


Mo’ne Davis is not done playing baseball.
The former Little League phenom who at 13 became the first girl to pitch a victory — and a shutout — in the Little League World Series, will be one of more than 600 players to try out for the Women’s Professional Baseball League set to launch next year, the league said.
Davis will join other women’s baseball stars like Kelsie Whitmore, the first woman to sign a professional contract with an MLB-partnered league, at the tryouts, which will be held in Washington, D.C., from Aug. 22-25.
Davis will try out as a pitcher, as well as at second base, shortstop and center field, per the league.
The WPBL is aiming to launch in the summer of 2026 with six teams and would be the first U.S. pro league for women since the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League — depicted in the classic film “A League of Their Own” — dissolved in 1954.
WNBA
No Clark, but All-Stars ready for game >> Caitlin Clark is out but most of the WNBA’s best are in for the league’s All-Star Game.
The Indiana Fever’s injured superstar won’t be able to play Saturday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse when the team she drafted, Team Clark, faces Team Collier, picked by opposing captain Napheesa Collier.
The events started Friday night with the 3-point contest, headlined by event record-holder Sabrina Ionescu, and the skills challenge. Clark had also been scheduled to compete in the 3-point contest.
MLB
Guardians pitcher Ortiz’s leave extended >> Guardians pitcher Luis Ortiz will remain on non-disciplinary leave through Aug. 31 while he is the subject of a Major League Baseball gambling investigation.
Ortiz’s paid leave began on July 3 and was supposed to end on Friday before MLB and the MLB Players Association agreed to extend it.
The team can continue to have contact with Ortiz, but he can’t enter any of the Guardians’ facilities.
The Guardians said in a statement they have been informed of the extension and will continue to fully cooperate with the investigation.
NFL
Raiders place DT Wilkins on PUP list >> The Las Vegas Raiders placed defensive tackle Christian Wilkins, who experienced a significant setback earlier this year in his recovery from a broken foot, on the physically unable to perform list.
That means Wilkins will miss at least the beginning of training camp, which opens Wednesday. Because he was placed on the PUP list before practices began, the Raiders can activate Wilkins at any time during camp once medically cleared.
Wilkins suffered the season-ending injury in Week 5 last season. He then experienced some sort of setback in his recovery, which caused him to miss all of organized team activities and minicamp.
Howell steps down as NFLPA head >> Lloyd Howell has resigned as executive director of the NFL Players Association, citing distractions his leadership has caused in recent weeks.
Howell has come under scrutiny since ESPN reported he has maintained a part-time consulting job with the Carlyle Group, a private equity firm that holds league approval to seek minority ownership in NFL franchises.
That followed the revelation that the NFLPA and the league had a confidentiality agreement to keep quiet an arbitrator’s ruling about possible collusion by owners over quarterback salaries.
The latest issue was an ESPN report Thursday that revealed two player representatives who voted for Howell were not aware that he was sued in 2011 for sexual discrimination and retaliation while he was a senior executive at Booz Allen.
Cycling
Pogacar crushes rivals in brutal uphill time trial >> Tadej Pogacar delivered another crushing defeat to his Tour de France rivals by dominating an uphill time trial and reinforcing his grip on the yellow jersey.
The brutal effort in the Pyrenees mountains was all about strength and stamina. It was just a painful experience offering no respite after already 12 grueling stages of racing. Riders first covered 2.9 kilometers (1.8 miles) to reach the bottom of the climb to Peyragudes, a daunting 8-kilometer (5-mile) ramp with a steep gradient.
On that brutal terrain, Pogacar reigned supreme and killed any suspense. He increased his lead in the general classification to more than four minutes.