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Max Kepler is back in the bigs. The Diamondbacks activated the outfielder Thursday after he completed his eighty-game suspension for testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug. Arizona gets a veteran bat back in the fold, though the circumstances of his return will follow him into every at-bat this season.
Shifting to the World Cup, the USMNT wraps up Group D play against Türkiye, and this one carries real weight even with rotation expected. Türkiye brings the kind of physicality and tactical discipline you'll see from the tournament's elite sides, making this a genuine measuring stick for how far this American squad can actually go.
And Ivory Coast made history Thursday, defeating Curaçao to reach the knockout stages of the World Cup for the very first time. Nicolas Pepe delivered a brace to seal it in Group E, and the emotion on that sideline said everything. The Elephants are in uncharted territory, and the world is watching to see what they do next.
That's your play-by-play. Sports Desk, back to the booth.
