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NEW YORK — With the Mets‘ offense reeling after New York was swept by the Atlanta Braves, the absence of outfielder Starling Marte is a gaping hole in the lineup.

However, Mets manager Buck Showalter said Monday that Marte, who is dealing with a nondisplaced fracture of his right middle finger, will not return for the final three games of the regular season. Showalter did not rule out Marte returning on Friday, when the team could begin hosting a wild-card round.

“We’re looking at ways to manage the discomfort, trying to see if there’s some way,” Showalter said.

The Mets placed Marte on the injured list on Sept. 10. On Monday, Marte tried swinging a bat with two hands to test the finger. His attempt showed “little progress” and did not inspire confidence, Showalter said.

“We’ll see what the next few days bring,” Showalter said.

Marte was hitting .292/.347/.468, with 16 homers, 18 stolen bases and a 3.7 bWAR, before going on the injured list. While the Mets ranked fourth in baseball entering Monday in runs scored since Marte went on the injured list, the team has struggled to come through at the plate in key moments, including in a sweep by the Chicago Cubs in early September and a shutout last week against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Marte’s absence was particularly noticeable in the Mets’ three-game series against the Braves — in which they were outscored 14-7.

Showalter said the team is pressing right now in the wake of the sweep by Atlanta.

“I know how much they care, I know how much the fans care,” Showalter said. “You hate to disappoint people, it hurts.”

The one scenario in which the Mets can end their season with a National League East division title requires the Miami Marlins to sweep the Braves and the Mets to sweep the Washington Nationals. (The Nationals-Mets opener Monday night was postponed due to rain and will be made up in a doubleheader Tuesday.)

But until the Mets are mathematically eliminated from the division crown, Showalter would not engage in talk about a potential wild-card matchup.

“We’re hoping [the Braves] lose three and we win three,” Showalter said. “I ain’t giving in. I’ve got a lot of confidence in [Marlins manager] Don Mattingly.”

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San Jose State receiver Scudero to enter portal

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San Jose State receiver Scudero to enter portal

San Jose State wide receiver Danny Scudero, the leading receiver in FBS this season, will enter the NCAA transfer portal when it opens in January, he announced Friday.

The 5-foot-9, 174-pound redshirt sophomore caught 88 passes for 1,291 yards and 10 touchdowns in his first season with the Spartans, becoming a semifinal for the Biletnikoff Award and earning first-team All-Mountain West honors.

Scudero is expected to be one of the more coveted wide receivers available when the transfer portal officially opens on Jan. 2 and has two more seasons of eligibility remaining.

Scudero spent two years at Sacramento State before transferring to San Jose State after the 2024 season. He broke out with 189 receiving yards to open the season against Central Michigan and surpassed 100 yards in five more games, including a career-high 215 and two touchdowns against Hawaii.

Scudero’s 88 receptions ranked fourth-most in FBS, and he leads all receivers this season with 16 catches of 30 or more yards.

The Spartans produced the No. 14 passing offense in FBS this season but went 3-9 in their second year under coach Ken Niumatalolo.

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Kitchens out as OC after Heels offense slumps

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Kitchens out as OC after Heels offense slumps

North Carolina offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens and special teams coordinator Mike Priefer will not return next season, with the school announcing the departure of both assistants after a 4-8 season in Bill Belichick’s college coaching debut.

“We want to thank Coach Kitchens and Coach Priefer for their commitment and many contributions to our program and student-athletes,” Belichick said in a statement. “We wish them both nothing but the best in their future endeavors.”

North Carolina’s offense was one of the worst in the country, ranking 119th in the FBS in scoring (19.3 PPG) and 129th in total offense (288.8 YPG).

The Tar Heels had special teams issues coming down the stretch too, notably with Duke running a fake field goal to set up a late winning touchdown and NC State successfully running a fake punt for a first down the following week.

Kitchens, who served as Cleveland Browns coach in 2019, had been with the Tar Heels since 2023 and was the interim coach for their Fenway Bowl loss at the end of the 2024 season. Belichick was hired as the new head coach earlier that month.

Priefer was a longtime NFL special teams coach who followed Belichick to Chapel Hill but lasted just one season on the job.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Sources: Iowa St. QB Becht has shoulder surgery

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Sources: Iowa St. QB Becht has shoulder surgery

Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht underwent labrum surgery on his non-throwing shoulder Thursday, sources told ESPN’s Pete Thamel.

Becht played the majority of the season with a partial labrum tear and using a harness on the shoulder. He was diagnosed with the injury after the Cyclones’ loss to Cincinnati on Oct. 4. He also dealt with an AC sprain in his throwing shoulder late in the season, which he is recovering from.

Sources said Becht is expected to make a full recovery in the upcoming months as he weighs decisions about his future. The quarterback is expected to consider a return to Iowa State or entering the transfer portal.

Longtime Cyclones coach Matt Campbell left the school earlier this month to become Penn State‘s coach. The Cyclones hired Washington State‘s Jimmy Rogers as his replacement.

Becht, a junior this season, threw for 2,584 yards with 16 touchdowns and 9 interceptions. He has totaled 9,274 yards, 64 touchdowns and 27 interceptions in three-plus seasons at Iowa State.

Iowa State went 8-4 this season but opted not to play in a bowl game after Campbell’s departure.

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