Sports

MLB All-Star Jose Iglesias can't wait to show off a different set of skills in his Broadway debut ... telling TMZ Sports he has no idea what to expect -- but it's an incredible honor!!

Candelita is slated to become the first Latino MLB player to take the Broadway stage in "Buena Vista Social Club" as the Narrator on Aug. 27 ... which should come as no surprise, considering he's been known to be quite the singer off the baseball diamond -- who could forget his Mets anthem, "OMG?!"

We caught up with him ahead of his time in the spotlight ... and he said while he's not giving up on his baseball career just yet, this is a great use of his free time.

DiJonai Carrington is revisiting her recent "white privilege" comment directed at the Indiana Fever ... claiming it wasn't about the flagrant foul she received against Sophie Cunningham that resulted in her ejection.

The Chicago Sky hooper went to X to respond to talking head Emmanuel Acho on Monday ... after he called her out on his "Speakeasy" show for seemingly chalking the foul up to racism.

"It was just very ignorant, and to some degree asinine, by DiJonai Carrington to suggest that that call was based on white privilege," Acho said ... adding she deserved to be ejected for the act.

Sauce Gardner is calling an audible after he says he dropped nearly a million-and-a-half bucks on a real estate deal gone bad in Detroit ... claiming the contractors misled and then ghosted him.

The All-Pro CB, repped by Ben Levine of Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani, filed a bombshell lawsuit against a Michigan construction company and its CEO, accusing them of luring him into a $935K property deal based on false promises, then refusing to return a massive $500K deposit meant for renovations.

According to the complaint filed on Monday in Wayne County, Gardner and Nicholas Sanborn of Sanborn Construction met on social media in March ... and the conversation soon turned to a historic apartment building that was for sale in the Motor City.

USA Swimming CFO Cory Hilliard found himself in hot water on Monday ... when he was arrested for allegedly misappropriating funds at his old gig.

Hilliard -- who previously worked as an assistant Athletic Director at the University of Colorado Boulder -- was under investigation by the school and local police for alleged fiscal misconduct between 2021 and 2025.

Colorado athletic director Rick George notified the school of the potential wrongdoing in July 2025 ... while Hilliard served as the designated administrator of its Nike Elite program, which is in place to help athletes, coaches and staffers with merchandise.

Enes Kanter Freedom has officially submitted paperwork in hopes of entering the 2027 WNBA Draft ... claiming it's totally in bounds with the league's current rules.

The 34-year-old former NBA big man revealed the signed letter on Monday ... which states, "Please accept this formal document as my official written notification to the Women's National Basketball Association of my voluntary decision to enter the player pool for the 2027 WNBA Draft."

"Consistent with the current league collective bargaining agreement, I am submitting this notice to exercise my draft rights and to affirm that I am at least twenty-two years old and that I have no remaining intercollegiate eligibility, as required by Article XIII, Section 1(b)."

Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy is back on the practice field ... just two weeks after his wife was allegedly shot by the couple's son at their family home.

The longtime coach returned to training camp in St. Joseph, Missouri, on Monday, following the tragedy.

Of course, Mia Bieniemy was shot multiple times on July 26 at the couple's home in Virginia. Authorities say their 27-year-old son, Elijah, was the one who pulled the trigger.

Aaron Donald is still Aaron Donald no matter how much Aaron Donald ya get ... so says Shawne Merriman, who tells TMZ Sports even if the All-Pro defensive tackle comes back at 80% -- he's one of the best players in the NFL.

The Los Angeles Rams legend has been flirting with the idea of a return ever since the Myles Garrett trade earlier in the offseason ... and the chatter intensified when he had an official tryout this week.

We asked the Chargers great what he thought of the potential reunion ... and he believes Donald can dominate two years removed from his last snap.

Jake Whisenant -- a climber who holds the record for the fastest time up Yosemite's El Capitan -- has died ... according to a report.

According to the California Post -- which cites the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office Coroner -- Jake passed away on August 3. The circumstances surrounding his death are unknown at the time.

Bailee Moore -- a self-described longtime friend of Jake's -- paid tribute to him on social media ... writing that his loved ones take solace in knowing he was doing what he loved when he passed.

Trent Williams has allegedly been hoarding his 49ers gold ... because a car company claims the NFL star hasn't paid his lease in years.

The offensive lineman is being sued by OpenRoad Auto Group -- a car dealer in Washington -- which claims in 2021 it leased a 2018 Porsche 911 to Trent.

According to OpenRoad, Williams agreed to make 48 monthly payments ... with the lease expiring August 31, 2025.

The company claims Williams made the first two lease payments in August and September 2021 ... in the total amount of $10,617.26 ... but hasn't made a single payment since.

Soccer icon Hope Solo is putting some of her most legendary gear on the block!

The former longtime U.S. Women’s National Team star -- widely considered the greatest goalkeeper the game has ever seen -- is auctioning off more than 45 pieces from her personal collection at Lelands.

The big-ticket items include her match-worn, signed, photo-matched jersey and shorts from the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup final victory over Japan ... her championship ring from that title run. The auction house says it's the most significant women's soccer memorabilia ever made available to the public.

Also up for grabs -- the Golden Glove award Solo earned as the tournament’s top keeper (she allowed just three goals in seven matches), along with her match-worn jerseys from the quarterfinal win over China and the semifinal triumph against Germany.

WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert is finally weighing in on the league's raging transgender athlete debate ... acknowledging the issue isn't going away -- and neither are the conversations about it.

Engelbert addressed the controversy in a memo sent to teams Friday and obtained by the AP ... saying she expects transgender participation in women's basketball to continue getting "significant attention."

The commish stopped short of taking a side ... but said the league will approach the issue thoughtfully and respectfully, while stressing "preserving the integrity of our game and ensuring fair competition" remain among its highest priorities.

Kyle Shanahan revealed a major new detail about the car crash that left him seriously injured ... claiming his Tesla was on autopilot when he took his eyes off the road.

The 49ers head coach told reporters Saturday he'd been traveling about 20 MPH when his phone fell out of reach ... and he trusted the car's autopilot enough to look away and go searching for it.

Shanahan says he still doesn't know exactly what happened next -- whether autopilot malfunctioned or he accidentally disengaged it -- but he's not pointing the finger at Tesla.

Baseball legend Tommy John is saying goodbye to the game and the fans who followed him for decades ... penning an emotional farewell letter as he battles serious health issues.

Tommy wasn't at Yankee Stadium for Saturday's Old-Timers' Day celebration ... but the Yankees shared a message from the 83-year-old thanking the organization and the Steinbrenner family for giving him the chance to "say goodbye to everyone."

Tommy is currently in hospice care at his home in Bradenton, Florida, according to a Reuters report.

NFL legend Roger Craig used the biggest moment of his football life to reveal a heartbreaking diagnosis ... announcing during his Pro Football Hall of Fame induction speech that he has vascular dementia.

The 66-year-old San Francisco 49ers great made the disclosure during his taped acceptance speech Saturday ... saying doctors believe his condition may be related -- at least in part -- to concussions he suffered over his 11-year NFL career.

Craig said the changes came on slowly and were initially easy to brush off as normal aging ... but his family eventually noticed them too, prompting him to seek answers from a doctor.

Ex-NBA player Royce White has announced he's transgender and plans to declare for the 2027 WNBA Draft ... making him the second former pro to do so within a day.

Check it out -- the former pro baller explained it loud and clear during a Friday interview with Fox News, saying ... "I’m transgender ... I identify as sometimes identifying as a woman for purposes of professional basketball, so I will be declaring for the WNBA draft in 2027 as well."

Royce played 3 official NBA games during the 2013-14 season with the Sacramento Kings and is currently a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate.

Argentinian soccer star Lionel Messi's dad, Jorge Messi, has died.

The famous sports club from Rosario, Argentina -- Newell's Old Boys -- announced the sad news on social media Saturday, and celebrated him as a "pillar" who vigorously supported one of the best soccer players of all time with his wife, Celia Cuccittini, who survives him.

The club's translated message continued, "His constant companionship and behind-the-scenes leadership were essential in backing every step of Lionel, from his beginnings at Malvinas to the pinnacle of world football glory."

Jorge was not only Lionel's loving father, but also his agent who helped him create a celebrated career from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain and to his current home of Inter Miami.