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MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin interim head coach Jim Leonhard said Thursday his players are still grieving the loss of former Badgers receiver Devin Chandler and believes it might keep some from being focused enough to play Saturday at Nebraska.

Chandler and Virginia teammates Lavel Davis Jr. and D’Sean Perry were returning from a class trip Sunday night when authorities say they were killed by a fellow student and former football player.

Chandler played for Wisconsin from 2020-21 before transferring to Virginia.

Leonhard said his players took the news hard, particularly those who were closest to Chandler.

“They got close because of football, right?” Leonhard said. “So every time they’re around football, it becomes fresh again, whether that’s sitting in a meeting and having thoughts about something that happened or hitting that field and bringing up a different memory.”

Leonhard says he doesn’t expect any players not to make the trip to Nebraska because they’re still mourning, but he wondered whether some would be emotionally ready to play in a game.

“You see a number of guys who are getting that energy back and kind of being able to focus a little bit more, and then you see another handful that still are really struggling,” Leonhard said. “We need to support them in every way we can and try to find out what the best role for them on game day is going to be and how to continue to support them every day going forward.”

Leonhard said the coaching staff has the task of “trying to find out who’s going to give us the best chance to win if the focus can’t be there, if they can’t kind of handle the emotions either of the day or kind of the moment.”

“It’s tough because I want our guys to understand those emotions are real and I’m not trying to make them eat them and move on,” Leonhard said. “We’d never ask them to do that. But at the same time, we have to prepare for a game, and we have to find a way to win on Saturday. I give them a lot of credit. They’ve been through a ton.”

Wisconsin’s players already dealt with the loss of former running backs coach Gary Brown earlier this year. Brown, who coached Wisconsin’s running backs last season, died April 10 at the age of 52 after stepping down from coaching for health-related reasons.

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Fired Moore in custody, suspect in alleged assault

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Fired Moore in custody, suspect in alleged assault

Sherrone Moore was in custody in the Washtenaw (Michigan) County Jail on Wednesday night as a suspect in an alleged assault, just hours after he was fired as Michigan’s football coach for having what the school said was an “inappropriate relationship with a staff member.”

Moore was initially detained by police in Saline, Michigan, on Wednesday and turned over to authorities in Pittsfield Township “for investigation into potential charges.”

Pittsfield police released a statement Wednesday night saying they responded at 4:10 p.m. to the 3000 block of Ann Arbor Saline Road “for the purposes of investigating an alleged assault. … A suspect in this case was taken into custody. This incident does not appear to be random in nature, and there appears to be no ongoing threat to the community.

“The suspect was lodged at the Washtenaw County Jail pending review of charges by the Washtenaw County Prosecutor,” the statement continued. “At this time, the investigation is ongoing. Given the nature of the allegations, the need to maintain the integrity of the investigation, and its current status at this time, we are prohibited from releasing additional details.”

Pittsfield police did not name the suspect in its statement.

Earlier, Saline police stated they “assisted in locating and detaining former University of Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore. Mr. Moore was turned over to the Pittsfield Township Police Department for investigation into potential charges.”

Michigan fired Moore on Wednesday following an investigation into his conduct with a staff member.

“U-M head football coach Sherrone Moore has been terminated, with cause, effective immediately,” the school said in a statement. “Following a University investigation, credible evidence was found that Coach Moore engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a staff member.”

Moore, 39, spent two seasons as Michigan’s coach, after serving as the team’s offensive coordinator.

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Braves sign vet OF Yastrzemski to 2-year deal

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Braves sign vet OF Yastrzemski to 2-year deal

ATLANTA — The Atlanta Braves signed veteran outfielder Mike Yastrzemski to a two-year deal Wednesday that includes a club option for 2028.

The 35-year-old Yastrzemski hit .233 with 17 home runs and 46 RBIs in 146 games last year between San Francisco and Kansas City.

Yastrzemski, who spent the first six-plus seasons of his career with the Giants before being sent to the Royals in July, will make $9 million in 2026 and $10 million in 2027. Atlanta holds a club option for 2028. Yastrzemski will make $7 million if the Braves pick up the option. He will receive a $4 million buyout if they do not.

The versatile Yastrzemski, the grandson of Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski, can play all three outfield positions and is a career .238 hitter. His best season came in the COVID-19-shortened 2020 campaign, when he batted .297 with 10 homers in 54 games and finished in the top 10 in NL MVP voting.

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Rule 5: Yanks pick Winquest, Rockies get Petit

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Rule 5: Yanks pick Winquest, Rockies get Petit

ORLANDO, Fla. — The New York Yankees made their first selection in a Rule 5 draft since 2011 on Wednesday, taking right-hander Cade Winquest from the St. Louis Cardinals.

Winquest was one of 13 players — and 12 right-handed pitchers — chosen in the major league portion of the draft.

The Rockies took RJ Petit, a 6-foot-8 reliever, with the first pick from the Detroit Tigers. Petit, 26, had a 2.44 ERA in 45 relief appearances and two starts between Double A and Triple A last season. The Minnesota Twins chose the only position player, selecting catcher Daniel Susac from the Athletics.

Clubs pay $100,000 to select a player and must keep him on the active major league roster for the entire following season unless he lands on the injured list. Players taken off the roster must be offered back to the former club for $50,000.

The 25-year-old Winquest recorded a 4.58 ERA with a 48% groundball rate in 106 innings across 25 games, including 23 starts, between Single A and Double A last season. He features a fastball that sits in the mid-90s and touches 98 mph plus a curveball, cutter and sweeper. He is expected to compete for a spot in the Yankees’ bullpen next season.

Right-hander Brad Meyers was the last player the Yankees had chosen in a Rule 5 draft. He suffered a right shoulder injury in spring training and was on the injured list for the entire 2012 season before he was offered back to the Washington Nationals. He never appeared in a major league game.

Also picked were right-hander Jedixson Paez (Colorado from Boston), right-hander Griff McGarry (Washington from Philadelphia), catcher Carter Baumler (Pittsburgh from Baltimore), right-hander Ryan Watson (Athletics from San Francisco), right-hander Matthew Pushard (St. Louis from Miami), right-hander Roddery Munoz (Houston from Cincinnati), right-hander Peyton Pallette (Cleveland from Chicago White Sox), right-hander Spencer Miles (Toronto from San Francisco), right-hander Zach McCambley (Philadelphia from Miami) and right-hander Alexander Alberto (White Sox from Tampa Bay).

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