LOS ANGELES -- Freddie Freeman hadn't been on the injured list in eight years and didn't want to go on it this year, even while battling an aggravation of the ankle injury that plagued him last October.

He came away grateful for having done so.

"I hate to say it," Freeman admitted, "but I might have needed the 10 days."

The Los Angeles Dodgers activated Freeman off a brief stint on the IL ahead of their series opener against the Chicago Cubs on Friday, the same day the team gave away a bobblehead commemorating his Kirk Gibson-style walk-off home run in the 2024 World Series.

Freeman went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts, was hit by a pitch and scored a run in the Dodgers' 3-0 win, his first game since March 29.

"Got on base by way of hit-by-pitch and it was just his first game back," manager Dave Roberts said. "He does a lot of great things, but this was a tough one. He'll be back in there tomorrow."

Freeman spent all of last year's postseason playing through a sprained right ankle that necessitated offseason surgery. The ankle was still causing discomfort as he navigated through spring training. He missed the season-opening two-game series from Japan because of discomfort in his right side -- the other injury that plagued him last fall -- and felt tightness in the ankle toward the end of the ensuing series against the Detroit Tigers from Dodger Stadium. Then, on the morning of March 30, Freeman slipped while stepping into his shower and aggravated the injury.

Freeman missed the three-game series against his former team, the Atlanta Braves, last week, then made the trip to Philadelphia intending to play and was instead placed on the IL. A week later, Freeman said this is "the best I've felt since I've gotten hurt."

Freeman took live batting practice against a Dodgers minor leaguer at the ballpark Monday and Wednesday, then hit against Trajekt, the popular pitching simulator, on Thursday. But the real proof came while doing running exercises and not feeling any hesitation as his right foot hit the bases, a particular source of consternation last October.

"I have no reservations going into this game," Freeman said. "I feel like I can steal a base."

Roberts was playfully asked if Freeman, with 98 stolen bases in his 16-year career, has the green light on the bases moving forward.

"No," Roberts said with a smile. "It's as red as red can be. Fire-engine red."

Only one player, Marcus Semien, played in more regular-season games than Freeman from 2018 to 2024. Throughout his career, Freeman has taken deep pride in being available on a daily basis, no matter what might be nagging him. Relenting to the IL last week was a sign to the Dodgers that he might be more open to the idea as a means of keeping himself healthy for the stretch run of a season.

Freeman doesn't have any off days planned for the foreseeable future but said he will determine the health of his ankle on a "series-by-series" basis. Roberts called it a "read-and-react situation." Freeman is 35, a time when players' bodies begin to wear out. But this, Freeman stressed, has nothing to do with age.

"I rolled my ankle, I tore ligaments on the left side and the right side and chipped off cartilage and had surgery four months ago," he said. "I'm not looking at it as an age thing. I feel like I keep myself in great shape. I feel like I was swinging it pretty good and playing good baseball before I got hurt. I guess you can say age is falling in a bathtub. Maybe that can be it. But I feel good."

The home side were on top from early on and thought they had struck first when Jordie Barrett crashed over, but the try was ruled out after the TMO spotted a knock-on from Ringrose in the build-up.

It merely delayed the inevitable as, a few minutes later, some sharp handling created space for Deegan to dive over in the corner.

Kyle Rowe looked ready to hit back for Glasgow with a break up the touchline until Barrett tracked back to sweep up his kick through and snuff out the danger.

Warriors hopes suffered a double-blow when Adam Hastings was penalised for a deliberate knock-on to prevent Ringrose running in for a try. Yellow card for Hastings, penalty try awarded, and a mountain to climb for Warriors.

The home side were ramping it up and made their numerical advantage count by whipping the ball wide to send Lowe over on one wing, then O'Brien over on the other.

At 26-0, the contest was effectively over with barely half an hour on the clock.

The blue shirts were coming in waves and Glasgow could not escape. Sam Prendergast slipped a deft little kick in behind the Warriors defence for Keenan to score.

Half-time came as welcome respite for the beleaguered Warriors, but Leinster kept their foot on the throat, Ringrose bursting through the midfield to score.

It was all too easy and Josh van der Flier popped a basketball pass over the top for substitute Sheehan to go over for try number seven.

Glasgow's evening went from bad to worse when Matt Fagerson departed with a nasty looking leg injury.

Leinster were in no mood to show any sympathy and a lovely chip from substitute Ross Byrne landed into the grateful arms of Deegan to go over for his second try of the evening and round off a powerful, clinical display.

After defeats in the past three consecutive finals, Leinster are desperate to get their hands on the Champions Cup. On this evidence, they will take some stopping.

Leinster head coach Leo Cullen: "There is a good desire there at the moment. We had a great day last week at Croke Park, a six-day turnaround and the guys added freshness.

"We're into the next round and Ulster are here next week in the URC. The group is hungry and motivated at the moment and that's what we want to see."

Glasgow head coach Franco Smith: "It was the first time we've been completely bullied in every part of the game.

"As coaches, we just keep on telling the players that we need to improve, there is more required, there is a difference between club and international level.

"You play a team like this, you realise that, you understand the work that still needs to be done - may that be in the gym or on the field with decision making, the pressure, how you manage the game when you start losing the contact part of it."

Leinster: Keenan, T O'Brien, Ringrose, Barrett, Lowe, Prendergast, Gibson-Park, Healy, Kelleher, Furlong, J McCarthy, Snyman, Deegan, van der Flier, Conan.

Replacements: McGrath for Ringrose (52), Slimani for Gibson-Park (52). Not Used: Sheehan, Porter, Mangan, Doris, Byrne, Henshaw.

Glasgow Warriors: Rowe, Dobie, McDowall, Jordan, Steyn, Hastings, G Horne, McBeth, Matthews, Talakai, Brown, Samuel, M Fagerson, Darge, Vailanu.

Replacements: Schickerling for G. Horne (60), Bhatti for Matthews (48), Afshar for Samuel (60). Not Used: Stewart, Du Preez, Williamson, Ferrie, Cancelliere.

Sin Bin: Hastings (22).

Referee: Luke Pearce (RFU).

ST. LOUIS -- Michigan State junior forward Isaac Howard won the Hobey Baker Memorial Award on Friday as college hockey's top player.

Howard, 21, led the nation in averaging 1.41 points per game and became the Spartans' first player to win the award since goalie Ryan Miller in 2001, and the third overall. Howard is from Hudson, Wisconsin, and was selected by Tampa Bay with the 31st pick in the 2022 draft.

Howard finished fifth in the nation this season with 52 points (26 goals, 26 assists) in 37 games while helping lead Michigan State to win the Big Ten regular-season and conference tournament titles.

He won the honor over two other finalists, Denver sophomore defenseman Zeev Buium and Boston College sophomore forward Ryan Leonard, who has already made the jump to the NHL with the Washington Capitals.

Boston College's Jacob Fowler won the Mike Richter Award as goalie of the year. The sophomore was the only repeat finalist and finished the season ranked third with 25 wins, second with a 1.63 goals-against average and third with a .940 save percentage.

Boston University's Cole Hutson, who led all freshmen with 46 points (14 goals, 32 assists), won the Tim Taylor rookie of the year honors.

The awards were presented during the NCAA's Frozen Four championship in St. Louis with Western Michigan (33-7-1) facing Boston University (24-13-2) in the final Saturday night.

Hobey Baker was a football and hockey star for Princeton before serving in the Army Air Corps during World War I. He was 26, and already scheduled to be shipped home, when he was killed in a plane crash in France.

AC Milan coach Sérgio Conceição praised the way Udinese fans applauded Mike Maignan when he had to be carried off on a stretcher following a collision with AC Milan teammate Álex Jiménez in the second half of their 4-0 win on Friday.

Milan were up 2-0 at Udinese in Serie A when Maignan left the box and clashed heads with Jiménez while trying to block the ball in the 51st minute.

Maignan was a victim of racial abuse the last time Milan travelled to Udinese in January 2024 and the French keeper briefly walked off the pitch after being subjected to racist chants by the local fans.

"It impressed me. The player on the ground, the chaos around him ... I have to compliment the Udinese fans," Conceição told Sky Sport.

"The player is one thing, and the man is another. They can boo the player, but not the man. That applause was an incredible gesture, in 40 years of football I have seen few gestures like that. Now Mike is in hospital for tests."

Milan players urgently gestured the team's medical staff to attend to Maignan, who appeared to be unconscious for a brief moment.

The Rossoneri sit ninth on 51 points with six games left to play in a largely disappointing campaign.

"Today we were a team, but it's only three points," said Conceição, whose side have won only three of their last eight games.

"Now we immediately think about Atalanta. In any case I saw a solid and a balanced team, as well as physically available. There was time to work on it, it was important to have 2-3 weeks to work."

Milan host third-placed Atalanta next weekend before facing Inter Milan in second leg of their Coppa Italia semifinal, which remains their best bet to secure European football next season.

Conceição remained tight-lipped when asked if the team still believed they could secure European action.

"We're thinking about working tomorrow, we shouldn't talk too much," he said. "In the end what matters are the results of each day [of training], the rest comes as a consequence in the game."

AC Milan secured a convincing 4-0 victory at Udinese in Serie A on Friday, with Sérgio Conceição's side earning its first win in nearly a month.

Udinese is on its worst run since the end of the 2022-23 season, when it also lost four in a row. It remains in 11th place.

Milan, who last secured three points in mid-March following a 2-1 home win against Como, are ninth in the standings on 51 points after 32 games. It is six points off fourth-placed Bologna, who travel to Atalanta, in third, on Sunday. 

But Milan will worry about an injury to goalkeeper Mike Maignan, who was taken off on a stretcher after colliding with teammate Álex Jiménez.

Rafael Leão's superb strike from 18 meters was quickly followed by Strahinja Pavlovic's glancing header from a Christian Pulisic corner on the stroke of half-time.

Udinese was forced to chase the game in the second half and Milan took advantage of gaps that opened up.

Theo Hernández added a third in the 74th minute when he started a sweeping move in his own half and finished it off with an unstoppable shot.

Substitute Tammy Abraham's superb cross led to a fourth from Tijjani Reijnders 10 minutes from time. 

Pulisic thought he added a fifth but his goal was ruled out for offside.

Milan have struggled for large parts of this season and winning the domestic cup remains their best chance of qualifying for Europe next campaign.

They face Inter Milan in the second leg of their Coppa Italia semifinal on April 23 after drawing the first game 1-1.

The Italian Cup winners automatically go into the Europa League league phase.

Information from The Associated Press and Reuters was used in this report.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has praised Declan Rice after the midfielder revealed that he ignored the advice of the club's set-piece coach before scoring the first of two sensational free kicks against Real Madrid on Tuesday.

The England international's first-ever goals direct from free kicks led Arsenal to a 3-0 win over Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal at the Emirates Stadium.

After the game, Rice said that Arsenal's set-piece coach Nicolas Jover was instructing him to cross the ball.

"It didn't make sense," said Rice. "I'm happy I took it. Bukayo [Saka] said, 'If you feel it, go for it.' I looked at the wall and the keeper and thought, 'I can bend this around the outside."

And Arteta has backed Rice's decision, saying it showed the qualities needed at the top level.

"I love it, especially when it goes to the back of the net instead of a counter-attack," he said. "They have to make the decision, we are here to help them, to try to paint the picture of what the options are, but I loved it.

"I think when we talk about making the next step, it's a lot about that. It's about taking initiative, making things happen on the pitch and believing that you can actually win the game by yourself sometimes, and I was really impressed the way he did it."

Thanks to Rice's goals, and a third from Mikel Merino, Arsenal find themselves in prime position to make the semifinals of the Champions League for the first time since 2009.

"I mean there's no coincidence that all the top teams you look at the games in the Champions League the amount of individual moments that won the football matches," Arteta added.

"In the Champions League at this level that's a necessity, without that I don't think you have a chance to progress and be in the finals and winning trophies like we want."

Arsenal host Brentford in the Premier League on Saturday as they look to narrow an 11-poiont gap to leaders Liverpool, before visiting Madrid for the second leg of their Champions League quarterfinal on Wednesday.

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- It was 32 years ago that Fred Couples slipped a green jacket onto Germany's Bernhard Langer for a second time.

On Friday at Augusta National Golf Club, the former champions gave patrons plenty to cheer for while both battled to make the cut.

Langer, 67, previously had announced that his 41st start in the Masters would be his final one. After making three birdies and one bogey in his first 12 holes of the second round, he seemed to be in good shape to stick around for two more days.

But then Langer's third shot on the par-5 15th hole spun off the green and into the water. He made double bogey and was 2 over, which was the projected cut line. After making consecutive pars on Nos. 16 and 17, Langer's approach was left of the final hole. His ball stopped among the patrons. He chipped to about 10 feet and had to sink a par putt to make the cut.

Langer's ball slid past the hole on the high side. He missed the cut by one stroke at 3 over.

Patrons encircling the 18th green gave Langer a standing ovation as he walked toward the clubhouse with his wife, Vikki Carol, to sign his scorecard one last time. His youngest son, Jason, was his caddie this week.

"It was a very special last two days for me, even starting off walking to the first tee yesterday, I got a standing ovation and the people really, you know, applauded," said Langer, who would have become the oldest player ever to make a cut in a major. "I almost teared up and almost started crying right there, and I said, 'Come on, get it together, you've got some golf to play.' It kind of kept going. There were lots of standing ovations throughout the golf course in various spots."

Langer said he wondered once or twice this week whether he should continue playing in the Masters in future years -- past champions receive lifetime exemptions -- but he decided the course is too long for him now.

"There were times [in the] last couple days when I thought, 'You know, did you make the right decision here, or should you have waited another year or two with your last Masters?' Because I was, you know, playing quite well and very smart."

Couples, 65, gave himself a good chance to make the cut by opening with a 1-under 71. He was only the second golfer aged 65 or older to break par in a round at the Masters (Tom Watson, at 65, carded a 71 in the first round in 2015).

But Couples struggled in the second round with six bogeys and one birdie and posted a 5-over 77. He finished 4 over after 36 holes.

"It was not good," Couples said. "It was not awful. I could have shot 73, and I could have shot 80. How about that? And I kind of shot right in between because I made a couple putts. But I'm not upset about anything. I tried as hard as I could, and let me tell you, it's a hard course."

Couples, the 1992 Masters champion, said he plans to compete in next year's tournament.

"As soon as I get in that car and drive out Magnolia Lane and come back tomorrow and have a nice lunch, I'll be fine," he said. "The goal is to make the cut at my age. I didn't, and I'm kind of spinning my wheels thinking just why it was so mediocre."

Fifty-three players made the cut of 2-over 146.

Past champions Dustin Johnson (3 over), Sergio Garcia (4 over), Mike Weir (4 over), Phil Mickelson (5 over) and Adam Scott (5 over) also went home early.

Other notable players who missed the cut included Russell Henley (3 over), Keegan Bradley (3 over), Tony Finau (4 over), Sepp Straka (5 over), Billy Horschel (5 over), Cameron Smith (6 over) and Will Zalatoris (8 over).

Mickelson, a three-time Masters champion, was 1 over with four holes to play. On the par-5 15th, he hit his drive into the trees on the right. After punching out of the pine straw, his approach found the green but his ball spun back into the pond. He made a double-bogey to fall to 3 over.

Mickelson's tee shot on the par-3 16th found the water again. He made a bogey to fall to 4 over. Another bogey on the 18th dropped him to 5 over.

"I really thought I was going to play well and get right in it," Mickelson said. "I haven't missed very many cuts here, and I'm surprised that I missed one this year because I was playing really well heading in."

Even Brooks Koepka wasn't immune from the late troubles at Augusta National. The LIV Golf League captain was 2 over heading into the 15th. From 230 yards away, he knocked his approach to 3 feet and made an eagle putt to get back to even.

After another par on the par-3 16th, Koepka's approach shot on No. 17 rolled back 45 feet from the cup. He chipped to 12 feet and missed the par putt for a bogey.

On the par-4 18th, Koepka yanked his tee shot into the woods down the left and couldn't find his ball. His approach on his fourth shot was long and stopped in the gallery of patrons behind the green. He chipped to 12 feet and three-putted from there, missing a 4-footer. The quadruple-bogey 8 left him at 5 over.

Koepka, who has three wins in the PGA Championship and two in the U.S. Open, has finished outside the top 25 in his past six major championships.

Cameron Young's missed cut was equally painful. The 2022 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year carded an even-par 72 in the first round and was 2 over after 15 holes Friday.

On the 16th hole, Young pushed his tee shot into the gallery of patrons on the right. He chipped to 12 feet and missed the par putt -- and then inexplicably missed tap-in putts of about 1 foot and 1 feet while rushing. He marked his ball and made a 2-footer for a triple-bogey 6.

On the par-4 17th, Young missed a 7-footer for another bogey to fall to 6 over. He hit his tee shot on the 18th into trees down the right, leading to another bogey. He finished 7 over.

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Justin Rose did just enough to keep the lead Friday in the Masters, but he suddenly has a lot of company going into the weekend at Augusta National.

Bryson DeChambeau became the only player with consecutive sub-70 rounds and got within one shot, putting him in the final group. Right behind was Rory McIlroy, who tried to erase from his memory that sloppy finish in the first round and roared into contention to put the career Grand Slam back into view.

Scottie Scheffler started his title defense with 24 straight holes without a bogey. He then made five bogeys over the last 12 holes to slow his progress. He still was only three shots behind.

"The leaderboard is stacking up very favorably for what looks like world-class players right up there," Rose said after his 1-under 71, which featured birdies on the par 5s on the front nine and on the par 3s on the back nine.

"So you're going to have to play great golf, and you're going to have to go out there and want it and go for it and get after it," he said. "It's as simple as that, really."

Rose took a three-shot lead into the second round and had the advantage of playing early, before the wind became strong enough to make flags snap and create just enough indecision.

He hit a 9-iron over Rae's Creek to 4 feet for birdie on the par-3 12th, and he stuffed his tee shot on the par-3 16th for another birdie. That allowed him to atone for a few mistakes.

He was at 8-under 136, the third time he has had the 36-hole lead at the Masters.

The buzz came from behind him.

DeChambeau picked up an unlikely birdie by holing a bunker shot on the par-3 fourth hole on his way to a 32 on the front nine that kept him on Rose's heels the rest of the way. He wound up with a 68 for his best start ever in the Masters.

"This is what golf is about," DeChambeau said. "Got a lot of great names up there, and looking forward to an unbelievable test of golf."

And then there was McIlroy, who had two double bogeys over the last four holes Thursday, the latest frustrating chapter for him at the Masters. This time, he managed to forget about it and move on. He went birdie-birdie-par-eagle to start the back nine and was on his way to a bogey-free 66.

"I had to remind myself I was playing well," McIlroy said. "I couldn't let two bad holes dictate the narrative of the 16 good ones. I also had to remind myself this morning not to push too hard too early."

Corey Conners of Canada quietly put together a 70 and joined McIlroy at 6-under 138.

The group three shots back included Scheffler (71), former British Open champion Shane Lowry (68) and Tyrrell Hatton, who got within one shot of Rose until a pair of three-putts. One of them did a U-turn down the hill at the 16th. The other was a sleepy tap-in that lipped out.

It shapes up for a wide-open weekend, led by a 44-year-old from England who has gone a dozen years since winning his only major at the 2013 U.S. Open. Rose spoke last year about finding another stretch of magic in his career, and opportunity awaits.

That's also the case for DeChambeau, the U.S. Open champion; for McIlroy, the sentimental favorite of so many at Augusta National as he tries to get the last leg of the career Grand Slam; and for Scheffler, who coped with plenty of stress the course gave him Friday.

"That's the company that I expect to keep, and that's where I have tried to be my whole career," Rose said. "I've been a top-10 player in the world for a decade or more. So yeah, this is nice to be back in that mix."

The cut was at 2-over 146, marking the end of 67-year-old Bernhard Langer's Masters career. He needed to make a 10-foot par putt on the last hole, only for it to tickle the right side of the cup.

Five-time major champion Brooks Koepka might have had the most shocking departure. He was in good shape, needing a bogey on the 18th. He made a quadruple bogey, starting with a tee shot into the trees and ending with a three-putt from 10 feet.

Now the attention shifts back to the top, where 16 players were separated by five shots going into the final two days.

Rose is atop the leaderboard after a round for the 10th time at Augusta, without a green jacket to show for it. He will try to become the second-oldest player at 44 to win the green jacket behind Jack Nicklaus (46) in that mystical 1986 Masters.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

Former NBA Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee on Wednesday and will be reevaluated in roughly six weeks, the Philadelphia 76ers said Friday.

The team's statement said the surgery was deemed successful and was performed by Dr. Jonathan L. Glashow at NYU Langone Sports Medicine Center.

Embiid was ruled out for the season back in late February as he and the Sixers weighed their options for his balky knee. They announced last week that he would have surgery for the second time in a little more than a year.

The 2022-23 NBA MVP and seven-time All-Star played in a career-low 19 games in 2024-25, first due to knee soreness and a three-game suspension for shoving a columnist in the locker room. His other injury absences this season included a sinus fracture.

When on the court, Embiid averaged 23.8 points, 8.2 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game.

It's the latest chapter of a disappointing season for the injury-plagued 76ers, who came into the season with championship hopes after signing All-Star Paul George and extending young star Tyrese Maxey. The trio of Embiid, George and Maxey played in just 15 games together, and Philadelphia (24-56) enters Friday in 13th place in the 15-team Eastern Conference.

Maxey was ruled out for the remainder of the season Wednesday after reinjuring his sprained right finger. George played in just 41 games this season, then was shut down for the year after receiving injections in his left groin and left knee.

Field Level Media and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaylen Wells is expected to miss the rest of the season after breaking his right wrist and sustaining a concussion and facial laceration, the team announced Friday. Wells was hurt when he suffered a hard fall in Tuesday's game against the Charlotte Hornets.

Wells is the Grizzlies' top perimeter defender and one of the league's top rookies. He averages 10.4 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game. The team expects him to make a full recovery.

Wells caught an outlet pass from Ja Morant in the second quarter against the Hornets and was going up for the jam when Charlotte's KJ Simpson caught up and inadvertently undercut him. Wells lost his balance and landed awkwardly on his side as his head hit the court near the baseline.

Wells was attended to on the floor for eight minutes. Medical personnel placed him on a stretcher and immobilized his head before he was taken to the hospital.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.