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PITTSBURGH – For the better part of eight seasons, Chad Ruhwedel has been one of the most reliable depth defensemen on the Pittsburgh Penguins roster. At the most recent trade deadline, the Penguins traded Kyle Dubas to the New York Rangers to relieve some of the congestion at the position.
While the Penguins are moving forward with younger faces on their third pairing, they honored Ruhwedel in his return to Pittsburgh. During the first commercial break, the Penguins played a welcome-back video for Ruhwedel.
Chad Ruhwedel: a hard worker, a locker room guy, a consummate professional, and a Stanley Cup Champion.
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) March 16, 2024
Thank you for your dedication and all that you've contributed to the Pittsburgh Penguins. pic.twitter.com/SnaeYAZMLT
In his first season with the team in 2016-17, Ruhwedel helped support the Penguins to their second of back-to-back Stanley Cup championships. Ruhwedel played 34 games with 10 points (2G-8A) in the regular season before suiting up for six playoff games.
Over the years in Pittsburgh, Ruhwedel became known for his ability to spend long periods of time out of the lineup yet return without missing a beat. In 326 games with the Penguins, he scored 13 goals and 34 assists for 47 total points.
Although Ruhwedel has yet to play a game with the Rangers, he is in a similar position as the team’s seventh defenseman.
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Veteran wideout announces retirement from NFL
Mohamed Sanu‘s playing days have officially come to an end. The veteran receiver announced on Friday that he has retired. “After 10+ years in the NFL, my playing chapter is closing,” Sanu wrote on X. “Grateful for every coach, teammate fan. Excited to give back through coaching share the game in a new way with the Facts Over Stats podcast. The Journey continues.” Mohamed Sanu hasn't played in years Sanu last played a regular-season game in 2021, and he very briefly spent time with the Dolphins the following summer. Given the time that has elapsed since Friday’s announcement, it is certainly an unexpected one. Nevertheless, it marks an end to the 36-year-old’s career as a player. Selected in the third round of the 2012 draft, Sanu played out his rookie contract with the Bengals. He established himself as a starting-caliber receiver during that period, a status that remained consistent throughout his Falcons tenure (2016-19). In the 2018 campaign, Sanu set a new personal mark with 838 receiving yards; that season also marked the only time one of his eight career pass attempts (four of which resulted in a touchdown) fell incomplete. After a midseason trade saw him finish the year with the Patriots, the Rutgers product split his time between the 49ers and Lions the following campaign. Sanu saw a downturn in usage and production during that span, and he remained a part-time contributor upon returning to San Francisco for 2021. After being released by the Dolphins in August 2022, no known visits took place, and no further playing opportunities presented themselves. Multiple years removed from his final playing action in the NFL, Sanu will now officially turn his attention to other pursuits. In all, he played 145 combined regular and postseason games and amassed nearly $32M in career earnings.
Notre Dame HC Marcus Freeman has message for Chris Ash after Purdue game
The defense has been the story of No. 24 Notre Dame through the first three games of the season. First-year defensive coordinator Chris Ash has struggled to pick up where Al Golden left the unit when he bolted for the Cincinnati Bengals after the national championship game. On Saturday, the Irish defense gave up 23 points to Purdue in the first half before Notre Dame ran away in the second half to win their first game of the season 56-30 in front of 77,622 fans at Notre Dame Stadium. Following the contest, Irish head coach Marcus Freeman told the media that Ash needed to do a better job of matching pressure with his coverage scheme. "Marcus Freeman says Notre Dame needs to do a better job of 'marrying up' coverage with pressure from the defensive front," wrote Tyler Horka of On3 Sports. Notre Dame was panicking on defense Freeman added that the defense was panicking when they changed coverage schemes, but couldn't stop Purdue in the first half. Boilermakers quarterback Ryan Browne diced up the zone coverage, much like Marcel Reed did in Texas A M's 41-40 win over the Irish in Week 2. Freeman defended Ash after the loss to the Aggies, saying the defense's execution was more important than the play calling. The head coach had the same message for his players after beating Purdue. "I don't think they're confused," Freeman said of the defense. "We just aren't executing. But it isn't like our guys don't know what they're doing. They know what they're doing." Freshman quarterback CJ Carr and the offense look capable of going undefeated for the rest of the regular season and competing for a spot in the College Football Playoff. But the defense is going to have to get better if they want to play meaningful football in December-January. Notre Dame's defense was a problem in Week 1 in Miami. Even though the Hurricanes were held to 27 points, Miami could have put up more points if quarterback Carson Beck had been allowed to play as aggressively in the fourth quarter as he had earlier in the game. When Ash calls zone, he's going to have to find a way to generate a pass-rush. All three quarterbacks Notre Dame has faced this season have shown an ability to find open spots in the secondary when they have time to throw in the pocket.
Brewers announce pitcher who will take Brandon Woodruff’s turn through the rotation
Over the weekend, the Milwaukee Brewers announced devastating news that Brandon Woodruff was being placed on the injured list with a lat strain. He first felt the discomfort during a bullpen over the weekend, the strain has been labeled moderate, and there is not much optimism that he will be ready for the playoffs. With just a week remaining in the regular season and the NLDS set to begin on October 4, the long-term focus for Woodruff is clearly his postseason availability. In the short term, however, the Brewers had a more immediate challenge: finding someone to step into his spot in the rotation. Milwaukee Brewers announce which pitcher will take Brandon Woodruff’s turn through the rotation On Saturday, the Brewers designated Joel Payamps for assignment and selected the contract of Bruce Zimmermann. The 30 year hasn’t made a big league appearance since 2023, but in a twist of fate he is now slated to start Tuesday against the San Diego Padres, which originally was Woodruff’s day to pitch; As Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reported, Zimmermann was told straight up that he was coming up for one day with the Brewers. However, with Woodruff being diagnosed with a lat strain that same day, plans changed, and he now will start at least one game for Milwaukee. Notably, with Zimmermann scheduled to pitch on Tuesday, he lines up to start the Brewers’ final regular season game against the Reds. Even if he doesn’t get the start, he’ll be available to pitch, giving Milwaukee the option to use him for bulk innings without risking another last-minute injury to one of their key arms heading into the playoffs. Zimmermann brings some experience to the table, with 27 career big-league starts under his belt. As a starter, he had a 4.11 ERA in Triple-A this season. While his role may seem minor in the shadow of the Woodruff injury, his performance could still play a meaningful part in helping the Brewers secure the best record in baseball, which would guarantee them home field advantage throughout the playoffs. He also could have a hand in whether or not Cincinnati makes the post season or not.
Rival Teams 'Upset' With Dodgers Due to Shohei Ohtani Rule
However the Dodgers decide to use star pitcher/designated hitter Shohei Ohtani in the postseason, the generational talent gives LA a massive advantage. Because of a unique rule that applies only to players as unique as Ohtani, the Dodgers could turn their superstar into an even bigger advantage. Every team in MLB is limited to a maximum playoff roster of 26 players, with no more than 13 spots reserved for pitchers. Ohtani will be able to enter the postseason as a designated hitter and will not take up one of the 13 spots as a pitcher despite the Dodgers planning on utilizing Ohtani as a starting pitcher. "Teams are upset that the Dodgers will have one more pitcher than everyone else on their roster since there’s a special exemption for Shohei Ohtani as a two-way player," USA Today's Bob Nightengale wrote. "If Ohtani is a starting pitcher, he can remain in the game as a DH once he’s replaced on the mound. But if he starts the game as a DH and pitches out of the bullpen, the Dodgers would lose the DH once his relief appearance is over. The only way Ohtani could stay in the game would be moving to the outfield, where he hasn’t played since 2021." Ohtani has expressed his willingness to play in the outfield if it means giving the Dodgers a roster advantage in the postseason. However, it is likely, according to Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, that Ohtani will not be making a surprise appearance in the outfield. One factor that will be at play with Ohtani's ability to contrtibute as a starting pitcher will be his longevity. After recovering from a torn UCL in the 2023 season and serving as a designated hitter exclusively in 2024, Ohtani returned to the mound in 2025. While Ohtani has performed well with a 3.29 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP, he hasn't pitched more than five innings in a single start. Ohtani's limited use is a strategy by the Dodgers to save their superstar's arm for the big moments that are offered in October. Ohtani has one more scheduled start for the regular season when the Dodgers travel to Arizona to face the Diamondbacks on Tuesday night. Latest Dodgers News
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