There are nights when everything seems to conspire against a team. That’s exactly what happened to Minnesota United on their visit to Seattle, where they faced the Sounders and came out defeated 2-0. The match began with a dramatic incident in the opening seconds, as a collision between Devin Padelford and Alex Roldan resulted in injuries that affected the course of the game.

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For the Loons, the lack of depth in the squad proved to be a difficult obstacle to overcome from the outset. With tactical adjustments forced by injuries, the Minnesota team never managed to find their rhythm. Sang Bin Jeong had to quickly adapt to a new position, while the planned attacking duo with Bongokuhle Hlongwane failed to click as expected.

The first half saw sporadic moments of promise, notably with Franco Fragapane showcasing individual skill that offered a glimmer of hope. At the 28th minute, the Sounders’ quality shone through as Albert Rusnák delivered a perfect cross for Jordan Morris to head home.

In the second half, the situation didn’t improve for the visitors. Despite brief moments of improvement, particularly in the early minutes after halftime, chances created by Caden Clark and Bongokuhle Hlongwane were not enough to change the scoreline. Attempts to combine between Fragapane and Robin Lod also faltered. In the 57th minute, Paul Rothrock extended the Sounders’ lead, capitalizing on a precise cross from Léo Chú.

The New York Mets are scorching hot, winning eight of their last 10 games. Still 14.5 back in the National League East, the chances of winning the division are slim to none.

Despite the frustration and poor play for much of the season, they only sit two games back from a Wild Card spot.

If the Mets had continued to lose games like they were just a few weeks ago, selling seemed like the ideal situation. With about a month left before the MLB trade deadline, this could change things.

While they certainly aren’t World Series contenders as currently constructed, crazier things have happened. Baseball is tougher than any sport when it comes to winning in the postseason, and previous playoffs indicate that anything can happen.

However, the elephant in the room is still on what they plan to do with slugger Pete Alonso. The right-handed hitter hits free agency at the end of the year and is expected to sign a contract that could exceed $200 million.

If Steve Cohen and the front office don’t have any plans on paying him, keeping him for the remainder of the season doesn’t make much sense. If they’re willing to give him what he’s looking for, trading him doesn’t make much sense.

No matter what situation they’re in as a team, their plan shouldn’t change.

In the scenario where they do move him, many teams around the league will be interested.

A proposed trade from Matt Johnson of Sportsnaut has Alonso getting dealt to the Seattle Mariners for Jonatan Clase.

“The New York Mets are fully committed to selling at the MLB trade deadline and the reported Pete Alonso contract demands mean an extension likely won’t even be pursued. Alonso’s status as a half-season rental will likely drive down his trade value considerably, putting him in a more affordable range for the Seattle Mariners.”

The 22-year-old Clase is viewed as a top-10 prospect in the Mariners organization. He made his MLB debut in 2024, appearing in 15 games. The switch-hitting outfielder has struggled, slashing .176/.200/.206 with 13 strikeouts in 34 at-bats.

Only 34 at-bats into his big league career, it’s impossible to make a judgment on him as a player at this level.

If New York had moved him a year ago, the return would’ve been much better than it’ll likely be, another factor they have to think about. Instead, they find themselves in one of the toughest positions in the league.

Kicking off a six-week break between minicamp and training camp, the Seattle Seahawks hope to have several players returning from injury ready to roll once they report for the start of the new season in late July.

Speaking with reporters after the second and final mandatory minicamp practice on Wednesday, Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald indicated most of the players who have been sidelined during the offseason program – including tackle Abraham Lucas and linebacker Tyrel Dodson – should have a chance to suit up early in game on the practice field. As is the case any time a player returns from a prolonged injury absence, however, they aren’t going to rush them back into a full workload.

“There will be a couple guys reassessed come when training camp starts,” Macdonald said. “Again, it’s not smart to just throw a guy back into the wolves and get all the reps that he would be getting come Week 8 of the season. We’ll play it safe with the player loads and try to be smart about it.”

Headlining Seattle’s veterans on the mend, Lucas has been sidelined throughout the spring coming off knee surgery, but was in attendance for mandatory minicamp as an observer. Following a strong rookie season where started 16 games across from Charles Cross, he played in just six games in 2023, landing on injured reserve twice with lingering discomfort.

Macdonald didn’t have any new updates on Lucas on Wednesday after saying the Seahawks are “shooting for training camp” for his return during OTAs, but the team has been encouraged by his progress in rehab.

“Yeah, same thing we talked about last time,” Macdonald said. “He’s working his tail off. I can tell you that.”

While Lucas expectedly didn’t practice at all during the spring program, Seattle did welcome back guard Anthony Bradford for the final minicamp session after the second-year blocker missed the majority of OTAs with a tweaked ankle. He participated in individual and position drills, but McClendon Curtis and rookie Christian Haynes took all of the reps at right guard during the 11-on-11 team scrimmage periods.

“He’s right there. Just good to see him out there,” Macdonald said of Bradford. “Missed a little bit of time there throughout some of the OTAs. He’s right in the mix. Got a great competition, especially on the right side of the line, and he’s right there. He’s got a great opportunity to go earn himself a job.”

In addition to Bradford, tackle George Fant sat out on Wednesday for workload reasons, and per Macdonald, the Seahawks will be watching his snaps when camp arrives in July to keep him fresh, especially if Lucas needs more time before he’s ready to practice.

On defense, Seattle went throughout the offseason program without Dodson or fellow veteran Jerome Baker seeing any field time as both players work back from injuries.

Earlier in the spring, Macdonald indicated Baker was working his way back from wrist surgery as well as lower body issues and wouldn’t be back until at least the start of training camp. As for Dodson, without his injury specifically being disclosed, his return will be the start of camp at the earliest, if not longer.

“Right now we’re shooting for camp. Hasn’t had any reps, so if he’s not out there the first play of camp rocking and rolling it’s not because — we have to ramp him back up into repping.”

Capping off Macdonald’s injury updates, second-year defensive tackle Cameron Young hasn’t participated at all in spring practice due to a lower body injury, but the Seahawks expect he will be ready to play early in camp. Receivers Jaxon Smith-Njigba (shoulder) and Laviska Shenault (toe) exited Wednesday’s session early for precautionary reasons and should be more than ready to go for the start of the season.