(File Photo: Source for Photo: Pittsburgh Penguins’ Evgeni Malkin (71) is defended by Philadelphia Flyers’ Travis Sanheim (6) during the third period of Game 5 in the first round of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series in Pittsburgh, Monday, April 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Evgeni Malkin is going to get a chance to finish what he started in Pittsburgh.

The Penguins re-signed the franchise icon to a one-year deal worth $5.5 million on Tuesday, answering perhaps the club’s biggest offseason question before the offseason truly starts.

Malkin, who turns 40 in August, was set to become a free agent on July 1. The Russian had maintained for the past year-plus that he wanted to stay in Pittsburgh rather than hit the open market for the first time in his career. General manager Kyle Dubas spent months declining to offer any specifics on the prospect of keeping Malkin around.

“It’s not easy for Kyle, maybe he wants new blood here,” Malkin said shortly after the Penguins’ bounce-back season ended with a Game 6 loss to rival Philadelphia in the opening round of the playoffs. “I understand business. I understand he wants maybe new team, see new faces here.”

Dubas didn’t tip his hand until recently, saying on May 12 that the Penguins would “love” to have Malkin back for a 21st and perhaps final season of a career that will almost certainly end with him entering the Hall of Fame.

While he missed 20 games because of an injury and another five to a late-season suspension for an illegal hit, Malkin finished with 19 goals and 42 assists in 56 games to help Pittsburgh return to the playoffs after a three-year absence.

And while Dubas has given the roster a significant overhaul and a needed influx of young talent since taking over in the summer of 2023, that talent is not ready to supplant Malkin on Pittsburgh’s second line.

“I don’t think he’s blocking anybody,” Dubas said earlier this month.

The signing means Malkin, and longtime running mates Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang are all under contract for next season. The trio has played 20 seasons together, the longest run by any three teammates in major North American professional sports history.

Malkin, the second overall pick in the 2004 draft, a three-time Stanley Cup champion and the 2012 Hart Trophy winner as the NHL’s Most Valuable Player, acknowledged he was open to playing elsewhere next season.

It never came to that.

While Malkin will take a bit of a pay cut from the $6.1 million he made on the deal that expires on June 30, when healthy and engaged, he remains a dangerous offensive player. His strong start last fall helped fuel Pittsburgh’s return to contention under first-year head coach Dan Muse, and his 1.09 points per game tied Crosby for tops on the team.

Malkin’s 1,407 career points are second all time among Russian-born players, trailing only NHL all-time leading goal scorer Alex Ovechkin. While Ovechkin’s future remains up in the air, Malkin’s now is not.

(Credit for Photo: Photo Courtesy of Getty Images: Caption for Photo: Jared Jones is nearing his return to the Pirates’ roster after he underwent elbow surgery last year.)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) The Pittsburgh Pirates are still awaiting the return of starting pitcher Jared Jones from the injured list. 

Jones is currently on the 60-day injured list, but is eligible to be activated at any time. His return would require the Pirates to make corresponding roster moves, including optioning a player to the minors to make space on the 26-man roster and clearing space on the 40-man roster. 

Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said on The Pirates Insider Show on 93.7 The Fan that Jones is scheduled to throw a bullpen session today and that the team will evaluate his status afterward. 

If Jones is activated, manager Don Kelly would need to decide how he fits into the team’s five-man rotation, which currently includes 2025 NL Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes, Mitch Keller, Carmen Mlodzinski, Braxton Ashcraft and Bubba Chandler. 

Jones most recently made his fifth rehab start — and second with Triple-A Indianapolis — throwing 4 1/3 innings Saturday against Toledo. He allowed three earned runs on two hits, including a solo home run, while walking three and striking out six over 76 pitches. 

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Pittsburgh Pirates’ Spencer Horwitz scores a run on a RBI-double by Pittsburgh Pirates’ Brandon Lowe during the third inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Monday, May 25, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/David Dermer)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Henry Davis hit a go-ahead solo home run in the seventh inning, and the Pittsburgh Pirates sent the Chicago Cubs to their ninth straight loss with a 2-1 victory on Monday.

Davis turned on a 91 mph cutter from Cubs reliever Trent Thornton (2-1) and sent it well over the right-field fence for his fourth home run of the season.

Pittsburgh’s bullpen made it stand up. Wilber Dotel (1-0) tossed three scoreless innings in relief to pick up the victory. Gregory Soto worked a perfect ninth for his sixth save as the Pirates beat the Cubs for the third time in four tries so far this season.

Brandon Lowe had two hits for Pittsburgh, including an RBI double. Spencer Horwitz also had a pair of hits and a handful of excellent plays at first base, all of them against Cubs star Pete Crow-Armstrong. Horwitz was perfectly positioned to snatch a couple of line drives and then made a brilliant diving grab on a sharp grounder before tossing to Dotel covering first to rob Crow-Armstrong of a hit.

Michael Busch hit his sixth homer of the season for Chicago, but it wasn’t enough to halt a funk that is nearing three weeks. Chicago’s nine-game skid is the franchise’s longest since a 10-game slide in 2022. The Cubs have dropped 13 of 15 overall to fall into the middle of the pack in the hyper-competitive NL Central, where all five teams started Memorial Day above .500.

Cubs starter Ben Brown allowed one run and four hits over six innings with two walks and seven strikeouts, whittling his ERA to 2.01.

Pirates starter Carmen Mlodzinski — fighting hard to stay in the rotation as Jared Jones nears his return from elbow surgery — allowed one run over five innings with three walks and three strikeouts.

Up next

The series continues on Tuesday. Braxton Ashcraft (3-2, 2.89 ERA) starts for the Pirates.

(File Photo: Source for Photo: FILE – Kyle Busch is introduced during the NASCAR All-Star auto race at Dover Motor Speedway, Sunday, May 17, 2026, in Dover, Del. (AP Photo/Derik Hamilton, File, File)

CONCORD, N.C. (AP) — Kyle Busch died after severe pneumonia progressed into sepsis, resulting in rapid and overwhelming complications, according to a statement released by his family.

Dakota Hunter, vice president of Kyle Busch Companies, said in a news release the family received the medical evaluation on Saturday.

Busch, a two-time NASCAR champion, died at 41 on Thursday, a day after passing out in a Chevrolet simulator.

Sepsis is considered a life-threatening medical emergency that occurs when the body has an extreme, overactive response to an infection, causing the immune system to damage its own tissues and organs, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Typically the immune system releases chemicals to fight off pathogens like bacteria, viruses or fungi, but with sepsis the response goes into overdrive. The results can cause widespread inflammation, form microscopic blood clots and make blood vessels leak.

Busch was thought to have had a sinus cold while racing at Watkins Glen on May 10 and radioed in to his team saying that he needed a “shot” from a doctor after the race. However, he bounced back to win the Trucks Series race at Dover last weekend, and then he finished 17th in the All-Star race on Sunday.

Busch, who was preparing to race Sunday at the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, was testing in the Chevrolet racing simulator in Concord on Wednesday when he became unresponsive and was transported to a hospital in Charlotte, several people familiar with the situation told The Associated Press.

During the emergency call placed late that afternoon, an unidentified caller calmly told the dispatch: “I’ve got an individual that’s (got) shortness of breath, very hot, thinks he’s going to pass out, and is producing a little bit of blood, coughing up some blood.”

The caller said Busch was lying on the bathroom floor inside the complex and told dispatch “he is awake,” according to audio provided by the Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office. The man then gave directions on where emergency responders should go and asked that they turn off any sirens upon arrival.

NASCAR driver Brad Keselowski said he knew Busch wasn’t feeling well recently.

“Yes, but I won’t go into any specifics,” Keselowski said. “But then when he ran the Trucks race last week, those (thoughts) were honestly kind of erased in my mind.”

Keselowski said running multiple races on the same weekend can be difficult on a driver’s health — but most don’t want to miss a race for fear of being replaced.

“There’s no shortage of drivers that would love to take my seat or anybody else’s seat if we weren’t feeling well, and I think every driver feels that pressure,” Keselowski said. “All athletes do. It’s not unique to NASCAR in that sense. We’re all thinking to ourselves, ‘I don’t wanna be replaced.’ … So you try to power through it the best you can.”

Keselowski said Busch’s unexpected death has forced him to pay attention to his own health moving forward.

Chase Briscoe said Busch’s health issues served as a “wake-up call” for him and other drivers, who often put aside dealing with potential issues because they are so busy traveling around the country and competing on a weekly basis.

He said if something feels off, “you need to get checked out.”

Busch’s Richard Childress Racing teammate Austin Dillon was not made available for comment.

Austin Hill will replace Busch on Sunday and drive the No. 33 car. RCR is temporarily retiring Busch’s No. 8 until his 11-year-old son Brexton is old enough to race.

All 39 cars in the field for Sunday’s race will include a small black No. 8 decal to honor Busch.

Busch won 234 races across NASCAR’s top three series over his two-decade career, more than any driver in history.

Drivers spoke at length on Saturday about his accomplishments, praising his toughness, competitive spirit and penchant for speaking his mind — all of which led to him earning a reputation as NASCAR’s villain.

“He was a polarizing figure that no matter if you like him or disliked him as a racer, he was always talked about,” Ryan Blaney said. “Just this guy that was always there and won too much, which is why people didn’t like him. And he always spoke his mind. I think people came to respect that about him, that he was true to who he was and that never changed.”

Blaney added that Busch’s personality outside of the car and his competitiveness behind the wheel made him “a larger-than-life person in racing.”

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Esmerlyn Valdez (55) can’t make the catch on Toronto Blue Jays Kazuma Okamoto double during the second inning of a baseball game in Toronto on Sunday, May 24, 2026. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

TORONTO (AP) — Esmerlyn Valdez homered for his first career hit, Spencer Horwitz and Oneil Cruz also connected and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Toronto Blue Jays 4-1 on Sunday to avoid a three-game sweep.

Valdez was promoted from Triple-A Indianapolis on Friday and had gone 0 for 7 before hitting a two-run homer off Chase Lee in the sixth inning.

Pirates reliever Dennis Santana brokered a trade with a young fan for the ball, handing over a bat signed by Valdez and a Pirates cap in exchange for Valdez’s keepsake.

Blue Jays starter Dylan Cease exited after 4 2/3 innings because of a sore left hamstring.

Cease (3-3) allowed two runs and four hits before departing. He walked one and struck out eight.

Toronto slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. left in the bottom of the fifth after being hit on the inside of his right elbow by a pitch from Pirates right-hander Mitch Keller. Lenyn Sosa came in to run for Guerrero and took over at first base.

The Blue Jays said an X-ray of Guerrero’s elbow did not reveal a fracture.

Keller (5-2) allowed one run and four hits in six innings. He walked three and struck out five.

Gregory Soto finished in the ninth for his fifth save in seven chances, striking out Daulton Varsho for the final out and stranding two runners.

Horwitz homered on Cease’s first pitch of the game, his fifth of the season. Cruz hit a leadoff blast in the second, his 11th of the year.

Infielder Ernie Clement drove in Toronto’s only run with an RBI single in the fourth.

Up next

Pirates: RHP Carmen Mlodzinski (4-3, 3.96 ERA) is scheduled to start against the Cubs on Monday. Chicago had not announced a starter.

Blue Jays: RHP Trey Yesavage (2-1, 1.07 ERA) is scheduled to start Monday against Miami RHP Janson Junk (2-5, 5.07).

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Toronto Blue Jays’ George Springer (4) runs the bases after hitting a solo home run against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning of a baseball game in Toronto, Saturday, May 23, 2026. (Jon Blacker/The Canadian Press via AP)

TORONTO (AP) — George Springer hit his 65th leadoff home run and the Toronto Blue Jays sent Paul Skenes to losses in consecutive starts for the first time this season, beating the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-2 Saturday for their fourth straight win and seventh in 10 games.

Skenes (6-4), the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner, allowed four runs and a career-high nine hits and one walk in five-plus innings with two strikeouts, just his second time with fewer than five this season. His ERA rose to 3.00.

Skenes left after giving up four straight hits in the sixth. In his previous outing, against Philadelphia on May 17, Skenes tied his big league high by giving up five runs .

Tyler Heineman also homered for the defending AL champions, his first since last July 19.

Patrick Corbin (2-1) allowed one run and five hits in six innings with a season-high seven strikeouts. Jeff Hoffman struck out the side in the ninth for his fifth save in eight chances.

Pirates pitching coach Bill Murphy and manager Don Kelly were ejected in separate incidents in the sixth. Murphy was tossed after plate umpire Alan Porter initially missed a challenge request from catcher Henry Davis, while Kelly was tossed for arguing a checked swing call.

Springer homered on Skenes’ third pitch of the game, snapping the right-hander’s 15-inning road scoreless streak. Springer has five homers this season and is second in leadoff homers by 81 by Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson.

Marcell Ozuna’s two-out RBI double tied the score in the sixth, and the Blue Jays took a 4-1 lead in the bottom half on Jesús Sánchez’s run-scoring double, Ernie Clement’s RBI single and a run-scoring, double-play grounder by Andrés Giménez.

Up next

Blue Jays RHP Dylan Cease (3-2, 2.98 ERA) is scheduled to face Pirates RHP Mitch Keller (4-2, 3.86) in Sunday’s series finale.

(File Photo: Source for Photo: FILE – Pittsburgh Pirates’ Esmerlyn Valdez plays during a spring training baseball game, Feb. 22, 2026, in Clearwater, Fla. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File)

TORONTO (AP) — The Pittsburgh Pirates recalled prospect Esmerlyn Valdez from Triple-A Indianapolis after a recent hot streak and had him in the lineup in right field Friday night for their game at Toronto.

Valdez was 0 for 3 with a groundout, two strikeouts and a walk in his major league debut, a 6-2 Pirates loss.

Valdez, 22, hit five home runs in the last five Triple-A games and was batting .355 with seven extra-base hits, 10 RBIs, a .903 slugging percentage and 1.315 OPS in his last eight.

Valdez hit .253 with 10 homers, 10 doubles and 29 RBIs in 46 games with Indianapolis this season. He also has 33 walks.

The right-handed hitter is the organization’s No. 9 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline. He led Pittsburgh’s minor league system with 26 home runs last season and represented the club at the All-Star Futures Game.

Valdez was signed by Pittsburgh as a nondrafted free agent on Jan. 15, 2021.

Pittsburgh optioned outfielder Billy Cook to Indianapolis following Thursday’s game at St. Louis.

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Kevin Gausman (34) works against the Pittsburgh Pirates during first inning of a baseball game in Toronto, Friday, May 22, 2026. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP)

TORONTO (AP) — Kevin Gausman pitched into the seventh inning, Yohendrick Pinango and George Springer had two-run doubles and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-2 on Friday night for their third straight victory.

After Springer scored Toronto’s first run in the third inning, Pinango drove in Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Daulton Varsho in the inning.

Gausman (4-3) settled in after giving up a run in the first inning. The right-hander allowed six hits, one walk and had eight strikeouts.

Pittsburgh starter Bubba Chandler (1-6) allowed three runs — only one earned — in five innings. The Pirates have lost five of seven to fall to 26-25.

Gausman was pulled with two outs in the seventh inning with two runners in scoring position. Reliever Mason Fluharty then needed one pitch to get Oneil Cruz to fly out.

Pittsburgh had two more runners in the eighth before Toronto manager John Schneider called on closer Louis Varland for a rare six-out save. The Pirates scored on a fielder’s choice, but left the potential tying run at third base when Jhostynxon Garcia grounded out. Varland has seven saves.

Toronto scored three times in the eighth. Jesus Sanchez had an RBI double, and Springer drove in two runs with a ground-rule double.

Toronto improved to 24-27.

Up next

RHP Paul Skenes (6-3, 2.63 ERA) was set to start for the Pirates on Saturday against LHP Patrick Corbin (1-1, 4.23).

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt celebrates in the end zone after recovering a fumble by Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson and returning it for a touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game Monday, Sept. 18, 2023, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) The Pittsburgh Steelers released their 2026 training camp schedule yesterday.

Players will report to Saint Vincent College in Latrobe for the 59th consecutive year on Tuesday, July 28.

The team’s first open practice will be held the following day, July 29.

Admission to public practices at Saint Vincent College is free, but mobile tickets are required.

Steelers season ticket holders will receive early access through Ticketmaster on Friday, May 22, at 10 a.m. Waitlist members will gain access at 11:30 a.m., followed by the general public at 1 p.m.

According to a report from CBS, here are some notable training camp and preseason dates:  

Monday, August 3: The first padded practice will happen at 11 a.m., and it will be open to the public.  

Saturday, August 1: The Steelers will announce their 2026 Hall of Honor class as part of the NFL’s Back Together weekend. 

Saturday, August 6: Annual night practice at Latrobe Memorial Stadium will take place at 6 p.m.  

Thursday, August 13: The Steelers will play their first preseason game at Acrisure Stadium against the Green Bay Packers at 7 p.m.  

Tuesday, August 18: The Steelers will break camp and continue the rest of the preseason, which will see games against the New York Jets on Friday, August 21, and the Buffalo Bills on Thursday, August 27.  

The full schedule for the 2026 Steelers Training Camp can be found on their website by clicking here.

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Fans watch at the draft theater during third day of the NFL football draft, Saturday, April 25, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) The 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh generated record attendance, global exposure and significant community impact across the region, according to VisitPITTSBURGH.

Preliminary data released yesterday showed the event drew 805,000 attendees throughout Draft weekend, making the April 23rd-25th event the largest event in NFL history.

Organizers said the draft set a first-day attendance record with 320,000 fans and attracted more than 55 million viewers worldwide while generating 14.8 billion media impressions.

Officials also said Draft Week became the most socially viewed NFL Draft on record, with attendees from 105 countries represented among NFL OnePass registrants.