Major League Baseball is currently grappling with an unusual surge of hamate bone injuries affecting some of its most promising players. In recent days, Corbin Carroll of the Arizona Diamondbacks, Jackson Holliday of the Baltimore Orioles, and Francisco Lindor of the New York Mets have all been forced to confront hamate-related health issues that may require surgery. Carroll is scheduled for a procedure today, which will prevent him from participating in the World Baseball Classic. Holliday suffered a hamate fracture during live batting practice on February 6 and is set for surgery later this week. Meanwhile, Lindor is being evaluated for a stress reaction in the same bone, with surgery and a subsequent six-week recovery period possible.
The hamate is a small, hook-shaped bone located in the palm, and injuries to it generally require about six weeks of rehabilitation. However, this type of injury is well-known for diminishing a hitter’s power output for an extended time after recovery. Mike Elias, President of Baseball Operations for the Orioles, described the timing of these injuries as frustrating, especially since many position players are just reporting for spring training. With all three athletes’ availability uncertain for Opening Day, the issue has earned the moniker “Hamate Epidemic” and is drawing significant attention throughout MLB spring camps.
Jordan Stolz Breaks Olympic Record with Gold Medal in Speedskating
At the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina, 21-year-old American speedskater Jordan Stolz claimed his first Olympic gold medal by winning the men’s 1,000-meter event. His time of 1:06.28 set a new Olympic record. Stolz finished roughly half a second ahead of Dutch competitor Jenning de Boo, with China’s Ning Zhongyan taking bronze. NBC Olympics noted that Stolz’s winning margin was the largest in this event since 1984.
Stolz’s victory ended a medal drought for the United States in the 1,000 meters that has lasted since Shani Davis’s gold in 2010. Entering the Games as the world-record holder at this distance, Stolz is also scheduled to compete in the 500 meters, 1,500 meters, and the mass start events.
American Women Dominate in Olympic Freestyle Ski Moguls
In a notable achievement on the freestyle skiing circuit, Elizabeth Lemley and Jaelin Kauf secured gold and silver respectively in the women’s moguls event, marking the first time American women have swept the top two positions in an Olympic freestyle skiing competition. Lemley, 20 years old, topped the podium with a score exceeding 82 points after a series of aggressive and clean runs, with Kauf closely following to claim the silver medal.
At the midpoint of the Games, the United States held four gold medals among a total of 11, while Norway led the gold medal count with seven and had 13 total medals.
Ryan Cochran-Siegle Earns Super-G Silver on Meaningful Anniversary
Ryan Cochran-Siegle secured a silver medal in men’s super-G alpine skiing at Bormio’s Stelvio course, finishing just 0.13 seconds behind Swiss skier Franjo von Allmen. The 33-year-old American’s podium finish coincided with a significant personal milestone: it was exactly 54 years after his mother, Barbara Cochran, won slalom gold at the 1972 Sapporo Olympics. Cochran-Siegle, who had battled illness earlier in the week, demonstrated resilience to secure his medal for the United States.
Julia Simon Wins Biathlon Gold Amid Legal Controversy
French biathlete Julia Simon captured gold in the women’s 15-kilometer individual race, her second gold medal of these Olympics. Simon’s victory comes in the wake of a legal case in which a French court found her guilty of theft and credit card fraud involving unauthorized transactions with a teammate’s and a staff member’s cards. The charges related to purchases exceeding €2,000 (approximately $2,300) and resulted in Simon receiving a three-month suspended prison sentence along with financial penalties. Despite this, French sports authorities permitted her to compete after a disciplinary review.
Seattle Seahawks Parade Celebrates Super Bowl LX Championship
The Seattle Seahawks are holding a victory parade downtown following their 29–13 win over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX. The parade route covers Fourth Avenue and celebrates the franchise’s second Lombardi Trophy. Head coach Mike Macdonald’s defensive unit contributed to the win with six sacks and multiple turnovers against rookie quarterback Drake Maye. Running back Kenneth Walker III led the offense by rushing for over 130 yards, anchoring Seattle’s performance throughout the game.
Upcoming Sports Highlights to Watch
Day six of the Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina features a busy medal schedule, headlined by American snowboarder Chloe Kim’s attempt to become a three-time Olympic champion in the women’s snowboard halfpipe final. This event, among others such as women’s super-G, women’s 10-kilometer cross-country, men’s moguls, luge team relay, snowboard cross, halfpipe, and short-track speed skating finals, promises an exciting day of competition.
The U.S. men’s hockey team, led by Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin, plays its first preliminary-round Olympic game against Latvia on Thursday at 3:10 p.m. Eastern. Larkin described the team as so tight knit and special and said he has
thought about the Olympics every day
since a narrow loss to Canada in last year’s Four Nations tournament.
In English football, league-leading Arsenal heads to Brentford for a crucial Premier League match at 3 p.m. Eastern (8 p.m. local). Brentford arrives with momentum following recent victories over Aston Villa and Newcastle, while Arsenal faces several injuries among key first-team players.
The NBA’s schedule thins significantly as All-Star Weekend approaches, with just three games slated for Thursday: Milwaukee Bucks at Oklahoma City Thunder, Portland Trail Blazers at Utah Jazz, and Dallas Mavericks at Los Angeles Lakers. The Bucks-Thunder and Mavericks-Lakers games, broadcast nationwide on Prime Video, serve as a final opportunity for contenders to showcase their talents before the All-Star festivities.
Also, the 2026 Premier League Darts competition moves to Antwerp’s AFAS Dome for its second night, featuring players like Luke Littler, Michael van Gerwen, and Luke Humphries vying for points and a £10,000 prize. Matches begin at 7 p.m. local time and follow a mini-tournament format including best-of-11 legs contests.
