In Thursday’s “First Call,” the Pittsburgh Steelers could be expanding the family tree in the defensive backfield. Justin Fields’ jersey number is now known.

Penguins fans are keeping an eye on the Eastern Conference standings. Pirates fans watched another unbeaten team go down as their own team was losing for the first time in 2024.

And more honors for a star Robert Morris women’s hockey player.

All in the family

Could the Steelers draft Joey Porter Jr.’s cousin to play in the same defensive backfield? Don’t rule it out.

Via SteelersNow.com, Shon Stephens told “Inside the Birds” that he anticipates having a pre-draft visit with the Steelers in the near future.

Stephens, a Ferris State cornerback, is the nephew of retired Steelers great Joey Porter Sr. and cousin of Porter Jr., who was selected at corner by the Steelers in the second round out of Penn State a year ago.

Stephens opened eyes while working out at Michigan State’s Pro Day, running a 4.3-second 40-yard dash and repping 225 pounds 19 times on the bench press.

Stephens isn’t big. He is 5-foot-9 and 175 pounds and played at West Liberty before Ferris. He was twice slated to join Big Ten schools. Once, it was Penn State, then Purdue. But NCAA transfer rules got in the way.

Justin Melo of the Draft Network says 29 of 32 teams were on hand at MSU’s Pro Day in part to check out Stephens.

An eye on events

As the Penguins have played themselves back onto the fringes of the Eastern Conference playoff picture, they are now scoreboard-watching on a nightly basis.

As the Pens sat idle Wednesday with 79 points (11th place), they saw the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Toronto Maple Leafs, 4-1.

That gives the Lightning 91 points, strengthening their hold on the first wild-card spot. In fact, Tampa is now just four points behind the Leafs in the third spot in the Atlantic.

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Nick Paul was one of four goal-scorers for the Bolts.

Also, the 12th-place New Jersey Devils lost 4-3 to the Metropolitan Division-leading New York Rangers (106 points). That keeps Jersey (76 points) three points behind the Penguins in 12th place.

The Pens next play Thursday (7 p.m.) in Washington. The Capitals have 82 points, good for eighth place and the final wild-card spot right now. While that game is going on, the 10th-place New York Islanders (81 points) are in Columbus.

Ninth-place Detroit (82 points) hosts the Rangers on Friday. The Metro’s third-place team — the Philadelphia Flyers (83 points) — looks to avoid a sixth straight loss against Buffalo on Friday.

Numbers known

Despite his memorable push to the 2023 playoffs, the Steelers are not going to retire Mason Rudolph’s No. 2 jersey. In fact, they are giving it to new quarterback Justin Fields. That’s according to the NFL Jersey Numbers feed on X.

Fields had worn No. 1 with his previous team, the Chicago Bears.

Meanwhile, fellow quarterback Kyle Allen will wear No. 4 (previously worn by Trace McSorley). Punter Cameron Johnston gets No. 5. Recently acquired wide receiver Van Jefferson will be given Allen Robinson’s old No. 11. And Eric Rowe will bequeath No. 25 to new safety DeShon Elliott.

The Steelers’ website has yet to confirm that list.

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Not alone

The Pirates weren’t the only unbeaten team in Major League Baseball to suffer their first loss of the season.

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The Milwaukee Brewers fell to 4-1 thanks to a 7-3 defeat at home to the Minnesota Twins. Plum native Alex Kirilloff went 4 for 4 along the way, as the Twins improved to 3-2.

Kirilloff now has a hit in all five games he has played this season. He is hitting .444 on the year.

Milwaukee remains half a game behind the Pirates for first place in the National League Central. Pittsburgh dropped its first game of the year to the Washington Nationals, 5-3, on Tuesday.

The Pirates and Nats have split the first two games of their three-game series. They play again Thursday afternoon before the Buccos open up their home schedule at 4:12 p.m. Friday against the Baltimore Orioles.

The Brewers make their first trip to PNC Park on April 22. It’s the first of a four-game series.

The lone unbeaten team in MLB is now the Detroit Tigers (4-0). They were rained out for a second straight night against the New York Mets. Those two clubs will play a doubleheader Thursday.

National recognition

Robert Morris women’s hockey player Alaina Giampietro was named to the USCHO All-Rookie Team on Wednesday morning. The Colonials star freshman ended the season with 31 points (19 goals and 12 assists). That total led all CHA rookies in the 2023-24 campaign.

Those 19 goals and four game-winning tallies placed Giampietro second in the NCAA. The 31 points ranked the Strongsville, Ohio native fourth among rookies across the country.

Throughout the season, she produced eight multipoint efforts and collected a six- and five-game point streak. On top of that, she registered three power play goals and blocked 26 shots.

Giampietro is the sixth Colonial in program history to make the All-USCHO Rookie team and the first since goalie Raygan Kirk in 2019-20.

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Listen: Tim Benz and Kevin Gorman discuss the Pirates as they continue their series in Washington

Tim Benz is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Tim at tbenz@triblive.com or via X. All tweets could be reposted. All emails are subject to publication unless specified otherwise.