Here’s what’s trending in sports this morning:
- The 49ers are getting set to take on an NFC West rival in primetime. San Francisco will visit the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday Night Football in Inglewood. Quarterback Brock Purdy, defensive end Robert Beal, and wide receivers Jauan Jennings, Ricky Pearsall and Jordan Watkins did not participate in yesterday’s walkthrough practice. Five other players were limited during the session. Purdy said that he is hopeful he will be able to suit up tomorrow as he continues to deal with a toe injury. The Niners are atop the NFC West at 3-and-1.
- The Raiders will be without their blindside blocker for the foreseeable future. NFL Network reports that Las Vegas left tackle Kolton Miller suffered a high ankle sprain and a hairline fracture in the team’s loss to the Chicago Bears in Week Four. The Raiders placed Miller on injured reserve Tuesday, which will sideline him for at least the next four games. The 30-year-old was injured in the fourth quarter when Chicago defensive end Tanoh Kpassagnon dove into him while attempting to make a tackle. The team’s longest-tenured player signed a three-year, 66-million-dollar contract extension at the start of training camp.
- The Athletics are signing their front office leader to a new contract. A’s general manager David Forst received a new deal for next season as the franchise continues to steer itself towards a planned relocation to Las Vegas in 2028. The 49-year-old has been in his current role since 2015 and with the organization since 2000. The A’s finished fourth in the AL West at 76-and-86 in their first season playing in West Sacramento.
- The first day of the MLB postseason is in the books. Tarik Skubal tied Detroit’s playoff record with 14 strikeouts while leading the Tigers to a 2-1 road win over the Cleveland Guardians in Game One of their AL Wild Card Series. Elsewhere in the AL, Boston starter Garrett Crochet retired 17 straight batters as the Red Sox downed the New York Yankees 3-1 in the Bronx. In National League action, the Cubs scored three unanswered runs to beat the San Diego Padres in Chicago. The day was capped off with the Dodgers belting five home runs en route to a 10-5 takedown of the Cincinnati Reds in Los Angeles. The action continues Wednesday with four Game Two matchups.
- The Sharks are continuing their preseason schedule. San Jose will host the Anaheim Ducks tonight at the SAP Center. The Sharks come off a 3-2 road loss to the Ducks on Monday. They are 1-2-and-0 in exhibition play.
- The WNBA Finals are set. The Las Vegas Aces beat the Indiana Fever 107-98 in overtime to advance to their third WNBA Finals in the past four years. A’ja Wilson led the way for the Aces with 35 points, while Jackie Young contributed 32 points, becoming the first duo to score 30-plus points each in a WNBA playoff game. Las Vegas will take on the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA Finals, which will begin Friday in Sin City. The Aces went 3-and-1 against Phoenix during the regular season.
