Portland Trail Blazers guard Shaedon Sharpe will be sidelined for at least six months after surgery to repair a lateral meniscus tear in his right knee, the team announced Thursday. Sharpe was injured last week during a workout and had surgery Monday in Los Angeles. The 6-foot-5 shooting guard averaged 20.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 50 games last season with Portland, but missed time because of a stress reaction in his left fibula. Sharpe, 23, was the seventh overall pick in the 2022 draft by the Blazers. Over his four years with Portland, he has averaged 15.7 points, with four rebounds and 2.2 assists per game.

The Indianapolis Colts activated receiver Alec Pierce from the physically unable to perform list Thursday, two days before their final preseason game against the Detroit Lions. Pierce had surgery on his left ankle in March after signing a four-year contract extension worth $114 million. He had a platelet-rich plasma injection, which uses a person’s blood to accelerate healing, prior to the start of free agency. But Pierce told reporters in June when that didn’t work after two months, he opted for surgery. Pierce missed all three weeks of camp and each of Indy’s first two preseason games. He now has more than two weeks to ramp up his activity before the Colts host the Baltimore Ravens in the Sept. 13 season opener.

The New York Yankees have placed struggling reliever Fernando Cruz on the 15-day injured list with right elbow discomfort, a day after he allowed his fifth homer since the All-Star break. Following a 9-3 win over Houston, manager Aaron Boone said Cruz has a partial tear in his ulnar collateral ligament and was getting a second opinion to see if Tommy John surgery is needed. New York signed Michael Fulmer to a major league contract and recalled Elmer Rodríguez from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to start Wednesday night’s game against the Astros. In his second season with the Yankees, Cruz is 4-6 with a 3.13 ERA in 61 appearances.

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is not playing in Kansas City's preseason finale against the Seahawks on Friday night. This marks the first time Mahomes has gone through an entire scheduled preseason without appearing in a game. He is recovering from knee ligament surgery in December and has been on track throughout the offseason. The Chiefs face Denver in a Monday night showdown on Sept. 14, and the goal all along has been for Mahomes to be ready for Week 1. Chiefs coach Andy Reid also mentioned that backup quarterback Justin Fields is unlikely to play against the Seahawks, and fourth-string QB Chris Oladokun is in the concussion protocol, so rookie Garrett Nussmeier may play the entire game.

San Francisco Giants left-hander Carson Whisenhunt suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow and is likely to need surgery, another blow for an injury-plagued pitching staff. An MRI revealed the severity of his injury, a day after the 25-year-old Whisenhunt exited in the third inning of his team’s 5-0 win against Cincinnati with pain in the elbow. He said he felt it on the final two pitches he threw and that it was unlike anything he had felt previously with his arm and elbow. The Giants said he would be examined by team doctors with surgery recommended.

Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Brandon Woodruff says his latest shoulder injury won’t require surgery. That represents a notable change of plans for a two-time All-Star, who has dealt with multiple arm issues. This development creates at least a slight chance Woodruff could pitch again this season. The prospect of a 2026 return remains unlikely. Woodruff was fully intending to have surgery as soon as possible to increase the likelihood he could return at least by late in the 2027 season. Scans taken a month after he last pitched showed sigs of improvement that indicates surgery isn't necessary.