NEW YORK -- Right-handed reliever Adam Ottavino is returning to the New York Yankees, agreeing Tuesday to a one-year contract.

Ottavino gets $1 million while in the major leagues and $150,000 while in the minors.

A 39-year-old sidearmer, Ottavino agreed to a minor league contract with Boston on Feb. 18 and exercised his right to be released on March 23 after compiling a 10.80 ERA in five spring training appearances.

"I felt like I was kind of in a little bit of no man's land for the last week or so, but it all came together pretty quickly," Ottavino said before the Yankees opened a three-game series with the Diamondbacks. "Obviously I'm grateful for the opportunity. I'm very lucky for it."

He was 2-2 with one save and a 4.34 ERA in 60 relief appearances for the New York Mets last year, stranding 15 of 20 inherited runners.

Ottavino pitched for the Yankees in 2019 and 2020, going 8-8 with a 2.76 ERA in 97 relief appearances. He is 41-43 with 46 saves and a 3.49 ERA in 14 big league seasons with St. Louis, Colorado (2012-18), the Yankees (2019-20), Boston (2021) and the Mets (2022-24).

"He's kind of on our board a little bit," manager Aaron Boone said. "I know the front office has been talking about him the last couple of weeks but felt like what he was doing at the back end of spring training was in line with who Otto is."

The Yankees transferred right-hander JT Brubaker to the 60-day injured list and placed closer Devin Williams on the paternity list.

Longtime St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Lance Lynn announced Tuesday that he has retired from Major League Baseball after 13 seasons.

"Baseball season is upon us and I'm right here on the couch and that is where I'm gonna stay," Lynn said on his wife's podcast, "Dymin in the Rough."

"I am officially retiring from baseball right here, right now."

Lynn, 37, spent much of his career with the Cardinals (2011-17, 2024) but also has pitched for the Minnesota Twins (2018), New York Yankees (2018), Texas Rangers (2019-20), Chicago White Sox (2021-23) and Los Angeles Dodgers (2023).

Last season with the Cardinals, he started 23 games and had a 7-4 record with a 3.84 ERA, throwing 117 innings and striking out 109.

The two-time All-Star has a career record of 143-99 with a 3.74 ERA in 364 games (340 starts), tossing 2,006 innings. He ranks sixth in that category, as well as in wins, among active pitchers. Ahead of him in each category are three sure Hall of Famers -- Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer and Clayton Kershaw.

Lynn, on Tuesday, made it clear that he may be spotted on the baseball field ... just not in a major league game.

"There might be something a little fun around the corner upcoming weekend, so stayed tuned," Lynn said. "But from Major League Baseball, I am done pitching."

There are slow starts, there are slumps, and then there is whatever Rafael Devers is going through.

The 28-year-old three-time All-Star for the Boston Red Sox has been one of baseball's best hitters since 2019, posting three 30-homer seasons, three 100-RBI seasons and a whole bunch of doubles.

His first five games of 2025 have been a nightmare. It's the early-season equivalent of dealing Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees. Johnny Pesky holding the ball. Bucky Dent. The ball rolling through Bill Buckner's legs. Aaron Boone. Just to name a few Red Sox references. Here's how those games unfolded for Devers:

Game 1: 0-for-4, three strikeouts
Game 2: 0-for-4, four strikeouts
Game 3: 0-for-4, three strikeouts, walk, RBI
Game 4: 0-for-4, two strikeouts, walk
Game 5: 0-for-3, three strikeouts, two walks

Along the way, Devers became the first player to strike out 10 times in a team's first three games of a season -- and that's not all.

He became the first player to strike out 12 times in a team's first four games. And, yes, with 15 strikeouts through five games he shattered the old record of 13, shared by Pat Burrell in 2001 and Byron Buxton in 2017. Going back to the end of 2024, when Devers fanned 11 times over his final four games, he became the fourth player with multiple strikeouts in nine straight games -- and one of those was a pitcher (the other two were a rookie named Aaron Judge in 2016 and Michael A. Taylor in 2021).

With Devers struggling, the Red Sox have likewise stumbled out of the gate, going 1-4 after some lofty preseason expectations, including an 8-5 loss to the Baltimore Orioles in the home opener Monday. To be fair, it's not all on Devers: Jarren Duran, Devers and Alex Bregman, the top three hitters in the lineup, are a combined 11-for-62 (.177) with no home runs.

But there is one question weighing heaviest on the minds of Red Sox Nation right now: What is really going on with Devers?

It's easy to say his head simply isn't in the right space. Devers made headlines early in spring training after the Red Sox signed Bregman, saying he didn't want to move to DH and that "third base is my position." He pointed out that when he signed his $331 million extension in January of 2023, the front office promised he would be the team's third baseman.

That, however, was when a different regime was in charge. Bregman, a Gold Glove winner in 2024, is the better defensive third baseman, so it makes sense to play him there and move Devers -- except many players don't like to DH. Some analysts even build in a "DH penalty," assuming a player will hit worse there than when he plays the field. While Devers eventually relented and said he'd do whatever will help the team, it was a rocky situation for a few weeks.

But maybe it's something else. While Devers avoided surgery this offseason, he spent it trying to rebuild strength in both shoulders after dealing with soreness and inflammation throughout 2024. He didn't play the field in spring training and had just 15 plate appearances. So maybe he is still rusty -- or the shoulder(s) are bothering him.

Indeed, Statcast metrics show his average bat speed has dropped from 72.5 mph in 2024 to 70.3 mph so far in 2025 (and those are down from 73.4 mph in 2023). His "fast-swing rate" has dropped from 34.2% in 2023 to 27.9% to 12.2%. Obviously, we're talking an extremely small sample size for this season, but it's clear Devers isn't generating the bat speed we're used to seeing from him.

That, however, doesn't explain the complete inability to make contact. Red Sox manager Alex Cora told reporters after the series in Texas that Devers had made alterations with his foot placement -- but was having trouble catching up to fastballs. Following Monday's game, Devers told reporters (via his interpreter) that, "Obviously this is not a position that I've done in the past. So I need to get used to it. But I feel good, I feel good."

Which leads to this question: Does this historic bad start mean anything? Since the DH began in 1973, three DHs began the season with a longer hitless streak than Devers' 0-for-19 mark, so let's dig into how the rest of their seasons played out:

• Don Baylor with the 1982 Angels (0-for-20). Baylor ended up with a pretty typical season for him: .263/.329/.424, 24 home runs.

• Evan Gattis of the 2015 Astros (0-for-23). Gattis hit .246 with 27 home runs -- not as good as he hit in 2014 or 2016, but in line with his career numbers.

• Curtis Terry with the Rangers in 2021 (0-for-20). Terry was a rookie who ended up playing just 13 games in the majors.

Expanding beyond just the DH position, I searched Baseball-Reference for players in the wild-card era (since 1995) who started a season hitless in at least 20 plate appearances through five games. That gave us a list of ... just seven players, including Evan Carter (0-for-22) and Anthony Rendon (0-for-20) last season. Both ended up with injury-plagued seasons. The list also includes Hall of Famer Craig Biggio, who was 0-for-24 for the Houston Astros in 1995. He was fine: He hit .302/.406/.483 that season, made the All-Star team and finished 10th in the MVP voting. J.D. Drew started 0-for-25 through five games with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2005; he hit .286/.412/.520, although an injury limited him to 72 games.

But none of those hitters struck out nearly as often as Devers has.

So let's focus on the strikeouts and expand our search to most strikeouts through the 15 first games of a season. Given his already astronomical total, Devers is likely to rank high on such a list even if he starts making more contact. Seventeen players struck out at least 25 times through 15 games, topped by Yoan Moncada and Miguel Sano with 29, both in 2018. Not surprisingly, all these seasons have come since 2006 and 12 since 2018.

How did that group fare?

They were actually OK, averaging a .767 OPS and 20 home runs. The best of the group was Matt Olson in 2023, who struck out 25 times in 15 games, but was also hitting well with a .317/.423/.650 line. He went on to hit 53 home runs. The next best season belongs to Giancarlo Stanton in 2018, his first with the Yankees. He finished with 38 home runs and an .852 OPS -- but that was a big drop from his MVP season in 2017, when he mashed 59 home runs. His strikeout rate increased from 23.6% in 2017 to 29.9% -- and he's never been as good.

Indeed, that's the worrisome thing for Devers: Of the 16 players who played the season before (Trevor Story was a rookie in 2016 when he struck out 25 times in 15 games, albeit with eight home runs), 13 had a higher OPS the previous season, many significantly so.

As Cora argued Monday, it's a small sample size. "You know, this happens in July or August, we'd not even be talking about it," he said.

That doesn't really sound quite forthright. A slump, even a five-game slump, with this many strikeouts would absolutely be a topic of discussion. Still, that's all the Red Sox and Devers have to go on right now: It's just a few games, nothing one big game won't fix. They just hope it comes soon.

Kasatkina, the only openly gay woman in the top 100 of singles on the WTA Tour, revealed her sexuality in a video interview in 2022 before leaving Russia, which has strict laws on LGBTQ+ rights.

After also criticising the war in Ukraine in the interview, a Russian politician unsuccessfully called for her to be listed as a 'foreign agent' - someone acting against Russian interests.

Last year, she said she was expecting "consequences" following her actions.

"With everything going on in my previous country, I didn't have much choice [to switch allegiance]," she told reporters on Monday.

"For me, being openly gay, if I want to be myself, I have to make this step, and I did it.

"I have to get used to it a little bit, because for a couple of years I didn't hear anything. But it's something nice to get used to."

Natela Dzalamidze and Alexander Shevchenko are among other Russia-born tennis players to switch nationality in recent years, now representing Georgia and Kazakhstan respectively.

Saracens have opted to pursue domestic success over their continental ambitions this season.

The three-time Champions Cup winners have decided to rest several of their England internationals, including Maro Itoje and Tom Willis, for their trip to Toulon.

Director of rugby Mark McCall says he is prioritising making the Premiership play-offs over the chance at a fourth European crown.

Northampton Saints, meanwhile, are the only English side with a home tie after finishing top of Pool 3.

Saints are eighth in the Premiership table after enduring a dismal defence of their title, but Phil Dowson's side will host Clermont in a welcome reprieve from their domestic campaign.

The visitors are sixth in France's Top 14 table after their recent victory over La Rochelle ended a run of five consecutive league defeats.

Clermont booked their place in the knockout stages by snatching a dramatic 33-26 victory in the sixth minute of overtime to qualify at Bath and Bristol's expense.

Elsewhere, Sale Sharks face a daunting trip to six-time winners and defending champions Toulouse, who will be without injured talisman Antoine Dupont after he ruptured cruciate ligaments in his knee during France's Six Nations win over Ireland last month.

Harlequins face an equally difficult task at four-time winners Leinster, while Leicester Tigers travel north to take on Glasgow Warriors.

The NHL began handing out the Presidents' Trophy to the team with the best regular-season record beginning in the 1985-86 campaign. In its history, it has been awarded 37 times to 18 clubs.

Those teams have been anything but a shoo-in to win the Stanley Cup, however. Just two clubs in the salary cap era (since 2005-06) have won the Presidents' Trophy and hoisted the Stanley Cup: the 2007-08 Detroit Red Wings and the 2012-13 Chicago Blackhawks. Two of the past six Presidents' Trophy winners have lost in the first round.

So, that's the challenge ahead for whomever claims the trophy this season. At this juncture, it appears to have been whittled down to one of two teams: the Winnipeg Jets (with 106 points through 74 games) or the Washington Capitals (103 through 73).

The Capitals will face off against the Boston Bruins on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET, ESPN+), while the Jets will take on the Los Angeles Kings (10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+).

From an overall strength of schedule standpoint, the Jets have a more difficult route. According to Stathletes, the win percentage of their remaining opponents is 51.3%, which is 12th toughest. Compare that to 47.3% -- the 28th toughest -- for the Capitals.

Despite that, Stathletes gives Winnipeg the edge, projecting the Jets for 115.9 points and the Caps for 114.7. It appears this race will come down to the very end!

There are less than three weeks left until season's end on April 17, and we'll help you track it all with the NHL playoff watch. As we traverse the final stretch, we'll provide details on all the playoff races, along with the teams jockeying for position in the 2025 NHL draft lottery.

Note: Playoff chances are via Stathletes.

Jump ahead:
Current playoff matchups
Today's schedule
Yesterday's scores
Expanded standings
Race for No. 1 pick

Current playoff matchups

Eastern Conference

A1 Toronto Maple Leafs vs. WC1 Ottawa Senators
A2 Tampa Bay Lightning vs. A3 Florida Panthers
M1 Washington Capitals vs. WC2 Montreal Canadiens
M2 Carolina Hurricanes vs. M3 New Jersey Devils

Western Conference

C1 Winnipeg Jets vs. WC2 St. Louis Blues
C2 Dallas Stars vs. C3 Colorado Avalanche
P1 Vegas Golden Knights vs. WC1 Minnesota Wild
P2 Los Angeles Kings vs. P3 Edmonton Oilers

Tuesday's games

Note: All times ET. All games not on TNT or NHL Network are available to stream on ESPN+ (local blackout restrictions apply).

Washington Capitals at Boston Bruins, 7 p.m.
Florida Panthers at Montreal Canadiens, 7 p.m.
Buffalo Sabres at Ottawa Senators, 7 p.m.
Nashville Predators at Columbus Blue Jackets, 7 p.m.
Tampa Bay Lightning at New York Islanders, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN+/Hulu/Disney+)
Detroit Red Wings at St. Louis Blues, 8 p.m.
Calgary Flames at Utah Hockey Club, 9 p.m.
Edmonton Oilers at Vegas Golden Knights, 10 p.m.
San Jose Sharks at Anaheim Ducks, 10 p.m.
Winnipeg Jets at Los Angeles Kings, 10:30 p.m.

Monday's scoreboard

New Jersey Devils 3, Minnesota Wild 2 (SO)
Philadelphia Flyers 2, Nashville Predators 1
Calgary Flames 3, Colorado Avalanche 2 (SO)
Dallas Stars 3, Seattle Kraken 1

Expanded standings

Atlantic Division

Toronto Maple Leafs

Points: 94
Regulation wins: 37
Playoff position: A1
Games left: 8
Points pace: 104.2
Next game: vs. FLA (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Tampa Bay Lightning

Points: 91
Regulation wins: 37
Playoff position: A2
Games left: 9
Points pace: 102.2
Next game: @ NYI (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Florida Panthers

Points: 91
Regulation wins: 35
Playoff position: A3
Games left: 9
Points pace: 102.2
Next game: @ MTL (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Ottawa Senators

Points: 84
Regulation wins: 30
Playoff position: WC1
Games left: 9
Points pace: 94.4
Next game: vs. BUF (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 99.8%
Tragic number: N/A

Montreal Canadiens

Points: 77
Regulation wins: 25
Playoff position: WC2
Games left: 9
Points pace: 86.5
Next game: vs. FLA (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 44%
Tragic number: N/A

Detroit Red Wings

Points: 74
Regulation wins: 26
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 9
Points pace: 83.1
Next game: @ STL (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 2.9%
Tragic number: 16

Boston Bruins

Points: 69
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 8
Points pace: 76.5
Next game: vs. WSH (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 0.1%
Tragic number: 9

Buffalo Sabres

Points: 68
Regulation wins: 25
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 9
Points pace: 76.4
Next game: @ OTT (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 0.1%
Tragic number: 10

Metro Division

x - Washington Capitals

Points: 103
Regulation wins: 40
Playoff position: M1
Games left: 9
Points pace: 115.7
Next game: @ BOS (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A

Carolina Hurricanes

Points: 94
Regulation wins: 40
Playoff position: M2
Games left: 9
Points pace: 105.6
Next game: vs. WSH (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

New Jersey Devils

Points: 87
Regulation wins: 35
Playoff position: M3
Games left: 6
Points pace: 93.9
Next game: vs. NYR (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 99.6%
Tragic number: N/A

New York Rangers

Points: 77
Regulation wins: 32
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 8
Points pace: 85.3
Next game: vs. MIN (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 27.8%
Tragic number: 17

Columbus Blue Jackets

Points: 75
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 10
Points pace: 85.4
Next game: vs. NSH (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 17.1%
Tragic number: 19

New York Islanders

Points: 74
Regulation wins: 25
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 9
Points pace: 83.1
Next game: vs. TB (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 8.7%
Tragic number: 16

Pittsburgh Penguins

Points: 71
Regulation wins: 20
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 7
Points pace: 77.6
Next game: @ STL (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 0.1%
Tragic number: 9

Philadelphia Flyers

Points: 71
Regulation wins: 20
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 6
Points pace: 76.6
Next game: @ MTL (Saturday)
Playoff chances: ~0%
Tragic number: 7

Central Division

x - Winnipeg Jets

Points: 106
Regulation wins: 40
Playoff position: C1
Games left: 8
Points pace: 117.5
Next game: @ LA (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A

x - Dallas Stars

Points: 102
Regulation wins: 40
Playoff position: C2
Games left: 8
Points pace: 113.0
Next game: vs. NSH (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A

Colorado Avalanche

Points: 94
Regulation wins: 38
Playoff position: C3
Games left: 7
Points pace: 102.8
Next game: @ CHI (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Minnesota Wild

Points: 88
Regulation wins: 33
Playoff position: WC1
Games left: 7
Points pace: 96.2
Next game: @ NYR (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 93.4%
Tragic number: N/A

St. Louis Blues

Points: 87
Regulation wins: 30
Playoff position: WC2
Games left: 7
Points pace: 95.1
Next game: vs. DET (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 95.5%
Tragic number: N/A

Utah Hockey Club

Points: 78
Regulation wins: 25
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 8
Points pace: 86.4
Next game: vs. CGY (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 0.5%
Tragic number: 8

e - Nashville Predators

Points: 62
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 8
Points pace: 68.7
Next game: @ CBJ (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E

e - Chicago Blackhawks

Points: 51
Regulation wins: 18
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 8
Points pace: 56.5
Next game: vs. COL (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E

Pacific Division

Vegas Golden Knights

Points: 98
Regulation wins: 42
Playoff position: P1
Games left: 9
Points pace: 110.1
Next game: vs. EDM (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Los Angeles Kings

Points: 91
Regulation wins: 36
Playoff position: P3
Games left: 9
Points pace: 102.2
Next game: vs. WPG (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Edmonton Oilers

Points: 89
Regulation wins: 30
Playoff position: P2
Games left: 9
Points pace: 100.0
Next game: @ VGK (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 99.5%
Tragic number: N/A

Calgary Flames

Points: 82
Regulation wins: 26
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 9
Points pace: 92.1
Next game: @ UTA (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 7.9%
Tragic number: 14

Vancouver Canucks

Points: 81
Regulation wins: 26
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 8
Points pace: 89.8
Next game: vs. SEA (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 3.3%
Tragic number: 11

Anaheim Ducks

Points: 72
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 9
Points pace: 80.9
Next game: vs. SJ (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: 4

e - Seattle Kraken

Points: 68
Regulation wins: 25
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 7
Points pace: 74.4
Next game: @ VAN (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E

e - San Jose Sharks

Points: 49
Regulation wins: 14
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 9
Points pace: 55.0
Next game: @ ANA (Tuesday
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E

Note: An "x" means that the team has clinched a playoff berth. An "e" means that the team has been eliminated from playoff contention.

Race for the No. 1 pick

The NHL uses a draft lottery to determine the order of the first round, so the team that finishes in last place is not guaranteed the No. 1 selection. As of 2021, a team can move up a maximum of 10 spots if it wins the lottery, so only 11 teams are eligible for the No. 1 pick. Full details on the process are here. Matthew Schaefer, a defenseman for the OHL's Erie Otters, is No. 1 on the draft board.

1. San Jose Sharks

Points: 49
Regulation wins: 14

2. Chicago Blackhawks

Points: 51
Regulation wins: 18

3. Nashville Predators

Points: 62
Regulation wins: 23

4. Seattle Kraken

Points: 68
Regulation wins: 25

5. Buffalo Sabres

Points: 68
Regulation wins: 25

6. Boston Bruins

Points: 69
Regulation wins: 23

7. Philadelphia Flyers

Points: 71
Regulation wins: 20

8. Pittsburgh Penguins

Points: 71
Regulation wins: 20

9. Anaheim Ducks

Points: 72
Regulation wins: 23

10. New York Islanders

Points: 74
Regulation wins: 25

11. Detroit Red Wings

Points: 74
Regulation wins: 26

12. Columbus Blue Jackets

Points: 75
Regulation wins: 23

13. New York Rangers

Points: 77
Regulation wins: 32

14. Utah Hockey Club

Points: 78
Regulation wins: 25

15. Vancouver Canucks

Points: 81
Regulation wins: 26

16. Calgary Flames

Points: 82
Regulation wins: 26

Wayne Rooney has revealed he came close to joining Barcelona in 2010 in a transfer that would have seen him link up with Lionel Messi, Xavi and Andres Iniesta at Camp Nou.

Speaking to BBC Sport the five-time Premier League winner said Real Madrid and Chelsea were also in the mix for his signature but it was Barça and playing for Pep Guardiola's all-conquering side that tempted him most.

"When I told Manchester United in 2010 that I did not want to sign a new deal and put in a transfer request, three clubs came in for me," Rooney said.

"Manchester City are often talked about as being one of them, but I don't think that was ever an option for me -- the teams who made an approach were Chelsea, Real and Barcelona.

"In my head, I was ready to go and play in Spain and some talks did take place.

"A deal with Real looked more likely for a couple of days but it was Barcelona whom I thought about the most, and how I might fit into their side alongside Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta, Xavi and Sergio Busquets.

"In the end I decided to stay at United, but Barça had an incredible team then and any player would have loved to have played in it."

Rooney added: "Winning trophies was the biggest reason I considered leaving United in 2010. I was about to turn 25 and I was concerned about the direction of the club."

Bruno Fernandes will not be allowed to leave Manchester United this summer, according to head coach Ruben Amorim.

Sources told ESPN last week that Amorim is looking to revamp the United squad ahead of his first full campaign in charge.

Reports over the weekend linked United captain Fernandes with a move to Real Madrid but Amorim was adamant he had told the Portugal international his future is at Old Trafford.

When asked about transfer speculation about Fernandes, Amorim told a news conference on Monday: "No, it's not going to happen."

The former Sporting CP coach then added: "He's not going anywhere because I've already told him."

Fernandes has scored 16 goals and assisted a further 16 in all competitions this season despite United's struggles that see them 13th in the Premier League.

In the Premier League this season only Mohamed Salah (54) and Erling Haaland (33) have more goal contributions than Fernandes' 31.

The 30-year-old, who joined United in 2020, is under contract at United until 2027 and has the option to extend by a further year.

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has said he is not affected by speculation over Trent Alexander-Arnold's future amid reports the defender is closing in on a move to Real Madrid.

Alexander-Arnold -- alongside teammates Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk -- is out of contract at Anfield this summer.

Last week, a source told ESPN that Madrid are "very optimistic" of signing the 26-year-old on a free transfer, though a Liverpool source told ESPN that no deal has yet been finalised.

In a news conference on Tuesday, Slot refused to be drawn on the rumours, and said Alexander-Arnold is focused on working his way back from injury.

"His situation is unfortunately that he's injured, otherwise people probably would have spoken about him having one or two brilliant performances for the England team," Slot said. "But he's injured and for him, that means he is fully focused on his recovery.

"For us, that means we're trying to help him to be back as soon as he can. For eight months, it went a bit up and down with all kind of talk about him, Virgil and Mo, but we've never been focused on those talks. We've always been focused on what to do.That for Virgil and Mo is trying to win the Merseyside derby. For Trent it is making sure he is fit as soon as he can be."

Slot added: "It's a situation that's been there for eight or nine months now. All three players have performed so well under the circumstances. It doesn't affect me at all."

The 2025 MLS season is now firmly underway, which means it's time for ESPN's Power Rankings.

Who's climbing the table? Who's in free fall? Our writers studied the action from across Matchday 6 to come up with this week's order of all 30 teams in the league. Let's dive in.

1. Inter Miami CF

Previous ranking: 1

Even without Lionel Messi for 55 minutes, Inter Miami got off to a hot start against the Philadelphia Union on Saturday. And when the Argentine came on in the second half? Well, it only took him two minutes to get on the scoresheet in a 2-1 win. This Miami squad is deep, talented and just took down the next-best team in the East.

2. Columbus Crew

Previous ranking: 4

Still yet to lose in MLS play, the Crew took down D.C. United on the road by a 2-1 scoreline. Wilfried Nancy's team has become quite acquainted with tight games in 2025: each of their last five matches has either been a draw or has been decided by a single goal.

3. Vancouver Whitecaps

Previous ranking: 2

While some of their early season magic seems to be fading, the Whitecaps secured a point on the road with a 0-0 draw against Toronto FC ahead of their Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinal clash with Pumas on Wednesday. Still, the sooner this group gets Ryan Gauld back, the better.

4. Philadelphia Union

Previous ranking: 5

There's no shame in losing to Inter Miami at Chase Stadium. Despite falling 2-1 on the road, the Philadelphia Union put together a strong second half and nearly managed to earn a draw thanks to some clever looks on set pieces. Bradley Carnell's team still looks like a threat.

5. San Diego FC

Previous ranking: 7

It sure didn't look like San Diego FC was the expansion team in a 3-2 win over LAFC on Saturday. Even missing two first-choice attackers, the new kids on the block created chances with ease and secured yet another impressive victory over a Southern Californian rival.

6. FC Cincinnati

Previous ranking: 11

Thanks to a wonder-strike from Evander, a winner from the spot from Kevin Denkey, and some heroic saves from Roman Celentano, FC Cincinnati earned a 2-1 win over Nashville SC this past weekend. There's defensive work to be done, but it's clear this team has match-winners.

7. Minnesota United

Previous ranking: 13

Make that three-straight wins for the Loons over Real Salt Lake. All right, fine, technically Minnesota's two penalty shootout victories from last year's playoffs go down as draws. But there's no doubt Eric Ramsay's team has Salt Lake's number. Minnesota United created chance after chance in a 2-0 win on Saturday.

8. Colorado Rapids

Previous ranking: 10

An airtight defensive performance mixed with a top-tier outing from Djordje Mihailovic in a 2-0 win over Charlotte FC showed just how dangerous the Rapids can be. Whether Mihailovic plays on the left or through the middle (and he did both of those things against Charlotte), he's creating problems for the opposing defense.

9. Charlotte FC

Previous ranking: 3

Failing to carry over any momentum from their multi-goal demolition of the San Jose Earthquakes last weekend, Charlotte FC flopped in a 2-0 loss to the Colorado Rapids on Saturday. Concerningly, Wilfried Zaha was anonymous on the wing.

10. Austin FC

Previous ranking: 18

For three weeks running, Austin FC have averaged less than 37% possession. They packed numbers against the ball in a 1-0 road win over St. Louis City on Sunday, continuing to play the ruthlessly efficient brand of counter-attacking soccer that Nico Estevez seems to love so much.

11. Orlando City

Previous ranking: 19

Luis Muriel should write John McCarthy a thank-you note. It was McCarthy's howler in the 90th minute that allowed Muriel to extend his goal contribution streak to six games. Orlando City notched a 2-1 win over the Galaxy as a result.

12. LAFC

Previous ranking: 6

Cengiz Under continues to look like a major threat on the right wing, but between sloppy set piece defending and a red card from Igor Jesus that forced his team to play down a man for the final 40 minutes, LAFC's 3-2 loss to San Diego FC was a game to forget.

13. New York Red Bulls

Previous ranking: 14

The Red Bulls didn't bleed chances in their 2-1 loss to the New England Revolution, but they weren't dangerous enough in the attack to warrant a victory away from home. Sandro Schwarz will, undoubtedly, be looking for ways to get just a little more out of his team in the final third.

14. Atlanta United

Previous ranking: 15

Atlanta United aren't strangers to allowing goals this year: they've conceded at least two goals in five of their six matches in 2025. Saturday's 4-3 win over NYCFC was true to form, then. Still, quality attacking talent won the day over sloppy defending for the Five Stripes.

15. Nashville SC

Previous ranking: 8

Nashville outplayed Cincinnati for most of their meeting on Saturday, but yet another missed penalty from Hany Mukhtar came back to bite in a 2-1 loss. It's time to take Mukhtar off penalty duties.

16. Seattle Sounders

Previous ranking: 16

Despite taking a whopping 26 shots and generating 2.9 xG, according to FBref, the Sounders only managed a single goal in a 1-1 draw with the San Jose Earthquakes. There's talent in the final third, but it's simply not clicking.

17. Chicago Fire

Previous ranking: 12

On paper, a home game against a CF Montreal team just days removed from firing its coach looked like three points in the making. In reality, the Fire put in a sleepy performance in a 1-1 draw and felt the absence of all three first-choice central midfielders.

18. New York City FC

Previous ranking: 17

A brutal mix-up between defender Thiago Martins and keeper Matt Freese saw NYCFC unravel against Atlanta United in a 4-3 loss on Saturday. Still without any meaningful player additions this winter, Pascal Jansen's job on the sidelines isn't an easy one.

19. Portland Timbers

Previous ranking: 21

It didn't take much for the Timbers to push past the Houston Dynamo in a 3-1 win at Providence Park on Sunday. With a goal and two assists from the perennially underrated Felipe Mora, Portland reminded MLS just how dangerous their attack can be.

20. FC Dallas

Previous ranking: 22

Beating Sporting Kansas City doesn't skyrocket you up these rankings like it might have earlier in Peter Vermes' tenure, but FC Dallas did more than enough to earn a 2-1 win over SKC in Frisco.

21. St. Louis City SC

Previous ranking: 9

Try as they might, St. Louis City can't seem to create consistent chances via sustained passing sequences. With 64% possession and 60 minutes to find a goal after conceding in the first half, St. Louis couldn't find their way back in a 1-0 home loss to Austin FC.

22. San Jose Earthquakes

Previous ranking: 20

After allowing 3.0 xG against Charlotte FC last weekend, San Jose allowed 2.9 xG against the Seattle Sounders on Saturday. The difference? Daniel made some huge saves to preserve a 1-1 draw.

23. D.C. United

Previous ranking: 25

Despite yet another goal from Christian Benteke, D.C. fell 2-1 to the Columbus Crew. At times, it's clear that Troy Lesesne only has one DP at his disposal. Saturday was one of those times.

24. Real Salt Lake

Previous ranking: 23

For 55 minutes, Real Salt Lake were decidedly outplayed by Minnesota United in what turned into a 2-0 loss. By the time RSL started finding looks in the second half, it was too little, too late.

25. New England Revolution

Previous ranking: 30

Thanks to Carles Gil's free kick in a 2-1 win over the New York Red Bulls, the New England Revolution finally saw one of their own players put the ball in the back of the net in 2025.

26. Houston Dynamo

Previous ranking: 24

The Dynamo are in a bad place right now. Their top two goalkeepers are both injured, they don't have a healthy winger, and their new No. 10 Ondrej Lingr isn't ready to suit up. With all that in mind, a 3-1 loss to Portland on Sunday wasn't a shock.

27. LA Galaxy

Previous ranking: 26

Between McCarthy, whose blunder gifted Orlando City a 2-1 win, and Novak Micovic, the LA Galaxy can't seem to find a competent goalkeeper this year. They're still winless in the regular season.

28. CF Montréal

Previous ranking: 28

Less than a week after manager Laurent Courtois was fired, Montréal put in a respectable performance under interim manager Marco Donadel. Montréal's 0-0 road draw with Chicago marked their second result of 2025.

29. Toronto FC

Previous ranking: 29

Toronto FC were far from dominant at home against the Vancouver Whitecaps, but Saturday's 0-0 draw doubled their points total on the year. That's progress, right?

30. Sporting Kansas City

Previous ranking: 27

Despite taking the lead on the road against FC Dallas, a pair of quick concessions saw SKC drop all three points in a 2-1 loss. They're the only team in MLS still stuck on a single point after six games.