The Chicago White Sox have run into a bit of a buzzsaw the last couple of nights, losing to the New York Yankees in a pair of blowout losses. However, they are still 38-34 on the season and are smack dab in the middle of playoff contention.

Because of how surprising the White Sox have been this year, they may ultimately end up crashing the MLB trade deadline.

Just about everyone anticipated that Chicago would be a midsummer seller, but things have changed. With the White Sox looking like favorites in the AL Central, they could ultimately try to bolster their roster for a postseason run, and they have the chips to do it.

Chicago’s farm system has become rather enviable over the last year, and it has impressive depth that it can use in significant trades.

With the White Sox in dire need of starting pitching, adding another rotation arm should be at the top of their priority list. ESPN’s Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel seem to believe that the South Siders will try to do just that, and they have identified a shocking potential target for them: Minnesota Twins ace Joe Ryan.

Chicago White Sox linked to blockbuster trade for Joe Ryan

Passan and McDaniel gave Ryan a 55 percent chance of being dealt, which should not come as much of a surprise with Ryan having just one year of club control remaining and the Twins certainly not resembling contenders.

But would Minnesota actually trade Ryan to a division rival?

Ryan has logged a 3.17 ERA this season, allowing 66 hits while racking up 92 strikeouts over 82.1 innings of work. He boasts a sparkling 0.996 WHIP, and his 5.75 K/BB ratio is genuinely elite. Not only that, but his 2.89 FIP indicates that he has actually gotten a bit unlucky in 2026.

The Twins could reap quite a haul for Ryan. They know this, which is why they will surely do everything in their power to send him out of the AL Central. They would probably even prefer to ship him out of the American League in general.

But if the White Sox were able to land Ryan, they would suddenly lay claim to a really impressive one-two punch of Ryan and Davis Martin at the top of their rotation with Sean Burke as a solid No. 3. It would absolutely increase their chances of a division title, and it would make them a relatively scary team in the playoffs.

It would truly be something if Chicago were able to pull this off, but it just doesn’t seem all that probable.

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Are the Chicago Cubs actually turning things around? After not winning as series for over a month, the Cubs have now won back-to-back three-game sets and may be starting to right themselves in the National League Wild Card race.

Yes, they beat two of the worst teams in baseball in the San Francisco Giants and Colorado Rockies, but at this point, Chicago will take wins any way it can get them.

The problem is that the Cubs are still in dire need of numerous additions if they want to make a serious playoff push and contend for a World Series. Their starting rotation is a disaster, their offense is maddeningly inconsistent and their bullpen could use some assistance, as well.

Chicago has until the Aug. 3 trade deadline to make some moves, and chances are, the Cubs will do something significant by then, whether it’s adding pieces or selling off some of their own players.

One player who also seems to hear his name floated in trade speculation is Matt Shaw, who has been enjoying a rather solid year as a super-utility man in 2026. On that note, ESPN’s Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel provided a rather surprising update on Shaw in a recent piece.

Chicago Cubs’ Matt Shaw named trade fit for surprising team

Passan and McDaniel gave Shaw a 40 percent chance of being dealt midsummer. Of course, the most likely scenario in the event of a Shaw trade would be the Cubs sending him to a fading team in exchange for an established player, which is what makes one of the potential fits named rather strange: the New York Yankees.

The Yankees were one of seven squads tabbed as a possible destinations for Shaw, which doesn’t seem to make a ton of sense.

In this case, Chicago would likely be selling. Why else would it trade Shaw to a contending team? New York might decide to look for an upgrade over Ryan McMahon at third base, so the idea of Shaw could intrigue the Yanks. But why would the Cubs sell off one of their top young players?

The Yankees certainly aren’t moving a veteran pitcher for Shaw. I suppose Ryan Weathers could be a possibility, but New York traded four prospects for him back in January. The chances of the Yankees then flipping him for Shaw seem rather slim.

Unless Chicago would actually want to sell Shaw and receive a couple of prospects itself, the chances of the Cubbies sending Shaw to the Bronx are slim to none.

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Sophie Cunningham showed out on Tuesday night, helping lead the Indiana Fever to an impressive 113-91 win over the Toronto Tempo.

On Saturday, Cunningham scored 11 points in the final two minutes of their win against the Connecticut Sun. She kept her foot on the gas on Tuesday with a season-high 24-point explosion against the Tempo.

The 6-foot-1 guard shot 8-of-11 overall and 6-of-7 from beyond the arc. Cunningham also added six rebounds and two assists in 24 minutes off the bench.

On Saturday against Connecticut, Cunningham knocked down three triples. She’s now up to nine threes in her last two games.

Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham shouts out Brittney Sykes

The Tempo lost veteran guard Brittney Sykes during the game. The 32-year-old suffered a non-contact foot injury in the third quarter and was helped off the court. Toronto later announced that Sykes had been ruled out for the rest of the contest.

Cunningham made sure to send a message to Sykes after the unfortunate turn of events.

“We also want to shout out Brittney Sykes, we’re praying for her,” Cunningham said. “Healthy vibes. We don’t really know what happens, but know our team is praying for her and wishing her well.”

#Fever guard Sophie Cunningham ended her presser with a shout out to #Tempo guard Brittney Sykes, who left the game in the third quarter due to a foot injury.

“We’re praying for healthy vibes. We don’t really know what happens, but know our team is praying for her …” pic.twitter.com/vGms7yQ57a

— James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) June 17, 2026

Cunningham was not asked about Sykes. The Fever star voluntarily brought up the injury as she closed out her interview, which speaks volumes about Cunningham’s compassion. Sykes may be on the opposing team, but this has not prevented Cunningham from sending her well wishes.

The 29-year-old veteran has been through her fair share of injuries throughout her career. Last season, Cunningham tore the MCL in her right knee, resulting in a devastating season-ending injury.

The Fever marked their fourth straight win on Tuesday, improving to 9-5. They will be looking to keep the hot streak going on Thursday when they host Angel Reese and the Atlanta Dream at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

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Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams makes a point of keeping fans connected to his world. 

The 24-year-old has spent the offseason putting in work ahead of the 2026 campaign. 

The 2022 Heisman Trophy winner has also made time to soak in every moment before the grind of the new season resumes. 

Williams has been showing up at music festivals and moving through the city with infectious energy. He recently attended the Lyrical Lemonade Summer Smash alongside teammate and close friend Colston Loveland. 

Williams later shared a carousel of recent adventures on Instagram. He kept it short with images of a clock and ice emojis. 

“🕰️🧊,” the caption read.

 

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A post shared by CALEB WILLIAMS (@ayeeecaleb)

Chicago Bears Teammates Show Love for Caleb Williams’ Adventures Off the Field

Williams’ post drew plenty of attention. Even his Bears teammates made their presence known in the comments. 

 The light banter illustrated the kind of chemistry that extends well beyond the practice field.

“I got yo six ♾️,” wide receiver Jahdae Walker answered.

“Trill,” Rome Odunze wrote.

“Gratitude!” Bears free agent signee Kyron Hudson wrote.

“Think about it grind hard now…when you look up you gonna be 49 years old you could do dinner somewhere remote 🤷🏾‍️keep going brotha !” John Jackson III said.

“1C8🚶🏾‍️” Malik Muhammad said.

“where she attt,” Kyle Monangai commented.

Williams’ emergence has breathed new life into a franchise that spent years searching for its answer at quarterback. 

The Bears won the NFC North at 11-6 in 2025, their first divisional title since 2018 and first playoff berth since 2020. Williams was at the center of it all. He threw for 3,942 yards, 27 touchdowns and just seven interceptions across 17 starts.

The talent was never in question. Williams’ ability to connect with teammates and the city of Chicago makes him an easy figure to root for. It is not hard to see why. 

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Sophie Cunningham and Caitlin Clark were recently involved in a friendly behind-the-scenes competition for the Indiana Fever. However, despite the light-hearted nature of the simple contest, it’s no surprise that the competitive juices started flowing.

The Fever posted a video on Instagram on Wednesday featuring the players participating in a hand-placement challenge. In it, the players are asked to stomp on the table with their hands, following the instructions on the paper.

It’s a simple game, but it can get challenging when speed is involved. It became even more difficult once the competitive nature of these professional basketball players started to show.

 

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Indiana Fever: Sophie Cunningham flexes win over Caitlin Clark

Cunningham and Clark were the first pair who battled at the start of the video. Both were locked in, but Cunningham made it abundantly clear that she wasn’t going to take it easy. She started teasing Clark, shouting “loser” as she pointed at the two-time WNBA All-Star.

Cunningham was hyped after she completed the challenge. She also had words for Clark after beating her teammate in the game.

“I WON,” Cunningham posted in her Instagram story, sharing a screenshot of her battle against Clark.

The 29-year-old doubled down on her victory by making the same “I won” comment on the Fever’s Instagram post. Needless to say, Cunningham was very proud of her victory.

Cunningham has been on a roll of late. She’s had back-to-back big-time performances for the Fever. On Tuesday, she dropped a season-high 24 points to help lead Indiana to a 113-91 win over the Toronto Tempo. This followed her scoring outburst against the Connecticut Sun on Saturday, where she scored 11 points in the final two minutes of the win.

Cunningham made sure to keep her hot streak going in the hand-placement challenge against her teammates.

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Chicago Bears wide receiver Luther Burden III gave young football campers a surprise they will never forget. His move involving Bears star quarterback Caleb Williams drew a reaction from the NFL.

Burden hosted the camp on May 30 at The Dome in Rosemont, Illinois, alongside Bears tight end Colston Loveland. The event gave local children a chance to train with the two Bears standouts.

The camp featured drills, competitions and game-day scenarios designed to improve participants’ technical skills. In one session, several kids asked Burden if he could call the famous Chicago quarterback on FaceTime.

The 22-year-old wide receiver agreed and placed the call. Williams answered immediately and greeted the starstruck campers. A video from the event showed the children erupting in celebration after seeing the 24-year-old quarterback.

NFL reacts to Bears WR Luther Burden III’s Caleb Williams camp moment

The NFL reacted to Burden’s gesture involving Williams by sharing the clip on social media.

“Luther Burden gave the kids a moment they’ll remember forever ️” the league wrote in the caption.

 

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A post shared by NFL (@nfl)

The surprise interaction quickly became one of the highlights of the camp. The brief call gave the young fans an unexpected connection with one of the NFL’s biggest stars. Williams’ massive popularity made the moment especially meaningful for the campers. 

Williams and Burden helped lead the Bears’ offensive turnaround last season. Their contributions drove Chicago to rebound from a 5-12 record in 2024 to finish 11-6 in 2025.

They also helped the team win its first NFC North title since 2018 and its first playoff game since 2011. Both players share a close bond on and off the field. They remain central to the Bears’ offensive plans for the upcoming season.

As the 2026 campaign nears, Williams and Burden are actively preparing through intense team workouts and minicamps. 

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The first-place Chicago White Sox have been one of baseball’s biggest surprises this season. Not only have they blown past preseason rebuilding expectations, but they’ve also proven their strong start was no fluke and appear poised to remain in the playoff conversation throughout the year.

As a result, several players have begun generating All-Star buzz, including first baseman Munetaka Murakami, third baseman Miguel Vargas, shortstop Colson Montgomery, and starting pitcher Davis Martin. With Phase one of MLB All-Star voting just over the half way point, here is where the position players rank as of June 15.

Four Chicago White Sox players in the hunt to be 2026 All-Stars

Despite being on the injured list with a hamstring strain since May 30, Murakami currently ranks third among all American League first baseman with 437,07 votes. He trails Ben Rice of the New York Yankees with 509,830 and Vladimir Guerrero Jr of the Toronto Blue Jays with 603,014 votes.

Miguel Vargas is in the same position in the third base standings with 329,208 votes. There is a further gap between him and the second and first place players however as Kazuma Okamoto of the Blue Jays has 556,172 votes and Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays has 625,520 votes.

At shortstop, Colson Montgomery holds the fourth most votes at 176,673. Bobby Witt Jr of the Kansas City Royals is leading this position by a wide margin, with 890,575 votes, while Andres Gimenez of the Blue Jays and Kevin McGongile trail him with 354,651 and 266,239 votes respectively.

In order to advance to phase 2 of MLB All-Star voting, these White Sox position players have to be in at least second place. This means there is some work for each to do in order to keep their mid summer classic aspirations alive. Phase 1 of voting ends on June 25.

As a reminder, pitchers are not voted in by the fans. Rather, player votes and commissioner selection is how they are selected. With how dominant Davis Martin has been this year, it’s hard to image he won’t be selected.

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Caleb Williams’ heroics led to an incredible 2025 season for the Chicago Bears. The second-year quarterback took it to another level last season, resulting in one of the Bears’ best seasons in recent memory.

Williams led Chicago to an 11-6 record, the NFC North title and a Divisional Round berth. The former Heisman Trophy winner registered 330-of-568 completed passes for 3,942 yards, 27 touchdowns and just seven interceptions.

Williams, of course, did not do it all on his own. He had a lot of weapons on offense and a formidable offensive line under first-year head coach Ben Johnson. Chicago’s much-improved defense was also pivotal in the team’s success in 2025.

The Bears front office knows full well that Williams’ success will be heavily dependent on the people he has around him. This is exactly why they have been working hard in the offseason to surround their cornerstone quarterback with the right pieces.

Chicago brought in veteran wide receiver Kalif Raymond in free agency. Apart from what he does on the field, the 31-year-old is also expected to play a leadership role on the squad. At this point in the offseason, Raymond is already performing that role to perfection.

Caleb Williams gets wake-up call from new Chicago Bears teammate

Williams recently opened up about a key interaction with Raymond at practice. It served as a wake-up call for the 24-year-old QB.

“I wasn’t having the best practice. So, I got really frustrated,” Williams said, via Bears Wire. “Kalif came up to me and said, ‘You know everybody’s looking at you.’ That really resonated for me. Because that’s been something that from my first year to now that I want to be as stoic as possible. Good, bad, or indifferent, not be too high or too low for the guys.

“So when he said that to me, it stuck with me and it bothered me. Just every day having that type of mindset, be as stoic as possible, be as strong as possible for the guys because they’re looking at me. It takes a lot to do that because the passion and the energy in the sport is so strong. But it’s important to me, it’s important to guys, it’s important to coach.”

The way Williams reacted also speaks volumes about the young man’s mindset. He took Raymond’s message to heart, knowing that apart from his play on the field, his teammates are also watching his every move closely.

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Sophie Cunningham has been very supportive of Indiana Fever rookie Raven Johnson’s transition into the WNBA. Cunningham is a veteran leader on the squad, and she’s done what she can to help the young guard acclimate to life in the pros.

Johnson has played quality minutes off the bench for head coach Stephanie White. In 14 games played thus far, the former South Carolina Gamecocks star has averaged 4.4 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 13.1 minutes per game. Johnson, the reigning SEC Defensive Player of the Year, has also excelled on the defensive side of the ball.

Despite Johnson’s considerable progress, however, Cunningham knows full well that she has no chance of challenging Olivia Miles of the Minnesota Lynx for the Rookie of the Year title.

Indiana Fever: Sophie Cunningham picks Olivia Miles for Rookie of the Year

The WNBA season hasn’t even reached the halfway mark, but already, Cunningham has her pick for this season’s Rookie of the Year. That honor belongs to Miles, who the Lynx scooped up as the No. 2 overall pick of the 2026 WNBA Draft.

On Monday’s episode of her “Show Me Something” podcast, Cunningham made it very clear why she believes Miles will bring home the ROTY trophy.

“She’s going to get Rookie of the Year,” Cunningham declared. “… She is a beast. Olivia Miles is a baller.

“… She just has the wiggle of a guy. She is so good. Her passing, her shooting, her court vision—she is good. Good, good. I like her.”

Cunningham also stated that she doesn’t mind praising her opponents, especially in the case of Miles.

“I know people think it’s weird when you compliment other people in our league because you have to play against them,” the Fever star continued. “But give this girl her flowers. She is a freaking beast. I’m a fan.

“… Our sport is always just about going against each other. But I think it is cool to give people their flowers. Olivia 100 percent deserves it because she is putting the whole league on notice right now. Huge fan.”

 

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Cunningham and the Fever have not had the chance to play against Miles and the Lynx this season. Their first matchup is scheduled for August 2, when Indiana travels to Minnesota to face the Lynx.

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The Chicago Cubs had a streaky start to the 2026 season. Within their first 40 games, they had two separate 10 game winning streaks, only to lose 10 consecutive from the middle to the end of May. Now, nearing the halfway point in the season, they find themselves a few games over .500, third in the National League Central, and fighting to get back into a better position to be contenders for a post season spot.

From an individual player standpoint, shortstop Dansby Swanson has had a similar type of season. He put on a great display of power during the month of April, hitting six home runs, while being productive and driving in 21 batters. From there, the wheels have fallen off, as he hit for just a .151 batting average during the month of May and .132 so far in June, failing to positively contribute at the plate.

Overall, Swanson now finds himself with just a .175 batting average overall. Courtesy of Silvy on the social media platform X, this is the lowest batting average of any position player with at least 265 plate appearances in the modern era. Despite these struggles, president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer has no desire to make an adjustment.

In the modern era of #Cubs baseball, Dansby Swanson’s .176 batting average is the worst of any position player with at least 265 plate appearances.

There are two players who hit worse in the 1800s.

The Cubs continue to let him play. @Stathead pic.twitter.com/2AQhTWA6ss

— Silvy (@WaddleandSilvy) June 16, 2026

Dansby Swanson will continue to be the Chicago Cubs shortstop despite historic struggles offensively

Swanson, who is in the middle of a seven year, $177 million deal signed back in December of 2022, will continue to be the starting shortstop for the Cubs, per Jed Hoyer. Jesse Rogers of ESPN reported that Hoyer said, “We can’t run away from our run prevention when we struggle offensively.”

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With a surprising start to the season, the Chicago White Sox are expected to be aggressive before the trade deadline on Aug. 3.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today and Jon Hayman of the MLB Network expect the White Sox to go after pitching help at the deadline, especially for a starting pitcher who can help a rotation that has a chance to play extra baseball in the playoffs after two miserable seasons.

Before taking on the New York Yankee on Wednesday, the White Sox have a 38-33 record, and are tied with the Cleveland Guardians for first place in the American League Central.

One pitcher for the White Sox to keep their eyes on is New York Mets right-handed pitcher Freddy Peralta. Per ESPN, there is a 90 percent chance the Mets trade Peralta this season. Despite having the MLB’s second-highest payroll, New York is in the dumps with a 33-41 record, the worst in the National League East.

More News: White Sox planning ‘aggressive’ trade: Report

Chicago White Sox: Freddy Peralta would be a cheap addition

More News:  Chicago White Sox considering top prospect for MLB debut

Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan of ESPN noted that Peralta is only making $8 million this season, which would be an “attractive” number for a low-payroll team. (Like the White Sox.)

Peralta is making $8 million this season, an awfully attractive figure for low-payroll teams. While he’s off to a slow start this spring with a 5-5 record and ERA of 3.90, he has plenty in the tank for a team wanting to make a postseason run.

“(Peralta) just turned 30, has below-average fastball velocity and is listed at 6 feet tall and 198 pounds,” they wrote. “So, it’s good to know that he doesn’t succeed due to pure velocity, because he’ll need angles and command in his favor even more going forward.”

The offense has been powering the White Sox through this spring. Per evanalytics.com, Chicago’s rotation ranks 29th with a 4.69 ERA, only better than the Colorado Rockies. For the White Sox to become a legit contender, the pitching must be better in the second half of the season.

For More Chicago Sports:

Follow me on Twitter at @JordanSig, and follow us @ChiCitySports23. You can also reach out to Jordan Sigler via email at jordanmsigler@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in ALL of Chicago sports, click here! Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Cubs, For more on the NCAA, head to Newsweek Sports.Chicago White Sox, Chicago Blackhawks

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The Chicago Cubs might be, finally, at the end of their pitching rope.

More News: Chicago Cubs: Edward Cabrera’s “cramp” may be an ominous red flag

Tuesday was a disastrous day for the team, not just because they lost 5-2 to the MLB-worst Colorado Rockies at Wrigley Field. Before the game, it was announced that closer Daniel Palencia would be going on the 15-day IL due to right elbow inflammation. Then, starter Edward Cabrera left the game in the fifth inning, suffering from something the Cubs called a “hand cramp.”

Palencia and Cabrera represent two more subtractions from a pitching staff already decimated by injury.

The Cubs’ pitching disaster

More News: Chicago Cubs: Jed Hoyer under immense pressure to address team needs, per insider

All told, the Cubs have lost the following pitchers for either the remainder of the season or for an extended period of time during the season: Cade Horton, Matthew Boyd, Jameson Taillon, Hunter Harvey, Phil Maton, Caleb Thielbar, Riley Martin, Ethan Roberts, Palencia, and Cabrera. They’ve also lost out on the return of ace Justin Steele, who suffered a setback in his recovery from last year’s elbow surgery and now may not pitch at full capacity until next season.

In the offseason, Chicago had the foresight to stockpile pitchers on minor league deals for emergency depth—and they’ve already eaten through that reserve. Pickups Ryan Rolison and Trent Thornton are currently on the 26-man roster, but the team has also used Corbin Martin, Charlie Barnes, Vince Velasquez, and Yacksel Rios, among others, to fill emergency pitching spots so far this season.

The worse part of this mess is that there’s no cavalry riding in to save the day. With the reserves depleted and a limited Triple-A, the team will have to go with what they have and hope for the best.

Matthew Boyd coming back after one more rehab outing in the minors is a positive, but that’s a small ray of sunshine inside of a dark, dark storm cloud. Plus, there’s no guarantee that the oft-injured lefty will be good to go as hoped.

Hoyer speaks

Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer doesn’t offer much hope when it comes to bringing anyone meaningful into the mix until the August 3 trade deadline—and, even then, he’s not exuding confidence that the team can bring in anyone big.

“We went into the season feeling like we had real numbers,” Hoyer told media. “Injuries are part of the game. They’re part of the challenge. Some seasons, you maybe skate through a little bit. And some seasons, you don’t. We haven’t. But we have to fight through it and find different ways and be creative.”

“The rotation’s kind of doing what it can,” he added. “Yes, external rotation additions are a possibility. Not as much now as they are later. But yeah, that part of our team struggling is something I think, honestly, it’s kind of logical given what we’re missing. I think some guys have stepped up, but we’re going to need more of that.”

In the meantime, as the pitching misfortune piles up, the Cubs’ chances of making a deep playoff run get more and more remote.

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The Chicago Cubs have taken one injury-related gut punch after another this season—and the barrage of blows doesn’t seem to be slowing down.

More News: Chicago Cubs: Jed Hoyer under immense pressure to address team needs, per insider

On Tuesday, not long after the Cubs placed closer Daniel Palencia on the 15-day IL with right elbow inflammation, starter Edward Cabrera had to be pulled from the game in the fifth inning with something the team called a “hand cramp.”

Cabrera was cruising for the first three innings of his outing against the Rockies at Wrigley Field, putting down nine in a row. Then he allowed three runs in a rough fourth inning. In the fifth, he walked the first two batters, struck out the next, but then had to leave the game. The Cubs would go on to lose 5-2.

Cabrera, Counsell comment

More News: Chicago Cubs reveal plans for injured Justin Steele and Matthew Boyd

“It was just a cramp that I felt,” Cabrera said via interpreter. “I felt it in the fifth. I threw a changeup and then after that, [catcher Miguel Amaya] asked for another changeup and I was like, ‘Oh, wait. No.’ I was scared, but it was just a cramp.”

As of right now, the Cubs are treating the injury as just that—a cramp—after scans showed no physical issues.

“All things considered, he’s good,” manager Craig Counsell told reporters after the game. “It’s a cramp, right now, as far as we can tell. All the other tests are clean and negative…There’s no other concerns.”

It’s still not known whether the issue will cost Cabrera any starts.

But the larger concern after an ugly Tuesday is the apparent full-on collapse of the team’s pitching staff and the lack of reserves available to help bail them out.

The team actually began the year practically overflowing with pitching depth after acquiring Cabrera in a trade with the Miami Marlins, signing four veteran free agent relievers, and anticipating the return of injured ace Justin Steele some time in the first half of the season. They also stockpiled a number of reserve arms on minor league deals over the offseason for insurance.

But injuries have eaten through the reserves, with Cade Horton’s season-ending elbow surgery, Matthew Boyd’s two stints on the IL, Palencia’s two stints on the IL, Jameson Taillon’s current hamstring injury, and Justin Steele’s recovery setback, among others.

Cabrera, himself, has already had an IL stint of about two weeks due to a blister and he may or may not be headed to a second stay on the IL.

A red flag?

An ominous bad vibe from this latest Cabrera issue, though, centers around the mental makeup of the 28-year-old righty.

Observers have started to notice a correlation between bad outings and the injury issues that seems to pop up afterwards or, at the very least, an inability to right the ship when it starts taking water.

Per Jordan Campbell of Cubbies Crib:

“If there’s been a trend throughout Cabrera’s 13 starts with the Cubs, it’s what when things go wrong or he realizes he doesn’t have it, he comes a lost cause. That’s clear when you look at his ERA of 5.21, and even more so with his FIP of 5.15.

The impression is that Cabrera is a pitcher that needs to not only feel 100% physically, but also mentally with his pitch-mix. If he doesn’t, the results aren’t going to be there. Now, that’s not a bad thing, as the general goal is for a pitcher to be healthy, but there’s also a hope that they can work through some things. It doesn’t appear Cabrera has that trait, and could be one reason why he never quite becomes the ace the Cubs once thought he could be.”

That’s a big issue that will limit just how much the Cubs can expect from Cabrera throughout his run with the team. It’s an even bigger issue this season when injuries are decimating the staff and there’s zero margin for poor performance.

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The Chicago Blackhawks have missed the playoffs six years in a row and finished last in the Central Division this season, but they may not be as far as you might believe.

The Blackhawks are teeming with young talent, a group led by Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar that also contains a bunch of impressive young defensemen. Not only that, but Chicago is loaded with draft capital heading into the offseason, and it also lays claim to a fair chunk of cap space.

There is a possibility that the Blackhawks take a major step forward this summer, and it starts with the NHL Draft next weekend.

Chicago owns the No. 4 overall pick, and while the hope is that the Blackhawks can land Swedish winger Ivar Stenberg, who could comprise a fantastic long-term duo with Bedard, there is no guarantee that Stenberg will fall to them.

However, Chicago seems determined to land Stenberg, and Scott Powers of The Athletic has reported that a trade is possible.

Chicago Blackhawks could trade up for Ivar Stenberg

In the event that it doesn’t look like Stenberg will slide, Powers feels that general manager Kyle Davidson may pull out all the stops to bring Stenberg to the Windy City.

“There is a chance Ivar Stenberg will fall to the Blackhawks at No. 4. The Blackhawks don’t seem to be that confident in that, but others are. But even if that is a possibility, Blackhawks fans aren’t going to blame Davidson if he’s overly aggressive and gives up too much, at least on paper, while trying to acquire the Sharks’ No. 2 pick to ensure he can select Stenberg,” Powers wrote. “Outside of Gavin McKenna, there’s not another player who fits what the Blackhawks could use more than Stenberg.”

The general expectation is that the Toronto Maple Leafs will select McKenna No. 1 overall. San Jose will likely choose a defenseman like Chase Reid, but the Sharks had dinner with Stenberg at the Scouting Combine in Buffalo, so they are at least flirting with the idea of taking him.

As for the Vancouver Canucks at No. 3? They just hired Manny Malhotra as their head coach, so they may very well select his son, Caleb Malhotra.

That would leave Stenberg for Chicago, but clearly, the Blackhawks feel that the 18-year-old could ultimately go a spot or two ahead of them. They have draft capital to spend, so it wouldn’t be shocking if they put together a significant package to move up for Stenberg, which would certainly satisfy Bedard.

The post Blackhawks considering massive NHL Draft trade to appease Connor Bedard appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Bulls are expected to be one of the most active teams in the NBA this offseason, as they own a ton of cap space and can afford to spend in free agency.

The Bulls need a whole lot of help up and down their roster, but new top executive Bryson Graham has made it clear that he would like to improve the defense. That should start on the interior, where Chicago is very thin.

There will be some very intriguing big men available on the open market once free agency begins in July. Jaren Duren has been linked to the Bulls frequently, but he actually isn’t the greatest defender and might also land north of $40 million annually. Mitchell Robinson is great, but word on the street is he’ll be returning to the New York Knicks.

So who else can Chicago pursue to bolster its frontcourt?

Well, Jack Simone of Pippen Ain’t Easy has floated a compelling target, and it’s someone with whom new head coach Tiago Splitter is very familiar: Robert Williams III.

Chicago Bulls urged to pursue Robert Williams III

Williams would be an incredibly risky pickup given his extensive injury history. Since entering the league with the Boston Celtics in 2018-19, Williams has never played a full season. In fact, he topped out at 61 games during the 2021-22 campaign.

This past season, the 28-year-old appeared in 59 contests with the Portland Trail Blazers, but Simone feels that Williams could still be of significant help to the Bulls.

“For the Bulls, they would be bringing in a guy with a ton of defensive upside who is familiar with their new head coach. A guy who plays a position that they desperately need to improve,” Simone wrote. “And if the Bulls take North Carolina’s Caleb Wilson with the No. 4 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, they could roll out an elite defensive frontcourt of him and Williams.”

Williams made Second-Team All-Defense back in 2021-22 and even finished seventh in Defensive Player of the Year voting that season. When healthy, he is a major difference-maker on that end of the floor. But that’s just the thing: will he actually be able to avoid injury?

The Celtics traded Williams to the Blazers during the summer of 2023. He proceeded to play in a grand total of 85 games across three years in Portland, which is beyond concerning. He managed to average 6.7 points, seven rebounds and 1.5 blocks over 17.1 minutes per game this past season, but can the Bulls actually count on him not missing most of the campaign?

Williams would be an interesting addition for sure, but Chicago simply would not be able to bank on a clean bill of health from him.

The post Chicago Bulls connected to incredibly risky move for All-NBA defender appeared first on ChiCitySports.

Earlier in the offseason, the Chicago Bears had been tabbed as a potential trade destination for Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby. Crosby was then dealt to the Baltimore Ravens, but the Ravens backed out of the trade and ultimately signed Trey Hendrickson.

That re-opened the door for Crosby to be sent elsewhere, but all has been quiet on the trade front since then.

But could Crosby hit the trade block once again, and could the Bears get involved?

Hondo Carpenter of Raiders On SI didn’t go as far to name any possible landing spots, but he isn’t entirely ruling out a Crosby trade, noting that “with the interest there to the extent it is, it makes it a viable potential subject.”

Crosby signed a three-year, $106.5 million extension with Las Vegas in March 2025, a deal that runs through 2029. However, there have been rumblings that both sides may want to go in a different direction, so perhaps Chicago could make a push for the superstar pass rusher?

Chicago Bears could still trade for Maxx Crosby

The Bears didn’t seem to be overly aggressive in the Crosby sweepstakes months ago, but with the team starving for pass-rushing help even after free agency and the NFL Draft, that could change between now and Week 1.

Chicago has Montez Sweat and not a whole lot else on the edge. Dayo Odeyingbo managed just one sack in eight games last season before tearing his Achilles, and while Austin Booker managed 4.5 sacks in 10 contests, he is still largely unproven.

Enter Crosby, who racked up 73 tackles and 10 sacks in 15 games last year and has made five straight trips to the Pro Bowl. He did undergo knee surgery back in January, which was apparently what caused Baltimore to renege on the initial trade. However, Crosby expects to be ready for training camp next month.

The Bears would definitely have to part with significant draft capital to pry Crosby away from Vegas. The Ravens had sent two first-round picks to the Raiders in that aforementioned trade package, so Chicago would probably have to pay a similar price.

Would the Bears be willing to surrender such valuable assets for Crosby? Expect trade speculation to heat up in the coming weeks.

The post Chicago Bears’ superstar trade rumors could take yet another twist appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago White Sox may have gotten hammered by the New York Yankees on Tuesday night, but that doesn’t change the fact that they have still been one of the best stories in baseball this season and are smack dab in the middle of the American League playoff picture.

The White Sox are in first place in the AL Central and have gone 32-18 since April 17, representing the best record in the American League during that time.

However, it’s clear that Chicago could still use some help, and it may look to buy some pieces between now and the MLB trade deadline.

No one expected the White Sox to actually be adding players heading into the campaign. Everyone assumed they would be sellers. But they are playing well above expectations, so they could try to swing some deals. But how aggressive will they actually be?

Bleacher Report’s Zachary D. Rymer has pitched a wild trade idea for Chicago, naming the South Siders a landing spot for San Francisco Giants slugger Rafael Devers.

Chicago White Sox linked to wild Rafael Devers trade

The White Sox could absolutely stand to add some more lineup depth, and that’s even more relevant with Munetaka Murakami sidelined due to a hamstring injury.

The Giants would surely love to get out from under Devers’ contract, a 10-year, $313.5 million pact he signed with the Boston Red Sox back in 2023. The deal runs through 2033, and San Francisco is not exactly getting the best returns on it after acquiring the 29-year-old via trade last season.

Devers leads the majors with 21 doubles this year, but he is slashing just .235/.293/.413 with nine home runs and 33 RBI over 307 plate appearances in what has been the worst showing of his big-league career. Would Chicago — which owns one of the lowest payrolls in all of baseball — really be willing to absorb Devers’ contract for that production?

To be fair, the lefty slugger smash 35 homers to go along with an .851 OPS in 2025, and he has historically been a terrific hitter, boasting a lifetime .273/.346/.501 slash line. He would also obviously cost very little in terms of prospect capital. In fact, the Giants may be willing to send a prospect or two to the White Sox just to dump his salary.

But is this a move that Chicago would realistically make? It just doesn’t seem very likely unless San Francisco is willing to eat a good portion of Devers’ deal. And even then, it really isn’t all that probable.

The post White Sox connected to unexpected $313 million trade amid wild season appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Cubs need all sorts of help right now, but their most pressing area of weakness is absolutely their starting rotation.

The Cubs have had one of the worst pitching staffs in all of baseball this season, and it’s becoming more and more clear that their offseason trade for Edward Cabrera was a bust. They don’t have an ace at the moment, and to be quite frank, they don’t have a single truly reliable starter.

If Chicago wants to make a serious playoff push, it will have to add at least one arm before the MLB trade deadline, and preferably one that can headline the rotation — or at least come close to doing so.

The good news for the Cubs is that there should be plenty of serviceable pitchers available between now and Aug. 3, so they should have ample opportunities to swing some deals. Sandy Alcantara, Freddy Peralta, Robbie Ray and others have all been floated as possibilities for Chicago, so Jed Hoyer could land a big name.

But Bleacher Report’s Zachary D. Rymer has linked the Cubbies to a much less desirable option: San Francisco Giants pitcher Adrian Houser.

Chicago Cubs connected to puzzling trade for Adrian Houser

The Cubs need pitching any way they can get, and the Giants may be placing several hurlers on the trade block in the coming weeks.

While Ray and Logan Webb would comprise much more enticing options, Rymer actually named Chicago as the best fit for Houser.

“Adrian Houser is having a rough season in part because he’s not getting ground balls as often. A team could hope that he would again upon getting a change of scenery, as he’s still using a sinker-changeup combo that is geared for grounders,” Rymer wrote. “If so, the Cubs are the best place for him simply on account of their infield defense, which leads MLB with +19 Outs Above Average. While he isn’t the starter their fans want, at least he’s a starter.”

Houser signed a two-year, $22 million contract with San Francisco in free agency and has not lived up to expectations, laying claim to a 5.54 ERA and 1.538 WHIP through 13 starts. The problem is that it hasn’t just been a lack of ground balls that has afflicted the right-hander.

Houser is allowing a barrel rate of 9.7 percent and a hard-hit rate of 43.4 percent. His K/BB ratio is also a pitiful 1.92.

The 33-year-old owns a lifetime 4.18 ERA and 1.375 WHIP, so he has never been a top-of-the-line arm. Chicago may way to look elsewhere if it truly wants to improve its rotation rather than adding a fading veteran who was never all that good to begin with.

The post Cubs linked to puzzling $22 million trade to fix glaring problem appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Indiana Fever made it four wins in a row on Tuesday night after a convincing 113-91 victory over the Toronto Tempo.

The Fever were coming off an impressive 85-75 road win against the Connecticut Sun on Saturday. They returned home to Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Tuesday to host one of the new WNBA expansion teams this season. Indiana kept it going, improving to 9-5 after winning four straight.

Kelsey Mitchell led the scoring with 27 points on a highly efficient 9-of-11 from the field. Caitlin Clark dropped another awe-inspiring double-double with 21 points and 14 assists.

However, it was Sophie Cunningham who stole the spotlight with her best game of the season. The 6-foot-1 guard caught fire from beyond the arc, knocking down six out of her seven attempts from deep. She finished with a season-high 24 points on 8-of-11 shooting, to go along with six rebounds and two assists in 24 minutes off the bench.

Indiana Fever make franchise history on Tuesday

Cunningham, Clark and Mitchell already combined for 72 points between them. Aliyah Boston also scored in double digits, finishing with 18 points and 11 rebounds.

The scoring onslaught led to a historic development for the Fever. The team took to social media shortly after the final buzzer to announce the news.

“a new franchise-record 113 points in regulation 😤”

a new franchise-record 113 points in regulation 😤#FeverWin pic.twitter.com/04wD48DUMa

— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) June 17, 2026

This new record speaks volumes about how Indiana’s offense was clicking all night long. As a unit, they shot 52.2% overall on Tuesday night. They also made 13 three-pointers on a 43.3% clip.

The Fever closed out their Commissioner’s Cup title defense with four straight wins. It still isn’t enough, though, as they end the tournament with a 5-1 record.

It’s the undefeated New York Liberty, currently 5-0, who have secured the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. They have clinched a spot in the Commissioner’s Cup championship game.

As for the Fever, they will look to keep their winning streak going on Thursday. It will be a marquee matchup for Indiana as they welcome Angel Reese and the Atlanta Dream to Gainbridge Fieldhouse for another home game.

The post Indiana Fever announce historic news after win against Tempo appeared first on ChiCitySports.

Amber Cox lauds Sophie Cunningham for her fourth-quarter heroics against the Connecticut Sun.

Indiana Fever general manager Cox was like a proud mother watching Cunningham explode in the final quarter of their game against the Sun on Saturday.

Cunningham helped Indiana secure an 85-75 win and defend their home court. She scored 11 points in the final two minutes of the game.

Cox immediately took to X to share her reaction to the development involving Cunningham.

“ShowMe Soph! Big time. 🔥” she wrote, sharing the Fever’s highlight reel of the veteran guard’s heroics in the clutch. 

Apart from the 11 points she contributed, Cunningham also added two rebounds and three triples. She helped cap off the team’s eighth win in the season and secure their third straight victory.

ShowMe Soph! Big time. 🔥 https://t.co/LW3EIjls84

— Amber Cox (@AmberLCox) June 14, 2026

Caitlin Clark led the team in scoring against Connecticut with 25 points, along with three boards and five dimes.

The 29-year-old Missouri sharpshooter has been a valuable addition to the Fever ever since her arrival in 2025 via trade. This trade was orchestrated by Cox herself because she believes that Cunningham is a perfect fit alongside their superstar Clark.

Currently, the former second-round pick in the 2019 WNBA Draft is averaging 8.9 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 12 games.

Indiana Fever, Sophie Cunningham look to wrap up Commissioner’s Cup campaign on a high note

Even though they are out of contention to repeat as the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup champions, Indiana is looking to end their tournament season with a win.

Cunningham and Co. are set to welcome the Toronto Tempo to their home court in the lone WNBA game on Tuesday, their final tournament game.

A win for the Fever will keep them within striking distance of the Atlanta Dream in the race for the second seed in the East.

Furthermore, they look to win their fourth straight game.

The post Indiana Fever GM reacts to Sophie Cunningham development appeared first on ChiCitySports.

Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham stole the spotlight for the Indiana Fever on Saturday night as they defeated the Connecticut Sun on the road, 85-75.

Clark led all scorers in the game with 25 on 10-of-17 shooting, to go along with three rebounds, five assists, a block and five triples.

Cunningham, on the other hand, led a late surge to close out the game. The veteran guard went off for 11 points in the final two minutes to seal the win.

The Fever improved to 8-5 after marking their third straight win. They will look to make it four in a row on Tuesday against the Toronto Tempo at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

Caitlin Clark, Sophie Cunningham’s hilarious exchange after Fever win

Cunningham joined Clark on the podium after the game, alongside head coach Stephanie White. At one point in the postgame interview, Cunningham quipped that she loved playing with Clark. It drew a hilarious reaction from the two-time All-Star.

“Thank you! Thank God,” Clark said.

“Shut up, dude,” Cunningham responded, laughing.

“I like that, I like playing with C”

“Thank you! Thank God” 😭😭😭😭

Caitlin publicly leaning into her troll self is my favorite development this year lmao pic.twitter.com/TCxTtKa7cW

— allison (@_girltalk) June 14, 2026

The interaction shared a glimpse of the relationship between Clark and Cunningham. They have been teammates for just over a year, but it is clear that they’ve already formed quite a bond.

When the Fever traded for Cunningham last year, they expected her to serve as an enforcer alongside Clark. She’s played her role excellently, while also emerging as a vocal leader for the rest of the squad.

Off the court, these two have become close friends. They both have goofy personalities and seem to always be on the same wavelength. This has translated to success on the court. This relationship has been and will continue to be pivotal as the Fever chase a championship this year and beyond.

The post Indiana Fever: Caitlin Clark, Sophie Cunningham banter speaks volumes appeared first on ChiCitySports.

Dillon Thieneman is expected to play a key role for the Chicago Bears in 2026.

The Bears used their No. 25 overall pick on the former Purdue Boilermakers and Oregon Ducks star. Thieneman established himself as one of the top defensive ends in his class in his three years in college. Last season, the Westfield, Indiana, native recorded 96 combined tackles (44 solo) in his lone year with the Ducks. He added two interceptions, 1.0 sacks, 3.5 tackles for loss and five passes defended, en route to being named as a First Team All-American.

Thieneman fills a big hole for the Bears’ secondary after the team lost safeties Kevin Byard, Jaquan Brisker and Jonathan Owens in free agency. The rookie is expected to slot into the safety role opposite offseason recruit Coby Bryant.

Chicago Bears QB Caleb Williams draws Dillon Thieneman’s praise

While Thieneman will be a key cog on the defensive side of the ball, the 21-year-old knows full well that the Bears will only go as far as Caleb Williams takes them.

Thieneman hasn’t had much time to get to know the Bears’ cornerstone quarterback since he joined the team in April. However, the rookie has seen Williams in action during OTAs and in the team’s mandatory minicamp. This has been enough for Thieneman to form a strong opinion on the former Heisman Trophy winner.

“He’s good, he can dial it up,” Thieneman said of Williams. “He’s athletic and he can move, great eyes and everything. I think he can be good.”

Dillon Thienemen on if Caleb Williams can be scary:

“He’s good, he can dial it up. He’s athletic and he can move, great eyes and everything. I think he can be good.”

Praise to the QB1. pic.twitter.com/Zye2RE8OkW

— BearsMuse (@ChiBearsMuse) June 13, 2026

Williams was very good in 2025. He took his game to a whole new level, which resulted in tremendous success for Chicago. Williams led the Bears to an 11-6 record and the NFC North title. They went all the way to the Divisional Round, too, where they ultimately fell to the Los Angeles Rams.

Williams will need to keep his foot on the gas in 2026 if he wants to lead the Bears to even more success.

The post Chicago Bears rookie Dillon Thieneman has high praise for Caleb Williams appeared first on ChiCitySports.

It is June 16, and the Chicago White Sox, to the surprise of just about everyone, are in first place in the American League Central Division. At 38-32, they have the third best record in the American League as a whole. Indeed, very few, if anyone, saw the White Sox being this good, much less a winning team, in 2026.

About a week ago, fans were looking at the upcoming schedule with a bit of trepidation. While Chicago was winning games, they faced an upcoming series of games against the best teams in baseball.

So far, they are 4-1 in this stretch and have a great deal of confidence ahead of their series against the New York Yankees. Unfortunately, not all the news out of Chicago is good.

Chicago White Sox prospect Hagen Smith is being shut down for a couple weeks

On Tuesday afternoon, it was reported that the White Sox top pitching prospect, Hagen Smith, is being shut down for a couple of weeks:

Injury update: Hagen Smith has left shoulder impingement. He will be shut down from throwing for two weeks and then ramp back up for two weeks before returning to game action, per team.

— Scott Merkin (@scottmerkin) June 16, 2026

This is not the best news, not only because of the young pitcher’s physical well-being, but also because he was just on the brink of being called up to the Majors this past weekend.

According to White Sox insider Brian Murphy, “Prior to Tuesday’s game against the Yankees, White Sox manager Will Venable said that the team considered calling up Smith to start Saturday’s game against the Dodgers at Rate Field. However, a rainout of Chicago’s game on Thursday against the Braves allowed the club to reset its rotation, and Sean Burke faced the Dodgers instead.”

Smith is 0-5 with a 4.67 ERA in 14 starts in Triple-A this year.

More Chicago White Sox news from ChiCity Sports

• Forgotten White Sox prospect tied to 3x All-Star released after 6 seasons
• White Sox reportedly have confusing MLB trade deadline plans
• White Sox hit with dose of reality by MLB analyst

For More Chicago Sports

Follow me on Twitter at @theotherRobin19, and follow us @ChiCitySports23. You can also reach out to Robin Adams via email at robadams14@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in ALL of Chicago sports, click here! Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Blackhawks

The post Chicago White Sox announce disappointing injury news on top pitching prospect appeared first on ChiCitySports.

WNBA Hall of Famer Sue Bird was part of Peacock’s broadcast as Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever defeated the Connecticut Sun, 85-75.

Bird is now facing significant pushback from fans after her postgame comments about Clark.

“It’s a crazy stat that exists where when Caitling shoots better than 40%, they win,” Bird said. “And 40% is achievable. That should be like what she averages on the year. So whenever she shoots well, they play well.

“And I think that just speaks to shot selection, ball movement. She got some, some easier looks … on Connecticut’s defense.”

Clark finished with a game-high 25 points in the win. She shot 10-of-17 overall, including 5-of-10 from beyond the arc.

Fans accuse Sue Bird of hating on Caitlin Clark

Clark fans were quick to call Bird out for what she said after the game. The supporters focused on how Bird seemed to credit Clark’s big night to the Sun’s poor defense rather than the Fever superstar’s strong performance.

I always knew Sue bird was a hater . Never trust anyone from that university. They think they own the league. Conn sun have 2 top 5 POA defenders in Leila Lecan & Saniya rivers & they fouled Caitlin all day! 40% should be achievable ? Do u see how hard her shots are ? pic.twitter.com/DZtYJ9Nghb

— X coach anderson X (@coachandere6xa) June 14, 2026

“sue bird always been a clark hater and always will be .. she’s just mad that she played in front of a few hundred ppl a game,” a comment on X read.

“Sue know we gon wipe her out of the history books so I get it 😭” another said.

“This is why I am finding it very heard to watch the WNBA anymore, tons of bias from the announcers and analysts that is just pure BS,” a user wrote.

“That’s some BS from Sue,” declared a viewer.

“Sue’s a flag that blows whichever direction the wind is going – and in most WNBA media circles that’s against Clark. And why shouldn’t it be? Better to keep the original 600K legacy base fans happy w/ low-IQ banter than the 3M+ that came to the W because of 1 person,” said another.

“Sue Bird is envious brotha. All old heads get defensive when younger and better talent come to push them down the All-Time record books lol,” a reaction read.

The post WNBA legend Sue Bird facing backlash over Caitlin Clark comments appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Cubs are hoping to build off of their exciting walk-off victory over the Colorado Rockies on Monday night by taking a second consecutive game on Tuesday. Doing so would give them their second-straight series victory. Of course, this would be significant as Chicago went a whole month prior to this past weekend without winning a single series.

Unfortunately, as has been the case all season long, they are going to go into play on Tuesday with yet another injury setback. This time, one of their most important bullpen arms is headed to the injured list.

The Chicago Cubs place Daniel Palencia on the injured list

Coming into the season, there was a great deal of buzz surrounding Cubs closer Daniel Palencia, who shined in the World Baseball Classic for Team Venezuela. However, many worried that his usage in the WBC would lead to some injury concerns in 2026, and so far they have been proved right in their thought process.

Earlier this year, Palencia missed a few weeks with an oblique/lat strain. Now, he is heading to the injured list again with elbow inflammation:

In another setback for their pitching staff, the Cubs placed closer Daniel Palencia on the injured list with right elbow inflammation. Gavin Hollowell was recalled from Triple-A Iowa as the corresponding roster move.

— Patrick Mooney (@PJ_Mooney) June 16, 2026

Chicago’s bullpen has been inconsistent this season, and Palencia has been one of their few bright spots. So far in 2026, he is 2-1 with a 2.70 ERA and three saves. He has only been able to appear in 19 games so far.

With Palencia out, manager Craig Counsell would be wise to go to a closer-by-committee approach until he identifies the pitcher that would be best-suited for the role going forward.

More Chicago Cubs news from ChiCity Sports

• Jed Hoyer under immense pressure to address Cubs needs
• Cubs announced plans for injured pitchers Justin Steele and Matthew Boyd
• Cubs warned to steer clear of trade for All-Star pitcher

For More Chicago Sports

Follow me on Twitter at @theotherRobin19, and follow us @ChiCitySports23. You can also reach out to Robin Adams via email at robadams14@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in ALL of Chicago sports, click here! Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Blackhawks

The post Chicago Cubs place closer Daniel Palencia on 15-day injured list appeared first on ChiCitySports.

Cheers, jeers, then cheers again echoed through Wrigley Field on Monday night in the Cubs’ 5-4 walkoff win over the Rockies. The main highlight was centerfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong hitting for the cycle, the 13th in Cubs history. It started with a leadoff homer in the first, followed by a triple, double, and single in that (reverse) order.

Seems like a good time to vote PCA 👉 https://t.co/hFFdpa6mDR pic.twitter.com/j8RU0Z4Snp

— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) June 16, 2026

Crow-Armstrong becomes the first Cub to hit for the cycle since Carson Kelly last year, and the first to do it at Wrigley Field since Mark Grace on May 9th, 1993. The night ended with a big sigh of relief as the Cubs almost wasted the young outfielder’s historic night.

Cubs needed a comeback to beat the Rockies

At the time Crow-Armstrong hit the cycle-clinching single, the Cubs were up 2-1 in the bottom of the seventh. Unfortunately, he proceeded to get picked off, followed by the Cubs stranding the bases loaded. When the Rockies took a 4-2 lead on a Cole Carrigg three run homer off Caleb Theilbar the following inning, the historic night was in danger.

Incredibly, Crow-Armstrong was inches away from going 5-5 as his sinking line drive in the eighth wound up as a sac fly on a sliding catch by Tyler Freeman to make it 4-3. Then the Cubs recorded their ninth walkoff win thanks to some wildness and misplays from the Rockies pitchers. Rookie Pedro Ramirez tied the game with a single, and Matt Shaw drew a bases loaded walk to end it. Six of the Cubs’ last seven home wins were on walkoffs.

putting the walk in walk-off. 😌 pic.twitter.com/LfrBHMAIsB

— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) June 16, 2026

It felt like the universe would not let the Cubs lose on Crow-Armstrong’s big night. That would have been a gut punch, and the Cubs have had plenty of those over the past month. This one would have taken the cake had they lost, considering the matchup and potentially wasting a historic performance.

Now this night can be looked back on fondly by fans.

Other notable moments from the game.

Several lineup decisions before and during the game are worth noting. Craig Counsell started Shaw in right, who had two hits, including a triple, on top of the walkoff walk. It seems like he is going to be getting more playing time. Sieya Suzuki was at DH after leaving Saturday’s game, having banged up his knee.

Another thing to note was Counsell’s decision to pinch hit Dansby Swanson with Michael Conforto in the eighth inning. Swanson has been beyond brutal at the plate, now slashing .176/.280/.308 on the season with a 69 wRC+. In a close game, to take away that defense because there is no faith in the bat right now is telling and frankly it had to happen. As valuable as his defense is, the hitting is inexcusable.

Lastly, bringing up Ramirez again. He came into the game later and went 2-2 with the game-tying hit in the ninth. In a small sample, he has shown some promise at the plate, even while hitting into some tough luck. He could get more time to play while Swanson and Nico Hoerner continue to struggle.

The post Pete Crow-Armstrong hits for cycle in an unnecessarily wild game appeared first on ChiCitySports.

Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark recently said that the launch of her highly anticipated Nike signature shoe is coming “very, very, very, very, very soon.” The two-time All-Star did not provide a specific date, but she hinted that the Nike “Caitlin Clark 1” will hit shelves in the not-so-distant future.

Shen then proceeded to debut another pair of Nike Kobe 6 PE or Player Edition. As a big Taylor Swift fan, Clark paid homage to the 14-time Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter. Dubbed as “The Eras Tour” PE, Clark’s latest Kobe PE featured the colors of Swift’s historic concert tour, which the Fever star attended three times.

Clark also revealed that this would be her last PE.

Caitlin Clark 1 to drop soon?

On Monday, Clark decided to change her Instagram bio to “caitlin1.” She also added a new profile picture, which appears to show some sort of C-shaped material.

No explanation was made, but fans believe that this is all part of the rollout of her signature shoe. Many are adamant that the big announcement is coming soon.

Nike has begun Caitlin Clark’s signature sneaker roll out 👀

Her IG handle has been changed to caitlin1 and her profile picture shows a blue c-shaped material 👀 pic.twitter.com/giaC9Cz3jU

— Nice Kicks (@nicekicks) June 15, 2026

The anticipation reached new heights as fans expressed their excitement. There is now speculation that Clark could potentially announce the launch of her much-awaited signature shoe in the coming days.

Clark has been a Nike athlete since 2022. Last August, she signed an expanded deal to become the brand’s latest signature athlete. It has been close to a year now, but there is still no official news about her first signature shoe.

Supporters are adamant, however, that an announcement is imminent.

The post WNBA fans anticipating major Caitlin Clark announcement appeared first on ChiCitySports.

A decade ago, the Chicago White Sox made a franchise altering decision when they acquired RHP James Shields from the San Diego Padres in exchange for RHP Erik Johnson and 3B Fernando Tatis Jr. At the time, Tatis Jr was a teenage prospect playing at the Rookie level of the minor leagues, but he’s since gone on to be a three time All-Star and two time platinum glove award winner with the Padres.

In hopes of capitalizing on the same family talent, Chicago sign Wilfred Veras out of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic in 2019. Veras is a first cousin to Tatis Jr, and initially showed great promise as a prospect as he put on a huge display of power. Unfortunately, his production fizzled out over time and he now has been released by the White Sox organization after six seasons in the minors.

The White Sox have released OF Wilfred Veras.

— Ian Eskridge (@dailywhitesox) June 14, 2026

Chicago White Sox release once promising outfield prospect Wilfred Veras

After a strong showing at the Rookie level in 2021, where Veras posted a .322/.416/.533 slash line over 46 games, Veras put on a huge display of power in years following. Between Single-A and Double-A competition, Veras belted 20 home runs in 2022 and 17 in 2023. In strictly Double-A in 2024 that number dropped to 16, but then a huge drop off in production followed in 2025 when he slashed a career worst .215/.293/.327 with nine home runs.

Before his release this year, Veras was once again slumping. Through 45 games in Double-A, he owned a .219/.281/350 slash line. Strikeout were also a growing concerning, coming in at 30.8% this year, which was similar to years prior.

While Veras never developed into the impact prospect the White Sox had hoped for, his release serves as another reminder of how difficult projecting young talent can be. The raw power that once made him an intriguing prospect was evident throughout his minor league career, but persistent swing-and-miss issues ultimately prevented him from taking the next step. Now a free agent, Veras will look to revive his career elsewhere.

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Chicago Bears stars Caleb Williams and Colston Loveland are continuing to build their bond away from the gridiron. 

The duo was instrumental in Chicago’s 11-6 finish in 2025, helping the Bears claim first place in the NFC North. It was the franchise’s first divisional title since 2018 and first playoff berth since 2020. 

Williams piloted a dynamic offense that ranked fifth in total yards at 371.5 per game. He also led the NFL with a plus-21 turnover differential. 

Loveland matched the moment in his rookie campaign. He set the record for most receiving yards in a single postseason by a rookie tight end with 193. 

The young stars are now making the most of the offseason ahead of the 2026 campaign.

Chicago Bears Share Caleb Williams and Colston Loveland’s Appearance at Summer Smash Festival

Williams and Loveland took in the Lyrical Lemonade Summer Smash. It’s a three-day hip-hop festival held annually at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, just outside Chicago. 

The 2026 edition brought together more than 50 artists across three stages. Lil Uzi Vert, Skrillex, Playboi Carti, Chief Keef, G Herbo, Lil Baby and Yung Lean all performed. North West made her highly anticipated festival debut with a 15-minute set on opening night.

The Bears took notice. The franchise shared snaps of Williams and Loveland at the festival on their official Instagram page.

“Festival szn 😎,” the caption read.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Chicago Bears (@chicagobears)

Chicago enters 2026 with one of the more promising young cores in the league. Williams and Loveland represent both the present and future of the franchise. 

Moments like Summer Smash matter. Chemistry between a quarterback and his pass-catcher is not built on the practice field alone. 

Sometimes it comes from simply sharing the same space and the same energy outside of football.

The post Chicago Bears react to Caleb Williams, Colston Loveland’s offseason move appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Bears wide receiving room is going to look a little different in 2026 compared to 2025. Earlier this off-season, Chicago traded DJ Moore to the Buffalo Bills for a second round pick, which will open up more opportunities for their younger pass catchers. In an effort to add depth, though, they also signed free agent wide receiver Kalif Raymond.

Of course, Raymond got to see Bears quarterback Caleb Williams up close and personal plenty of times over the last few years while he played for the Detroit Lions. After just a few practices in Chicago’s off-season program, though, he has a newfound appreciation for his new quarterback.

Chicago Bears wide receiver Kalif Raymond has high praise for Caleb Williams

Raymond, of course, has some experience playing with elite quarterbacks. A two-time Second Team All-Pro as a kick return specialist, he spent the last few years in Detroit catching passes from Jared Goff. He also, on that note, has plenty of experience in Ben Johnson’s offensive scheme.

After mandatory mini camp concluded, Raymond joined the NFL Network for an interview, and was asked about his new high-profile quarterback:

From The Insiders on @NFLNetwork: Did #Bears WR Kalif Raymond get tattooed by a monk? Watch our interview on tonight’s show to find out. pic.twitter.com/Cbpl9qfs9y

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) June 16, 2026

“I love his job, man. So, it’s the last minute of practice, right? And we’re running  a two-minute [drill]. And I don’t think we have another one going up, and he’s itching. He’s like, ‘Just me back out there.’ He’s talking to himself! ‘Just let me back out there.’

“And I’m thinking to myself, ‘Oh man, this guy has some ice in his veins!’ I mean, it’s two-minute OTA’s and he’s itching to get back out!

“But man, he’s been incredible to watch so far, making some throws I don’t think I could close my eyes and dream he could make them look that good.”

This is the kind of personality Williams put on display last year when leading the Bears to so many come-from-behind wins, including an incredible comeback in the NFL Playoffs against the Green Bay Packers.

The description of his throws is also encouraging as Williams and Johnson have both said a key focus this off-season is on improving the completion percentage. If he is making throws so accurate they are better than Raymond’s dreams, the Bears are in for a very fun season.

More Chicago Bears news from ChiCity Sports

• Bears star could lose millions of dollars for one ridiculous reason
• Rome Odunze sends strong message to Caleb Williams after historic news
• Caleb Williams gets cooked in his own game by NFL icon

For More Chicago Sports

Follow me on Twitter at @theotherRobin19, and follow us @ChiCitySports23. You can also reach out to Robin Adams via email at robadams14@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in ALL of Chicago sports, click here! Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Blackhawks

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The Chicago Cubs are an open book when it comes to their primary need for what they hope to be a second-half playoff push. They need starting pitching.

More News: Chicago Cubs reveal plans for injured Justin Steele and Matthew Boyd

Currently, the Cubs rotation is anchored by the surprising Ben Brown and the reemergence of recent Triple-A call-up Javier Assad. That’s not an ideal position to be in and it’s absolutely not what anyone expected to see at the start of the season.

However, injury has decimated the pitching staff and inconsistency has hobbled those not on the shelf.

If Chicago aims to make the playoffs and make a competitive run through the postseason, they need to shore up their rotation.

But the team is also staring down the reality that they may need to do a rotation rebuild for beyond this year as three of their starting pitchers—Matthew Boyd, Shota Imanaga, and Jameson Taillon—may be lost to free agency at the end of this season.

So, it’s not as easy as acquiring a rental pitcher to fulfill their needs for this year. They need to fulfill their needs as well as keep one eye on the future.

Under pressure

More News: Chicago Cubs: Pedro Ramirez making a case to stay in the majors—maybe at Matt Shaw’s expense

Given the push to win now with this team, ESPN’s Buster Olney recently ranked Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer as one of the MLB execs currently most under pressure.

Per Olney:

“No contender has a more clear-cut need than the Cubs, whose rotation is missing Cade Horton, Justin Steele and Matthew Boyd because of injuries. They need a starting pitcher, and the best fit would be someone who generates a lot of swing-and-miss, as the team ranks near the bottom in average velocity and strikeout rate. It’s a difficult position for any team with championship aspirations in this era.

However, the Cubs might be lucky in that regard at this year’s deadline: There could be more starting pitchers available than any other position. Some of the pitchers who could be moved: Skubal, Peralta, Robbie Ray, Joe Ryan, Sandy Alcantara and others.”

Winning while rebuilding

Then, of course, one must throw in the extra pressure of building for the future as they secure the present. There will be a solid Cubs core coming back, but they could realistically lose all, or most, of the veterans with contracts set to expire—Boyd, Imanaga, Taillon, Ian Happ, Seiya Suzuki, Carson Kelly.

When it comes to the pitching, specifically, an ideal scenario would see Chicago picking up a quality starting pitcher before the August 3 trade deadline, who also has team-controlled years beyond 2026. The Marlins’ Sandy Alcantara and the Twins’ Joe Ryan, for example, would give the Cubs at least one more season of work before making their run for free agency.

The good thing is that there should be a number of quality starters on the market before the deadline. The bad news, though, is that the Cubs seem to be stuck in that middle area of being just good enough to contend, but not stacked enough to rate as a guaranteed championship contender.

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The Chicago Cubs entered this past offseason generating belief that their starting rotation would be a strength as it pushed towards a deep playoff run.

More News: Chicago Cubs: Pedro Ramirez making a case to stay in the majors—maybe at Matt Shaw’s expense

Although lacking a sure-thing top-of-rotation ace, they had the promise of a solid, sturdy staff at least nine deep in potential starters. In the front-five were Matthew Boyd, Cade Horton, Edward Cabrera, Jameson Taillon, and Shota Imanaga. There were backups Colin Rea, Javier Assad, and Ben Brown. Then, waiting in the wings, was the team’s previous ace Justin Steele, who was expected back from last year’s elbow surgery around May or June.

As things stand right now, though, the Cubs are barely holding on to a five-man rotation, with no real backup options available. Horton was lost for the season with an elbow injury after just two starts. Boyd has only managed five starts due to two IL stints. Taillon is currently on the IL. Cabrera spent about three weeks on the IL as well. Steele, meanwhile, suffered a significant setback in his recovery.

The emergence of Brown as a top-flight starter has helped keep things from full-on crisis, as has the recent run of Assad. But the Cubs are going to need to get back a veteran or two if they want to be serious contenders for postseason glory.

There is news on that front.

Boyd testing the waters

More News: Chicago Cubs may have a 19-year-old phenom on their hands

Boyd, who was initially expected back from meniscus surgery last weekend, suffered lingering soreness in his left shoulder after his second rehab outing in Iowa, forcing the Cubs to keep him on the shelf a bit longer.

Per the team, the 35-year-old lefty will throw a bullpen session on Tuesday. From there, Chicago will decide what they want to do with him. He could be headed back to Iowa for some more rehab innings or they could decide to rest him entirely.

Boyd has an extensive history of injury and also a high level of importance to this team’s playoff future. So, it’s pretty much a sure thing that the Cubs will err on the side of caution in hopes of a healthy post-All-Star break return.

Steele rejoining the team

Steele’s future is murkier.

The Cubs’ most consistently successful pitcher over the three seasons prior to his injury seemed on the fast track to a full return by mid-June. However, a flexor strain in his throwing arm shut him down again. And now the target date for a return is the much more nebulous ‘sometime before the end of the season.’

On Monday, Cubs manager Craig Counsell confirmed that the southpaw will be physically joining the team soon, finishing up some throwing exercises before ramping up his rehab.

“Steele will actually be here,” Counsell told reporters. “He’s flying here right now. He’s going to be with us for the next three-ish weeks.”

“He’s got one more week in the plyo-ball section,” Counsell added. “Then he’ll start throwing next Monday, and then he’s got a couple weeks of throwing program with us before we go to next steps.”

An optimistic assessment would see Steele pitching with the big league Cubs some time in September, but with clearly defined restrictions.

At the very least, getting back at least one of these guys should give a stressed and strained rotation a shot in the arm and a bit of security they absolutely don’t have now.

The post Chicago Cubs reveal plans for injured Justin Steele and Matthew Boyd appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Bulls will likely be one of the most active teams in NBA free agency this offseason, as they are armed with massive cap space and have a bunch of holes to fill.

Perhaps one of the Bulls’ most significant needs is a big body on the interior, someone who can provide some offense while also clogging up the middle defensively. There aren’t too many of those types of players out there, but Chicago should be able to land someone this summer.

Jalen Duren has been a popular name for the Bulls, but the center is expected to make upward of $40 million annually on his next deal, and Chicago may not want to go that far for a player who struggled so mightily in the playoffs for the Detroit Pistons this past season.

Perhaps the Bulls will pursue some less expensive options who can still get the job done, and John Hollinger of The Athletic has linked them to one potential solution in that regard: former No. 1 overall pick Deandre Ayton.

Chicago Bulls linked to Deandre Ayton

Ayton will almost certainly decline his $8.1 million option with the Los Angeles Lakers, which would make him an unrestricted free agent.

“He’ll surely opt out of his $8.1 million deal, and the Lakers may not bring him back given their potential cap space maneuvers and the fact that they have no Bird rights on Ayton. That immediately makes him among the most gettable starting center candidates, and the presence of center-needy cap-room teams like the Bulls or Nets could push his price above the non-taxpayer MLE,” Hollinger wrote.

But just how good of a fit would Ayton be in Chicago?

The 27-year-old averaged 12.5 points, eight rebounds and one block over 27.2 minutes per game this past year, shooting 67.1 percent from the floor and 64.5 percent from the free-throw line. His offensive repertoire is pretty limited, and while his defense isn’t terrible, it isn’t exactly elite, either.

Ultimately, it will come down to the price for the Bulls. So long as Ayton doesn’t break the bank, he might actually be a solid addition just to stabilize the frontcourt. It also depends on what else Chicago does this offseason. If Ayton is its top get, then that’s a problem.

It should be noted that Ayton did average double-doubles in each of his first seven NBA seasons up until the streak was broken in 2025-26, so that’s something.

The post Chicago Bulls linked to polarizing seven-footer in NBA free agency appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago White Sox have been one of the best teams in baseball for the last month-and-a-half, having gone 27-15 since bottoming out at 11-17 back on April 26. The White Sox are now in first place in the AL Central, and they have shown no signs of slowing down.

Even a hamstring injury to Munetaka Murakami has not hindered Chicago’s progress. In fact, the White Sox have made up ground in the division since Murakami went down late last month.

So, what does this mean for Chicago’s trade deadline plans?

Everyone expected the White Sox to be sellers this season, but things have obviously changed. Not only is Chicago in playoff contention, but it is now firmly in the driver’s seat in the AL Central, especially after Jose Ramirez’s hamate bone fracture in Cleveland.

The White Sox could end up buying between now and Aug. 3, but just how aggressive will they be? Therein lies the problem for general manager Chris Getz.

Chicago White Sox’s MLB trade deadline plans are confusing

Bob Nightengale of USA TODAY recently revealed some nuggets with the deadline in sight, and he dropped some confusing intel on the South Siders.

“They plan to be aggressive at the trade deadline in their search for pitching, but not at the expense of parting with any of their top prospects as they build towards the future,” Nightengale wrote.

Well, just how “aggressive” can you actually be if you are making all of your top prospects off limits?

Chicago’s farm system wasn’t highly-touted entering the season, but things have since changed. Some now view the White Sox’s farm system as one of the better ones in baseball, so it’s not like Getz can’t afford to trade from depth.

Unless Chicago — which owns the best record in the American League since April 17 — doesn’t genuinely believe it can make a run this season, then essentially sitting out the trade deadline because of prospect stashing could prove fatal.

There is no guarantee the White Sox will be in the playoffs year after year, so now that they have a great chance of playing October baseball, they should take advantage of it. That doesn’t mean they should do anything silly, but if they can manage to land some club-controlled talent, they should be willing to part with decent prospect capital.

The post White Sox reportedly have confusing MLB trade deadline plans appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Bears still have some business to take care of before the start of the regular season, and signing offensive tackle Darnell Wright to a contract extension should be near the top of their priority list.

Wright has just two years remaining on his deal and carries a $6.7 million cap hit for 2026. That number jumps to $19.072 million for 2027, which is Wright’s fifth-year option.

The Bears would be wise to try and get Wright locked up now before his future price continues to rise. The former No. 10 overall pick has established himself as one of the better tackles in football and was named a Second-Team All-Pro in 2025. He has started all but two games for Chicago since entering the NFL, and he earned himself and 81.4 overall grade from Pro Football Focus last season.

Wright is expected to command quite a hefty pay day, and the general consensus is that the Bears will be ready. But just how much will Wright actually make, and will the 24-year-old reset the tackle market?

ESPN’s Bill Barnwell isn’t so sure Wright’s contract will tip the scales, and it’s for one ridiculous reason: where he plays along the line.

Chicago Bears OT Darnell Wright might not break the bank

Wright has played right tackle for his entire tenure with the Bears and also primarily manned the right side in college. Because left tackle is the more “glamorous” offensive line position, Barnwell thinks it will end up costing Wright.

“The Bears right tackle had a career year in 2025, and with so many of Chicago’s playmakers on rookie deals, general manager Ryan Poles can afford to pay his right tackle top-of-the-market money. With Wright limited to right tackle, though, the Bears probably see that somewhere around $25 million per season,” Barnwell wrote.

Barnwell also questioned why Chicago didn’t shift Wright over to the left side last season given the injuries the Bears had at the position.

“It seemed telling that the Bears didn’t move Wright to the left side amid their issues there a year ago and don’t seem to plan on starting Wright at left tackle with Ozzy Trapilo out to begin 2026,” Barnwell wrote.

Does Barnwell have a point? Perhaps. It’s true that left tackles typically get paid more, but the market itself is always evolving, so I don’t see any reason why Wright — who is incredibly valuable to Chicago — can’t end up earning more than $25 million annually.

Wright may not protect Caleb Williams’ blind side, but he is a tremendous run blocker and is no slouch in pass protection, either. The Bears need to get him taken care of, regardless of the cost.

The post Bears star could lose millions of dollars for one ridiculous reason appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Cubs have exactly shown some positive signs recently, as they have won four of their last five games in what has been, by far, their best stretch of baseball since early May.

That being said, it’s still blatantly obvious that the Cubs need help. Chicago has gone just 11-23 since its 27-12 start, and it has holes up and down the roster. The offense needs depth, the starting rotation is abysmal and the bullpen is a bit shaky.

So, where will the Cubs turn between now and the MLB trade deadline?

Well, prior to their sudden “surge,” some viewed Chicago as potential sellers before Aug. 3, as the team appeared to be in freefall. As a result, Seiya Suzuki was floated as a possible trade candidate, which made sense considering he is slated to hit free agency next winter.

But is it possible that the Cubs could actually trade Suzuki while still receiving a veteran starting pitcher in return? An idea was pitched late last week that would send Suzuki to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for right-hander Luis Castillo, but Brandon Glick of Cubbies Crib isn’t loving it.

Chicago Cubs warned to avoid trade for Luis Castillo

Castillo has long been one of the more underrated pitchers in baseball, having earned three All-Star appearances since entering the big leagues with the Cincinnati Reds in 2017. He also finished fifth in AL Cy Young award voting as recently as 2023.

However, Castillo is not having the best year in 2026, and Glick does not think trading Suzuki for the Dominican native would be worth it.

“Perhaps trading him for some much-needed pitching, as Bleacher Report’s Zach Rymer suggests, could suffice. Rymer floats Seattle Mariners starter Luis Castillo as a potential fit in a one-for-one swap, which does have some merit; we all know how bad the North Siders need a reliable starter,” Glick wrote. “Castillo is, if nothing else, reliable, having tossed at least 175 innings in each of the past three seasons and at least 150 in each of the past five. The issue is his results have declined with age, as the 33-year-old owns a career-worst 5.00 ERA across 66.2 frames this season.”

Castillo’s strikeout numbers have also declined the last couple of years, and his 1.380 WHIP and 2.60 K/BB ratio this season are both the worst of his career.

It seems pretty clear that Castillo is not the same anymore, and Lord knows the Cubs don’t need any more combustible arms in their starting rotation. It especially wouldn’t be a very good idea to swap Suzuki for Castillo considering that Suzuki has been one of Chicago’s only true sources of offense this year.

The post Cubs warned to steer clear of trade for one specific All-Star pitcher appeared first on ChiCitySports.

Raven Johnson is no star, but she’s provided quality minutes off the bench for head coach Stephanie White so far this season.

As the 10th overall pick of the 2026 WNBA Draft, the former South Carolina Gamecocks star has been a steady backup for Indiana’s Caitlin Clark-led backcourt. Johnson has made 13 appearances so far this season. The 5-foot-8 guard has averaged 4.3 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 13.1 minutes per game.

Unfortunately for Johnson, she could miss her first game in the WNBA. This is after the rookie was listed as questionable to play for Tuesday’s game against the Toronto Tempo.

Indiana Fever rookie Raven Johnson tweaks ankle

The Fever submitted their injury report on Monday ahead of Tuesday’s home game against the Tempo. Clark has been a permanent fixture on the injury report due to a back issue. However, the two-time All-Star is listed as probable to play, meaning she will likely be available for Tuesday’s contest.

It’s Johnson who came up as an unexpected addition to the injury list. The Fever listed her as questionable to play with a left ankle issue.

Status Report for tomorrow’s game vs. Toronto:

Caitlin Clark – Probable (back)
Raven Johnson – Questionable (left ankle) pic.twitter.com/Cv2LrsJqJY

— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) June 15, 2026

An update on Johnson quickly emerged after the Fever’s injury announcement. According to team reporter Chloe Peterson of the Indianapolis Star, the 23-year-old tweaked her ankle during Tuesday’s practice. Peterson added that Johnson sustained the injury during the portion of practice that was open to the media. The severity of the injury remains unconfirmed.

The Fever should provide an update on Johnson closer to tipoff, including her final status for the Tempo game. If she is forced to sit out, more backup minutes could be available for guard Tyasha Harris.

Indiana enters Tuesday’s contest on a three-game winning streak and with an 8-5 record. Tipoff from Gainbridge Fieldhouse is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET.

The post Raven Johnson news emerges after Indiana Fever’s injury update appeared first on ChiCitySports.

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams is the cover athlete for the latest edition of EA Sports’ Madden NFL. He became the first player in franchise history to appear on the cover of the iconic football video game. Wide receiver Rome Odunze reacted to the historic news with a strong message for his teammate.

Williams landed on the Madden NFL 27 cover following a breakout 2025 season that helped revive the Bears. The 24-year-old quarterback led Chicago to its first NFC North title since 2018 and its first playoff victory since 2011. 

He also earned Bears Offensive Player of the Year honors after setting a franchise record with 3,942 passing yards.

Rome Odunze Reacts to Caleb Williams’ Historic Madden NFL 27 Cover Selection

On Wednesday, Odunze shared an Instagram story showing a photo from the recent EA Sports Opening Drive event in Chicago.

The image showed the two teammates alongside former quarterback Cam Newton and producer Omari Collins during the cover reveal celebration.

“Congrats to @ayeeecaleb on the #Madden27 cover. First Bear ever on an @eamaddennfl cover. That’s history,” the 23-year-old wide receiver wrote on the photo.

Williams’ selection marked another milestone in a career defined by ambitious goals. Before the NFL, he dreamed of winning the Heisman Trophy and becoming the No. 1 overall pick. 

He also wanted to appear on the cover of the popular football video game. The Madden cover helped him accomplish that third goal.

EA Sports will release Madden NFL 27 worldwide on Aug. 13. The game will be available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2 and PC. It will feature two cover designs showcasing the star quarterback’s on-field achievements and personal style.

The standard edition captures Williams’ airborne jump pass to Odunze during Chicago’s overtime playoff victory over the Green Bay Packers. The image draws inspiration from NBA legend Michael Jordan’s iconic “Jumpman” photo.

The deluxe edition features his signature “Iceman” pose, where he crosses his arms over his chest as if shivering. The artwork also showcases his custom-painted nail set, a first for an NFL cover athlete.

Odunze’s gesture reflects the strong bond developing between the Bears’ young offensive leaders ahead of the new season. This camaraderie helped Chicago end its playoff drought in 2025. It will also be crucial to the Bears’ Super Bowl hopes this year. 

The post Rome Odunze sends strong message to Caleb Williams after historic news appeared first on ChiCitySports.

There has been a lot of talk about where things stand between Caitlin Clark and Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White.

Recently, these two went viral for all the wrong reasons after a heated exchange during a blowout loss. White and Clark were caught on video having an intense conversation on the bench as their tema faced a significant deficit.

Both player and coach quickly played down the incident after the game. They pretty much said the same thing in that it was nothing more than a heat-of-the-moment exchange between player and coach. Clark and White are both very competitive individuals, which leads to the inevitable clash every now and again.

Fans react to Caitlin Clark’s actions around Stephanie White

The beef rumors have died down a bit of late, and it has a lot to do with the fact that the Fever are winning again. On Saturday, Clark went off for 25 points to lead Indiana to its third straight victory. They defeated the Connecticut Sun on the road, 85-75.

The cameras once again caught Clark’s actions around White during their postgame press conference. This time around, the two-time All-Star was seen making a face after hearing her coach cough right beside her.

Find yourself a star player that looks at your coach like Caitlin Clark looks at Steph White 😂 pic.twitter.com/Aw7SpEX930

— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) June 14, 2026

Clark’s behavior quickly drew the attention of fans on social media.

“how we look at everyone who coughs or sneezes since COVID,” a comment on X read.

“If my dad coughs nasty I’m making the same face,” another said.

“Caitlin just being a joker while the cameras are on her,” a user wrote.

The post Caitlin Clark’s behavior beside Fever coach Stephanie White turns heads appeared first on ChiCitySports.

It was Caitlin Clark who once again led the Indiana Fever to victory on Saturday against the Connecticut Sun. However, there’s no denying that the Fever would not have come out on top had it not been for Sophie Cunningham.

Clark dropped a game-high 25 points with five assists and five three-pointers, leading Indiana to an 85-75 road win over the Sun. This was the Fever’s third consecutive victory, improving to 8-5 on the season.

Cunningham came off the bench again in this one. She was scoreless until a late fourth-quarter barrage, during which she exploded for 11 points in the final two minutes of the game.

Sophie Cunningham’s clutch heroics guide Indiana Fever to victory

Cunningham is not exactly the most prolific scorer in the WNBA. In fact, she’s averaging a modest 8.9 points this season on 47.9% shooting.

The 6-foot-1 guard flipped the script on Saturday, though. She scored 11 points to close out the game and seal the win for Indiana. The team highlighted Cunningham’s heroics on social media.

“Sophie Cunningham’s insane 11-point run in the final 2 minutes secured our Commissioner’s Cup win against Connecticut 🔥” the Fever posted on X.

Sophie Cunningham’s insane 11-point run in the final 2 minutes secured our Commissioner’s Cup win against Connecticut 🔥 pic.twitter.com/4g3BhoZGTP

— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) June 14, 2026

Cunningham showcased her clutch gene on Saturday, and it proved pivotal in the Fever’s latest win. She will be looking to keep her foot on the gas in Indiana’s next game.

The Fever get two days off before their next game. They return home to face the Toronto Tempo on Tuesday as they look to keep their winning streak alive. Tipoff from Gainbridge Fieldhouse will be at 7:00 p.m. ET.

The post Indiana Fever make ‘insane’ Sophie Cunningham statement appeared first on ChiCitySports.

Caleb Williams is coming off a historic season for the Chicago Bears. He set the franchise record for most passing yards in a single season with 3,942 yards. The 24-year-old quarterback also set the NFL record for fewest interceptions through 1,000 career passing attempts with 12.

On top of that, Williams led the Bears to an 11-6 record and the NFC North title last year. This is their best finish since the 2018 season.

Because of that, the 2024 first overall pick is already considered one of the best quarterbacks today. Additionally, he was also recently announced as the cover athlete of Madden NFL 27.

Cam Newton dominates Caleb Williams in Madden NFL 27

Williams was announced as the new cover athlete during the EA Sports Opening Drive Madden event in Chicago’s Navy Pier. He is the first-ever Bears player to appear on the Madden cover.

Former NFL MVP and three-time Pro Bowler Cam Newton was present during the event. The 2010 Heisman Trophy winner is one of the most dynamic quarterbacks in NFL history.

Newton has career stats of 32.382 passing yards for 194 touchdowns. He was also one of the best rushing quarterbacks in the league. The 11-year veteran had 5,628 rushing yards for 75 yards. 

In the Madden NFL event, Newton faced off against the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner in the game. In the Instagram post shared by the NFL, it is seen that the two quarterbacks were playing the new Madden NFL 27.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by NFL (@nfl)

During the game, Newton exclaimed, “Come on, fellas, let’s go!” and repeated “we here” three times while playing the game.

Newton then repeated “It’s another run” and “I got it” before finally scoring the touchdown on the cover athlete. He then hilariously taunted Williams by celebrating by high-fiving the air and saying, “Good job”.

Williams may be the cover athlete of the newest Madden game, but this does not autmoatically mean he’s the best at it. 

The post Caleb Williams gets cooked in his own game by NFL icon appeared first on ChiCitySports.

Caitlin Clark had another strong performance for the Indiana Fever on Saturday. She led the way as Indiana notched its third straight win, improving to 8-5 on the season.

Clark went off for a game-high 25 points in the Fever’s 85-75 win over the Connecticut Sun. She shot 10-of-17 from the field, and added three rebounds, five assists and a block in 36 minutes of action. The two-time All-Star also knocked down five out of her 10 attempts from deep.

Kelsey Mitchell chipped in with 19 points and five assists, while Aliyag Boston dropped a 13-point, 11-rebound double-double in the win.

The Fever are now in the midst of their best stretch of the season.

Indiana Fever make Caitlin Clark request

Clark made history in Saturday’s game. She marked another career milestone with her latest 20-point, five-assist performance.

The Fever took the opportunity to remind fans that the voting for the upcoming WNBA All-Star Game remains open through June 27.

“in last night’s win, Caitlin Clark passed Sabrina Ionescu for the second most career games (10) with at least 25 points, 5 three-pointers made and 5 assists.

“make her a 3x WNBA All-Star 🌟” the team posted on X, along with a link to the voting page.

in last night’s win, Caitlin Clark passed Sabrina Ionescu for the second most career games (10) with at least 25 points, 5 three-pointers made and 5 assists.

make her a 3x WNBA All-Star 🌟 https://t.co/0JPFA3r5GL pic.twitter.com/q9BNWznnmI

— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) June 14, 2026

Clark was named an All-Star in her first two seasons in the WNBA. This is despite the fact that injuries limited her to just 13 games last season. Clark was unable to play in last year’s All-Star Game due to a groin injury. She is looking to make things right in the upcoming All-Star Game in Chicago on July 25.

In the meantime, Clark and Co. are busy preparing for their next game. They aim to make it four straight wins on Tuesday when they host the Toronto Tempo. Tipoff from Gainbridge Fieldhouse is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET.

The post Indiana Fever appeal to fans after Caitlin Clark career news appeared first on ChiCitySports.

Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever entered the 2026 WNBA season with lofty expectations.

One of their biggest goals was to defend their Commissioner’s Cup title. This was perhaps Indiana’s most impressive achievement in 2025, apart from making it all the way to the WNBA semifinals.

The Fever were decimated with injuries in 2025. Clark was among five players who suffered season-ending injuries throughout the campaign. She was limited to just 13 games due to multiple soft tissue injuries.

Despite the prolonged absence of their cornerstone superstar, the Fever still managed to win the Commissioner’s Cup last season for the first time in franchise history.

Indiana Fever will not defend Commissioner’s Cup crown

The Fever got some bad news on Sunday. This is after the New York Liberty blew out the Washington Mystics at Barclays Center, 86-64. This marked New York’s seventh consecutive win and its fifth straight in the Commissioner’s Cup.

At 5-0, the Liberty remain as the top team in the Eastern Conference. They are now a lock to finish as the No. 1 seed in the East, thereby guaranteeing their spot in the Commissioner’s Cup championship game on June 30.

The top team in each conference will face off in the championship game. As of writing, the Las Vegas Aces are 5-0 for No. 1 in the West.

The Fever currently hold a 4-1 record. They can still finish at 5-1 (each team plays six Commissioner’s Cup games) and potentially tie the Liberty with the same record. However, New York holds the tie-breaker over Indiana after the Liberty beat the Fever on June 6, 83-75.

The Liberty’s win on Sunday means that the Fever have officially failed to defend their title.

The silver lining for Indiana is that the WNBA championship is still very much in play. Clark and Co. are on a three-game winning streak, and they will want to keep their foot on the gas as they approach the mid-way point of the season.

The post Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever officially get bad news on Sunday appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago White Sox have been seeing a great first few months of the season. Players have been surpassing their preseason expectations, and that includes one starting pitcher. He is pitching like one of the best pitchers in Major League Baseball thus far. Let’s take a closer look at who it is and what he has been doing on the mound to get this type of attention.

Davis Martin is a contender for the 2026 AL Cy Young Award

Sports Illustrated’s Tim Capurso wrote an article highlighting the top contenders in the American League Cy Young race. Chicago fans were thrilled to see Davis Martin getting some recognition for his outstanding start to the year, as he highlighted in the article:

“Martin has been one of the pleasant surprises on one of baseball’s most surprising teams in the second-place White Sox. The 29-year-old, who underwent Tommy John surgery in 2023 and dealt with a forearm injury last season, is also an example of a pitching success story in light of health setbacks, a rarity in the age of high velocity.

“Speaking of which, Martin doesn’t throw hard but he doesn’t need to. The Abilene, Tx., native boasts six pitches in his arsenal, three of which are fastballs – a four-seamer, sinker and cutter – that are delivered from the same arm slot and sport similar enough velocities to keep with the deception. Add in a capable curveball and slider and it’s not hard to see why Martin ranks in the 68th percentile or better in chase, whiff and strikeout rates. One of just four pitchers in the AL to rank in the top-10 in both strikeout and groundball rate, Martin in very much in the running for this award.”

Martin has been a star for the White Sox this season, despite not even being the team’s Opening Day starter. In 12 starts, he is 8-2 with a 2.61 ERA and a .236 opposing batting average in 72.1 innings. He also has kept the ball in the park, giving up just three home runs this year. Each season, Martin has shown the ability to improve on the bump and he is continuing that trend in his fourth MLB season.

This is not the first time he is getting some love for his 2026 production. Now as a full-time starting pitcher in the bigs, it is going to be intriguing to see if Davis can continue pitching like a Cy Young Award candidate.

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Sophie Cunningham played a key role in the Indiana Fever’s 95-85 win over the Connecticut Sun on Saturday. The 6-foot-1 guard went off in the final two minutes of the game, scoring all 11 of her points to close out the win.

Cunningham shot 4-of-5 from the floor overall, including 3-of-4 from beyond the arc. She added two rebounds in just 18 minutes of action.

Cunningham’s offensive explosion came after she sat out Indiana’s last game due to an elbow injury. She was cleared to play on Saturday, and it is clear that the elbow was fine.

The Fever improved to 8-5 after beating Connecticut on the road. This marked their third consecutive win.

Sophie Cunningham reacts to officiating in Fever win

There was no shortage of controversial moments in Saturday’s game, and a lot of them involved the referees.

One of the more contentious incidents came late in the fourth quarter. Caitlin Clark kicked the ball while seemingly trying to control it with her foot. The referees didn’t like it at all, and decided to hit the Fever with a technical foul for delay of the game.

LASIK.com, the nation’s leader in vision correction, jumped on the bandwagon. They trolled the referees by offering free LASIK surgery for them, implying that they have issues with their vision.

Cunningham caught wind of the post and just had to react.

“hahaha yes,” the Fever star wrote.

hahaha yes. https://t.co/BQHwxoR9DO

— Sophie Cunningham (@sophaller) June 14, 2026

Cunningham didn’t say much, but her agreement with the premise can be read as a subtle shot at the refs.

The post Sophie Cunningham takes subtle shot at WNBA refs after controversial Fever game appeared first on ChiCitySports.

Rome Odunze has become a solid contributor for the Chicago Bears in the past two seasons. In the past two years, the 24-year-old wideout has amassed 1,395 receiving yards for nine touchdowns.

The 2023 Consensus All-American helped the Bears win the NFC North title with an 11-6 record. Unfortunately, they fell short of their Super Bowl goal, losing to the Los Angeles Rams in the Divisional Round.

Odunze made waves in his four years with the University of Washington. He was a two-time First-team All-Pac-12 as a member of the Washington Huskies. The 6-foot-3 wide receiver was also the NCAA leader in receiving yards in 2023. 

In Washington, he met his longtime girlfriend, Alannah Davidson, and they’re still going strong today.

Rome Odunze and Alannah Davidson enjoy the USMNT send-off game

The Bears’ wide receiver was invited to the World Cup send-off game for the US Men’s National Team. The Stars and Stripes faced off against the German national team at Soldier Field.

The Chicago power couple had pitchside seats to support the US squad. Unfortunately, the USA lost to the 10th-ranked Germany, 2-1, in front of a sold-out crowd of 63,636.

Despite the loss, Davidson still shared their moment of cheering on Team USA.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by alannah davidson (@alannah_davidson)

Davidson stood out as she drew the attention of the fans on social media. 

“RED ON YOU 😍🫨😛” a user said.

“Chicago’s queen back at soldier field!!! ️️️” exclaimed Emily Kmet, wife of Odunze’s teammate Cole Kmet.

“USA” Odunze commented on his girlfriend’s post.

“cutieeee,” a fan mentioned.

“USMNT biggest fans!! ️” posted another.

“just SWAG,” one posted.

Davidson has been Odunze’s biggest supporter in Chicago. It is safe to say that we will see more of her at Soldier Field in 2026.

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The Chicago Cubs may be in the midst of an up-and-down season, but there’s been some really nice developments so far that give great optimism for the future.

More News: Chicago Cubs may have a 19-year-old phenom on their hands

The rapid progression of infielder Pedro Ramirez is one of them.

On Saturday, the 22-year-old switch-hitting rookie belted his first home run and practically glided over the bases following the milestone moment.

“The first thing that came to mind was my mom,” Ramirez told reporters after the game via interpreter “All I could think was, ‘I hope she’s watching me.’”

And, yes, his mom was watching. Waiting for him on his cell phone was a loving motherly message of support.

Becoming his best self

More News: Chicago Cubs: Counsell offers Matthew Boyd injury update

2026 has been a whirlwind year for the young talent. Over the offseason, things just seemingly all snapped into place and he started playing like his fully self-actualized self. After an eye-catching run in spring training, he hit .312 with 9 home runs and 40 RBIs in 43 games with the Triple-A Iowa Cubs while dazzling with the glove at third base and second base.

His current major league numbers don’t read as all that impressive (.219 batting average, 1 home run and 2 RBIs), but the underlying metrics show a hitter who is, indeed, hitting the ball exceptionally hard.

Per Jordan Bastian of MLB.com:

“Ramirez entered Sunday with a 48% hard-hit rate, per Statcast. For perspective, center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong led Chicago’s regulars with a 49.5% hard-hit rate. Ramirez had an average exit velocity of 92.4 mph going into play Sunday. Crow-Armstrong also led the Cubs’ everyday players with a 91.4 mph average in that category.”

Brought up to replace an injured Matt Shaw on May 22, it speaks volumes that Ramirez is still with the big league Cubs after Shaw’s return.

Trade bait?

And that certainly begs the question of what to do with two players essentially filling the same super-sub utility role as infield-first bench pieces, and doing so similarly well.

The obvious answer is that one of these bench assets—Shaw or Ramirez—will be the primary piece in a trade package for much-needed pitching. It’ll just be a question of which young talent they feel is the best trade bait.

For now, though, Ramirez is happy just to be in the majors and getting his chance to capitalize on the opportunities given to him.

“The young player who comes up and plays every day, it’s a little more rare right now — at least it’s going to be for us, on this team,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell explained to media. “And so Pedro, he’s gotten some opportunities. A lot of them have been like, three days off, a couple days on. And he’s done a good job with that.

“Not overcomplicating it is another thing that’s important to do. Get your work in and then when it’s your turn to play, you just go do your thing.”

The post Chicago Cubs: Pedro Ramirez making a case to stay in the majors—maybe at Matt Shaw’s expense appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago White Sox are one of the hottest teams in the MLB after winning series against the Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers.

The White Sox enter Monday’s off day tied with the Cleveland Guardians for first place in the American League Central.

Chicago stunned the Dodgers (who hold the best record in the MLB at 46-27) with an 8-2 win on Friday night. Los Angeles responded with a 7-1 win on Saturday. The White Sox closed out their series with a 6-4 win in front of a pumped-up crowd of 38,507 at Rate Field.

Following the game, Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman told reporters it looked like the White Sox were turning the corner and could be a force to contend with for years to come, via the Chicago Sun-Times.

Third baseman Max Muncy noticed how much of a difference the crowd is making for the White Sox at Rate Field, noting it’s pushing the young core forward.

‘‘That team is feeding off the crowd, and the crowd is feeding off the team,’’ Muncy said. ‘‘That’s definitely what makes baseball fun, is when you start getting these atmospheres. We’ve gotten real numb to it because we play in front of it every single night, but [the Sox deserve] to be feeling it.’’

The White Sox won just 41 games in 2024 and 60 games in 2025. They’re 38-22 in the middle of June.

More News: Chicago White Sox trade for prospects from the Philadelphia Phillies

Chicago White Sox: The bad days are history

More News: White Sox planning ‘aggressive’ trade

Shortstop Colson Montgomery believes seasons like in 2024 and 2025 are behind the White Sox.

‘‘I think you should stop thinking of this as a surprise just because we’re consistently winning [and] we’re consistently in every game,’’ Montgomery said. ‘‘It doesn’t matter what team it is, we’re going to go out there and just try to play our ball. I think those days are kind of over.’’

The White Sox have another big series coming up this week starting on Tuesday. Chicago will travel to play the New York Yankees for a three-game series.

For More Chicago Sports:

Follow me on Twitter at @JordanSig, and follow us @ChiCitySports23. You can also reach out to Jordan Sigler via email at jordanmsigler@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in ALL of Chicago sports, click here! Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Cubs, For more on the NCAA, head to Newsweek Sports.Chicago White Sox, Chicago Blackhawks

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Prior to the start of the 2026 MLB season, the Chicago Cubs were predicted to be one of the best teams in all baseball. Additionally, many experts predicted that they would represent the National League in the World Series. Unfortunately, the Cubs have turned out to be one of the biggest disappointments in the league.

That being said, Chicago does have the potential to be one of baseball’s best teams. After all, they put together two separate ten-game winning streaks earlier in the year. However, they have also had a ten-game losing streak and went over a month without winning a single series.

The Chicago Cubs come in 11th in the latest MLB power rankings

Prior to and early in the season, the high regard many had for the Cubs was shown by their constantly being ranked among the ten best teams in baseball. Even when they were in the midst of their series losing streak, many could not bring themselves to put them too low on their lists.

With their series win over the San Francisco Giants over the weekend, MLB.com moved them up from 12th to 11th:

“The most up-and-down team in baseball got back on another winning streak this week, this a more modest three-gamer before their loss on Sunday. They’re still 10-23 since their second 10-game win streak ended on May 8.”

Fortunately for Chicago, they are now going to be starting a series at home against the lowly Colorado Rockies. That being said, the Rockies can hit, as evidenced by the fact they hung 23 runs up on the Athletics in a single game over the weekend.

Pitching has been the Cubs’ most fatal flaw this season, and they will need it to hold up early this week as they look to win a second series in a row. If they cannot, well, there will continue to be tough conversations had around the team.

More Chicago Cubs news from ChiCity Sports

• Craig Counsell offers Matthew Boyd injury update
• A Seiya Suzuki injury would be a brutal blow on multiple fronts
• Cubs see surprising trade target emerge ahead of MLB deadline

For More Chicago Sports

Follow me on Twitter at @theotherRobin19, and follow us @ChiCitySports23. You can also reach out to Robin Adams via email at robadams14@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in ALL of Chicago sports, click here! Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Blackhawks

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It is June 15, the Chicago White Sox are in first place in the American League Central Division. They currently have a record of 38-32, making them one of just five teams in the whole American League with a winning record. Chicago also currently has the third-best record in the AL, behind the Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees (whom they play this week).

When the White Sox were winning games early, many gave credit to the offense led by Munetaka Murakami. But ever since the Japanese slugger went down with a hamstring strain, Chicago has continued to win.

It has gotten to the point where no one can write them off anymore.

Ken Rosenthal says the Chicago White Sox are still rebuilding

On Monday, MLB on Fox reporter and analyst Ken Rosenthal was on the latest episode of the “Foul Territory” show. During his segment, he spent some time describing just how amazing the White Sox turnaround has been:

The White Sox look increasingly legit after taking two of three from the Dodgers.

“This team fights. They’ve got talent, and they do a lot of good things,” says @Ken_Rosenthal. pic.twitter.com/MbQGSKM7Ju

— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) June 15, 2026

“It’s an amazing thing that has happened here. The turnaround of of this franchise. This week, or the past week, they won two straight from Atlanta before postponement, and then they won two of three for the Los Angeles Dodgers at home. 4-1 home stand.

“They are now 20-4 in their last 24 games at home. They are 8-5 without Munetaka Murakami. Remember, he went down and people thought ‘Eh, their offense might struggle.’ Seventh in the Majors in runs per game. Their offense has continued to be really good and, yeah, they’re going to need some help at the deadline.

“They’re going to need some pitching help if they’re going to stay in this thing. And they are a rebuilding club still, so I don’t expect them to go crazy. But, the White Sox are much more competitive than any of us thought.

“This team fights, they’ve got talent, they hit home runs, they do a lot of good things. Antonacci is an exciting player, Meidroth, all of these guys contributing.”

All of these things are true. The White Sox are, indeed, a young and exciting team with a bright, bright future ahead of them.

That being said, they are still rebuilding. Now, they may be further along in that rebuild than many people initially thought, but they are rebuilding.

The good news, though, is that they are not far off, and rebuilding teams can still add talent and make the playoffs. But in terms of seriously competing for a World Series, they are still a year or two away.

More Chicago White Sox news from ChiCity Sports

• White Sox urged to dump former first-round pick before MLB trade deadline
• One phase of the White Sox roster has out-performed expectations
• White Sox sign veteran pitcher Javy Guerra to a minor league deal

For More Chicago Sports

Follow me on Twitter at @theotherRobin19, and follow us @ChiCitySports23. You can also reach out to Robin Adams via email at robadams14@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in ALL of Chicago sports, click here! Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Blackhawks

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The Chicago Cubs may have found their corner outfield solution in a post-Ian Happ, post-Seiya Suzuki future—no, it’s not Kevin Alcantara and, no, he’s not even in Double-A yet.

More News: Chicago Cubs: Counsell offers Matthew Boyd injury update

Josiah Hartshorn has been absolutely killing it in his first full year in pro ball and he’s actually gotten better after his promotion from A-ball Myrtle Beach to High-A South Bend.

Since moving up, the 19-year-old switch-hitter has clubbed 8 home runs in 78 plate appearances, slashing a ridiculous .422/.474/.659 with an OPS of 1.334. On the year, he’s so far slashed a still-ridiculous .320/.439/.586.

Already ranked no. 64 in Baseball America’s list of Top 100 prospects, Hartshorn came to the Cubs as a fairly unheralded sixth round selection in the 2025 draft. His $2 million signing bonus from Chicago, however, spoke volumes as to how much the organization saw value in what they scouted as an elite bat. The record-breaking signing bonus for a sixth-rounder was also used to encourage the young prospect to ditch his commitment to Texas A&M and come straight into the Cubs organization.

Although viewed primarily as a bat-first prospect, his defense has come along and he profiles to be a solid major league corner outfielder. In the minors, he’s also played some center field and first base.

The elite bat of Josiah Hatshorn

More News: Chicago Cubs: Javier Assad thriving despite being consistently overlooked

But the bat is where it’s at for the Orange, California native. The high on base percentage going along with the high batting average and home run power is a testament to a very disciplined approach at the plate, well beyond what could ever be reasonably expected of a hard-hitting offensive stud prospect.

Across two levels, he’s posted a strikeout rate just over 16% along with a walk rate also above 16%. According to FanGraphs’ sabermetric guidelines, both stats rate him elite-to-masterful when it comes to plate discipline.

All signs point to “he’s for real”

Of course, it’s still very early in Hartshorn’s pro career to go too far overboard about the numbers he’s putting up. Still, he already ranks among the best in several offensive categories at High-A—and he’s doing this at a much younger age than those putting up big numbers around him. There’s a case to be made that, right now, he’s the best younger-prospect hitter in all of minor league baseball.

Per Evan Altman of Cubs Insider:

“Hartshorn’s 168 wRC+ across both levels is good for 21st in all of the minors, but six of those ahead of him compiled at least some of their stats in the Complex League.

Of the players above him on the list, none of the 15 who’ve generated better results at A-ball and above are under 22 years old. And only two of those are that young, so we’re talking about an average age just shy of 24 for that group. For those who are reading this while holding their phone and thus can’t use their fingers to count, that means Hartshorn is nearly five years younger than his offensive peers.”

Nobody’s suggesting that Hartshorn will be heading to Wrigley next season to replace the free agency-bound outgoing Happ and/or Suzuki. But, maybe, the Cubs will just have to buy a year or two before getting the young power-hitting corner outfielder of their dreams.

The post Chicago Cubs may have a 19-year-old phenom on their hands appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Cubs finally won a series, for the first time in a month. Unfortunately, they lost on Sunday, unable to complete the sweep of the lowly San Francisco Giants, and fell to 37-35 on the season. Fortunately for Chicago, they welcome another lowly team, the Colorado Rockies, to Wrigley Field for their next series. Hopefully, they can start stringing together some wins.

It will truly be interesting, though, to see how Chicago’s pitching continues to perform amid the injuries issues it has had to deal with all year long. With so many unknowns regarding who will be available, the Cubs have started to add outside help.

The Chicago Cubs trade for Yosver Zulueta from the Seattle Mariners

Earlier today, the Cubs announced that they have received right-handed reliever Yosver Zulueta from the Seattle Mariners in exchange for cash:

Today’s roster update presented by @NuveenInv: pic.twitter.com/p9OHFF4nvk

— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) June 15, 2026

In a corresponding move, left-handed reliever Doug Nikhazy was designated for assginment. Zulueta was optioned to Triple-A Iowa.

A former Cincinnati Reds farmhand, Zulueta has not had much success on the Major League level. In 19 career games, he is 1-0 with a 5.32 ERA and 1.33 WHIP. He does have nasty stuff, though, as he has 25 strikeouts in 23.2 career innings.

As mentioned, Zulueta is coming from the Mariners, who also had him with their Triple-A squad. In 22 games this season, he is 2-3 with a 5.75 ERA. Last season, though, on the Reds’ Triple-A team, he was 2-2 with a 3.28 ERA in 44 appearances.

It is yet to be seen if Zulueta will have a role on the Cubs’ roster this year, or if he was acquired for organizational depth as other pitchers are called up to fill injury voids. He, at least, as some Major League experience.

More Chicago Cubs news from ChiCity Sports

• Craig Counsell offers Matthew Boyd injury update
• A Seiya Suzuki injury would be a brutal blow on multiple fronts
• Cubs see surprising trade target emerge ahead of MLB deadline

For More Chicago Sports

Follow me on Twitter at @theotherRobin19, and follow us @ChiCitySports23. You can also reach out to Robin Adams via email at robadams14@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in ALL of Chicago sports, click here! Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Blackhawks

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By taking two of three from the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers, the Chicago White Sox didn’t just win a series this weekend. They are reshaping the city’s baseball hierarchy in Chicago.

The White Sox didn’t just prove they can compete. They proved they’ve arrived. Additionally, they now have a legitimate chance to win the division even though it might be the worst division in the MLB.

For the first time in years, the White Sox look like the franchise with direction, momentum, and a future.

The White Sox set the tone by beating the Dodgers 8-2 on Friday. The Dodgers won 7-1 on Saturday, with Yoshinobu Yamamoto taking a no-hit bid into the ninth inning. They secured a 6-4 comeback win in the series finale, as they erupted for six runs in the sixth inning.

Keep in mind this is a team missing Munetaka Murakami, who is out 4-6 weeks with a Grade 2 right hamstring strain he sustained on May 29. The Sox are getting contributions from everywhere — the rotation, the bullpen, the lineup. Especially, they are getting help from the kids who are injecting energy into the clubhouse.

Beating the Dodgers, with a roster full of young, ascending players, is even more impressive.

Meanwhile, the Chicago Cubs took two out of three against the San Francisco Giants over the weekend. But no Cubs fan will confuse that with a resurgence.

• Not after losing ten straight games not too long ago.
• Not with an offense that vanishes for days.
• Not with a rotation that’s been gutted by injuries.
• Not with a roster that still feels disjointed.

What the Cubs got was a mild reprieve this weekend. June was supposed to be a month where they finally get back on track with 12 straight games against both the Colorado Rockies and San Francisco Giants. Instead, they are 4-5 against them after Sunday’s loss, with the Rockies coming to Wrigley Field starting on Monday.

The White Sox flipped the baseball landscape this weekend

Right now, the White Sox are a team on the rise with a manager who is pushing the right buttons so far. They beat an elite opponent in front of a large crowd. Also, they are getting production from young players who are playing with energy and identity.

The White Sox have more young talent in their minor league system, including Caleb Bonemer, George Wolkow, Billy Carlson, and a slew of other prospects. If they select UCLA SS Rock Cholowsky, who is the consensus top pick in the upcoming draft, as expected, he could easily become a top-3 prospect in a system that is already deep.

As for the Cubs? They have few MLB‑ready prospects like the White Sox. Their cores are aging and regressing. And both their front office and a highly paid manager are under scrutiny. But it’s hard to believe they can get a strong return.

The White Sox beating the Dodgers was a declaration that Chicago’s baseball landscape has been officially flipped.

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The Chicago Bulls have their next head coach, with former NBA Power Forward/Center Tiago Splitter, finalizing a deal to be the next man at the helm.

According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Splitter succeeds former Bulls head coach Billy Donovan, who stepped down and away from his duties after the 2025-26 season. Splitter had been serving as the Portland Trail Blazers head coach this past season when his predecessor, Chauncy Billups, was removed from his duties after gambling allegations emerged.

In his time as the Trail Blazers’ interim head coach, Splitter was 42-39, but lost in the first round of the Western Conference Finals, losing 4-1 to the San Antonio Spurs. Before serving as the Trail Blazers head coach, the Brazilian was the assistant coach/player development leader for the Houston Rockets (2023 to 2024) and for the Brooklyn Nets (2020 to 2023).

Donovan was the Bulls coach for six seasons (2020 to 2026) and compiled a record of 226-256.

BREAKING: The Chicago Bulls are finalizing the hire of Portland Trail Blazers interim Tiago Splitter as the franchise's new head coach, sources tell ESPN. Splitter succeeds Billy Donovan as the Bulls' coach after stepping into the head job and excelling in Portland last season. pic.twitter.com/m8e91FrvXC

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 15, 2026

More Bulls News: Chicago Bulls’ blockbuster trade rumor just isn’t worth it

Splitter received three points and ranked seventh in the Coach of the Year voting for the 2025-26 season. Before coaching, the 41-year-old spent seven seasons in the NBA playing for the Spurs (2010 to 2015), the Atlanta Hawks (2015-16) and the Philadelphia 76ers (2016-17).

Tiago Splitter will bring an empathetic coaching style to the Chicago Bulls

In an interview given back in 2024 to Mozzart Sport, Splitter described his coaching style as more compassionate to players, rather than yelling and screaming at them when coaching over in the EuroLeague’s.

“I’m not someone who likes to shout and yell at players. Sometimes, I even feel the need to hug them. This doesn’t mean I let them do whatever they want,” he explained to Bojan Brezovac of Mozzart Sport. “I always aim to create new challenges for the players,” Splitter went on to say. “In Paris, discipline and professionalism are respected. I’m not here to teach them the basics, like how to pass the ball or take two steps. My role is to present the game plan, prepare them, and motivate them for the EuroLeague and our domestic competitions.”

With as many young players the Bulls having many inexperienced players on the roster, having someone willing to explain things and not bark at the players could be beneficial in the development of someone like Matas Buzelis.

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The Chicago White Sox have not been a good team for a while. Or, more accurately, they had not been a good team for a while. Going into the 2026 MLB season, many people, including their own fans, had very low expectations for the team that had lost 100+ games in three consecutive seasons.

As a result, pre-season and early-season power rankings often found the White Sox at or near the bottom of their lists. A sweep at the hands of the Milwaukee Brewers on Opening Weekend did little to help matters.

Since that time, though, Chicago has taken the MLB world by storm and surprise.

The Chicago White Sox earn a 6th spot on latest MLB power rankings

Now 38-32, the White Sox are tied for the American League Central Division lead. After years of finishing in the cellar, they are now one of the best teams in the division, and are coming off of series wins against the Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers, the two best teams in all Major League Baseball.

As a result, they are now ranked sixth in MLB’s rankings:

“The Chicago White Sox have had one full winning season since 2013, and they have lost 100 games three consecutive seasons, including a nightmare 121-loss campaign in 2024. That’s a lot of pain for their fans, to say the least. But it is all starting to come together.

“After a weekend when Chicago took two out of three from the reigning champion Dodgers and still sit in a virtual tie atop the AL Central, the White Sox shot up three spots to No. 6 in the MLB.com Power Rankings. Sixth! The White Sox! The sun may finally be coming out for this franchise.”

The season is not yet halfway over, and a lot can go wrong between now and the end of the year. However, the White Sox have overcome losing their most-feared slugger and have been able to win games with one of the youngest rosters in the game.

There will be bumps, as is natural in a 162-game season. But it certainly seems that the days of perpetual losing are over.

Finally.

More Chicago White Sox news from ChiCity Sports

• White Sox urged to dump former first-round pick before MLB trade deadline
• One phase of the White Sox roster has out-performed expectations
• White Sox sign veteran pitcher Javy Guerra to a minor league deal

For More Chicago Sports

Follow me on Twitter at @theotherRobin19, and follow us @ChiCitySports23. You can also reach out to Robin Adams via email at robadams14@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in ALL of Chicago sports, click here! Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Blackhawks

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The Chicago Blackhawks are entering a pivotal offseason in which they will have plenty of major decisions to make, ranging from how they will use all of their draft capital to what players they will sign in free agency with their cap space.

The Blackhawks have missed the playoffs six years in a row, equaling their longest drought since 1952. However, Chicago has shown notable improvement the last couple of seasons and appears to be on the upswing, even after finishing in last place in the Central Division.

The goal this summer will be to continue building a capable roster around Connor Bedard, who, by the way, is hitting restricted free agency in July. Bedard isn’t going anywhere, but the Blackhawks may want to start expediting and streamlining their rebuilding process.

So, what players will Chicago target in the coming weeks?

Blackhawks head coach Jeff Blashill spoke to Scott Powers of The Athletic about that very subject in a recent interview, and Blashill made it clear that Chicago will be prioritizing finding a veteran defenseman this offseason.

Chicago Blackhawks coach Jeff Blashill makes intentions clear

The Blackhawks are loaded with young defensemen, but they could use a more proven player in the group. It seems like finding one is a goal of Blashill and general manager Kyle Davidson.

“Certainly, when guys get traded away, you lose some of that. So, is there some need for that again, potentially? These guys are also a year older. That’s something we’re gonna have to work out, and then, is the right guy available?” Blashill said. “I know that’s something Kyle and I have discussed, and Kyle’s management team will look at and see what’s the best thing for us, both for next year and for the growth of our young players long term.”

Davidson himself alluded to chasing a veteran defenseman earlier in the month, so it definitely appears that Chicago will be making a push to improve its blue line this summer.

Of course, that isn’t all the Blackhawks need. They also must find another scorer alongside of Bedard up front, because just having Tyler Bertuzzi isn’t cutting it. For that reason, Chicago is also expected to add a wing, and it has been floated as a potential destination for several established wings — both on the open market and via trade — heading into the offseason.

That being said, Davidson still must actually get something done, so we’ll see if he and Blashill can put their words to action.

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The Chicago Cubs have been one of the worst teams in baseball over the last five weeks, which is wild to think about when you consider how strong their start to the season was.

The Cubs began the year 27-12 and put together a pair of 10-game winning streaks during that span, but since then, they have gone just 10-23, which has some wondering if they might actually sell before the MLB trade deadline.

Chicago is still smack dab in the middle of the National League playoff race, so right now, the Cubs probably aren’t in selling mode. But if things continue to unravel for the team as we inch closer and closer to the Aug. 3 trade deadline, general manager Jed Hoyer might have a change of heart.

In that scenario, Chicago would actually have several players that would certainly interest other ballclubs, such as outfielder Seiya Suzuki. Suzuki is slated to hit free agency at year’s end, which is why he makes sense as a trade candidate for the Cubs.

Nick Deeds of Cubbies Cribs recently posed a few trade proposals involving Suzuki, and one of them would burn the New York Yankees.

Chicago Cubs could hurt New York Yankees with Seiya Suzuki trade

Deeds pitched a potential deal in which the Chicago would send Suzuki to the Tampa Bay Rays, which would provide a big lift for a Rays squad battling the Yankees for AL East supremacy.

“In exchange for Suzuki’s services, the Cubs should pursue a pitching-focused trade package from the Rays’ stable of talented arms,” Deeds wrote. “Anderson Brito and Michael Forret are sixth- and eight-ranked prospects in the team’s system according to MLB Pipeline’s Top 30 Rays prospects list. Brito is currently on the injured list, but both are described as possible mid-rotation starters, with Forret in particular not too far from the big leagues at this point.”

Tampa Bay has a few really good hitters in Junior Caminero, Jonathan Aranda and Yandy Diaz, but it absolutely lacks lineup depth, which is why Suzuki would be a good fit for the team in its hunt for an AL East title.

Meanwhile, Brito and Forret would help restock a Cubs farm system that is very short on pitching outside of Jaxon Wiggins.

Suzuki is slashing .255/.339/.433 with 10 home runs and 28 RBI over 236 plate appearances this season. He came over to the big leagues from Japan in 2022 and boasts a lifetime .814 OPS throughout his tenure in the Windy City.

Should Chicago make him available in the coming weeks, there would be no shortage of potential suitors.

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The Chicago Bears stadium news cycle has been one of the most attention-grabbing story lines in the NFL this off-season. For months, fans and former players have urged the state of Illinois to pass the necessary legislation to keep the Bears in the city of Chicago, or at the very least in the state itself.

It has not happened, and probably never will.

Instead, the Bears organization recently announced its plans to move forward with a new stadium in Hammond, Indiana, which is located about 20 minutes outside of Chicago. And while fans may be hoping for a last-second law from Illinois, one NFL insider says that is not going to happen.

Adam Schefter says the Chicago Bears moving to Indiana is a done deal

There was some hope among Bears fans that the organization announcing its intentions to move to Indiana would provoke the Illinois legislature into getting the laws passed that the team wants passed. In other words, they believed it was a bluff.

It was not, at least according to Adam Schefter:

Adam Schefter’s source inside Halas Hall says the move to Indiana is real and “barring anything very strange, it’s a done deal.” #DaBears pic.twitter.com/qOxGXY9MCA

— Ben Devine (@Chicago_NFL) June 14, 2026

“It is not a bluff. There is more work to do, but barring anything very strange, it’s a done deal,” Schefter said on the Pat McAfee Show last week.

It is unclear, exactly, what those “very strange” things could be. One would have to assume it would be something like the land in Hammond suddenly being unable to be built upon. The fact of the matter, though, is that the state of Illinois has made it clear that the Bears organization will not receive the tax breaks they want in order to keep the team in Chicago.

More Chicago Bears news from ChiCity Sports

• Bears wide receiver making noise amid harsh criticism
• Bears fans react to Coby Bryant’s statement during Super Bowl ring ceremony
• Caleb Williams reveals the hardest hit he has ever taken

For More Chicago Sports

Follow me on Twitter at @theotherRobin19, and follow us @ChiCitySports23. You can also reach out to Robin Adams via email at robadams14@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in ALL of Chicago sports, click here! Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Blackhawks

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The Chicago Bulls are now entering a critical offseason in which they will have a golden opportunity to improve and set their team up for the future.

The Bulls are armed with expansive cap room and own two top-15 picks in this year’s NBA Draft, including the No. 4 overall selection thank to some lottery luck.

The general consensus is that AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson and Cameron Boozer will come off the board with the first three picks next Tuesday, which would leave North Carolina Tar Heels forward Caleb Wilson for Chicago. But is it possible the Bulls will look to swing a trade?

There has been plenty of speculation that Chicago will aim to move up in the draft order, and while vaulting all the way up to No. 1 has been floated as an idea, it doesn’t seem like the Washington Wizards will budge off of the chance to select Dybantsa.

A more realistic proposition is trading up to No. 3 and taking Ja Morant’s contract off the Memphis Grizzlies’ hands in the process, but is it really worth it?

Chicago Bulls’ trade rumor with Memphis Grizzlies isn’t too enticing

A potential Bulls-Grizzlies trade has been a hot topic of discussion in recent weeks. The thought is that Chicago would move the No. 4 pick (plus other assets) and receive pick No. 3 and Morant in return. That way, Memphis can rid itself of the final two years of Morant’s contract, and the Bulls could jump one spot.

But would it even make sense for Chicago?

In that scenario, the Bulls would likely be moving up to select Boozer, who might not even be as good of an NBA player as Wilson. Boozer is a gifted scorer, but his lack of athleticism and his defensive shortcomings could pose big problems on the professional level.

Meanwhile, Wilson may very well be the best two-way talent in this draft class and has even drawn comparisons to Kevin Garnett. Why would Chicago take Boozer over Wilson while also taking on Morant’s contract in the process?

The only way I can see this trade making sense is if the Grizzlies plan on drafting Wilson over Boozer. Then, the Bulls would have some incentive to complete the deal. But that doesn’t seem like it’s going to be the case.

Chicago should just stay put and nab Wilson rather than absorbing Morant’s contract for a potentially inferior player in Boozer.

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The Chicago White Sox are achieving things that no one thought they were capable of during the first half of the 2026 MLB campaign, as they are sitting at 38-32 and in first place in the AL Central.

They just took series from the Atlanta Braves and the Los Angeles Dodgers, and since bottoming out at 11-17 earlier in the season, they have gone 27-15.

This makes the White Sox one of the most intriguing teams to watch heading into the MLB trade deadline. The entire world had them pegged as midsummer sellers going into the campaign, but now, Chicago might just do something crazy and buy.

The White Sox certainly have some holes that need to be patched, such as a thin starting rotation and a lineup that gets shaky once you get past the big boppers. They also have some assets they could move in blockbuster deals, and Noah Phalen of Southside Showdown already thinks they could be shopping shortstop prospect Billy Carlson.

Chicago White Sox urged to trade Billy Carlson

Chicago selected Carlson with the 10th overall pick of the 2025 MLB Draft, but with the White Sox being absolutely loaded at Carlson’s position, they can afford to send him packing.

“In Carlson, the White Sox have a young, developmental hitter with an elite defensive profile at shortstop. It’s difficult to envision him needing to move away from shortstop defensively, but he’s just 19 years-old and needs to take steps forward at the plate. On top of this, the White Sox have the top pick in the 2026 MLB draft and are likely deciding between shortstops Roch Cholowsky and Grady Emerson,” Phalen wrote.

Carlson is slashing .257/.386/.340 with no home runs and 11 RBI over 177 plate appearances at Single-A Kannapolis this season. The complete absence of power is definitely concerning, even for a shortstop. So perhaps Chicago should look to move him in a major trade.

“With Colson Montgomery, Chase Meidroth, Sam Antonacci, Caleb Bonemer, Jacob Gonzalez, and Kyle Lodise all at or near the big league level and capable of playing shortstop, it’s an area the organization can afford to deal from to bring in another position of need,” Phalen added.

Trading from a position of strength is always the way to go, so the White Sox shouldn’t be shy about including Carlson in trade offers. That doesn’t necessarily mean they should just give him away, but when it comes to acquiring a star player, the Mission Viejo, Ca. native should be on the table.

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When the Chicago Bears selected wide receiver Zavion Thomas in the third round of the NFL Draft back in April, just about everyone thought it was a reach. There were numerous other receivers on the board that seemed like better fits, and Thomas wasn’t all that productive in college.

That being said, Ben Johnson typically knows what he is doing when it comes to identifying offensive talent, so maybe everyone was wrong?

Thomas split his collegiate career between Mississippi State and LSU, catching 41 passes for 488 yards and for touchdowns during his final season with the Tigers in 2025. Overall, he accumulated 106 receptions for 1,213 yards and seven scores across four years on the NCAA level.

The 5-foot-11 burner ran a 4.28 in the 40-yard dash, so that’s definitely impressive, but his lack of production is concerning, as is his route tree.

That being said, Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton seems to be buying into the notion that Thomas could carve out a critical role in the Bears’ offense this coming fall.

Chicago Bears WR Zavion Thomas earns surprising outlook

Moton cites Chicago’s trade of D.J. Moore and the fact that free-agent addition Kalif Raymond probably isn’t a legitimate No. 3 receiver as reasons why Thomas might be able to earn himself considerable playing time in 2026.

“Although Thomas posted modest collegiate receiving numbers at Mississippi State and LSU, he’ll have a chance to fill a major void in the Bears’ passing attack after the team traded DJ Moore to the Buffalo Bills,” Moton wrote. “Chicago signed Kalif Raymond, who played in Johnson’s offense for three seasons while with the Detroit Lions, but he’s taken the field for fewer than 38 percent of offensive snaps in three consecutive years. If Thomas demonstrates a strong command of Johnson’s offense, he could be a fixture in three-receiver sets.”

It’s also worth mentioning that the Bears lost Olamide Zacchaeus to free agency, as well, so there is definitely room for Thomas to make an impact. And remember: top receiver Rome Odunze stated that he isn’t sure he’ll ever be the same again due to the foot injuries he experienced last season.

Chicago boasted one of the most explosive offenses in football in 2025, and much of that was due to the fact that the club had a very deep receiving corps. That’s now a major question heading into 2026, but Thomas could represent a solution.

The 22-year-old has looked good throughout the Bears’ offseason program, so perhaps that will carry over into September.

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One of the most surprising developments for the Chicago Cubs this season has been Ben Brown.

Brown is coming off a poor showing last season, posting a career-high 5.92 ERA in 25 games (15 starts) and bouncing between the starting rotation and the bullpen. A former 33rd round pick of the Philadelphia Phillies (2017) has been the opposite of bad this season, with a 1.74 ERA mostly out of the bullpen, but has carried that success starting, given the Cubs injuries.

Chicago Cubs’ Ben Brown has pitched like an All-Star this season

Between starting and relieving this season, Brown has been a better starter (2-1 with a 1.49 ERA and striking out 37 in 36.1 innings) than he has been a reliever (1-1 with a 2.10 ERA and 24 strikeouts in 25.2 innings). In 15 starts last season, the 26-year-old was 5-5 with a 6.30 ERA and walked 23 in 75 2/3 innings.

More Cubs News: Chicago Cubs: Counsell offers Matthew Boyd injury update

The one area of weakness this season for Brown has been missing the catcher, leading Major League Baseball in wild pitches (six).

Showing growth, Brown has done well enough to represent the Cubs at the All-Star game, and it’s thanks to his sinker, which has been an effective weapon in his arsenal this season.

“After a tough season last year that made Brown’s role unclear, the righty began this season as a multi-inning reliever for the Cubs,” wrote Jordan Bastian of MLB.com. “It was soon evident how his focused offseason had paid off. Armed with a new sinker, Brown was dominant as a bridge arm, and proved crucial early on as Chicago’s bullpen was riddled with injuries. Then, when setbacks hit the rotation, Brown got his opportunity and has not looked back. The hard-throwing righty now has a 1.74 ERA overall and 1.49 ERA in seven starts for the North Siders, emerging as an unexpected All-Star candidate and one of the positive stories of the first half for the Cubs.”

Next to his curveball (.119 batting average and .143 slugging percentage) and changeup (.143/.179), Brown’s sinker has been his third-best pitch. In 198 pitches thrown, opposing hitters have a batting average of .215 and a slugging percentage of .217, and averaged 96.5 miles per hour.

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On June 15, who would have thought the Chicago White Sox would be a top offense in the American League?

The Chicago White Sox having a quality offense is a real surprise, as so many of their hitters are young

Even without their best power hitter, first baseman Munetaka Murakami (right hamstring strain), the White Sox are second to the New York Yankees (102) for the most home runs (96) in the American League. The White Sox offense has also scored the fourth-most runs (333), fifth-most RBI (317) and fourth in on-base percentage (.325).

More White Sox News: Chicago White Sox rookie Braden Montgomery makes MLB history in debut

Alongside Murakami, shortstop Colson Montgomery and third baseman Miguel Vargas have helped take the offense to the next level. Montgomery is second on the team in home runs (17) and third in OPS (.801), and Vargas is third in home runs (16) and second in OPS (.860).

Center fielder Tristin Peters, who isn’t talked about nearly as much in Major League Baseball, has also been exceptional. The White Sox acquired Peters from the Tampa Bay Rays back in December for cash considerations. Peters is the White Sox’s best contact hitter, batting .294, and is fourth on the team in hits (52).

“It would be easy to point to outfielder Tristan Peters, who went from battling for a roster spot out of Spring Training to becoming a force offensively and defensively,” wrote MLB.com’s Scott Merkin. “Or how about third baseman Miguel Vargas, who has emerged as an American League MVP candidate. Let’s not overlook the massive home run power of Munetaka Murakami, who has made a number of teams regret they didn’t pursue him more stridently as a free agent from Japan. But the nod goes to the entire team, taking a step from competitiveness after the 2025 All-Star break to a division leader in mid-June of the current campaign.”

Currently tied with the Cleveland Guradians for the lead in the American League Central, the White Sox could capture their first division title since 2021. For the White Sox to separate themselves from the Guardians, general manager Chris Getz will need to be on his game for the trade deadline (Aug. 3).

The White Sox need pitching. So, acquiring a starter and a bullpen arm is a must.

The post Chicago White Sox: One phase of the roster has outperformed appeared first on ChiCitySports.

Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark has been relatively positive about how games have been officiated throughout the season. This was not the case on Saturday, though, as the Fever secured an 85-75 road win over the Connecticut Sun.

There was no shortage of action during the game, and Clark wasn’t pleased with the referees’ whistle throughout the contest. So much so that the 24-year-old was hit with a technical foul late in the game for excessive complaining.

Clark finished with a game-high 25 points on 10-of-17 shooting, to go along with three rebounds, five assists, a block and five three-pointers in 36 minutes of action.

Brittney Griner drops Caitlin Clark with hard screen

One particular moment from the game is currently drawing a lot of attention online. In it, Clark is seen hitting the deck after running through a screen from Sun center Brittney Griner.

Clark pretty much ran into a brick wall as she turned to try to chase Connecticut guard Saniya Rivers. Griner stood her ground, and Clark fell to the floor. No whistle was called on the play.

How is this not a moving screen on Griner???

Caitlin really can’t get a foul to save her life😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/UlFcCA9Uwf

— Ashwin (@Sudharsan_ak) June 14, 2026

Fans on social media believe that this was supposed to be an offensive foul on Griner.

“thats a foul she even dipped her shoulder into caitlin,” a comment on X read.

“The worst part is they called Lexi Hull for a moving pick with no movement just 1 minute earlier!!!” another said.

“looks like assault and battery🤔 And this kid is so skinny to take so much punishment. what the heck,” a user wrote.

“Griner was off balance with her feet wider than her shoulders. That is a textbook moving screen,” argued a viewer.

“BG knocked out CC with a moving screen and no call. CC received a flagrant foul for the exact same thing in a game earlier….” said another.

“It should’ve been a flagrant because he shoulder, but she shoulder her in the head,” demanded a fan.

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The referees gave Stephanie White a technical foul during the Indiana Fever’s game against the Chicago Sky on Thursday. The teams played a highly competitive matchup that went into overtime after Skylar Diggins’ clutch three-pointer.

Indiana prevailed 114-106, with Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston leading the charge. They recorded a 30-point double-double each, making WNBA history. The team’s second consecutive victory improved its season record to 7-5.

The game featured intense moments, with the head coach and some Fever players questioning the referees’ calls. Officials also issued Clark a technical foul for arguing a whistle.

She finished the game with 32 points built on 15-of-15 shooting from the free-throw line along with 10 assists. Boston recorded 34 points and 12 rebounds.

Stephanie White opens up on technical foul received

White addressed reporters after the game. She was asked to share her thoughts on the technical foul she received in the game. 

Clark preceded White on the podium postgame. The two-time All-Star was happy to see her coach’s fire during the contest. According to Clark, White told her that the refs were “soft.”

White had to clarify her comments.

“I thought the tech was soft,” White said, via Indy Star’s Chloe Peterson. “I thought that there were moments where it wasn’t as consistent as I wanted it to be. I didn’t think I deserved the tech, but I got it anyway.”

The WNBA revised its penalties for technical fouls, flagrant fouls and flopping in May. It aims to lessen them and further improve the level of competition.

The revised rules include a $500 penalty for each technical foul. Both Clark and White are facing this exact punishment from the WNBA after they both received techs against the Sky.

White and the Fever will face the Connecticut Sun at Mohegan Sun Arena on Saturday. Indiana will then play five of its next six games at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, giving the team a better chance to string together more wins. The Fever entered the season as one of the title favorites but have not looked the part thus far.

They are starting to turn their fortunes around and have a lot of momentum on their side. Thursday’s hard-earned overtime victory, including White’s technical foul, will only motivate them more to perform at their best.

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Stephanie White and the Indiana Fever won their second consecutive game on Thursday. They defeated the Chicago Sky 114-106 in overtime, pushing their record to 7-5 for the season.

Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston led the way and made WNBA history. The dynamic duo recorded a 30-point double-double each to become the first set of teammates to achieve the feat in the same game. The 2024 Rookie of the Year finished with 32 points and 10 assists, while the three-time All-Star center registered 34 points and 12 rebounds.

Clark shot 15-of-15 from the free-throw line and added seven assists. Boston supplied three assists, one steal and two blocks for a strong all-around effort. Kelsey Mitchell and Lexie Hull backed them with 19 and 11 points, respectively. All five bench players who saw action scored for the team.

Indiana Fever: Stephanie White shares thoughts on Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston’s feat

During her postgame presser, reporters asked White about Clark and Boston’s historic performances. The head coach expressed awe in what they achieved at this stage of their careers.

“I don’t know that I can really put it in perspective, in terms of quantifying it,” White said. “And especially because they’re so young. But they’re elite at what they do. And the more experience that they get at this level and the difference in ways that people play us, they’ve already grown in their reads.”

#Fever HC Stephanie White on stars Caitlin Clark/Aliyah Boston notching 30-point double-doubles in the same game:

“I don’t know that I can really put it in perspective, in terms of quantifying it. And especially because they’re so young. … But they’re elite at what they do.” pic.twitter.com/e2Ums2lVlb

— James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) June 12, 2026

Clark and Boston have been playing at a high level throughout the season. While the team struggled in its first 10 games, the two continued to record impressive numbers.

The Fever’s two-game winning streak couldn’t have come at a more important time. They were 5-5 and scheduled to play two of their next three games on the road. Indiana passed the test and is now staring at a more favorable slate, set to be hosts in five of their upcoming seven matchups.

The post Stephanie White reacts to historic Indiana Fever news appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Bears will have 18 games for Caleb Williams to play under his rookie contract for sure.

Then some drama could ensue, and it could come before the Bears play in the postseason (should they make it that far).

Williams, the No. 1 pick in 2024, is currently on a four-year deal worth $39.4 million. He’ll become eligible for a new contract immediately after the Bears finish their Week 18 contest at the Minnesota Vikings on Jan. 10.

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk argued that the new (half-billion deal) Patrick Mahomes signed with the Kansas City Chiefs will be a talking point for Williams in discussions this winter. He noted Williams has been focused on the “business realities” of the league.

That means the Bears might have to be ready to give Williams a new deal before the postseason. There’s a chance Williams might hold out during the playoffs if he doesn’t have a new deal, choosing not to take the risk of injury before the offseason.

“We’ve already heard talk of Williams having expectations that would be more than eye-popping,” Florio wrote. “And we also expect that Williams will make it known that he wants his contract not after the 2026 postseason ends, but promptly upon the opening of the window for a new deal after the Bears face the Vikings in Week 18.”

“Why carry the injury risk into the 2026 postseason? No quarterback on his rookie deal has tried to do that, even though the CBA wrinkle has been hiding in plain sight since 2011.”

More News: Bears QB Caleb Williams is ‘OK’ leaving Chicago

Would Caleb Williams miss the Chicago Bears postseason?

More News: Chicago Bears have surprise rookie turning heads at minicamp

With this article coming right after mandatory minicamp and more than a month away before training camp, talking about the postseason is purely hypothetical at this point. However, the Bears won the NFC North last season and appear poised to be in the contention to repeat this season in a rather weak division.

Would Williams demand a contract before the playoffs?

It would certainly rub some in Chicago the wrong way. Maybe even his teammates.

But the NFL is a business, and for Williams, he’d certainly have leverage on his side by potentially withholding his labor for the playoffs.

For More Chicago Sports:

Follow me on Twitter at @JordanSig, and follow us @ChiCitySports23. You can also reach out to Jordan Sigler via email at jordanmsigler@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in ALL of Chicago sports, click here! Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Cubs, For more on the NCAA, head to Newsweek Sports.Chicago White Sox, Chicago Blackhawks

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The Chicago Cubs have certainly had a roller coaster of a season thus far in 2026. Early in the year, they were one of the best teams in Major League Baseball and put together two separate ten-game winning streaks. That was followed, however, with a month of inconsistent play. They just recently clinched their first series win since early May, and had a ten-game losing streak at one point last month.

Throughout the tumult that was the month of May, many Cubs players proved to be inconsistent at best, and flat out undependable at worst. Among these was reliever Phil Maton, who was one of their premier free agent signings over the winter.

Has Chicago Cubs reliever Phil Maton turned a corner?

One can hardly blame the Cubs for giving Maton a two-year $14.5 million contract in free agency. Last year, with the Texas Rangers and St. Louis Cardinals, he was 4-5 with a 2.79 ERA in 63 appearances.

He has been far from that productive as a member for the Cubs. To date, he is 0-1 with a 6.17 ERA in 26 appearances.

It does seem, though, that Maton may be turning a corner.

In March, he got off to a rough start with a 7.71 ERA. He was worse, by far, in April, posting a 20.25 ERA and landing on the injured list with knee tendonitis.

Maton was better, but not great, in May posting a 4.61 ERA in 13.2 innings of work.

So far in June, thankfully, he has a 1.93 ERA in five appearances (4.2 innings).

Obviously, this is a small sample size, but it would be a major boost for the injury-riddled Cubs if Maton finally becomes the lock-down reliever they signed him to be over the winter. It would certainly make Craig Counsell’s job easier on any given day, and take some pressure off Jed Hoyer who has come under fire for his poor free agent signings as of late.

More Chicago Cubs news from ChiCity Sports

• Craig Counsell offers Matthew Boyd injury update
• A Seiya Suzuki injury would be a brutal blow on multiple fronts
• Cubs see surprising trade target emerge ahead of MLB deadline

For More Chicago Sports

Follow me on Twitter at @theotherRobin19, and follow us @ChiCitySports23. You can also reach out to Robin Adams via email at robadams14@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in ALL of Chicago sports, click here! Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Blackhawks

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The Chicago White Sox are in a position that very few people saw them being in before the season started. At 37-32, they are just a half-game out of first place in the American League Central Division. Due to the overall poor showing from the majority of American League team’s, the White Sox currently have an excellent chance to make the postseason in 2026.

Of course, this is shocking because they lost over 100 games in 2023, 2024, and 2025. 2024 saw them go 41-121, the worst single-season record in the history of Major League Baseball.

Now, however, they have turned their fortunes around. With the summer progressing, it is becoming more and more obvious that Chicago will be buyers at the MLB trade deadline as opposed to their usual role as sellers.

With this in mind, it stands to reason that they are scouring the free agent market to have pieces in place for when dominoes start falling.

The Chicago White Sox have signed Javy Guerra

It stands to reason that, should the White Sox try to acquire anyone at the MLB trade deadline, they will be giving up one of the league’s most prized commodities: pitching. On that note, they have signed veteran Javy Guerrra to a minor league contract, per MLB trade rumors.

A 30-year-old right handed pitcher, Guerra has not appeared in the Majors since 2023. In 61 career appearances, he is 3-1 with a 6.43 ERA and 1.78 WHIP.

After splitting the 2023 season with the Milwaukee Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays, Guerra spent 2024 and 2025 pitching in Japan. While there, he was 1-5 with a 2.44 ERA in 65 games.

Guerra signed with the Atlanta Braves ahead of the 2026 season, but never saw the Majors. In 16 games with their Triple-A club, he was 0-1 with a 5.68 ERA. He was released just this past Thursday.

More Chicago White Sox news from ChiCity Sports

• White Sox planning for an aggressive trade ahead of MLB deadline
• White Sox trade from Philadelphia Phillies prospect
• Why Munetaka Murakami is White Sox biggest breakout player of 2026

For More Chicago Sports

Follow me on Twitter at @theotherRobin19, and follow us @ChiCitySports23. You can also reach out to Robin Adams via email at robadams14@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in ALL of Chicago sports, click here! Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Blackhawks

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Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark came into the 2026 WNBA season with a clear mission in mind. The 24-year-old wanted to make amends after an injury-plagued second season with the team.

Clark was limited to just 13 games in 2025 due to multiple soft-tissue injuries. It was ultimately a groin issue that forced the Fever to shut her down for the remainder of the campaign.

Clark put in the work in her rehab, and she’s now reaping the rewards. She’s in the midst of what is shaping up to be the best season of her career.

In 11 games played this season, the 6-foot guard is averaging a career-best 19.9 points on 39.0% shooting, 4.7 rebounds and 8.1 assists. Clark is also knocking down a career-high 3.6 three-pointers on a 32.1% clip.

She has led Indiana to a 7-5 record. They are currently riding a two-game win streak.

Indiana Fever urge fans to vote for Caitlin Clark for All-Star Game

One of the next goals for Clark is to make her mark in this year’s WNBA All-Star Game in Chicago. The highly anticipated exhibition matchup will take place on July 25 at United Center.

Clark is looking ot earn her third All-Star nod in three years. She was named an All-Star last season, but she missed the All-Star Game due to injury. The former Iowa Hawkeyes star is looking to change the narrative this year.

The Fever took to social media on Friday to make a request. They are urging fans to vote for Clark online.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Indiana Fever (@indianafever)

Clark’s fans wasted no time, and they made sure to announce their actions in the comments section.

“My girl! ©️©️2️⃣2️⃣ Vote secured! 🗳️” a comment on Instagram read.

“Done and done! I’ll be back tomorrow!” another said.

“Voted for you today, GOAT! 🐐 🙌” a user wrote.

“Done🔥🔥🔥” a reaction read.

“YES voting CC every day ⛹🏻‍️🏀🔥🔥” said another.

“Oh trust us, we’re only voting for CC daily,” a supporter declared.

WNBA All-Star voting officially opened on Friday and will run through June 27. Fan votes account for 50% of the total vote, while votes from active players and the media each account for 25%.

The top 10 vote-getters will be named starters. Head coaches across the WNBA will then vote for the 12 All-Star reserves.

Clark was the top vote-getter for both 2024 and 2025. She is hoping to keep that streak alive this year.

The post Caitlin Clark fans waste no time after Indiana Fever’s request appeared first on ChiCitySports.

Much like the winds that make the city famous, the vibes surrounding the Chicago Cubs can change on any given day. For over a month, though, there was a great deal of negativity surrounding the team. After putting together two different ten-game winning streaks, the Cubs went over a month without winning a single series. In that stretch, they also had a ten-game losing streak.

One event that happened early in their swan dive was Pete Crow-Armstrong getting into a heated verbal exchange with a Chicago White Sox fan. His vulgar message to her was caught on camera and went viral on social media.

At the time, it was used as an example of how bad the Cubs had fallen/were falling. In hindsight, it served as a catalyst for the Gold Glove centerfielder.

Chicago Cubs star Pete Crow-Armstrong has been on fire

At the time of the exchange, Crow-Armstrong was hitting just .229 with five home runs and 16 RBI in 48 games. Manager Craig Counsell had moved him to the very bottom of the lineup while he worked through his struggles at the plate.

Since that time, though, the Cubs’ centerfielder is hitting .329 with six home runs, 12 RBI, and 14 runs scored.

Overall this season, Crow-Armstrong is hitting .263/.341/.462 with 12 home runs with 33 RBI and 15 stolen bases. He leads the Majors in games played (71) and WAR (3.9).

This is certainly a positive development for the Cubs, who signed Crow-Armstrong to a six-year $115 million contract earlier this year. Given his horrid second half in 2025, there was some worry that they had been a bit premature in their willingness to give him that kind of money.

Now, however, it is looking like a bargain.

More Chicago Cubs news from ChiCity Sports

• Craig Counsell offers Matthew Boyd injury update
• A Seiya Suzuki injury would be a brutal blow on multiple fronts
• Cubs see surprising trade target emerge ahead of MLB deadline

For More Chicago Sports

Follow me on Twitter at @theotherRobin19, and follow us @ChiCitySports23. You can also reach out to Robin Adams via email at robadams14@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in ALL of Chicago sports, click here! Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Blackhawks

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Coby Bryant signed with the Chicago Bears on March 11. He agreed to a three-year, $40 million contract with the franchise after spending the first four seasons of his NFL career with the Seattle Seahawks. The safety contributed to their Super Bowl-winning squad in 2025.

His arrival in Chicago addresses its big need at the safety spot. The Bears lost three of their veteran safeties in free agency, leaving them with a gaping hole. Bryant brings leadership and championship experience to a young team looking to make even more noise next season.

Chicago silenced its critics by winning the NFC North with an 11-6 record and reaching the Divisional Round. Caleb Williams starred for the team, completing 330-of-568 passes for 3,942 yards and 27 touchdowns.

Coby Bryant’s statement draws reactions from Chicago Bears fans

During the Seahawks’ ring ceremony on Thursday, they presented Bryant with his own Super Bowl ring. He posted an Instagram story to show it off. The 27-year-old, however, and made it clear what he’s now focused on.

“Blessed! Bear down now tho!” Bryant wrote.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Bearsszn (@bearsszn)

Bears fans showed their appreciation for Bryant’s newfound loyalty. 

“He’s Winning Da City Over Already 🐻⬇️,” one fan wrote.

“He’s about to be a back to back SUPERBOWL CHAMPION,” a reaction read.

“🔥🔥🔥 Great addition,” one user said,

“It’s so dope to finally see people be proud to play for us lol,” posted another.

“that’s a dope ring,” a comment read.

“🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥” another fan commented.

Bryant will be relied upon to showcase his elite coverage during Chicago’s challenging 2026 schedule. He will also likely serve as a mentor to rookies, particularly Dillon Thieneman.

The No. 25 pick of this year’s draft will play opposite Bryant to force opposing quarterbacks to hold onto the football longer. It will be key for the O-line to produce more pressures and sacks.

The post Bears fans react to Coby Bryant’s statement during Super Bowl ring ceremony appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago White Sox are 37-32, a record very few people, if any, predicted they would have at this point in the season. After all, the White Sox lost more than 100 games in each of the previous three years, and there were not many signs pointing at a sudden turnaround. Instead, fans were gearing up for another slow rebuild season.

However, Chicago has benefited from the unexpected contributions of several young players, most notably Munetaka Murakami. Yet even with the Japanese slugger on the injured list, the White Sox have been able to continue winning games on a consistent basis.

What is more, they have another young star, catcher Kyle Teel, nearing return.

Chicago White Sox catcher Kyle Teel is nearing return

Teel was originally injured while playing for Team Italy in the World Baseball Classic. He suffered a grade-two hamstring strain, which forced him to start the 2026 on the injured list. Last month, while on a rehab assignment in Triple-A Charlotte, he suffered an LCL sprain in his right knee, which set his return date back even more.

Fortunately, it sounds like he is finally trending in the right direction:

Wh Sox manager Will Venable said that catcher Kyle Teel will likely be sent out to an affiliate and work toward returning off the IL In the next few days.His hamstring has healed, his knee strain is also getting very close to full recovery. Originally hurt in WBC March 9th.

— Bruce Levine (@MLBBruceLevine) June 12, 2026

As one can see from the post above, Teel is close to the point where he will able to go out on another rehab assignment. This time, hopefully, he will avoid further injury.

After being called up by the White Sox last year, Teel hit .273/.375/.411 with eight home runs and 35 RBI in 78 games played.

More Chicago White Sox news from ChiCity Sports

• White Sox planning for an aggressive trade ahead of MLB deadline
• White Sox trade from Philadelphia Phillies prospect
• Why Munetaka Murakami is White Sox biggest breakout player of 2026

For More Chicago Sports

Follow me on Twitter at @theotherRobin19, and follow us @ChiCitySports23. You can also reach out to Robin Adams via email at robadams14@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in ALL of Chicago sports, click here! Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Blackhawks

The post Chicago White Sox get positive injury update on catcher Kyle Teel appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Cubs, for the first time since early May, have officially won a series. With their third consecutive win on Saturday, their second in the series against the San Francisco Giants, they have clinched a series since they swept the Cincinnati Reds.

Now 37-34 on the year, Chicago is in third place in the National League Central Division. With winning has come more positive attention to the club, particularly at players that could be considered for the 2026 National League All-Star roster.

And even though offensive stars may receive the most attention, starting pitcher Ben Brown should get some as well.

Chicago Cubs pitcher Ben Brown is pitching like an All-Star

It is no secret around baseball that the Cubs have had some of the worst luck in the Majors when it comes to injuries to their starting rotation. What is more, the pitchers they have had healthy have all-too-often underwhelmed or have been flat-out disappointing.

But Brown has been a major bright spot for the team, which led Jordan Bastian to write that he is in “All-Star form:”

“The All-Star break is a little over a month away, and the Cubs have an unexpected contender emerging for the National League’s roster. Between his strong showing out of the bullpen and his recent string of stellar starts, Ben Brown has the potential to stay on a path to the Midsummer Classic.

“Brown has already been one of the great storylines for the North Siders within a first half that has really tested the ballclub on all fronts. Representing the Cubs at the All-Star Game would take his impressive campaign to another level.”

Brown started out the season in the bullpen, but has recently been used as a starting pitcher as injuries and inconsistencies mounted. In 19 games (seven starts), he is 3-2 with an impressive 1.74 ERA and one save.

The National League has a high number of great starting pitchers, but not all of them can pitch in the All-Star Game due to their schedules. Even if he does not get named to the NL roster initially, Brown should find himself on it eventually.

If he keeps pitching at this level, he certainly deserves it.

More Chicago Cubs news from ChiCity Sports

• Craig Counsell offers Matthew Boyd injury update
• A Seiya Suzuki injury would be a brutal blow on multiple fronts
• Cubs see surprising trade target emerge ahead of MLB deadline

For More Chicago Sports

Follow me on Twitter at @theotherRobin19, and follow us @ChiCitySports23. You can also reach out to Robin Adams via email at robadams14@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in ALL of Chicago sports, click here! Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Blackhawks

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The Chicago Cubs have removed some of the weight from their shoulders after an ugly 7-22 run that saw them fall to fourth place in the NL Central Division at their lowest.

More News: Chicago Cubs: A Suzuki injury—amid hot streak and trade buzz—would be brutal hit

After winning three in a row now, things are actually starting to look pretty good as the bats heat up, the defense keeps being its elite self, and even the starting pitching starts to deliver some consistency.

Ben Brown and Javier Assad have been godsends in the beleaguered starting rotation, but the Cubs would definitely like to see some of their more established starters get back into the mix. Specifically, they’d like to see Matthew Boyd return for good.

The 35-year-old Boyd went down early in the season with a biceps strain and, most recently, after surgery to repair a damaged meniscus. All in all, the lefty has only managed five starts and a total of 24 innings this season.

He was expected to return to the rotation this weekend, but apparent shoulder fatigue forced him to remain on the shelf.

An update on Matthew Boyd

More News: Chicago Cubs: Javier Assad thriving despite being consistently overlooked

On Saturday, Cubs manager Craig Counsell offered a general update on where Boyd currently is on his recovery timeline.

“Everything is good,” Counsell told Marquee Sports Network. “We’re probably trending towards a bullpen early in the homestand. That’s the next step.”

The vague response doesn’t fill a Cubs fan’s heart with gushing optimism, but it also clearly doesn’t sound like anything close to doom and gloom.

With Jameson Taillon also on the IL and Shota Imanaga, Edward Cabrera, and Colin Rea delivering inconsistent performances, Chicago desperately needs a steady veteran presence every fifth day. Boyd hasn’t been that so far this season, but he definitely has the ability to come through.

The importance of Boyd being Boyd

Last season, in the first year of a two-year contract, the oft-injured Boyd surprised with both his durability and his long-haul consistency. Over 31 starts and 179.2 innings, he posted a 14-8 record with a 3.21 ERA and earned a spot as the rotation’s ace. Prior to that year, he hadn’t pitched a full, healthy year since 2019.

Obviously, the Cubs would like to have Boyd back to 2025 form—something which would help the team if they make a strong postseason push or as attractive trade bait should they fall out of contention at the trade deadline.

Staring down a $15 million mutual option for 2027, there’s a good possibility that Boyd won’t be back with the Cubs next season (although a subpar, injury-hampered 2026 could actually push both sides to agree on that option). If the team feels that he’ll be a goner, they may try to get some prospect capital in return.

But, of course, all of this—whether as part of a Cubs playoff push or as a key trade asset—depends on Boyd’s ability to stay healthy the rest of this year. Given his history of injury and how this season is shaping up, that’s no gimme.

The post Chicago Cubs: Counsell offers Matthew Boyd injury update appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Indiana Fever picked up their seventh win of the season after defeating the visiting Chicago Sky in overtime on Thursday, 106-114. It was a team effort for the hosts as almost all players scored in this game.

Aliyah Boston dominated down low, scoring 34 points, grabbing 12 rebounds and recording 2 blocks. Caitlin Clark had a near triple-double with 32 points, seven rebounds and 10 assists.

Indiana is now sixth in the WNBA standings after two straight wins. On top of that, Clark had a historic night for the 2025 WNBA Commissioner’s Cup champions.

The two-time WNBA All-Star has tied Fever legend Tamika Catchings for the most 30-point double-doubles. 

Caitlin Clark makes Indiana Fever history after the win against the Chicago Sky

It’s an impressive feat to tie a record set by a franchise legend early in her career. Catchings is almost synonymous with the Fever. She led Indiana to its first and only WNBA Championship back in 2012.

Catchings was also the 2011 WNBA MVP, a 10-time WNBA All-Star and a five-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year.

As for Clark, this is the third 30-point double-double of her career. She has been impressive this season for Indiana, averaging 19.9 points, 4.7 rebounds and 8.1 assists.

The Fever announced the big news on X.

Caitlin Clark tied Tamika Catchings for the franchise record for most 30-point double-doubles tonight against Chicago 🤩

32 PTS | 10 AST | 7 REBhttps://t.co/cHCEiomjvl 🗳️ pic.twitter.com/cW5YyoxzbC

— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) June 12, 2026

Additionally, Clark and Boston became the first two WNBA teammates to record 30-point double-doubles in the same game.

The defending Commissioner’s Cup champions will travel to the Mohegan Sun Arena to face the Connecticut Sun on Saturday. They will then host the Toronto Tempo at Gainbridge Fieldhouse for the following game.

Their games against the Sun and the Tempo will both be Commissioner’s Cup games.

The Fever now has seven wins and five losses this season. They have yet to find their rhythm, but back-to-back wins are a good start for Indiana.

The post Indiana Fever announce historic Caitlin Clark news after Sky game appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Cubs have managed to string together three straight wins.

It’s been a rough road in getting all the pieces lined up to field a consistently winning team, but there are some real positives to support the idea that the Cubs are on the physical and mental mend after a brutal 7-22 run.

More News: Chicago Cubs: Javier Assad thriving despite being consistently overlooked

One of the key pieces starting to show life is right fielder Seiya Suzuki.

While the Japanese star’s bat has been waking up, his defense has really begun to shine.

On Saturday, just in the first three innings of the Cubs’ game against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park, he threw out Bryce Eldridge at second base on a ball that went into the right field corner and later made a sliding catch to rob Eric Haase of a hit.

Then, the Cubs’ characteristic 2026 misfortune made an appearance.

Suzuki taken out with possible knee injury

More News: Chicago Cubs: Ben Brown’s success carries a big, ugly caveat with it

Suzuki came up gingerly after a failed stab at catching a dying liner from Matt Chapman. He would be removed from the game afterward for evaluation. Early reports labeled the issue as “right knee discomfort”—an injury similar to the one he suffered during the World Baseball Classic, which cost him the first couple weeks of the regular season.

As of right now, the severity of the knee issue has not been established. Everyone seems optimistic that it might be something minor. On Sunday, the Cubs announced that he’d be in the lineup as the DH, so that’s closer to good news than bad news.

“I’m wishing it’s not a big deal,” Suzuki told reporters via interpreter at the time. “I’ll wake up tomorrow, see how everything feels. And if I can go from there, go for it. If not, we’ll see how it goes.”

“The reports kind of after he came out were positive,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell further explained. “But the most important thing is how is he going to feel tomorrow. I don’t have postgame news on him. It’s how he feels tomorrow.”

The potential injury came at the worst possible time for the Cubs, who faced a true lose-lose if the right fielder is out for any extended period of time.

Losing Suzuki would be a lose-lose for the Cubs

Suzuki, either in best of times or worst of times, is expected to play a big role in the team’s immediate future.

If the Cubs are competitive the rest of the year and have real postseason possibilities, Suzuki will be a key figure in the offense, of course. Late last season, he became an absolute spark plug for Chicago, hitting 5 home runs and notching 17 RBIs from September 23 through the playoffs. When hot, he can carry the team for long stretches.

On the other hand, if the Cubs fall to pieces and decide to become sellers at the trade deadline, Suzuki represents the best trade bait they have (if he opts to wave his no-trade clause).

MLB insider Bob Nightengale of USA Today is reporting that at least one team is already eyeing the Cubs’ corner outfielder:

“The Phillies are desperately looking to acquire an outfielder at the trade deadline with Adolis Garcia expected to miss the rest of the season with his torn lat, and have Angels right fielder Jo Adell and Cubs right fielder Seiya Suzuki on their radar.”

The Yankees and Mariners have also been mentioned in media reports as potential fits for the 31-year-old.

Suzuki is one of several core veteran Cubs eligible for free agency at the end of this season and the reality of the situation may be that a few won’t be retained. Picking up a prospect or two for the outfielder ahead of his departure would be a savvy move for the team.

But all of that—good and bad—is out the window if Suzuki is put on the shelf.

For now, at least, there’s reason for cautious optimism regarding his knee.

The post Chicago Cubs: A Suzuki injury—amid hot streak and trade buzz—would be brutal hit appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago White Sox have been the biggest surprise of the season in the MLB, and they might not be done turning heads before the end of the summer.

The White Sox have proven capable of battling the best teams in the league. Chicago defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 8-2 on Friday night before losing 7-1 on Saturday. The two teams will play for the series win on Sunday afternoon at Rate Field.

The White Sox will enter that contest with a 37-32 record, .5 games back from the Cleveland Guardians for first place in the American League Central. Chicago has a 2.5-game lead over the A’s for the final wild-card spot.

Per Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the White Sox plan to be “aggressive” before the trade deadline, looking to add pitching help for a roster that’s on the precipice of making the postseason. However, Chicago does not plan to go all-in at the deadline, hoping to keep together a young core that has seen 12 players make their MLB debut this spring.

“The most stunning aspect of the Chicago White Sox’s breakout year with an AL-best 31-18 record since April 17 – is that they have already had 12 players make their major-league debut this season,” Nightengale wrote.

“They entered the week with 37 victories and a chance to eclipse their entire win total from 2024 when they set an MLB record for futility with a 41-121 record. They plan to be aggressive at the trade deadline in their search for pitching, but not at the expense of parting with any of their top prospects as they build towards the future.”

More News: Chicago White Sox trade for prospects from the Philadelphia Phillies

Chicago White Sox have lots to do before making a trade

More News:  Chicago White Sox considering top prospect for MLB debut

The White Sox have another key series coming up this week after playing the Dodgers on Sunday. They’ll travel to play the New York Yankees for a three-game series beginning on Tuesday. It’s another measuring-stick series for Chicago before taking on the Cleveland Guardians at home for a three-game series beginning on June 22.

Those two series will tell us a lot about how the White Sox hope to keep the momentum from surprising spring going into the dog days of summer.

For More Chicago Sports:

Follow me on Twitter at @JordanSig, and follow us @ChiCitySports23. You can also reach out to Jordan Sigler via email at jordanmsigler@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in ALL of Chicago sports, click here! Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Cubs, For more on the NCAA, head to Newsweek Sports.Chicago White Sox, Chicago Blackhawks

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Caitlin Clark has been putting out head-turning player-exclusive shoes since her eight-year, $28 million Nike deal in 2024. The third-year star has Player Editions (PEs) that show off her dog Bella, Cookie Monster, and, of course, Indiana Fever colors.

The two-time WNBA All-Star is not only bringing fire kicks to the floor, but she’s also leading her squad. In 11 games, Clark is averaging 19.9 points, 4.7 rebounds and 8.1 assists.

Clark’s Kobe 6 PEs have been one of the most-worn shoes in the NBA this season.

This time around, Clark debuted a new colorway to honor her friend and fellow Kansas City Chiefs fan, Taylor Swift. 

Caitlin Clark honors Taylor Swift with an “Era’s Tour” inspired Kobe 6 PE

The Fever are coming off an impressive win against the Washington Mystics on Monday. Clark provided the game-winning three-pointer to secure the victory for the visitors.

In their next game, the 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year revealed her new PE during warm-ups. The Fever shared a snapshot of her shoe in an Instagram post.

“Life of a hooper,” the team wrote, a nod to Swift’s latest album titled “The Life of a Showgirl.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Indiana Fever (@indianafever)

Clark showed off her new Kobe 6 Protro “Era’s Tour” PE, honoring the global pop icon. The shoe has a white outsole with a black midsole. The main colors of the shoe are a gradient of red, pink, yellow and green. This signifies a mix of Swift’s colors during the Era’s Tour.

Clark and Swift go way back. The Fever star is a big fan of the singer, having attended the Eras Tour on back-to-back nights in Indianapolis in November 2024. 

Swift then invited her to watch a Chiefs game together. The pop star is supporting her fiancé, Travis Kelce, while Clark has been a longtime Kansas City fan.

Clark is expected to have a signature shoe with Nike in the near future. Before that happens, fans can still enjoy her many creative PEs. Swifties, in particular, are going to love this latest Taylor-inspired PE. 

The post Taylor Swift fans are going to love Caitlin Clark’s new shoes appeared first on ChiCitySports.

Caleb Williams had his best NFL season in 2025. Many doubted him after he had a disappointing rookie campaign, but he silenced his critics with strong performances. The quarterback led the Chicago Bears to an 11-6 record, won the NFC North, and reached the Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs.

It wasn’t easy, as the target on Williams’ back became bigger as the season progressed. He and the team also overcame late-game deficits multiple times. The USC product filled his year with many memorable moments he likely won’t forget any time soon.

He will look to build on his strong season with even better numbers and a deeper run in 2026. The Bears have the toughest schedule in the NFL. However, Williams and Co. are ready for the challenge.

Chicago Bears QB Caleb Williams took his hardest hit last season

Williams recently revealed that he took his hardest hit in the 20-17 Divisional Round loss to the Los Angeles Rams last season. He described the game situation and how he ended up in the position. The 2022 Heisman Trophy winner added that Nate Landman’s tackle was one of his welcome-to-the-NFL moments.

“This past year, the last game,” Williams said. “I was running out to the right sideline. We needed the first down. I end up taking off to go get it. I was tightroping the sideline and the Rams linebacker put his helmet down and put it right in the middle of my chest and all my force stopped and I went backwards.

“My chinstrap was covering my nose and everything. So yeah, I got rocked. They always talk about the welcome to the NFL moment. That was one of them for sure.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron)

Williams likely expects more hard hits on him next season. Chicago will play seven primetime games, giving the 24-year-old the opportunity to shine on the national stage. It will also be his chance to showcase his skill set and prove why he is one of the best young stars of the league.

The post Chicago Bears QB Caleb Williams reveals the hardest hit he’s ever taken appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Cubs have actually won a series for the first time since early May, taking the first two matchups in their three-game weekend series against the San Francisco Giants.

However, that does not mean all of the Cubs’ problems have suddenly been solved.

Chicago has still gone just 10-22 since its 27-12 start thanks to inconsistent hitting, terrible starting pitching and a shaky bullpen. Luckily, the Cubs got off to a strong enough start to the season that they still find themselves in the playoff hunt, so all is not lost.

But there is no question that Chicago will need to make some moves between now and the MLB trade deadline if it wants to make a serious push.

The Cubs need pitching more than anything else, so they must pursue add least one other arm for their starting rotation. One name in particular that is now emerging as a surprising potential trade target is Detroit Tigers right-hander Casey Mize.

Chicago Cubs could pursue trade for Casey Mize

All of the talk in Detroit is about Tarik Skubal, and understandably so. The two-time Cy Young award winner is one of the best pitchers in baseball, and he is slated to hit free agency at the end of the season. The fading Tigers seem sure to move him, and they should reap a substantial package.

But then there’s Mize, the former No. 1 overall pick who Detroit might also consider dealing before Aug. 3.

Mize has been sidelined due to a groin injury, but he is making his return against the Cleveland Guardians on Sunday. Through nine starts this season, he has pitched to the tune of a 2.27 ERA and 0.965 WHIP while racking up 49 strikeouts over 47.2 innings of work.

The 29-year-old has never really lived up to his initial expectations, owning a lifetime 4.00 ERA since entering the big leagues in 2020. But Mize has also dealt with injuries throughout his career, which has definitely hampered his progress.

Still, Mize is a solid pitcher who made the All-Star team last year courtesy of posting a 3.87 ERA. Like Skubal, he will become a free agent at year’s end, so the Tigers should be motivated to move him.

The good news for the Cubs is that Mize would not be nearly as costly as Skubal, so they could probably afford to swing a trade for the Auburn product. Mize would instantly become one of Chicago’s top arms, so this is a deal the Cubs should already be pursuing.

The post Cubs see surprising trade target emerge before MLB trade deadline appeared first on ChiCitySports.

Chicago Sky head coach Tyler Marsh is at the middle of all the frustration surrounding the team’s current slump.

On Tuesday, Chicago absorbed its eighth loss of the season in 12 games, falling 82-75 to the Atlanta Dream. This added more tension to the tumultuous locker room, with their head coach at the center amid player criticism.

When the Sky lost a lopsided game to the Toronto Tempo on Sunday, Skylar Diggins surprisingly passed on one of the questions during the post-game interview. This was after she called out the Sky’s “loser mentality.”

Diggins said that Marsh should answer their offensive problems since he’s the one drawing the plays from the sidelines. Besides, he’s the head tactician of the team.

Currently, Chicago ranks 13th in total points per game (80.2) and 13th in field-goal percentage, which speaks volumes about their lack of offensive power. Additionally, they don’t have a player averaging over 15 points per game this season, as Diggins is their leading scorer at 14.6 points per game.

But despite the current state of the team, coach Marsh still believes that everyone is on the same boat.

The Sky’s struggles on offense began when their star forward Rickea Jackson went down with an ACL injury in just their fourth game of the season.

Before the season-ending injury, Jackson was averaging 18.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.8 blocks.

Angel Reese voiced her frustration with the Chicago Sky and got traded last offseason

It’s not the first time the Sky have received such negative feedback from their players, as their former star Angel Reese called them out last season.

Instead of addressing Reese’s pain point, they slapped her with a suspension and eventually shipped her to the Atlanta Dream during the offseason for two future first-round picks.

Marsh had just one season coaching Reese. The Sky finished with a 10-34 record, tied for the worst in the WNBA.

Now, their Commissioner’s Cup title hopes are out the window, as they have only recorded 1-4 in the ongoing in-season tournament.

They suffered defeat against the Indiana Fever on Thursday, 114-106. Chicago closes out its Commissioner’s Cup run with a home game against the New York Liberty.

The post Tyler Marsh taking heat amid Chicago Sky’s ‘loser mentality’ appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Cubs are looking to figure out how to get back in the win column consistently. They have been struggling, especially on the mound, to put the team in positions to be successful. Injuries have also played a bit of a role, and the team saw another player recently go on the injured list. Let’s take a look at who it is and when we should expect him to return to the 26-man roster.

Craig Counsell discusses an update on Jameson Taillon’s injury

Ahead of Tuesday’s game against the Colorado Rockies, Cubs manager Craig Counsell would discuss when we could expect to see pitcher Jameson Taillon back on the mound for Chicago.

“We’re looking post All-Star break, after the All-Star break would be what we’re shooting for.”

While this gives some insight, the first game Chicago plays after the All-Star break is on July 17 against the Minnesota Twins. This does not mean Taillon will be active at that point, but it gives a timeframe for the best-case scenario of a return. Taillon left Sunday’s game in the second inning and was diagnosed with a hamstring strain that landed him on the injured list.

This has not been a good season for Taillon, as he is 2-5 with a 5.19 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP in 67.2 innings (13 starts). The 34-year-old has allowed 20 home runs this season after allowing 24 in all of 2025. His control has also been a cause for some concern as he has 23 walks this season after allowing 27 walks last season.

This injury could be a positive for Taillon, as he gets a chance for a mental reset. Chicago has struggled with the depth of their starting pitchers this season, but Taillon will be on the shelf for at least one month. Will this injury force the Cubs to trade for a starting pitcher to help eat some innings? It will be intriguing to see how the front office handles the pitching staff after suffering so many injuries thus far.

The post Craig Counsell provides bleak timeline for Jameson Taillon’s Chicago Cubs return appeared first on ChiCitySports.

Sophie Cunningham and Caitlin Clark have formed a strong bond on and off the court. The Indiana Fever acquired the veteran guard last season following a trade from the Phoenix Mercury. She has since played a key role for the team.

However, they both faced injuries in 2025 that limited them to 30 and 13 games, respectively. Cunningham and Clark returned to full strength and entered the season ready to lead the franchise to more success. The start of the campaign has been ominous for Indiana, with only a 6-5 record to show for it.

Head coach Stephanie White moved Cunningham to the bench to give the reserves more offensive firepower. She is experiencing an up-and-down campaign but will look to be more consistent in supporting Clark and the starters.

Fans react to Caitlin Clark’s comment on Sophie Cunningham’s post

Cunningham posted a carousel of photos and clips on her Instagram on Tuesday. It contained snaps from different moments this season, along with two videos with Lexie Hull.

 

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A post shared by Sophie Cunningham (@sophie_cham)

Clark dropped a three-word comment.

“Love you Soph,” Clark wrote.

The simple yet endearing comment received a lot of fan reactions, mostly praising them for their friendship.

” So sweet. We love to see you playing together 💗,” one fan said.

“glad you have her in your corner 💗💗💗💗,” a reaction read.

“From day 1 she was a ride or die for C,” a user wrote.

“she has stuck up for you BIG TIME 💗💗,” posted another.

“Love you all! BEST TEAM EVER!!!!!!! need to hang out with you all together!!!!” a comment read.

“We too 💗,” another fan commented.

Clark and Cunningham are striving to lift the Fever past their slow start to the season. They are coming off a 78-76 win over the Washington Mystics on Monday and have set their sights on achieving back-to-back victories. Indiana will host the Chicago Sky on Thursday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

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The Chicago Bears are gearing up for a strong 2026 season out of their running backs. With the team having the third-best rushing offense in the NFL in 2025, this is expected to be a strength for the Bears in 2026. They have some quality running backs on the roster, putting them in one of the top positions in the sport. Chicago’s offense looked strong, but where do its top running backs rank compared to the rest of the league? Let’s take a closer look at where they rank by one outlet.

Bleacher Report ranks the Chicago Bears’ RB duo as the second-best in the NFL

Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton wrote an article ranking the best running back duos heading into the 2026 season. The Bears got an incredible ranking, being second in the NFL. Below is what Moton wrote about the Bears:

“Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson has a familiar face at running back in D’Andre Swift, who played in his system for one season with the Detroit Lions and a found a seventh-round gem in Kyle Monangai. Swift is coming off his most productive season in which he finished with career highs in rushing yards (1,087), rushing touchdowns (nine) and scrimmage yards (1,386). As long as Swift avoids short-term injuries that plagued him early in his career, he could continue to see an increase in productivity entering his age-27 campaign.

“As a pass-catcher, Monangai has seen limited action, but he’s already exceeded expectations as the No. 233 overall pick from last year’s draft. Monangai carved out a sizable role on the ground, rushing for 783 yards and five touchdowns, averaging 4.6 yards per carry. He’s interchangeable with Swift in rushing duties, matching the lead ball-carrier’s efficiency on the ground. If Monangai makes strides as a pass-catcher, this tandem could move into the No. 1 spot next year.”

The only running back duo ahead of them is from the Los Angeles Rams with Kyren Williams and Blake Corum. With a significantly different offensive line in 2026 than in 2025, this could be difficult to reach. Chicago finished the 2025 season third in the sport with 144.5 rushing yards per game. It will be intriguing to see how well Swift and Monangai look in 2026.

The post Chicago Bears have a top running back duo heading into 2026 season appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Cubs got another stellar outing from Javier Assad on Friday night against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park.

More News: Chicago Cubs: Ben Brown’s success carries a big, ugly caveat with it

On the evening, he delivered six full shutout innings, allowing three hits and one walk while striking out five. This comes on the heels of another shutout performance against the Giants at Wrigley Field last Sunday, where he tossed 6.1 innings in emergency relief of the injured Jameson Taillon—right after being recalled from Triple-A Iowa.

On the season, the 28-year-old from Tijuana, Mexico has a modest 3.99 ERA with the big league Cubs. But it needs to be noted that 15 of his 17 earned runs on the year have come in just two disastrous outings back in April—and one of them involved him taking it on the chin to eat innings for the team. Filtering out those two poor outings, his ERA is a stellar 0.57 over eight appearances and 31.2 innings.

Assad as one of the few positives

More News: Chicago Cubs: Well, at least Alex Bregman isn’t Kyle Tucker

A mature, steady, and highly efficient Assad has been a godsend to a Cubs rotation battered and beleaguered to the point of breaking. Paired with the surprising Ben Brown, Assad’s recent run of success has been among the only positive developments when it come to Chicago’s starting pitching.

“Javy keeps telling you, ‘I’ll be ready when I get my opportunity,’” Cubs manager Craig Counsell told reporters after Friday’s game. “That’s what it takes.”

“He pitched great,” Counsell added. “In the strike zone. Controlled counts. Ball on the ground. A real boost. We’ve talked about guys getting opportunities, and certainly Javy in a time that we really need it has delivered a couple big starts. Big, big performances.”

And the young pitcher has to be extra diligent in seizing opportunities because the Cubs, for whatever reason, have not been so keen to consistently trust him with those opportunities.

Not getting a fair shake with the Cubs?

It’s been a puzzling prejudice against a young, team-controlled pitcher working on a budget salary below $2 million. But the Cubs can’t seem to help themselves when it comes to underestimating and/or flat-out disregarding the righty.

Through his five seasons with the big league Cubs, Assad has a 3.56 ERA over 58 starts and 293.2 innings. Overall, he’s posted a 3.48 ERA through 88 games and 369.1 innings.

All he’s done is deliver consistent quality performances in every role assigned to him, yet he didn’t even start the season with the big league team and has been sent down to Triple-A twice already.

While his back-and-forth runs to Iowa can be traced to his status as one of the few Cubs pitchers remaining with minor league options, the demotions are also a potential kick to the shin for self-esteem as well as for his career.

To his credit, though, he’s been taking all of this in stride and just focusing on what’s in his control—his performances on the mound.

“I try to take advantage of every opportunity,” Assad said via interpreter after Friday’s stellar start. “Obviously, I like to start games. That’s what I’ve done. But whatever opportunity it is…I’m always going to be ready.”

Hopefully for the Cubs, Assad gets to stick around this time and actually prove what he can do.

The post Chicago Cubs: Javier Assad thriving despite being consistently overlooked appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Cubs have managed to pull themselves up to third place in the NL Central Division after back-to-back wins on the road, although they remain 7.5 games behind the first place Milwaukee Brewers.

More News: Chicago Cubs: Well, at least Alex Bregman isn’t Kyle Tucker

It’s actually a minor miracle that they’re still so deeply in the mix after an absolutely brutal stretch that saw them go 7-22 over 29 games. The offense has been wildly inconsistent. The bullpen has also gone through patches of inconsistency. Meanwhile, the starting rotation has been an absolute disaster.

While many pointed out that the Cubs rotation lacked a true lights-out ace, most acknowledged its depth and thought it could be the backbone of the team’s run towards the postseason. As the offseason ended, they had nine reasonable candidates for the five-man rotation and maybe a couple of viable contenders for a major league gig in Triple-A Iowa.

Then, the season began.

Cubs rotation calamity

More News: Chicago Cubs’ options for rebuilding a broken starting rotation

Cade Horton was lost for this season and beyond following an elbow injury in just his second start of the year. Matthew Boyd has had two separate stints on the IL and just suffered a setback in his recently slated return. Returning ace Justin Steele suffered a setback in his own recovery from elbow surgery and is now on the shelf indefinitely. Edward Cabrera missed more than two weeks with a blister issue. Jameson Taillon had been rocked all season before going on the IL with a hamstring injury. Shota Imanaga, meanwhile, started the season well, but has been getting touched up in recent starts.

The only pleasant surprise coming from the Cubs rotation this season is Ben Brown.

The 26-year-old right-hander stepped into the starter role out of necessity and has become the staff’s de facto ace. In six starts so far this season he’s posted a 1.44 ERA and has looked untouchable at times. It’s been a much-needed development from a previously inconsistent prospect right at the time the team needs him the most.

But there’s considerable dark cloud to go along with Brown’s silver lining.

Ben Brown’s health is a concern

Like many of the young pitchers the Cubs have decided to target via trade or in drafts, Brown has major injury issues in his past. In 2019, as a prospect in the Philadelphia Phillies organization, he underwent Tommy John surgery. He also missed much of 2024 with a neck issue caused by a benign bone tumor.

And, although he looks strong and healthy, Brown’s history and his level of workload this season, are causing the Cubs to put a cap on just how much they load on him.

“We’re going to be cautious because we need him out there,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell told The Athletic. “We have to take care of him.”

“But if we want to get him there,” Counsell added, “we have to have some recognition that this is really a guy who’s never made it through a full season as a starter. He started out in the bullpen this year. He’s getting to a pitch-count area (where) the guys that have done it for their whole career (are). Do you want 15 more pitches? Or do you want to prioritize ‘we’re going to walk out of this feeling really good and recover well for the next one’?”

If Brown keeps pitching nearly as well as he has been so far, Chicago desperately needs him to go out to the mound every fifth day. That means rationing him for the remainder of the season.

As things stand right now, that’s about as positive of a development as we can reasonably expect from this Cubs rotation.

The post Chicago Cubs: Ben Brown’s success carries a big, ugly caveat with it appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago White Sox have been playing well and have some roster decisions to make. They have some players on the bench who could be on the chopping block when their injured players return. Chicago seemingly got ahead of things as they have traded away one of their players to the opposing league. Let’s take a closer look at who it is and what they were able to get back in return.

The Chicago White Sox traded Derek Hill to the Philadelphia Phillies for prospects

ESPN’s Jeff Passan is reporting that a trade between the White Sox and the Phillies took place on Thursday afternoon. The trade sees the White Sox send center fielder Derek Hill and international bonus money to the Phillies. In return, the White Sox receive outfield prospect Dylan Campbell and infield prospect Jose Colmenares. Neither prospect was ranked within the top 30 in Philadelphia’s organization. However, Chicago has been calling up prospects throughout the season. This move was a chance to recoup some prospect capital for their farm system.

Campbell is 23 years old and is currently in Double-A. The 5-foot-8 outfielder is posting a .693 OPS with seven homers, 31 RBI, 27 runs scored, and nine stolen bases. Colmenares is a 24-year-old shortstop in High-A who is hitting well. He is posting a .816 OPS with three home runs, 19 RBI, 22 runs scored, and five stolen bases.

In terms of trading away Hill, the team has a bevy of outfielders who can replace him on the field. Hill has been used as a fourth outfielder, but with Tristan Peters taking over as the everyday center fielder, Hill’s playing time has been zapped from what it was earlier this season for Chicago. There are a few options that the franchise needs to decide upon regarding that bench spot being filled on the 26-man roster.

Depending on what Chicago is looking for, these are potentially two players they can throw into a trade closer to the deadline. Neither Campbell nor Colmenares is a highly-touted prospect, but both have some chances of developing into good major leaguers. It will be intriguing to see what general manager Chris Getz has up his sleeve to better the franchise following this trade.

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The Chicago Bulls have one of the more impactful offseasons they are getting into right now. With a pair of lottery picks, they can really change the projection of the franchise with some strong additions. It will be intriguing to see how the front office attacks the NBA Draft. Let’s take a deeper dive into one mock draft and see who they believe the Bulls will add.

The Chicago Bulls land the seemingly consensus fourth pick

CBS Sports’ Gary Parrish curated a 2026 NBA mock draft for the first round. Chicago fans would be excited if the board fell this way. With the fourth pick, Parrish has the Bulls taking North Carolina Tar Heels forward Caleb Wilson.

“Dybantsa, Peterson, Boozer and Wilson have been described by some as the clear top-four in this draft with most ranking Wilson fourth among the group. In truth, his ceiling is maybe higher than at least one of the three players expected to go before him – but his floor is probably the lowest of the group because, right now, Wilson is a non-shooter headed to a league that values it. That’s not ideal for a top-five pick. But the athleticism is off the charts, his motor runs great and competitiveness doesn’t appear to be an issue. So, barring a surprise, Wilson won’t go lower than fourth.”

This would not be a surprise as Wilson seems like the consensus fourth pick Wilson looked like a star in the making while playing at North Carolina his freshman season. He finished with 19.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.4 blocks, and 1.5 steals in 31.3 minutes per game. Wilson shot the basketball well, connecting on 57.8% frmo the floor. However, his 25.9% from beyond the arc leaves room to be improved upon. He  has the ability to continue being a star in the NBA as a centerpiece for Chicago and the 6-foot-10 forward can be a difference-maker right away.

The Chicago Bulls also select a guard to close out the lottery

The Bulls have been looking to add some more talent and hold the 15th pick via the Portland Trail Blazers. After adding a wing, this mock draft has Chicago taking Baylor Bears guard Cameron Carr. Below is the snippet CBS Sports has for Carr:

 “Carr emerged as a real top-20 option after transferring from Tennessee to Baylor and having one of the biggest breakout years in the sport while averaging 14.1 more points per game than he averaged previously with the Vols. The 21-year-old has long arms and a solid-enough jump shot. In this mock, he lands beside Wilson in Chicago as a major part of the Bulls’ rebuild.”

Carr finished last season averaging 18.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.3 blocks, and 0.9 steals in 33.7 minutes per game. He had a great shooting stroke, recording a 49.4/37.4/80.1 shooting split in 34 games. Having a 6-foot-5 guard who is not afraid to crash the glass is a great building block to pair alongside Josh Giddey.

The post These 2 stars are heading to the Chicago Bulls in this CBS Sports mock draft appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Indiana Fever defeated the Washington Mystics 78-76 on Monday. Sophie Cunningham delivered a perfect cross-court pass to Caitlin Clark for the game-winning three-pointer with 1.2 seconds left.

The play drew speculations after the game that it wasn’t what head coach Stephanie White designed. However, she and her players claimed that it went according to plan. Cunningham added to the fire by posting a photo on Instagram implying that she and Clark did not follow White’s instructions.

Monday’s victory was the first of back-to-back wins for the Fever. The team beat the Chicago Sky 114-106 on Thursday to improve its record to 7-5 for the season. Clark and Aliyah Boston made WNBA history with 30-point double-doubles each. Cunningham, on the other hand, missed the matchup due to an elbow injury.

Indiana Fever: Sophie Cunningham clarifies reason for missing Sky game

Cunningham released the latest episode of her “Show Me Something” podcast on Friday. She talked about the game-winning play, saying that they “perfectly executed” the exact play White drew up. She also denied that Indiana had suspended her for her post, which she thought was just a “hilarious” meme.

“Everybody thinks that I’m suspended because of this, and I’m like, ‘No,'” Cunningham said. “And so, but I know people are gonna go crazy, and it’s like… (shakes head).”

 

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The initial injury report listed the veteran guard as questionable before the team ruled her out closer to tip-off. The good news is the elbow issue doesn’t appear to be serious, as the team listed her as probable to play on Saturday versus the Connecticut Sun.

White moved Cunningham to the bench after the team’s third game of the season. The move aimed to provide more scoring firepower to the reserves. The Missouri product has had an up-and-down season with her production. Her contribution to the Fever as the season progresses will be key in their championship quest.

Cunningham averages 8.7 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists through 11 games. She still plays 22.9 minutes per game despite not being part of the starting unit.

The post Sophie Cunningham denies getting punished by Indiana Fever appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Bears have drafted two tight ends in the last two years, and it’s fair to wonder how much more time Cole Kmet has with the team.

Colston Loveland, the No. 10 pick in the 2025 draft, led the Bears in receiving last season. Kmet finished with his worst receiving production since 2020 when he was a rookie, recording 30 catches for 347 yards and two touchdowns.

In April, the Bears selected Sam Roush out of Stanford in the third round. But the move came amid Kmet’s contract restructure, meaning Chicago is expected to keep the veteran tight end for at least the upcoming season.

Kmet told the Chicago Sun-Times he’s had “honest” conversations with general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Ben Johnson about where he stands with the team. He noted the Bears have been blunt about the “good and bad things” of Kmet’s playing style.

The Notre Dame product’s best season came in 2023 when he recorded 73 receptions for 719 yards and six touchdowns. He’s never been the top target for Chicago, but Kmet’s learned to adapt to multiple different offensive coordinators, and has done enough to make it hard for Poles to get rid of him.

‘‘It’s actually really easy: You do what you’re told and do it at a high level,’’ Kmet said. ‘‘At times, you may not like what you’re being told to do. But if you do it right and do it consistently, it makes it really, really hard for them to get rid of you. It’s better just to go with it and buy in, and usually it works out better for you in the long run.’’

More News: Bears QB Caleb Williams is ‘OK’ leaving Chicago

Cole Kmet finding a new role with the Chicago Bears

More News: Chicago Bears have surprise rookie turning heads at minicamp

Kmet used to worry about his stats as a receiver, but now he’s more focused on playing the role Johnson asks of him. He contributes as a blocker at a high level, and can still pop in the passing game, as evidenced by his touchdown against the Los Angeles Rams in the Divisional Round.

The Bears aren’t as worried about what Kmet does on the stat sheet. Frankly, Chicago made that clear when they spent precious draft capital on Rome Odunze, Luther Burden III, and Loveland.

Kmet will still be a key part of the Bears’ offense, but his role is changing as he enters Year 7.

For More Chicago Sports:

Follow me on Twitter at @JordanSig, and follow us @ChiCitySports23. You can also reach out to Jordan Sigler via email at jordanmsigler@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in ALL of Chicago sports, click here! Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Cubs, For more on the NCAA, head to Newsweek Sports.Chicago White Sox, Chicago Blackhawks

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The Chicago Bears have been one of the teams looking to make a big splash ahead of Week 1. They had a clear weakness following the 2025 season, and that was getting to the quarterback defensively. Chicago did not necessarily address this situation much during free agency or the NFL Draft as fans expected. Let’s take a closer look at what trade they can make to improve defensively.

The Chicago Bears can trade for Josh Sweat before the season

Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report wrote an article discussing some shocking trades that can happen before the NFL season. One of the trades included the Bears getting a deal done with the Arizona Cardinals. The trade sees the Bears get Josh Sweat in exchange for a conditional 2027 third-round pick and a 2028 third-round pick. Below is the rationale for the trade to take place:

“Edge-rusher Josh Sweat is another example of a player who has generated all sorts of trade buzz-and a team in the Arizona Cardinals who has said they have no plans to deal him. Much of that buzz ramped up when the ninth-year veteran was a no-show for voluntary OTAs… Pairing Josh Sweat and Montez Sweat would accomplish that goal-and almost guarantee that multiple broadcasters mistakenly call them brothers or cousins, even though they are not related.”

Sweat certainly has showcased the ability to dominate during his first year with the Cardinals. He recorded 30 total tackles (20 solo, 10 assists) with 12.0 sacks and 17 quarterback hits. Sweat also added two pass deflections, four forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery as an outside linebacker. He is entering the second year of a four-year, $76.4 million contract, so the Bears would be eating a large contract in this trade.

With the Bears struggling to apply pressure last season, this could be something on their radar. It will be intriguing to see if Chicago is ready to make this type of move to improve the defensive line.

The post Chicago Bears can make massive trade ahead of 2026 season appeared first on ChiCitySports.

Caleb Williams has had an eventful 2026 so far. He led the Chicago Bears to a Divisional Round matchup against the Los Angeles Rams on Jan. 18. Although they lost 20-17 in overtime, he earned respect across the NFL and proved his doubters wrong.

The quarterback completed 330-of-568 passes for 3,942 yards, 27 touchdowns and seven turnovers. His strong 2025 season earned him selection as the cover athlete for Madden 27. It also put the Bears in the spotlight with seven primetime games next season.

Williams impressed during OTAs and minicamp. He showed he is already in season form and ready to take the franchise to even greater heights. The 24-year-old has also received praise for his maturity and leadership.

Chicago Bears QB Caleb Williams joins Lucki on stage at Summer Smash Festival

Williams attended the Summer Smash Festival on Friday. He joined rapper Lucki on stage at one point int eh show and received a huge ovation from the crowd. 

 

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Fans reacted to his unexpected appearance in the comments section.

“bro about to throw for 8000 thousand yards,” one fan said.

“Goatssss,” a comment read.

“Caleb hitting 4k yards O/U in the next 5 years,” one user wrote.

“Shi was so turnt,” posted another.

“Crazy linkup 😭🔥🔥,” a reaction read.

“😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭why Caleb dancing like that foe,” another fan commented.

The music festival organizers will run the event from Friday to Sunday at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Illinois. They will feature 75 artists and three stages across the venue.

Williams will have the next few weeks free and could make a few more public appearances. He and the Bears will reconvene in late July for the start of training camp. They will open the 2026 regular season on the road against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium on Sept. 13. The team’s home opener will be in Week 2 versus the Minnesota Vikings.

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The Chicago White Sox have been one of the youngest teams in baseball in the early stages of the season. They have not been afraid of calling up their minor league prospects to help the MLB team out. With the pitching for Chicago being a bit of a question mark, they are internally discussing a debut for one prospect. Let’s take a closer look at who it is and why they may make this move.

The Chicago White Sox may call up Hagen Smith this weekend

White Sox manager Will Venable made it known that the team is still undecided about who will start on Saturday. The team is considering Hagen Smith. Smith is the fourth-ranked prospect in the organization and the 47th-ranked prospect, per MLB Pipeline.

Smith has been pitching at a respectable level with the Triple-A Charlotte Knights. In 13 starts, he is 0-4 with a 3.78 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP in 47.2 innings. He has been pitching at an elite level, recording 72 strikeouts thus far. The southpaw pitcher has quickly climbed up the organization’s ranks as he was selected fifth overall in the 2024 MLB Draft.

He throws three pitches (fastball, slider, splitter), and his heater and slider are dominating hitters. This would be a massive test as Saturday’s game is against the Los Angeles Dodgers, one of the top offensive teams in the sport. Venable would also note that there is another option that the team uses on Saturday as a bullpen game while keeping Smith in the minors.

With the rainout on Thursday, there is a chance this conversation does not amount to anything. Now, the projected starting trio of Anthony Kay, Sean Burke, and Erick Fedde can line up for this series while using Monday’s off day to re-establish the rotation. It will be intriguing to see if Chicago continues to make more minor leaguers get their MLB debut this early into the season.

The post Chicago White Sox considering top prospect for MLB debut appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Bulls are getting ready for the 2026 NBA Draft as they hold the fourth and 15th picks in the first round. They have holes in their roster heading into the offseason that they need to plug up. Getting a player who is a perfect fit would be a significant step in the right direction for the franchise. Let’s take a deeper dive into who one outlet believes is the best fit for the Bulls in this year’s draft.

The Chicago Bulls are a perfect fit for Caleb Wilson

Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report wrote an article discussing the best and worst fits for each projected lottery player in the 2026 NBA Draft. The Bulls were listed here as the best fit for one prospect, Caleb Wilson. Below is what Buckley wrote about why the fit is perfect for the two sides.

“Whenever the Bulls talk about their new SLAP philosophy-stressing size, length, athleticism and physicality-it feels like they’re describing Wilson. Beyond the stylistic fit, he would benefit from a pass-first point guard like Josh Giddey since creation is one of Wilson’s biggest question marks. That said, if Wilson ever added that to his arsenal, there’s really no one blocking his path for exploration and growth.”

If Wilson is selected with the fourth pick by the Bulls, he would be an excellent star for the Chicago frontcourt. The freshman forward recorded 19.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.4 blocks in 31.3 minutes per game with North Carolina. His shooting needs to improve as he gets further from the basket. Wilson finished with a 57.8 shooting percentage, 25.9 3-point percentage, and 71.3 free-throw percentage.  He’s also made it known he’s ready to bring Chicago back if Wilson gets selected there.

Chicago has Patrick Williams, Jalen Smith, Matas Buzelis, and Noa Essengue as forwards under contract for next season. Muohamadou Gueye and Leonard Miller are also on club options, so there are options already on the roster at forward. Playing with Giddey would significantly improve his ability to be a star, not needing to bring the ball up. It will be intriguing to see if Wilson winds up being the star for Chicago going forward.

The post Chicago Bulls are the best fit for the 2026 NBA Draft lottery pick appeared first on ChiCitySports.

Few athletes today command attention quite like Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark. She has emerged as one of the biggest names in sports, and fans eagerly await her first signature shoe release.

Nike signed the Fever guard to a historic eight-year, $28 million deal for her signature shoe collection. The agreement is considered the most lucrative sponsorship contract ever signed by a women’s basketball player.

As part of the deal, the sportswear company will release her first basketball sneaker, called the “Caitlin 1.” Clark herself recently stated that while there is no firm release date just yet, they’re getting close.

Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark shares details on first Nike signature sneaker

In an interview after Indiana’s 78-76 win over the Washington Mystics on Monday, Clark talked about her latest PE or Player Edition, the Nike Kobe 5 “Midwest Lakes.”

“Honestly, I think they’re like ‘Midwest Lakes’ or something,” the star guard said. “I didn’t design these ones. Nike did these ones mostly. I just agreed and said yes, because I think they look amazing.”

For the color scheme, she said “baby blue,” is her favorite color before showing reporters the PEs she was wearing.

 “I like all blues, but they’re solid,” Clark continued.

The WNBA star also gave the sneaker a glowing review, rating them a “10 out of 10.”

She then proceeded to tease fans about the highly anticipated announcement of her signature shoe launch.

 “Okay, well, very, very, very, very, very soon, okay?” she said.

“Very very very very very soon.”

Caitlin Clark teases when we can expect to see her Nike Caitlin 1 signature shoe 👀 https://t.co/cnY9e9caKy pic.twitter.com/jt1JXBQ5zd

— Nice Kicks (@nicekicks) June 9, 2026

On Tuesday, fans received a major update about Clark’s debut signature basketball shoe. Sneaker news X account Just Fresh Kicks reported that Nike has scheduled the release of the Caitlin 1 for Sept. 29.

Brands usually reserve signature basketball shoes for elite players with influence beyond the court. Clark has taken the basketball world by storm with record-breaking performances and elite skills that first emerged during her college years.

Since then, the former Iowa Hawkeyes star has helped drive increased attention to women’s basketball and the WNBA. 

The “Caitlin Clark effect” was on full displaye in her 2024 WNBA rookie season. Clark’s long-range shooting and creative passing boosted television audiences and game attendance. As a result, the 24-year-old guard has become one of the most marketable athletes in sports.

Given her popularity, demand is expected to be extremely high when the shoe officially hits shelves. If it delivers on expectations, the Caitlin 1 could become one of the top-selling basketball shoes of the year. 

The post Fever star Caitlin Clark teases highly anticipated announcement appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Fire are currently on international break due to the World Cup taking place in North America over the next month. However, they are in pursuit of one of the top international soccer players.

After rumors swirled that the Fire were interested in Robert Lewandowski, the striker is currently on a visit with the Fire per multiple reports. Lewandowski and his agent Pini Zahavi are on the visit per a report as they mull a move to the MLS.

The Fire make the most sense and have shown interest in Lewandowski. Now, getting him here for a visit would be a huge first step into agreeing to a deal to land him.

Will Chicago Fire land Robert Lewandowski?

Men in Red first reported the news on Friday, with The Athletic’s Tom Bogert confirming. This initial report states that no deal is signed just yet. But there are billboards in Chicago dedicated to the visit:

According to sources familiar with the travel plans, Polish striker Robert Lewandowski, one of the game’s most prolific scorers over the past two decades, is currently en route to Chicago amidst continued links to the Chicago Fire.

Although sources familiar with the situation stress that no deal has been signed between the MLS club and player, reports are that billboards along the highway from O’Hare to downtown Chicago are displaying ads from the Fire welcoming the Polish international to the city. According to emails shown to MIR97 Media, Fire supporters have also been asked to gather for an unspecified “special fan moment” this Sunday at Recess, the West Loop site of the Fire’s World Cup watch parties.

With the Fire in pursuit, they have a legit chance to land the talented Polish striker. Chicago’s Polish population could also help in the pursuit, hoping to improve the roster moving forward.

Lewandowski has scored over 500 goals for clubs and his country, splitting time between Poland and Germany. The Fire are in third place in the MLS Eastern Conference, playing well this season.

They are also in talks with other international players as well.

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Caleb Williams entered the NFL as the No. 1 pick in 2024. He has since embraced playing for the Chicago Bears and the rivalry the franchise has with the Green Bay Packers.

However, Packers pass rusher Micah Parsons praised the quarterback on Tuesday. He expressed admiration for his game before saying that he is the fire to his ice. It surprised many as Chicago and Green Bay have a long history and clash in highly competitive matchups.

Williams enjoyed a strong 2025 season. He completed 330-of-568 passes for 3,942 yards and 27 touchdowns.

Parsons, on the other hand, registered 41 combined tackles, including 19 solo efforts and 12 tackles for loss, along with 12.5 sacks. The Dallas Cowboys traded him to the Packers ahead of the 2025 season.

Caleb Williams reacts to Micah Parsons’ comments

The 2024 Heisman Trophy winner responded to Parsons’ warning on Thursday. He made it clear that he looks forward to seeing which of their teams will dominate in 2026.

“It’s just funny, you know, obviously, it’s good jokes. Obviously, we’re football players on opposite teams, so it’s a little rivalry, but nothing taken to heart and things like that,” Williams said. “He said he’s fire and I’m ice, so let’s see which one holds over.”

Reporters also asked Williams if he would ever vote for a Green Bay player as the best in the league. He said that he would “probably not.”

 

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The Bears and Packers will face each other twice, first in Week 5 at Lambeau Field and in Week 16 at Soldier Field.

Chicago will play seven primetime games in total and has the toughest schedule in the league. The team reached the Divisional Round last year but lost 20-17 in overtime to the Los Angeles Rams. Williams aims to lead the Bears to a deeper run and potentially compete for a Super Bowl.

The post Caleb Williams responds to Micah Parsons’ blunt warning appeared first on ChiCitySports.

Stephanie White and the Indiana Fever have won back-to-back games. The victories pushed the team’s record to 7-5 for the season, and they are looking to string more wins together.

They achieved their latest triumph on Thursday against the Chicago Sky. Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston led the charge with 30-point double-doubles each. Kelsey Mitchell contributed 19 points, while Lexie Hull delivered 11 in the 114-106 overtime win.

Indiana struggled with consistency in its first 10 games, splitting the results. However, the Fever’s last two outings showed what they are capable of. They are living up to expectations of being preseason title favorites and are starting to turn their fortunes around. The upcoming schedule is favorable, and it won’t be surprising to see Clark and Co. extend their winning streak.

Stephanie White discusses decision not to foul late in the game

During her postgame availability, reporters asked White about her decision not to tell her players to foul Skylar Diggins. The Fever were up three points, and fouling would have limited the Sky to a maximum of two points via free throws. Instead, Diggins forced overtime by knocking down a long 3-pointer.   

White acknowledged that she and her staff will discuss it as an area of opportunity.

“Yeah, I mean, I think we had time to take a foul,” White said. “You know, that’s probably something we worked on a lot in training camp and with game planning recently, but we haven’t worked on probably as much of that situation as we needed to. We talked about it as a staff. And then you’ve got to trust that you can go out and execute it in those moments too and we just decided to stay the match that time.

“We still talk about it after the game. I mean, that’s an area where we have opportunity. And I know as a coach and as a broadcaster, I love-hate the taking a foul thing. But we’ve got to have options both ways.”

#Fever HC Stephanie White on Skylar Diggins’ game-tying 3 that forced OT:

“I think we had time to take a foul. That’s probably something we worked on a lot in training camp, and with game-planning recently we haven’t worked on probably as much of that situation as we needed to.” pic.twitter.com/qbw1AxevnP

— James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) June 12, 2026

The good news for White is that the Fever were able to finally close out the game in overtime.

The Fever will return to action on Saturday versus the Connecticut Sun at Mohegan Sun Arena. They will play five of their next six games at home, giving White a chance to execute more practiced plays in front of their home fans.

The post Stephanie White addresses questionable decision in Fever-Sky game appeared first on ChiCitySports.

With the Chicago Bulls holding the No. 4 and No. 15 overall picks in the 2026 NBA Draft, they have the chance to speed up their rebuild. That would require them to land two starters right away with the picks, but they would at least be off to a good start.

At No. 4, the Bulls are likely going to get one of the three of Caleb Wilson, Darryn Peterson and Cameron Boozer barring any big surprises. However, what they do at No. 15 is the biggest question mark moving forward. With Chicago’s roster as it stands now, the Bulls have room to address any position they want in the draft.

This draft is considered a strong one in terms of talent from 1-10 which could lead the Bulls to potentially look at moving up.  But could they actually get into the top 10? That’s their target according to a new report.

Chicago Bulls targeting trade up into top 10?

The Bulls are still in search of a new head coach but with Bryson Graham running the show, they could get aggressive in the weeks leading up to the draft. And that’s exactly what a new report suggests they are doing.

Per Brett Siegel, the Bulls are targeting three players in a potential move up into the top 10. Siegel mentions Mikel Brown, Kingston Flemings and Keaton Wagler as players Chicago is interested in.

There has been a lot of chatter recently about the Bulls seeing what the cost would be to move up from No. 15 into the top 10 of this year's draft to grab one of the top guard prospects.

Mikel Brown, Kingston Flemings, and Keaton Wagler are all of interest to Chicago. https://t.co/T992MdHNLc

— Brett Siegel (@BrettSiegelNBA) June 8, 2026

If the Bulls do come away with Wilson or Boozer, adding any of those three would be a bonus. Chicago has the ammo to move up as they can give up No. 15 overall and a future pick if needed.

As the rumors continue to swirl, it will be interesting to see what happens with the Bulls in terms of a trade. They could also stay put and try to land an impact player at 15 as well. The good news is that they should have options to do what they want.

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