Welcome in, this is Sports Desk, and we've got three stories you need to know right now.
Shohei Ohtani left the Dodgers-Pirates game in the seventh inning with left knee inflammation, and Los Angeles is holding its breath. The two-way superstar was pulled in a tight two-run game, and with no clear timeline announced, the baseball world is watching every update closely.
Across the Atlantic, Japan took a massive blow before their World Cup even begins. Captain Wataru Endo has withdrawn from the squad with a foot injury and, in a stunning turn, announced his retirement from international duty entirely. The Liverpool midfielder posted the news just three days before Japan's Group F opener against the Netherlands, leaving the team without its leader at the worst possible moment.
And on the same World Cup stage, South Africa's coach Hugo Broos is insisting the door isn't closed after a brutal opening day. Bafana Bafana dropped two-nil to Mexico while playing down to nine men, and yet Broos is calling a knockout stage run still possible. It's a tough sell, but stranger things have happened in this tournament.
That's your play-by-play. Sports Desk, back to the booth.
