Sunday Sports Notebook: CJ Abrams rolls snake eyes and is demoted; Bryce Young benched; BC wins again; Caitlin Clark WNBA playoff debut
Washington Nationals All-Star shortstop CJ Abrams was demoted to the minors on Saturday after he stayed out all night at the Chicago-area casino, leaving just hours before Friday’s game with the Cubs, according to ESPN’s Jesse Rogers.
Abrams, 23, led off for the Nationals in that game; he went 0-for-3 with a walk and strikeout. The game started at 1 p.m. CT.
The Nationals sent him to West Palm Beach, Florida, home of Washington’s minor league complex.
Nats skipper Dave Martinez confirmed the demotion and termed it an internal matter. Martinez told reporters he had an emotional conversation with Abrams and emphasized his support for his young shortstop.
"For me, it's about taking care of the person first, and not the player, and I'm going to do everything I can to help him," Martinez said. "I love the kid. He's a good kid. He's going to be back."
Abrams will lose around $30,000 of his $752,000 salary for missing the final week of the season. Abrams will be arbitration-eligible this winter, entering the system for the first of four times as a Super 2.
Packers quarterback Jordan Love remains out for Week 3 with an MCL sprain in his left knee. He suffered the injury late in the game in Green Bay’s season opener against the Eagles. Love is officially listed as questionable in the matchup.
Malik Willis is expected to start under center and face his old team, who traded him this offseason. The former Titans quarterback isn’t looking at this week as a revenge game.
"No, I could care less, man," Willis said. "I think I got paid the whole time I was there. I'm more than blessed for the opportunities given me. They brought me into this league, whether those guys are there or not. That organization, they took a shot on me. They did a great job by me."
Quarterback is expected to start again this season for the Panthers, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Young was benched following the Panthers’ Week 2 loss to the Chargers. Andy Dalton will start for Carolina on Sunday against the Raiders.
"This is something I felt like gives us our chance to take a step forward in our play style and to be able to compete this week against a really good Raiders team,” Panthers head coach Dave Canales said to reporters on Monday.
The Panthers believe that benching Young is more about development and holding all players accountable as the organization moves forward.
Despite the Panthers saying Young will play again this season, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported several teams have expressed interest in trading for the young star.
“The Panthers have been contacted by certain teams, according to league sources, while other teams have mulled a Young trade within their own organizations,” Schefter reported.
“Although the Panthers have said they don't plan to trade Young at this time, sources around the league believe it is only a matter of time before Carolina completes a deal involving the second-year quarterback, with the most likely time coming at some point in the offseason.”
Boston College Eagles defeated Michigan State 23-19 in their annual red bandanna game at Alumni Stadium. In a rainy thriller on Chestnut Hill, Bill O’Brien’s squad scored a last-minute touchdown when Thomas Castellanos hit Lewis Bond for a 42-yard touchdown pass with 88 seconds left.
“It’s a special night. The crowd, the students, and a great tribute to Welles Crowther and his family,” O’Brien said. “It’s one of those games, though, you’ve got to win. You’ve got to win to make it a real special night. So I was happy our guys were able to pull it out.”
Castellanos, who completed 10 of 16 passes for 140 yards, led the Eagles across midfield before finding Bond for the touchdown.
“It’s amazing,” Castellanos said. “It’s a dream come true.”
BC improved to 3-1 on the season.
Caitlin Clark will make her WNBA playoff debut for the Indiana Fever. It is the Fever’s first postseason appearance in eight years. The Fever will take on No. 3 seed Connecticut Sun in the first round of the best-of-three series.
Clark and the sixth seed Fever is the Rookie of the Year frontrunner, averaging 19.2 points per game with 8.4 assists per game.
Tip off for Game 1 is on Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m. at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, and can be seen on ABC.
Game 2: Wednesday, Sept. 25 at Connecticut, 7:30 p.m. ET
Game 3 (if necessary): Friday, Sept. 27 at Indiana, tip time TBA
