An MRI on Mike Trout's left knee came back clean, and the Los Angeles Angels outfielder said he is dealing with scar tissue buildup and inflammation.

"It's a huge relief for me," he said Friday.

Trout added that he could get back to running and doing baseball activities "any day now."

Trout went on the injured list April 30 with a torn meniscus after hitting .220 with 10 homers and 14 RBIs in 29 games.

He began a rehab assignment earlier this week with Salt Lake but exited after just two innings because of soreness in the surgically repaired knee.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

LOS ANGELES -- Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag says he wants to boost the depth of his squad ahead of the new season.

United have signed Leny Yoro and Joshua Zirkzee to replace departed pair Raphaël Varane and Anthony Martial.

And while Ten Hag refused to put a number on the new signings he would like before the transfer deadline, he admitted the club are playing "catch up" with regards to the depth of the squad.

"We need the squad to be as strong as possible," Ten Hag said at a news conference at UCLA on Friday.

"We already had a very good two buys, so when everyone is fit we have a team who can beat everyone, but with the squad depth we have to catch up because we had injuries, we are vulnerable.

"We have to avoid this by getting less injuries and second, our squad has to be that good. The quality we have in depth we have to catch up, but even more because this season will be the survival of the fittest."

Sources have told ESPN that United are particularly focusing on centre-backs, central midfielders and full-backs.

Left-back is an area of concern with Tyrell Malacia still not fit after a year on the sidelines with there are doubts about the future of midfielder Casemiro.

"We are looking in all of the positions to reinforce and we are looking for a plan in our squad to reassure ourselves we are always occupied," said Ten Hag.

"We work continually and the good thing is we already signed two players and it belongs to a club like Man United that you are looking for opportunities that are better and we still have time until [the deadline on] Aug. 30.

"The load and pressure on players is immense, with the new model in Europe. I just mentioned it, it's survival of the fittest."

Ten Hag is taking charge of his third preseason tour as United manager after minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his team made the decision to stick with the Dutchman.

He had to endure a nervous three-week wait following the FA Cup before learning he would stay, but Ten Hag insists it's time to move on after the uncertainty.

"We are now in a new season, we left everything behind, we are looking forward, it's a great project," said Ten Hag.

"The process is nice, we go with ups and downs and now we are very energised, good dynamic, good spirit, looking forward, we want to work and we want to win.

"I never think if I'm in a strong position or weak position. I want to collaborate. I can't do this on my own, players, staff, leadership, everyone. I'm sure we will have even more success."

Meanwhile, United have appointed Andreas Georgson as a first-team coach.

He comes in from Lillestrom, where he was head coach, and has worked at Brentford, Arsenal and Southampton. The 42-year-old will have a focus on set pieces.

It's been a whirlwind two years for Brighton & Hove Albion attacker Julio Enciso.

After showing glimpses of being one of the most promising young talents in the Premier League upon his arrival in the summer of 2022, the 20-year-old missed the majority of the 2023-24 campaign with a torn meniscus, derailing his chances of being able to continue on that trajectory in his second full season at the club. He now comes off a Copa América this summer, in which he scored his first international goal for Paraguay, and an Olympic Games in France before he returns to England's South Coast to play under his third manager in two years.

If he is to feature prominently in the plans of new boss Fabian Hürzeler, he'll need to rediscover the form he showed when he helped Brighton qualify for European competition for the first time in their history. His performances in the Copa suggest he's poised to make a good first impression.

Nicknamed "The Jewel" in his native Paraguay, Enciso first burst onto the scene as a 15-year-old leaving his rural Caaguazú to head west to the capital of Asuncion and play for Club Libertad, one of the strongest clubs in the country. From there, fans and coaches alike knew he was a special and different player after making an instant impact on the first team at such a young age.

"I think what made Julio special was just the way he blew away opposition teams at senior level pretty much from his debut," said Ralph Hannah, a Paraguayan football expert based in Houston, Texas. "He began scoring regularly but then started scoring goals from outside the box or beating two or three players with ease. It was very clear that he was way too good for that level."

His performances convinced Brighton to pay a 10 million transfer fee to sign the then-18-year-old.

It wasn't an easy adaptation when Enciso first arrived on the south coast of England. Graham Potter -- the manager he first worked with -- departed for Chelsea two months after the Paraguayan signed at the Amex Stadium, and in came Roberto De Zerbi, who implemented a completely different style of play than Brighton had been accustomed to under Potter.

Enciso found comfort in the bond he forged with his fellow South Americans, though. Moisés Caicedo, Alexis Mac Allister, Pervis Estupiñán, and Facundo Buonanotte helped him settle into the Premier League.

"It's a big change for me because when I arrived here, I didn't even speak a word of English, and now hear it every day from my manager and my teammates so I had to adapt to it," Enciso said to ESPN. "When I got there, [Mac Alister] was there and a bunch of South Americans helped me a lot."

That help paid off. As soon as De Zerbi gave the young Paraguayan his debut, against Chelsea in October 2022, he impressed. He played a key role in helping Brighton qualify for the UEFA Europa League for the first time, while also scoring some exquisite goals, including the Premier League Goal of the Season for 2022-23 and a FIFA Puskas Award nominee.

Enciso entered the 2023-24 season full of confidence. He was handed the No. 10 shirt vacated by Mac Allister after the Argentina international's move to Liverpool, signifying the key role Enciso would play in De Zerbi's system.

"[Wearing the No. 10 shirt] gives me a huge sense of pride and emotion because my dream was always to play with the No. 10 shirt at my club and national team ... When I was a kid, I would always tell my grandpa that one day I would wear the No. 10 shirt," Enciso said.

"Now that my coach and teammates [at Brighton] have given me confidence and so now, in every training session and match, I want to show that they didn't make a mistake and I have a lot of desire to keep growing, to keep improving my level and, why not, try to be one of the top players in the world."

His quest to prove deserving of that No. 10 shirt would have to wait, though. After suffering a torn meniscus in his left knee in training following the second match of the season, Enciso missed six months of action.

"It was a very difficult time for me and in my career because it's not easy to have an injury and go through those kinds of things," Enciso said. "My family and those who supported me during that journey knew how I felt. I suffered a lot, but I have to thank them for being there for me, my family obviously."

.@JulioEnciso33's STUNNING strike against City! @BrightonTools pic.twitter.com/qYpNvGfWYo

Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) May 25, 2023

Enciso's return was delayed by a second minor procedure in his recovery. He was restored to the first team in February, playing 590 minutes through the end of the campaign but was unable to complete an entire 90 minutes.

When the curtain eventually fell on the 2023-24 season, Brighton had finished 11th and De Zerbi had left for pastures new.

While Paraguay suffered a worse fate this summer, winning just once in six matches split between international friendlies and the Copa America and exiting that tournament at the group stage, Enciso saw an upturn in his fortunes. He featured in all six contests, going the full 90 three times, amassing 433 minutes of an available 540, and claiming one of the four goals La Albirroja scored all summer.

Being one of the only shining stars for his country, Enciso will now look to help them in the upcoming World Cup qualifiers in South America. Paraguay sit in seventh place with 12 games left, occupying the inter-confederation playoff spot that would pit them against teams from Asia, Africa, Oceania and CONCACAF for the final places in the tournament hosted by the U.S., Mexico and Canada in 2026.

Heading into the 2024-25 season, Enciso will look to finally become the player that promised so much when he joined Brighton two years ago. If the Seagulls are to continue their precedent set in recent seasons of punching above their weight against the elite of the Premier League, then expect Enciso to play a crucial part in their attack and how they move forward.

If the form shown this summer by the club's "jewel" from Paraguay is anything to go by, Brighton may be well on their way to another upwardly mobile campaign.

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Two members of Stanford University's American football team tried to talk their way past security and into Chelsea's first training session on this summer's preseason tour of the United States. "We just need to get something from our lockers ... but don't tell the coach," one said to an unimpressed and unmoved guard at Stanford Stadium's Gate 1, everyone bathed in Tuesday's 90-degree Fahrenheit heat.

Intrigue around Chelsea abounds, particularly the 2024 version under new manager Enzo Maresca. The 44-year-old Italian, prised from Leicester City following their Championship-winning campaign to replace Mauricio Pochettino, is the club's fourth permanent manager since Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital completed their takeover of the club in May 2022.

A stunning 1 billion investment on players followed, but the results so far have not. The vast majority of this squad are signed on long-term contracts -- eight years in some cases -- and so the onus is squarely on the head coach to shape a talented group into a team capable of winning titles.

The first public glimpse came in Wednesday night's friendly against Wrexham at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, and it was perhaps more of an eye-opener than Maresca would have liked.

The League One side were eight minutes away from causing an upset as goals from Luke Bolton and Josh Marriott overturned Christopher Nkunku's 35th-minute opener. Lesley Ugochukwu salvaged parity with a late strike, but the 2-2 draw -- while hardly important in isolation -- is a reminder of the work that lies ahead in moulding this team in his own image.

Moulding Maresca's Chelsea

Maresca was encouraged by the outlines of what he called a new "identity."

His possession-based approach is well documented, and his Chelsea side enjoyed 73% of the ball in their first outing. There was also the use of inverted full-backs, Reece James stepping into midfield from right-back during the first half -- 10 players were changed at half-time -- before Malo Gusto picked up the baton in the second period.

James looked more at home there than Gusto, but it represents a marked shift for both players. James played in midfield earlier in his career, on loan at Wigan during the 2018-19 season, but both he and Gusto are predominantly at their best when flying down the right flank. Perhaps James pivoting to a more sedentary role will protect those troublesome hamstrings that have undermined the most recent part of his career to date.

Both goals Chelsea conceded came from losing the ball in their own half, a consequence of trying to play out from the back as Maresca demands.

"Tonight was important to start seeing the identity of the team and the identity is there tonight," he said after the match. "For sure, we are going to concede goals this season playing out from the back. Hopefully, not too many. It is one of the risks that you have trying to build from behind."

Sources told ESPN that many players found Pochettino's preseason training programme particularly tough given the sheer amount of running and physical endurance it contained. Maresca's early work has focused more on ball possession. The session those Stanford players tried to gatecrash was, in fact, only open to the media and around 20 to 30 VIPs -- a combination of specially invited locals and others with connections to the Chelsea Foundation or sponsors.

It showcased a drill in which the players were encouraged to play the ball out from the back, a key component of the Italian's preferred style. Maresca initially kept quiet as the players went through their warmups, but once that drill started, he was barking orders from the centre circle to help guide play. The team was told to move the ball quickly through midfield before working it wide for a cross finding a finisher in a central position.

Sources have told ESPN that many players have been impressed with Maresca's sessions to date, having worked with a smaller group at Cobham prior to jetting out to the U.S. on Monday.

"The first message [to the group] is he loves the ball," James told ESPN. "He loves playing, he's very tactical and so [there's been] a lot of information, a lot of understanding and a lot of playing and making mistakes to learn quicker.

"I think the new manager so far has been very good. He's set the standards really high and I'm excited for the new season to start."

Managing the Fernández fallout

Maresca's first media engagements have been complicated by the ongoing controversy surrounding Enzo Fernández. The midfielder is the subject of investigations by both FIFA and Chelsea after posting a video in which he and several Argentina teammates sang a racist and derogatory chant about the heritage of French players.

It triggered a wider debate about cultural values and even led to the Argentinian national anthem being booed at their men's national team's opening game at the Olympics, held this summer in the French capital of Paris. At Chelsea, centre-back Wesley Fofana's decision to publicly brand Fernández's video as "uninhibited racism" has magnified the problem -- it is now undeniable that Fernández will have bridges to mend with certain teammates when he joins up with the squad on Monday.

"I don't think there are any bad intentions behind [it] so starting from that point, for me it is quite easy," Maresca told ESPN in an exclusive interview earlier this week. "The player already did a statement apologising.

"I don't think [there will be a problem with team spirit] to be honest. Probably [Fofana's comment] is the immediate reaction, but all in all, I don't think so. I spoke with Enzo, but as I said, I spoke with all of them."

Chelsea released a statement condemning Fernández's actions and plan to send him on an educational course -- in addition to a likely fine -- but Maresca will need to take an active role in reintegrating the player given the lack of senior, experienced players in the squad. James is the club captain, aged 24, but Maresca refused to confirm whether he will remain so into the new season.

Pochettino used preseason to evaluate his options before selecting James 12 months ago, so there is nothing different in Maresca adopting a similar approach. Yet Pochettino did not have to deal with such a potentially divisive issue right at the start of his tenure.

Finding calm amid Chelsea's chaos

Chelsea have adopted a deliberate policy of signing top young talent on long contracts with the aim of moulding them into a team. After Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter and Pochettino, Maresca is the fourth permanent manager charged with that responsibility. Yet none of Maresca's predecessors were given an extended period of time to implement their methods. Tuchel was sacked within four months of the Boehly-Clearlake takeover, Potter lasted seven months while Pochettino left by mutual consent after a solitary season.

It was therefore tempting to ask whether Maresca is confident he will get the requisite time to succeed.

"For me, and also I think it is helpful for me, I just focus on how I can improve the players and how can I improve the team," he replied. "Then from there, we are going to start games and try to win games.

"Talking about time, I'm not focused on that. I'm just focused for instance today on this afternoon session, how we can work with the players and try to improve them. The focus is just about that. I love to be focused on that. Also because I think it is a waste of energy, a waste of time thinking about timing."

After spending so much on players, though, Chelsea expect to be competing for the game's biggest prizes sooner rather than later. And after playing down any talk about time in the role, it felt significant that his next answer to a question about closing the gap on Manchester City and Arsenal made reference to the longevity of his counterparts.

"The only thing I can say is that City [have had] eight, nine years with the same manager," Maresca said. "Mikel [Arteta] is at Arsenal already five years, so it is not only that we start this year ... I am not saying that we need these kind of years to reach that kind of level, hopefully we can reach that kind of level very soon, but the only difference I see with Chelsea, Arsenal and Man City in this moment is the difference of time with the same manager."

Both Arteta and City boss Pep Guardiola boast a level of control at their respective clubs that previous Chelsea managers have not enjoyed under Boehly-Clearlake. Sources have told ESPN that Tuchel, Potter and Pochettino all had various frustrations with the hierarchy's approach to running the club. All three managers had a say in transfer targets, but theirs was just one voice in the room among co-sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Lawrence Stewart, data analysts informing decision making and, of course, co-owners Boehly and Behdad Eghbali.

Others have input, too, such as head of global goalkeeping Ben Roberts and head of recruitment Joe Shields, who was particularly instrumental in the signing of Romeo Lavia from Southampton. Maresca must prove he can fit within that structure.

When asked if he was happy with the level of influence he will be given, he replied: "Absolutely, yes. It is difficult to judge the past. I was not here, so it is very difficult. The only thing I can say, when you go in the same direction -- owner, sporting director and manager -- it is much more easy for everyone."

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall is under a unique kind of pressure in this regard. The 25-year-old was signed from Leicester at Maresca's request, and the midfielder's success will therefore also double as validation of the head coach's transfer market acumen in the eyes of many at the club.

A fast start on the pitch will help convince everyone that Maresca can succeed where his predecessors failed. All eyes will be on Chelsea as they aim to take the next steps.

PARIS -- Celebrating its reputation as a cradle of revolution, Paris kicked off its first Summer Olympics in a century Friday with a rain-soaked, rule-breaking opening ceremony studded with stars and fantasy along the Seine River.

On-and-off showers did not seem to hamper the enthusiasm of the Olympians, with some holding umbrellas as they rode on boats down the river in a showcase of the city's resilience as authorities dealt with suspected acts of sabotage targeting France's high-speed rail network.

Widespread travel disruptions triggered by what French officials called coordinated arson attacks on high-speed rail lines as well as the weather had dampened the mood ahead of the ceremony.

Crowds crammed along the Seine's banks and bridges and watching from balconies "oohed" and "aahed" as Olympic teams paraded in boats down the waterway. Undeterred from the festivities, many of the hundreds of thousands of spectators huddled under umbrellas and jackets as the rain intensified, though some dashed from their seats to seek shelter.

As global audiences tuned in, Paris put its best foot forward -- quite literally, with a spectacular launch that lifted spirits and joyous French cancan dancers featured early on. A humorous short film featured soccer icon Zinedine Zidane. Plumes of French blue, white and red smoke followed. And Lady Gaga sang, in French, with dancers shaking pink plumed pompoms, adding a cabaret feel to what is expected to be a more than three-hour show.

French-Malian pop star Aya Nakamura, the most listened-to French-speaking artist in the world, sang her hit "Djadja" accompanied by the orchestra of the French Republican Guard. She emerged from a pyrotechnic display, wearing an all-gold outfit as she performed with a Republican guard band of the French army.

Merging the elements of opera and rock metal music on the global stage, band Gojira brought its progressive and technical death metal style, while singer Marina Viotti inserted her mezzo-soprano vocals.

The sprawling ceremony gave organizers bigger crowds to transport, organize and safeguard than would have been the case if they'd followed the example of previous Olympic host cities that opened with stadium shows.

Still, as the show got underway, optimism soared that Paris -- true to its motto that speaks of being unsinkable -- might just see its gambles pay off.

Paris organizers said 6,800 of the 10,500 athletes would attend before they embark on the next 16 days of competition.

The boats carrying the Olympic teams started the parade by breaking through curtains of water that cascaded down from Austerlitz Bridge, the start of the 6-kilometer (nearly 4-mile) parade route. The jetting waters were a wink at the splendid fountains of Versailles Palace, now the venue for Olympic equestrian competitions.

Per Olympic protocol, the first boat carried athletes from Greece, birthplace of the ancient Games. It was followed by the Olympic team of refugee athletes, and then the other nations in French alphabetical order.

Usually during Olympic opening ceremonies, the parade of athletes takes place during a pause in the razzmatazz. But Paris shattered that tradition by having the parade and pageantry at the same time, blending sports and artistic expression.

Paris had plenty of aces up its sleeve. The Eiffel Tower, its head still visible below the clouds, Notre Dame Cathedral -- restored from the ashes of its 2019 fire -- the Louvre Museum and other iconic monuments will star in the opening ceremony. Award-winning theater director Thomas Jolly, the show's creative mind, was using the signature Paris cityscape of zinc-gray rooftops as the playground for his imagination.

His task: Tell the story of France, its people, their history and essence in a way that leaves an indelible imprint on Olympic audiences. Refresh the image and self-confidence of the French capital that was repeatedly struck by deadly extremist attacks in 2015. Capture how Paris is also aiming to reboot the Olympics, with Summer Games it has worked to make more appealing and sustainable.

Zidane, who led France to World Cup ecstasy in 1998, was among the guesses for who might light the Olympic cauldron. Another suggestion is that organizers might bestow that honor on survivors of the 2015 attacks by Islamic State-group gunmen and suicide bombers who killed 130 people in and around Paris.

The identity of the final torchbearers has been the country's biggest secret. Chief Paris Games organizer Tony Estanguet said Friday morning that only he knows "the personality or athlete" and that he still hadn't told that person.

"I plan to tell the last carrier today," he said. "He or she doesn't know."

The ceremony's broad brushstrokes have been previously announced and are stunning in their ambition. French President Emmanuel Macron said they initially felt like "a crazy and not very serious idea."

During the athletes' waterborne adventure, Paris' splendors unfurled before them. They were passing historic landmarks that have been temporarily transformed into arenas for Olympic sports.

Concorde Plaza, where French revolutionaries guillotined King Louis XVI and other royals, now hosting skateboarding and other sports, and the Grand Palais of iron, stone and glass, the fencing and taekwondo venue.

The golden-domed resting place of Napoléon Bonaparte, the backdrop for Olympic archery, and the Eiffel Tower, which donated chunks of iron that have been inlaid in the gold, silver and bronze Olympic medals. They'll be won in the 32 sports' 329 medal events.

Up to 45,000 police and gendarmes, plus 10,000 soldiers, were safeguarding the ceremony and its VIP guests, with IOC president Thomas Bach and Macron presiding.

Paris' aim, said Estanguet, is "to show to the whole world and to all of the French that in this country, we're capable of exceptional things."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

MIAMI -- The Miami Dolphins and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa have agreed to a four-year, $212.4 million extension, the largest in franchise history, his agency told ESPN's Adam Schefter.

The $53.1 million average value of the contract places Tagovailoa third among the league's highest-paid quarterbacks, behind only the Jacksonville Jaguars' Trevor Lawrence and the Cincinnati Bengals' Joe Burrow ($55 million).

The deal includes $167 million guaranteed, eighth most among quarterbacks.

Miami is the only team in the NFL with three offensive skill players making at least $70 million in guaranteed money -- wide receivers Tyreek Hill ($72.2 million) and Jaylen Waddle ($71.6 million) being the others. Their combined $310.8 million guaranteed is the third most for any offensive skill trio (QB, RB, WR, TE), per Roster Management System.

The agreement ends a fluid first two days of training camp, during which Tagovailoa was a limited participant or a nonparticipant. He practiced in full during the team's third training camp practice Friday, hours before news of the extension broke.

Both sides had been negotiating a deal since the 2023 season ended, and the team kept consistent communication with Tagovailoa's representatives at Athletes First.

Tagovailoa becomes the third quarterback to reach an extension this offseason, following the Detroit Lions' Jared Goff and Lawrence.

Since Dan Marino retired before the 2000 season, the Dolphins have struggled at quarterback. Twenty-five players, including Tagovailoa, have started at least one game for the Dolphins since the turn of the century. Only one of those players, 2012 first-round pick Ryan Tannehill, signed a multiyear extension with the team.

The expectation from the beginning was for Tagovailoa to end that plight when the Dolphins selected him at No. 5 in 2020, making him their highest-drafted quarterback since 1980. His career got off to a modest, then concerning start; his year-over-year numbers improved in each of his first three seasons, but he also missed nine games to injury, which included two diagnosed concussions during the 2022 season.

Tagovailoa turned in a career year in 2023, however, leading the NFL with 4,624 passing yards and setting a career high with 29 touchdown passes. He became the first Dolphins quarterback to lead the league in passing yards since Marino in 1992, and his total passing yards were the third most in a season in Dolphins history, behind only Marino (5,084 yards in 1984; 4,746 in 1986).

Marino's career earnings with the Dolphins totaled $51 million, according to OverTheCap.com (not adjusting for inflation).

Tagovailoa also played in every game in 2023 for the first time in his NFL career en route to being named the AFC's starting quarterback in his first Pro Bowl appearance.

With Tagovailoa now in his third season with Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel, Hill and Waddle, the expectations for him are even higher -- starting with winning the franchise's first playoff game since the 2000 season.

ESPN Stats & Information contributed to this report.