Reuters Sports News Summary

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Packers RB Josh Jacobs, Broncos LB Jonathon Cooper taken off exempt list

The NFL notified Green Bay ​Packers running back Josh Jacobs and Denver Broncos linebacker Jonathon Cooper that they will be removed ​from the commissioner's exempt list Monday, making them eligible to return in ‌Week ​7. Neither player has appeared in a game this season due to separate legal troubles. The league placed both men on the exempt list Aug. 30.

Tennis-Injured Swiatek goes down fighting in Wuhan Open semi-final

A left-leg injury derailed Iga Swiatek as she went down fighting to Polish compatriot and childhood friend Maja Chwalinska 7-5 6-1 ‌in the Wuhan Open semi-finals on Saturday. French Open runner-up Chwalinska, who was Swiatek's junior doubles partner, will face Sonay Kartal in the final after the Briton beat Jelena Ostapenko 7-6(9) 7-6(5) in the first semi-final.

NBA-Knicks chase back-to-back banner in NBA built to stop dynasties

New York has barely stopped celebrating its first NBA title in 53 years, and the Knicks are already chasing a repeat in a league that is built to stop one. The NBA has crowned ‌a record eight different champions in the last eight seasons. Rules that make it tougher to stack a roster with superstars have turned the league into a free-for-all.

Boxing-Figueroa loses WBA featherweight title after missing weight

American Brandon ‌Figueroa has been stripped of his WBA featherweight title after hitting the scales 1.4 pounds over the 126-pound weight limit for Saturday's fight against Tomoki Kameda of Japan, organisers said on Friday. Kameda, 35, will be able to clinch the vacant title if he wins the fight, which will go ahead as scheduled in Las Vegas.

WNBA-Experts anticipate defensive showdown in Dream v Valkyries Finals

Fans can expect a clash of two defensive powerhouses when the WNBA Finals kick off on Saturday between the Dream and the Golden State Valkyries, with Angel Reese ready ⁠to deliver after a ​career-best season for Atlanta. The two sides accounted for six of ⁠the WNBA's 10 All-Defensive first and second teams this season, with the showdown centering largely on "who stays healthy defensively", Hall of Famer Tamika Catchings told reporters this week.

Baseball-Experts divided on whether Dodgers' sweep shifts MLB salary cap fight

Experts are divided over whether the Los ⁠Angeles Dodgers' sweep by the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Championship Series will affect Major League Baseball's labor talks, where owners are pushing for a salary cap that players oppose. The big-spending Dodgers were thoroughly outplayed by the relentless Brewers, who rank 19th ​in payroll out of the league's 30 clubs. Milwaukee will return to the World Series for the first time in 44 years after vanquishing the two-time defending champions.

Cycling-Carapaz joins NSN on three-year deal

Former Giro ⁠d'Italia winner and Olympic champion Richard Carapaz joined NSN Cycling Team on Friday, after leaving EF Education-EasyPost a year before the end of his contract. The 33-year-old Ecuadorean, who won the Giro in 2019 and road race gold at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, signed a ⁠three-year deal ​with NSN, formerly known as Israel–Premier Tech.

LA restaurant group used $60,000 Dodgers bet to hedge playoff risk, Kalshi says

A Los Angeles hospitality group used a $60,000 trade on Kalshi to offset revenue lost after the Los Angeles Dodgers failed to reach the World Series, according to the prediction markets platform. Here are more details:

ALCS Game 4 between Guardians, Rays postponed to Saturday

CLEVELAND -- Day-long rain that turned into soaking showers in the early evening led to ⁠the postponement of Game 4 of the American League Championship Series on Friday night. The Cleveland Guardians lead the Tampa Bay Rays 2-1 in the best-of-seven series, which now will resume Saturday at 8 p.m. ⁠A scheduled off-day Sunday has been erased with Game 5 ⁠shifted to 5 p.m. that day, also in Cleveland.

Division II DB Tyler Ulrich dies days after in-game injury

A North Texas community and an Oklahoma college campus are in mourning following the death of defensive back Tyler Ulrich, who died five days after suffering a traumatic injury in a game. Ulrich, from Azle, Texas, was ‌injured in the game between his team, ‌Southern Nazarene, and Ouachita Baptist in Arkadelphia, Ark., last Saturday in an NCAA Division II meeting. The school announced ​the passing of the sophomore finance major on Thursday.