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Former Stanford star Benjamin Yurosek, one of the top tight ends in the NCAA transfer portal, has committed to play at Georgia for the 2024 season, he told ESPN.

Yurosek caught 108 balls for 1,342 yards while starting the past three years at Stanford, including leading the Cardinal in receiving yards in 2021 with 658.

He was attracted to how Georgia uses the tight end position and to the competition level in the SEC.

“Obviously Georgia has the best of both worlds,” Yurosek said. “They have big-time football and the use of tight ends.”

Yurosek said the Georgia coaching staff pitched him on the versatility in the tight end position there, which All-American Brock Bowers highlighted resplendently in recent seasons. Bowers emerged as one of the best tight ends in college football and projects as a top-10 pick in the upcoming NFL draft.

Yurosek noted that Georgia used Bowers in the passing game, in blocking schemes and in running the ball, aspects highlighted in Yurosek’s recruitment by coach Kirby Smart, offensive coordinator Mike Bobo and tight ends coach Todd Hartley.

Yurosek played just six games in 2023, catching 16 passes for 239 yards, due to a shoulder injury that is not expected to impact him going forward. He also had 11 carries for 53 yards, and he noted that the Bulldogs used Bowers for the occasional handoff as well.

“I like to do everything the tight end can offer,” Yurosek said.

Yurosek said he is finishing up his degree from Stanford this quarter in science, technology and society. That will allow him to maximize his experience at Georgia, as he hopes to have a big season and emerge as a top NFL draft prospect.

After the 2022 season, Yurosek seriously considered going to the NFL draft. He finished second on the team that season with 49 catches and had 495 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns. That included a 10-catch performance against Arizona State that was the second-most catches in a game by a tight end in the David Shaw era, behind only Zach Ertz.

Yurosek returned with the idea of establishing himself as a top tight end in the sport in 2023, which the shoulder injury prevented him from doing. He is excited to prove himself against the top competition in the SEC and is expected to be fully healthy for the 2024 season.

Georgia’s tight end room includes Oscar Delp, a rising junior who was an ESPN 300 recruit and started 10 games for the Bulldogs last year, catching 24 balls.

Georgia has a history of using a lot of 12 personnel, which features two tight ends. In 2022, the Bulldogs used it 59% of the time, which was third-highest in the FBS, according to ESPN Stats & Information. That number dipped to 27% last year, in part because of Bowers’ injury.

“This year is going to be about my development in football and preparing myself for next steps for the future,” Yurosek said. “I’m going to make sure I get the most Georgia has to offer, but keep football the main priority.”

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Jays put Santander on IL with shoulder injury

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Jays put Santander on IL with shoulder injury

TORONTO — The Blue Jays put slugger Anthony Santander on the 10-day injured list Friday because of left shoulder inflammation and recalled outfielder Alan Roden from Triple-A Buffalo.

Santander is batting .179 with six home runs and 18 RBI in 50 games. The veteran switch hitter has missed a handful of games because of left hip and left shoulder soreness over the past three weeks.

Santander signed a $92.5 million, five-year contract with Toronto in January after eight seasons with Baltimore. He hit a career-best 44 home runs for the Orioles last season.

The outfielder had an MRI after Thursday’s 12-0 win over the Athletics, when he was 0 for 2 with two strikeouts and two walks, Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. The team was still determining whether the next steps would include a cortisone injection or rehabilitation, the manager said.

“I think it just got to the point to where it was bothering him,” Schneider said before Friday’s game against the Athletics. “You can’t really put the work that you want to put in volume-wise, and we just think it’s best for him right now.”

Roden rejoins the Blue Jays after batting .178 with one home run and five RBI in 28 games for Toronto earlier this season, his first in the majors. Roden hit .361 with three homers and 12 RBI in 18 games at Buffalo after being sent down May 7.

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Twins reinstate Buxton after 11-game absence

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Twins reinstate Buxton after 11-game absence

SEATTLE — The Minnesota Twins reinstated center fielder Byron Buxton from the seven-day concussion injured list Friday before beginning a three-game series in Seattle, two weeks after he collided with shortstop Carlos Correa in pursuit of a shallow fly ball.

Buxton missed 11 games after the collision, which also sent Correa into the concussion protocol. Correa needed only the minimum seven-day stay on the injured list and missed five games.

To make room for Buxton, outfielder Carson McCusker was sent back to Triple-A St. Paul. Buxton was batting .261 with an .834 OPS and 18 extra-base hits, including 10 homers, before he was hurt. He also had 33 runs, 27 RBIs and 8 steals in his first 41 games.

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Tigers place pitcher Jobe (elbow) on 15-day IL

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Tigers place pitcher Jobe (elbow) on 15-day IL

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Detroit Tigers placed pitcher Jackson Jobe on the 15-day injured list Friday because of a right elbow injury.

Jobe, a rookie right-hander, mentioned discomfort after leaving his last start, against San Francisco on Wednesday. The injury was described as a Grade 1 right flexor strain, and the move was retroactive to Thursday.

“He reported that he had a little bit of soreness,” Detroit manager AJ Hinch said before the MLB-leading Tigers opened a three-game series in Kansas City. “So we took him immediately to get evaluated. When the test came back and the doctors read it, they discovered this flexor strain.

“I try not to rush to any judgment until we see how his rest goes, and see how his rehab goes. We’ll listen to the doctors and the pitching coaches on that.”

The 22-year-old Jobe is 4-1 with a 4.22 ERA in 10 starts this season. He has 39 strikeouts and 27 walks in 49 innings.

Right-handed pitcher Dylan Smith was selected from Triple-A Toledo and will make his major league debut with the Tigers. To make room for Smith on the 40-man roster, right-hander Alex Cobb has been transferred to the 60-day injured list.

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