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NEW YORK — The first-place Philadelphia Phillies made a couple of changes to their bullpen Tuesday, placing struggling reliever Jordan Romano on the 15-day injured list with finger inflammation and releasing fellow right-hander Joe Ross.

Both pitchers were ineffective Monday night late in a 13-3 loss to the New York Mets at Citi Field. Philadelphia recalled right-hander Daniel Robert and selected the contract of righty Lou Trivino from Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

Romano gave up a three-run homer to No. 9 batter Luis Torrens on Monday and was tagged for four runs on two hits and a walk in the seventh inning. He landed on the IL with inflammation in his right middle finger.

Phillies manager Rob Thomson said Romano has been dealing with the problem “for a while” and it could have contributed to his fluctuating velocity this season.

“I would think so,” Thomson said Tuesday. “I heard about it either yesterday or the day before. They thought they had it worked out. Just inflammation in that right middle finger. I’m sure it affects his grip. Who knows how long he’s had it? Didn’t say anything. He wants to pitch.”

A two-time All-Star in Toronto, the 32-year-old Romano signed with Philadelphia in December and began this year closing games for the Phillies. But he has struggled in his first season with the team, going 2-4 with an 8.23 ERA over 49 appearances. He has eight saves in 11 chances.

Ross, also 32, was 2-1 with a 5.12 ERA in 36 relief outings and one start covering 51 innings for the Phillies. He allowed three runs on three hits and a walk in the eighth inning Monday against the Mets.

“Really just performance more than anything,” Thomson explained. “Ross is a good man, good teammate, take the ball whenever. We wanted to get a look at Trivino.”

The 33-year-old Trivino signed with Philadelphia as a minor league free agent on Aug. 4. He struck out seven in seven scoreless innings with Lehigh Valley.

Trivino went 3-1 with a 4.42 ERA in 37 combined appearances with the Giants and Dodgers this season. He has also pitched for the Athletics and Yankees during a six-year major league career.

“He’s not going to be afraid, that’s for sure,” Thomson said. “Stuff’s good. Fastball’s 95, 96 (mph). Cutter, slider, curveball to lefties. He’s been throwing well. Same thing with Daniel — his last three outings have been clean.”

Robert, 30, had a 5.79 ERA with 12 strikeouts and eight walks in 12 relief appearances with the Phillies earlier this season. He came off the 15-day injured list Aug. 17 and was optioned to Triple-A.

Thomson said he would use both Trivino and Robert for multiple innings.

Philadelphia began the day with a six-game lead in the NL East over the Mets.

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Badgers QB Edwards exits with lower-body injury

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Badgers QB Edwards exits with lower-body injury

Wisconsin starting quarterback Billy Edwards Jr., a transfer from Maryland, was ruled out of Thursday’s 17-0 home win over Miami (Ohio) after leaving in the first half because of a lower-body injury.

Edwards was injured on a noncontact play in the second quarter after he handed off the ball and then started running. His left leg buckled and he fell to the turf. Edwards, 6-foot-3, 228 pounds, went into Wisconsin’s injury tent before walking to the locker room.

He was not in uniform on the Badgers’ sideline during the second half, and was replaced by Danny O’Neil, a transfer from San Diego State.

When asked about Edwards’ status after the game, Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell told the Big Ten Network: “Don’t know anything as of now, but he’s out here with us. That’s a good sign.”

Wisconsin made a significant offseason push for Edwards, who started 11 games for Maryland last fall and finished second in the Big Ten in passing yards average (261.9 ypg) and fourth in completions (273). He earned 2023 Music City Bowl MVP honors in leading Maryland to a win over Auburn.

Edwards began his college career at Wake Forest before transferring to Maryland in 2022.

In 2024, the Badgers lost quarterback Tyler Van Dyke, a transfer from Miami, because of a torn ACL against Alabama in Week 3.

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LSU’s Haulcy to serve first-half ban for ’24 fight

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LSU's Haulcy to serve first-half ban for '24 fight

LSU starting safety A.J. Haulcy will be suspended for the first half of Saturday’s game at No. 4 Clemson, the NCAA told ESPN on Thursday.

Haulcy, who transferred to LSU in May and was considered one of the top defensive players available in the portal, was suspended for a fight in his final regular-season game last year while playing for Houston.

The news came as a surprise to No. 9 LSU, as team officials were not informed of the suspension until Wednesday, sources told ESPN. The suspension leaves LSU without a key member of its secondary in a road game against Clemson’s Cade Klubnik, one of the country’s top quarterbacks.

Haulcy was ejected for his role in a fracas late in Houston’s 30-18 loss to BYU in November.

A few factors might have led to some of the ambiguity and confusion around the suspension. Haulcy was initially ejected for unsportsmanlike conduct, a penalty that wouldn’t generally yield a suspension. However, officials clarified after the game that Haulcy was ejected for fighting, which does result in a suspension.

Houston’s coaching staff was made aware of the classification of his ejection and the first-half suspension in December 2024 in a formal letter from the NCAA. According to sources, Haulcy says he was not informed.

Haulcy’s transfer to LSU in May also appears to have caused some communication issues on the suspension, though NCAA rules are clear that a suspension follows a player after a transfer and there is no appeal process.

Clemson finished No. 15 in the country in pass offense last season and returns Klubnik and a majority of its offensive weapons. LSU’s secondary was a weak spot last year, as the Tigers finished No. 76 nationally in pass defense.

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Source: 5-star Keys flips from LSU to Tennessee

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Source: 5-star Keys flips from LSU to Tennessee

Five-star pass catcher Tristen Keys, ESPN’s No. 2 wide receiver in the 2026 class, flipped his commitment from LSU to Tennessee on Thursday afternoon, a source told ESPN.

Keys, who is 6-foot-3 and 190 pounds, is the No. 10 prospect in the 2026 ESPN 300. He is the second-ranked member of the Vols’ 2026 class, trailing only five-star quarterback Faizon Brandon, ESPN’s No. 8 recruit this cycle.

Keys, who is from Hattiesburg, Mississippi, had verbally committed to the Tigers since March 19. However, he maintained an open recruitment throughout the summer, speaking with multiple programs during official visits to Auburn, Miami, Tennessee and Texas A&M. With Keys’ flip, LSU has lost a five-star wide receiver pledge in consecutive cycles, after Dakorien Moore‘s decommitment in 2025.

Keys headlines a stacked pass-catching class that the Vols are building around Brandon, ESPN’s No. 3 pocket passer prospect. Keys joins Salesi Moa (No. 35 overall), Tyreek King (No. 52) and Joel Wyatt (No. 66) as the program’s fourth top-100 wide receiver pledge in 2026. Tennessee ranked 15th in ESPN’s class rankings for the cycle prior to Keys’ flip.

Keys caught 58 passes for 1,275 yards and 14 touchdowns in his junior season last fall, guiding Hattiesburg (Miss.) High School to Mississippi’s 6A state title game. He later participated in the Under Armour All-America Game and the Polynesian Bowl earlier this year.

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