Zinedine Zidane insisted he does not know what is going to happen concerning his future at Real Madrid, but did little to quell talk of him quitting amid rumours of an impending resignation.

ZIdane has a contract with Madrid until the end of next season but reports have suggested he will end his second stint as the club's coach prematurely even if they win LaLiga. Madrid trail city rivals Atletico Madrid by two points with two games remaining.

Talk of him departing was predictably a hot topic ahead of Sunday's visit to Athletic Bilbao, with Zidane adamant his future is not in his thinking as Los Blancos bid to retain the title.

"I'm going to answer the same thing," he told a pre-match media conference. "It's boring because of what I always say, playing both games ... It's the truth, I don't know what's going to happen.

"I am here, yes, tomorrow we are going to play and the last game will be missing [from his thinking]. The rest I do not know, anything can happen, it is Real Madrid.

"My strength is from day to day, I do not see myself beyond day to day. I do not look at the past or the future, it is the present to the fullest."

However, asked if he was "making it easy for the club", Zidane appeared to drop several hints that this spell as coach is about to come to a close.

"Maybe you think I'm quitting because I'm taking responsibility or I'm quitting because things get complicated. Never, nothing," Zidane replied.

"The only thing is that what I do, I do it to the max. And there comes a time when things ... It's time to change. But for everyone, not for me. For the good of the players, the club, the people.

"I don't let go because it's easy to say that I take off, turn around and don't want to look at them, moments are like that. There are moments when you have to be and others when you have to change."

Madrid have not lost a league game since January, but damaging draws with Getafe, Real Betis and Sevilla have left them needing a slip-up from Atletico to tilt the title race in their favour.

They have won 10 of their last 15 away games against Athletic but Los Leones coach Marcelino has won his last two meetings against Madrid.

"We have to watch and do what we can control, which is our game," said Zidane. "In the rest we don't know what will happen.

"The important thing is to keep adding and we want to win the three points. We are going to be playing against a very good opponent, he is doing very well and we will try to give everything."

Ronald Koeman has launched a staunch defence of Barcelona's season, insisting his team did not throw away their shot at LaLiga glory.

Tuesday's dramatic 3-3 draw at Levante means Barca go into this weekend's match against Celta Vigo four points behind leaders Atletico Madrid with two games to play, having won one of their past four top-flight outings.

After the Levante game, where the hosts came from 2-0 and 3-2 down to snatch a point, Koeman said he understood questions over his future as head coach.

However, he was in a more strident mood when previewing the Celta game, insisting Barca's run of 19 LaLiga games unbeaten – beginning in December and ending with April's Clasico loss at Real Madrid – and their Copa del Rey success should be the main marker of this campaign, as opposed to the recent collapse.

"We didn't throw it away," he said. "We made a comeback that cost us a lot of effort. 

"Atletico and Real also lost points. It's true that we lost a big chance against Granada [a 2-1 home defeat at the end of last month after Lionel Messi put Barcelona ahead], but we're talking about one match.

"It is important to believe and continue, trying to win and hope. Our chances of winning are small but we still have some and it is about winning our games.

"In the past two weeks I have felt mistreated. We won the Copa, we recovered 12 points in LaLiga.

"If you look at the press in recent days, it seems that we did a very bad job and I do not agree with that."

Koeman went on to insist he retains the support of the dressing room at Camp Nou and similarly dismissed suggestions he should be disappointed by the efforts of his players.

"I am not disappointed with my players. For them it has also been a very difficult year," he said.

"There are five or six players who have missed 35 or 40 matches in all competitions. We were only able to sign one player. 

"The fans have seen a team that has played fantastic games, which has shown to be very hungry, recognising that sometimes we do not win key games, such as Levante in the second half. 

"The team has a future. If we can sign what we think is missing to take the next step, we can be excited about next year."

On the subject of his own future, Koeman claimed that had not been on the agenda during a meeting with club president Joan Laporta this week.

"I can't explain much, we talked about the latest results, the team and we meet to talk [again] after the season," he added.

Novak Djokovic had to battle back more than once before eventually getting the better of Stefanos Tsitsipas in Rome, keeping alive his hopes of a sixth Internazionali BNL d'Italia title.

The reigning champion was in trouble when play was halted in the quarter-final clash on Friday, trailing by a set and a break before persistent rain forced an early end to proceedings.

However, Djokovic was able to get back on level terms before the duo played out a see-saw deciding set that twice saw Tsitsipas hold control.

The sixth seed – seeking a first win over the world number one on clay at the third attempt – even had the chance to serve out for the match when 5-4 ahead, only to falter with the finishing line in sight.

Djokovic instead claimed three games in a row to finally prevail after three hours and 16 minutes on court. He has little time to recover, though, as his semi-final match is scheduled for later on Saturday.

Next up will be Italian Lorenzo Sonego, the home favourite having produced a comeback of his own to see off Andrey Rublev 3-6 6-4 6-3 in another contest held over from Friday.

Djokovic will hope for a more straightforward encounter after being pushed all the way by Tsitsipas, who will rue his missed chances.

The Greek led 2-1 in the final set after clinching a break that led to his opponent throwing his racket in frustration, earning him a code violation.

He had openings to extend that advantage in the fifth game before losing his serve in the eighth, only to quickly forge his way back in front to move to the brink.

Yet a gripping set of tennis that saw a combined total of 16 break-point opportunities somehow went Djokovic's way, a memorable victory wrapped up when Tsitsipas slashed a tired-looking backhand wide.

Central Coast Mariners and Sydney both recorded slender away victories over Newcastle Jets and Western United respectively in Saturday's A-League action.

Sydney briefly moved up to second in the table after an Adam Le Fondre penalty – his first goal since returning to the club - secured them a 1-0 triumph on their visit to Mars Stadium.

Referee Shaun Evans deemed Ivan Vujica had handled inside the penalty area and pointed to the spot, the official confirming his initial decision after a lengthy VAR check.

United goalkeeper Ryan Scott had kept Sydney at bay up until that point but was unable to deny Le Fondre, who is back after a spell with Mumbai City in India.

However, Central Coast leapfrogged back over Sydney in the standings thanks to a 1-0 win of their own in the late kick-off.

A penalty settled the game at McDonald Jones Stadium too, Matt Simon on target in the 54th minute as the Mariners recorded back-to-back wins over the Jets for the first time since October 2014.

Simon has now scored nine A-League goals against Newcastle - only against Melbourne Victory (10) has he managed more in his career.

Jamie Vardy once almost quit football to embark on a new life in the sunnier climes of Ibiza but now happily admits "thank God I didn't".

On Saturday, Vardy will make history as the first player to have featured in every round of the FA Cup from the first preliminary round to the final when Leicester City face off against Chelsea in the Wembley showpiece.

But things could have been very different for Vardy, whose rise from non-league football to Premier League star and England international (albeit he is now retired from the Three Lions) is well documented.

Vardy made a £1million switch to the King Power Stadium from Fleetwood Town ahead of the 2012-13 season, back when the Foxes were playing in the Championship.

He managed just four goals and only 17 starts in the second tier during that first campaign, leaving Vardy questioning his future in the game.

Former team-mate Ben Marshall revealed earlier this year on an episode of popular UK podcast 'Undr the Cosh' how Vardy had planned to hang up the boots early and head to party town Ibiza.

Vardy spoke about that time in his life and how the confidence of former manager Nigel Pearson helped to convince him to stick at it.

"Moving to Ibiza felt a good idea at the time," he told the Daily Mail. "It felt a really good idea. Thank God I didn't.

"It was one of those things. I'd never been in that environment - playing in the Championship, struggling, the performances and the goals not coming and it does make you think.

"I had a chat with Nigel Pearson at one point and I was trying to get him to loan me back to Fleetwood, just because I'd had success there. He said 'listen, you're good enough, just knuckle down, you can play a lot higher'.

"At that stage, I knew he believed in me and after that, it all clicked together. It was a learning curve. The big jump in standard took a bit of time getting used to and then the season after we got promoted."

Vardy was vindicated in his decision, helping Leicester to the Premier League and he now has 116 top-flight goals.

His 24 in the 2015-16 campaign fired Leicester to a famous title triumph and Champions League football in the following season.

Leicester have not been back at Europe's top table since, though they are third in the standings with just two games to play under Brendan Rodgers this term, and have the cup final against Chelsea to play.

Vardy pondered whether the unexpected title win came too soon for the Foxes.

"Winning the league probably set us back a bit because it wasn't supposed to happen so we probably weren't ready for it, on and off the field," he added.

"I couldn't see any of this happening when I signed but it's where the club wanted to go and what they wanted to achieve.

"The owners were brilliant and always wanted to go up and up, and keep progressing. If you look at the nine years since I've been here that's all it's ever done. It's carried on progressing."

Luis Suarez was determined to prove his doubters wrong after getting the chance to continue playing at the highest level with Atletico Madrid.

Suarez left Barcelona after a 2019-20 season that saw the Spanish giants finish without a trophy. Having lost out to Real Madrid in a tight title race, hopes of Champions League glory were emphatically ended at the quarter-final stage by Bayern Munich.

The Uruguay striker had scored 21 goals in all competitions yet was deemed surplus to requirements at Camp Nou, allowed to leave on the cheap as he remained within LaLiga at Atleti.

Barca have watched on as their former player has scored 19 league goals to help Diego Simeone's squad push to be crowned Spanish champions - they top the table by two points with two games remaining, the first of which is at home to Osasuna on Sunday.

For Suarez, the desire to succeed following his switch to the capital was fuelled by those who had declared him to be in a state of decline.

"You like a challenge. And coming here was a very big challenge for me for many things," he said in an interview for Club del Deportista magazine.

"Last year I received criticism and they said that I was not here to compete for important things, or that at Barcelona I could not compete at a high level.

"That will generate a challenge to an individual, you want to continue to demonstrate that you can do something at the elite level of football, something I've been demonstrating as the kind of player I am for many years.

"I experienced it as a great challenge and with great enthusiasm. I'm not sorry at all, on the contrary, excited and eager to continue demonstrating."

Suarez also revealed his future plans at international level as he intends to finish his Uruguay career after next year's World Cup in Qatar.

The 34-year-old is his country's all-time leading scorer and helped them win the 2011 Copa America, a year after a fourth-place finish at the World Cup in South Africa.

"My wish is to be able to play the World Cup in Qatar and afterwards one must realise that the time has come," the former Ajax and Liverpool forward said.

"First by age and then by the young people who come after, so that they have the possibility. When the time comes I will make the appropriate decision, although assuming that costs a player a lot, but I have been working on it for a long time."

Rick Carlisle acknowledged it is "significant" for the Dallas Mavericks to have avoided the play-in tournament after securing an automatic playoff berth by beating the Toronto Raptors on Friday.

Luka Doncic had 20 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds for an 11th triple-double of the season as the Mavericks defeated the Raptors 114-110.

Toronto trailed by 19 points early in the second half but, despite an undermanned roster only using seven players in the game, pulled within three with three minutes remaining.

However, the Mavs held out and will finish either fifth or sixth in the Western Conference, securing a 17th playoff trip in 21 seasons.

It means the team have a small rest period rather than having to go through the additional process of the play-in tournament, something head coach Carlisle believes could be crucial.

"Getting a win is important," Carlisle said. "It solidified either a six or a five spot, depending on what happens on Sunday.

"And avoiding the play-in is significant. It's important. There are just too many advantages to not being in the play-in situation.

"So I'm happy for our guys. They worked hard for this."

Asked what message he gave his team as the Raptors chipped away at the lead, Carlisle replied: "I don't talk about what I say to the team in private. 

"I don't coach my team through the press. Guys are happy to win the game and to be removed from the play-in situation.

"We've got to gather ourselves for Sunday. It's a game Sunday night against a Minnesota team that's been playing very, very well in the last two weeks, so we'll have our hands full there."

The Mavericks (42-29) had a 9-14 record in early February but a 12th win from 15 outings means they are a season-high 13 games over .500. 

"That's great. Obviously, I think I remember that tough stretch when we were the 12 or 13th spot and everybody had us out of the playoffs," Doncic said.

"But now we made the playoffs and it's good. We're going to have a couple of days off, and that's what we needed."

Doc Rivers told his Philadelphia 76ers team to be proud of clinching the top seed in the Eastern Conference but says the accomplishment is only one part of their ultimate goal.

Just five years since the 76ers recorded a 10-win season, a 122-97 triumph over the Orlando Magic on Friday secured top billing in the East for the first time in 20 years.

Seth Curry put up 20 points while Joel Embiid contributed 13 points and 11 rebounds as the 76ers made certain of home-court advantage for the playoffs.

Head coach Rivers was keen to talk up what his team have done, while also ensuring minds stay focused on the main prize: a first NBA title for the franchise since 1983.

"It's an accomplishment. I don't want to downplay it, but I told our guys to enjoy, I don't want to call it a moment, I told them to enjoy the second, because it's not what we want, but it's part of what you can get on the way to what you want," Rivers said.

"I think for this team, as young as we are, to have home-court [advantage] is really important. It's nice to have. We should feel proud of it."

The last time the 76ers topped the Eastern Conference ahead of the postseason, Philadelphia – led by MVP Allen Iverson – went on to reach the NBA Finals, though they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers 4-1.

Philadelphia have not advanced that far since, failing to make it beyond the conference semi-finals in 2003, 2012, 2018 and 2019, while they were swept in the first round by the Boston Celtics last season.

The 76ers round out their regular season with another clash against the Magic on Sunday.

Seattle Mariners prospect Jarred Kelenic wowed after homering for his first MLB hit, while the Washington Nationals showed no mercy on Friday.

Kelenic announced his arrival with a two-run homer as the Mariners beat the Cleveland Indians 7-3 in Seattle.

The 21-year-old became the youngest Mariners player to homer since Adam Jones in 2006 after going long in the third inning.

Kelenic, who also added a pair of doubles against the Indians, joined Kyle Lewis (2019) in hitting a home run for the first major league hits.

According to Stats Perform, Kelenic is the youngest American League (AL) player with three-plus extra-base hits out of the lead-off spot since Rickey Henderson in 1979.

Meanwhile, the Nationals crushed the Arizona Diamondbacks 17-2 in their series opener.

The Nationals used a six-run opening inning to ease past the Diamondbacks – the franchise's biggest first inning since 2018.

Washington produced a 22-hit performance as Yan Gomes starred with a career-high five hits while he finished a home run shy of the cycle.

Gomes set career highs with five hits and four runs. Per Stats Perform, at the age of 33, he is the second-oldest catcher in the modern era to reach both numbers in a game, behind only Walker Cooper (aged 34, 1949).

Season-high outing for Kershaw

World Series champions the Los Angeles Dodgers topped the Miami Marlins 9-6 behind ace Clayton Kershaw, who posted a season-high 11 strikeouts. Despite conceding five runs over six innings, Kershaw won for the sixth time in eight starts, while contributing an RBI single.

The Oakland Athletics clubbed four home runs as they made light work of the Minnesota Twins 6-1. Frankie Montas allowed one run and four hits for his third consecutive victory.

The Kansas City Royals snapped an 11-game losing streak by beating the Chicago White Sox 6-2 in the opener of their doubleheader. The White Sox won the second game 3-1.

Aaron Judge hit a pair of home runs to fuel the New York Yankees' 5-4 victory over the Baltimore Orioles.

Miley falls flat on his face

Wade Miley came crashing back down to earth in the Cincinnati Reds' 9-6 loss to the Colorado Rockies. After his no-hitter against the Indians earlier this month, Miley gave up eight runs on 11 hits as he struck out five in three-plus innings. According to Stats Perform, Miley became the first pitcher to allow 11-plus hits in his first game pitched after throwing a no-hitter since Bob Gibson in 1971.

White Sox star Jose Abreu – the reigning American League (AL) MVP – and Kansas City's Hunter Dozier were involved in a sickening collision in Friday's doubleheader opener. The pair had to be helped off the field after Abreu left with a facial contusion, laceration and bruised knee. Hozier was placed on the seven-day concussion injured list.

The Ohtani show

Playing as a designated hitter, two-way star Shohei Ohtani recorded his 11th home run of the season in the sixth inning. The Los Angeles Angels still lost 4-3 to the Boston Red Sox.

Friday's results

Kansas City Royals 6-2 Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox 3-1 Kansas City Royals
Pittsburgh Pirates 3-2 San Francisco Giants
New York Yankees 5-4 Baltimore Orioles
Boston Red Sox 4-3 Los Angeles Angels
Chicago Cubs 4-2 Detroit Tigers
Tampa Bay Rays 3-2 New York Mets
Philadelphia Phillies 5-1 Toronto Blue Jays
Atlanta Braves 6-3 Milwaukee Brewers
Oakland Athletics 6-1 Minnesota Twins
Houston Astros 10-4 Texas Rangers
Colorado Rockies 9-6 Cincinnati Reds
Washington Nationals 17-2 Arizona Diamondbacks
Seattle Mariners 7-3 Cleveland Indians
Los Angeles Dodgers 9-6 Miami Marlins
San Diego Padres 5-4 St Louis Cardinals

Marlins at Dodgers

The Dodgers (21-17) can complete a four-game series sweep of the Marlins (17-21) on Saturday. Trevor Bauer will start for the Dodgers.

The Philadelphia 76ers secured the top seed in the NBA's Eastern Conference after a crushing 122-97 victory over the Orlando Magic that saw their key players take an early seat on the bench. 

Seth Curry led the 76ers with 20 points in just 23 minutes of court time on Friday, while Joel Embiid had 13 points and 11 rebounds in 23 minutes and Ben Simmons added 13 points and nine assists in 26 minutes. 

Philadelphia (48-23) – Eastern Conference champions for the first time since 2000-01 – will open the playoffs against the number eight seed that emerges from next week's play-in tournament. 

Two teams will emerge from the Eastern Conference side, which will include the Boston Celtics, Charlotte Hornets, Indiana Pacers and the Washington Wizards.

The Wizards clinched their play-in spot with a 120-105 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers as Russell Westbrook recorded yet another triple-double following 21 points, 17 assists and 12 rebounds. 

Westbrook's triple-double was his 37th in 63 appearances this season, and he had at least 15 assists for the seventh consecutive game. Only John Stockton and Isiah Thomas have had seven such games in a row, with Stockton doing it three times.

Mavericks avoid play-in with win over Raptors

Luka Doncic tallied 20 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds and Kristaps Porzingis added 21 points and 10 rebounds as the Dallas Mavericks (42-29) held off the Toronto Raptors for a 114-110 win that clinched a spot in the Western Conference's top six.

The Denver Nuggets beat the Detroit Pistons 104-91 to draw even with the Los Angeles Clippers, who fell 122-115 to the lowly Houston Rockets. Denver (47-24) got 20 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists from MVP candidate Nikola Jokic in the win, the Nuggets' third in a row. The Clippers' loss gave the idle Phoenix Suns (49-21) the Pacific Division title. 

The NBA-leading Utah Jazz won 109-93 at the Oklahoma City Thunder behind 22 points from Bojan Bogdanovic. Utah (51-20) can clinch the top seed in the west with a win against the Sacramento Kings on Sunday or a Suns loss against the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday or Sunday. 

The Golden State Warriors downed the New Orleans Pelicans 125-122 behind Jordan Poole's 38 points for their fifth consecutive victory. The Memphis Grizzlies also won their fifth straight game, 107-106 over the Kings, while resting most of their key players. Golden State and Memphis share 38-33 records and will meet on Sunday with the number eight seed on the line as they head into the play-in tournament. 

Bulls miss out again

The Wizards' win ended the idle Chicago Bulls' hopes of making the play-in tournament, marking the fourth consecutive season the storied franchise will miss the playoffs. 

Hometown kid Harris posts career night

The Raptors played without their top seven scorers in Friday's loss to the Mavericks, but Dallas native Jalen Harris did his part in a losing effort with a career-high 31 points. 

Friday's results

Washington Wizards 120-105 Cleveland Cavaliers
Denver Nuggets 104-91 Detroit Pistons
Philadelphia 76ers 122-97 Orlando Magic
Utah Jazz 109-93 Oklahoma City Thunder
Dallas Mavericks 114-110 Toronto Raptors
Houston Rockets 122-115 Los Angeles Clippers
Memphis Grizzlies 107-106 Sacramento Kings
Golden State Warriors 125-122 New Orleans Pelicans

Lakers at Pacers

The Los Angeles Lakers need a win to pull even with the Portland Trail Blazers for the sixth spot in the Western Conference, and the reigning champions are hoping to have LeBron James back in the line-up as they face the Pacers. 

Ben Simmons said he does not care who the Philadelphia 76ers meet in the opening round of the NBA playoffs after clinching the top seed in the Eastern Conference.

The 76ers claimed the best record in the east for the first time since 2000-01 thanks to Friday's 122-97 rout of the lowly Orlando Magic.

Seth Curry posted 20 points, while Joel Embiid had 13 points and 11 rebounds as the 76ers earned home-court advantage for the playoffs.

The 76ers will begin their quest for a first NBA championship since 1983 on May 22, starting against the eighth seed from the play-in tournament.

But All-Star Simmons, who put up 13 points, nine assists and four rebounds, said: "I don't care who we play.

"That's the point of being the number one seed, you feel like you can beat anybody.

"If we were scared, we shouldn't be in this position.

"We want to get ready for the playoffs. We put ourselves in a good position, but we want to win a championship."

The last time the 76ers topped the Eastern Conference ahead of the postseason, Philadelphia – led by MVP Allen Iverson – went on to reach the NBA Finals, though they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers 4-1.

Philadelphia have not advanced to the NBA Finals since, with the 76ers failing to make it beyond the conference semi-finals in 2003, 2012, 2018 and 2019, while they were swept in the first round by the Boston Celtics last season.

MVP hopeful Embiid insisted: "I'm happy about what we accomplished, but we have a long way to go. Now's the time to lock in and go get the whole thing."

"Home-court advantage helps a lot," Embiid said. "We've been dominant at home; we barely lose here. It means a lot to have the number one seed."

Embiid – who has flourished under head coach Doc Rivers, who replaced Brett Brown at the start of the season – added: "We did it as a group, felt like everybody contributed. Great coaching staff, great front office, the group we've had this year has been exceptional.

"As good as we were in the regular season, I think we're going to be even better in the playoffs."

Former MLB star Alex Rodriguez is poised to join the ownership ranks, though not in the sport that made him famous as he prepares to take over NBA franchise the Minnesota Timberwolves.

MLB great Rodriguez and former Walmart executive Marc Lore have reached an agreement to buy the Timberwolves from long-time owner Glen Taylor pending league approval, the team said on Friday. 

Multiple news outlets reported the pair will pay $1.5billion for the Timberwolves, the WNBA's Minnesota Lynx, the G League's Iowa Wolves and the eSports franchise T-Wolves Gaming. 

The 80-year-old Taylor bought the Timberwolves in 1994 for $88million. 

Rodriguez and Lore entered into a 30-day exclusive negotiating window with Taylor on April 10, but it took a few additional days after that window closed to finalise the deal. 

When word that Rodriguez could purchase the team broke last month, the Timberwolves' top young player, Anthony Edwards, made headlines by saying he had no idea who the 14-time MLB All-Star and World Series champion was. 

By now, Edwards – number one pick in the 2020 NBA Draft – is well aware of Rodriguez and his background. 

Rodriguez – a three-time American League (AL) MVP – hit .295 with 696 home runs across a 22-year career with the Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers and New York Yankees before retiring in 2016. 

But the latter stages of his career were dogged by rumours of performance-enhancing drug use, and he was suspended for the entire 2014 season after violating MLB's drug policy. 

He has since served as a television analyst for ESPN and Fox Sports but reportedly had been looking to buy a team in recent years. 

Rodriguez, Lore and Rodriguez's then-fiancee –actress and singer Jennifer Lopez – put in a bid for the New York Mets last year but lost out to Steve Cohen. 

Shohei Ohtani's next start for the Los Angeles Angels has been pushed back due to fatigue, according to manager Joe Maddon.

Ohtani was scheduled to start on the mound against the Cleveland Indians in MLB action on Tuesday but those plans have changed.

Maddon said the Angels are being cautious with the two-way star, who remained in the line-up as a designated hitter against the Boston Red Sox on Friday.

"We're going to move him back, but we don't know to when," Maddon said prior Friday's clash with the Red Sox.

"But there's no blisters. Nothing. Just being proactive. It's in his best interest, too.

"To me, the day after he pitched the other day, he looked a little bit fatigued at the plate. It set off a little bit of an alarm for me."

Japanese sensation Ohtani has been red-hot for the Angels this season.

On the mound, Ohtani boasts a 2.10 ERA through five starts, with 40 strikeouts while allowing just 11 hits, six earned runs and two homers after giving up just one run across seven innings against the Houston Astros on Tuesday.

Ohtani, meanwhile, has 11 home runs as a hitter this season, plus 37 hits, 27 runs and 27 RBI. He boasts a .266 batting average, .311 OBP, .604 SLG and .915 OPS.

Maddon added: "We're just giving him time to recover. I'm just concerned about when he's going so well offensively and maybe if he's a little fatigued, he'll want to keep going back out there again.

"If you're feeling good, you might wanna fight that fatigue. But I think the conversations, as we get deeper into the season, will be a little bit more involved.

"I expected that from the beginning and we're not there yet, but you want to avoid any fatigue that can compromise him in any way."