The MLB world was shocked when Houston Astros’ pitcher Lance McCullers received death threats online following a start he’d made against the Cincinnati Reds on May 10.

McCullers was making his second start after a 2.5-year absence from Major League Baseball, recovering from major arm surgery, and did not perform well. He gave up seven runs in the first inning. The Astros ultimately lost that game, 13-9.

McCullers claimed that he received the messages after the game, threatening to ‘find [his] kids and murder them.’

‘I understand people are very passionate and people love the Astros and love sports, but threatening to find my kids and murder them is a little bit tough to deal with,’ McCullers told reporters. The Astros granted McCullers and his family 24-hour security, and finally, the man behind the threats has been discovered.

The spokesperson did add that the man has since relayed an apology to McCullers and his family. Charges are still being considered and the case remains open.

Noticeable uptick in death threats to MLB players

‘I think over the last few years it’s definitely increased,’ Milwaukee’s Christian Yelich said, via ESPN, in reference to the threats he’s received. ‘It’s increased to the point that you’re just, ‘All right, here we go.’ It doesn’t even really register on your radar anymore. I don’t know if that’s a good or a bad thing. You’re just so used to that on a day-to-day, night-to-night basis. It’s not just me. It’s everybody in here, based on performance.’

Just last month, Boston Red Sox reliever Liam Hendriks revealed that he’d also received such threats. ‘Threats against my life and my wife’s life are horrible and cruel,’ said Hendriks. ‘Comments telling me to commit suicide and how you wish I died from cancer is disgusting and vile. Maybe you should take a step back and re-evaluate your life’s purpose before hiding behind a screen attacking players and their families.’

Sports betting’s impact on threats

In an interview with ESPN, head of integrity services and athlete well-being for MLB partner Sportradar, said that while the popularization of sports betting has certainly played a factor, these messages have been coming to athletes since long before gambling became so widespread.

‘It is broader than just sports betting,’ Brown claims. ‘Yes, sports betting is a factor, but we see it in all forms, whether racism, transphobia, doping, geopolitical, misogyny. The abuse is insane.’

Sports gambling is currently legal in 38 states in the U.S., with 30 states enabling gambling from a person’s mobile phone. Keep in mind though, the person who sent the threats to McCullers was located overseas.

Oklahoma softball nearly pulled off another late, magical moment against Texas Tech on Monday in the WCWS semifinals. The Red Raiders had other plans, though.

Down to their final strike in the top of the seventh inning, Sooners 9-hole hitter Abigale Dayton launched a game-tying two-run home run to even the score at 2-2. The moment was similar to Ella Parker’s walk-off home run against Tennessee in the opening round of the WCWS, showing the Sooners’ fight down the stretch.

Texas Tech ace NiJaree Canady, who has pitched in every game for the Red Raiders during the NCAA tournament, was phenomenal as always, allowing two runs on five hits with eight strikeouts across seven innings of work. Canady’s performance subsequently ended Oklahoma’s streak of four consecutive national titles, one of the most dominant stretches in college sports history.

Now, Texas Tech looks forward to facing Texas in the national championship series, where one program will come away with its first national title in softball.

Here are the highlights from Texas Tech’s semifinal win over Oklahoma in the WCWS:

Oklahoma vs Texas Tech softball live score

Oklahoma vs Texas Tech softball live updates

Texas Tech walks it off

Texas Tech walks it off, as Lauren Allred’s flyout is deep enough to score Davis from third base.

The Red Raiders are heading to the national championship game, and end Oklahoma’s four-year national title streak in the process. What a game to set up Texas-Texas Tech for all the marbles.

Texas Tech doubles to put runners on second and third

Texas Tech’s Mihyia Davis ropes a single, before Hailey Toney nearly homers, but hits a double off the left-field wall to put runners on second and third with one out.

Red Raiders’ winning run is 60 feet from scoring.

Oklahoma ties it with clutch home run

Wow. Down to its final strike, Oklahoma 9-hole hitter Abigale Dayton launches a two-run home run to right field to tie the game at 2-2 in the top of the seventh inning.

What a moment. The Sooners just don’t go down without a fight. That was only Dayton’s third home run of the season.

Sydney Barker picks up 3rd hit of game

Sydney Barker hits a bloop single with one out, picking up her third hit of the game. Barker has three of the Sooners’ four hits against Texas Tech, bringing the tying run to the plate in the top of the seventh inning.

Oklahoma on verge of first shutout since 2019

Oklahoma hasn’t been shutout in a game since losing to Alabama 1-0 in 2019. The Sooners are on the verge of losing that streak against one of the game’s all-time great pitchers in NiJaree Canady here.

Texas Tech 3 outs from national championship berth

Ella Parker hits a leadoff single, but Canady forces a flyout and strikes out two to get out of the sixth inning.

Oklahoma is down to its final three outs and is close to missing out on a national title berth for the first time since 2018.

Ella Parker with leadoff single

Ella Parker ropes a leadoff single into center field, giving the Sooners a baserunner with no outs for 3-hole hitter Gabbie Garcia.

Nice start to the inning for Oklahoma.

Sam Landry gets inning-ending double play

Sam Landry gets NiJaree Canady to groundout into a 6-4-3 double play to end the fifth inning, which fired up the Sooners a bit. Can that give Oklahoma some momentum offensively?

Landry has now thrown over 400 pitches at the WCWS.

NiJaree Canady works around leadoff single

Canady puts up another zero, but Oklahoma had a couple nice swings in the top of the fifth inning. Sydney Barker, who has both of the Sooners’ hits, hit a leadoff single before Abigaile Dayton flied out to the warning track in deep left field.

Oklahoma down to its final six outs.

Lauren Allred gets Texas Tech out of inning

NiJaree Canady’s dominance continues, but it’s first baseman Lauren Allred who fields a groundball and dives to first base to get an out to end end the inning.

Texas Tech still leads 2-0, as Oklahoma’s offense continues to struggle against Canady.

Sam Landry puts up zero

Landry works around a walk but forces a pair of flyouts and a groundout to get out of the bottom of the third inning. Texas Tech still leads 2-0 as Oklahoma’s bats head to the plate.

Oklahoma goes 1-2-3

NiJaree Canady continues her dominance, retiring the Sooners in order to start the third inning. Canady is up to four strikeouts so far, with her strikeout against Ella Parker marking her whopping 300th of the year.

Texas Tech still leads 2-0.

Patrick Mahomes watching Texas Tech softball

Three-time Super Bowl champion Patrick Mahomes is tuned into Texas Tech softball, as he mentioned the team in a post on X during the game. Mahomes played quarterback at Texas Tech and also was drafted to MLB out of high school.

Texas Tech scores again

Bailey Lindemuth singles to center field, scoring Demi Elder from third base to give Texas Tech a 2-0 lead.

A two-run lead for NiJaree Canady has Texas Tech feeling good heading into the third inning.

Sam Landry honors Gerry Glasco’s daughter

Sam Landry, who played under Texas Tech coach Gerry Glasco at Louisiana, has ‘Geri Ann,’ Glasco’s daughter’s name, stitched on her glove.

Texas Tech takes 1-0 lead

Sam Landry walks Alana Johnson, who later scores from first after Demi Elder triples down the left-field line. That ball was smoked by Elder.

Oklahoma definitely doesn’t want to get down 2-0 against NiJaree Canady here.

Canady escapes jam

Oklahoma’s Isabela Emerling ropes a line drive, but it’s straight at Texas Tech shortstop Hailey Toney to end the inning. The Sooners fall short on the scoring chance.

Oklahoma puts runners on first and third

Cydney Sanders draws a walk before freshman Sydney Barker bloops a single into left field to put runners on first and third for Oklahoma with two outs.

Sooners with a chance at scoring a run on NiJaree Canady here.

Landry escapes first inning

Sam Landry needs 28 pitches to get out of the first inning but works around a walk to put up a zero. Oklahoma-Texas Tech tied at 1-1 through one inning.

Sam Landry connections to Texas Tech

Oklahoma pitcher Sam Landry, a first-team All-American in 2025, has plenty of connections to Texas Tech due to her time at Louisiana. Landry played for Red Raiders coach Gerry Glasco when Glasco was at Louisiana and has five former teammates on Texas Tech’s roster.

Mihyia Davis, Chloe Riassetto, Lauren Allred, Victoria Valdez and Alexa Langeliers all joined Glasco from Louisiana after Glasco was hired prior to the 2025 season.

Canady retires Oklahoma in order

The Sooners go down in order to start the first inning, as NiJaree Canady strikes out Kasidi Pickering and Gabbie Garcia.

Canady’s arsenal looks electric so far.

Canady fires a strike and we’re underway

NiJaree Canady fires a strike for Texas Tech, the home team, and we’re underway. A pair of first-team All-Americans start off the semifinal, as Canady faces Oklahoma leadoff hitter Kasidi Pickering.

NiJaree Canady starting for Texas Tech

NiJaree Canady, the former national player of the year, is getting the start for Texas Tech in the circle. Canady has started every game for the Red Raiders during their NCAA tournament run and leads the nation with a 0.86 ERA.

Texas Tech softball lineup vs Oklahoma

1. CF Mihyia Davis
2. SS Hailey Toney
3. 1B Lauren Allred
4. P NiJaree Canady
5. 2B Alexa Langeliers
6. RF Alana Johnson
7. LF Demi Elder
8. C Victoria Valdez
9. 3B Bailey Lindemuth

Oklahoma softball lineup vs Texas Tech

1. LF Kasidi Pickering
2. DP Ella Parker
3. SS Gabbie Garcia
4. 3B Nelly McEnroe-Marinas
5. 1B Cydney Sanders
6. 2B Ailani Agbayani
7. RF Sydney Barker
8. C Isabela Emerling
9. CF Abigale Dayton

Right-hander Sam Landry is in the circle for the Sooners.

What time does Oklahoma vs Texas Tech softball start?

• Time: 7 p.m. ET
• Date: Monday, June 2
• Location: Devon Park (Oklahoma City)

Oklahoma-Texas Tech softball is set for a 7 p.m. ET first pitch on Monday night. If Oklahoma wins and forces an if-necessary game, the two teams will immediately play again, which is currently scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET.

What TV channel is Oklahoma vs Texas Tech softball on today?

• TV channel: ESPN
• Streaming: ESPN app, ESPN+

Detroit Lions center Frank Ragnow announced his retirement from the NFL after seven seasons on Monday. The 29-year-old enjoyed a quality career during which he was voted to the Pro Bowl four times and was thrice named an All-Pro second-teamer.

That said, many NFL fans will remember Ragnow for a gruesome-sounding injury he played through during the 2020 NFL season.

In the Lions’ Week 14 game against the Green Bay Packers, Ragnow suffered a fractured throat bone, an uncommon injury often associated with trauma from strangulation, according to the Journal of Maxillofacial and Oral Surgery.

Ragnow did not leave the game because of the injury. He played all 67 offensive snaps for the Lions before missing the next two games due to the injury.

How Frank Ragnow played through fractured throat

Upon returning to the sidelines, Ragnow realized his voice sounded different. He compared it to the sound a dog toy makes when its squeaker is broken.

Nonetheless, Ragnow’s airway was unobstructed, which allowed him to play the rest of the game. There was just one issue: he was unable to talk and couldn’t make calls at the line of scrimmage.

As such, Ragnow relied on starting guards Oday Aboushi and Jonah Jackson to help him communicate adjustments at the line of scrimmage. He also delivered a message to then-Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford to make sure Detroit’s offense would continue to operate smoothly as he struggled to speak.

‘He came up to me early in the game and was very hoarse and kind of faint sounding and was like, ‘I can’t really talk right now. I can’t really talk, just to let you know. Just make sure you’re communicating with everybody up front even more so than (you) normally would,” Stafford told the Detroit Free Press. ‘So it was kind of crazy, but it was good. Didn’t have any communication issues the rest of the game, really.’

Ragnow helped the Lions remain competitive against the Packers, but Detroit still ended up losing the game 31-24.

Ragnow and the Lions realized the full extent of his injury after the game. The fracture didn’t require surgery, but the offensive lineman had to rest his voice to ensure his vocal cords would make a full recovery.

‘When you see the vocal cords and see how I guess bruised up they are, it’s just something that was very alarming, for sure,’ Ragnow explained.

Ragnow was able to bounce back quickly from the injury. He was able to play all 58 of Detroit’s offensive snaps in its final regular-season game just three weeks after suffering the fracture.

That said, he acknowledged his voice wasn’t fully back at the time and it was difficult to remain quiet while the injury healed.

‘You definitely get a whole new perspective on just kind of taking everything in,’ Ragnow said of his recovery. ‘But I guess it was good that if I ever did try to talk, my voice did not sound well so that very much urged me to stop talking, so that was the good part of it. But it’s definitely a unique perspective and it’s definitely something I don’t wish upon anyone, that’s for sure.’

Ragnow did not experience any further throat injuries during his NFL career. However, he was frequently banged up, dealing with foot, toe, knee, ankle, back and groin injuries over his seven seasons.

Ragnow acknowledged those injuries took a toll on him and influenced his decision to retire at the age of 29.

‘I’ve tried to convince myself that I’m feeling good but I’m not and it’s time to prioritize my health and my families future,’ Ragnow wrote in a statement announcing his retirement. ‘I have given this team everything I have and I thought I had more to give, but the reality is I simply don’t. I have to listen to my body and this has been one of the hardest decisions of my life.’

All the NFL news on and off the field. Sign up for USA TODAY’s 4th and Monday newsletter. Check out the latest edition: Best fits for remaining free agents.

The stage for the final leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown race is set.

Although there won’t be a Triple Crown winner in 2025, the 2025 Belmont Stakes will still be a highly-anticipated attraction with the rematch for the first jewels of the sport’s premier races. After not running in the Preakness Stakes, 2025 Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty makes his return to the track and faces Journalism, the winner of the Preakness. The two went down to the wire at Churchill Downs and they’ll meet again for another chance of glory.

The race will still be held at Saratoga Race Course as Belmont Park is still undergoing renovations, and as a result, the race will be contested at 1 ¼-mile instead of the traditional 1 ½-mile distance. Journalism and Sovereignty are the favorites, but could another thoroughbred spoil the rematch and take the title in New York?

2025 Belmont Stakes post positions

Here’s where each horse landed, as well as its trainer, jockey and current odds:

1. Hill Road
   • Trainer: Chad Brown
   • Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr.
   • Odds: 10-1
2. Sovereignty
   • Trainer: Bill Mott
   • Jockey: Junior Alvarado
   • Odds: 2-1
3. Rodriguez
   • Trainer: Bob Baffert
   • Jockey: Mike Smith
   • Odds: 6-1
4. Uncaged
   • Trainer: Todd Pletcher
   • Jockey: Luis Saez
   • Odds: 30-1
5. Crudo
   • Trainer: Todd Pletcher
   • Jockey: John Velazquez
   • Odds: 15-1
6. Baeza
   • Trainer: John Shirreffs
   • Jockey: Flavien Prat
   • Odds: 4-1
7. Journalism
   • Trainer: Michael McCarthy
   • Jockey: Umberto Rispoli
   • Odds: 8-5
8. Heart of Honor
   • Trainer: Jamie Osborne
   • Jockey: Saffie Osborne
   • Odds: 30-1

When is the Belmont Stakes 2025?

The 157th running of the Belmont Stakes will be held Saturday, June 7. Post time is 6:50 p.m. ET.

• Date: Saturday, June 7, 2025
• Time: 6:50 p.m. ET
• TV: Fox
• Stream: Fubo (free trial)
• Location: Saratoga Race Course (Saratoga Springs, New York)

The biggest stories, every morning. Stay up-to-date on all the key sports developments by subscribing to USA TODAY Sports’ newsletter.

Major League Soccer players want more money for participating in the FIFA Club World Cup later this month, but say they have received pushback from the league in their efforts. 

Three MLS clubs — Seattle, Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami and Los Angeles FC — will represent the league in the tournament, which begins June 14 and will be hosted in the United States. 

FIFA’s Club World Cup boasts a $1 billion prize pool — $475 million disbursed based on performance, and $525 million given to participating teams. The winner will take home at least $125 million. The MLS teams will make at least $9.5 million just for participating, while wins during each stage of the tournament will only drive up the possible earnings.

However, MLS players earn 50 percent of money earned from outside tournaments — capped at $1 million, according to the league’s collective bargaining agreement. 

The MLS Players Association released a statement shortly after the Sounders players display.

“The MLSPA and all MLS players stand united with the Seattle Sounders players who tonight demanded a fair share of the FIFA Club World Cup prize money,” the statement read. 

“FIFA’s new tournament piles on to players’ ever-increasing workload without regard to their physical well-being. In order to seize this additional calendar territory, FIFA had to commit historic amounts of prize money to secure club and player participation. As a result, MLS will receive an unprecedented financial windfall.

“Despite this windfall, the league has refused to allocate a fair percentage of those funds to the players themselves.

“For months, the players have privately and respectfully invited the league to discuss bonus terms, yet MLS has failed to bring forward a reasonable proposal. Instead of recognizing the players who have brought MLS to the global stage, the league – which routinely asks the (player association) to deviate from the (collective bargaining agreement) – is clinging to an out-of-date CBA provision and ignoring longstanding international standards on what players typically receive from FIFA prize money in global competitions.

“It is the players who make the game possible. It is the players who are lifting MLS up on the global stage. They expect to be treated fairly and with respect.”

Messi and Inter Miami will play in the Club World Cup opener against Egyptian club Al Alhy on June 14 in Miami. Inter Miami will also play FC Porto (Portugal) on June 19 in Atlanta, and SE Palmeiras (Brazil) on June 23 in the group stage.

The Sounders will play all three of their group stage matches at home in Lumen Field in Seattle. They’ll face Botafogo (Brazil) on June 15, Atletico Madrid (Spain) on June 19, then Paris Saint-Germain (France) on June 23.

LAFC became the last team to enter the Club World Cup after a thrilling 2-1 win against Liga MX standouts Club America on Saturday night. They will face Chelsea (England) in Atlanta on June 16, Espérance (Tunisia) in Nashville on June 20 and CR Flamengo (Brazil) in Orlando on June 24 during the group stage.

The biggest stories, every morning. Stay up-to-date on all the key sports developments by subscribing to USA TODAY Sports’ newsletter.