(File Photo: Source for Photo: FILE – Detroit Tigers pitcher Jose Urquidy throws against the Cleveland Guardians during the eighth inning of a baseball game, Sept. 17, 2025, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)

(PITTSBURGH – AP) Pitcher José Urquidy and the Pittsburgh Pirates agreed Thursday to a $1.5 million, one-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the agreement was subject to a successful physical.

A 30-year-old right-hander, Urquidy adds depth to the Pirates staff headed by NL Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes and gives the team roster flexibility because he can be optioned to the minor leagues.

Urquidy had Tommy John surgery on June 5, 2024, while with Houston, signed a $1 million, one-year deal with Detroit last March and returned to the major leagues on Sept. 14. He made two big league relief appearances last year and had a 7.71 ERA over 2 1/3 innings.

A six-year major league veteran, Urquidy is 27-16 with a 4.00 ERA in 70 starts and 11 relief appearances for the Astros (2019-23) and Tigers. He was on the injured list with a forearm strain in 2024 before having surgery.

Urquidy has a 4.08 ERA in 15 postseason appearances, including eight starts.

(Credit for Photo: Photo Courtesy of Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) Former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin and his wife Kiya will be honored at Acrisure Stadium on March 15th with the Patricia R. Rooney Community Impact Award at the annual Ireland Funds dinner. This award is given to leaders who in response to a significant contemporary problem, have produced successful organizational initiatives. Mike Tomlin resigned as the head coach of the Steelers after nineteen seasons with them on January 13th, 2026 and he never had a losing season in his career. Kiya Tomlin is a fashion designer who launched her brand in 2014 with the goal of uniting both ultimate comfort and cover girl glamour.  

(Credit for Photo: Wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald #11 of the Arizona Cardinals makes a reception against the San Francisco 49ers during the NFL game at State Farm Stadium on December 26, 2020 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(San Francisco, CA) Former Pitt football and Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald was one of the five inductees of the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s 2026 class. The class was announced at the 2026 NFL Honors last night at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco. Fitzgerald is second in NFL history in both receiving yards with 17,492 and receptions with 1,432, and is sixth in NFL history in touchdowns with 121 Fitzgerald spent his entire NFL career with the Cardinals through seventeen seasons. The other inductees of the 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame class are quarterback Drew Brees, linebacker Luke Kuechly, kicker Adam Vinatieri, and running back Rodger Craig, who was the only finalist to be inducted in the Seniors category. The Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026 enshrinement is set for August 8th in Canton, Ohio at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.

(Credit for Photo: Courtesy of Visit Pittsburgh)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) NFL Films, in partnership with VisitPITTSBURGH, the Pittsburgh Steelers and U. S. Steel will present The Football Town, a film which explores the storied football tradition of the region as part of the celebration of Western Pennsylvania’s rich football history leading up to the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh. It premieres on Saturday, February 28th at Kamin Science Center’s Rangos Giant Cinema, right next door to Acrisure Stadium, and it will run exclusively for two months leading up to the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh taking place on April 23rd-25th, 2026. The first-ever immersive format documentary produced by NFL Films, The Football Town, is an approximately 50-minute film that focuses on the unique history of football in Western Pennsylvania, which is a region defined by grit, steel, hard work, three rivers, the Appalachian hills and its community. Pittsburgh area native Pat McAfee will narrate the film and it will feature appearances by Steelers legends Jerome Bettis, Bill Cowher, James Harrison, Joey Porter Sr. and others. Tickets will go on sale beginning on Friday, February 13th and will be available on the Kamin Science Center website by clicking here. The Football Town is presented by U. S. Steel to celebrate its 125th anniversary and its deep roots in Pittsburgh.

(File Photo: Source for Photo: FILE – Canada forward Gavin McKenna (9) controls the puck during the second period of an IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship bronze medal game against Finland, Jan. 5, 2026, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn, File)

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Penn State hockey star Gavin McKenna, a freshman center and the presumptive top pick in this summer’s NHL draft, has been charged with felony assault following an incident on Jan. 31.

McKenna, 18, struck a 21-year-old male in the face during the altercation, according to the incident report. The male sustained multiple facial fractures that required surgery. McKenna was also charged with simple assault, harassment and disorderly conduct, according to court documents. His representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment by The Associated Press.

McKenna was arraigned and released on $20,000 unsecured bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Feb. 11.

The incident happened in the hours after Penn State lost to No. 2 Michigan State in an outdoor game at Beaver Stadium, home of the Nittany Lions football team.

McKenna, who is from Whitehorse, Yukon, has 11 goals and 21 assists in 24 games this season for the Nittany Lions. He decided to play for Penn State after the NCAA lifted its ban on Canadian Hockey League players competing at the Division I level.

A name, image and likeness deal with the Nittany Lions helped sway McKenna to join a program that has been at the Division I level for less than 15 years.

McKenna recently had four goals and six assists at the World Junior Championships while helping Canada to a bronze medal.

(File Photo: Source for Photo: FILE – Chicago White Sox’s Mike Clevinger pitches in the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians in Cleveland, April 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki, File)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Right-hander Mike Clevinger agreed Wednesday to a minor league contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates and will attend big league spring training camp.

The 35-year-old is 60-44 with a 3.55 ERA across nine seasons with Cleveland, San Diego and the Chicago White Sox.

Clevinger has dealt with injuries in recent seasons and struggled with the White Sox last spring after being moved to the bullpen. He bounced back after returning to the rotation with Triple-A Charlotte. Clevinger went 7-3 with a 4.20 ERA and 93 strikeouts in 22 starts in the minors last summer.

The Pirates have a young rotation led by reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes, veteran Mitch Keller and rookie Bubba Chandler, who went 4-1 during a stint in the majors at the end of last season.

Clevinger’s best days came with Cleveland from 2017-19 when he was 38-18 with a 2.91 ERA.

(Credit for Photo: Photo Courtesy of the Associated Press, Caption for Photo: Minnesota Vikings passing game coordinator/tight ends coach Brian Angelichio walks the sideline wearing a “Salute to Service” shirt before an NFL football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Vikings defeated the Jaguars 12-7.)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) The Pittsburgh Steelers announced yesterday that Brian Angelichio was hired as their new offensive coordinator. Angelichio was the former passing game coordinator and tight ends coach for the Minnesota Vikings. The move will reunite Angelichio with new Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy, who worked with him for the Green Bay Packers from 2016 to 2018, when Angelichio was serving as the tight ends coach. Angelichio will replace former Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, who was hired by Ohio State University on Saturday to work in the same position.  

(File Photo: Source for Photo: FILE – Pittsburgh Penguins’ Caleb Jones skates during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the New York Islanders, in Pittsburgh, Oct. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)

NEW YORK (AP) — The NHL suspended injured Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Caleb Jones for 20 games on Wednesday for violating the terms of the NHL/NHLPA Performance Enhancing Substances Program.

Jones, 28, is in his first season with the Penguins. The club placed him on injured reserve in late October with a foot injury, then assigned him to their American Hockey League affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. He played one game for Wilkes-Barre in January before sustaining an upper-body injury.

Jones said through a statement released by the NHL Players Association that he believes he was exposed to a contaminated substance while undergoing exosome therapy from an outside provider.

“While I did not use the prohibited substance intentionally or for performance enhancement, I understand that players are responsible for everything that enters their body and accept the discipline imposed by the program,” Jones said. “I’m sorry to have let down my teammates, the Penguins organization, and our fans.”

Jones, the younger brother of Panthers defenseman Seth Jones, had one point in seven games with the Penguins in October after signing a two-year deal with Pittsburgh last summer.

Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas said the club “appreciates” Jones’ transparency and that Jones will follow all NHL and NHLPA protocols during the suspension. Dubas added that Jones has the “full support” of the organization.

(Credit for Photo: Courtesy of CBS Sports and the NFL)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Wayne County, MI) A Detroit Lions fan who was involved in an altercation with Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf filed a $100 million lawsuit yesterday, claiming that he was not only physically harmed but was also falsely accused of making racial remarks. The incident occurred during the game in Detroit between the Steelers and the Lions on December 21st, 2025. The video of the altercation at Ford Field appeared to show Metcalf walking over to the fan named Ryan Kennedy and grabbing his shirt before shoving him away and Metcalf was suspended by the NFL for the last two games of the regular season for the Steelers for this incident. An attorney on behalf of Kennedy filed the lawsuit in the Wayne County Circuit Court, naming Metcalf, the Pittsburgh Steelers, Ford Field Management LLC, Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson, Shay Shay Media LLC and All Time Sports LLC.