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Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Chris Bassitt’s curveball caught Juan Soto swinging air in a spring training game between the Blue Jays and the New York Yankees at TD Ballpark on Friday afternoon.

The All-Star outfielder was brought to his knees while chasing Bassitt’s filthy 69-mph breaking ball. The rare moment of Soto getting fooled by a pitcher happened in the third inning. Check out the video of Soto getting intimated at the plate:

Juan Soto gets fooled by Chris Bassitt’s filthy breaking ball

Fans couldn’t hold back as they commented on the moment.

“Can’t shuffle without ankles,” one fan said.

Another compared the moment to how Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic does it to defenders guarding him on the NBA court.

“Thats a doncic. A slow moving ankle breaker,” another fan said.

Here are a few reactions:

Juan Soto is known for his strict plate discipline, which has helped him achieve a career .421 on-base percentage. But every once in a while, even the best of them can get fooled.

Soto went hitless in his three at-bats, while Bassitt pitched 4.1 innings for four hits and one earned run.

Mets joining in Juan Soto’s early sweepstakes rumors could give tough competition to Yankees

Juan Soto was acquired by the Yankees earlier this season from the San Diego Padres.

He’s in his last year of team control and will enter free agency once the 2024 season concludes. Rumors suggest that it won’t be easy for the Yankees to retain his services, as another New York team could be in the bidding war.

According to The New York Post’s Jon Heyman, the Mets will be the biggest threat to the Yankees in Soto’s sweepstakes.

“Juan Soto began his Yankees tenure with a bang — 10 at-bats in, he had a .500/.750/1.800/2.550 slash line — and folks are figuring it will be a very long New York career,” Heyman said. “But will it be with the Yankees or Mets?”

“Sure, the Yankees have the distinct advantage of having his undivided attention for most of 2024 to sell him on life in pinstripes. However, folks around the game are suggesting that after a year on practical free-agent hiatus, Steve Cohen’s Mets may become the biggest competitor for Soto’s services.”

He added:

“Cohen and the Mets are expected to be back in spending mode next winter, as he told Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander, and us,” Heyman added.
It’s still early days, but the Yankees will go all out for him if Juan Soto’s stay can help them prosper in the postseason.

Click here for 2023 MLB Free Agency Tracker Updates. Follow Sportskeeda for latest news and updates on MLB.

Bronx Faithful is once again finding themselves hoping again. Their beloved the New York Yankees finally have an explosive batter to support Aaron Judge.

The arrival of Juan Soto has been met with a lot of cheers, not just by the fans but by experts as well. This union has been such a hit that Soto and Judge are already on top of the AL MVP race. However, even the most ardent fans know things could go south at any moment.

This isn’t an alarming call nor an effort to raise cries for help. It’s a simple observation regarding how the Yankees have done recently. They were 35-25 when Judge got injured last season, then they fell hard that by the time he returned, they were 54-48.

So their captain’s presence is important, but the recent injury woes tell a grim tale. A tale that might require “constant maintenance” by the Yankees management.

Aaron Judge’s growing injury list a cause of concern for the Pinstripes 

In the past few years, Judge’s injury list has gotten scarier. All Rise’s fall to injuries has become a consistent part of his story. From 2021 to 2023 Judge injured the following parts – Side, Back, Lower Body, and Hips (twice), and then that big toe injury in 2023. All of that has raised a tough question – is Judge’s body breaking down too quickly?

According to most odds, Judge remains one of the favorites for the AL MVP award. In fact, his only serious competition is his teammate Juan Soto. But where Soto played the entire 162 games last season, Judge only played 106. But that isn’t the issue here. It’s the recent comments of Judge that have raised some eyebrows.

Max Goodman of NJ Media reported the comments of Judge on his toe. The slugger said that his right toe may need “constant maintenance” throughout his career now. “Anything with injuries like that, you’ve just got to stay on top of it so it doesn’t flare up again or something doesn’t happen again,” Judge expressed.

Could that maintenance reduce some of the hard-hitting abilities of Judge? Though the massively talented superstar has never been shy of challenges, his Spring Training form is ringing some bells now.

All Rise’s Spring Training drought leaves the fans worried 

According to MLB.com, till now Judge has been on the plate nine times. Out of those times, the captain has only managed two hits. He has 1 RBI and 3 runs, however, the scary part is Judge’s OPS. It’s hovering around .697 – a far cry from Judge’s usual levels (He had 1.019 OPS in 2023). Could All Rise’s toe injury be affecting his hitting form?

That’s something that the Yankees need to put more focus on. Despite strengthening their hitting lineup, they can’t afford an underperforming Aaron Judge. Similarly, Judge can’t afford to continue on this form if he wants to win the MVP award again. The stakes are too high this time around.

DUNEDIN, Fla. – At Yankees spring training, the latest cause for optimism was provided by Marcus Stroman, who zipped through four scoreless exhibition innings Friday afternoon.

“My body and my mind are in a great place right now,’’ Stroman said.

The coolest figure at TD Ballpark, a broiler in the midday sun, Stroman retired 12 of the 13 Toronto Blue Jays he faced, with one walk and two strikeouts.

“Just very grateful to be in this position. I feel honored that the Yankees called,’’ said Stroman, as the Blue Jays, his original team, scored a 2-1 Grapefruit League win.

Marcus Stroman’s priority on health

On the pitching side, much of the Yankees’ offseason has been punctuated by who isn’t here.

They whiffed on free agent Yoshinobu Yamamoto, despite a $300 million offer to the Japanese ace that was bested by the Los Angeles Dodgers.

They haven’t gone all in for reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell, who remains in free agency, and they watched the reigning AL East champion Baltimore Orioles trade for Corbin Burnes.

Back here at Camp Optimism, the Yankees could have themselves one of this winter’s best free- agent bargains in Stroman – all together now – if he stays healthy.

And that’s a big factor for a Yankees’ staff, fronted by ace Gerrit Cole, that is short on depth after Carlos Rodon, Stroman, Nestor Cortes and Clarke Schmidt.

“There’s definitely a priority on health,’’ Stroman said of his first Yankees camp. “Just build these innings, stay healthy throughout spring training and go into the year feeling good.’’

What the Yankees told Marcus Stroman from the start

In the days after pivoting from Yamamoto, the Yankees spent a guaranteed $37 million for two years on Stroman, a Long Islander who has longed to pitch in the Bronx.

The total deal can go to $55 million for three years if Stroman pitches at least 140 innings in 2025.

“To be able to play for the Yankees at this point in my career, it’s incredible, being from New York,’’ said Stroman, who has quickly impressed his new manager.

“The seriousness and the dedication he has to mind, body and spirit, taking care of himself,” Boone said, “the intensity in which he throws his bullpens’’ has struck the Yankees manager from the start.

In turn, Stroman has appreciated the Yankees’ commitment to not altering his style or routine.

“They want me to come in and truly be myself. It’s not like they’re trying to tell me to be anyone else,’’ said Stroman. “They’ve made that very apparent from the beginning.’’

Marcus Stroman’s quest for longevity

To become a free agent, Stroman opted out of the final year of his Chicago Cubs contract, which would have paid him $21 million in 2024.

Stroman seemed headed for a loftier payday, posting a 9-4 record with a 2.28 ERA over his first 16 starts of 2023, but a ribcage cartilage injury limited him to nine more starts.

“I’m looking to put a full year together this year,’’ said Stroman, who finished 2023 with a 3.95 ERA and “didn’t like ending up’’ where he did after an All-Star first half.

Stroman linked an increased workload heading into last year’s London Series as a point for him where things went south, but he was able to attack his offseason plan with the usual vigor.

“I’m right back in the gym the second the season is over,’’ said Stroman, training for the long haul ahead.

“I’m someone who takes pride in taking care of my mind and my body, and I’m hopefully going to be able to play this game forever.’’

John Lennon’s Ex May Pang Reveals She Cried the First Time They Had S * x: ‘Where Was It Going to Lead?’ (Exclusive)

May Pang’s 18-month romance with John Lennon is the subject of a new documentary called The Last Weekend, out April 13

As a lifelong fan of the Beatles, May Pang was, in 1973, living what many would consider the dream. After working for John Lennon and Yoko Ono as their personal secretary, Pang had recently started dating the former Beatle amid a break in his marriage.

And yet, the beginning of their romance was not an idyll honeymoon stage, but one fraught with nerves for the then-23-year-old. As Pang, 72, reveals in her new documentary The Lost Weekend, she even shed tears the first time she and Lennon slept together.

“I didn’t know where it was going to lead,” she explains in this week’s issue of PEOPLE. “I was like, ‘What’s going to happen?’ I was very content in working. [But] he kept saying, ‘I don’t know where this is going to lead, but let’s just do the jump.’”

And jump they did, embarking on a whirlwind 18-month romance from 1973 to 1975 that Lennon later dubbed his “lost weekend,” a reference to the 1945 Billy Wilder film.

May Pang and John Lennon in 1974. Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty
Though their relationship soon blossomed into love, its origins were less than traditional. Lennon, 10 years Pang’s senior, had been married to Ono, now 90, for four years when their marriage hit a rough patch. Amid the tension, Ono wanted time apart — and she wanted Pang to fill that time as Lennon’s new girlfriend.

“I refused,” Pang says. “I respected their marriage. I said, ‘That’s not what I want to do.’ I was very happy as a worker.”

Soon however, as she says in her documentary, Lennon had “charmed the pants off” her, and the two were in a full-fledged relationship, even moving in together in New York City in 1974. They often jetted out to Los Angeles for boisterous get-togethers with pals like Harry Nilsson, Ringo Starr (who was her favorite Beatle as a teen — “I was partial to blue eyes!” she says) and Mick Jagger. Lennon even got to work in the studio, crafting albums like Walls and Bridges and Rock ‘n’ Roll.

“He was just an interesting person. He really loved everything, and wanted to explore,” Pang recalls. “He loved to get up, have his coffee in the morning. He loved blueberry pancakes, he loved swimming. He was just an awesome person who wanted to discover things.”

Together, the two bonded over music, “the one thing that [Lennon] loved the most,” and even spent time jamming with former Beatles bandmates Paul McCartney and George Harrison. “George once said, ‘I’m so happy you’re with John,’ and that was a nice thing of him to say to me,” she recalls.

John Lennon and May Pang. Peter Simins/WWD/Penske Media via Gett
Still, Ono’s presence loomed large, and she called often, sometimes upwards of 15 times per day. Though Lennon agreed to Ono’s request for a divorce in 1974, it never happened, and by 1975, the two had reconciled. Pang believes that Lennon’s enthusiasm at ending their marriage took Ono by surprise, and was the catalyst behind her desire to end the so-called “lost weekend” and win her husband back. Lennon had been trying to quit smoking, and Ono told him she knew a hypnotist. Pang says she “knew” things were over when Lennon went to Ono to take her up on her offer. “You just know,” she says. “He was not the same when I saw him [again].”

The breakup was difficult for Pang, who says “there wasn’t any” sense of closure, and the two spent time together romantically over the next five years until Lennon’s tragic death in 1980.

“He’d secretly come over to see me. He would say, ‘You know, I still love you,’” she recalls. “He said things to me that were really very intimate and you could sense there was something still. It was gnawing at him. It was not a finished situation.”

May Pang. John Lamparski/Getty
Lennon’s death in December 1980 was devastating for Pang, who went on to have careers in music publishing, acting, writing and jewelry design. Now, though, she’s nothing but grateful for the time they spent together.

“The beginning was still raw. Now, I see it as a gift. Our relationship was a gift and it was meant to be,” she says. “I was happy I could give him something that he felt good about, that he never felt before.”

The Lost Weekend hits theaters on April 13. Pang will also be hosting two photo exhibitions at City Winery in New York City (April 8 and 9) and Philadelphia (April 15 and 16).

Miley Cyrus’ Big Grammys Hairstyle Nods to Dolly’s Country Floof

The higher the hair, the closer to God! Miley Cyrus was a show-stopper on the 2024 Grammy Awards red carpet on Sunday, Feb. 4.

The pop star walked the pre-show event in a barely-there Margiela gold chainmail dress and matching heels, but her hair had many country music fans seeing double.

The “Flowers” singer and first-time Grammy winner was rocking cascading curls that had been teased to the heavens.

It was very reminiscent of the volume her godmother Dolly Parton has sported for decades. Her brown tresses were combed backward, providing volume on all fronts, including the top and the sides.

Cyrus says her larger-than-life look was inspired by some of her musical heroes.

In a pre-recorded video package that aired just before she performed, she mentioned she wanted to be an artist her inspirations can be proud of, like Parton and Tina Turner.

She teased her new look by joking about fans wanting to know what conditioner she uses. Spoiler alert: she did not reveal her secret.

It’s no surprise Cyrus is inspired by Parton: The country legend is the godmother of the pop star, and the two have a close bond — they have even performed together. They also hosted their own New Year’s Eve special in 2022.

Cyrus picked up Pop Solo Performance for “Flowers” on Sunday night.

The 2024 Grammys aired live from Los Angeles on CBS and Paramount+.

See Inside Reba McEntire’s California Estate

Reba McEntire is no stranger to living in style, but her $22 million estate in one of the most exclusive zip codes in California was extravagant even by the standards of celebrity homes.

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Reba McEntire Reveals New Details About Her Marriage Before Divorce

Reba McEntire sounds like a woman who’d be wary of marrying a man she worked with again.

The singer and coach on The Voice described life with Narvel Blackstock prior to their 2015 divorce, and while she didn’t shade her ex, she hardly painted a picture of love and harmony.

Reba McEntire and Narvel Blackstock were married from 1989 to 2015, and they have one son together.
Blackstock was also the singer’s manager.
Since divorcing, she’s dated businessman Skeeter Lasuzzo and actor Rex Linn.

Drew Barrymore asked the hard questions on the Drew Barrymore Show recently.

“It was a situation that was always business,” McEntire tells the host. “Whether we were getting ready in the morning, pillow talk, whatever, but it was business.”

This extended deep into personal time like vacations, where McEntire says she and her ex would unplug for a few days before reengaging over something like a tour, album or new venture.

Kevin Winter, Getty Images

After the divorce, McEntire made it clear she was not the instigator in their separation, telling CMT, “I didn’t want it in any shape, form or fashion.”

There have been the usual rumors of cheating that come with the end of any celebrity marriage, but nothing substantiated. If Blackstock was a bad husband, he was certainly a good manager.

McEntire’s career took off beyond country music in the 1990s and 2000s, with movie and television projects, a long string of American Music Awards and more.

The Cutest Photos of Reba McEntire and Boyfriend Rex Linn

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Reba McEntire gets emotional in Super Bowl behind-the-scenes video

 

Reba McEntire is taking you behind the scenes of her national anthem performance at February’s Super Bowl 58.
The newly dropped BTS video follows Reba on her press day, which includes a stop at The Drew Barrymore Show, rehearsals, game day and moments after her performance.

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“It was exhilarating [and] emotionally draining. I’ll sleep like a baby tonight,” Reba said after a rehearsal at Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium. “But everybody here was so warm and giving. It’s just a great day to be an American, once again. So thankful I get to do this.”

After performing “The Star Spangled Banner” during the pregame show, the “Fancy” singer took time backstage to reflect on her career milestone and full-circle moment.

“This is the highlight of my career. I brought daddy with me with the belt buckle, mama with her bracelet, Holy Spirit in my spirit. What a thrill,” Reba shared. “Singing the national anthem at the Super Bowl 50 years after I sang it the first time at the National Finals Rodeo in Oklahoma City in ’74.”

“God is good, God is great,” she added.

You can watch the full BTS video on YouTube.

Reba’s “The Star Spangled Banner” as performed at Super Bowl 58 is also available now on digital platforms.

Reba McEntire Brought to Tears on The Voice After Contestant Dedicates Audition to Late Grandfather

“When I sing a song and I’m thinking about my momma… I start gasping and I can’t sing anymore,” McEntire told William Alexander

Reba McEntire got emotional on The Voice after a contestant dedicated their audition to a late loved one.

On Tuesday night’s episode of the singing competition series, William Alexander auditioned with a powerful performance of Lizzy McAlpine’s “Ceilings,” prompting a chair turn by Chance the Rapper and McEntire.

“Singing that song, I was actually singing it for my grandfather who passed away last year. He always said that he believed in me and it’s just crazy being here now,” Alexander said after his performance.

McEntire, 68, then asked him: “Were you thinking about your grandfather?”

Reba McEntire; William Alexander.
Trae Patton/NBC; Casey Durkin/NBC
The Voice’s Madison Curbelo Gets a 4-Chair Turn in Second-Ever Blind Audition — See Who She Picked as Her Coach

His answer was yes.

“When I sing a song and I’m thinking about my momma… I start gasping and I can’t sing anymore,” the “Does He Love You” singer told him. “How did you do that?”

Alexander explained that he simply “pictured him hearing this and seeing me do this. It just made me feel so proud to be here.”

“Wonderful. You’re gonna have somebody with you all the time and now I’m getting choked up and I’m going to have to start talking very high but I thought you did a great job. Your voice is beautiful gift and I’d love to have you on my team,” McEntire concluded as she wiped away tears.

When it came down to his decision for a coach — Alexander said his “gut” told him to pick McEntire.

Lizzy McAlpine Watched ‘Ceilings’ Go Viral in Real-Time — Even Though She ‘Wasn’t Expecting’ It to Be a Hit

“I’m always really excited about working with young people. William’s voice was very smooth but different from anything else I’ve got so that’s why I wanted him,” she said.

In a post-performance interview, Alexander opened up about his choice.

“It feels so crazy that Reba got emotional. That’s when I really felt connected to her and I just knew that I had to pick Reba,” he said.

The Voice airs Mondays and Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.

Travis Kelce gifts Taylor Swift an expensive necklace, symbolizing the key to his heart, as a token of appreciation after the victory against the Dolphins and to express gratitude for her unwavering support.

I would rather spend one lifetime with you, than face all the ages of this world alone. Travis kelce surprise girlfriend with $3.1m gift

As the Kansas City Chiefs attempt to win their second straight Super Bowl, the team is promoting Travis Kelce’s romance with Taylor Swift in their new playoff hype video.

Kansas City, January 19, 2024 – Following the thrilling victory of the Kansas City Chiefs over the Miami Dolphins this past weekend, Travis Kelce, the star player of the team, created quite a buzz by presenting renowned singer Taylor Swift with an expensive necklace symbolizing the key to his heart.

Travis Kelce is not only a prominent figure in the world of American football but also a devoted fan of Taylor Swift. He has consistently shown his support for the singer through her music and has even frequented her concerts in Kansas City.

The significant win of the Kansas City Chiefs over the Miami Dolphins brought immense joy to Travis Kelce and his team. After the game, during a press conference, Kelce introduced a special necklace he had prepared for Taylor Swift. The necklace is crafted from 18K gold and adorned with a large gemstone at its center, symbolizing Kelce’s “key to the heart.”

Travis Kelce stated, “Taylor has always been there to support me and the team throughout, and she has truly played a pivotal role in our success. I wanted to give her this gift as a way to express my gratitude and say thank you to her.”

Taylor Swift, who also celebrated with Travis Kelce and the Chiefs after the game, was deeply touched upon receiving this special gift from her close friend. She shared on social media, “There’s nothing that could create a more memorable moment than receiving this gift from Travis after the Chiefs’ important win. I will keep his heart in my heart forever.”

The remarkable support and friendship between Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift are capturing attention from fans in both the entertainment and sports fields. This meaningful gift is sure to be remembered in the times ahead, highlighting the special bond between them.