Connect with us

Published

on

Georgia coach Kirby Smart wouldn’t offer a timeline Tuesday on Brock Bowers‘ potential return to the field after the All-American tight end underwent surgery on his left ankle a day earlier.

Smart, speaking to reporters after practice in Athens, Georgia, said his only concern is getting Bowers healthy after he had TightRope surgery to repair a high ankle sprain. The procedure involves using surgical thread instead of metal screws and is designed to accelerate recovery.

“You really think I’m going to answer that question?” Smart said when asked when Bowers might return. “I mean, is that all this is about? All y’all want to talk about is if he is going to be back or not. Like that is the furthest thing from my concern right now. My concern is this team and getting Brock Bowers healthy. To answer that question is speculative, and I’m not going to speculate.”

Dr. Norman Waldrop III performed the surgery at Andrews Sports Medicine in Birmingham, Alabama.

Bowers was starting his recovery Tuesday, and Smart said UGA director of sports medicine Ron Courson will work with Waldrop to plan Bowers’ rehab. The typical recovery time for a TightRope surgical procedure is four to six weeks, although some players have come back sooner and others later.

Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa had the surgery while at Alabama in 2018 and was out for a month; Tide offensive tackle Cam Robinson missed about two weeks after having the procedure in 2014. Wide receiver Cedric Tillman had the surgery while at Tennessee last year and missed four games.

“Philosophically, to get healthy, you need to get back moving that ankle as soon as you can, meaning get on it, get weight bearing and move around,” Smart said. “We’ve had guys going through this process, so Brock will take on that same rehab process. His surgeon and Ron will work together on that, and it won’t be done any different. The key is that we are trying to get him back healthy.

“There is no timeline for when he comes back to play. The timeline is when he’s healthy, and I don’t think you can put a timeline on it because historically there have been guys that came back really fast and there’ve been guys that came back really slow. Each one has been different.”

Smart said Bowers wanted to get the procedure done instead of waiting for the injured ankle to heal on its own. He was hurt in the first half of the No. 1 Bulldogs’ 37-20 victory at Vanderbilt on Saturday.

“Brock Bowers is great,” Smart said. “Brock Bowers is rock solid. He wanted to get the thing done as soon as he found out it had to be done. We were able to expedite that process. He’s looking everybody in the eye today and wishing he could be out there. He’s in great spirits. He’s got a great family. He’s got a great heart and he’s a warrior, so he’ll handle it the right way.”

Bowers, the No. 4 prospect on ESPN NFL draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr.’s latest Big Board, has been the focal point of Georgia’s offense this season. He leads the team with 41 catches for 567 yards and has four touchdowns. He had more than 100 receiving yards in three straight games before he was hurt against the Commodores.

The Bulldogs, the two-time defending national champions, have an open date this coming weekend before playing rival Florida in Jacksonville, Florida, on Oct. 28. Then they face three straight games against ranked opponents: No. 20 Missouri and No. 13 Ole Miss at home and No. 17 Tennessee on the road.

Getting Bowers back as quickly as possible would help Georgia’s chances of competing for another SEC championship and potentially a spot in the College Football Playoff. Sophomore Oscar Delp (13 receptions for 160 yards with two touchdowns) and freshmen Pearce Spurlin III (two catches for 29 yards) and Lawson Luckie are expected to play tight end in his absence.

“I know Brock is a hard worker, and he comes in and works his tail off every day, so he’s going to attack this like he attacks everything,” receiver Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint said.

Continue Reading

Sports

Cubs blow lead in 10-run 8th, storm back in thriller

Published

on

By

Cubs blow lead in 10-run 8th, storm back in thriller

CHICAGO — Kyle Tucker had the fans on their feet, roaring and pumping their fists as he rounded the bases after hitting the go-ahead two-run homer in the eighth inning. His screaming line drive cleared the right-field wall with plenty of room to spare.

The Chicago Cubs went from giving up 10 runs in the eighth to scoring six in the bottom half and beating the Arizona Diamondbacks 13-11 on Friday in one of the wildest games on record.

The two teams combined for 21 runs in the seventh and eighth innings, with the Cubs scoring 11 runs and the D-backs plating 10. It was the first nine-inning game in MLB history in which both teams scored 10 or more runs from the seventh inning on, and the third game overall, according to ESPN Research.

“That’s kind of baseball,” Tucker said. “There’s a lot of ups and downs in this game, especially with how many games we play.”

There haven’t been many games like this, though.

The Cubs are just the seventh team in at least the past 125 seasons to allow 10 or more runs in an inning and win. They are also the fifth team to give up 10 or more runs and score six or more in the same inning.

The 16 combined runs in the eighth were the most in an inning at Wrigley Field, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

“If you’ve seen that one, you’ve been around for a while,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said with a laugh. “It was crazy. You know, we gave up 10 runs in an inning and we won. So it was a wild game, but we kept going, and, you know, there’s 27 outs in a game and this kind of proves it, and you’re just happy to get out with a win.”

On a warm day with the ball carrying, Carson Kelly homered twice. Ian Happ belted a grand slam and Seiya Suzuki went deep, helping the Cubs open a weekend series on a winning note.

“You’ve seen it early — having some tough losses, coming back winning the next day,” Happ said. “Losing the first game of the series, winning the series. Little things like that. Today’s a great example of professional hitters going out there and continuing to have really good at-bats.”

The way things transpired in the final two innings was something to see.

Kelly hit a two-run homer in the second against Corbin Burnes, and Happ came through with his grand slam against Ryne Nelson as part of a five-run seventh. But just when it looked as if the Cubs were in control with a 7-1 lead, things took a wild turn in the eighth.

Eugenio Suarez cut it to 7-5 with a grand slam against Porter Hodge, Geraldo Perdomo singled in a run and Randal Grichuk put Arizona on top by one with a two-run double. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hit a three-run homer, making it 11-7.

The crowd of more than 39,000 let the Cubs hear it, but their team regrouped in the bottom half. Bryce Jarvis hit Nico Hoerner leading off and walked Pete Crow-Armstrong before Kelly drove a three-run homer to center. Tucker, the Cubs’ prized offseason addition, came through after Happ singled with one out. Suzuki followed with his drive against Joe Mantiply to give the Cubs a 13-11 lead.

Arizona, which had won five straight, became just the third team over the past 50 seasons to lose a game in which it had a 10-run inning at any point, according to ESPN Research.

“You just got to stay locked in,” Kelly said. “Obviously, you don’t want to … give up 10 in an inning. Obviously, you don’t want to do that. I think the biggest thing is coming back, regrouping and continuing to fight.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Continue Reading

Sports

Chisholm suspended 1 game for conduct, tweet

Published

on

By

Chisholm suspended 1 game for conduct, tweet

Major League Baseball suspended New York Yankees infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. for one game and fined him an undisclosed amount, the result of his actions during Thursday night’s win against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Chisholm was ejected in the seventh inning by plate umpire John Bacon for arguing after a called third strike on a full-count pitch from Mason Montgomery that appeared low.

Minutes later, he posted on his X account, “Not even f—ing close!!!!!” then deleted the post.

“I didn’t think before I had anything that I said was ejectable but after probably,” Chisholm said after the game. “I’m a competitor, so when I go out there and I feel like I’m right and you’re saying something to me that I think doesn’t make sense, I’m going to get fired up and be upset.

“I lost my emotions. I lost my cool. I got to be better than that. … I’m definitely mad at myself for losing my cool.”

Michael Hill, the league’s senior vice president for on-field operations, said Friday’s discipline was for Chisholm’s “conduct, including his violation of Major League Baseball’s Social Media Policy for Major League Players.”

MLB regulations ban the use of electronic devices during games. The social media policy prohibits “displaying or transmitting content that questions the impartiality of or otherwise denigrates a major league umpire.”

Chisholm did appeal the decision, allowing him to play in Friday night’s 1-0 win against the Rays. He started at second base and went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

Continue Reading

Sports

First-time father-to-be Ohtani away from Dodgers

Published

on

By

First-time father-to-be Ohtani away from Dodgers

ARLINGTON, Texas — Shohei Ohtani is away from the Los Angeles Dodgers for the birth of the two-way superstar’s first child.

Manager Dave Roberts said before the Dodgers’ series opener Friday night against the Rangers that Ohtani was with his wife and going on MLB’s paternity list.

“He and Mamiko are expecting at some point. That’s all I know,” Roberts said. “I don’t know when he’s going to come back and I don’t know when they’re going to have the baby, but obviously they’re together in anticipation.”

The 30-year-old Ohtani posted on his Instagram account in late December that he and his 28-year-old wife, a former professional basketball player from his native Japan, were expecting a baby in 2025.

“Can’t wait for the little rookie to join our family soon!” said the Dec. 28 post that included a photo showing the couple’s beloved dog, Decoy, as well as a pink ruffled onesie along with baby shoes and a sonogram that was covered by a baby emoji.

Ohtani can miss up to three games while on paternity leave. The Dodgers have a three-game series in Texas before an off day Monday, then play the Cubs in Chicago on Tuesday.

Continue Reading

Trending