FLORIDA --Detroit Tigers starter Casey Mize appeared in a major league game on Tuesday for the first time in 22 months following his recovery from Tommy John and back surgeries. Mize, who was the first pick of the 2018 MLB Draft, threw 1 2/3 innings, giving up two runs on one hit and two walks. He had one strikeout. Mize threw 35 pitches on the day, 17 of them for strikes. His fastball averaged 95.8 mph and hit a high of 97.3 mph, the Detroit Free Press reported. The 26-year-old Mize hadn't pitched in an MLB game since April 14, 2022, and he said earlier this week at Tigers camp in Lakeland, Fla., that he had put rehab in the past. "Now I can focus on the stuff that's fun to me, designing pitches and executing at a high level, which I love to do," Mize said. "It's good to be back in that mindset." Mize appreciates his career in a new way now. "I definitely went through a really challenging time, so it just means a lot to me to be able to be back and compete," he said. "I don't want to be the player that's viewed as always hurt. I don't think that's really the case. It's just obviously I missed a lot of time, but I had a very major, very common surgery. If you look around the room at the scars, there's a few. And I was able to lean on them for those experiences, too. ... I'm not sure what this year's going to bring me, but I've been able to see a lot of guys go through it. Just to be healthy again, it feels really good." Mize has a 7-13 career record with a 4.29 ERA in 39 games (all starts). He has struck out 148 batters and walked 56 in 188 2/3 innings.
LONDON-- A hat-trick from Jarrod Bowen helped West Ham United to snap a six-match winless run in the Premier League as they secured their first victory of 2024 with a thrilling 4-2 home win over Brentford on Monday.
BAHRAIN- Triple Formula One world champion Max Verstappen set an ominous pace as Red Bull, dominant last year, picked up where they left off on the first day of pre-season testing in Bahrain on Wednesday.
PHILADELPHIA --Giannis Antetokounmpo had 30 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists to lift the Milwaukee Bucks past the host Philadelphia 76ers 119-98 on Sunday.
EINDHOVEN, Netherlands-- Donyell Malen scored a superb goal against his former side but a second-half penalty from Luuk de Jong earned a 1-1 draw for PSV Eindhoven in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie against Borussia Dortmund at the Philips Stadion on Tuesday. Dutch international Malen rifled in a thunderous shot from a tight angle after 24 minutes but the home side created the better chances and finally took one when De Jong scored from a spot-kick, awarded for a foul by Dortmund defender Mats Hummels. That goal stretches PSV's unbeaten home run to 31 games in all competitions and leaves the tie evenly poised with the return leg in Dortmund to come on March 13. "We should have brought much more calmness to the game. Hummels told Amazon Prime. "We let the heated atmosphere get to us too much. I saw a very beatable Eindhoven today. "We were not good enough with the ball. In our home game, we simply need to play better with the ball. Then, I am very confident we will progress." The match was PSV's first Champions League knockout tie in eight seasons as they bid to reach the quarter-finals for the first time since the 2006-07 campaign. Malik Tillman had an excellent chance for the opener when he was teed up on the edge of the box and, as the Dortmund defence parted in front of him, dragged his shot wide. Dortmund took the lead with a wonderful strike from Malen, who had four successful years at PSV before moving to the Bundesliga in 2021. Malen appeared to be crowded out by two home defenders but managed to get a powerful shot away from 14 yards which took a slight deflection and beat keeper Walter Benitez as it went in off the crossbar. PSV were awarded a penalty by referee Srdjan Jovanovic early in the second half when Hummels lunged in on Tillman. The defender got a healthy touch to the ball before making contact with the German-born United States international, but the VAR confirmed the on-field decision, much to the visitors’ dismay. De Jong easily finished from 12 yards to create a small bit of club history as in doing so he overtook Ruud van Nistelrooy as PSV’s leading scorer in the Champions League with nine goals.
