MILWAUKEE -- The Milwaukee Bucks face the possibility of continuing their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series against the Indiana Pacers on Friday without two of their top three players.

Khris Middleton has a sprained right ankle that kept him from practicing Thursday and puts his status in question for Game 3 in Indianapolis. The Bucks already played the first two games of this series without two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has a left calf strain.

"It's another holding-our-breath situation," Bucks coach Doc Rivers said about Middleton's availability for Friday. "Honestly, I don't know."

The NBA's injury report Thursday afternoon listed Antetokounmpo as doubtful and Middleton as questionable for Friday's game. The Bucks and Pacers are tied 1-1 in the best-of-seven series.

Middleton was limping in the first quarter of the Bucks' 125-108 Game 2 loss on Tuesday and briefly went into the locker room, but he returned after getting his right ankle re-taped and ended up playing 36 minutes. The three-time All-Star has averaged 19 points, 7.5 rebounds and 5.0 assists through the first two games.

Antetokounmpo hasn't played since straining his left calf in an April 9 victory over the Boston Celtics. He missed the Bucks' final three regular-season games.

"He did a lot of floor stuff today, probably the most I've seen," Rivers said. "Nothing live. He was shooting and moving today."

While speaking after the Bucks' Thursday practice in Milwaukee, Rivers didn't want to speculate on when Antetokounmpo could return.

"I saw him moving around and my mindset is he's getting close," Rivers said. "Does that mean a day, four days? I'm not sure."

The Bucks have played without key performers on numerous occasions this year. The Bucks had their top three players -- Antetokounmpo, Middleton and Damian Lillard -- all available for only five of their last 35 games. That 35-game stretch covers Milwaukee's last 33 regular-season contests and the first two games of this series.

"We've had games like that this season," Bucks center Brook Lopez said. "We're prepared for it. We've seen everything. Obviously we'd prefer to have them play. But if they can't, if they have to do whatever they have to do to be healthy, stay healthy, we'll be ready."

The Bucks have become accustomed to dealing with injuries during the postseason.

Antetokounmpo missed the final 1½ games of a 2020 second-round loss to Miami with a sprained ankle. He didn't play the final two games of the 2021 East finals with a hyperextended knee before returning to lead Milwaukee to the championship as the NBA Finals MVP who scored 50 points in the title-clinching victory.

Middleton missed the Bucks' final 10 playoff games in 2022 with a sprained medial collateral ligament. Last year, a bruised lower back knocked Antetokounmpo out of Game 1 and caused him to miss the next two games in the Bucks' first-round loss to Miami.

LOS ANGELES -- New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez has a torn ligament in his left thumb and will need surgery, manager Carlos Mendoza said Saturday after a 6-4 win against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Alvarez was placed on the 15-day injured list before the game with a sprained left thumb suffered while running the bases the night before in a 9-4 victory against the Dodgers. An MRI was performed late Friday night.

"Hopefully we get it done the beginning of next week," Mendoza said of Alvarez's surgery. "We don't know the timetable for his recovery, but we're pretty confident we'll get him back this year."

Alvarez, 22, left Friday night's game after jamming his left thumb in the second inning when he put his hand down to try to keep his balance coming around first after a bad throw by catcher Will Smith.

"You hate to see it," Mendoza said. "We don't know how long he's going to be out for, but we know how much energy he brings and the way he was playing. But at the same time, next guy up. It's an opportunity for other guys to step up."

The manager said Alvarez was "frustrated, obviously, and still waiting to see what they find. He'll get through it. He's a strong kid. He's very positive. He will be fine."

Alvarez is batting .236 with one home run and eight RBIs.

In corresponding moves, catcher Tomás Nido's contract was selected from Triple-A Syracuse and left-hander Kolton Ingram was designated for assignment.

Omar Narvaez, who started Saturday's game at catcher, said the injury to Alvarez was "sad because he's an important part of the team. He's a tough kid. But things happen and I'm ready to go."

Arne Slot has said he wants to leave Feyenoord to take on the job of succeeding Jurgen Klopp as Liverpool manager and expects a resolution to negotiations between the two clubs in "the coming days."

Liverpool opened talks with Feyenoord on Wednesday after identifying Slot, 45, as their No. 1 choice to replace Klopp, who will stand down from his position at the end of the season after almost nine years in charge at Anfield.

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Slot signed a three-year contract with Feyenoord last year after guiding the Rotterdam-based club to the Eredivisie title. The former AZ Alkmaar coach rejected offers from Leeds United and Tottenham Hotspur to commit his future to Feyenoord.

But speaking to ESPN Netherlands ahead of Thursday's Eredivisie game against Go Ahead Eagles, Slot said he wants to take the opportunity to move to the Premier League with Liverpool.

"The only thing I can say about it is that the clubs are in negotiations," Slot said. "And then you sit in the waiting room and wait for what will come out.

"It seems clear to me that I would like to go to Liverpool. Now I'm waiting to see whether the clubs reach an agreement. I'm very confident in that."

Sources have told ESPN that Feyenoord are holding out for a compensation package of £9 million for Slot. But the coach says he is happy for the two teams to thrash out a deal and is confident an agreement can be reached quickly.

"The clubs have to do their job," he said. "And then I'm waiting and as the 'main character.' I have to respect that. It will undoubtedly become clear in the coming days."

Following Feyenoord's 3-1 win on Thursday, Slot gave provided more details about the negotiations surrounding his potential move to Liverpool.

"I have the impression that a good offer has already been made and that Feyenoord can make, as it seems, the best-paid transfer for a coach in The Netherlands," he said.

Slot, 45, emerged as the leading contender for the Liverpool job following Xabi Alonso's decision to remain at Bayer Leverkusen and a cooling in the Premier League club's interest in Sporting CP coach Ruben Amorim.

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk was asked about Slot taking over for Klopp following his team's 2-0 loss to Everton on Wednesday, and the Netherlands international said he thought his countryman's style and philosophy would be a fit.

"I find it difficult to answer it now, of course," van Dijk told Viaplay. "But I think Arne Slot might be one of the better Dutch coaches at this moment.

"I think [with] the way he plays and the philosophy he has that he could be a Liverpool coach. Only in my opinion, what I also read and hear, of course, is that it is far from finalised.

"We will see. Next year we will focus on that."

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"I have the impression that a good offer has already been made and that Feyenoord can make, as it seems, the best-paid transfer for a coach in The Netherlands."