Islanders' Ross Johnston: Picks up pair of assists

Owings signed a minor-league contract Thursday with the Pirates that includes an invitation to major-league spring training. Owings struggled to a .107/.254/.143 batting line in 26 games (68 plate appearances) last season with the Orioles before getting released in June. He then latched on with the Triple-A affiliate of the Yankees and slashed .235/.303/.412 across 208 plate appearances in the International League. The 31-year-old can serve as organizational infield depth for Pittsburgh leading into the 2023 campaign.

Dillon Brooks has developed a bit of a reputation as an instigator over the past few seasons. The Memphis Grizzlies wing was infamously ejected from a playoff game last postseason for a cheap shot on Golden State Warriors guard Gary Payton II, and on Thursday, he got into it with another opposing player. This time, it was Cleveland Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell.

Misiewicz was designated for assignment by the Royals on Friday. The club needed to free up a spot on the 40-man roster for the re-signing of Zack Greinke. Misiewicz pitched pretty well for Kansas City down the stretch last season after being acquired via trade from the Mariners, posting a 4.11 ERA and 19:4 K:BB over 15.1 innings. It's the second time since July that the left-hander has been designated for assignment.

Seattle signed Clarkin to a minor-league contract back on Jan. 30. He was assigned to Double-A Arkansas after joining the organization. Clarkin was a first-round pick by the the Yankees in 2013, but he's struggled to stay healthy and didn't pitch at all last season after posting a 7.86 ERA in 2021 at the Double-A and Triple-A levels while he was a member of the Colorado organization. At this stage of his career, Clarkin is nothing more than roster fodder.

Beal (foot) will not suit up for Saturday's meeting with Brooklyn. Beal will sit the tail end of the Wizards' back-to-back set with left foot soreness after playing 32 minutes Friday. Fantasy managers should expect Beal to be a full go for Monday's game against the Cavaliers. While he's sidelined, Corey Kispert and Kendrick Nunn figure to see increased workloads.

Green has been ruled out for Thursday's game versus the Cavaliers due to left knee surgery injury management. Green will rest for the second half of the back-to-back set after he made his season debut in Wednesday's 122-112 loss to the Trail Blazers to complete a quicker-than-expected recovery from the surgery he underwent last May to repair a torn ACL and LCL in his left knee. The 35-year-old performed well during his 10 minutes of court time, recording three points (1-4 FG, 1-4 3Pt), four rebounds, one assist and a steal. So long as the Grizzlies' other key wings are healthy, Green doesn't project to see a major uptick in his playing time moving forward, but his perimeter shooting and wing defense should make him valuable from a real-life perspective as a member of Memphis' second unit.

Bertans (calf) is out for Saturday's game versus the Warriors. Bertans will miss at least one game after exiting Thursday's contest against the Pelicans early with a left calf strain. His next chance to suit up is Monday's matchup with Utah, but it's currently unclear if the sharpshooting big man will be able to join the Mavericks at any point during their upcoming five-game road trip.

Jokic is questionable for Saturday's game versus the Hawks due to left hamstring tightness. Jokic continues to deal with tightness in his left hamstring despite playing the last three games. However, the Nuggets will play a back-to-back Saturday and Sunday, so the two-time MVP could certainly miss one of those contests. If Jokic doesn't suit up, Zeke Nnaji would likely start, and DeAndre Jordan could receive some run as well.

Bellinger totaled 30 catches on 35 targets for 268 yards and two receiving touchdowns during the regular season in his rookie campaign. He added one rush for a two-yard touchdown. Bellinger saw his snap count rise steadily from Week 1 to Week 6 before suffering an eye injury against Jacksonville...

Eastern Illinois will issue internal discipline to Kinyon Hodges, the top scorer on their men's basketball team, after he tried to hit a fan who was sitting in the front row during a game on Thursday. The incident came during an 80-67 loss to Lindenwood, the team's eighth defeat in its last nine games.

Beal is considered questionable for Saturday's game versus the Nets due to left foot soreness. Beal fired off a season-high 34 points Friday night against the Trail Blazers and played 32 minutes in the contest, so the team may be debating resting him on the second night of a back-to-back set. Official word on his status should arise ahead of the 6 PM ET tipoff.

Gobert has been downgraded to questionable ahead of Sunday's game against the Nuggets due to right groin soreness. The towering big man hasn't exactly set the world on fire in his first season with the Timberwolves, but losing him before a matchup against Nikola Jokic is less than ideal. If Gobert can't go Sunday, then Naz Reid would be in line for a bigger role. Gobert is averaging just 11.4 points and 10.7 rebounds per game across his last 10 outings.

Gordon posted 28 points (10-15 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 6-7 FT), three rebounds, five assists and one steal in 34 minutes during Friday's 117-111 loss to Toronto. Gordon scored at least 24 points for the third straight game, continuing easily his best stretch of the season. He remains someone who could very well be on the move come next Thursday, although that is something we have been saying for the past three seasons. He can be streamed in for points for now, but as for what the future holds, it's really anyone's guess.

Saric is not in the starting lineup for Saturday's game against the Pistons. Saric accumulated 14 points (5-13 FG, 4-7 3Pt), 13 rebounds and three assists across 30 minutes during Friday's 106-94 victory over the Celtics, but he heads back to the bench with Cameron Johnson (knee) being available and in the starting unit. Saric is averaging 4.4 points and 3.5 rebounds across 11.1 minutes per game when coming off the bench this season.

Kuzma went to the locker room with an apparent left ankle injury during the second quarter of Saturday's game against the Nets, Josh Robbins of The Athletic reports. Kuzma rolled his ankle after stepping on an opponent's foot on a drive to the hoop. He should be considered questionable to return until further updates are provided.

Bukauskas cleared waivers and was sent outright to Triple-A Tacoma on Friday. After being claimed by the Mariners in mid-January and DFA'd Tuesday, Bukauskas is now set to begin 2023 in the Mariners' farm system and attend major-league spring training as a non-roster invitee. The 26-year-old right-hander recorded a 2.79 ERA and 1.31 WHIP through 19.1 Triple-A innings last season.

Rendon (wrist) is feeling "fantastic" physically, Jon Heyman of The New York Post reports. The Angels are hoping to get a little more out of their $245 million investment in Rendon next season following back-to-back injury-plagued years. It was wrist surgery that limited him to just 47 games in 2022, although he did make it back for a couple games in October. He'll turn 33 in June and hasn't had a full, healthy season since 2019 (not counting the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign). Fantasy managers in early drafts have been taking an understandably cautious approach, as Rendon has been going outside the top-200 picks.

Embiid had 33 points (10-18 FG, 2-3 3Pt, 11-13 FT), 10 rebounds, four assists and two steals across 28 minutes during Friday's 137-125 victory over the Spurs. Embiid played through a questionable tag because of some left foot soreness, but he's been very durable lately with one missed game in January. He has also been red hot in fantasy basketball, posting 33.5 points, 10.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.6 blocks and 1.4 three-pointers in his previous 10 games.

Leiter signed a minor-league contract Thursday with the Cubs that includes an invitation to major-league spring training, Andy Martinez of Marquee Sports Network reports. Leiter was pushed off the Cubs' 40-man roster last month, but he's back now with a chance to impress on the MLB side of spring camp. The 31-year-old right-hander worked to a respectable 3.99 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 73:25 K:BB ratio over 67.2 innings with Chicago during the 2022 regular season.

Hall will enter spring training as a starting pitcher, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports. All but one of Hall's 11 appearances late last season came in relief, but he'll head into spring training as one of 12 competitors for five spots in Baltimore's rotation. The dynamic lefty might ultimately wind up in the bullpen over the long haul if he can't improve his control and command, but there's no reason to pull the plug on him as a starter yet. O's general manager Mike Elias wasn't ready to say Friday whether Hall might move to the bullpen if he doesn't win a rotation spot, or if he'd head to Triple-A Norfolk.