Another step toward an MLB lockout, plus scenes from New York

MEXICO CITY, MEXICO - APRIL 26: Commissioner of Major League Baseball Robert D. Manfred Jr. speaks with the press prior the MLB Mexico City Series game between San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks at Estadio Alfredo Harp Helú on April 26, 2026 in Mexico City, Mexico. (Photo by Hector Vivas/Getty Images) Hector Vivas / Getty Images

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Good morning! Make a big save today. Coming up: 

• 🔢 World Cup standings
• 🎊 A Knicks party
• 🔒 MLB careens toward stoppage

World Cupdate: We have our first clincher

We had four more World Cup games yesterday as the group stage churns onward. A quick recap before we talk about knockout rounds: 

• Canada 6, Qatar 0. It was the country’s first World Cup win, but came with a price: Ismaël Koné’s brutal injury.
  
• Mexico 1, South Korea 0. The local fans booed at halftime in Guadalajara, but a 50th-minute goal by Luis Romo ensured his country will win Group A. I also still don’t know how Mexican keeper Raul Rangel saved this:

A HEROIC SAVE FROM RANGEL TO KEEP MEXICO IN THE LEAD! 🤯

South Korea was so close to the late equalizer! pic.twitter.com/LN4bRk6ep6

— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) June 19, 2026

• Switzerland 4, Bosnia-Herzegovina 1. All five goals in this game were scored after the 74th minute, three coming at 90-plus minutes.
  
• Czech Republic 1, South Africa 1. Worst game of the World Cup? Gulp. 

See the full group standings here, particularly instructive to me considering the wide scope of this Cup. Nearly 80 percent of you said the expanded format was perfect, by the way. Good enough for me. 

Tonight brings a slightly bigger profile, with the USMNT playing at 3 p.m. ET and Brazil in the evening. More on that in a bit, but you can already jump into our U.S.-Australia live discussion. 

Onward:

Scenes

The Knicks celebrated their NBA title yesterday, which apparently brought every New Yorker onto the streets during normal working hours. The mayor spoke, the players spoke, Alicia Keys sang and at one point, Knicks forward Tyler Kolek had to inform security that he was actually on the team. 

It looked like a fun day. Devon Henderson has a full roundup, including tons of videos from the scene. Soak it up.

News to Know

Clark blitzes blustery Shinnecock
Wyndham Clark is your U.S. Open leader after 16 holes of his first round, as the tournament was disrupted yesterday due to fog and darkness. Nonetheless, Clark was surgical on the back nine at the famously tough course, leaving at 6 under par. He’s four shots clear of a cluster of folks, including Dustin Johnson, Jon Rahm, Matt Fitzpatrick and more. Gabby Herzig has an interesting diagnosis of what the course was like yesterday.

Young to hit free agency
Wizards guard Trae Young will decline his player option for next season, which makes him an unrestricted free agent. It’s expected, but still interesting: Washington has pivoted over the last year to rebuilding the franchise around the 27-year-old Young, Anthony Davis and the incoming No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft. Plans will change without Young, though apparently, Washington has the inside track to re-sign him. More context here.

NHL clears Babcock
Mike Babcock is officially available to be hired as Oilers head coach after an NHL investigation into his firing in Columbus three years ago found no evidence to prevent his return to the league. The NHLPA, which requested the investigation after Edmonton expressed interest in Babcock, issued a statement after the ruling reiterating concern over Babcock’s history while saying it expects Babcock “will uphold the high standards required by NHL head coaches.” See our full story.

More news:

• Angels star Mike Trout is on pace for an All-Star season, which makes it a bummer that he’s heading to the injured list.
  
• Lionel Messi’s family confirmed the Argentinian legend’s father is enduring “health issues,” which explains Messi’s emotional comments after his big night Tuesday. See more.
  
• Neymar will miss Brazil’s game tonight against Haiti, the second straight World Cup game he’s missed due to injury. It’s a bigger deal than you think.
  
• Olympian Jenny Simpson is showing “encouraging improvement” after collapsing during a local track event in North Carolina. Read the full update.
  
• The Protect College Sports Act advanced out of a Senate committee without support from the SEC or Big Ten. Curious.
  
• A judge dismissed a felony rape charge against former BYU receiver Parker Kingston, who was expelled over the matter. More details here.
  
• Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian’s venture capital firm acquired a college sports trading card company. Interesting concept.

📰 Find more news here 24/7.

Battles: An MLB lockout might really be coming

The last time we saw an MLB lockout, it was scary. For a minute. Back in 2021-22, baseball’s work stoppage lasted just over three months, but the league played a full (but slightly modified) 162-game schedule that season. No games lost. 

The looming potential lockout ahead already feels different. Let’s start with yesterday’s news before fully diving in: 

• MLB proposed an overhaul to the draft system, which would eliminate millions in signing bonuses to players while also creating an international draft. The offer also included raising the domestic prospect age of entry to 20 years old, or two years removed from high school graduation. Bye-bye, high school draftees. More details — and reactions — here. 

A lot has changed in baseball since that last lockout. MLB has been aggressive in modifying the game to attract and retain a new audience, and it’s largely working. No one’s really mad about pitch clocks or even robot umps anymore. 

But that aggression has hit a snag in labor talks. MLB commissioner Rob Manfred has signaled for months that owners want to institute a salary cap, which players are vehemently against. Remember when Bryce Harper cursed out Manfred in the Phillies clubhouse? If MLB misses games in 2027, the cap issue will likely be the reason. 

I was moved by our anonymous poll of players, which debuted yesterday. Of the 101 players polled, just two had confidence there would not be a lockout. Some think it’s just a necessary negotiating tactic. Others think the 2027 season will be impacted. 

You can read their comments here. Also, brace yourselves.

Watch Guide

📺 Golf: U.S. Open
6:30 a.m. ET on NBC Sports Network, NBC and Peacock
It’s going to be a long day at Shinnecock after the first round’s late suspension. Full coverage picks up on NBC at 1:30 p.m. ET. See the leaderboard here. 

📺 World Cup: USMNT vs. Australia
3 p.m. ET on Fox
Another tentpole game for the Americans after the smashing success of their debut last week. There is significant worry about the status of Christian Pulisic’s calf, and there’s also a bit of tangential drama here for the Australians. Three other games follow this, too. 

📺 WNBA: Lynx at Valkyries
10 p.m. ET on ION
Any chance to watch Minnesota rookie sensation Olivia Miles is a worthy option for this guide. Both of these teams are in the top five of the standings and our latest Power Rankings.

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