Rangers place Jacob deGrom on 60-day IL

DeGrom had already been on the 15-day IL since April 29 with right elbow inflammation. The move means the first day he will be eligible to return is June 28. GM Chris Young couldn’t say that deGrom had a setback in his recovery from the injury, but nor could he say eliminate that. The Rangers will do a second MRI on his elbow on Tuesday to get a better idea.
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“I believe he’s the best pitcher in the world when he’s healthy,” Young said. “When he’s on the mound, it’s just captivating. But we want to proceed cautiously and do what’s right by him. That’s the biggest factor in this move. We want to make sure the inflammation is gone. The [symptoms] have come and gone. He’s had good days and bad. It’s not been ...

Anthony Rendon assault investigation closed with no charges filed | LA Times

Angels third baseman Anthony Rendon will not face charges stemming from an incident with a fan at Oakland Coliseum on March 30. An Oakland Police Department spokesperson said this week, without naming Rendon, the case is closed.

The Police Department investigated a misdemeanor assault and misdemeanor battery, according to a redacted incident report received by The Times. Rendon was not named in the report, but it listed a person wearing an Angels uniform, location and time of the altercation. The police spokesperson also confirmed that no victim ever came forward.

Arraez and Let Us Swing

So let’s get down to it: Can Arraez hit .400?...

In a way, Arraez’s lack of power makes him more susceptible to swings in BABIP than a normal hitter. When Manny was hitting in the .380s at this point in 2001, he was on pace to hit 56 home runs; 19 of his hits were going to be hits no matter what the defense did. Arraez’s BABIP is… huge! It’s enormous! It’s gigantic! That .405 mark is the second-highest BABIP among 161 qualified hitters, and if it stayed that high all season, it would be remarkable. In the past decade, only Yoán Moncada in 2019 has posted a higher BABIP as a qualified hitter in a 162-game season. The only other hitters to break .390 in that time were Tim Anderson that same season and Avisaíl García in 2017. ...

Nestor Cortes Likely To Be Placed On IL With Shoulder Issue

Yankees left-hander Nestor Cortes has a shoulder issue and is likely headed for the 15-day injured list, with Bryan Hoch of MLB.com among those to relay word from manager Aaron Boone (Twitter links). Boone hopes that Cortes will only miss one or two starts but the southpaw is undergoing an MRI to determine the exact nature and severity of the issue.

It’s not clear exactly when the issue arose, though Boone says Cortes has been having issues recovering in between his starts. If the club does indeed have to proceed without Cortes, that would obviously not be ideal, but it would perhaps at least lead to an explanation for his diminished results on the season.

Red Sox place Chris Sale on IL with left shoulder inflammation

BOSTON—The Red Sox placed left-hander Chris Sale on the injured list with shoulder inflammation on Friday, another setback for the seven-time All-Star as he attempts to re-establish himself as a reliable member of the rotation.

“It’s just kind of a gut punch,” Sale told reporters before Friday night’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays. “I hate feeling like this. I started having fun playing baseball again. And now, back to not having fun. That sucks.”

Roger Craig, Teacher of an Era-Defining Pitch, Is Dead at 93

Roger Craig, who pitched or managed in five World Series and changed the face of pitching in the 1980s as the guru of the split-fingered fastball, died Sunday. He was 93.
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A lanky 6-foot-4 right-hander who, it was often noted, bore a remarkable resemblance to President Lyndon B. Johnson, Craig pitched in three World Series for the Dodgers in the 1950s and another with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1964. In managing the Giants to the 1989 N.L. pennant, he implored his players to hustle with the mantra “Humm baby” and taught his pitchers to throw the split-fingered fastball.

Craig spread the gospel of the split, thrown with the same motion as a traditional fastball but able to confound batters because the pitcher gripped the baseball ...

Marcell Ozuna removed for not hustling in Braves’ 8-5 victory

Atlanta Braves designated hitter Marcell Ozuna was removed from Sunday’s game against the Arizona Diamondbacks for not hustling after hitting a drive to deep center field, manager Brian Snitker confirmed after the game.

In the fourth inning of the Braves’ 8-5 victory, Ozuna smashed a Zac Gallen offering to deep center. He ended up on first base, settling for a 415-foot single because Ozuna stood at home plate and watched the ball reach its destination instead of running right after contact.

Instead of hitting the seats, the ball hit an overhang just below the line that marks a home run. Snitker then replaced him with Sean Murphy in the sixth inning. Murphy went 0-for-3 after entering.

“I guarantee he feels worse than I do for having to ...

Howard Johnson, Al Leiter headline Mets hall of fame class

Howard Johnson and Al Leiter were inducted into the New York Mets hall of fame prior to the team’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday.

Johnson played for New York from 1985 through 1993. He ranks third in team history with 202 stolen bases and fourth in homers (192) and RBIs (629). Leiter grew up a Mets fan in New Jersey before pitching for the team from 1998 through 2004.

The 62-year-old Johnson played his first big league game in 1982 for the Detroit Tigers and his last one with the Chicago Cubs in 1995.

“There’s probably not a day goes by that you don’t think about that—being able to play the game that we did when we were 25, play at that level,” Johnson said. “Every time you get out of bed is a reminder that was a long ...

Brewers’ Jon Singleton back in majors for 1st time since ‘15

“It’s been a long journey,” said Singleton, who is starting Saturday’s game and batting sixth vs. the Reds. “Right now, I really can’t even describe my emotions, my feelings. Definitely grateful.”

Singleton, 31, was such a heralded prospect early in his pro career that he signed a $10 million long-term deal with the Houston Astros in 2014 before ever playing a big league game, but off-field issues hampered his development.

Singleton told reporters he learned about his promotion from Nashville Sounds manager Rick Sweet during the ninth inning of Friday’s game.

“When Rick told me, I was just mind-blown, to be honest,” Singleton said. “It was something that came so unexpectedly at that moment. It was definitely a long time coming.”

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Beloved ex-Met Bartolo Colon finally retires from baseball at 50

Bartolo Colon, 50, has officially retired from baseball, Z101’s Hector Gomez reported.

The right-hander, whose Major League career spanned 21 seasons, joined the Mets in 2014 and became a dependable part of the rotation for three seasons.

He threw 31-plus starts each year, with his best statistical season coming in 2016 when he finished 15-8 with a 3.43 ERA and earned his fourth and final All-Star Game selection.

Report: Nationals’ Stephen Strasburg has ‘severe nerve damage’

Washington Nationals right-hander Stephen Strasburg has “severe nerve damage,” leading to doubts he will ever pitch again, The Washington Post reported Saturday.

Strasburg, 34, was shut down more than a month ago, unable to take part in any rehabilitation, per the report. He had surgery to treat thoracic outlet syndrome and hasn’t pitched in a game since last June.

He has a history of nerve issues.

After an offseason throwing session at Nationals Park in Washington in February, he reported nerve pain in his neck and shoulder. He missed spring training and was put on the 60-day injured list before Opening Day, and although he is eligible to come off, that isn’t in the Nationals’ plans.

He had continued to try to stay in shape by working ...

Aaron Boone’s Rate of Ejections Is Embarrassing ... And Historically Significant

How foolish does Boone look by getting thrown out so often? Boone has been ejected more times in his six years (30) than Dusty Baker has in his 26 years managing (25). He has been ejected more in the past 1​​⅓ seasons (13) than Dave Roberts has in his nine seasons (10). His place on this list says it all:

Boone gets thrown out more often than anybody in the past 62 years. It is crazy that Boone is getting thrown out more often than Weaver did. The Earl of Baltimore feuded so often with umpires he was thrown out of both games of a doubleheader—three times. He was the first manager thrown out of a World Series game. His feud with umpire Ron Luciano was so legendary the AL stopped scheduling Luciano to work Orioles games. When an ...

Hitters Are Losing More Long Plate Appearances

Little change here. So what does this all mean? Well, hitters have the advantage when they put the ball in play on the first or the second pitch, and there’s a massive dropoff once the possibility of a strikeout arises at three pitches. wOBA doesn’t really re-approach average (i.e., a wOBA change of zero) until you get to six pitches, which is where you have a bunch of full counts and hitters who have fouled off a few. Each of the past two years, wOBA has continued rebounding or stayed level through at least nine-pitch PAs. This year, however, the rebound surges at seven pitches and then stops….

This makes me think that it’s less a matter of fatigue and more a matter of focus. Hitters typically have shorter bursts of action than ...

MLB managers should be challenging a lot more in 2023

In 2022, Showalter challenged 33 times and got 26 overturned calls (tied for the most in MLB). That’s 0.20 challenges per game and 0.16 calls per game overturned in the Mets’ favor. Through 55 games in 2023, he has challenged 11 times — also 0.20 challenges per game.

Far more meaningful, however, is that those 11 challenges have resulted in just two calls overturned — 0.04 per game, or one-fourth last year’s rate — tied with Padres manager Bob Melvin, Twins manager Rocco Baldelli and Angels manager Phil Nevin for the fewest successful challenges this year. After finishing last season with the highest success rate, Showalter has the second-lowest success rate this season, and only Melvin has challenged effectively less often.

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The Athletic: After 50 years, is this the San Diego Chicken’s last stand? [$]

There have been high-profile highlights since Y2K — a tee-ball game on the White House lawn early in 2001, West’s record-breaking game — but the Chicken has largely faded from the public consciousness.

For Giannoulas, it’s been a slower time by design. In recent years, he’s found himself anonymously walking the concourse out of costume and noticing all the things he’s missed. “You reflect wistfully,” he says. What would it be like to watch a ballgame instead of performing at one? “I was working these things. I was enjoying it,” he says, but there are also joys to be found outside of work. It wasn’t until the early 2000s that he and Jane got to sit on the grass and watch the fireworks on the Fourth of July. “I ...

OMNICHATTER for June 2023

8 big All-Star voting storylines to follow

3. How many starters for Rays’ dominant offense?

If Franco does earn the nod at shortstop, that might just be the tip of the iceberg for a Rays offense that has been dominant all season.

In addition to Franco, first baseman Yandy Díaz and outfielders Randy Arozarena and Josh Lowe are among the Rays with the most realistic chances of a starting nod. But there’s seemingly no end to the number of Tampa Bay offensive players with strong starts to the season. The Rays had 11 players with at least seven home runs through 50 games, three more such players than any other AL/NL team through 50 games since at least 1906.

If the Rays manage to have four ballot winners, they would be the first team to do so since both the Red Sox and Cubs in ...

Former Los Angeles Dodger Steve Garvey weighs U.S. Senate bid

Former Los Angeles Dodgers icon Steve Garvey is considering running for the open U.S. Senate seat in California as a Republican, a move that would immediately upend the 2024 race, according to several GOP state party insiders and operatives who requested anonymity to discuss the former All-Star’s plans.

The 74-year-old has never held elected office but has been meeting with GOP donors and leaders around the state as he weighs a bid and is expected to make a decision within the next month or so.

Republican strategist Andy Gharakhani, who is advising Garvey, confirmed that the Palm Desert resident is weighing a campaign.

“He is being contacted by leaders up and down the state. They’re recruiting him to run from both sides, ...

Jays pitcher Anthony Bass sorry for posting video endorsing anti-LGBTQ boycotts

Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Anthony Bass shared a post on his social media which promoted anti-LGBTQ campaigns, which targeted boycotting Target and Bud Light because of those companies associated with the promotion of Pride campaigns.

Bass took to Instagram stories and shared a video that called on Christians to stop patronizing companies in the United States.

Earlier this month, Target announced it would be removing some of its LGBTQ2S+ merchandise nationwide and moving its Pride merchandise to the back of some southern U.S. stores after receiving backlash from some customers.

The original video posted took directed aim at those companies, saying “Here’s the reason biblically why I believe Christians have got to be boycotting ...

Big Spending Begins To Pay Off For AL West-Leading Rangers

In the 2021-22 season, they spent $500 million combined to revamp their middle infield by signing shortstop Corey Seager (10 years, $325 million) and second baseman Marcus Semien (seven years, $175 million) as free agent.

Yet the Rangers finished with a 68-94 record last season and manager Chris Woodward was fired with 48 games remaining.

The Rangers again made one of the biggest splashes of the past offseason by signing two-time Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom to a five-year, $185-million deal…

While the Rangers wait for DeGrom to get healthy, they have risen to the top of the AL West on the strength of a relentless offense. Texas is averaging an MLB-best 6.33 runs a game with right fielder Adolis Garcia helping lead the charge ...

Diamond Sports Group fails to pay Padres, loses broadcast rights

Diamond Sports Group has decided not to pay the San Diego Padres their latest rights fee, a monumental development that will revert the team’s broadcasting rights to Major League Baseball and establish precedent for an uncertain, rapidly evolving landscape.

Diamond, the Sinclair subsidiary that operates under the name Bally Sports, skipped its payment to the Padres a couple of weeks ago and had until the end of its grace period on Tuesday to make the team whole and maintain their long-term agreement. Choosing not to meant Tuesday’s game against the Miami Marlins was the last Padres game under the Bally Sports umbrella. Moving forward—starting Wednesday, continuing through the end of the season and resuming in perpetuity—MLB will air ...

Red Sox will host first scheduled doubleheader since 1978 this Sat.; here’s why

But scheduled doubleheaders over the course of a normal, 162-game schedule? Those are true rarities. In fact, research by the Red Sox indicates that it’s been 45 seasons since the team last had a doubleheader planned from the start of the season. The last scheduled doubleheader took place at Fenway on Aug. 30, 1978 against the Toronto Blue Jays. That was the fourth of four doubleheaders at Fenway that historic season.

On Saturday, that’s going to change, however, when the Red Sox host the Tampa Bay Rays in a day-night, separate-admission doubleheader at Fenway. The first game will begin at 1:10 p.m, with the second getting underway at 6:10 p.m. It’s an experimental move, one that two other franchises (Philadelphia and Colorado) are ...

It’s Not Your Imagination: A Lot of Relievers Are Really Good Now

First, let’s look at velocity. Over half of the pitchers on the list sit above the major league average fastball speed of 93.8 mph. It’s not a guarantee that each of them will hold that velo throughout their careers, but an impressive number meet a minimum threshold to be above average by big league standards. Ten can reach back for triple digits, and that doesn’t even include the guys in the higher FV tiers. Of the 81 plus or better pitches among the 35+ FV guys, about half are fastballs, but an impressive 39 are breaking balls, 31 of which are sliders. Pitchers throw about twice as many sliders as they did when the pitch tracking era began in 2008, and the fact that so many pitchers can throw one at a high level is certainly a ...

Economic boost or big business hand-out? Nevada lawmakers consider A’s stadium financing

The A’s plan would authorize up to $380 million in public assistance for the potential $1.5 billion retractable-roof stadium in a special tax district, mainly through $180 million in state transferable tax credits and $120 million in bonds mostly from Clark County. The county also would contribute $25 million in credit toward infrastructure costs. The proposal would not directly raise taxes.

Presenters projected $900 million in annual construction wages and $17 million in tax revenue from operations each year in a study run by firms including Goldman Sachs, and funded by the Athletics. They said the state’s general fund would increase from the project.

“This is a good investment,” said Steve Hill, president of the Las Vegas ...

New Top 200 Draft Prospects list: Execs rank the first five

Top 10:
1. Dylan Crews, OF, LSU
2. Paul Skenes, RHP, LSU
3. Wyatt Langford, OF, Florida
4. Walker Jenkins, OF, South Brunswick (N.C.) HS
5. Max Clark, OF, Franklin (Ind.) HS
6. Chase Dollander, RHP, Tennessee
7. Jacob Wilson, SS, Grand Canyon
8. Rhett Lowder, RHP, Wake Forest
9. Arjun Nimmala, SS, Strawberry Crest (Fla.) HS
10. Kyle Teel, C, Virginia
Complete list »

But it was far from universal. Skenes did receive seven first-place votes. Much like with his teammate, evaluators talked about how Skenes has the chance to be an impact player, and in a hurry.

“Skenes’ stuff can play immediately,” an AL scouting director said.

“It’s a generational college pitcher in Skenes,” an NL national crosschecker said. “Crews’ ...

Angels promote Ben Joyce, 2022 draft pick with triple-digit fastball velocity, to majors for MLB debut

The Los Angeles Angels have promoted right-handed reliever Ben Joyce from Double-A to the majors, the team announced Sunday. Joyce will replace veteran lefty Matt Moore on the active roster after Moore suffered a strained oblique.

Joyce, 22, was selected by the Angels in the third round of the 2022 draft. He had gained national acclaim, or at least as much as a collegiate reliever can, during his time at Tennessee by pumping triple-digit-velocity heaters. Here’s what CBS Sports wrote about him last summer, all the while noting that he “would seem to be one of the safest bets to become the first player from this class to reach the majors.”

Joyce has a monster fastball and slider, with 43 of the former checking in at 100 mph or above ...

Nobody told this stolen base savant that it’s not 1980 anymore

Esteury Ruiz was one of five players acquired by the A’s in the three-team deal that sent catcher Sean Murphy to the Braves. Of the eight players involved in that blockbuster, the 24-year-old Ruiz, coming off a season in which he led all of Minor League Baseball with a combined 85 stolen bases in 114 games, was easily one of the most intriguing. And while he was initially lost in Murphy’s red-hot start, Ruiz has since carved out a niche for himself in his first full Major League season, currently leading baseball with 27 stolen bases through 55 games, which would put him on pace for … 79.5. Sounds promising.

While the number in and of itself is impressive, it’s the path he has taken to 27 that really stands out. Through his first ...

Athletics designate 1B Jesus Aguilar amid 1-for-20 skid

The Oakland Athletics designated first baseman Jesus Aguilar for assignment on Monday.

Aguilar, 32, is batting .221 with five home runs and nine RBIs in 36 games this season, his first in Oakland. He was 1-for-20 in his past seven games.

Aguilar is a career .253 hitter with 114 home runs and 402 RBIs in 10 seasons with six teams. He was an All-Star in 2018 with Milwaukee, slugging a career-high 35 home runs and driving in a career-best 108 runs.

Brewers designate struggling slugger Luke Voit for assignment

Luke Voit was designated for assignment on Monday by the Milwaukee Brewers, who owe the former home run champion a little more than $1.3 million for the remainder his of contract.

The first baseman hit .221 with a .284 on-base percentage, .265 slugging percentage, zero homers and four RBIs in 22 games. He had just three extra-base hits, all doubles, in 74 plate appearances.

Voit, 32, hadn’t played for the Brewers since May 13. He went on the injured list two days later with a neck issue and had been hitting .259 with a .444 on-base percentage, one homer and eight RBIs in eight games during a rehabilitation assignment with Triple-A Nashville.

2023 NCAA Baseball Tournament Bracket

The NCAA regionals will take place from June 2-June 5 in a double-elimination tournament. The regionals winners will advance to the super regionals, which will run from June 9-June 12. The super regionals are a best-of-3 series. The eight super regionals champions will advance to the College World Series, which begins on June 16.

THE BRACKET ⚾️

➡️ https://t.co/yxf97tkwLE#RoadToOmaha pic.twitter.com/7AjhvQksxT

— NCAA Baseball (@NCAABaseball) May 29, 2023