JQJO — Your world, one story at a time · Page 900

Cleveland. Chicago Cubs starter Cade Horton left Friday's game against the Cleveland Guardians in the second inning after signaling to the dugout and reporting right forearm discomfort following his 17th pitch, a 93.8 mph fastball to Bo Naylor; manager Craig Counsell and trainer Nick Frangella examined him on the mound.

The immediate consequence: the Cubs removed Horton and later placed him on the 15-day injured list, recalled left-hander Riley Martin, and scheduled further testing in Chicago; club officials and the press box confirmed the forearm issue this weekend and rotation replacements are being considered.

PITTSBURGH — Konnor Griffin, a 19-year-old shortstop, made his major-league debut for the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on Friday, recording an RBI double in the second inning and later scoring; he had been called up 628 days after being selected ninth overall in the 2024 draft after spending time in Triple-A Indianapolis.

Fans and teammates celebrated Friday as Pittsburgh won the home opener 5-4; managers cited his recent .438 showing in Triple-A Indianapolis and the club’s roster needs as reasons for promotion. This week Griffin’s debut drew national attention and the team indicated it intends to keep him on the roster for upcoming games.

COLUMBUS, Ohio. Blue Jackets defenseman Damon Severson underwent season-ending shoulder surgery on Thursday after sustaining a shoulder-to-shoulder hit in Montreal on March 26; he had eight goals and 32 points in 71 games this season and averaged 21:04 of ice time per game.

Columbus has dropped multiple games in a row and faces six remaining regular-season games while tied with Detroit and Ottawa for a wild-card spot; Saturday’s game saw Kyle Connor score twice to lift Winnipeg to 78 points, keeping the Jets’ playoff hopes alive this week.

RALEIGH COUNTY, W.Va. — On Thursday, shuttle car operator Aaron Warrix, 53, died after an accident at the Panther Eagle Horse Creek Mine in Raleigh County. Local reports and a company release identified Warrix and said the incident occurred at the Horse Creek Eagle operation.

On Friday Governor Patrick Morrisey issued condolences and said the West Virginia Office of Miners' Health, Safety and Training is investigating; Alpha Metallurgical Resources and Marfork Coal Company said they are cooperating while state and federal agencies remained on site to determine the circumstances.

Washington reported that U.S. employers added 178,000 jobs in March, the Labor Department said Friday, and the unemployment rate fell to 4.3 percent; the gain followed a 133,000-job loss in February and was driven largely by healthcare and construction as strike-affected workers returned this month.

The April 3 report showed the labor force shrank by about 396,000 in March while average hourly wages rose 0.2 percent month-on-month and 3.5 percent year-on-year; economists and markets will reassess Federal Reserve expectations and near-term economic outlooks in the coming days.

Orlando reported that FDOT completed safety and parking reconfiguration work along North Orange Avenue this week, and local businesses say ongoing construction has reduced customer access; at the same time, several U.S. cities announced or enacted parking-time and enforcement changes this month.

Huntington implemented a four-hour downtown limit this week to boost turnover, Norman will install new two-hour signage by April 15, 2026, and Traverse City is considering code amendments with proposed fine increases and mobile-payment rules for possible enactment April 20, 2026.

INDIANAPOLIS — Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg twisted his left ankle during the first half of Saturday's Final Four semifinal against Arizona on April 4, 2026, left the court for treatment and warmups, then returned to start the second half and immediately hit two 3-pointers.

Michigan continued play with Lendeborg wearing a knee brace while broadcasters reported an MCL sprain; trainers and coaches monitored him postgame, and medical evaluation in the following days will determine his availability for subsequent tournament play and any roster adjustments.

Houston — NASA’s Artemis II crew conducted a translunar injection burn on April 2 that placed the Orion spacecraft on a trajectory around the Moon during the 10-day mission, following a go/no-go decision and a 5-minute, 50-second main engine firing of the ESA-provided service module.

The crew proceeded to configure Orion on Day 3 and reported minor onboard issues while mission control monitored systems; by about two days, five hours after liftoff the spacecraft passed the halfway point at roughly 219,000 km, with lunar sphere-of-influence entry scheduled for flight day five.

WASHINGTON — U.S. nonfarm payrolls increased by 178,000 in March and the unemployment rate fell to 4.3%, the Labor Department reported on April 3, after a healthcare workers' strike ended and seasonal factors shifted; the average workweek shortened and wage growth slowed.

The report prompted economists to warn this week that the gain may overstate labor-market strength: 396,000 people left the labor force and participation dipped below 62%, while analysts cited tariff policy and a Middle East escalation as immediate downside risks to hiring.

Seattle — The Utah Mammoth rallied from a 2-0 first-period deficit to score six consecutive goals and defeat the Seattle Kraken 6-2 on Thursday as Logan Cooley scored twice and Karel Vejmelka made 25 saves.

The win improved Utah’s standing in the Western Conference wild-card chase, with the team reported at 39-30-6; power-play success (4 of 6) and continued scoring depth, including a later Clayton Keller hat trick in Vancouver, extended their road-trip momentum this week.