The Chicago White Sox received some bad news regarding their bullpen ahead of Opening Day as a key piece is likely to be sidelined for the upcoming season.

It is now believed that White Sox reliever Garrett Crochet will need Tommy John surgery, after suffering ligament damage in his throwing arm, according to general manager Rick Hahn.

The 22 year old flame thrower has struggled to stay healthy throughout his young career, and now things are taking a turn for the worse with the infamous “Tommy John” Surgery looming in his future.  Roster wise, the White Sox are loaded with a solid bullpen after the additions of Kendall Graveman and Joe Kelly in the offseason.

However, the White Sox are now extremely thin in regards to lefties in the bullpen.  This leaves the club at a huge disadvantage when it comes to situational baseball, such as needing a lefty to come in and get a big out in crucial situations.  The only other lefty currently in the bullpen for the team is Aaron Bummer.

General manager Rick Hahn will almost certainly need to make a move and fast, with opening day approaching quickly, this is less than ideal.

Expect some movement with the White Sox roster soon.  Stay tuned to our White Sox forum, more to follow.

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Justin Fields’ first career start for the Chicago Bears wasn’t ideal.

In the 26-6 loss at Cleveland in Week 3, Fields finished the game 6-of-20 for 68 yards and was sacked 9 times by the Browns defense. Fields had no chance back there as the offensive line broke down and Chicago couldn’t get anything going at all.

Looking back at the game, the gameplan for Fields wasn’t good and the blame should have been put on Matt Nagy and Bill Lazor among others. Now, with both gone from the Windy City it appears as if Fields agrees with that too.

Fields’ personal quarterback coach Ron Veal appeared on 670 The Score’s The Parkins & Spiegel Show Friday to talk about Fields and the quarterback going into year two. On the show, he revealed that Fields wasn’t happy with the gameplan going into the game:

“I’m kind of glad I didn’t (go) because he took a beating that day,” Veal said on the Parkins & Spiegel Show on Friday. “But, yeah, it was kind of crazy and weird at the same time. Why would you leave those two (tackles) with no help?

“I know he was a little pissed about it, but I didn’t get an explanation, and I really didn’t ask because I know he was in a situation where he was really pissed off about it.”

In his first season, Fields struggled with Chicago as the team fell apart and it eventually led to the firing of Matt Nagy. Now, it wasn’t all Fields’ fault as there appeared to be a lot of dysfunction starting with the coaching staff.

But going into year two, Fields has to make significant improvements and take a step forward in his game to be the franchise quarterback the team hopes he is. And getting the offseason work in with Veal and other teammates is a good first start.

Make sure to check out our Bears forum for the latest on the team.

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The Chicago Bulls have started to fade in the Eastern Conference standings after a hot start to the season had them in sole possession of first place. With only have two wins total this season against teams in the top four spots of either conference, the Bulls need to improve if they want to go deep in the playoffs.

With that being said, there are three teams the Bulls need to avoid facing in the first round of the Eastern conference playoffs if they don’t want to go home early. Here’s a look at the squads that can give Chicago major issues if they draw them in the opening round.

Philadelphia 76ers

The Philadelphia 76ers went 4-0 against the Bulls this season, led by their superstar center Joel Embiid. The 28-year-old is averaging 29.9 points per game this season and is a frontrunner for league MVP. He has never lost to the Bulls in his career and that streak would likely continue in the playoffs.

The Bulls don’t have an answer for him in the paint with Nikola Vucevic not being known as a true rim protector, and the overall lack of big men depth on the Bulls hurting their chances to guard Embiid. Philadelphia’s chance to win the NBA championship only increased with the acquisition of superstar guard James Harden at the trade deadline.

The duo of Embiid and Harden is arguably the best in the NBA and better than the Bulls’ All-Star duo of DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine. If the regular season ended today, the Bulls and 76ers would match up in the playoffs.

Milwaukee Bucks

The Bucks currently sit at second in the East and are 3-0 against the Bulls this season, but the first two matchups were both decided by six points or less. Led by reigning finals MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is tied with Embiid at 29.9 points per game, also happen to be tied with the Sixers in the standings at 48-30.

Milwaukee has good roster depth to pair with Antetokounmpo including Jrue Holiday and fellow All-Star Khris Middleton. It will be challenging for the Bulls to contain all three of them, especially if point guard Lonzo Ball remains sidelined. The Bulls have struggled defensively at times in the 10 weeks Ball has missed while out with a knee injury.

Brooklyn Nets

Brooklyn is led by superstars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, with a healthy supplement of solid role players as well such as Seth Curry, Goran Dragic, and Andre Drummond. Brooklyn currently occupies the 8th spot in the East thanks in part to Irving’s inability to play home games for the Nets for the majority of the year. Irving has until recently, only been able to play road games this season due to New York City’s vaccine mandate. With the mandate now lifted for athletes, Irving is back to playing home games just in time for the playoffs.

Brooklyn would be a tough team for the Bulls to play good defense against, even with a fully healthy roster. The duo of Durant and Irving is as good as and maybe even slightly better than Embiid and Harden. The Bulls would likely have home-court advantage if they were to face the Nets in the postseason, but it’s hard to feel good about their chances to win the series even though they went 2-1 against Brooklyn in the regular season.

Durant and Irving have both had postseason success, winning NBA championships and Irving hitting arguably the biggest shot in NBA history to defeat the 73-9 Golden State Warriors in 2016.

For as good as the Bulls have played at times this season, the roster doesn’t have much postseason experience and DeRozan has not been able to advance past the Eastern Conference Finals earlier in his career with Toronto. The Bulls have been one of the league’s biggest surprises this season, especially before the All-Star break, when they sat atop the East. They have stumbled a little bit since then and have begun to show some flaws that would not match up well with certain top-tier teams in the playoffs. With one week to go in the regular season, hopes are on the Cleveland Cavaliers or Toronto Raptors being the Bulls’ opponent in the first round, an answer we’ll have just one week from now.

Make sure to check out our Bulls forum for the latest on the team.

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Last offseason news circulated that Chicago Bears running back David Montgomery got faster by working with a speed coach.

The former Iowa State standout worked with local speed coach Chris Korfist to improve that element of his game going into year three. While the Bears offense struggled in general, Montgomery had a solid season rushing for 879 yards and 7 touchdowns in 13 games. But this season, Montgomery is hoping to improve even more and he’s putting the work in again with Korfist.

The speed coach shared this video of Montgomery working on his sprints in the offseason once again:

The Bears begin voluntary workouts at Halas Hall on Monday under new head coach Matt Eberflus but it will be a while before their are at full speed with pads in practices. This new regime seems like an ideal fit for Montgomery as they will likely lean on the run game to help their young quarterback Justin Fields and having a workhorse like Montgomery there will help.

Make sure to check out our Bears forum for the latest on the team.

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Today is the conclusion of our potential Bulls’ first round playoff match-up previews. We’ve looked at Boston, Miami, and Philadelphia. Now, it’s time for the defending champs:

Whether it’s been the Heat holding the top spot in the conference, the 76ers trading for James Harden, Boston surging over the last couple months, or Brooklyn looming with Kyrie Irving now eligible for home games, multiple story lines in the East have allowed the Bucks to fly under the radar. It’s almost as if people have forgotten a certain back-to-back league MVP, the same one who put his stamp on last year’s Finals with a historic 50-point, 14-rebound, five-block, series-sealing performance in game 6.

Giannis Antetokounmpo has again placed himself in the running for MVP, remaining in the conversation with Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid, and could very well win his first scoring title. The Greek Freak is averaging 30.1 points, 11.7 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game, while maintaining the same effort, versatility, and rim protection that earned him the Defensive Player of the Year award in 2020, a trophy he might take home again this year.

Khris Middleton made his third All-Star game, despite dips in field goal and 3-point percentages from the last couple seasons. He’s trending in the right direction since the All-Star break, shooting a blistering 44.4% on 7.1 attempts per game from beyond the arc. Jrue Holiday is playing about as well as he ever has, with some wondering if he had earned the trip to Cleveland over Middleton. Holiday is shooting a career-high 41.1% on 3FG and his net rating of 7.9 trails only Antetokounmpo and George Hill for the team lead.

Milwaukee has defeated Chicago in all three of their match-ups so far this season, with a fourth and final contest coming on Tuesday.

The Bulls laid an egg in the most recent meeting on March 22, getting rolled 126-98 in Milwaukee. Chicago, who was on the second half of a back-to-back, shot just 42.9% from the field, with Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan combing to go 16-39. Antetokounmpo was a game-high +28 in only 30 minutes of work, tallying 25 points, 17 rebounds, and three blocks.

As a team, Milwaukee’s net rating of 3.5 ranks 7th in the league and although their defense has slipped slightly from last year, some of that is likely due to Brook Lopez’s absence. Milwaukee’s starting center played opening night before missing most of the season with a back injury. The Bucks are 6-2 since Lopez returned on March 14, and will be hoping he can return to form as one of the best rim protectors in the league. Last season, opponents shot just 50.7% against Lopez on attempts within five feet of the rim, one of the best marks in the league.

Lopez’s presence allows the Bucks great flexibility, as Antetokounmpo can spend more time wreaking havoc on the perimeter, rather than being relied upon to protect the paint. Milwaukee’s defensive rating of 111.1 ranks 14th in the league, but it feels safe to bet that the Bucks will be better on that end when the playoffs begin; Milwaukee’s defensive rating of 106.8 in last year’s postseason was the best mark of any playoff participant. Holiday has remains one of the elite perimeter defenders in the league and would likely be tasked with making LaVine’s life as tough as possible in a postseason series.

On the other end, the Bucks have the 5th best offensive rating in the league at 114.0, due in large part to their proficiency from behind the arc. Milwaukee ranks 5th in both 3-point field goal percentage (36.7%) and attempts per game (38.6), with Middleton, Bobby Portis, Pat Connaughton, Grayson Allen, and Holiday all shooting above 37%.

The Bucks continue to surround Antetokounmpo with shooters and let him go to work; only two players in the league, Joel Embiid and Luka Doncic, have higher usage rates than Giannis. Milwaukee keeps constant pressure on defenses, playing at one of the fastest paces in the league while using Antetokounmpo as a wrecking ball in transition. Nobody averages more than Giannis’s 8.6 points in transition per game.

Antetokounmpo has been terrorizing the entire league for a while now, but is a particularly bad match-up for the Bulls this season, who don’t have the proper size to throw at him. In the three regular season match-ups against Chicago so far, Giannis has averaged 29.7 points, 15.0 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks while shooting 56.1% from the field. It will be fascinating to see if head coach Billy Donovan alters the starting lineup against the Bucks Tuesday, perhaps swapping out Ayo Dosunmo for Patrick Williams to give him a crack at Antetokounmpo.

Make sure to check out our Bulls forum for the latest on the team.

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The Chicago White Sox added some depth to their pitching by signing former San Francisco Giants pitcher Johnny Cueto late Monday night per Jeff Passan.

After trading Craig Kimbrel to the Dodgers, losing Garrett Crochet for the year, and losing Lance Lynn for at least the first month of the season all within a one week span, general manager Rick Hahn acted fast to sign a new pitcher to the team that is likely a good bet to contribute, at least until Lynn recovers from his slightly torn knee tendon.

Lynn is expected to be back within 4-8 weeks but it could be more time that he misses depending on how quickly he can heal from the surgery.  The good news is that this injury happened before the season even kicks off as opposed to late in the year like last year with so many of the White Sox pitchers.  It is important to note that the White Sox hired new trainers for this 2022 season.

The deal for Cueto is reportedly a $4.2 million deal and it’s an easy deal for Hahn to make with the hits that pitching staff has recently taken.  There is no reason to believe Cueto can’t contribute to a White Sox pitching staff that is arguably worse than last year.

With the recent additions of Josh Harrison, A.J,. Pollock, and backup catcher Reese McGuire from the Toronto Blue Jays, it is clear that pitching is now the most glaring hole on this team.  Cueto should definitely improve that as a 4th or 5th starter in the rotation immediately.

In his 2021 season with the Giants, Cueto made 21 starts and posted a 4.08 ERA. In 114.2 innings.  In those innings, Cueto posted 98 Ks and 30 BB, winning 7 gamee and losing 7.  Cueto is a two time all star.

In other pitching news, Lucas Giolito has once again been announced as the opening day starter for the ballclub.  It will be Giolito’s third straight opening day start for the White Sox.

Make sure to check out our WHITE SOX forum for the latest on the team.

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The Chicago Bulls wrap up the regular season on Sunday and are close to clinching a spot in the NBA’s Eastern Conference Playoffs. But the team hasn’t played as well as we’ve seen and have struggled down the stretch.

A big reason why is the loss of point guard Lonzo Ball. And now it appears as if Ball won’t be back anytime soon this season.  On Tuesday evening, Shams Charania tweeted the following update which is not good news for the Bulls:

Ball’s last appearance was against the Golden State Warriors on January 14th and his presence on the floor has been greatly missed. To this point, his rehab process has been tricky. Now, this setback has been the latest bad news delivered in Ball’s situation.

Head coach Billy Donovan told the media on Tuesday that Ball has been dealing with discomfort in the rehab process as he was ramping things up. That has led to them shutting things down with just a few games left to go.

The Bulls have another opportunity to clinch a top 6 seed with a win tonight against the Milwaukee Bucks. This matchup with the Bucks is only one of four games that the Bulls have remaining. Ball’s knee discomfort will likely cause him to miss this small remainder of regular-season games.

If the discomfort continues and the Bulls fail to make it deep into the playoffs, Chicago fans will likely have to wait until next season to see Lonzo Ball take the court. For now, Ayo Dosumnu, Alex Caruso, and Coby White will continue to hold down the point guard duties for the Bulls.

Make sure to check out our Bulls forum for the latest on the team.

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The Chicago Bulls aren’t really playing their best game of the season here on Tuesday night, falling behind by double digits to Milwaukee again. But they aren’t going down without a fight.

Well, sort of.

During the fourth quarter of Tuesday’s game against Milwaukee at the United Center, Nikola Vucevic fouled Grayson Allen across the head as he went up for a layup. The call was an offensive foul on the Bucks and then a dead ball technical foul on Vuc.

Watch the play below:

Why is this significant? Well, if you remember the first time these two teams met earlier in the season, Allen leveled Alex Caruso on a layup and became public enemy number one in Chicago.

Things could get real interesting if these two teams meet in the playoffs…

Make sure to check out our Bulls forum for the latest on the team.

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Free agency has officially died down for the Chicago Bears as GM Ryan Poles focuses on the NFL Draft happening in just three weeks. Now with two second round picks following the Khalil Mack trade with the Los Angeles Chargers, all eyes are on the new regime to see how they approach the draft following former GM Ryan Pace’s “get your guy at all costs” mentality. Will Poles follow suit and sneak back into the first round? Given the limited draft capital he’s working with thanks to Pace, the answer to that question is probably no. Here’s a look at some options the Bears should consider at picks 39 and 48.

Jalen Tolbert, WR, South Alabama

The wait for a big splash at wide receiver continues for the Bears as a couple smaller free agent signings are all the team has to hang its hat on thus far. Enter Tolbert, the Sun Belt Conference Offensive Player of the Year, who tallied 1,474 yards and eight touchdowns last year for South Alabama. The 6-foot-1 receiver is “dripping with NFL potential” according to NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein and brings some of the best route running the position has to offer in this rookie class.

Tyler Smith, T, Tulsa

Mean, nasty and athletic.

Those are three words (yes, we need two that are similar) to describe the big 6-foot-4, 325 pound prospect from Tulsa. Smith allowed a pressure on just two percent of all dropbacks over the course of his collegiate career, a stat that would have any offensive line-needy team drooling over. Poles has been all about the trenches and rebuilding what he has obviously seen as a weakness on the Bears’ roster. Drafting Smith would ensure a mean streaking tackle is protecting Justin Fields, which might be exactly what the front office is looking for.

Logan Hall, DT, Houston

A long-term solution at defensive tackle still eludes the Bears following their free agent physical woes with Larry Ogunjobi. Already towering at 6-foot-6 and 283 points, Hall may not be done fitting into his towering, powerful frame. The Houston product compiled 13.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks in 2021 en route to all conference honors. As to what lies ahead in his pro career, Hall has been projected as both a 3-4 defensive end and a 3-technique defensive tackle, the latter of which obviously fits the Bears’ new defensive scheme. His hand techniques and power could solve a major need for the Bears if he is on the board at pick 39.

Lewis Cine, S, Georgia

It’s still anyone’s guess who will be starting at safety in Week 1 for the Bears, so why not the national champion safety Lewis Cine? It’s very possible he may be gone as early as the late first round, but Poles may find himself running to the podium if the speedy safety is on the board when the Bears make their selection. Cine ran an NFL Combine 4.37 40-yard dash, showing off his athleticism to pair with his impressive highlight reel. An excellent tackler, the Georgia product isn’t afraid to crash the line of scrimmage and wreak havoc in all types of coverage whether it’s in pass or run situations. Cine could be a perfect fit to pair with Eddie Jackson, who can get back to focusing on free safety assignments if things fall in the Bears’ favor.

Arnold Ebiketie, Edge, Penn St.

The very pick the Bears acquired in letting go their best pass rusher in Khalil Mack, may very well bring in the guy who will replace him. Ebiketie is a unique prospect that carries an unknown ceiling due to his sudden rise after transferring from Temple to Penn State this last year. The increased level of competition was no problem for Ebiketie as he tallied 62 tackles, 9.5 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles for the Nittany Lions in 2021.

A lot of the redshirt senior’s traits boil down to his athleticism and explosiveness off the line. The pass rush specialist may be exactly what the Bears need across from Robert Quinn and striking fear in opposing offenses for years to come.

Make sure to check out our Bears forum for the latest on the team.

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The Chicago Bears have big needs at key positions like defensive back, wide receiver and offensive line among other spots come April’s draft. But would you be shocked if they looked to add another weapon to their offense?

Ahead of the draft in a few weeks, the Bears are doing their homework on an intriguing tight end that could help be a key piece in their offense. Maryland tight end Chigoziem Okonkwo posted on his Instagram story that he is at Halas Hall for one of the Bears Top 30 visits ahead of the process.

The 6-foot-2, 238-pound Okonkwo is a raw prospect with some intriguing traits in his game. He stole the show at the combine posting a 4.52 40-yard dash time at the NFL scouting combine, the fastest among tight end prospects.

While he has that speed and it showed at Maryland, Okonkwo will need to polish up his game at the next level including getting better in run blocking and pass blocking situations. He does have YAC ability but his hands aren’t the greatest in terms of catching passes, another area of his game he needs to work on.

Okonkwo could turn into a good piece for an offense and really could be a steal on Day 3 for a team. But will that team be the Bears?

Make sure to check out our Bears forum for the latest on the team.

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