KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Chiefs were missing two starters on each side of the ball to injuries Wednesday as they began preparing for Sunday's game against the Buffalo Bills. Strong safety Bryan Cook hurt his ankle and linebacker Drue Tranquill sustained a concussion in last week's loss in Green Bay, and neither is expected to be available this week. Left tackle Donovan Smith was out with a neck injury and running back Isiah Pacheco is nursing a bruised shoulder. However, the Chiefs are hopeful that linebacker Nick Bolton could return from a dislocated wrist and that running back Jerick McKinnon is available after dealing with a groin injury.
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane is disappointed in the allegations of domestic violence made against Von Miller, while stressing he and the team are waiting for the legal process to play out rather than rush to judgement. Beane says Miller will participate in practice and is expected to play on Sunday when the Bills travel to play the Kansas City Chiefs. Beane spoke for the team as the Bills returned from their bye week off. Miller turned himself in to police in a Dallas suburb after being charged in a warrant with domestic violence against the mother of his children, who is pregnant.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals have swapped pitchers with the Astros, sending right-hander Dylan Coleman to Houston in exchange for minor league right-hander Carlos Mateo. The Royals announced the trade Wednesday during the winter meetings. Mateo puts the Royals’ reserve list at 39. He turns 20 on Dec. 16. Mateo played seven games in the Gulf Coast League this year where he struck out 12 in 8 2/3 innings. Mateo made his professional debut with the Dominican Summer League Astros Orange in 2022. Coleman is 27 and played with Kansas City over parts of three seasons.
NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Yankees have acquired All-Star slugger Juan Soto in a blockbuster trade with the cost-cutting San Diego Padres. San Diego received right-handed pitchers Michael King, Jhony Brito, Randy Vásquez and Drew Thorpe along with catcher Kyle Higashioka. In addition to Soto, the Yankees get Gold Glove center fielder Trent Grisham. It’s the second blockbuster deal involving the 25-year-old Soto in less than two years. The three-time All-Star has one season of team control left and is likely to get a salary around $32 million after batting .275 with 35 homers, 109 RBIs and a .930 OPS in his only full season with the Padres. San Diego acquired Soto from Washington on Aug. 2, 2022, after he turned down a $440 million, 15-year offer from the Nationals.
PHOENIX (AP) — The Arizona Diamondbacks and pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez have agreed to an $80 million, four-year contract, according to a person with direct knowledge of the deal. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Wednesday night because the team had not announced the move. Rodriguez gives the National League champions another quality starter for their rotation. The 30-year-old left-hander spent the past two seasons with the Detroit Tigers and went 13-9 with a 3.30 ERA in 2023. He spent his first six seasons with the Boston Red Sox and had his best year in 2019, going 19-6 with a 3.81 ERA in 34 starts.
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Tyler Kolek had 28 points, eight rebounds and six assists as No. 8 Marquette drubbed No. 12 Texas 86-65 in the Big East-Big 12 Battle. Kam Jones added 17 points for Marquette, which rebounded from a 75-64 loss Saturday at in-state rival Wisconsin and gave coach Shaka Smart an emphatic win against his former team. Smart faced the Longhorns for the first time since spending six seasons at Texas, where he went 109-86 from 2015-21 but did not win an NCAA Tournament game. Max Abmas led Texas with 25 points. After closing out the first half with a flurry, Marquette left no doubt in the second, building a 32-point lead.
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — Blake Hinson scored a career-high 29 points, including a school-record nine 3-pointers, to lead Pittsburgh to a 80-63 win over West Virginia. Pittsburgh broke a two-game losing streak, along with a six-game losing streak in the Backyard Brawl series with the Mountaineers. Carlton Carrington added 16 points and Guillermo Diaz Graham scored 15 for the Panthers. Pittsburgh made a season-high 16 3-pointers. Hinson broke the record of eight that he had shared with several others. Quinn Slazinski scored a career-high 22 points and Jesse Edwards had 20 points and nine rebounds for the Mountaineers. West Virginia's 3-5 record is its worst start since opening the 2012-13 season 4-5.
LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — Reserve Kerwin Walton scored 22 points on a near-perfect shooting night Joe Toussaint scored 18 points and Texas Tech beat Omaha 87-58. Chance McMillian, Kerwin Walton and Darrion Williams each made 3-pointers in a four-possession span and the Red Raiders turned an 8-5 deficit into a 14-8 advantage and they gradually pulled away from there. Marquel Sutton scored 15 points, Frankie Fidler 12 and reserve Jaeden Marshall 10 for Omaha.
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — hierno Sylla had career highs with 20 points and 11 rebounds, Jaylin Sellers scored 16 points and UCF rolled to a 94-52 victory over Jacksonville. Sylla was 7-of-11 shooting from the field and Sellers made 4 of 10 shots. The pair combined for five of the Knights’ 15 3-pointers and nine of their 17 free throws. Marchelus Avery added 12 points for UCF (6-2). Avery’s 3-pointer with 10:17 to play stretched the Knights’ lead to 40 points. UCF opened on a 19-2 run and led 48-18 at the break. Robert McCray V scored 12 points for Jacksonville (6-3), which had its four-game win streak end.
LAS VEGAS (AP) — A day after NCAA President Charlie Baker made an aggressive and potentially groundbreaking pitch to allow some schools to pay their athletes, his proposal was met with praise, caution and questions from around college sports. Southeastern Conference Commissioner Greg Sankey says any attempt to reform college sports will be addressed in five arenas: the courts, Congress, state legislatures, conferences and the NCAA. Some in college sports wonder how Baker's proposal will be received by those who believe college athletes should have employee status and others worry if schools will sponsor fewer teams.
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Schools paying athletes has been banned by the NCAA for decades, but a new proposal by the head of the largest college sports governing body in the United States aims to change that. NCAA President Charlie Baker earlier this week sent a letter to Division I members suggesting the creation of a new subdivision in which schools would be required to compensate at least half of their athletes yearly with at least $30,000 each in a trust fund. Baker’s idea is an aggressive first step toward what could be a revolutionary change. There are many steps to come.
UNDATED (AP) — Former Texas Tech quarterback Tyler Shough says on social media that he will transfer to Louisville after a three-year stint with the Red Raiders highlighted by a victory in last season’s Texas Bowl. Shough wrote “Let’s Play Football. #GoCards” with a photo of himself in a black Louisville jersey on X. He will turn 25 late next September during his seventh and final season of college eligibility in a career that includes three seasons at Oregon. Shough completed 67 of 111 passes for 746 yards and seven touchdowns with four interceptions in four games this season before sustaining a broken fibula against West Virginia.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — A former financial manager for the Jacksonville Jaguars has been accused of stealing more than $22 million from the franchise through its virtual credit card program between 2019 and 2023, according to a seven-page court filing. Amit Patel, who worked for the Jaguars for five years beginning in 2018, is charged with one count of wire fraud and one count of illegal monetary transaction in documents filed in U.S. District Court in Jacksonville. He is accused of using the money to buy vehicles, a condominium, a designer watch, cryptocurrency and other items.
WEDNESDAY SCORES
TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Final (3)Houston 75 Rice 39
Final (8)Marquette 86 (12)Texas 65
Final (13)Colorado St. 90 Denver 80
Final (15)Miami 97 LIU 49
Final (21)Texas A&M 89 DePaul 64
Final (24)Clemson 72 South Carolina 67
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Final Memphis 116 Detroit 102
Final Philadelphia 131 Washington 126
Final Cleveland 121 Orlando 111
Final Minnesota 102 San Antonio 94
Final Brooklyn 114 Atlanta 113
Final Houston 110 Oklahoma City 101
Final Chicago 111 Charlotte 100
Final Dallas 147 Utah 97
Final L.A. Clippers 111 Denver 102
Final Golden State 110 Portland 106
Final Miami 112 Toronto 103
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Final Tampa Bay 3 Pittsburgh 1
Final Florida 5 Dallas 4
Final Vegas 6 St. Louis 3