Category: Baseball

Phillies place Bohm on IL, notes on Nola, Walker and Painter originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Phillies placed Alec Bohm on the 10-day injured list with a fractured left rib prior to Saturday’s game against the Angels.

The club recalled Weston Wilson from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to replace Bohm on the 26-man roster.

Bohm aggravated the injury during Friday’s loss to the Angels.

“He felt the rib thing last night in his last at-bat,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said Saturday afternoon. “He came in today and he still felt it so he’s going to see the doctor.”

Turns out that visit to the doctor resulted in an IL stint.

Bohm sustained the injury when he was hit by a pitch last Saturday in San Diego. He missed the final game before the All-Star break. The hope was that he would be good to go following the break.

Bohm is hitting .278 with eight home runs and 42 RBI in 92 games this season. He’s hitting .304 in his last 64 games following a poor April.

Wilson hit .194 in 20 games with the Phillies earlier this season before being demoted to Triple-A on June 19th.   

Otto Kemp will play third base on Saturday. The Phillies will likely use a combination of Kemp, Edmundo Sosa, Wilson and potentially Bryson Stott at third base while Bohm is sidelined.

Sosa gets the start at second base on Saturday against Angels lefthander Yusei Kikuchi. Brandon Marsh moves over to left field with John Rojas playing center field.

It’s a rare start against a lefty for Marsh.

“I like the way Marsh is swinging the bat,” Thomson said. “And we get really good defense out there (with Marsh and Rojas in the outfield).”   

Good news for Nola

Aaron Nola’s live batting practice session on Saturday was a success.

“Very good,” Thomson said when asked how Nola looked. “34 pitches, two ups (innings). Command was really good. Curveball was really good.”

Nola will throw a bullpen session either Monday or Tuesday. If that goes well he could head out on a minor league rehab assignment.

Signs point towards an early August return for Nola.

Walker’s next opportunity

Taijuan Walker will make his 10th start of the season Saturday. Walker has spent his third season with the Phillies bouncing back and forth between the starting rotation and the bullpen. He’s made 11 relief appearances and has a 3.55 ERA overall.

Thomson raves about Walker’s team-first mentality.

“He’s been great,” Thomson said. “He’s been throwing the ball well, he really has. He’s battled. I felt for him last year and all the stuff that he went through. This year he’s done everything that we’ve asked him to do. And along the way, whatever situation he’s been in, he’s thrown the ball pretty well. Hopefully it continues.”   

Walker threw a bullpen session in Arizona during the All-Star break and should be more stretched out for tonight’s outing. He threw 63 pitches in his last start 11 days ago in San Francisco.

The fifth starter spot appears to be Walker’s to lose until Nola returns. Mick Abel and Andrew Painter are currently pitching for Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

Progress for Painter

Speaking of Andrew Painter – the Phillies’ top prospect will start on Thursday for Lehigh Valley. Painter has a 5.01 ERA in 12 starts in Triple-A this season.

Thomson discussed Painter’s progress prior to this weekend’s series.

“He’s healthy,” Thomson said. “I think his command isn’t quite where it normally is for him. But his stuff is good… we’ll just go start by start.”

Before the season Phillies President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski mentioned ‘July-ish’ as a potential Phillies debut date for Painter.

That timeline seems far-fetched with just 12 days left in the month.

 “You can’t put a date on it,” Thomson said. “I’ve always said the whole time that he’s got to be healthy and he’s got to be performing and there’s got to be a spot here. I think he’s going to get to the point where he’s Andrew Painter, the normal Andrew Painter. I don’t think he’s quite there yet.”

Phillies managing partner and CEO John Middleton echoed Thomson’s sentiments on Painter’s command issues.

“He’s getting there,” Middleton said. “It’s hard. I remember years ago talking to some trainers and some orthopedic surgeons and they said ‘when you have Tommy John surgery you lose five miles per hour off every pitch and you lose command. The velocity comes back pretty quickly. Command can take a while.’ I think he’s just experiencing as he’s gotten up into the higher ranks now, it’s testing his command. And that’s good, he’ll learn.”

Middleton was asked if he’s excited for Painter’s eventual big league debut.

“I’ll be excited when he’s shutting people down,” Middleton said. “Which he will. He’s a smart guy, he’s a determined guy. So he’ll get it right and he’ll get it when he gets it. And hopefully he’ll get it sooner rather than later for us.”

Disastrous sixth inning derails Giants' bounce-back win hopes in deflating loss originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Logan Webb starts coming after a loss typically signal a get-right day for the Giants, and it appeared Saturday would be no different as San Francisco’s ace held a potent Toronto Blue Jays lineup scoreless through five innings despite plenty of traffic on the basepaths .

Blue Jays starter Eric Lauer was perfect through four innings himself before a towering Willy Adames solo shot gave the Giants a 1-0 lead in the top of the fifth, and jolt of confidence that would be short-lived in San Francisco’s 6-3 loss to Toronto at Rogers Centre.

Willy POWER 💥 pic.twitter.com/YXKjheFTk4

— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) July 19, 2025

Toronto had runners on first and second with no outs in each of the first two innings, but San Francisco’s All-Star right-hander found a way to escape both jams.

Webb induced a double-play ball from American League All-Star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the first inning, before logging his only strikeout of the game by punching out Blue Jays third baseman Will Wagner with runners on second and third with one out in the second inning.

In the sixth inning, Webb’s magic ran out. Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette and right fielder Addison Barger led off the frame with a single and a double respectively, once again placing Webb in a precarious spot.

For a brief moment, it looked like Webb once again was going to limit the damage after getting left fielder Joey Loperfido to pop up to short. With the bottom of Toronto’s order coming up, it would’ve been completely reasonable to envision a scenario where Webb and the Giants got back into the visitor’s dugout unscathed.

Instead, the 7-8-9 hitters ended up delivering the game’s decisive blow, recorind three straight hits to give Toronto a 4-2 lead that the Blue Jays wouldn’t relenquish for the remainder of the contest.

“Balls just started finding holes,” Webb told reporters about the sixth inning after Saturday’s loss. “They were swinging a lot, putting loud contact on balls throughout the game. Just that inning, didn’t make any good pitches, really … I thought I threw pitches where I wanted to, just seemed like they were on everything. So, I don’t know.”

It appeared the Blue Jays’ scouting report emphasized jumping on Webb early, as it seemed every Toronto batter would swing at Webb’s first pitch of each at-bat, creating a difficult outing for the two-time MLB All-Star.

“They don’t strikeout much. It seemed like they swung at every first pitch I threw. It seemed like they were on every first pitch I threw, so it wasn’t fun.”

Webb ended up surrendering 11 hits across six innings of work Saturday, allowing four earned runs — a figure which easily could’ve been astronomically higher given the amount of traffic Toronto had on the bases throughout his start.

Giants manager Bob Melvin lauded Webb’s ability to work out of trouble and give San Francisco a fighting chance as its offense attempted to decode Lauer’s stuff early on.

“He gave up some hits, but he also pitched around most of it until the sixth. He got a double-play ball early on when he needed it,” Melvin told reporters. “The one strikeout he had [came with a man on third, less than two outs. It was the guys at the bottom of the order who ended up getting him and doing all their damage. I mean, he goes into the sixth without giving up a run, they just made him pay in the sixth.”

While Webb is the pitcher typically tasked with righting the ship, the Giants are blessed to have two ace-caliber arms at the top of their rotation.

With Robbie Ray on the mound Sunday, San Francisco gets one more shot at salvaging this weekend series in Toronto.

Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast

There's a real chance the Yankees welcome Luis Gil back into their starting rotation before the calendar turns to August, considering last year's AL Rookie of the Year just passed another test on his minor league rehab assignment.

In his second start with Double-A Somerset on Friday, the 27-year-old right-hander looked sharp, striking out seven in 3.1 innings against the Rockies' affiliate. While the outing wasn't blemish-free -- he gave up a two-run home run in the first inning plus a pair of walks -- Gil threw 39 of 57 pitches for strikes and touched 97 mph on his fastball.

The latest rehab outing from Gil mirrors his first, as he punched out six across 3.1 frames of one-run ball for Somerset on July 13. He's logged 6.2 innings in the minors thus far, and held opponents to a .167 average.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone recently said there's no intention of rushing Gil, who's been on the injured list since spring training with a right lat strain. But the expectation is for him to pitch next for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on July 23, and if all goes well, he could be activated shortly thereafter.

Of course, the Yankees will exercise caution with Gil once his return to the majors arrives. But he should certainly boost a top-heavy rotation that's endured season-ending injuries and felt back-end vulnerabilities.

Sweet Lu 🔥@Yankees RHP Luis Gil punched out SEVEN in his second start of 2025!

Final Line: 3.1 IP | 2 H | 2 R | 2 BB | 7 K
Pitches (Strikes): 57 (39) pic.twitter.com/Of2PEDhb9W

— Somerset Patriots (@SOMPatriots) July 19, 2025

Max Muncy knew he had gotten lucky, after his ugly-looking knee injury earlier this month proved to be nothing more than a bone bruise.

But, when doctors explained how close he came to suffering something so much worse, from when Michael A. Taylor slid into his leg at third base on July 2, even Muncy was amazed by the infinitesimal margins.

“If the timing was just a millisecond different either way,” he was told, “you’re probably looking at surgery, and done for a long time.”

Instead, barely two weeks removed from having the outside of his knee bent inward on that play, Muncy was out doing early work at Dodger Stadium on Friday afternoon; running in the outfield, playing catch with coaches and performing agility drills in front of trainers without any obvious signs of pain or discomfort.

Read more:Dodgers are shut out by Brewers, but Tyler Glasnow shows signs of growth

“We’re pleasantly, not surprised, but happy with the spot that I’m in right now,” Muncy said afterward, having also taken swings for the first time since his injury earlier on Friday afternoon. “It feels great. I’m moving well. Progressing quickly. We’re trying to be smart about it, and understand where we’re at, and what it’s gonna take to get back on the field. But we’re in a really good spot … We’re kind of right where we think we should be at.”

If not, it seems, already a few steps ahead.

While Muncy was initially expected to miss roughly six weeks with his left knee bone bruise, manager Dave Roberts struck a more optimistic tone as the Dodgers opened the second half of their season.

“He’s in great shape right now,” Roberts said Friday. “I don’t really know a timeline. But I do know … it’s going to be a lot sooner than anticipated, which is good for all of us.”

Since Muncy — who was one of the hottest hitters in baseball in May and June — got hurt, the Dodgers have not looked like the same offense. In their last 11 games entering Saturday, the club was 3-8, averaging less than three runs per game, and struggling to fill the gaping hole their slugging third baseman has left in the middle of the lineup.

Since the start of July, only the penny-pinching Pittsburgh Pirates have been worse than the Dodgers in batting average (.205) and OPS (.594).

“We've still got a lot of good players,” Roberts said. “But yeah, there's a certain line of demarcation when Max is not in the lineup, what happens to our offense.”

The Dodgers’ problems, of course, go beyond Muncy’s absence. Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman have all been slumping of late (or, in Betts’ case, for much of the season). Teoscar Hernández and Tommy Edman have been nowhere near their typical standard since returning from injuries in May. And the depth options the Dodgers have called upon have provided few sparks of life.

Still, Muncy figures to be a linchpin in the Dodgers’ long-term potential at the plate — with his recovery growing ever steadily in importance as the rest of the lineup flounders in his wake.

“We got to figure out how to get something going," said outfielder Michael Conforto, chief among the Dodgers’ underachievers this season. "Every time we go out there, we expect to score, and that's what we've been doing all year. It's just one of those stretches [where it’s] a little bit tougher to get runs in. But, you know, obviously, we have faith in our guys, and some big names in here that made their careers on scoring runs and driving guys in. I think we'll be OK."

Muncy, of course, is one of those proven names.

And in another fortunate stroke with his recovery, he remains confident his injury won’t significantly impact his swing once he does come back.

“If [the injury] was on the inside of the knee, it’d probably be a different story,” Muncy said. “But just being on the outside, I think it’s a good spot, knowing that I don’t feel it at all when I’m pushing off on the backside.”

Read more:Shaikin: Why the small-market Milwaukee Brewers might be America's team

Muncy tested that theory for the first time Friday, taking some light swings in the cage that he said “felt fine.”

“It’s a lot of work, more work than actually playing in the game, which always sucks,” Muncy said of his rehabilitation process. “But it’s that way for a reason … You don’t want to have any other injuries that are a side effect from it.”

So far, even that latter concern has been quelled, with Muncy noting that “there’s no lingering side effects with it.”

“All in all,” he reiterated, “we’re about as lucky as we could be.”

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Here's what happened in Mets Land on Friday, in case you missed it...

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• In their first game back from the All-Star break, the Mets allowed eight unanswered runs in a loss to the Reds on Friday
• Sean Manaea threw just 69 pitches in his second start this season, as his workload is being closely monitored for now
• The Mets' bullpen remains a concern, as the unit owns the third-worst ERA (6.20) in baseball over the last month
• Mets top prospect Jonah Tong shoved down in Double-A, delivering 5.1 innings of one-run ball with seven strikeouts
• Mets first-round pick Mitch Voit discussed his minor league development plan after signing his contract with the club
• Francisco Alvarez is making a case to be recalled to the majors, as he crushed his ninth homer down in Triple-A
• Jesse Winker (back) has been shut down from baseball activities, but Starling Marte (knee) is nearing a return
• Brooks Raley was activated from the injured list, while Richard Lovelady was DFA'd amid a flurry of moves
• Pros and Cons: Should the Mets trade for Pirates reliever David Bednar?
• WATCH: Are Ronny Mauricio and Brett Baty destined to be long-term Mets?
• WATCH: Here's a Mets-Orioles mock trade that makes sense for both teams
• WATCH:Mets of today congratulate yesterday’s captain David Wright

The Mets continue a three-game home series against the Reds on Saturday at 4:10 p.m. on SNY.

Before the game begins, the Mets will retire David Wright's No. 5 jersey in a ceremony that will start at 2:30 p.m., with coverage of the event happening on SNY.

Here's what to know about the game and how to watch...

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Mets Notes

• Juan Soto is tied for ninth in MLB in home runs this season (24) and is slashing .284/.411/.627 over his last 30 games
• Brandon Nimmo reached base three times on Friday and is hitting .333 with six XBH during a 12-game on-base streak
• Edwin Diaz has allowed one earned run since April 21, and his season ERA of 1.66 ranks tied for third among MLB closers
• Clay Holmes will take the mound and look to lower a 5.28 ERA and 1.37 WHIP registered through three July starts (15.1 IP)

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What channel is SNY?

Check your TV or streaming provider's website or channel finder to find your local listings.

How can I stream the game?

The new way to stream SNY games is via the MLB App or MLB.tv. Streaming on the SNY App has been discontinued.

In order to stream games in SNY’s regional territory, you will need to have SNY as part of your TV package (cable or streaming), or you can now purchase an in-market SNY subscription package. Both ways will allow fans to watch the Mets on their computer, tablet or mobile phone. 

How can I watch the game on my computer via MLB? 

To get started on your computer, click here and then follow these steps: 

• Log in using your provider credentials. If you are unsure of your provider credentials, please contact your provider. 

• Link your provider credentials with a new or existing MLB.com account. 

• Log in using your MLB.com credentials to watch Mets games on SNY. 

• Select the SNY Mets game you wish to view from the Multimedia Center. 

How can I watch the game on the MLB App? 

MLB App access is included for FREE with SNY. To access SNY on your favorite supported Apple or Android mobile device, please follow the steps below.  

• Download the free MLB App.

• Open “MLB” and tap on “Subscriber Login” for Apple Devices or “Sign in with MLB.com” for Android Devices. 

• Type in your MLB.com credentials and tap “Log In.”  

• To access live or on-demand content, tap on the "Watch" tab from the bottom navigation bar. Select the "Games" sub-tab to see a listing of available games. You can scroll to previous dates using the left and right arrows. Tap on a game to select from the game feeds available.  

For more information on how to stream Mets games on SNY, please click here. 

Russell Martin says the support he has had from Sir Alex Ferguson since taking over as Rangers head coach has been "incredible".

The former Manchester United manager paid his first visit to the club's Auchenhowie training centre on Friday, in the company of Rangers great John Greig.

Ferguson, 83, played for two seasons at Rangers from 1967-69, while Greig, 82, spent his entire career at Ibrox before a five-year spell as manager.

"Any team talk or message I give is done when those two speak about this club and what it means to them," Martin told RangersTV.

"They are both really behind us and what we are doing. They are desperate for this team to do well.

"They feel the same way as the fans. They want to see a team that fights and works for everything and has a way about them on the pitch that exemplifies what they believe this club to be about."

Martin played under Sir Alex's son Darren Ferguson at Peterborough United who made him captain when he was just 21.

"He reached out and said his dad wanted to give me a call," Martin added.

"I said 'of course' and since then Sir Alex has been in tough regularly. He's been great. He's been so supportive of me personally, which is incredible.

"It's the first time he's been here and it was just brilliant for everyone to see him."

• Visit our Rangers page for all the latest news, analysis and fan views
• Get Rangers news notifications in the BBC Sport app

If you’re a Dodgers fan, of course, you would love to see the Dodgers win the World Series again. If you’re a baseball fan above all, though, you ought to be pulling for the Milwaukee Brewers.

The Dodgers served as a convenient bogeyman for owners of many other major league teams last winter. To fans pointing a collective finger at the owner of their local team, all too many of those owners pointed a finger in our direction: It’s not us. It’s them.

“The Dodgers are the greatest poster children we could’ve had for how something has to change,” Colorado Rockies owner Dick Monfort told the Denver Gazette last March.

How, those owners shrugged, can we compete against a team playing in a major market and spending half a billion dollars on a star-studded roster?

The Dodgers are 58-40.

Read more:Dodgers are shut out by Brewers, but Tyler Glasnow shows signs of growth

The Brewers play in the smallest market in the major leagues — Sacramento included, Denver definitely included.

The Brewers are 57-40.

This is not about a sprinkling of fairy dust. The Brewers have made the playoffs six times in the past seven years, prospering even beyond the financially motivated departures of star shortstop Willy Adames, Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes and two-time National League reliever of the year Devin Williams, and even after manager Craig Counsell and president of baseball operations David Stearns left for teams in major markets.

“It’s not really an abnormal year,” said designated hitter Christian Yelich, the Brewers’ franchise anchor. “Each year, we’re picked to finish last or second-to-last in our division, regardless of what happened the year before.”

The Brewers cannot pay the going rate for power, so they do not try. Of the free agents signed by Milwaukee last winter, the most expensive one in the lineup for Friday’s victory at Dodger Stadium: outfielder Jake Bauers, signed for $1.4 million. Shortstop Joey Ortiz was obtained in the trade of Burnes; third baseman Caleb Durbin was acquired in the trade of Williams.

The Brewers rank in the bottom 10 in the majors in home runs, but they rank in the top 10 in walks, stolen bases, sacrifice bunts and fewest strikeouts.

“We know what we are,” Yelich said. “We know we’re not going to have a lineup full of guys that hit 30 homers. You’ve got to force stuff to happen sometimes and try to put pressure on the other team and try to manufacture runs any way you can.”

They are one of two teams — the Detroit Tigers are the other — to rank among the top 10 in runs scored and in earned-run average. No NL team has given up fewer runs than the Brewers.

The Dodgers lead the majors in runs scored. In four games against Milwaukee, the Dodgers have scored a total of four runs.

“They can really pitch,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “The ’pen is lights out. They catch it. They play good defense. In totality, they do a good job of preventing runs.”

Whether they can do a good job of deterring a lockout, well, that might be a whole other ballgame.

Read more:Shaikin: Live from Atlanta: The next front in the war between MLB owners and players

The collective bargaining agreement expires after next season. The owners have not explicitly stated a salary cap is their goal but, at least the way the players’ union sees it, why else would commissioner Rob Manfred already be talking about a lockout as a means to an end?

At the All-Star Game, union chief Tony Clark blasted the concept of a salary cap.

“This is not about competitive balance,” Clark said. “This is institutionalized collusion.”

A salary cap would provide owners with cost certainty and potential increases in franchise values, not that fans would care much about either. So, to the extent that owners might settle on a talking point in negotiations, what Manfred said at the All-Star Game would be it: “There are fans in a lot of our markets who feel like we have a competitive balance problem.”

If you’re the union, you’ll say MLB has not had a repeat champion in 25 years. If you’re an owner, you’ll say no small-market team has won the World Series in 10 years.

Read more:Jacob Misiorowski is the talk of the All-Star Game. Why Dodgers are partially to thank

If you’re the union, you’ll say expanded playoffs offer every team the chance to win a wild-card spot and get hot in October, as the 84-win Arizona Diamondbacks did two years ago. But, should the Brewers win the World Series this year, owners certainly would call it the exception that proves the rule.

Over the past seven years, the Brewers have made the playoffs as many times as the Yankees have. Yet, for all their success in the regular season, the Brewers have not won a postseason series since 2018.

Baseball has not lost a regular season game to a work stoppage since 1995, the last time the owners pushed hard for a salary cap. They might do so again next year, which would jeopardize the 2027 season, but to argue small markets need a salary cap to win after the team in the smallest market won the World Series might ring hollow.

If the Brewers’ success could derail the potential disaster that would be a work stoppage, America ought to be rooting on The Miz.

Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

As an old baseball traditionalist please give me home runs, RBIs and batting average; save me the slash line, WHIP instead of ERA and give me an extra innings game without a runner at second, or for heaven’s sake, a Home Run Derby to settle a tie game.

It left me to wonder if being a baseball traditionalist makes me the equivalent of a Supreme Court Justice originalist, or just old and cranky?

Ron Yukelson
San Luis Obispo

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So, after going 4-19 in the All-Star Game since 2000, the National League finally gets the American League monkey off their backs and “wins” the 2025 event.

Of course, they still can’t do it in the traditional sense and must pull out the victory in some newly concocted home run swing-off. Not to discredit Kyle Schwarber’s heroics. But, he went O for 2 with a walk against “real” pitching and then is awarded the MVP? Something is very wrong here!

Rick Solomon
Lake Balboa

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I’m probably in the minority, but the swing-off following the All-Star Game … really?

What a joke! Is this the best solution MLB could come up with to break a tie? These best-of-the-best players are making millions of dollars and they can’t go into extra innings to break a tied game?

Robert Parra
Rowland Heights

Fair share

Bill Shaikin's column on the upcoming Major League Baseball player-owner negotiations was an eye opener. Salary caps have helped the NFL, NBA, and NHL maintain good levels of competition and give the fans of the smallest market franchises hope that their teams can compete regularly. Baseball owners should make it clear to the players' union that they will not consider sharing income outside of direct baseball operations without an agreement from the players to a salary cap.

Bill Francis
Pasadena

Flip on out of here

Was Bill Shaikin serious when he suggested bat flips as a way to get the attention of fans? I can only imagine what would have happened had a batter flipped his bat after hitting a home run off Bob Gibson. Probably the same reaction that Vince Lombardi would have had if his players had dumped Gatorade on him. Now that would attract fans.

Evan Puziss
Mar Vista

Don't call it baseball

Concerning the Home Run Derby, I like Dylan Hernández’s own words: “barely-watchable made-for-television event.” I might change “barely” to “not!” It just doesn’t come close to all the hype. It’s more like a county fair arm-wrestling contest. It’s not baseball and it’s not going to save baseball, whatever the changes. Baseball’s problem is a seemingly interminable, almost inconsequential, 162-game season, followed by an anyone-can-win postseason tournament. That’s not a formula for year-long excitement. Perhaps they could cut the season into halves or quarters and add some more tournaments. Whatever they do, keep it baseball, not “derbies”!

Bill Weber
La Cañada Flintridge

Flashbacks

It looks like Tanner Scott is the new Pedro Baéz. I shudder when I remember those days when we saw him walking in from the bullpen.

I hope the poor guy finds his mojo.

Richard McCurdy
Burbank

Don't forget

Bill Plaschke goes out of his way in his column about LeBron James and Kobe Bryant to depict the latter as truly beloved by all. He seems to forget Bryant's regrettable experience in Denver in which he was accused of a serious crime. The case was ultimately dropped after he settled with his accuser in a civil case. He was far from perfect so why depict him as such?

Bert Bergen
La Cañada

Too much Bronny

Seemingly all Times Lakers' coverage is Bronny this and Bronny that. If the younger James did not have a famous father, there would be a minimum mention of this player, who has never proven himself as anything better than average at best in college and in the pros. End of story!

Jack Wolf
Westwood

And furthermore

As a follow-up to letters letting The Times know your readers are not desperate for your articles on Bronny James’ summer league performances, here’s another. I think no one is particularly interested in reports on the LIV tour results. Of the 50 or so players on that tour, there are about five who could still compete on the PGA Tour. The rest are has-beens or never-weres. They are all in it for the (blood) money. Who cares whether Dustin Johnson’s or Sergio Garcia’s team wins or not? No golf fan that I know.

Jack Nelson
Los Angeles

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The Los Angeles Times welcomes expressions of all views. Letters should be brief and become the property of The Times. They may be edited and republished in any format. Each must include a valid mailing address and telephone number. Pseudonyms will not be used.

Email: sports@latimes.com

Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Tyler Glasnow’s problems have been the same for years.

Spending too much time caught up in his own head, and not enough time actually pitching on the mound.

Ever since the Dodgers acquired the tall, lanky and Southern California-raised right-hander, those two issues have plagued the $136.5-million acquisition in ways that have frustrated him, the team and its fan base.

Glasnow made 22 starts last year (a career-high in his injury-plagued career) before a nagging elbow problem ended his season early. This term, he managed only five starts before his shoulder started barking, landing him on the injured list for another extended stint.

Through it all, Glasnow has talked repeatedly about the need to be more “external” on the mound — focused more on execution and compete-level than the aches and pains in his body and imperfections in his delivery.

Read more:Shohei Ohtani becomes an author with a book starring his dog Decoy out next year

Yet, with each new setback, the veteran pitcher was left scrambling for answers, constantly tinkering with his mechanics and toiling with his mindset in hopes of striking an equilibrium between both.

That's why, as Glasnow neared his latest return to action, he tried to simplify things. For real, this time.

No more worrying about spine angle and release point. No more mid-game thoughts about the many moving parts in his throwing sequence.

“I don't even know,” he said when asked last week how he changed his mechanics during his most recent absence, the kind of physical ignorance that might actually be a good thing in the 31-year-old’s case.

“I'm just going out and being athletic and not trying to look at it. And if there's something I need to fix, or something the coaches see, then I'll worry about it. But I'm just going out … [and] getting in that rhythm. Getting back into a starting routine.”

Two starts in, that new routine looks promising.

After pitching five solid innings of one-run ball in Milwaukee last week, Glasnow started the second half of the season with another step forward Friday, spinning a six-inning, one-run gem in the Dodgers’ 2-0 loss to the Brewers at Dodger Stadium.

“I’ve been feeling good since rehab, making changes and stuff,” Glasnow said. “Feel solid right now. So gotta keep going.”

As the Dodgers (58-40) came out of the All-Star break, few players seemed as pivotal to their long-term success as Glasnow.

The club is counting on him and fellow nine-figure free-agent signee Blake Snell (who, like Glasnow, missed almost all of the first half with a shoulder injury but could be back in action by the end of the month) to bolster a rotation that has missed them dearly.

It is hopeful they can join Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and in some capacity Shohei Ohtani, at the forefront of a pitching staff seeking significant improvement as it tries to repeat as World Series champions.

Granted, the Dodgers — who would like to avoid adding a starting pitcher at the trade deadline, and might have a hard time finding an impact addition such as Jack Flaherty last summer even if they try — did have similar hopes for Glasnow last season.

Even when he first went down with his elbow injury in mid-August, the initial expectation was that he’d be back well in time for the playoff push.

Instead, Glasnow’s elbow never ceased to bother him. When he tried ramping up for a live batting practice session in mid-September, he effectively pulled the plug on his season when his arm still didn’t feel right.

Ever since, Glasnow has lived in a world of frustration, spending his winter trying to craft a healthier delivery only to run into more problems within the first month of this season.

“Certainly the talent is undeniable,” manager Dave Roberts said last week, ahead of Glasnow’s return. “But I think for me, for us, you want the dependability. That’s something that I’m looking for from Tyler from here on out. To know what you’re going to get when he takes that ball every fifth or sixth day.”

On Friday, Glasnow produced a template worth following in a four-hit, one-walk, six-strikeout showing.

Read more:The Dodgers didn't just help Tyler Glasnow get healthy, they helped him get better

Flashing increased fastball velocity for the second-straight outing — routinely hitting 98-99 mph on the gun — he filled up the strike zone early, going after hitters with his premium four-seamer and increasing reliance on a late-breaking sinker.

“It’s like the one pitch I can be late with, and it’s in the zone,” Glasnow said of his sinker, which he had thrown sparingly prior to getting hurt. “I don’t necessarily have to be perfectly timed up for it to have a lot of movement. I think if I’m late on it, it’s kind of my go-to.”

His big-bending curveball, meanwhile, proved to be a perfect complement, with Glasnow pulling the string for awkward swings and soft contact.

He retired the first five batters he faced, and didn’t let a ball out of the infield until Brice Turang’s two-out single in the third. He was late getting to the mound at the start of the fourth, resulting in an automatic ball to the leadoff batter, but remained unfazed, retiring the side in order.

Glasnow did wobble in the fifth against Milwaukee (57-40). Suddenly struggling to locate the ball, he walked leadoff hitter Isaac Collins on five pitches before giving up an RBI double to Caleb Durbin in a 2-and-0 count, when he left a sinker over the heart of the plate.

But then he settled down, escaped the inning without further damage, and worked around a high-hopping one-out single from Jackson Chourio in the sixth by striking out William Contreras and Christian Yelich.

“It’s not turn [my brain] off completely,” Glasnow said of his new, in-the-moment mentality. “But it’s not like, when I’m feeling bad, I resort more to, ‘How do we fix this?’ As opposed to like, ‘This is what I got today. Let’s just go get it.’ And I think a lot of that was due to the changes. I’m just in a better position right now to go out and be athletic.”

The outing marked Glasnow’s first time completing six innings since April 13 against the Chicago Cubs, and was his first such start yielding only one earned run since June of last year.

“He's been able to stay in his rhythm, stay in his delivery, just be in compete mode,” Roberts said. “I think he's in a really good spot. He's healthy, feeling confident. And we're better for it, for sure."

Unfortunately for Glasnow, he was the second-best pitcher on the bump Friday. Opposite him, young Brewers right-hander Quinn Priester dominated the Dodgers over six scoreless innings, recording the second-most strikeouts of his career by fanning 10. Struggling veteran Kirby Yates didn’t help in relief of Glasnow, either, giving up a home run to Durbin in the seventh that sent the Dodgers to a disappointing defeat.

Read more:Four major questions the Dodgers face in the second half of the season

“They're pitching us well,” Roberts said of the Brewers, who have won four straight games against the Dodgers over the last two weeks while giving up only four total runs. “We gave ourselves a chance, but we just couldn't muster anything together tonight."

Still, for a team with a comfortable division lead and the shortest World Series odds of any club in the majors, getting good starting pitching remains the most pressing big-picture concern for the Dodgers.

At the end of last year, and for much of the first half this season, Glasnow was unable to help. Now, he might finally be showing flashes he can.

"[I want to] just go out and be athletic,” Glasnow said last week. “Just go out and compete."

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Fresh off the All-Star break with a fully rested set of arms, the Mets' bullpen still struggled on Friday night in their 8-4 loss to the Cincinnati Reds.

Choosing to go with Sean Manaea, who is not yet totally stretched out after a lengthy rehab process, to start the second half meant New York would need to rely on its bullpen out of the gate to get late outs.

After Manaea went the first four innings, looking good in the process, manager Carlos Mendoza turned to Alex Carillo in the fifth inning as the first reliever out of the bullpen with the Mets leading, 2-1. That lead quickly turned into a deficit after Carillo surrendered a two-run homer to Matt McLain.

"I needed to cover five innings there," Mendoza said. "We’re giving these guys a look here and it just didn’t happen today with him."

Still a one-run game after getting through the fifth, Carillo was asked to go back out for the sixth, but things got worse for the right-hander. Carillo allowed two more home runs in the inning, a solo shot by Austin Hays (his second of the game) and a two-run blast by Tyler Stephenson that put the game to bed.

Making just his third career appearance and first at Citi Field, Carillo went 1.1 innings and allowed five earned runs on three hits (all homers) and two walks. The 28-year-old mentioned "trying to do too much" in his home debut as a reason why he didn't have it on Friday night.

"The fastball still did its thing and they just put the bat out there," he said. "They’re a good hitting team. These are big league hitters, they’re gonna hit home runs, but when it comes to walks, that’s not acceptable on my behalf. Yanking the slider a little bit, changeup just staying away and just not competing as I should be."

Down a run in the sixth inning with his entire bullpen at his disposal, Mendoza's decision to stick with Carillo, a rookie who made his major league debut on July 8, was a head-scratcher.

"I needed to get a couple out of him," the skipper said. "It just didn’t happen today."

Overall, even with Brooks Raley getting activated off the IL, which certainly helps, the Mets' bullpen is shaky. Brandon Waddell, another unproven arm that has helped out in certain situations this season, mopped up and allowed two earned runs in 3.2 innings while giving up four hits and three walks.

Jose Buttó pitched a scoreless inning with Triple-A Syracuse on Friday and his return will ease some of the burden, but for New York to be successful, it will need to get length out of its starters. Until then, Mendoza will have to continue to go with relievers who may lack the experience of pitching in high-leverage situations.

"Guys will step up," he said. "We feel comfortable with the guys that we have back there. Today was one of those nights where Carillo didn’t have it. But overall, we will continue to give opportunities to some of these guys… we’ll continue to evaluate the situation here as we’re trying to win baseball games, obviously."

It was a great sight to see. Sean Manaea was making his Citi Field debut on Friday night and it was a great start for the Mets' southpaw. Unfortunately, it didn't last long.

Manaea threw just 69 pitches (42 strikes) across four innings in the Mets' 8-4 loss to the Reds. It didn't look as if Manaea, who has missed most of the season due to oblique and elbow issues, was laboring and he had allowed just one run on one hit and two walks while striking out six batters in his first start since last October.

So, what was the deal?

Mets skipper Carlos Mendoza explained that he simply didn't want to push Manaea, making only his second appearance of the season.

"It’s like pitchers coming out of spring training. It’s that buildup, you’re not going from 60 to 85 (pitches) right away," Mendoza said after the game. "Especially for a guy that’s been through a lot, not only with the oblique, with the elbow issues and his setback. That’s where we’re at right now. Hopefully next time out, we can increase his pitch count a little bit more, but that was the plan today."

Manaea made his season debut on July 13 against the Royals. In that relief appearance, he threw 65 pitches (44 strikes) across 3.1 innings. In his final rehab start, Manaea tossed 73 pitches in 3.2 innings with Triple-A Syracuse back on July 8.

Clearly, the Mets are taking it easy with Manaea as he works his way back to a bigger pitch count. But the lack of length hurt the Mets on Friday as the bullpen could not hold the lead, a trend that has become a near-season-long one.

"I want to be out there as long as possible, but I understand the situation we’re in," Manaea said after the game. "It’s just not taking it too crazy, but just giving what I can with the pitches allotted."

Manaea admitted that he felt like he could throw more pitches but is not surprised by the pitch count. He said that while he knew the plan going into his start, there hadn't been an in-depth conversation on the team's progression for him. He goes out there and pitches as long as he can or is allowed. One way to combat that is being more pitch-efficient, which he wishes he was, so he could go at least five innings on Friday.

"That’s the most frustrating about today," Manaea said of his inefficiency. "Threw some good sliders but not some real competitive ones at all. Combination of that and the fastball location was kinda iffy. Those two pitches I definitely need."

Despite the outcome of Friday's game, Mendoza remains confident that Manaea can be stretched out for the rest of the season, it just may take some time.

"It’s outing by outing how he responds," he said. "I’m pretty comfortable and confident that if everything continues to progress and the way he continues to bounce back, we’ll get to a point where he’s 85-90 pitches. As of right now, that’s where we’re at with him."

Manaea's health will likely be a concern the rest of the year after a loose body was found in Manaea's elbow when he was rehabbing his oblique. That set him back weeks but the issue doesn't require immediate surgery. It'll be something to monitor, as Mendoza put it, outing to outing with the southpaw but Mets fans should feel encouraged that so far, Manaea is feeling good, even if Friday's loss stings.

"[I feel] great," Manaea said. "Arm feels good. Body feels good. At the end of the day, that’s all I can ask for."

The Mets began the second half of the season with a disappointing 8-4 loss to the Cincinnati Reds on Friday night.

Here are the takeaways...

-Things couldn't have started better for New York following the break. Sean Manaea was making his first start after looking impressive in his season debut against the Kansas City Royals in the final game of the first half and he struck out the side in the first inning in his return to Citi Field.

-Juan Soto kept the energy inside the ballpark going with a solo shot in the bottom half of the frame that gave the Mets a 1-0 lead. The home run was Soto's 24th of the season and he's now hit a league-leading 16 home runs since May 31.

-New York kept the pressure high on the Reds and Nick Lodolo in the second inning. Brandon Nimmo led off with a walk, stole second and came around to score on Jeff McNeil's RBI single.

-Holding Cincinnati to without a hit over the first three innings, Manaea allowed a home run to Austin Hays to lead off the fourth inning -- the lefty's only blemish of the night. Still not fully stretched out, Manaea was done after four terrific innings in which he allowed a run on a hit and two walks with six strikeouts while throwing 69 pitches (42 strikes). He's struck out 13 batters so far in 7.1 innings since coming off the IL.

-With Manaea out of the game, the Reds took full advantage of the Mets' bullpen, which continues to struggle. Alex Carillo was the first arm out of the pen and after getting two quick outs, the right-hander hit TJ Friedl before giving up a two-run shot to Matt McLain, which gave Cincy the lead.

-Carillo went back out for the sixth and the Reds continued to feast. First up was Hays, who hit his second solo homer of the game to lead off an inning and doubled the Mets' deficit. After a walk and a wild pitch, Tyler Stephenson smacked a two-run blast to bust things open and give his team a 6-2 advantage.

-Carillo was only able to record four outs and his final line was not pretty: 1.1 IP, 3 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, 3 HR.

-The bullpen wasn't all to blame, though, as the Mets' offense was completely stifled after their encouraging start. Lodolo settled in and found his groove, going seven innings and allowing two earned runs on four hits, a walk and seven strikeouts. Entering the ninth, the only baserunners for New York after McNeil's RBI single in the second inning came from Luis Torrens (single in the fifth) and Nimmo (infield single in the seventh).

-Both players did their part in trying to stage an unlikely comeback via a two-out rally in the final frame. With two outs, Nimmo doubled before Ronny Mauricio reached on an error, which scored a run. McNeil walked, pinch-hitter Brett Baty hit an infield single and Torrens made it 8-4 with another single.

-As the tying run at the plate, Francisco Lindor popped out to second base to finish an 0-for-5 night.

-Brandon Waddell mopped up the final 3.2 innings and allowed two earned runs on four hits and three walks.

Game MVP: Austin Hays

Hays finished 2-for-3 with two home runs, three RBI and two walks out of the cleanup spot.

Highlights

Sean Manaea strikes out the side in the first inning! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/1IVNA55dWl

— SNY (@SNYtv) July 18, 2025

Juan Soto puts the Mets ahead early with a solo home run! 🍎 pic.twitter.com/RFerHCFQyg

— SNY (@SNYtv) July 18, 2025

Jeff McNeil's RBI single brings home Brandon Nimmo! pic.twitter.com/HrOwZGi8WX

— SNY (@SNYtv) July 18, 2025

What's next

The Mets and Reds continue their three-game series on Saturday with first pitch scheduled for 4:10 p.m. on SNY. Before the game, David Wright will have his number retirement ceremony.

RHP Clay Holmes (8-4, 3.31 ERA) goes for New York. He will be opposed by RHP Nick Martinez (7-9, 4.78 ERA).

The Yankees opened the second half of the season with an opener and it didn't work out in their 7-3 loss to the Braves in Atlanta on Friday night.

Here are the takeaways...

-With Max Fried and Cam Schlittler dealing with injuries, the Yankees went with Ian Hamilton as an opener and it was tough sledding for the reliever and the rest of the bullpen.

The Braves picked up three straight hits (two doubles, one single) to go up 2-0. Hamilton would allow a sacrifice fly before the first inning ended. The Braves put up three runs on three hits and one walk to give themselves the early lead.

Atlanta would add on in the third inning with an Ozzie Albies three-run shot off of former Mets reliever Rico Garcia.

The Yankees used four relievers to get through the game. Here's how it broke down:

• Hamilton: 1.0 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
• Garcia: 2.2 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
• Scott Effross: 1.1 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
• JT Brubaker: 3.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K

-On the other side, Spencer Strider dominated the Yankees. After allowing a Trent Grisham single to lead off the game, Strider settled in, striking out four straight batters at one point. The Yankees would make Strider work in the third inning, working back-to-back one-out walks for Cody Bellinger. The Yankees outfielder hit a long fly ball to right field and Ronald Acuña Jr. gunned down Jorbit Vivas at third base for the double play. Vivas didn't slide into third base and was tagged out with Aaron Judge on the on-deck circle.

Despite walking three batters, Strider kept the Yankees off balance. He struck out eight batters and scattered three hits across six scoreless innings.

-The Yankees wouldn't actually score until the seventh inning against the Braves bullpen. Ben Rice hit a one-out double before Austin Wells singled. Giancarlo Stanton then ripped a pinch-hit double to drive in two before Bellinger singled to cut Atlanta's lead to 7-3. Judge struck out to end the inning and strand two runners.

The Yankees mustered eight hits but were 3-for-8 with RISP and left seven runners on base. Rice had the best offensive day for the Yankees, going 2-for-4 with two doubles. The worst game came from Jasson Dominguez, who went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts.

Judge went 1-for-4 but also struck out three times.

Game MVP: Spencer Strider

Strider's six scoreless innings held down the Yankees long enough for the Braves batters to build a big enough lead.

What's next

The Yankees and Braves continue their three-game set on Saturday evening. First pitch is set for 7:15 p.m.

Will Warren (6-5, 4.63 ERA) will take the mound while the Braves will send Joey Wentz (2-1, 6.32 ERA) to the bump.