point. Teams also might prefer to save their challenges for after a certain inning of the game.

    But for the first few weeks of spring training, Phillies manager Rob Thomson will have no rules.

    “We need to push them to use it, so that they can learn,” Thomson said. “And as the situations come up, we just talk them through it. ‘This might be a situation where you should use it,’ even if they didn’t. ‘No, maybe that’s not the situation.’ But we still want them to try and get some experience with it.”

    The Seattle Mariners’ Julio Rodriguez challenges a pitch call, initiating a review with the automated ball-strike challenge system during a spring training game last February in Peoria, Ariz.

    Turner said that typically, when he has disagreed with umpires’ calls at the plate and then reviewed the footage later, he is often right about pitches he thought were inside or outside, but has been wrong about pitches high or low.

    New Padre Nick Castellanos says he’s glad to play for a manager who has ‘done it’ on the field

    “I think that’s part of this. You’ve got to know what you’re good at, and where you’re good at,” he said. “I don’t plan on challenging too much, but if I do, I’ll probably be on the corners more so than up and down. And I think some guys are good at some things, and you’re going to have to learn.”

    Extra bases

    Zack Wheeler threw out to 120 feet for the first time Monday as he continues his rehab from thoracic outlet decompression surgery. Thomson said he did not have a date for when Wheeler will get on a mound, but “he’s getting there.” … Kerkering (mild hamstring strain) is running and doing agility drills and threw on flat ground. The next step is a light bullpen session, possibly on Wednesday, according to Thomson. … Brandon Marsh cut his foot off the field and did not fully participate in the workout, although he did glove work and played catch. “It’s minor,” Thomson said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he was out there hitting [Tuesday].”

  • Brandon Marsh proved he ‘could crawl out’ of last season’s rough start. Now, he’s the Phillies’ longest-tenured outfielder.

    Brandon Marsh proved he ‘could crawl out’ of last season’s rough start. Now, he’s the Phillies’ longest-tenured outfielder.

    CLEARWATER, Fla. — Brandon Marsh stood in the outfield of the main stadium here the other day alongside a half-dozen teammates when it dawned on him.

    “I was the oldest guy out there,” he said, a toothy smile forming above his lumberjack beard, “and I was like, ‘What the heck?’ I’ve never, ever in my life been in this position.”

    Don’t tell Marsh, then, that these are the Same Old Phillies.

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    For one thing, Nick Castellanos is gone, his relationship with manager Rob Thomson and several teammates having soured to the point that the Phillies will pay almost all of his $20 million salary for him to play for another team. They released Castellanos last week, two months after signing free-agent right fielder Adolis García to replace him.

    Other changes: A 22-year-old rookie (Justin Crawford) in center field, and a righty-hitting utility man (Otto Kemp) who might see most of his playing time in left field whenever the Phillies face left-handed pitching.

    And — voila! — Marsh is the new dean of an outfield that critics believe will be among the worst in the majors.

    Brandon Marsh didn’t have a hit in April but batted .303 over the final five months of the season.

    “It’s going to be almost a complete different outfield, I know that,” said Marsh, limited in the Phillies’ first full-squad workout Monday because of a cut on his foot that Thomson didn’t consider serious. “But we have some incredible guys here that are going to step up. As humans, we always want to challenge ourselves. It’s going to be a fun challenge for us, and nothing that we’re not capable of doing.”

    Maybe. Crawford did bat .300 at every level of the minors despite hitting a high rate of balls on the ground. García, a two-time All-Star, is three years removed from 39 homers and a dominant postseason for the World Series-champion Texas Rangers. Kemp impressed team officials with his grit last season while playing through shoulder and knee injuries.

    But any improvement over last season, when the Phillies ranked 19th in the majors in outfield OPS (.710) and 21st in wins above replacement (3.2, measured by Fangraphs) must involve Marsh.

    A beer in the dugout, a benching, and a rift with his manager: Inside the final Phillies season for Nick Castellanos

    It has been nearly four years since the Phillies traded for Marsh. With Bryson Stott and Alec Bohm, he comprised a group of young, often goofy players dubbed by teammates as the “Daycare” along the way to the 2022 World Series. He has been a supporting cast member ever since.

    Marsh is 28 now. He has two seasons before free agency. And still, there are questions about his ceiling as a player.

    Take last season, for instance. Marsh was 4-for-42 — and hitless in April (0-for-29) — when he strained his right hamstring. The injury was mild. Physically, he was ready to return after the minimum 10-day term on the injured list. Mentally, he was a wreck.

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    “Honestly, I’ve never been on a baseball field and felt that low before,” Marsh said. “Not low as in depression or anything, but just like self-belief and just realizing like, ‘Dang, am I really cut out for this?’

    “But I think the second half of last year really proved — not to anyone else but just to myself — that I can get through the thick of it. You know?”

    Indeed, upon returning May 3, Marsh batted .303 with 25 doubles, 10 homers, and a .358 on-base percentage for the rest of the season. Among 96 National League players with at least 350 plate appearances after May 1, Marsh ranked 17th with an .836 OPS.

    Brandon Marsh’s .836 OPS from May 3 through the rest of the season ranked 17th in the National League among players with at least 350 plate appearances.

    Never mind, then, that Marsh continued to struggle to hit left-handed pitching. The Phillies would sign up for his post-April production from last season and install him as the strong (lefty-hitting) half of a left-field platoon.

    But can they count on Marsh being that player?

    “I’ve got to go off what the last five months looked like,” Thomson said. “All our analytics and what we see with our eyes has told us that that’s who he is. Now, maybe he’s becoming that. Hopefully he has a full year of that type of performance.”

    If anything, the depths of Marsh’s struggle were surprising because of when it occurred.

    Given the length of the season, with a game almost every day for six months, most players, especially veterans, downplay April slumps. It’s early, they insist, while falling back on clichés about the numbers on the back of their baseball card.

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    But Marsh — Bohm, too, his roommate and close friend who started in a 9-for-60 tailspin — was drowning.

    “You play in Philadelphia and you’re hitting .090,” Marsh said. “… And I deserved every bit of boos I got and every bit of bashing that I got, and I just had to wear it the best I could. Some days were harder than others, for sure.

    “I remember saying that to someone, like, ‘It’s April.’ But it’s easy to get overwhelmed, and there were days where I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, this mountain might be too steep to climb.’ I might be too low, fighting for keeping a job and stuff like that. There was a whole bunch of stuff going on.

    “Me and Bohmer, I remember us just driving home and we were like, ‘Bro, it can’t get any worse.’”

    The Phillies signed Adolis García this offseason to replace Nick Castellanos in right field.

    It helped that the Phillies gave Marsh a few extra days on his injury rehab assignment at triple-A Lehigh Valley. He credited catcher Garrett Stubbs for changing his perspective.

    “Show up and smile,” Stubbs said.

    “When Brandon Marsh was with us, we had some epic wins, a couple walk-off home runs, and he was just as happy as anybody on our team,” triple-A hitting coach Adam Lind said. “Maybe that’s just what it was. Sometimes a rehab assignment can just reignite that joy in the game. You can take a deep breath.”

    In any case, Marsh salvaged his season. He batted .280 overall, “but it felt like I hit .800.” And the Phillies chose to remake their outfield around him.

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    Garcia represents “a very big bounce-back candidate,” as Bryce Harper put it.

    “I think he’s going to have a lot more fun hitting in Philly than he did in a big Texas stadium,” Harper said. “But also, you’re not really sure until it happens.”

    Ditto for Crawford, whom the Phillies expect to bring speed and energy to the bottom of the lineup. But he also would be the youngest player in a Phillies’ opening-day lineup since Freddy Galvis in 2012.

    So, Marsh looked around the outfield the other day as the constant at the one spot on the Phillies’ roster that has undergone massive change. Last April, he never would’ve guessed it.

    “I’m glad that bad stretch happened because it showed just to myself what I could crawl out of,” Marsh said. “I have that self-confidence now of feeling like you’re a dude, like you’re supposed to be here. That’s kind of where I’m at.”

  • Sixers’ Kelly Oubre Jr. releases a new rap song, ‘Fast & Furious,’ under the stage name t$unami

    Sixers’ Kelly Oubre Jr. releases a new rap song, ‘Fast & Furious,’ under the stage name t$unami

    Kelly Oubre Jr. appears to be spending his All-Star break in the recording studio.

    On Monday, the Sixers forward posted a clip of his newest single, “Fast & Furious,” on Instagram under the stage name t$unami, which he has been using since 2020 on Soundcloud. Oubre also uploaded the song to Spotify and Apple Music.

    The rap song is the first Oubre has released since “A prayer for you” in 2023. He also released “Flipped the Game” in 2022, which is currently his most-streamed song on Spotify, with over 300,000 streams.

    Oubre is just the latest in a series of Philly athletes who have tried their hands at music, including Allen Iverson, Brett Myers, Lou Williams, DeSean Jackson, and more recently Terrell Edmunds. Jason Kelce, Lane Johnson, and Jordan Mailata — better known as The Philly Specials — also released a few original songs on their three Eagles Christmas albums.

    The Sixers return from the All-Star break on Feb. 19, against the Miami Heat.

  • Phillies’ Trea Turner on missing the World Baseball Classic: ‘The phone never rang’

    Phillies’ Trea Turner on missing the World Baseball Classic: ‘The phone never rang’

    CLEARWATER, Fla. — Next month will mark three years since Trea Turner made history with one swing at Miami’s LoanDepot Park.

    During the 2023 World Baseball Classic, Turner became the first Team USA player in a decade to hit a grand slam in the tournament. It propelled his team to a come-from-behind win over then-undefeated Venezuela in the quarterfinals, and it was just one of many big moments for Turner that March.

    He finished with five home runs to tie a WBC record, helping his team to a silver medal.

    But this year, when Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, and Brad Keller leave Phillies spring training to join Team USA for the 2026 iteration of the international tournament, Turner will not join them.

    “The phone never rang,” Turner said. “I wish those guys the best. I think it’s so much fun. I gladly would have done it again. I said the last time, if they ever asked, I would say yes. They’ve got a great roster this year, stacked.”

    Team USA manager Mark DeRosa included Kansas City Royals star Bobby Witt Jr. and the Baltimore Orioles’ Gunnar Henderson as shortstops on his roster. Milwaukee’s Brice Turang is the second baseman for the American team, while Toronto’s Ernie Clement is listed as a utility infielder.

    Turner won the National League batting title in 2025 with a .304 average and also had one of the best seasons of his career defensively. He posted +17 outs above average at shortstop, ranking in the 99th percentile at his position according to StatCast data.

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    “I think we’re in a good spot to win,” Turner said of Team USA. “I’ll definitely be watching it, and I wish Kyle and Bryce and all these guys, [Edmundo] Sosa, everyone playing, I hope they perform well for their countries, and it’s a lot of fun.”

    Other WBC participants from the Phillies’ major league roster are Sosa (Panama); Cristopher Sánchez and Johan Rojas (Dominican Republic); Taijuan Walker (Mexico); José Alvarado (Venezuela); Garrett Stubbs and 21-year-old (Israel); and Aaron Nola (Italy).

    Turner knows that Harper, in particular, is excited to play in the WBC. He had planned to join the team alongside Turner in 2023 but was unable to participate after undergoing Tommy John elbow surgery the previous winter.

    The Phillies jog during the first full-squad workout of spring training on Monday.

    “You have to prepare a little bit differently in spring training for that,” Turner said. “You’ve got to kind of get out there earlier, and get your at-bats earlier. So it seems like he’s working harder. But at the same time, he’s just got to get ready, because he’s going to have live at-bats. But he’s competitive.”

    Turner’s own offseason was about the same as usual for him, he said. His main priority this year is maintaining his health, which also happened to be the main theme of manager Rob Thomson’s speech to the team Monday morning ahead of the first official full-squad workout of the spring.

    Turner, 32, missed time in each of the last two seasons with hamstring strains, and he is aiming to prevent that from happening again primarily through nutrition and hydration.

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    “Body feels good. Still feel young, although when I have to play with guys like this and Aidan and whatnot, makes me feel old,” Turner said, gesturing to the nearby lockers of 22-year-old Justin Crawford and 21-year-old Aidan Miller. “But I feel 25. I feel ready.”

    Turner is looking forward to how Crawford and his speed could help lengthen the bottom half of the Phillies’ lineup. He said he hadn’t seen much of Miller before Monday, when they did infield work together.

    “Glove looks good,” Turner said. “Got a chance to talk to him, just trying to get to know him a little bit more. Seems like a great kid, had a good season last year, and excited for him to be around much more and contribute. Because we need guys like that.

    “We need to build depth. We need some younger guys. And I think that’s really important for a good organization.”

  • Report: Dolphins releasing star receiver Tyreek Hill amid major roster cuts

    Report: Dolphins releasing star receiver Tyreek Hill amid major roster cuts

    MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — The Dolphins are releasing star receiving Tyreek Hill, ending the All-Pro’s four-year tenure in Miami, a person familiar with the move told the Associated Press on Monday.

    Hill, who turns 32 on March 1, is recovering from a season-ending injury suffered in a game against the New York Jets on Sept. 29 that required surgery to repair significant damage to his left knee, including a torn anterior cruciate ligament.

    It is one of several major roster cuts the Dolphins made on Monday morning, the person said, speaking to the AP on condition of anonymity because the team had not made any announcements. Miami also will release two-time Pro Bowl pass rusher Bradley Chubb and cut offensive lineman James Daniels and receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, the person said.

    The Dolphins acquired Hill in a trade with Kansas City ahead of the 2022 season and gave him a $120 million, four-year contract extension that made him the highest-paid player at his position at the time.

    His contract, which runs through 2026, would have represented around $51 million against Miami’s cap.

  • U.S. beats Sweden, 5-0, to reach Olympic women’s hockey final

    U.S. beats Sweden, 5-0, to reach Olympic women’s hockey final

    MILAN — Aerin Frankel stopped 21 shots for her third shutout of the Olympic women’s hockey tournament and the favored United States advanced to the gold-medal game by defeating Sweden, 5-0, at the Milan Cortina Games on Monday.

    Abbey Murphy, Kendall Coyne Schofield, and Hayley Scamurra scored on consecutive shots over 2 minutes, 47 seconds late in the second period to blow the game open and put the Americans up 5-0. Cayla Barnes opened the scoring and Taylor Heise also scored.

    The Americans continued their roll through the tournament by improving to 6-0, outscoring their opponents by a combined 31-1. The U.S. has yet to trail or be tied after 0-0, and is in position to become the third women’s team to do so over the entire tournament, joining Canada in 2006 and 2010.

    The U.S. also extended its shutout streak to 331:23, going back to Czechia’s Barbora Jurickova beating Frankel on a breakaway in the second period of a tournament-opening 5-1 win.

    The win over Sweden sets up what could well be a seventh gold-medal showdown against Canada on Thursday. The defending Olympic champion Canadians play Switzerland in the day’s other semifinal game.

    The U.S. already beat Canada, 5-0, in a preliminary round game last week. The Americans won Olympic gold in 1998 and 2018, with Canada winning the other five tournaments.

    The United States’ Hayley Scamurra celebrates after scoring her team’s fifth goal against Sweden.

    Sweden will play for bronze on Thursday in an effort to medal for the third time in team history, and first since winning silver at the 2006 Turin Games after upsetting the U.S. in the semifinals.

    Ebba Svensson Traff stopped 19 of 23 shots before she was pulled after Schofield tipped in Laila Edwards’ shot from the blue line with 3:50 left in the second period.

    Emma Soderberg took over in goal, and was beaten by Scamurra, who tapped in Britta Curl-Salemme’s centering pass 1:49 later. Soderberg finished with 10 saves.

    Among those in attendance was former Eagles center Jason Kelce, who was shown on the scoreboard applauding the goal initially credited to Edwards. Kelce is from Edwards’ hometown of Cleveland Heights, Ohio, and he and his brother, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, contributed to a GoFundMe drive to help pay for Edwards’ family to attend the Milan Cortina Games.

    The U.S certainly didn’t resemble a team that didn’t want to play Sweden, as coach Ulf Lundberg suggested after the Swedes beat Czechia in the quarterfinals.

    Though the Swedes kept the U.S. mostly to the perimeter in the opening period, they were still outshot 13-2.

    Barnes scored with a snap shot from the top of the right circle and beat Svensson Traff high on the short side. Barnes’ goal was her first point of the tournament, leaving seventh defender Rory Guilday as the lone American skater to not yet register a point through six games.

    Heise made it 2-0 at the 9:08 mark of the second period by one-timing in Hannah Bilka’s backhand pass through the middle. Svensson Traff got her glove on the shot, but the puck deflected across her body and into the net off the inside of her stick.