As rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy and veteran quarterback Sam Darnold navigate training camp with the Vikings, head coach Kevin O’Connell has made it very clear that he has no interest in talking about the depth chart.

That said, O’Connell confirmed on Tuesday afternoon at TCO Performance Center that McCarthy would indeed get some reps with the first team soon enough, which, even if it were the plan all along, will open to door for speculation about where he stands in comparison to Darnold.

When will it happen?

“We’re moving along on our install, and things are starting to stack,” O’Connell said. “As we get to a place where we figure out that sweet spot for J.J.’s comfort, as well as Sam’s trust and understanding and what we’ve coached up to this point, we can start doing that.”

Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) throws during the team’s minicamp at TCO Performance Center in Eagan on Tuesday, June 4, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

After turning some heads in the spring, Darnold earned the right to work with the first team when the Vikings reconvened in the summer. He has been up and down in training camp so far, showcasing his incredible arm talent on deep passes downfield, as well as his propensity for turnovers on interceptions over the middle.

Meanwhile, as much as McCarthy struggled through some growing pains in the spring, he has looked noticeably more comfortable in the summer. He has been zipping the ball around the field with confidence, and he hasn’t had any issues relaying the playcalls in the huddle.

You could argue that McCarthy has actually been more impressive than Darnold, though it shouldn’t come as a surprise that O’Connell wasn’t willing to go there.

“As far as rep counts and performances so far, both guys have done a lot of really, really good things,” O’Connell said. “I also think both guys have made some mistakes with the football, learning mistakes, where they’re trying to either see if they can squeeze a ball in over the middle before the safety can step in front, or maybe not taking a chance down the field in a 1 on 1 where maybe that’s our best option.”

In an effort to make sure veteran quarterback Nick Mullens doesn’t get left out, O’Connell, unprompted, praised him for being able to perform at a high level despite a decreased workload.

“You guys have seen him step in, almost cold, and go out and throw a ball over the middle for a big gain,” O’Connell said. “He has already demonstrated his ownership of our system.”

As for McCarthy and Darnold, the most interesting part of the discussion will come in the preseason, with an exhibition game between the Vikings and the Las Vegas Raiders coming up in about a week and a half.

Typically, in the past, O’Connell has decided not to play his starters in the preseason. Asked if Darnold would play in the preseason, O’Connell refused to bite, simply replying, “I have a very clear-cut plan of how we’re going to handle the playing time of our entire team.”

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A 20-year-old White Bear Lake man was hospitalized in fair condition Tuesday, four days after being stabbed near his home allegedly at the hands of a neighbor during an altercation.

Jeffrey Thomas Rice (Courtesy of the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office)

Mason Fike was brought to St. Paul’s Regions Hospital in critical condition early Saturday with stab wounds to his small intestine, colon, kidney, bladder and spleen. Doctors told his family he could have died from his injuries without quick medical intervention, according to charges against the 19-year-old neighbor.

When officers arrived on scene in the 2100 block of Southwood Drive just before 2 a.m., Fike was on his back in grass near the curb and a 19-year-old woman was applying pressure to a large wound to his lower abdomen.

She told police that she and Fike were on a walk near his home when he yelled at kids riding bikes, telling them it was past their bedtimes. She said a man, who police later identified as Jeffrey Thomas Rice, came outside from a house and began to yell at them, the charges say.

Fike walked back toward the street in front of the house and met Rice at the street. She said Rice threw the first punch at Fike before stabbing him.

Rice’s sister told police she heard yelling and screaming from outside and that her brother “stormed outside” and confronted people about the noise, the complaint says. She said her brother and Fike argued and then fought and that her brother stabbed him with a pocketknife.

Mason Fike, center, of White Bear Lake, suffered serious injuries after being stabbed near his home on July 27, 2024. (Courtesy of GoFundMe)

Rice drove off but was stopped by police in White Bear Lake. He had blood on his skin and clothing, but no injuries. Police later found a pocketknife in a yard near the scene of the stabbing.

The complaint does not say whether Rice and Fike knew each other prior to the altercation.

Later, after being booked into jail, Rice was recorded asking someone during a call, “Is that dude all right?” The person on the other end said, “I don’t think so.”

Rice replied that the other person should not “say (expletive)” and that it was “self-defense.” He added, “I do apologize for doing that, though.” Rice claimed that Fike and his girlfriend were drunk and causing a scene.

Rice was charged with first-degree assault and made a first appearance before a Ramsey County district judge on Tuesday. He was released from jail with conditions after posting a $30,000 bond.

A GoFundMe page set up over the weekend to help with Fike’s medical expenses had raised more than $45,000 as of Tuesday night.

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NEW YORK — Randy Dobnak announced his long-awaited return to the big leagues like another sporting legend: with a statement that said just two simple words.

“I’m back,” it read, mirroring the statement that Michael Jordan put out when he returned to the NBA after testing his abilities as a baseball player.

Dobnak posted the statement to his social media account Tuesday morning after being recalled to the major leagues for the first time since the 2021 season.

“It’s been a lot of fun the last few years, but a lot of adversity,” Dobnak said. “A lot of adapting to being a different kind of pitcher than I used to be. A lot of injuries. But it’s good to be back.”

It’s been a long path back for the pitcher, who burst onto the scene in 2019 after being signed out of independent ball and even started a playoff game at Yankee Stadium. Dobnak signed a five-year extension with the Twins ahead of the 2021 season, but much of that season ended up being derailed by finger issues.

He spent most of the next year rehabbing as well and said he had issues with it until after the 2022 season. He then spent the past couple of years remaking himself as a pitcher.

“When my finger was still hurting in 22, I was like, ‘I don’t know if I’ll ever play again,’ ” Dobnak said. “It got to the point where like, I was playing catch, and I could feel myself flexing my finger like, ‘What is going on with this thing?’ … Once the finger got healthy, I knew it was just a matter of time for me to kind of find myself. My new self, I guess you could say. But everything works out for a reason.”

Dobnak, who last pitched in the majors on Sept. 3, 2021, has been particularly effective in Triple-A of late. Over his last eight games, he has posted a 1.70 earned-run average, giving up just eight runs in 42 1/3 innings.

The 29-year-old has been starting for the Saints, though the Twins have used him as a reliever in the past and plan to do so this time around, as well.

“I think a lot of people around here are really happy to see Randy Dobnak here,” manager Rocco Baldelli said. “It’s an exciting thing when you see a guy actually improve himself, come back, meet a challenge and then go pitch great and do his job. That kind of pumps everybody up.”

He takes the roster spot of reliever Josh Staumont, who was designated for assignment to create space on the roster for newly-acquired reliever Trevor Richards, who is expected to join the Twins in New York for the final game of the series.

To create another spot on the 40-man roster, the Twins transferred Alex Kirilloff (back) to the 60-day injured list.

The Twins will need to make a 26-man roster move on Wednesday to add Richards. That is expected to be reliever Brock Stewart, who is once again dealing with a shoulder issue. Stewart returned after nearly three months dealing with shoulder tendinitis on July 24 but felt his shoulder bother him again in Monday’s game.

A semi driver crashed into a railroad bridge in Cottage Grove on Tuesday morning, temporarily disrupting the flow of traffic to and from Grey Cloud Island, police say.

A semi driver struck a railroad bridge on 103rd Street South in Cottage Grove on July 30, 2024. (Courtesy of Cottage Grove Public Safety Department)

The crash occurred about 9 a.m. when the trucker attempted to drive under the bridge on 103rd Street South near Grey Cloud Trail, but his semi was too tall to make it, according to Cottage Grove police.

A post on the Cottage Grove Public Safety Department’s Facebook page reported that the driver “was unfamiliar with Cottage Grove and got lost trying to make a delivery” to the nearby business park.

No one was injured in the crash, and the road had reopened by 6 p.m.

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