U-M star CB Johnson expected out vs. Ohio State
-
Pete Thamel, ESPN
Michigan cornerback Will Johnson is not expected to play against Ohio State on Saturday, leaving the Wolverines without their top defensive back and the program’s highest-regarded NFL draft prospect.
Johnson has been battling a toe injury, and his absence had become expected as he continued to deal with the injury. ESPN reported Saturday that Johnson was unlikely to play this week, and that will come to fruition against No. 2 Ohio State.
Johnson hasn’t played since Oct. 19, when he left the Illinois game with the toe injury. He’s projected as the No. 2 overall player on Mel Kiper Jr.’s draft board, a rare high spot for a cornerback.
The loss of Johnson is not unexpected, but it still looms large. He returned two interceptions for touchdowns in 2024 before the injury, and his presence gave Michigan flexibility in their coverages because he’s such an effective defender.
Ohio State has the country’s No. 2 passing efficiency offense and No. 31 overall pass offense. It includes a talented wide receiver group, led by veteran Emeka Egbuka and star freshman Jeremiah Smith.
Johnson is a 6-foot-2, 202-pound corner who earned defensive MVP Honors in Michigan’s national title win against Washington last year. He finished 2023 with four interceptions and earned numerous All-American honors. He also was a consensus first-team All-Big Ten selection.
The possibility looms that not playing against the Buckeyes could mark the end of Johnson’s college career, if he elects to skip Michigan’s bowl game. Skipping bowl games is expected for elite prospects like Johnson, who is on track to be a Top-5 overall pick in the upcoming NFL draft.
For the first time since the turn of the century, MLB’s All-Star Game will be held in Atlanta — the first ever at Truist Park since its opening in 2017.
All-Star festivities begin July 11 and culminate in the Midsummer Classic on July 15, as the National League looks to gain just its second win since 2013 while the American League aims to extend its dominance.
Following the first phase of All-Star voting, we know the top overall vote-getters in each league — Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani — automatically earned the starting spot at their positions, outfield and designated hitter, respectively. Now, the starting lineups have been revealed, with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Detroit Tigers leading the way each with three starters, followed by the Chicago Cubs with two. Four players named as starters — Cal Raleigh, Jacob Wilson, Ryan O’Hearn and Pete Crow-Armstrong — are first-time All-Stars.
Stay tuned, as we’ll have everything you need to navigate All-Star Week — from event schedules and full rosters to All-Star Game analysis.
Vote for the All-Star starters: All-Star Ballot 2025
Latest news and analysis
How does MLB All-Star voting work?
2025 MLB All-Star roster predictions, biggest debates
Which slugger will win the HR Derby? Breaking down the field
All-Star schedule
(All times ET)
July 2: MLB All-Star starters reveal at 7 p.m. on ESPN
July 6: MLB All-Star full rosters announced at 5 p.m. on ESPN
July 11: HBCU Swingman Classic at 8 p.m. on MLB Network
July 13: MLB Draft at 6 p.m. on ESPN and MLB Network
July 14: MLB All-Star Celebrity Softball Game at 1 p.m. on MLB Network
July 14: MLB Home Run Derby at 8 p.m. on ESPN
July 15: All-Star Red Carpet Show at 2 p.m. on MLB Network
July 15: MLB All-Star Game at 7 p.m. on FOX
The Texas Rangers reinstated first baseman Jake Burger from the 10-day injured list before Wednesday night’s series finale against the visiting Baltimore Orioles.
Burger, 29, missed the Rangers’ past 10 games with a left oblique strain. He is batting .220 with 10 homers and 29 RBIs in 65 games this season, his first with Texas.
Burger is a career .246 hitter with 82 home runs and 214 RBIs in 409 games with the Chicago White Sox (2021-23), Miami Marlins (2023-24) and Rangers.
The Rangers optioned All-Star third baseman Josh Jung to Triple-A Round Rock in a corresponding move. Jung, 27, is batting .237 with eight homers and 35 RBIs in 75 games this season.
Jung is hitting .152 with one homer, eight RBIs and 13 strikeouts in his last 11 games.
Drafted No. 8 overall by Texas in 2019, Jung made the American League All-Star team in 2023 and is a career .252 hitter with 43 home runs and 135 RBIs in 269 games.
-
Sports3 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports1 year agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports2 years agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Sports2 years agoButton battles heat exhaustion in NASCAR debut
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike