LONDON -- Mikel Arteta admitted Arsenal "dropped our standards" in Wednesday's 2-2 draw against Crystal Palace, which leaves Liverpool on the brink of winning the Premier League.

Jean-Philippe Mateta's 83rd-minute equaliser denied Arsenal victory at Emirates Stadium, meaning Arne Slot's side only need a point against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday to be crowned English champions for a record-equalling 20th time.

Arsenal took the lead through Jakub Kiwior's third-minute header before Eberechi Eze equalised on 27 minutes with a superb volley from Adam Wharton's corner.

Leandro Trossard restored Arsenal's advantage three minutes before the break but Arsenal were never convincing at the back and William Saliba's late error gave Mateta, on as a substitute just three minutes earlier, a chance he took brilliantly, beating David Raya from 30 yards as he scrambled back towards goal.

"We dropped our standards today and credit to Crystal Palace," Arteta said.

"We struggled to find consistency in the game. We gave the ball away in simple ways and we were late in everything we did. I am disappointed."

Trossard vowed Arsenal will deliver a much better display when hosting Paris Saint-Germain in Tuesday's Champions League semifinal first leg.

"The quality today wasn't there compared to our last game [a 4-0 win at Ipswich Town]," Trossard said.

"We were nowhere near that and we got punished. We need to raise the level with our big game coming up. It will be good to have six days now and prepare for this [PSG] game with 100% focus.

"It will be a different performance."

Palace remained in 12th place and have little to play for in the Premier League. They are, however, heading into an FA Cup semifinal game against Aston Villa on Saturday in better heart.

"It's important to keep this energy and confidence for the semifinal on Saturday," Palace manager Oliver Glasner said.

"It was not our goal to decide the title, it was our goal to win the game. I think a draw is a very good result. More important is the performance. We are back on the track."

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

LONDON -- There were fears Arsenal's season was over when Gabriel Magalhães was ruled out for the rest of the campaign at the beginning of April.

After all, the Gunners had been here before. Two years ago, Gabriel's center-back partner William Saliba sustained a knee injury at a similar point, which precipitated Arsenal's exit from Europe and the collapse of their Premier League hopes as Manchester City won the 2022-23 title.

Jakub Kiwior joined midway through that season from Spezia in a 20 million deal, and as someone new to the league, he was not entrusted with the responsibility of replacing Saliba.

Instead, Rob Holding partnered with Gabriel at the back as Arsenal faltered, winning just five of their final 11 games in a hugely disappointing end to the campaign.

This time, Kiwior has the opportunity to prove a capable deputy, and Wednesday's 2-2 draw against Crystal Palace raised as many questions as answers. Holding, incidentally, cannot even get into the Palace team these days and finds himself on loan at EFL Championship side Sheffield United.

First, the good news. Kiwior did his best to emulate Gabriel's potent goal threat, climbing highest to power a third-minute header past Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson from Martin Ødegaard's free kick.

It was his first league goal of the season and only the fourth of an Arsenal career in which he has had to demonstrate considerable patience watching on from the sidelines as Saliba and Gabriel formed one of the best center-back pairings in the world.

"Even when I was sitting on the bench, I could feel the help from the coach that he was always prepared for me," said Kiwior in the matchday program. "Especially now, when he needs me, I'm always 100% ready to help the team."

He might be ready, but is he good enough? Arsenal looked shaky at the back throughout this game, although there may have been several reasons for that, not least that both teams had an eye on their next match rather than this one, with the Gunners hosting Paris Saint-Germain back at Emirates Stadium in Tuesday's UEFA Champions League first leg of their semifinal tie. Palace face Aston Villa in Saturday's FA Cup semifinal at Wembley.

Arsenal simply cannot defend like this against PSG.

"We dropped our standards, and credit to Crystal Palace," Gunners boss Mikel Arteta said.

"We struggled to find consistency in the game. We gave the ball away in simple ways, and we were late in everything we did. I am disappointed."

The visitors equalized on 27 minutes with a set-piece goal of high quality. Adam Wharton floated a corner to Eberechi Eze on the edge of the box, and the England international controlled a fine volley that flew in off David Raya's left-hand post.

"We worked on it yesterday in training, but it didn't go so well then," said Palace boss Oliver Glasner.

Eddie Nketiah, formerly of the Gunners, caused problems throughout the first half without ever looking convincing in front of goal. He was denied by an excellent block from Kiwior just a few minutes after Eze's intervention. Arteta is always quick to remind anyone of the substantial injury problems Arsenal have suffered this season, and in a similar manner to the responsibility Kiwior possesses in defence, Leandro Trossard likely now has in attack.

Season-ending injuries to Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus had made midfielder Mikel Merino an unlikely hero as a makeshift center-forward, but Thomas Partey's suspension for the first leg against PSG will force a rethink.

Arteta has given nothing away, but the logical move would be to move Merino back into midfield and give Trossard the chance to lead the line, as he did at Ipswich Town last weekend and against Palace here.

Trossard's 42nd-minute strike was deflected past Henderson, but also a reward for his clever movement inside the box to create the opening after good build-up play from Jurriën Timber. After his brace against Ipswich, Trossard has now scored in back-to-back games for the first time since November.

While Kiwior might be the unknown quantity in Arsenal's backline, it was, in fact, the normally reliable Saliba who was guilty of gifting Palace a route back into the game seven minutes from time.

He dawdled in possession, allowing substitute Jean-Philippe Mateta the chance to beat Raya from 30 yards as he scrambled back toward goal. Mateta did so superbly, kissing the underside of the bar with his effort as it found the net.

Liverpool still need a point against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday to be crowned champions, but the title race has been over for some time, so Saliba's mistake did not matter. Neither did his error in the second leg of their quarterfinal tie against Real Madrid, when a slip of remarkable similarity allowed Vinícius Júnior to score and briefly threaten a revival.

However, it did condemn Arsenal to their 13th draw of the season. Only Everton (14) have recorded a higher number in the league, and in the Gunners' case, they have surrendered a lead on nine of those 13 occasions. Those 16 dropped points look awfully damaging in the context of Liverpool's 12-point lead.

"We haven't been able to see the games off for many reasons, and the margins have been too small," Arteta admitted.

"Sometimes that's when I credit the opposition, it's also true that we played five times with ten men. There are a lot of factors, but obviously it's something that we've done much better in the past, especially when we've been ahead in games."

PSG will likely be unforgiving opponents. More is needed when the Champions League resumes if Arsenal are not to lament their injuries as another season passes without the ending they crave.

The Detroit Lions have agreed to a four-year, $86 million extension with All-Pro safety Kerby Joseph, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Wednesday.

The deal makes Joseph the highest-paid safety in NFL history with an average of $21.5 million per year. That surpasses the $21 million deal for Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Antoine Winfield Jr. and the $19.1 million deal for Los Angeles Chargers safety Derwin James Jr.

Joseph will be entering his fourth season in the league after the Lions selected him in the third round of the 2022 draft.

He led the NFL with nine interceptions last season, tied for the most by any Lions player of the last 50 years (Jimmy Allen also had nine in 1981). That included a pick-six in a 24-14 win at Green Bay on Nov. 3. He also was third on the team with 83 tackles.

Joseph led the NFL in passer rating allowed in coverage last season. He also allowed the third-lowest completion percentage, according to Next Gen Stats.

Information from ESPN Research was used in this report.

A federal judge told the NCAA and its members Wednesday that she would not approve the multibillion-dollar antitrust settlement that is expected to reshape the business of college sports unless they change a proposed policy for limiting roster sizes.

Judge Claudia Wilken said the NCAA's insistence on immediately implementing roster limits would cause some college athletes to lose their spot on their current teams and that she could not approve a settlement that would cause harm to some members of the plaintiff's class. She wrote that she did not have issues with any other parts of the proposed settlement and that the court "tentatively finds it can grant final approval" to the remainder of the settlement if the roster limits issue is resolved.

Wilken had suggested during a hearing for settlement approval earlier this month that the NCAA should consider delaying its new roster size rules to "grandfather in" current athletes.

"Those class members will be harmed because their roster spot will be or has been taken away as a result of the immediate implementation of the settlement agreement," Wilken wrote in her order Wednesday.

A spokesperson for the NCAA said the association was still reviewing the judge's order when reached for comment Wednesday night.

The NCAA has agreed to pay roughly $2.8 billion in damages to past and current athletes to settle three federal antitrust lawsuits that claim the association's rules have limited the athletes' earning potential in various ways. The deal, commonly referred to as the House settlement after lead plaintiff Grant House, also would create a system for schools to pay players directly, starting this summer.

In exchange, the NCAA would be allowed to limit how much each school can spend on its athletes per year -- an effective salary cap that is expected to start at roughly $20.5 million per school and increase annually during the 10-year lifespan of the deal. Several objectors who spoke at the hearing in Oakland, California, earlier this month asked Wilken to reject the settlement because it could lead to the elimination of thousands of roster spots on Division I teams across the country. The NCAA's current rules place limits on the number of scholarships that each team can give to its players. That rule will go away if the settlement is approved, meaning a school can provide a full scholarship to every one of its athletes if it chooses to do so.

To keep the wealthiest schools from stockpiling talent, the NCAA has proposed to instead limit the number of players each team can keep on its roster. Many teams would have to cut current athletes from their rosters to comply with the proposed limits.

The NCAA and the defendant conferences argued that it was not practical to change their plans for roster limits now because some schools have already starting cutting players to prepare for the expected change, among other reasons. Wilken rebuked this logic in her ruling Wednesday.

"Any disruption that may occur is a problem of Defendants' and NCAA members schools' own making," Wilken wrote.

Many schools have been proceeding under an assumption that the settlement would be finalized in time for its new rules -- including direct payment to athletes -- to go into effect starting this July. Earlier this week, the NCAA's Division I Board of Directors voted to eliminate more than 100 current rules from its handbook if the settlement is approved.

The judge issued her order as many conference commissioners were attending a College Football Playoff annual spring meeting at a Ritz-Carlton near Dallas. Several commissioners left the closed-door meeting during a break with cellphones pressed to their ears and one commissioner saying he needed to contact his general counsel, ESPN's Heather Dinich reported. All commissioners declined to comment.

Steve Berman, co-lead attorney for the plaintiffs, told ESPN on Wednesday that he believes the NCAA will change its mind on roster limits because that is the only remaining obstacle to the industry-shifting settlement being approved.

"There is this one last issue. Given the leverage we now have -- that the NCAA and defendants understand if we don't fix this then we're off to trial -- I'm confident they'll see the light," Berman said.

Berman said he and his co-counsel Jeffrey Kessler would be fine with Wilken's suggestion to gradually introduce roster limits.

Gannon Flynn, a freshman swimmer at Utah, said he was glad to see the judge took the concerns of athletes seriously. Flynn was one of several objectors who spoke about roster limits during the approval hearing earlier this month. He said Utah's coaching staff informed him that he was losing his spot on the team as a direct result of the roster limits proposed in the House settlement.

"I think it's a great compromise to allow the athletes that are currently in sports to finish their eligibility without being hurt by the settlement," Flynn told ESPN. "I'm very glad the judge recognized that in its current form athletes will get hurt."

Wilken ordered both sides to meet with each other and the settlement's mediator in the next two weeks to discuss modifying the settlement to address her concerns. Berman said he believes attorneys from both sides will plan to submit something new to the judge before the end of April. Both sides are eager to gain the judge's approval to avoid a trial and to provide time for schools to implement plans to start paying athletes this summer.

Hall of Famer Steve "Mongo" McMichael, a stalwart member of the dominant Chicago Bears famed "46 defense" of the 1980s who ranks second in franchise history with 92.5 sacks, has died at the age of 67, the NFL announced Wednesday.

McMichael was diagnosed with ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease, in 2021.

He played one season for the New England Patriots and one with the Green Bay Packers, but it was the 13 seasons in between with the Bears where he made his mark, including playing in a team-record 191 consecutive games. In total, McMichael played in 207 games between 1981-94.

The NFL is heartbroken to hear of the passing of Super Bowl champion and Hall of Famer Steve McMichael after a brave battle with ALS.

Our thoughts and condolences are with his family and loved ones. pic.twitter.com/ENXTqfoqQk

NFL (@NFL) April 23, 2025

The defensive tackle won a Super Bowl (1985) and was twice selected first-team All-Pro and to the Pro Bowl. He had at least seven sacks in seven straight seasons (1983 to 1989), second only among Bears players to Richard Dent's 10-year streak.

"It is with deep sadness that I can confirm that my good friend and client Steve McMichael has passed away," his longtime publicist, Betsy Shepherd, told ESPN. "There will never be a stronger fighter we will ever know. He was also the sweetest guy I have ever known."

On Aug. 3, 2023, some 344 miles west of Tom Benson Stadium in Canton, Ohio, McMichael was officially enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Surrounded by his wife, daughter and members of the Bears' famed 1985 defense, McMichael's Hall of Fame bust was unveiled inside of his home in Homer Glen, Illinois. McMichael laid in his bed in his gold jacket while his sister, Kathy, delivered the defensive tackle's enshrinement speech in a pre-recorded video.

On hand to celebrate McMichael's enshrinement were former teammates Richard Dent, Ron Rivera, Mike Singletary, Jimbo Covert, Gary Fencik, Jim Osborne and Marcus Keyes.

"Steve, we're here with all your world champion brothers," Dent said. "Back in Canton, we have 378 brothers that are looking for you. You're on a team that you can never be cut from, you never can be released from. When you die on this team, you will still be on it."

Live video from McMichael's bedside was streamed to the crowd in Canton while ESPN's Chris Berman, who served as the Hall of Fame's master of ceremonies, relayed the message he received from the defensive tackle about his career impact.

"I do not want ALS to be my legacy," the message said. "What I did on the field, that's my legacy. Pushing myself to the limit ... farther than anybody else could."

Ultimately picked by the Hall of Fame's senior committee, McMichael had previously been nominated for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2014 and 2015 and made it past the first cut of candidates twice before coming up short of a selection.

McMichael's wife, Misty, actively campaigned for her husband's enshrinement as his battle with ALS wore on and took away his ability to move or speak, which left him bedridden during the last years of his life.

McMichael had signed a "do not resuscitate" form in 2023 before his condition began to worsen. Upon learning he was one of the senior semifinalists last August, McMichael informed his wife that he wanted to rip up the DNR and continue his fight against ALS as he awaited word on his selection.

"I am proud of all we accomplished together, especially the National Pro Football Hall of Fame," Shepherd told ESPN on Wednesday. "It was the last thing he could say to me before he lost his ability to speak. I asked him what else I could do for him and he whispered, 'Hall of Fame.' Thanks to the fans, we did it! He loved you endlessly."

McMichael chipped in with eight sacks during the 1985 regular season -- and added another in the Super Bowl XX win over the New England Patriots -- and was a first-team All-Pro selection as he started every game that season. He controlled the interior of the line for a defense that ranked No. 1 in fewest points allowed, fewest yards allowed and takeaways that season -- in addition to allowing just 10 points in three playoff wins -- and is considered by many to be the best ever after leading Chicago to an 18-1 record.

McMichael, who finished with 95 career sacks, also had 847 career tackles, 13 forced fumbles, 17 fumble recoveries, 2 interceptions and 3 recorded safeties in 213 career games. His 92.5 sacks with the Bears ranks second in team history to Dent.

While McMichael was often overshadowed by Hall of Famers Singletary and Dent, he was instrumental to the Bears' success. Bears head coach Mike Ditka said McMichael was the toughest player that he ever coached.

McMichael finished his career with the rival Packers in 1994, but he liked to tell people in retirement that the only reason he signed with the Bears' bitter rival was to "steal their money and whup their ass again!"

McMichael was drafted by the Patriots in the third round of the 1980 NFL draft out of Texas, where the Houston native was a unanimous first-team All-America selection for a notoriously stingy defense and left as the Longhorns' all-time leader in career tackles (369) and sacks (30).

He received recruiting letters for football from about 75 schools. Bear Bryant wanted to use him as a tight end at Alabama, while Darrell Royal recruited him to Texas as a defensive end.

He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2010.

The World Just Lost The Incredible Steve "Mongo" McMichael! He Was My Best Friend Through It All! An Amazing Athlete And Human Being! I Have The Fondest Memories Working With Him, And This Is An Extremely Heartbreaking Loss For Me! I Love You Mongo! You Fought One Hell Of A... pic.twitter.com/yq2YHfWKmf

Ric Flair (@RicFlairNatrBoy) April 23, 2025

After football, "Mongo" had a career resurgence as a professional wrestler with World Championship Wrestling (WCW), where he won the United States Heavyweight Championship as a member of the famed "Four Horsemen" group led by Ric Flair.

In April 1995, he was in Lawrence Taylor's corner at WrestleMania. Later that year, he started with WCW as a commentator. He began his in-ring career in 1996, feuding with Flair over then-wife Debra McMichael, then a wrestling valet. He remained with the company through 1999.

Whether he was terrorizing opponents or discussing the Bears on sports talk radio, the man known as "Ming The Merciless" and "Mongo" -- after the character in "Blazing Saddles" who knocked out a horse -- remained a prominent presence in Chicago long after his playing days ended.

Born in Houston, McMichael's parents separated when he was about 2. His mom, Betty, married an oil company executive named E.V. McMichael, and the younger McMichael considered him his dad and took on his surname.

The family moved to Freer, Texas, and McMichael went on to letter in football, basketball, baseball, track, tennis and golf as a senior. A catcher, he preferred baseball. The Cincinnati Reds and St. Louis Cardinals showed interest, but his parents wanted him to go to college.

"Steve McMichael told everyone he would fight ALS with the same tenacity he showed for 15 seasons in the National Football League," Pro Football Hall of Fame president and CEO Jim Porter said in a statement. "And he did just that.

"Everyone who played with or against Steve shares the same opinion: No one battled longer or harder from the snap until the whistle than Steve the player. ... And the love his teammates showed him throughout this difficult journey says everything about Steve the man."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Celtics star forward Jayson Tatum missed the first playoff game of his career Wednesday night, sitting out with a bone bruise in his right wrist as Boston hosted the Orlando Magic in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference first-round series.

The six-time All-Star was declared out about an hour before tipoff. He had been listed as doubtful with the injury, which he suffered in the Celtics' 103-86 Game 1 victory Sunday.

Tatum was not on the court for the pregame shooting that he usually does alongside teammate Jaylen Brown. During the game, he sat on the end of the Celtics' bench in street clothes with a protective wrap on his wrist. Veteran Al Horford started in his place.

Tatum had played in all 114 possible playoff games during his eight seasons in Boston. He played in 72 games during the regular season, leading the Celtics in points, assists and rebounds per game.

The Celtics were 53-19 with Tatum in the lineup and 8-2 without him, according to ESPN Research. Both of those losses were to the Magic, but Boston rested all its starters in the final meeting at Orlando on April 9.

During his media availability about two hours before the game, coach Joe Mazzulla said Tatum had been able to do some on-court work Wednesday.

"I know he's doing everything he can to put himself in position to play," Mazzulla said. "He'll be day to day."

Tatum was injured when he collided with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Wendell Carter Jr. midair while driving for a two-handed dunk in the fourth quarter Sunday. He landed hard on his right wrist on the play, for which Caldwell-Pope was called for a flagrant foul, but remained in the game.

He finished with 17 points on 8-of-22 shooting to go along with a game-high 14 rebounds but was seen favoring his wrist.

Tatum said afterward that an initial throbbing pain went away. A postgame X-ray came back clean.

He participated in parts of Boston's practice session Tuesday. An MRI that day revealed the bone bruise.

Horford took exception to the play, reiterating his belief that the Magic stepped over the line with their physicality on Tatum.

"Yeah, there was something extra," Horford said Tuesday. "There was a lot. It was the second or third time that -- especially [Caldwell-Pope] -- went at him in that way."

The best-of-seven series shifts to Orlando for Game 3 on Friday.

Information from ESPN's Baxter Holmes and The Associated Press was used in this report.

After arriving in New York three years ago, Knicks star Jalen Brunson has become the face of the franchise.

On Wednesday, he became the NBA's Clutch Player of the Year.

"I think some people are born into it," Brunson told TNT's "Inside the NBA" on Wednesday night about being clutch. "I think I had to learn back in high school, and I've gotten better and better at each stage, and here we are."

Brunson has established himself as one of the most consistent clutch players in the league. New York was fifth in the league with a 61% win rate in clutch games this season, while Brunson shot 51% in clutch time this season and led the league with 5.6 points per game that met the league's criteria for the "clutch" designation.

"Just finding a way to win," Brunson said. "That's the most important thing. You can make clutch plays but they don't mean anything if you don't win. The winning part is most important to me."

Brunson finished with 70 of 100 first-place votes, landing on 98 of 100 total ballots. Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic was a clear second with 26 first-place votes, while Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards was third in balloting.

Brunson's prowess in late and close games was on display for all to see Saturday in Game 1 of New York's first-round series against the Detroit Pistons. Brunson led the Knicks on a 21-0 fourth-quarter run to claim victory.

With the best-of-7 series tied at 1, Brunson said the key is "just starting fast" in Game 3 on Thursday night.

"I think they've gotten the better of us starting the game in Games 1 and 2, and we have had to climb back in both games," Brunson said. "We got to start off well. They are playing way too well for us to start off slow."

The Clutch Player of the Year award, named after Jerry West, has been awarded three times, with De'Aaron Fox (2023) and Stephen Curry (2024) also having won.

It is the second of the league's seven major individual awards to be handed out, with Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard winning the Sixth Man of the Year award Tuesday night.

The Defensive Player of the Year award will be given out Thursday, followed by the Hustle Award on Friday. The rest of the major honors -- Most Valuable Player, Most Improved Player, Coach of the Year, Rookie of the Year and the All-NBA, All-Defense and All-Rookie teams -- will be announced over the next few weeks.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- A judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by a teenager who accused two-time NBA All-Star Ja Morant of punching him during a pickup game at the home of the Memphis Grizzlies guard's parents in 2022.

Shelby County Circuit Judge Carol Chumney issued an order Monday dismissing the lawsuit, saying in her ruling that Morant acted in self-defense and was immune from civil liability in the suit filed by Joshua Holloway, who plays basketball for Samford University and just completed his sophomore season.

Holloway was 17 and in high school when he was invited to play pickup basketball with other people at the home of Morant's parents in July 2022. The daylong series of games ended when Morant punched Holloway once in the face. Holloway then sued Morant, alleging the NBA player had assaulted him.

Morant claimed he acted in self-defense after Holloway aggressively threw the basketball at him with a one-handed, baseball-style pass that hit him in the face during a check-ball situation. A "check" is a common practice in pickup games in which two opposing players pass the ball to each other to see if their teammates are ready, often before starting a game or after a foul.

Morant testified during a December 2023 hearing that he was worried about getting hurt after the teen hit him in the face with the ball, bumped him in the chest, balled his fists and got into a fighting stance before Morant punched Holloway.

Chumney ruled in April 2024 that Morant "enjoys a presumption of civil immunity" from liability under Tennessee law.

The NBA player's lawyers had argued Morant was protected under Tennessee's "stand your ground" law, allowing people who feel threatened at their homes to act with force in certain situations. The law is used in criminal cases, but the judge cleared the way for Morant's lawyers to apply it in this civil case.

After the April 2024 presumption of immunity ruling, it was Holloway's turn to prove that Morant was not free from liability under the self-defense claim. Holloway testified during a hearing in January that Morant was actually the aggressor and used disproportionate force by punching Holloway.

In her Monday ruling, Chumney said Holloway's testimony about the incident was not credible and contradicts testimony from other witnesses. Among those was former NBA player Mike Miller, who was at the house when the fight occurred. Miller testified that Holloway hitting Morant "in the face with a basketball 'kind of started everything,'" the judge wrote in her April 2024 ruling.

Chumney also noted in Monday's ruling that both Morant and Holloway hold roles as leaders in the respective basketball arenas, "and in the limelight, each have unique opportunities to inspire youth and demonstrate mature leadership."

"This Court sincerely hopes that moving forward they each will be able to spend more of their time on the 'court' and less at the 'courthouse,'" the judge wrote.

NEW YORK -- Edwin Diaz left the New York Mets' 4-3, extra-innings win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday with left hip discomfort, splashing a bit of cold water on an otherwise festive conclusion to the club's three-game sweep of its division rival and a perfect 7-0 homestand at Citi Field.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said Diaz was dealing with a cramp and, as of postgame Wednesday, the closer wasn't scheduled for further testing. The Mets are off Thursday before beginning a four-game series against the Washington Nationals on Friday.

Diaz said he underwent strength tests with a doctor Wednesday and "everything was good."

"As of right now, let's see how I feel tomorrow," Diaz said when asked whether he would be available to pitch Friday. "I feel strong. ...We did some work on my hip and it was feeling better after. Let's see how it feels on Friday."

The Mets' bullpen emerged Wednesday with a 2.34 ERA, the lowest in the majors. Diaz, however, has been a weak link in the young season with a 4.91 ERA in 11 innings across appearances.

On Wednesday, the two-time All-Star entered to record a clean ninth inning before he was summoned to pitch the 10th, marking the first time he was tasked to take down more than one inning this season.

He said the discomfort surfaced upon throwing a first-pitch fastball to J.T. Realmuto after giving up a go-ahead RBI single to Nick Castellanos. Diaz said he couldn't lift his left leg when he came set in his delivery, which prompted him to step off to attempt to loosen up. He then stepped off two more times to surpass the mound disengagement limitation -- pitchers are allowed to disengage twice and only a third time if it results in picking off a runner -- and was called for a balk to move Castellanos to second base. With that, he signaled to the dugout and was pulled from the game.

"I was feeling great," Diaz said. "I was throwing the ball really good today. I was commanding my pitches the way I want to."

His exit pushed the umpires, citing injury, to reverse the balk ruling, which drew the ire of Phillies manager Rob Thomson. Ultimately, the Phillies stranded the bases loaded against Max Kranick, setting the stage for the Mets to score two runs and win the game on Starling Marte's walk-off single.

WASHINGTON -- Baltimore Orioles right-hander Grayson Rodriguez, who has been rehabbing from elbow inflammation, has a strained lat muscle and is a "couple of weeks" from resuming his throwing program, manager Brandon Hyde said Wednesday.

Rodriguez started the season on the injured list because of the elbow issue, and a bullpen session scheduled for last week was canceled when he developed a sore shoulder. A second medical opinion sought after an MRI revealed the mild lat strain, Hyde said.

It's a familiar injury for the 25-year-old Rodriguez. In 2022 while in the minors, Rodriguez missed three months with a lat strain, which delayed his major league debut until April 2023. In 2024, he was placed on the IL with a lat strain in August, finishing with 20 starts. He has made only 43 starts in two seasons, going 20-8 with a 4.11 ERA.

"I'm trying to stay optimistic about it," Hyde said. "He's had a tough time staying healthy the last few years with lat strains. We were hoping that he starts throwing in a couple of weeks and (in) his progression that he stays healthy."

Right-hander Zach Eflin, the O's opening day starter, also has been dealing with a lat strain. Eflin, who hasn't pitched since April 7, has been cleared to return to the mound and will throw a side session Friday or Saturday, Hyde said.

Coming off consecutive postseason appearances, Baltimore has had numerous injuries to starting pitchers: Kyle Braddish (Tommy John surgery) and Tyler Wells (UCL repair surgery) also started the season on the injured list and were joined by Albert Suarez (right shoulder).