Browsing: potential

Danielle Moinet (formerly known as Summer Rae) says she gets the itch to return to WWE all the time.

During a recent interview with Talk Sport, Moinet talked about how her background with WWE helps in her new role as an interviewer and working on the social media team for Bare Knuckle Boxing.

Moinet responded:

“My role with the company, I do backstage interviews, in-ring interviews. I do a lot of social media for them and it works out coming with my WWE background and background in combat sports. My fans love it and itâ€s been fun getting to know the game.”

Moinet says WWE will always be a part of her:

“Iâ€m still very good friends with a lot of the girls and a lot of the guys in WWE, and I still watch it avidly. Iâ€m such a big fan, and itâ€s just a part of me, it always will be. And you know, I get the itch to go back all the time.”

Moinet was asked about who she enjoyed working with in WWE. She mentioned Saraya, formerly known as Paige, Natalya, Mercedes Mone, and several others.

“Loved working with Natalya. Of course, we had a big rivalry with Total Divas and though she is Bret Hartâ€s niece, she says to this day, people talk about me and the slap heard around the world. So, thatâ€s fun. Iâ€m still friends with Sasha, Mercedes, sheâ€s been killing it. Naomi, of course. You know, the list goes on. I love The Big Show. The Big Show is just amazing. He took me under his wing when I first started.”

Moinet was with WWE from 2011 to 2017. She worked as Fandango’s valet and dance partner, and was also involved in a memorable romance angle with Rusev, Lana, and Dolph Ziggler. She returned to WWE briefly in the 2022 Women’s Royal Rumble, where she was eliminated by Natalya in under a minute. Prior to signing with WWE, Moinet played for the Chicago Bliss of the Lingerie Football League from 2008 to 2011, making the All-Star team in her final year.

Some speculation about a return to wrestling for Moinet took place last month after she posted the below cryptic Tweet:

Think itâ€s time to come home………

— Summer Rae (@DanielleMoinet) September 16, 2025

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Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy reportedly could be back on the field for the team’s Week 9 game against the Detroit Lions.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Sunday that the high ankle sprain was initially seen as a six-week setback when he suffered it in Week 2.

“That means it’s unlikely he’ll be back next week against the Chargers. They’re hopeful he’ll be back a week after at Detroit.”

The Vikings selected McCarthy, a former Michigan star who led the Wolverines to an undefeated, national championship-winning 2023 season, with the 10th overall pick in the 2024 draft.

Unfortunately, McCarthy suffered a torn meniscus in the 2024 preseason opener against the Las Vegas Raiders, and he missed the entire campaign.

McCarthy returned for 2025 and played his team’s first two games, completing 24-of-41 passes for 301 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions. He also rushed for 50 yards and another score.

Unfortunately, McCarthy suffered a right high ankle sprain in Week 2, when Minnesota fell 22-6 at home to the Atlanta Falcons. Per ESPN’s Kevin Seifert, McCarthy completed the game but “reported significant soreness the next morning.”

Carson Wentz has been the team’s starter in McCarthy’s place. Over three starts, Wentz has completed 69 percent of his passes for 759 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions.

He will remain in the role for Sunday’s game against his former team, the Philadelphia Eagles.

Max Brosmer has been the team’s backup with McCarthy out. Brosmer is an undrafted rookie who played college ball at New Hampshire before transferring to Minnesota for the 2024 season. He was a First-team FCS All-American for New Hampshire in 2023.

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Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported on the “Saturday Headlines” segment of Hockey Night in Canada that the Sens offered the young centreman an eight-year contract extension.

However, Friedman believes there is still work to be done on both sides.

“I’m not saying anything is imminent, and I don’t necessarily think anything is close, but what I do believe is the Senators wanted to show that they are serious about putting a stake in the ground to keep him.”

Pinto is in the second year of a two-year, $7.5-million contract, and becomes a restricted free agent at the end of the season.

The 24-year-old has been a real bright spot for a Senators squad that’s gotten off to a start. Through six games, Pinto leads the league in goals with seven and also has an assist.

Ottawa selected the forward in the second round of the 2019 draft. In 216 games, he’s notched 115 points (58 goals, 57 assists) and has one goal and one assist through six post-season contests.

But Pinto’s value extends beyond the scoresheet. He consistently gets the toughest defensive assignments from head coach Travis Green.

“Room to grow, heâ€s taken steps every year in the league,†said Green on Oct. 13. “As far as matchups, heâ€s really learned that side of the game.”

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Oct 18, 2025, 07:58 PM ET

TORONTO — The Seattle Mariners have never been this close to reaching the World Series.

It still feels distant to pitcher Logan Gilbert.

“We’re still a long ways away,” Gilbert said Saturday, the day after a 6-2 comeback victory in Game 5 that put Seattle one win away from its first American League pennant. “We’re nine long innings away from where we want to be, and I think everybody gets that.”

Whether it takes nine innings or 15, as it did in the AL Division Series clincher, Gilbert and the Mariners will get their shot at the pennant on Sunday, taking a 3-2 lead into AL Championship Series Game 6. The winner of the best-of-seven series faces the Los Angeles Dodgers starting Friday.

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“It’s huge,” Gilbert said. “It’s been such a long year. Just to get to this point is amazing. But to be the one to have the ball, you grow up dreaming of moments like this, and you don’t know how many you’ll get over the course of your career. Some guys never get this. So it’s a really big deal.”

Gilbert threw 34 pitches in two scoreless innings of relief in that 15-inning win over Detroit on Oct. 10, then started Game 2 of the ALCS three days later. Staked to a 3-0 lead before he took the mound, Gilbert allowed three runs — two earned — and five hits over three innings as Seattle won 10-3.

This time, the 2024 All-Star will face Toronto on five days’ rest.

“That’s the playoffs and that’s kind of the fun of it, too,” Gilbert said of his irregular schedule last time around. “But we’re kind of creatures of habit, too, so it’s nice being back in the normal routine.”

Mariners manager Dan Wilson said Gilbert’s mental makeup plays a big role in his success.

“Logan is a guy you love to give the ball to,” Wilson said. “He’s that guy that has that focus, that desire to win, and he wants the ball in these situations. He’s ready for tomorrow for sure.”

One loss from elimination, Toronto will counter with rookie Trey Yesavage, who has made two of his five big league starts during this postseason run.

Yesavage set a Blue Jays postseason record by striking out 11 over 5 1/3 hitless innings against the New York Yankees in the Division Series. He allowed five runs and four hits in four innings, taking the loss in ALCS Game 2.

“We were fairly patient when we had to be,” Wilson said of his team’s approach against Yesavage in Game 2. “I think that was a big key for us. When we were able to get pitches that we were able to hit, we were able to do something with them.”

Like Gilbert, Yesavage said he understands just how rare a chance he’s getting by starting Game 6, noting a discussion he had with rotation mate Kevin Gausman.

“This opportunity does not come up very often,” Yesavage said. “I was talking to Gausman the other day and I said, ‘What’s the furthest you’ve made it in the playoffs?’ He said, ‘This is the furthest I’ve gone.’ And he’s been playing this game for a long time. So I’m very blessed to be in this situation.”

Yesavage’s big league experience is limited but impactful.

“He’s pitched in a lot of big games,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “He’s pitched in big regular- season games, he’s pitched in big postseason games, and he’s handled himself well. We’ve got all the confidence in the world that he’ll have the right mindset. He’s got to go out and do what he does.”

Schneider said he hopes to have designated hitter George Springer available Sunday. Springer was hit on the right kneecap by a 95.6 mph pitch from Bryan Woo in the seventh inning Friday and had to leave the game.

“Feeling a lot better than he did yesterday,” Schneider said of his leadoff batter.

The 36-year-old Springer, a four-time All-Star, is hitting .256 with three home runs and five doubles this postseason. His 22 career playoff homers are tied with Bernie Williams for fourth most in baseball history.

Wilson said right-hander Bryan Woo was experiencing minor soreness after pitching two innings Friday, his first appearance in almost a month. Woo had been sidelined because of pectoral inflammation.

“Getting him in the game was big, getting him out there and comfortable,” Wilson said. “He feels good today. Obviously, a little bit of soreness where you would expect it. But again, this is an exciting time of year, and I would expect him to be ready to go going forward here out of the bullpen.”

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It’s complicated.

That’s one of two consensus opinions I found in speaking with six scouts/executives from different teams about the Tarik Skubaltrade speculation that has become the talk of the baseball industry over the last 48 hours.

At least it was the talk before Shohei Ohtani’s sublime performance late Friday night, but in a way, the stories are connected, especially for a team like the Mets, who need someone like Skubal to have a chance at competing with the Los Angeles Dodgers for baseball supremacy in 2026 and beyond.

More on that to come. For now, the larger point, as the scout/execs point out, is that the Detroit Tigers are in a very difficult position. They would be risking the wrath of their championship-starved fan base if they trade Skubal, arguably the best pitcher in baseball, after reaching the postseason the last two years, yet they’d almost certainly lose him to free agency a year from now if they choose not to trade him.

“That’s why it’s hard to predict which way this thing will go,” said an executive from a mid-market NL team. “In a vacuum, it’s a no-brainer, unfortunately, considering Skubal is a (Scott) Borasguy and all that. You make the best trade you can and move on. But in the real world, that’s a tough sell when you haven’t won in 40 years.”

It’s 41 years, actually, since the Tigers won the World Series in 1984. And there is another layer to their conundrum.

For years, the late Mike Ilitch, the Tigers’ owner, operated with one of the higher payrolls in baseball while trying to win another title, spending big in free agency and once locking up Justin Verlander to a seven-year, $180 million extension that at the time was the highest in the game. But Ilitch died in 2017 and his son, Christopher, has run a more budget-conscious operation since taking over.

“It’s kind of like Hal(Steinbrenner) taking over after George died,” said one midwest-based scout. “The fans there long for the days when they felt like Mike Ilitch would spend whatever it took to try to win. The son is not very popular as it is. Trading Skubal would make him persona non grata in Detroit.”

In short, this isn’t Garrett Crochet, who was traded for prospects last winter by the rebuilding Chicago White Sox, or even Corbin Burnes, traded by the small-market Milwaukee Brewers from a team that had enough pitching depth to continue winning.

Skubal is far more essential than that to the Tigers and the city of Detroit.

Oct 5, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) pitches against the Seattle Mariners in the seventh inning during game two of the ALDS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at T-Mobile Park / Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Still, the same scouts and execs don’t rule out a trade. For it to happen, however, it would take a more attractive package than either Crochet or Burnes brought back.

Which leads to the second consensus opinion that emerged from my various conversations: That is, no team is more motivated or well-positioned than the Mets to make such a trade happen.

“I’d make them the favorite to get Skubal, no question, if the Tigers decide to trade him,” said an NL scout. “They have the pieces to get it done and they obviously have the need. Steve Cohen apologized to the fans for missing the postseason — what does that tell you? He’s going to want to make big-splash moves to change the narrative.”

To that point, SNY’s Andy Martino reported Friday the Mets are expected to be “involved” if Skubal is made available, and willing to “shake up their current position-player group” if it means acquiring a top pitcher.

So the question on the Mets’ end would be just how far they’re willing to go for a player they could lose to free agency after one season.

“Steve Cohen changes that equation,” said one team exec. “His money takes significant risk out of losing the player. And when you look at the Mets, as badly as they played down the stretch, they’re still talented enough that a pitcher like Skubal could be the difference-maker that gives them a chance to compete with the Dodgers and win it all next year.

“But I’d still expect them to draw a line somewhere as to how much they’d be willing to give up, knowing they could sign Skubal in a year without giving up assets.”

So what would it take? The scouts/execs all made the point that this has to be more than trading prospects, as the Tigers, even without Skubal, would go into next season trying to win, with the core of a team that had the best record in baseball until a September collapse.

“They would want players who could help them win next season, plus prospects too,” said a team exec. “They’re going to ask for (Nolan) McLean. He’s a guy you can sell to your fans as a rising star who can be another Skubal. You get him with some other pieces and maybe your fans can live with it.

“But if I’m the Mets, McLean is the one untouchable. The ceiling is too high and you have him under control for six years. Other than that, it’s finding the right combination of players on your major league roster and top prospects.”

Sep 18, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) pitches in the sixth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Comerica Park. / Rick Osentoski – Imagn Images

Scouts identified catcher Francisco Alvarez, third baseman Brett Baty, and lefty starter David Peterson as possibilities the Tigers would want off the major league roster.

One suggested Clay Holmes as well.

The prospects in demand, other than McLean, figure to be pitchers Brandon Sproat and Jonah Tong, infielder Jett Williams, first baseman Ryan Clifford, and outfielder Carson Benge.

“It has to be some combination of those players,” said a scout.

Two players sparked much debate among the scouts/execs: Alvarez and Benge.

“Other than pitching, Alvarez could be the key,” one exec said. “It depends how the Tigers’ scouts evaluate him. He showed some growth after the Mets sent him to Triple-A, but is he still a 30-home run guy as he was projected to be when he came up? As a catcher, that would make him a difference-maker and something to help justify the trade from a PR standpoint.

“If you’re the Mets, you have to make the same evaluation. Is it worth giving up a catcher who’s still young (Alvarez turns 24 in November)? I’d have a hard time doing that, on top of what else you’d have to put in the deal.”

Then there is Benge, the minor leaguer who could be the long-term answer to filling the Mets’ hole in center field. Scouts love him for his athleticism and advanced approach at the plate.

“He has a chance to be a .300 hitter with power who can play center field,” one scout said. “How many of those guys are there in the game these days? If I’m the Mets, I’m doing everything I can to keep him.

“You know you’re going to have to give up pitching, probably either Tong or Sproat, plus Peterson. And you can live with giving up Jett Williams. But Benge could be special offensively and he fills a big need for the Mets.”

The bottom line is the scouts/execs believe the two teams could find enough common ground on a trade package to make it work if the Tigers become committed to making a deal. But only two of the six people I spoke to think the chances of it happening are more than 50-50.

The other four think it’s far more likely the Tigers will listen but ultimately decide that Skubal is worth more, even for one more season, than what the Mets or anyone else is offering.

“I just don’t think they’d want to deal with the uproar it would cause among their fans,” one exec said. “That’s a very real factor, especially when you haven’t won a championship in so long and the public perception is that Skubal gives them a chance next year.

“But I’ll say this: if the Mets are willing to go the extra mile, in terms of what they’d give up, they could make it awfully tempting for the Tigers to ignore all the outside noise and decide, let’s do it.”

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Kairi Sane may be caught in WWEâ€s most toxic on-screen partnership right now, but behind the scenes, sheâ€s getting serious respect.

On October 15, 2025, WrestleVotes reportedthat multiple sources within WWE had high praise for Kairiâ€s recent performances—specifically pointing to her emotional backstage segments with Asuka and her hard-fought match against Rhea Ripley on RAW.

According to the report, there was “high praise following her match with Rhea Ripley on RAW this past Monday & from her recent backstage segments with Asuka.†The acknowledgment comes at a pivotal moment in Kairiâ€s WWE career, as her character continues to unravel.

That praise is well-earned. On the RAW following Crown Jewel 2025, Kairi stepped into the ring with Rhea Ripley after being publicly berated—and slapped—by Asuka backstage. The segment drew gasps from the live crowd in Perth and set the tone for what would become a dramatic, emotionally charged match.

Kairi even reintroduced her original entrance theme, “The Next Voyage†by CFO$, sparking a wave of nostalgia among fans who associate that theme with her most memorable WWE run. While Ripley ultimately scored the victory with a brutal Riptide, Kairi left it all in the ring—fighting back with stiff offense and showing a fiercer edge than fans have seen in years.

The aftermath of the match didnâ€t cool things down. Ripley attempted to slam Asuka through the announce table, prompting Kairi to interfere with a kendo stick—only to get planted with a devastating DDT through the desk herself.

Despite the losses, Kairiâ€s performances have reignited interest in her character, and backstage officials are taking notice. Whether this leads to a solo push or a dramatic split from Asuka and Damage CTRL remains to be seen, but itâ€s clear Kairi is once again proving her value in and out of the ring.

Do you think itâ€s time for WWE to pull the trigger on a strong Kairi Sane singles run? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comment section below.

October 15, 2025 11:02 pm

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Dominik Mysterio has commented on a potential match with John Cena.

Despite all the accolades in his long career, the Cenation Leader has never won the Intercontinental Championship. With only four dates left in his retirement tour, there has been a lot of talk on whether or not we’ll see Cena holding the belt.

During a recent interview with tonyfree27, Dirty Dom was asked about the potential match with the Peacemaker star. The current IC Champion said that if the ‘old geezer’ wants him to put the final nail in his coffin, he knows where to find the Judgment Day star:

“At the end of the day, Iâ€m here. If John Cena wants some, he can come get some. Heâ€s got four dates left, you said.

If that old geezer wants me to put a final nail in his coffin, Iâ€ll be more than happy to. Thatâ€s what Iâ€m here for. Iâ€m here to be and stay your dirty double champ.â€

John Cena is set for two Raw appearances in November, followed by a match at Survivor Series. It’ll be his last PLE as an active competitor before his retirement match at the December 13 edition of Saturday Night’s Main Event.

Reports suggest that the 17-time world champion will indeed challenge Dominik Mysterio for his title at the next WWE PPV, but we’ll have to wait for his TV return next month for the confirmation.

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MILWAUKEE — Max Muncy was inches away from hitting a grand slam for the Los Angeles Dodgers to open the scoring in the National League Championship Series.

Little did he know his 404-foot drive instead would end the top of the fourth inning in one of the most incredible plays of this or any postseason.

“Itâ€s definitely the worst fielderâ€s choice/double play Iâ€ve ever hit in my life,†Muncy said after the Dodgers†2-1 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 1.

Hereâ€s how Muncyâ€s potential grand slam turned into an unusual 8-6-2 double play:

With the bases loaded and one out, Muncy hit a long drive to center field, where Sal Frelick jumped and reached over the wall in an attempt to make the catch.

The ball popped out of Frelickâ€s glove and hit the top of the fence before Frelick caught it in the air. Muncy wasnâ€t ruled out because the ball hit the wall — but the Dodgers†runners scrambled back to their bases thinking the ball was caught on a fly.

“I didnâ€t see it hit the wall,†said Will Smith, who was on second base. “I just thought he kind of brought it back in and caught it.â€

Frelick fired to shortstop Joey Ortiz, who quickly relayed a strike to catcher William Contreras. Aware a force was still in effect, Contreras alertly stretched for the throw with his right foot on home plate, rather than position himself for a tag that would have been necessary if the ball hadnâ€t hit the wall.

Contreras caught the ball before Teoscar Hernández slid across the plate, forcing out Hernández after he had hesitated at third base.

“Teo knows the rule. I think right there he had just a little bit of a brain fart, appreciating that when it does hit the glove, you can tag (up) there,†Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “But then he tagged, did it correctly, then saw he didnâ€t catch it, (and) he went back. That was the mistake. But he owned it. And after that, thereâ€s nothing else you can do about it.â€

After the force out at home plate, Contreras smartly got up and jogged to third to force out Smith, too.

Smith had gone back to second when he thought Frelick made a clean catch.

“From home plate, I had a pretty good view of it,†Contreras said through an interpreter. “I could tell pretty much right away it hit off the wall. Right away once it hits off the wall, you know that ball is played live. Tremendous job by the guys there just doing what we needed to do to finish that play off.â€

As all of it was developing, Frelick had his arms out with a quizzical look on his face, wondering what exactly had just happened — not unlike many fans.

The Dodgers challenged the call, but a replay review confirmed the force outs at home and third for a most unusual inning-ending 8-6-2 double play.

Umpires called it correctly in real time all the way through the play.

“Honestly, I didnâ€t know they ruled it a no-catch,†Roberts said. “I just wanted clarity on the whole situation. And then kind of making sure that they got a couple of force outs, which they did. And ultimately, those guys and replay, the guys on the field got it right. They nailed it.â€

At 404 feet, it was the second-longest projected distance on a batted ball resulting in a double play since Statcast tracking began in 2015 — regular-season games included. For Muncy, it goes down as a grounded-into-double play, even though the ball didnâ€t touch the ground.

There had not been an 8-6-2 double play in the postseason over the last 35 years, the Elias Sports Bureau said. Those type of official scoring details are not always clear in records going back any further.

The most recent 8-6-2 double play in the regular season involved a ball hit by Cubs slugger Sammy Sosa to Cincinnati center fielder Ken Griffey Jr. in April 2004 — though that one ended with a tag at the plate.

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Thomas Tuchel believes Marcus Rashford can still become one of the best in the world, but the England head coach has warned he will end up with regrets unless he pushes himself to the limit and improves in the final third.

Tuchel, who also cautiously opened the door to Jude Bellingham being part of Englandâ€s leadership group if the midfielder returns to the squad, pulled no punches as he discussed Rashfordâ€s development in the leadup to the World Cup qualifier against Latvia in Riga on Tuesday night. Englandâ€s head coach said potential is not enough and made clear that the challenge for the 27-year-old, who has 18 goals in 64 international appearances, is to become more consistent.

“That is the headline for him,†Tuchel said.“To keep on pushing himself to the limit. The limit for him is very, very high. Maybe higher than for others. He has the potential, but potential is a dangerous word with high-level sports.

“You have to reach your personal best on a regular basis. Itâ€s not a question of talent, itâ€s a question of whether he can prove the point at club and international level. Whether he starts for us or comes off the bench he has to constantly prove himself.

“He can be one of the best in the world. The quality I see in training, the finishing with both legs and with the head. He is explosive, he is fast, he is strong in the air so where are the limits? There are no limits, but the numbers donâ€t reach the potential. He needs to push himself into goal involvements. That means goals and assists. He knows that from me.â€

Rashford has struggled to impress for England on a regular basis and was left out of the Euro 2024 squad by Gareth Southgate. The Manchester United academy product had gone almost 18 months without an international appearance before Tuchel took over and picked him in his first squad in March.

Marcus Rashford has scored three goals for Barcelona this season, two of them against Newcastle in the Champions League. Photograph: Lee Parker/CameraSport/Getty Images

Tuchel warned that Rashford has to keep going when he was asked if there was a danger of his career being derailed after he fell out of favour at United. He has scored three goals for Barca since joining the La Liga champions on loan this summer.

“He is still on that,†Tuchel said. “He still has to make these decisions. He is in that moment, he is young enough to take the right decisions and not let go. Otherwise, he will be disappointed in 10 years at what could have been and what he made of it.â€

Rashford, who has scored once in five games for Tuchel, enjoyed a revival during a loan spell at Aston Villa last season. “That was quite a bold move because to go in a working team, and a team that was well settled and played a hard-working style, that was a very, very good move for him and he settled in very quickly,†Tuchel said.

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“And for the work-rate against the ball I selected him. And still he had not as many goals and not as many goal involvements as he could have. He creates quite a lot of chances, but for the quality and finishing that we see with training, he just doesnâ€t score enough. Thatâ€s the next step.â€

Tuchel also namechecked Harry Kane, John Stones, Jordan Henderson and Declan Rice as the players who drive the squadâ€s standards. “If you want to call it a ‘leadership groupâ€, they are the leaders at this moment,†he said.

Bellingham was part of Southgateâ€s leadership group at the Euros. Pressed on whether he would be prepared to entrust the Real Madrid player with a similar role if he returns to the squad, Tuchel said: “I guess so.â€

England will qualify for the World Cup if they beat Latvia. Ollie Watkins has pulled out of the squad after injuring himself last Thursday during the friendly win against Wales, but Kane has recovered from a foot problem and will start up front.

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Tiger Woods had his seventh back surgery on Friday. A day later, the 15-time major champion said that he underwent a lumbar disc replacement and was already feeling the positive effects of the procedure.

“After experiencing pain and lack of mobility in my back, I consulted doctors and surgeons to have tests taken,” Woods said in a statement. “The scans determined that I had a collapsed disc in L4/L5, disc fragments and a compromised spinal canal. I opted to have my disc replaced yesterday and already know I made a good decision for my health and back.”

Woods didn’t compete on the PGA Tour this past season after undergoing surgery to repair a ruptured Achilles tendon in March. No timetable was provided for Woods’ potential return to competitive golf after his lumbar disc replacement, and several questions naturally come with Woods’ decision to have another back surgery.

Sports injury analyst and physical therapist Marty Jaramillo answered some of those questions about the procedure, the recovery and Woods’ potential return to competitive golf.

WATCH JARAMILLO’S EXPLAINER HERE:

What surgery did Tiger Woods have on his back, and why?

“Why did Tiger Woods opt for an artificial disc replacement?” Jaramillo said. “Let’s talk a little about the history and what led to that decision. Tiger suffered from multiple back injuries, multiple disc herniations, and all the subsequent surgeries to repair those disc herniations.

“He really suffered at the level of L5, S1, the lowest level, where in 2017 he opted for spinal fusion at that level, with the implant hardware on both sides to decompress the nerves, add stability and support, but there is a trade-off with the hardware. Yes, you get a decrease in pain, but you lose a little bit of mobility, specifically in rotation, sometimes up to 20 percent. It was extremely successful, and in 2019, Tiger won his fifth green jacket at the Masters.

“But like I said, the trade-off is fusion. Below it puts undue stress at the disc levels above. Now L4, L5 is in play and suffered a tremendous amount of stress and overload in subsequent years, and in 2021, he had yet his fourth microdiscectomy to help repair L4 right here now. Between the fourth microdiscectomy, then his horrific car accident and then this year with the Achilles and still trying to compete and play at a high level, that disc at L4, L5 essentially started to degenerate, develop bone spurs, start to compress the nerve endings yet again.

“Now, if he opted for a fusion which was successful, he would lose even more mobility and golf would not be even a question because he wouldn’t be able to compete and play at a high level. So, fast forward, we have this great new technology called an artificial disc. It is still hardware where they removed the old disk. And implant an artificial one. It still provides a tremendous amount of support, stability and decompresses the nerves. But the hardware does not limit motion and you need that rotation to swing a golf club at a very high level and compete at a high level. So in Tiger’s case he just didn’t have a choice and the procedure’s perfected, and he had that procedure performed this past Friday at the hospital for special surgery in New York.”

What will Tiger Woods’ recovery be?

“So for the next two weeks, Tiger will be under strict orders to do a lot of resting and strict limitations on movements like twisting and bending,” Jaramillo said. “But he’s also able to walk as much as he can tolerate. By weeks two to four, he’s implementing a very progressive lumbar stabilization program and some mobility, keeping in mind that the disc replacement surgery does have to heal. The hardware still has to fuse to the overlying and underlying bone, just like a fracture, and has to heal. But by week six to eight, he has progressed to aggressive strengthening in all planes of the golf swing and perfecting sports-specific motions.

Tiger Woods makes ‘good decision’ to have another back surgery, return is unclear

By:

Josh Schrock

“Now long term, well, any aging athlete has to have a strict regimen and be very disciplined with both maintenance and recovery of therapies. Tiger has been great at that over the years, just like LeBron, just like Tom Brady, but Tiger’s had so many surgeries, so he’s had to kinda keep resetting those recovery and maintenance protocols, but still disciplined, nevertheless. He also has to have load management. It has to be in full effect here. He’s gonna probably have to limit his total tournaments but also make smart decisions on both the climate and terrain of those tournaments.”

When will Tiger Woods be able to play competitive golf again?

While no timetable was given for Woods’ return to the PGA Tour, Jaramillo is optimistic that Woods can return soon, given how long it has been since his Achilles procedure and the expected healing time for the lumbar disc replacement.

“Tiger Woods has the potential to play in his own Hero World Challenge and the PNC Championship, both tournaments that take place in December,” Jaramillo said. “By December, he would have over eight months having recovered from his Achilles repair and close to six to eight weeks for his artificial disc replacement, both within good healing time frames, and be ready to go and also be competitive for both tournaments.”

Tiger Woods’ long-term health concern

To Jaramillo, it is not Tiger Woods’ back that is the biggest concern for prolonging his competitive career. It’s the ankle issues that have been prevalent since his car accident in 2021.

“I’m not so concerned about his back and this artificial disc,” he said. “I think it’s gonna do really great. He’s going to compete at a high level.

“My biggest concern for Tiger is his ankle following his horrific car accident,” Jaramillo said. “A couple of years after the accident, he had to have his ankle fused to help limit the pain and minimize the pain. But what does it do? With the fusion, just like in his lower back from 2017, it limits movement, and in his case, his ankle. He’s lost some rotation, which prevents him from adjusting to uneven terrains on the golf course, and it’s really plagued him. You’ve seen it in years past. Over the course of a four-day tournament he’s the limping gets worse and worse. So I really think it’s his ankle that’s gonna be the speed bump that curtails his career.”