HOT POINT

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (AP) — New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said he's optimistic shortstop Francisco Lindor will recover for opening day after having surgery on Wednesday to repair a broken hamate bone in his left hand.

Mets Marlins Baseball

Lindor was evaluated by a hand specialist afterexperiencing sorenessin the area around his hand and wrist this week.

"People are saying six weeks for return of play," Mendoza said, referencing a timeline that could threaten Lindor's status for the start of the season.

"Knowing Lindor, I'm not gonna bet against him. This is a guy that's played through broken toes and the low back (injury) two years ago when he barely walked and he continued to play through it. So we're still optimistic that he's going to be available for us on opening day, but we've just got to wait and see."

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Lindor is the third prominent player to suffer hamate bone injuries in the opening week of spring training, following Arizona outfielderCorbin Carrolland Baltimore second basemanJackson Holliday.

When asked about the sudden rash of hamate injuries, Mendoza said: "It's baseball, you know. I guess it's back to baseball season. ... This is a pretty common one. It's just rare that, you know, in the span of, what 24 hours, we got three really good players going down with the same injury. But I don't make too much out of it."

Lindor, 32, hit .267 with 31 homers, 86 RBIs and 31 steals in 160 games with New York last year. The five-time All-Star was leftoff Puerto Rico's rosterfor the upcoming World Baseball Classic over insurance coverage.

AP MLB:https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

The NBA announced punishments stemming from the brawl during the Detroit Pistons and Charlotte Hornets game on Monday night, when four players were ejected from the game.

The punishments are as follows:

• Isaiah Stewart: 7 games

• Miles Bridges: 4 games

• Moussa Diabate: 4 games

• Jalen Duren: 2 games

Stewart received a harsher punishment because he left the bench to get involved and because of his history of infractions.

Multiple skirmishes happened during Monday's game. The first involved Diabate and Duren, when the former fouled Duren. The two exchanged words before Duren shoved Diabate in his face. Diabate then charged at Duren, and things escalated from there before the scuffle was broken up.

Then, Bridges charged at Duren and threw a punch, and Stewart left the bench to join the scuffle. After referee review, the four players, plus Hornets coach Charles Lee, were ejected from the game.

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Detroit currently holds the top spot in the Eastern Conference at 39-13 and has the second-best record in the NBA. Duren has become a key part of what's been built in Detroit as the team's starting center. He's averaging 17.7 points and 10.4 rebounds per game and has been a consistent double-double performer. Duren willreportedly still be permittedto play in this weekend's All-Star Game.

As the backup center, Stewart is the player who does the dirty work in Detroit. That includes getting into scuffles and even full-blown fights, which is why he'll miss the next seven games. While Stewart isn't one of the team's stars, his role is important, and the Pistons will miss his contributions of 10 points and five rebounds per game while he's out.

For Charlotte, these suspensions come as the Hornets battle for the final play-in spot in the East. At 25-29, with a one-game lead over 11th-place Chicago, Charlotte cannot afford to miss any key contributors right now, especially Bridges, who averages 18.2 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. Diabate is the team's leading rebounder, grabbing 8.6 per game.

Each player was alsofined by the NBAalongside the suspensions.

Fine amounts:

• Isaiah Stewart: $724,138

• Miles Bridges: $689,655

• Jalen Duren: $89,423

• Moussa Diabte: $62,641

By Renee Hickman

Feb 10 (Reuters) - Federal prosecutors have released bodycam footage in the case of a Chicago woman who survived being shot multiple times by a Border Patrol agent during an immigration crackdown last fall, part of a ‌trove of evidence that casts doubt on the Trump administration's account of the incident.

Soon after the shooting, the U.S. Department ‌of Homeland Security said Marimar Martinez, a U.S. citizen, had rammed the agents with her car. But the footage suggested that the agents could have struck her vehicle themselves.

Video, ​emails and other records were released by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Chicago late on Tuesday after a district court judge said that the government had shown "zero concern" about Martinez's reputation.

Martinez, a Montessori school teacher in Chicago, was following the agents on October 4 to warn residents of their presence when the collision occurred. In the bodycam video released Tuesday, one agent could be heard saying "do something, bitch" shortly before the vehicles ‌made contact.

An agent in the vehicle, driven by ⁠Charles Exum, said they were being boxed in. "It's time to get aggressive," he said, adding "we're going to make contact." After the collision, Exum stepped out of the vehicle and fired five shots.

Martinez drove off, and was ⁠taken by ambulance to a local hospital. The Department of Homeland Security released a statement after the shooting saying that Martinez had "ambushed" the border patrol vehicle, and that an agent had fired in self-defense.

Martinez, 31, was indicted on charges of impeding a federal officer. The charges were dropped in November, ​but ​the DHS statement labeling her a "domestic terrorist" has remained online.

Martinez said she sought ​the release after the fatal shootings by federal immigration ‌agents of protesters Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis last month and to clear her name. Her lawyer, Christopher Parente, said on Tuesday that she also planned to file a civil lawsuit.

AGENT BRAGGED ABOUT MARKSMANSHIP

In the bodycam footage, agents, including Exum, could be seen inside a Border Patrol vehicle driving as protesters honked their horns outside.

In the moments before the collision, an agent said "We're gonna make contact and we are boxed in," just before the video showed Exum, at the wheel, turn the steering wheel sharply to the left.

"Be advised we've ‌been struck, we've been struck," the agent wearing the bodycam said into a ​radio.

Exum then opened the door with his weapon drawn.

During Martinez's court case, evidence was ​shared that Exum had driven the vehicle, a Chevy Tahoe, back ​to his base in Maine, and that repairs were made by a Customs and Border Protection mechanic before ‌the defendants could examine it.

Text messages from Exum also ​surfaced in court including one in ​which he bragged about his marksmanship in a group chat with other agents. "I fired 5 rounds and she had 7 holes. Put that in your book, boys," he wrote.

The records released on Tuesday also included an email sent the afternoon of the ​shooting by Border Patrol official Gregory Bovino, who ‌was demoted from his post as commander-at-large, overseeing operations in Los Angeles, Chicago and Minneapolis, following Pretti's death.

Bovino thanked ​Exum for his "excellent service" in Chicago and suggested that the agent postpone his retirement. "You have much left to do!" ​he wrote.

(Reporting by Renee Hickman. Editing by Emily Schmall and Saad Sayeed)

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Police on Wednesday identified the suspect in a school shooting in Canada as an 18-year-old who had prior mental health calls to her home and who was found dead following the attack that killed eight people in a remote part of British Columbia.

Canada Shooting

Royal Canadian Mounted Police Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald said Jesse Van Rootselaar had a history of mental health contact with police, and that the suspect's mother and stepbrother were found dead in a home near the school.

The motive remained unclear.

Police initially said nine people were killed Tuesday in the attack, but McDonald clarified Wednesday that there were eight fatalities, plus the suspect, who authorities said shot herself. McDonald said the discrepancy arose from a victim who was airlifted to a medical center. Authorities mistakenly thought that person had died.

More than 25 people were wounded Tuesday in the attack in the small mountain community of Tumbler Ridge, police said.

Town is near border with Alberta

The town of 2,700 people in the Canadian Rockies is more than 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) northeast of Vancouver, near the provincial border withAlberta.

Police said the victims included a 39-year-old teacher and five students, ages 12 to 13.

McDonald said the suspect's mother, who was also 39, and an 11-year-old stepbrother, were found at the suspect's home.

The killings at the home occurred first, he said. A young family member at the home went to a neighbor, who called police.

At the school, one victim was found in a stairwell and the rest, McDonald believed, were found in the library. The suspect was not related to any of the victims at the school, he said.

"There is no information at this point that anyone was specifically targeted," McDonald said.

Police recovered a long gun and a modified handgun. McDonald said officers arrived at the school two minutes after the initial call. When they arrived, shots were fired in their direction.

"Parents, grandparents, sisters, brothers in Tumbler Ridge will wake up without someone they love. The nation mourns with you, and Canada stands by you," an emotional Prime Minister Mark Carney said as he arrived in Parliament.

Deadliest rampage since 2020

The attack was Canada's deadliest rampage since 2020, when a gunman inNova Scotia killed 13 peopleand set fires that left another nine dead.

Carney said flags at government buildings will be flown at half-staff for seven days and added: "We will get through this."

Shelley Quist said her neighbor across the street lost her 12-year-old. "We heard his mom. She was in the street crying. She wanted her son's body," Quist said.

Quist said her 17-year-old son, Darian, was on lockdown in the school for more than two hours. The provincial government website lists Tumbler Ridge Secondary School as having 175 students in grades 7 to 12.

"The grade sevens and eights, I think, were upstairs in the library, and that's where the shooter went," she said. Her son was in the library just 15 minutes prior to the attack.

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Quist was working at the hospital down the street when the shooting started.

"I was about to go run down to the school, but my coworker held me back. And then I was able to get Darian on the phone to know he was OK," she said.

Darian Quist said he knew the attack was real when the principal came down the halls and ordered doors to be closed. He said fellow students texted him pictures of blood while he remained locked down in a classroom.

"We used the desk to block the doors," he said.

School shootings are rare in Canada, which hasstrict gun-control laws. The government has responded to previous mass shootings with gun-control measures, including arecently broadenedban on all guns it considers assault weapons.

A video showed students walking out with their hands raised as police vehicles surrounded the building and a helicopter circled overhead.

Village is a 'big family'

Tumbler Ridge Mayor Darryl Krakowka said it was "devastating" to learn how many had died in the community, which he called a "big family."

"I broke down," Krakowka said. "I have lived here for 18 years. I probably know every one of the victims."

The Rev. George Rowe of the Tumbler Ridge Fellowship Baptist Church went to the recreation center where victims' families were awaiting more information.

"It was not a pretty sight. Families are still waiting to hear if it's their child that's deceased and because of protocol and procedure, the investigating team is very careful in releasing names," Rowe said Tuesday.

Rowe once taught at the high school, and his three children graduated from there.

"To walk through the corridors of that school will never be the same again," he said.

The school district said the high school and elementary school will be closed for the rest of the week.

Carney's office said he called off a planned trip to Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Munich, Germany. He had been set to announce a long-awaited defense industrial strategy Wednesday in Halifax before heading to Europe for the Munich Security Conference.

British Columbia Premier David Eby on Tuesday said he had spoken to the prime minister about the "unimaginable tragedy."

"I know it's causing us all to hug our kids a little bit tighter tonight," he said. "I'm asking the people of British Columbia to look after the people of Tumbler Ridge tonight."

Gillies reported from Toronto.

Baltimore Orioles second baseman Jackson Holliday will miss Opening Day due to a broken hamate bone in his right hand, general manager Mike Elias announced on Wednesday morning.

Holliday, who sustained the injury during live batting practice last Friday, will undergo a procedure to address the issue on Thursday. His timeline for recovery likely will be measured in weeks, per Elias.

Holliday, 22, batted just .242 with 17 homers and 55 RBIs in 149 games last season.

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He is the top overall pick of the 2022 MLB June Amateur Draft and the son of seven-time All-Star Matt Holliday.

New acquisition Blaze Alexander likely will take the younger Holliday's place in the field.

Also on Wednesday, Elias announced third baseman Jordan Westburg is nursing a right oblique injury. The injury, however, is not expected to prevent Westburg from playing at the start of the regular season.

--Field Level Media

You have questions about the2026 NBA All-Star Game, which for the first time pits the USA vs. World in a round-robin tournament of three teams across four 12-minute games.

It is confusing, and the story of how we got here is a long and winding one, featuring a ton of wrinkles to the format, each of which has failed to inspire competition from the players.

Let us summarize that story for you, as we answer your questions.

When is the 2026 NBA All-Star Game?

The 2026 NBA All-Star Game is on Sunday at 5 p.m. ET on NBC.

Prior to that: The celebrity game, Rising Stars competition and HBCU Classic will be held in succession on Friday, beginning at 7 p.m. ET; and the slam dunk and 3-point contests, as well as the return of the Shooting Stars competition, will highlight All-Star Saturday, which begins at 5 p.m. ET.

NBC will air all events for the first time since 2002.

[Subscribe to Yahoo Sports NBA on YouTube]

Where is the 2026 NBA All-Star Game?

The Los Angeles Clippers will host the 2026 NBA All-Star Game at the Intuit Dome, which opened its doors to fans in 2024. The arena features a uniquewall of standson one end.

An interesting wrinkle: Steve Ballmer's Clippers are currentlyunder investigationby the NBA for allegedly circumventing the salary cap. Kawhi Leonard, whose alleged no-show job at Ballmer-funded Aspiration is central to the investigation, is an All-Star this season.

Who is in the 2026 NBA All-Star Game?

The rosters, as selected by conference, in alphabetical order:

EASTERN CONFERENCE

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks

Deni Avdija, Portland Trail Blazers

Scottie Barnes, Toronto Raptors

Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns

Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics

Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors

Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks

Kevin Durant, Houston Rockets

Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons

Luka Dončić, Los Angeles Lakers

Jalen Duren, Detroit Pistons

Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves

Brandon Ingram, Toronto Raptors*

Shai Gileous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder

Jalen Johnson, Atlanta Hawks

Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City Thunder

Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers

LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers

Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers

Nikola Jokić, Denver Nuggets

Norman Powell, Miami Heat

Kawhi Leonard, Los Angeles Clippers*

Pascal Siakam, Indiana Pacers

Jamal Murray, Denver Nuggets

Karl-Anthony Towns, New York Knicks

Alperen Şengün, Houston Rockets*

Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs

* Alperen Şengün was named as an injury replacement for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (abdominal strain). Brandon Ingram was named as an injury replacement for Stephen Curry (knee). NBA commissioner Adam Silver also selected Kawhi Leonard to the game in order to balance the rosters under the new USA vs. World format.

What is the new All-Star Game format?

The new format will feature a round-robin tournament between three teams — two made up of players from the United States (USA Stars and USA Stripes) and a third consisting of international competitors (Team World). Each roster must include at least eight players.

Because theoriginal 24 All-Star selectionsresulted in nine international players and 15 from the U.S., the commissioner added Leonard to the U.S. player pool.

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Here's how the teams have been divided for the 2026 All-Star Game:

USA STRIPES

Scottie Barnes

Jaylen Brown

Giannis Antetokounmpo

Devin Booker

Jalen Brunson

Deni Avdija

Cade Cunningham

Kevin Durant

Luka Dončić

Jalen Duren

Brandon Ingram

Nikola Jokić

Anthony Edwards

LeBron James

Jamal Murray

Chet Holmgren

Kawhi Leonard

Alperen Şengün

Jalen Johnson

Donovan Mitchell

Pascal Siakam

Tyrese Maxey

Norman Powell

Karl-Anthony Towns

Victor Wembanyama

Each team will face each other once in the elimination stage:

• Game 1: Stars vs. World

• Game 2: Stripes vs. Game 1 Winner

• Game 3: Stripes vs. Game 1 Loser

• Game 4: Championship

The two teams with the best records will advance to the championship game. If all teams finish the round robin with a 1-1 record, the two teams with the highest point differential will play each other for the title.

Each game will be 12 minutes.

In last year's All-Star Game round-robin tournament, each member of the winning team received $125,000 and each member of the runner-up team received $50,000.

So why is there a new format, and why is it so confusing?

The All-Star Game was once held between teams from the Eastern and Western conferences, facing each other in what looked a lot like an NBA game — four 12-minute quarters and intense competition among the greatest basketball players in the world.

Somewhere along the way, most likely as parties and corporate sponsorships took greater priority throughout the weekend, the players stopped caring as much about competition.

As players took the game less seriously, scores for the first time soared into the 190s in 2016 and 2017, and in 2018 the NBA changed its All-Star Game format for the first time.

For six years, the NBA named two captains who selected their 12-man teams from the 24-player field. That stretch featured a number of wrinkles, includingan Elam Endingand a playground-style draft, each meant to inspire more competition among the players, and each failing most every year.

• 2018: Team LeBron 148, Team Stephen 145

• 2019: Team LeBron 178, Team Giannis 164

• 2020: Team LeBron 157, Team Giannis 155

• 2021: Team LeBron 170, Team Durant 150

• 2022: Team LeBron 163, Team Durant 160

• 2023: Team Giannis 184, Team LeBron 175

The January 2020 death of four-time All-Star Game MVP Kobe Bryant, who epitomized effort across 18 appearances in the exhibition, did inspire an uptick in intensity that year, when a team captained by LeBron defeated one captained by Antetokounmpo 157-155.

The resurrection of the All-Star Game was short-lived, however, and in 2024 Silver reverted to the East vs. West format.It did not go well, as the East beat the West 211-186.

So, Silver instituted a just-as-confusing round-robin tournament last year, featuring three teams of All-Stars and a fourth of Rising Stars, and that, obviously,did not go well, either (Shaq's OG's beat Chuck's Global Stars 41-25).

Rather than scrap the game entirely, ending what was once one of its signature events, Silver made another effort to inspire the same from the players in this confounding USA vs. World round-robin format.

The only thing that will truly change the level of competition is care from the players, who are more incentivized to remain healthy for the teams that pay them millions. If — and that's a big if — the new format inspires increased competition from players who want to represent their countries, much like the Olympics elicits effort, bring it on.

Houston Astros closer Josh Hader's availability for Opening Day is in doubt because the left-hander is dealing with biceps soreness, manager Joe Espada told reporters Wednesday.

Hader, a six-time All-Star, resumed his throwing program at the team's first workout with pitchers and catchers Wednesday. Espada revealed Hader had been shut down from throwing for more than a week earlier this winter after imaging on his left arm showed biceps inflammation.

Neither Espada nor Astros general manager Dana Brown could say if the injury would keep Hader off the Opening Day roster.

"I don't know really the timeline on it," Brown said Wednesday. "The good thing is he was ramping it up and was on his fourth (bullpen session). The first three were seamless. The good thing is he feels good right now, he's been feeling good for a few days and he's going to throw today."

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The injury is not believes to be related to the left shoulder capsule strain that caused Hader to miss Houston's final 46 games last season, the first time he had been on the IL in nine seasons for anything but an illness. Hader told reporters at a charity event in December he felt "back to normal" from the shoulder capsule injury.

Hader was 6-2 with a 2.05 ERA over 48 appearances with the Astros last season and was 28-for-29 in save opportunities.

The 31-year-old has 227 saves over nine big-league seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers (2017-22), San Diego Padres (2022-23) and Astros (2024-25). He is 34-31 with a 2.64 ERA in 468 career relief appearances.

--Field Level Media