Can Zach come back? | Sports Daily Newsletter

Eagles fans will always have a soft spot in their hearts for Zach Ertz, the tight end who scored the decisive touchdown as the Birds vanquished the Patriots in Super Bowl LII.

Ertz was incredibly popular here, active in the community and a force as a pass catcher, coming within 10 receptions of Hall of Fame receiver Harold Carmichael’s career franchise record of 589. And Ertz’s tears flowed freely in December when he suffered two torn ligaments in his right knee along with a torn hamstring in a Commanders loss to the Vikings.

After 13 seasons in the NFL, Ertz would appear to be finished at age 35. He does not see it that way. Our Jeff McLane visited Ertz in Arizona, where the veteran tight end is toiling at a training center just south of Phoenix with eyes on a comeback.

He is a free agent and may not be 100% by September, but Ertz does not want his last memory in the game to be his tear-filled exit on HBO’s Hard Knocks. In his discussions with McLane, he even mentioned a possible return to the Eagles.

“I don’t want to retire with any regret,” Ertz said. “Like if only I worked a little harder, if only I tried a little harder, if only I studied a little more. I’ve poured everything into this thing. And so, if I wasn’t able to play again, I could walk away knowing that, hey, I gave it my all.

“But I still want to play. And I think the time to reflect is when it’s officially done. But I don’t think that is right now.”

Here’s the full, compelling story. Also, here’s a look at Ertz’s Hall of Fame chances someday.

— Jim Swan, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.

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The Sixers closed the regular season by beating the hapless Milwaukee Bucks, 126-106, behind 21 points from Tyrese Maxey and 20 from Quentin Grimes. The Sixers could not avoid the Play-In Tournament, though. They will host the Orlando Magic on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. Here is everything you need to know about the matchup.

Before the game, Bucks coach Doc Rivers marveled at Joel Embiid’s remarkable string of bad luck with injuries and ailments. Rivers experienced plenty of it when he coached the Sixers. “And none of it is his fault,” Rivers said. “It just happens.”

The Phillies had enough drama early on against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Rookie Andrew Painter had a migraine and could not make his start, although he entered in the third inning and pitched well. When the Phillies had a chance to tie the score with one out in the eighth inning, though ...

With runners at the corners, Brandon Marsh took off from first base on the pitch and didn’t stop until he got to second. Adolis García popped up to second baseman Ketel Marte, who caught it and threw to first to double up Marsh. Inning over. After the 4-3 loss, Marsh left the clubhouse before reporters entered to ask what happened.

“Just bad baseball,” Bryce Harper said. No argument here.

Harper was thrown out on the basepaths as well when he tried to stretch a single into a double in the fourth inning. “He does that a lot, and most of the time, he’s safe,” Rob Thomson said. “He’s aggressive.”

Next: Cristopher Sánchez (1-1, 1.65 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Phillies as they open a series with the Cubs tonight at 6:40 (NBCSP+). Right-hander Javier Assad (1-0, 0.00) is set to pitch for Chicago.

The Flyers remain in playoff position, but their final two games of the regular season will be the definition of crucial. It begins tonight at 7 when they host the Carolina Hurricanes (NBCSP), followed by a matchup with the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday.

If they reach the postseason, the Flyers could be real headache for an opponent in a first-round series, Jackie Spiegel writes. She explains why.

The Flyers called up defenseman David Jiříček from Lehigh Valley in advance of tonight’s game.

Given the uncertainty surrounding A.J. Brown, the Eagles have made a few moves already at wide receiver, acquiring veterans Dontayvion Wicks and Hollywood Brown. The NFL draft is just around the corner, too, so they could stock up more at the position then. It sizes up to be a strong draft class at wide receiver, so maybe the Eagles will trade up to catch one of the top prospects in the first round. Olivia Reiner and Devin Jackson explore the possibilities.

April 13, 2009: Harry Kalas, the legendary Phillies broadcaster, died of heart disease at age 73 after collapsing in the broadcast booth before a game against the Nationals in Washington. A recipient of the Hall of Fame’s Ford C. Frick Award for his contributions to the game, Kalas became the voice of the Phillies when he arrived in Philadelphia in 1971.

Over the last four seasons, Adolis García has the third-most plate appearances out of the cleanup spot of any hitter in baseball. Get ready for the former Texas Ranger to reprise the role.

Brandon Marsh’s temporary run as the Phillies’ cleanup hitter — an alignment that bunches four left-handed hitters — was expected to end after Sunday’s series finale with the Diamondbacks.

So, who will bat fourth when the Cubs arrive Monday? “I think García is a strong candidate,” manager Rob Thomson said, smiling.

Never ends with Embid. Sixers drafted him hurt and he’s been hurt ever since. Appendicitis is certainly not his fault, but it never ends. — Bill M.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Jeff McLane, Owen Hewitt, Gabriela Carroll, Gina Mizell, Scott Lauber, Olivia Reiner, Devin Jackson, Jackie Spiegel, Jonathan Tannenwald, Conor Smith, and Frank Fitzpatrick.

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Thank you for reading Sports Daily. I’ll see you in Tuesday’s newsletter. — Jim