Stafford expected to start the season opener

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford is expected to start the season opener against the Houston Texans, head coach Sean McVay told reporters Monday, including ESPN's Sarah Barshop.

Stafford has been dealing with an aggravated disc in his back during training camp. He returned to practice Aug. 18 after sitting out for multiple weeks and has been able to participate in individual and team drills leading up to Week 1.

The 37-year-old saw a back specialist for the injury in early August. However, McVay remained confident that the signal-caller would be ready for the season opener.

Trevor Story hits very strange HR

That's strange….. Boston Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story somehow beat Pesky's Pole to collect what might be one of the strangest home runs in baseball history. During the sixth inning of Monday's game against the Cleveland Guardians, Story lifted a fly ball to the right-field corner that deflected off Guardians right fielder Jhonkensy Noel's glove, the infamous foul pole, and a fan - in some order. Umpires initially ruled it a foul ball, but the Red Sox challenged and had the call overturned to a homer because it touched Noel first.

Braves claim Ha-Seong Kim off waivers

The Atlanta Braves claimed former Gold Glove infielder Ha-Seong Kim off waivers from the Tampa Bay Rays, they announced Monday.

By claiming Kim, Atlanta assumes the remainder of the two-year, $29-million contract he signed with the Rays this past winter. He's owed around $2 million over the final month of this season and holds a $16-million player option for 2026.

Kim was on the injured list with lower back inflammation at the time of the transaction, although he was originally expected to be activated and play for the Rays on Monday night, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.

Dodgers activate Michael Kopech

The Los Angeles Dodgers activated reliever Michael Kopech and infielder/outfielder Hyeseong Kim from the injured list on Monday.

Kopech returned after being sidelined for two months with a knee injury. The 29-year-old right-hander made seven rehab appearances with Triple-A Oklahoma City, allowing seven runs in 5 1/3 innings with five strikeouts and nine walks. He has thrown seven scoreless innings in eight appearances for the Dodgers this season.

Mariners promote Harry Ford

Top catching prospect Harry Ford was promoted to the major leagues on Monday by the Seattle Mariners as active rosters expanded to 28.

The 22-year-old hit .283 with 16 homers, 74 RBIs, seven steals, 74 walks and an .868 OPS in 97 games for Triple-A Tacoma. He was ranked the No. 40 prospect overall by MLB Pipeline and No. 4 in the organization.

Joey Ortiz returns to Brewers lineup

Milwaukee Brewers shortstop Joey Ortiz has returned from a short stint on the injured list after dealing with a strained left hamstring.

The Brewers recalled Ortiz from the injured list and also recalled right-handed reliever Craig Yoho from Triple-A Nashville before their Monday game against Philadelphia.

Ortiz, 27, was hitting .233 with a .284 on-base percentage, seven homers, 43 RBIs and 11 steals in 125 games when he went on the injured list Aug. 22. He batted .343 with an .830 OPS in the month of August.

Royals reinstate top prospect Caglianone

The Kansas City Royals reinstated top prospect Jac Caglianone from the injured list and promoted Carter Jensen, their second-ranked prospect, from Triple-A Omaha on Monday to build out their roster for the final month of the season.

The Royals also placed second baseman Jonathan India on the 10-day injured list with a sprained left wrist and recalled reliever Luinder Avila, a hard-throwing right-hander, from Omaha to provide some depth in the bullpen.

The Royals were off Monday before starting a three-game series against the Angels on Tuesday night. They began the day three games back of the Seattle Mariners for the final American League wild-card spot.

Marlins place Cabrera on injured list

The Miami Marlins placed right-hander Edward Cabrera on the 15-day injured list Monday with a right elbow sprain.

It isn't clear when Cabrera's elbow started bothering him or if he will return this season. He pitched just four innings in his last start on Aug. 30, allowing six runs (five earned) on eight hits against the New York Mets.

Cabrera was having a breakout year in his fifth season with the Marlins, with a 3.57 ERA and 140 strikeouts in a career-high 24 starts and 128 2/3 innings. He is 7-7.

AL MVP: Raleigh vs Judge

The final month of the 2025 MLB season is upon us and the American League MVP race is far from settled. In one corner, we have New York Yankees captain Aaron Judge searching for his third AL MVP. In the other, it's Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh, who's never finished in the top 10 of voting.

The betting odds are tight. Judge, who seemed like a slam dunk at the All-Star break, is the favorite at -240. Meanwhile, Raleigh sits at +170 amid an unprecedented offensive campaign for a catcher.

The margins should be razor-thin. Are we heading toward the first tie in MVP voting since Willie Stargell and Keith Hernandez shared the NL honor back in 1979?

Cowboys sign DaRon Bland to 4 Years

The Dallas Cowboys and cornerback DaRon Bland have agreed to a four-year extension worth $92 million, the team announced Sunday.

The contract includes $50 million guaranteed, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Bland's average annual value of $23 million per year makes him the sixth-highest-paid cornerback in the NFL.

Bland was entering the final year of his rookie deal.