It's a move Mitch McGary was all but forced to make after the NCAA banned him one year for a positive marijuana test. But with a field overloaded with underclassmen, McGary might well have remained at Michigan had he not been so severely punished. While we wait for final few entrants, let's take a glance at McGary's draft situation. A 6-10 forward, he had been projected as a first-round pick in the weeks ahead of Saturday's deadline....

Luis Enrique and Co. took a big step towards another final after edging hosts Atletico 2-1 in the opening leg of the semi-final on Wednesday. Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez struck in the first half to put Barca in control, before Antoine Griezmann pulled a goal back just shy of the hour-mark in Madrid. Suarez: Nothing is decided yet While happy with the away victory, Luis Enrique was hoping for a third goal to put the tie firmly out of sight....

He's a good fit to help any defense, regardless of their front seven alignment. Interested teams to watch in the first round include Dallas, Arizona, Philadelphia, Cincinnati and New England. Sporting News caught up with Ealy early on draft week to talk about what he does best on the field, who inspires him off the field and what it meant to have Michael Sam as a Mizzou teammate: SN: What have your emotions been like leading up to the draft and what do you expect them to be like on Thursday night?...

MORE: Nats follow Dusty’s lead | Who will manage Braves next? Just hours after Tigers manager Brad Ausmus lost his mind on the field Monday night arguing balls and strikes, the hat and hoodie he abandoned hit the auction block. As of Thursday morning the highest bid topped $1,500 for the cap and hoodie that retail on the Tigers’ website for $34.99 and $89.99, respectively. According to the auction site, “Ausmus donated the items directly to the Detroit Tigers Foundation with the goal of raising money for youth baseball in Detroit....

MORE: MLB live odds page Kershaw (11-1, 1.57 ERA) is a -270 favorite tonight against 6-3 right-hander Chad Kuhl, who is making his MLB debut. If thinking the Pirates — mired in a 2-13 slump when L.A. arrived Friday — can win, the sports books will pay +240, which is almost the price for a standard two-team parlay. The total on the game is set at 6.5 (OV -120), and it’s only that high because of Kershaw being matched against a first-time starter....

What channel is the MLB Draft on? TV an ONLINE COVERAGE: MLB will hold Day 1 of the draft at MLB Network’s Studio 42 in Secaucus, N.J. The draft will begin live on MLB Network and MLB.com at 7 p.m. ET. MLB Network will cover the first 77 picks of the draft. MLB DRAFT 2016: Mock draft | Top 10 prospects | Every team’s biggest draft regret Before the start of the draft, MLB Network will air a preview show, also simulcast on MLB....

Now with the guilty bullpen arms of Santiago Casilla and Sergio Romo out the door in the Bay Area, the Giants have signed All-Star closer Mark Melancon to a four-year, $62 million deal to help fix their bullpen woes, according to multiple reports. MORE: Ranking, tracking every MLB free agent on the market As the relatively cheaper alternative to Kenley Jansen and Aroldis Chapman among the “Big Three” closers available this winter, Melancon was sought by the Giants, Nationals and Marlins....

Both teams want managers in place before Nov. 11's start of general managers meetings in Orlando, Fla. MORE: Marlins won’t trade Giancarlo Stanton | Ausmus to Tigers | Williams to Nationals Wrigleyville awaits the replacement for Dale Sveum, and Cubs boss Theo Epstein has interviewed a number of candidates. Still on his card is a talk with Boston Red Sox bench coach Torey Lovullo. Five men have interviewed. They are former Mariners manager Eric Wedge, plus Manny Acta, Dave Martinez, A....

And there are a couple of milestones on the line, too. Let’s take a look at three of them — two good, one not so positive. MORE: MLB magic numbers, playoff picture on Sept. 16 Ronald Acuña: 40-40 The milestone: 40 homers, 40 stolen bases in a season What he needs: 1 homer, 4 stolen bases Thoughts: Acuña is 21 years old. Twenty-one! His power/speed combo season — 39 homers and 36 stolen bases so far — would be pretty amazing for any player at any age, but to make a legit run at a 40-40 season at 21 years old (he doesn’t turn 22 until December) is unprecedented....

Newly acquired starter Scott Kazmir delivered seven scoreless innings in his debut for the Astros, allowing just three hits and a walk while striking out three. Coming over to Houston from Oakland in a trade for two minor leaguers, Kazmir helped the Astros (55-43) secure a 4-0 win over the Royals (57-38) in what could be a preview of the ALCS. A three-time All-Star, Kazmir now owns a remarkable 0....

Current MLB lines: Wednesday’s card Tonight’s matchup features starters Andrew Cashner and Brandon McCarthy. The Dodgers open as -138 favorites and the total set at 7 UNDER -115. Despite a series that routinely has seen games stay UNDER the total, the first two to start 2015 have both gone OVER despite outstanding starting pitching. In each team’s case, it was the bullpen that failed them in their losses. In each of the wins, new acquisitions made big splashes....

MLB odds: Current baseball betting lines Maybe those comments were the spark the Red Sox needed, as they’ve won eight of their last 10 games and are on a season-high four-game winning streak to pull within 5.5 games of the first-place Yankees. The two rivals hook up tonight for the first of a three-game set at Fenway Park. Yankees manager Joe Girardi knew Boston wasn’t going to stay down too long....

Thanks to ace Clayton Kershaw’s gem and Kenley Jansen’s six-out save, the Dodgers held the Cubs to two hits and enjoyed their 16th shutout this year. It was just the fourth time this year the Cubs were held to two or fewer hits in a game. Here are three takeaways from Los Angeles’ win: Kershaw finally got his October narrative under control. Did Kershaw’s two-out save in Game 5 of the NLDS finally jumpstart his postseason prowess?...

And like everything else in this bizarre calendar year, the MLB playoffs will be different in 2020. How much different? Let’s put it this way: The first year Babe Ruth’s Yankees won the World Series (1923), there were only 16 MLB teams, total. In 2020, 16 MLB teams will make the postseason. So, yeah. It’s a big damn party and pretty much everyone’s on the guest list. So it’ll be different, but it promises to be as exciting as ever....

Every Thursday Sporting News Fantasy will provide a snapshot of the upcoming week’s major league baseball schedule. Weekly leaguers should note how many games each team plays, as well as which players will gain/lose at-bats because of interleague play. Daily leaguers should note first-pitch times and Monday/Thursday off-days. RELATED: Top pickups | 2-Start SPs SCHEDULE INFO FOR 5/4-5/10 Teams with five games: Mets Teams with seven games (16): A’s, Angels, Astros, Braves, Brewers, Cardinals, Cubs, D-backs, Dodgers, Giants, Marlins, Padres, Rangers, Rays, Twins, Yankees...

In the desert, the teams are grouped together near Phoenix. In Florida, they’re on both sides of the state, from Port St. Lucie to West Palm Beach on the east side and from Tampa to Fort Myers on the Gulf side, with a couple teams up near Orlando (the Tigers and Braves). MORE: The top-rated players by position in ‘MLB The Show 17’ So the logistics of seeing all the Florida teams might be complicated, but it’s possible....

So, what if the Red Sox do trade closer Koji Uehara? And what if the Padres deal Huston Street? Here’s a look at the relievers who could emerge as closers if a deal goes down: Boston Red Sox: If Uehara is traded, Junichi Tazawa would likely step into the ninth inning for Boston. The 28-year-old had been dominant in June but has had a couple of vulnerable outings this month....

REPORTED BY: Jon Morosi and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports MORE: Best landing spots for Papelbon | Upton here, or Upton here? | Where Cueto may go THE DETAILS: Morosi reports sources have told the two FOX Sports reporters that the Nationals have talked with the Phillies about acquiring the ace closer. Rosenthal says the Nationals don’t want to pick up a huge contract midseason, but the Phils have reportedly said they’re willing to pay most of Papelbon’s remaining 2015 salary....