Top pitching prospect Cade Horton will be considered for the opening in the rotation, though the Cubs have not made any decisions on what route they might take. They won’t need a pitcher for Imanaga’s turn until Saturday at the earliest, though that could be modified to a later date due to off days the next two Thursdays.

Right-hander Chris Flexen, currently in the bullpen, will also be in the conversation to start. He remains stretched out enough as the Cubs’ long reliever. But nobody in the Cubs’ system who could be in the mix has as much upside as Horton, the No. 7 pick in the 2022 MLB draft.

“He’s continuing to get better from start to start, and he’s been consistently good down there,” president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said of Horton’s Triple-A Iowa performance. “He’s built off a good spring training, but his last couple starts were better than the first couple starts down there. He’s been going six innings and throwing well, so he’s done his part in Triple A certainly, throwing the ball well.”

A Grade 2 subscapularis strain in his right shoulder limited Horton to 34 1/3 innings in 2024, and the right-hander didn’t pitch after May 29. He’s almost eclipsed that mark this year, sitting at 29 innings through six starts with Iowa.

Among the areas the Cubs wanted Horton to focus on this year was the consistency of throwing competitive pitches. Hoyer said they have seen progress in that area.

“Throwing non-competitive pitches in the big leagues puts you in bad counts pretty quickly, counts that you can probably pitch out of in Triple A easier than you can in the big leagues,” Hoyer said. “So this consistency of your pitches — not throwing one good, one bad — but making sure you’re consistent and therefore, like I said, avoiding free pitches.”

As the Cubs weigh what path they want to take to fill Imanaga’s innings, the organization must decide whether Horton’s continued development at Triple A is more valuable than bringing him up sooner rather than later to see how his stuff plays against better hitters. He’s thrown at least 76 pitches in his last four outings, the last two getting through six innings, but he hasn’t hit the 80-pitch mark yet this year.

Hoyer stated there isn’t hesitancy relating to Horton himself, rather the Cubs are making sure it’s the right time to bring up Horton.

“It’s easier to work on things in the minors and he didn’t pitch a lot last year,” Hoyer said. “I think if he had pitched all last season he may well have debuted by now. But if he had debuted, we’d have a better sense of what he is, whereas because he missed a lot of time last year that it’s been good to give him a foundation in Iowa.”

“In spring training he was taking a lot of pitches and at the big-league level, you can’t get behind a lot,” Sox hitting coach Marcus Thames said on Sunday at Rate Field. “But he took that down to Charlotte and applied it in his game and his approach has been solid since he’s been here. He knows what he’s doing, knows what he’s trying to do.”

Meidroth led off Friday’s game against the Houston Astros with a single. He later scored on a double by Edgar Quero.

Meidroth had another single and scored again in the first inning of Saturday’s contest.

“He does well with his scouting reports and stuff like that, and he’ll come back to the dugout and say, ‘the ball isn’t doing this or doing that,’” Thames said. “Wise (beyond) his years. He’s doing a great job.”

Meidroth had a .275 average and a .408 on-base percentage entering Monday’s opener of the road series against the Kansas City Royals. He had reached base safely in 11 of his first 12 games with a plate appearance, including reaching twice in all four games since being reinstated from the injured list on Thursday. He began Monday’s game with a single to center.

Meidroth, who was called up on April 11, said the words from the coaches have resonated.

“They’ve got all the confidence in the world in me and that makes life a lot easier,” Meidroth told the Tribune before Monday’s game at Kauffman Stadium. “A big part of hitting is confidence. Just getting in there and talking, what’s the plan today and go out there and trust myself to get stuff done.”

Meidroth is one of the recently called-up players who is making an impact. Quero is another.

The catcher, who had the go-ahead hit in the sixth inning of Sunday’s rain-shortened 5-4 win against the Astros, entered Monday with a .340 batting average and .446 on-base percentage.

“It’s good when you have guys who are going to put the ball in play,” Thames said. “Nothing can happen if the ball doesn’t go forward, so it’s good for these guys to come up and inject some of that, you know, not swing-and-miss stuff in the lineup. It’s been good, man.

“Hopefully, it can continue to be contagious, and the offense can get rolling a bit more.”

Thames was the hitting coach for the Los Angeles Angels when Quero was coming through their minor-league system. The Sox acquired the catcher as part of a trade that sent pitchers Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo López to the Angels in 2023. He made his big-league debut on April 17.

“He’s always been the same, his heartbeat is so slow and nothing speeds up on him,” Thames said. “And he’s kind of like Meidroth, pretty wise (beyond) his years. And he’s going to give you a good (at-bat). He’s not going to chase much. He knows the zone, he’s not going to try to do too much. And he makes adjustments right away off the pitcher.

“He was doing that in Double A, Triple A and even now out here.”

That steadiness was on display in the sixth inning at-bat that resulted in the go-ahead RBI single on Sunday.

“I’ve been in these moments a couple times in my career, in the minor leagues,” Quero said after Sunday’s game. “I like to be in those moments. Sometimes I’m going to be good, sometimes I’m going to maybe not do the job. But I’m not scared of being in those moments. I like those moments.”

Manager Will Venable has been impressed with the approach from Meidroth and Quero.

“There’s real substance to what they’re doing to where you know that, obviously, there’s going to be days where you’re not feeling great, you’re banged up and your swing isn’t right. But the way they go about it, it’s the substance, that thing, the quality of their approach that you expect to be there every day,” Venable said on Monday. “That type of skill set is something that can really stay consistent throughout the year. It’s just nice to have in your lineup every day.”

Injury updates

Andrew Benintendi was not in the starting lineup for Monday’s game as he continues to recover from left calf tightness. The left fielder exited Sunday’s game in the sixth inning.

“(He’s) better today, but still day to day,” Venable said. “We’ll give him the day today and then see where we’re at tomorrow.”

Pitcher Jesse Scholtens is beginning a rehab assignment on Tuesday with High-A Winston-Salem. The right-hander is making his way back after undergoing Tommy John surgery in March 2024.

The pick itself is more of a mystery.

“Third overall is a pretty damn good place to acquire more talent, and we’ll add it to a really strong prospect pool,” Hawks general manager Kyle Davidson said after the draft lottery.

Defenseman Matthew Schaefer of the Ontario Hockey League’s Erie Otters ranks No. 1 on NHL Central Scouting’s list of North American skaters, and he’s the consensus projected top pick. But three or four other prospects also are legitimate contenders.

The Hawks had a 13.5% chance of winning the No. 1 pick after finishing with the league’s second-worst record (25-46-11), and they couldn’t drop lower than fourth because of lottery rules.

The last-place San Jose Sharks (20-50-12) had the best odds of winning the top pick at 25.5%, but the lottery balls lined up for the New York Islanders, who won the first of two draws to earn the No. 1 pick.

The Islanders had just the 10th-best odds at 3.5% to win the first draw. As lottery balls popped up one by one during a live broadcast — 7, 11, 12 — the Hawks needed the fourth and final ball to be marked 9 or 14. Instead, the 13 ball rose up the chute for the Islanders.

The second draw also defied the odds, as the Utah Hockey Club — which entered the evening with the third-worst chances among the 16 lottery teams — won with a combination of 1-5-12-3. The Hawks needed 1-5-10-12 to secure the No. 2 pick.

Utah received the No. 4 pick after moving up the maximum 10 spots. The Sharks and Hawks then were slotted into the second and third picks, respectively.

“My philosophy is we do like to go best player available, but sometimes the discussions are so close where you have to break that somehow.”—Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson on targeting needs in the NHL draft

— Phil Thompson (@philthompsontrib.bsky.social) 2025-05-06T01:06:51.378Z

“I thought it was kind of exciting,” Davidson said. “The last couple years haven’t been necessarily like chalk, but teams close to the top of the odds have moved up or stayed the same, so it was kind of exciting from that standpoint.

“Third overall, we’re going to get a great player. I’m excited to head into meetings next week with our amateur group and start the process of nailing down where we want to line up the board and what it looks like.”

The lottery, broadcast from NHL Network’s studio in Secaucus, N.J., set the order for the first 16 picks. The draft takes place June 27 and 28 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.

If there was a year when dropping out of the top two wouldn’t be a downer for the second-worst team, it might be this year. There’s no generational type such as Connor Bedard or Macklin Celebrini on a tier by himself.

Central Scouting director Dan Marr said this year’s draft is more “traditional” than recent years, with the top-ranked prospect, Schaefer, having only a slight edge on other contenders.

“There’s three or four players in the mix that you’ll be very happy to get any one of them,” Marr said. “Schaefer’s the real deal. Schaefer is the best defenseman in the draft class by a country mile. (He) plays a style that’s going to translate well to the NHL.”

In addition to Schaefer, Marr name-checked center Michael Misa of the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit and Boston College center James Hagens as potential top picks, and he called winger Porter Martone of the OHL’s Brampton Steelheads a top-four pick.

“Hagens and Misa, whoever’s picking No. 1, if they take (either of) them No. 1, I don’t think anybody’s going to bat an eye,” Marr said before the lottery.

Anton Frondell, a forward for Djurgården in Sweden’s second division, overtook teammate Victor Eklund for the top spot in the final international rankings, so he’s a strong contender as well.

Davidson said it’s too early to comment on who he believes are the top contenders.

Save for the CHL’s Memorial Cup, the scouting calendar is pretty much complete.

Davidson said regional scouts will loosely form their rankings and tiers, and “crossover scouts” will chime in on those lists.

“The thing about the draft is there’s always a lot of public discourse and then I feel like there’s always those people who suggest their surprise picks,” Davidson said. “That’s just people seeing the board differently. That’s what makes the draft exciting.

“I think ours versus any other team’s (grouping) is going to be different and is going to be different from the public. It’s exciting to get behind the curtain and really hammer away at what those tiers are, or (what) the rankings are for the Blackhawks and what our staff believes and how we see things lining up.

“Excited to do that, but we’re not quite at that point yet.”

However, Davidson conceded that the Hawks’ draft room might take a more targeted approach to address specific roster needs.

“My philosophy is we do like to go best player available, but sometimes the discussions are so close where you have to break that somehow.

“Is it position? Is it the style of play? Is it what we’ve got already (on the roster) versus what one of these players provide? There’s a number of different things because sometimes you can’t go position because they play the same position. There’s different things that will eventually have to break that tie.”

With every other team getting ready to thoroughly dissect the same top prospects — if they haven’t already — Marr discussed several of the top prospects with the Tribune earlier this year.

1. Matthew Schaefer, defenseman

He broke his collarbone while playing for Canada in the World Junior Championship in late December but still posted seven goals and 15 assists — 1.29 points per game — in 17 games for Erie.

“He’s 17 years old, so he’s got a lot to learn about how to play the game and how to have success at the next level,” Marr said. “But he has all the tools and the attributes to where he’s a very appealing prospect.”

Though Schaefer has been compared to the Colorado Avalanche’s Cale Makar, “for us, he’s more along the lines of Zach Werenski,” Marr said. “They’re both puck carriers, they’re both guys that can dominate the play when they have the puck on their stick, impact the play. Smart, skilled, a pretty complete package.

“Another (comp) is Noah Dobson. … These are guys, they go right into the NHL, they play big minutes, big situations, and they contribute.”

2. Michael Misa, forward

Misa’s 134 points (62 goals) last season tied John Tavares and trailed only Hawks great Patrick Kane (145) in OHL history. He was granted “exceptional player” status to enter the OHL early in 2022 and served as the Spirit’s captain last season. He also helped them win the 2023-24 Memorial Cup.

“When we look at Misa, we’re saying the career that he’s going to have, the type of player that he is, the character, the whole thing, he’s in the category with Steven Stamkos and Sebastian Aho,” Marr said. “Misa is a little bit more cerebral (than Hagens), but the quickness that he executes the play, it’s very impressive. He can see the ice and execute the play.

“He’s doing it at an NHL level now. But he’s not playing with NHL players, so you’re not always seeing that finished product out of it.”

3. James Hagens, forward

Hagens has a nice resume already, winning gold with the U.S. (along with Hawks prospect Oliver Moore) at this year’s World Juniors. His 187 career points rank fifth in U.S. National Team Development Program history.

“He plays a pro game — right now,” Marr said. “But he’s going to be coming into the league like a Logan Cooley or Clayton Keller. That’s not the trajectory that he’s on. He’s just that gifted offensive player.

“He sees the ice where he automatically is in the right place at the right time. He might be the best player of being in the right place at the right time. But by the time the puck is on stick, he already knows what he’s going to do — and it’s not on his stick long.

“But if he’s got the chance, he knows how to get open, get to the net, and he’s got a finishing touch.”

4. Porter Martone, forward

He has good size for a winger at 6-foot-2¾ and 208 pounds. Martone recorded 37 goals and 61 assists in 57 games last season for Brampton.

“He views himself as a Matthew Tkachuk,” Marr said, “but we think he’s a little bit more similar to Brady (Tkachuk) and Mark Stone, just because he’s the best player taking the puck to the net and scoring this year. He’s just that power forward.

“If (a team needs) that Tkachuck-type guy, they’re going to lean toward Martone if they’ve already got some more skilled, high-IQ-type players in their lineup. … But I’m not going to short-change Porter Martone on his skills or his (hockey) sense. He’s a very motivated guy. He just doesn’t have the speed and quickness that these other two (Hagens and Misa) have right now.”

Baltimore released its longtime kicker on Monday, more than three months after more than a dozen female massage therapists accused Tucker of acting inappropriately at several Baltimore-area spas and wellness centers. The NFL’s investigation into the allegations against him remains under review, league spokesperson Brian McCarthy confirmed to The Baltimore Sun.

“Sometimes football decisions are incredibly difficult, and this is one of those instances. Considering our current roster, we have made the tough decision to release Justin Tucker,” Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said in a statement Monday.

“Justin created many significant and unforgettable moments in Ravens history. His reliability, focus, drive, resilience and extraordinary talent made him one of the league’s best kickers for over a decade. We are grateful for Justin’s many contributions while playing for the Ravens. We sincerely wish him and his family the very best in this next chapter of their lives.”

Tucker, 35, had been the Ravens’ kicker since 2012, was one of the faces of the franchise and has long been considered one of the greatest kickers in the history of the sport and a likely Pro Football Hall of Fame selection.

He has denied the allegations, calling them “unequivocally false,” in a lengthy statement that he posted on X after the first Baltimore Banner report in which six massage therapists said he exposed his genitals, brushed two of them with his exposed penis and left what was believed to be ejaculate on the massage table following three of his treatments, among other disturbing details. The alleged incidents took place between 2012 and 2016, according to the report, and led to Tucker allegedly being banned from two spas, Ojas and Studio 921.

A Ravens spokesperson said following the initial report that the organization was aware of The Banner’s story and that it takes “any allegations of this nature seriously” and would continue to “monitor the situation.”

But after the initial story and Tucker’s subsequent denial, several more women came forward days later with strikingly similar accounts in another Baltimore Banner report. One of those women also spoke to The Sun.

One of the accusers provided the The Banner with a letter she said she shared with her employer in 2015 that said Tucker “made it a point in previous sessions to expose his erect genitals to me by untucking the drapes, regardless of how many times I have to redrape him and tell him he is messing up the drapes.” She also accused Tucker of running his fingers “along my inner thigh” and leaving a “large spot of ejaculation on my bottom sheet” where his genitals had been and signed the letter, which was also signed by someone she said was her supervisor.

The NFL previously said it takes “any allegation seriously” and that it was looking into the matter, though that process can take months.

The league’s personal conduct policy for players states that even if a case does not “rise to the level of criminal charges, players are held to a higher standard and could still face punishment, including suspension.” It also states that players could face punishment for “assault and/or battery, including sexual assault or other sex offenses.”

In 2022, Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson was suspended by the NFL for 11 games and fined $5 million after more than 20 women alleged that he committed sexual misconduct during massage therapy sessions. Watson denied the allegations and reached confidential settlements with most of the accusers.

That same year, Ravens coach John Harbaugh was asked about Watson’s suspension, which was initially two games and then six games before an agreement on a longer period, and praised the organization’s “zero tolerance” policy for domestic violence that was put in place after video emerged of running back Ray Rice punching his future wife in an elevator in 2014.

“We stayed away from that particular situation when we drafted players and signed free agents,” Harbaugh said then. “That’s [owner] Steve [Bisciotti’s’] decision, and I’m glad we have that policy.”

The Ravens released Rice in 2014 after the video emerged, but in 2018 kept cornerback Jimmy Smith after he was suspended for four games after the NFL found evidence of “threatening and emotionally abusive behaviors” toward a former girlfriend that also displayed “a pattern of improper conduct.”

Last year, wide receiver Zay Flowers did not face discipline from the league or the team after a police investigation into an alleged incident was suspended without any charges and team president Sashi Brown said last March there had been “no change” in the franchise’s “philosophy” and “approach” with regards to the policy.

As for Tucker, the five-time All-Pro, seven-time Pro Bowl selection and currently the most accurate kicker in NFL history (89.1%) was set to enter the second year of a four-year, $24 million contract extension that he signed in August 2022.

A Texas native and undrafted free agent out of Texas in 2012, Tucker quickly became a prominent figure on the field and off it.

He made the game-winning field goal in the team’s “Mile High Miracle” playoff victory over the Broncos in Denver as a rookie and hit a 38-yard field goal that proved to be the margin of victory over the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl 47 that season. In 2021, he set an NFL record for the longest field goal with a 66-yarder as time expired to lift the Ravens to a 19-17 victory over the Detroit Lions.

His 417 made field goals are also the most among active kickers and a franchise record, and his 1,775 points scored are also a franchise record and rank 16th all-time.

Away from the game, he was omnipresent in the Baltimore area in advertisements for Royal Farms. The New York Times Magazine and “60 Minutes” profiled his operatic skills. He has talked about his faith and used his singing to raise funds for the Baltimore-based nonprofit Catholic Charities.

But he also had his worst season in 2024, making a career-low 73.3% of his field goal attempts and missing two extra point attempts.

Still, until the allegations surfaced, Baltimore had planned for Tucker to be its kicker next season.

“I think he finished the season strong,” DeCosta said during the team’s season-ending news conference. “I think I have every expectation that Justin’s going to be a great kicker for us next year and moving forward.”

Ten Olympic medals awarded to one athlete on the same day.

“I’ll do a better job of taking care of these,” Hall Jr. quipped as he received the new set of five golds, three silvers and two bronzes earned swimming for the United States at three Summer Games from 1996 to 2004.

The originals burned four months ago at his home in the Pacific Palisades area of the city that will host the next Summer Games in 2028.

Replacing them by presenting 10 at the same time was “a unique ceremony,” said International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach.

“I don’t think that it happened ever before and I hope it will never have to happen again,” Bach told Hall Jr. “We hope also to give you a moment of relief and joy which will help you now in the further process to get over what you had to go through with this tragedy.”

Hall Jr. spoke with emotion about being supported by family, former teammates and old Olympic rivals like Australia stars Ian Thorpe and Michael Klim.

“Having friends and family I am a very lucky man,” he said. “The support that I was offered from the athletic community has buoyed me through the darkest of nights.”

He brought with him to Switzerland a deformed gold medal later recovered from the home he fled with his dog, Puddles, after grabbing his insulin medication.

“It’s got some character,” Hall Jr. said of the burned gold at the Olympic ceremony. “The value of friends outweighs the value of objects. We live in a time of capitalism, consumerism and you realize when you lose everything, how little of it you truly need.

“Character cannot be taken away, it cannot be burned and it cannot be lost.”

Thorpe was among the first people to contact Hall Jr. during the January fires.

“I don’t know how he knew,” Hall Jr. said of the surprise call from Thorpe, who was part of the Australian 4×100-meter freestyle team that took gold ahead of the U.S. at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

“That is what this (Olympic) family is about — rivals and friends. I am just so appreciative to all of them. I can’t thank the Olympic movement enough for their support through this very difficult time.”

How much longer left-hander Shota Imanaga will remain sidelined is not yet known. Imanaga went on the 15-day injured list Monday with a left hamstring strain. Right-hander Gavin Hollowell was recalled from Triple-A Iowa.

The 31-year-old was scheduled to meet with head team physician Dr. Stephen Gryzlo on Monday night to review the MRI results, at which point Imanaga and the Cubs will have a better idea of the severity of his hamstring injury.

President of baseball operations Jed Hoyer didn’t want to speculate on a potential timeline for Imanaga’s return, though he conceded that hamstring strains are usually more than a two-week injury, “but after that it’s a pretty wide disparity.” Another wrinkle to the situation: Imanaga said Sunday he has never dealt with a lower-body injury, so he won’t have a frame of reference for a return, which could make it a challenge when gauging the recovery process.

“I mean, no one’s going to be Shota, but we have to have guys step up,” Hoyer said. “Our depth is getting challenged a little bit, but I think we still have pretty good depth and options.

“The most important thing with that kind of injury is to get him back and healthy for the remainder of the season. You talk about returning to play versus returning to your previous form, and that’s the most important thing, and it may take some time to get there.”

Top pitching prospect Cade Horton, who is at Triple A, and right-hander Chris Flexen, currently in the bullpen, are both options to take over Imanaga’s rotation spot, a turn that could come as soon as Saturday against the New York Mets at Citi Field. With upcoming off days on the next two Thursdays, the Cubs have some flexibility with how they can utilize their pitching staff.

Horton, 23, has impressed through six starts with Triple-A Iowa, where he has logged 29 innings with a 1.24 ERA.

Imanaga pulled up after attempting to cover first base in the sixth inning of Sunday’s loss in Milwaukee. He came out of the game following the sequence. Imanaga also exited his April 29 start in Pittsburgh one batter into the sixth because of cramping in both legs.

It’s another blow to the Cubs’ rotation with left-hander Justin Steele already out for the season following surgery on his elbow. Right-hander Colin Rea has admirably filled in since replacing Steele in the rotation, posting a 1.86 ERA over 19 1/3 innings in four starts.

In eight starts this year, Imanaga owns a 2.82 ERA in 44 2/3 innings.

The performances from right-hander Jameson Taillon and left-hander Matthew Boyd have helped the Cubs’ rotation rank second in the National League and fifth in the majors in ERA (3.44) entering Monday, while the group’s 188 1/3 innings are 10th.

Hoyer and the Cubs didn’t need a reminder of the value of pitching depth, though the injuries to Steele and Imanaga within the first five weeks of the season certainly reinforce that importance and value of having options. Although there are regular conversations with other teams, Hoyer doesn’t expect a significant trade to materialize this early in the season.

“You just sort of expect you’re going to need all your depth, and I think that when you have moments of relative health, realizing that can be fleeting and things happen,” Hoyer said. “It’s a major-league season, it’s play every day, and we’re going to have injuries. All those guys are going to be pushed.

“You can never stop trying to push guys to optimize because you’re going to need a lot of guys to get through a major-league season.”

The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the league has not announced its plans for the weekend before the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics.

Commissioner Gary Bettman has said on multiple occasions recently that the league has been rethinking what to do about the event after the success of the 4 Nations Face-Off international tournament earlier this year. The thought was always to use New York as a jumping off point for Milan, with players leaving from there to participate in the Olympics for the first time since 2014.

“We know we’ve set the bar high, which should be a good thing, not a problem,” Bettman said last week at a meeting of Associated Press Sports Editors in New York. “We’re going to make sure we do something. … We’ll have an event at UBS before we go to the Olympics. But then we’ll do something that’s more focused on a major hockey event for the following year.”

At his news conference wrapping up the general managers’ annual spring meeting last month, Bettman said: “We’re reevaluating how we want to do things because I think we’ve raised the bar about as high as you can for an all-star game in any sport. And so we want to make sure whatever we do is up to the standards that we’ve created.”

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said Monday she wrote a letter to Bettman expressing her disappointment about the decision to hold a Winter Olympics kickoff event in place of All-Star Weekend, adding it was made without consulting with the state and requesting the league “bring a hockey event with equal or greater economic activity and cultural value to the region in 2027.”

That could quite easily be an All-Star Weekend or something of the sort at UBS Arena, since nothing else has been confirmed as of now. The 4 Nations tournament featuring teams representing the U.S., Canada, Sweden and Finland drawing sellout crowds and stellar ratings has the NHL considering different options for midseason festivities and even made the NBA contemplate doing something involving international play.

AP Assistant Sports Editor Jake Seiner in New York contributed to this report

After word of Washington getting the draft two years from now surfaced Sunday night, Trump made the formal announcement in the Oval Office flanked by Commissioner Roger Goodell, Commanders controlling owner Josh Harris and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser.

“I don’t think there’s ever been anything like that,” Trump said. “It’s going to be beautiful. It’s going to be something that nobody else will ever be able to duplicate that, I don’t suspect. It’s very exciting.”

It is the latest off-field victory for the Commanders, who a week ago reached an agreement with the D.C. government to build a new home on the old RFK Stadium site, pending council approval. Trump also endorsed that plan in his remarks, saying, “I don’t think there is a better site anywhere in the world.”

Under former owner Dan Snyder, the team previously tried multiple times to land the draft and was unsuccessful. Now, it’ll happen behind the team’s new Harris-led ownership group, which bought the Commanders from Snyder in 2023.

“What a great day for Washington,” Harris said. “I believe we’ll get over a million people, and it’s going to be an amazing day and it’ll showcase what Washington’s all about.”

Washington last hosted the draft in 1941 at the Willard Hotel.

“We believe in investing in sports because they have helped us transform neighborhoods, and the NFL bringing this event to the nation’s capital will help us fill hotel rooms, our restaurants,” Bowser said. “Americans from all 50 states will come to their nation’s capital and enjoy our beautiful city and museums.”

Green Bay, the NFL’s smallest market, hosted the most recent draft in late April outside historic Lambeau Field. The NFL announced a crowd of 600,000 fans attended over the three days.

“The draft has really become one of the great entertainment and sports events,” Goodell said, trumpeting the popularity of the draft in recent years. “It will not just be an event. It will be something that will show the world how far the nation’s capital has come and where it’s going.”

The NFL draft used to be a fixture at Radio City Music Hall in New York and has become an even bigger hit since it hit the road in 2015. Chicago hosted the draft in 2015 and ‘16. Philadelphia had it in ’17, followed by Dallas and Nashville.

Goodell announced the picks from his house in 2020 during the pandemic. It went to Cleveland in 2021 followed by Las Vegas, Kansas City and Detroit. A record crowd of 750,000 attended Detroit’s draft in 2024. Pittsburgh will host next year.

The draft in Washington in ‘27 will mark the third anniversary of the franchise-altering selection of quarterback Jayden Daniels with the second pick. The Commanders made the playoffs and reached the NFC championship game in Daniels’ rookie year and look to be a Super Bowl contender for years to come.

“I have to say that Josh had a very good draft a short while ago,” Trump said. “You have a very good quarterback — a great quarterback, I think.”

Success on the field under Harris-hired general manager Adam Peters and coach Dan Quinn has made Washington a premier market again, decades after the organization’s glory days that included three Super Bowl championships.

After the news conference last week unveiling plans to build a 65,000-seat stadium, Goodell said the turnaround from losing to winning is “immeasurable in so many ways.”

“This market is obviously critical,” Goodell said. “To be able to have a franchise here that everybody here is proud of that’s gotten back on the football field in a positive way and now to have a stadium that brings their team back into D.C., I think that’s a really big step and something that’s going to be great for the NFL, too.”

AP Pro Football Writer Rob Maaddi contributed from Tampa, Florida

Reese was excused from Monday’s practice at Sachs Recreation Center in Deerfield to attend the Met Gala in New York City, the annual fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art that serves as one of the biggest nights in high fashion.

The organization named Reese to the 2025 Gala Host Committee in February alongside a slate of Black leaders in the arts, fashion, sports, music and film industries. Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is an honorary chair of the committee, which is led by Colman Domingo, Lewis Hamilton, A$AP Rocky, Pharrell Williams and Anna Wintour.

Simone Biles and her husband — Chicago Bears safety Jonathan Owens — joined Reese on the 25-member committee, which also includes André 3000, Doechii, Spike Lee and Janelle Monáe. The committee helped craft the styling and messaging around this year’s theme: “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” which will focus on Black dandyism.

Reese has been notable for her looks off the court, as well as her rebounds on it. Her tunnel fits were quick to turn heads, including when the forward arrived to the Sky’s first preseason game Friday dressed head-to-toe in Thom Browne, one of her current favorite designers.

But fashion is more than just a hobby for Reese. After she was invited to last year’s Met Gala as a guest, this year’s inclusion on the host committee represents an evolving presence in the high fashion industry.

“A lot of people don’t understand that basketball does stop,” Reese said. “I have a life outside of basketball — and we all should. I wouldn’t be sane if I didn’t have a life outside this basketball stuff.”

This year’s theme marks the first Met Gala centered exclusively on Black design. And it will be the first time in two decades that the event will focus solely on menswear.

Black dandyism is a style with roots in the 18th century, although it became more widespread following the Civil War and was popularized during the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920s. The style is equal parts aesthetic and rebellion, a repurposing of high-luxury menswear that reflects both a reclamation of the society that Black people were excluded from and a subversion of those traditional styles.

This Met Gala is filled with pro athletes — and dressing them is a unique challenge

The foundation of this style is tailored suits layered with luxe accessories such as capes, canes, fedoras and pocket squares. But dandyism also requires a bold fusion of other styles and influences, such as elements of American streetwear and textiles from Africa and the Caribbean.

This is a departure from Reese’s typical style, which leans more toward high-feminine modern fashion. But it’s the type of challenge the young star embraces as she hopes to expand a future career in the industry.

Guests will begin arriving at the Met Gala at 5 p.m. Live broadcasts of the red carpet will be provided in a variety of locations, including a livestream on Vogue’s YouTube channel and a live broadcast on E! News.

“I’ve had a nut allergy my whole life and am usually very, very careful,” he said on the “Today” show. “I ate something that had a nut in it and had a nut allergy, causing your throat and your nose and all that stuff to kind of clog up and swell. It affects your breathing a little bit.”

Tirico said he took an epinephrine shot and was treated by EMTs at Churchill Downs. He began feeling better later Saturday night.

“I’m embarrassed about the attention,” he said.

Ahmed Fareed took over for the 58-year-old broadcaster, who was hosting Derby coverage for the ninth year.

Tirico is set to host the Preakness Stakes on NBC on May 17.