“We have lost an iconic member of the White Sox family today,” said White Sox Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf. “None of us will ever forget that ninth inning of Game 4 in Houston, all that Bobby did for the 2005 World Series champions and for the entire Sox organization during his time in Chicago. He and his family knew cancer would be his toughest battle, and he will be missed as a husband, father, friend and teammate. He will forever hold a special place in all our hearts.”
“I’ve come to the realization that it could be six months, or it could be three years,” he said in an interview with The Athletic. “But I’m ready. And however long it takes, I’m going to be here fighting it.”
He made his MLB debut with the White Sox during the remarkable 2005 season, with six saves and a 2.75 ERA during the regular season. He was especially critical in the playoffs, racking up four more saves and closing out the final game of the World Series, which gave the team their first title in 88 years.
Jenks had 173 saves during six seasons with the White Sox.
The California native pitched the 2011 MLB season with the Boston Red Sox.
Jenks is survived by his wife Eleni Tzitzivacos, their two children, Zeno and Kate and his four children from a prior marriage, Cuma, Nolan, Rylan and Jackson, according to the White Sox.
Phillies pitcher Taijuan Walker started his first six appearances of the season due to a sore lower back injury to Ranger Suarez. When Suarez was healthy enough to return to the starting rotation about a month into the season, Walker was moved to the bullpen for a couple of games, and even earned a save. Then out of necessity, manager Rob Thomson had to re-insert the 32-year-old back to the starting five for a pair of starts at the end of May. After posting a 2.54 ERA in his first six starts, Walker allowed seven earned runs in a total of nine innings his next two starts.
Then up came Mick Abel for six starts and after an impressive beginning, the rookie had faltered of late, allowing nine earned runs his past two starts that totaled just 4.2 innings. Following his latest start on Wednesday against the San Diego Padres, Abel was sent down to Lehigh Valley, creating an opening in the starting rotation. Guess who? That’s right, Walker will take the mound for the start Tuesday in San Francisco.
“I think it can be very difficult,” said Thomson of Walker’s bouncing around. “I think it depends on the guy. I think it can be very difficult. In Walk’s case, I think he’s handled it very professionally. He’s been a great team guy throughout this whole thing. I think it can wear you down.”
The difficulties don’t just land on the player, Thomson admitted. Having to tell his veteran righty that his role is constantly changing isn’t all that much fun, either. “Yeah, I do (feel bad) to tell you the truth. Because you’re asking a guy to be a great teammate, which he is, but it can be uncomfortable for some people.”
In his eight starts this season, Walker has a 2-4 record. In 37.1 innings, he’s allowed 38 hits, 15 earned runs (3.62 ERA), three homers, 16 walks and has struck out 30.
After Walker’s start on Tuesday, Thomson will have a little time to think about that fifth spot as the All-Star break approaches after next Sunday’s game in San Diego. Thomson has been a bit secretive about the plans for Andrew Painter, but he certainly could be an option.
Aaron Nola is still a ways away and Abel will make starts at Lehigh Valley and if he corrects himself, that could be another possibility. In the meantime, it’s Walker’s turn. Again.
Any worries for Ranger Suárez?
In his last outing against the Atlanta Braves, starter Ranger Suárez was a little down on his velocity. While noted, it really doesn’t seem to concern his manager. How could it? Consider in his last 10 starts heading into Saturday, Suárez has pitched 68.1 innings, allowed 48 hits, struck out 30 and walked just five. His ERA during that time is a ridiculous 1.19. What more could a team want?
“That he pitches just like he’s been pitching, really,” said Thomson on his hopes for Suárez moving forward. “Hopefully there’s more velo, but if there’s not I’m fine with that – him just getting outs (is all I want).”
Joe Ross won’t be getting Walker treatment
Of the 151 games he’s pitched in the majors going into Saturday, hulking righthander Joe Ross had started 87 of them, including 10 last season in Milwaukee and one this year with the Phillies. But he is not going to do the roller-coaster ride between starting and bullpen work that Taijuan Walker has had to do this season for the Phillies.
“He’s a guy that one of things that we agreed upon when we signed him was that he was either going to start or relieve. We were not going to bounce him back and forth,” said Thomson. “I think if you did it once, like put him in the rotation and left him there he’d be fine with it, but we’re in a spot now with having Mick (Abel) come up, hopefully (Andrew) Painter comes, (Aaron) Nola comes back. I think we’re in a position, unfortunately, some guys have to bounce back and forth.”
But not Ross. He’ll stay in the pen.
“His velo really went up last year when he went to the pen (in Milwaukee). We saw a little bit of it. I think he was 97, 98 last year at times. We haven’t seen that but we’ve seen 95 and 96s. When he’s up there it’s pretty good. He’s had some good outings for us.”
All-Star talk
Obviously the Phillies could send three starting pitchers to the All-Star in Atlanta on July 15 in Zack Wheeler, Ranger Suarez and Christopher Sanchez. After that, Rob Thomson seems pretty confident in two of his players getting there in shortstop Trea Turner and designated hitter Kyle Schwarber.
“I think both those guys have, to tell you the truth (earned it),” he said. “I’m not sure if there’s anybody else but I think those guys have. Turner has hit for average, gets on base, now he’s hit a few home runs lately. And Schwarber, the two of them basically carried the club for a little bit. Some guys were scuffling and those guys were getting hot. Schwarber with all his home runs and his walks, getting on base. Both those guys have had a good year.
Hockey Mentality
Apparently there was a little verbal exchange among Phillies players and one or more people in the stands after Friday’s 9-6 loss to the Cincinnati Reds. It centered around second baseman Bryson Stott.
“I didn’t see it in the moment but I heard about it afterwards, Rob Thomson said. “From what I heard someone said something to Stott or about Stott and his teammates were protecting him.”
The Mets have long scouted and signed international talent from across the globe, but it took quite some time for them to find a player from one particular continent.
According to reports, the Mets signed their very first European prospect on Saturday, agreeing to an amateur contract with Italian teenager Matteo Marelli. Both sides made the deal official with a ceremony at a baseball field in Rovigo, a city in northern Italy.
Marelli, who turned 19 back in February, is a right-handed pitcher who competed at MLB's European Development Tournament (EDT) in the last two years. He was discovered by scout Rosario Chiovaro, who's the son of an Italian immigrant and worked for the Mets since 2020.
“I’m super proud to bring an Italian into the organization for the first time,” Chiovaro recently told Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. “I hope that Matteo goes back and tells his teammates and tells his coach how well we treated him, and I think that can help the Mets moving forward -- just that we’re going to have a global footprint and a global impact in more markets.”
While he received a scholarship to pitch at Arizona Western College -- they don't compete at the Division I, II, or III level -- Marelli's deal with the Mets will reportedly send him to the Dominican Summer League.
Listed at 6-foot-2 and 202 pounds, Marelli played for two teams across three seasons in the Italian Serie A league, logging a 5.15 ERA with 98 strikeouts across 108.1 innings (39 games). His velocity has also jumped from 88 mph to 94 mph over the last year, according to Chiovaro.
Matteo Marelli's signing became official today in Italy. He's the first European amateur signing in Mets history.
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Dodgers manager Dave Roberts visits with relief pitcher Noah Davis (56) and catcher Will Smith (16) on the mound after hitting Davis hit the Astros' Christian Walker (8) during the sixth inning at Dodger Stadium on Friday. The Dodgers lost 18-1. (Kevork Djansezian/Los Angeles Times)
Muncy is expected to be sidelined for six weeks with a bone bruise in his left knee but that won’t push them into the market for another third baseman between now and the July 31 trade deadline.
“I don’t think that changes much, knowing the certainty of Max coming back at some point,” manager Dave Roberts said.
The faith in Muncy is justified by his track record, the former All-Star missing three months last year but setting an all-time playoff record by reaching base in 12 consecutive plate appearances on the team’s World Series run.
This doesn’t mean the Dodgers shouldn’t be looking to strike a major deal over the next three-plus weeks.
They still have to address their greatest obstacle to become their sport’s repeat champions in 25 years. They still have to address their starting pitching.
Every sign points to the Dodgers taking a passive approach in dealing with the issue, as they continue to point to the anticipated returns of Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell.
Glasnow pitched 4 ⅓ innings for triple-A Oklahoma City on Thursday and Roberts said he expected the 6-foot-8 right-hander to rejoin the rotation on the Dodgers’ upcoming trip to Milwaukee and San Francisco.
Dodgers pitcher Tyler Glasnow throws in the outfield before a game against the New York Mets at Dodger Stadium on June 4. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
Snell pitched to hitters in live batting practice on Wednesday and is scheduled to do so again on Saturday. The left-hander could be on a minor-league rehabilitation assignment by next week.
Glasnow and Snell are former All-Stars, but how much can the Dodgers rely on them?
Unironically nicknamed “Glass,” Glasnow hasn’t pitched since April. The $136.5-million man has never pitched more than the 134 innings he pitched last year, and even then, he wasn’t unavailable for the playoffs.
Snell made just 20 starts last year with the San Francisco Giants but was signed by the Dodgers to a five-year, $182-million contract over the winter. He made only two starts for them before he was placed on the injured list with shoulder inflammation.
Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell throws the ball against the Atlanta Braves at Dodger Stadium on April 2. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
Ideally, the Dodgers’ postseason rotation would consist of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Snell, Glasnow and Shohei Ohtani. There’s no guarantee that will materialize, considering that Yamamoto and Ohtani have their own complicated medical histories.
Yamamoto pitched heroically in the playoffs last year but only after missing three months in the regular season. Ohtani returned from his second elbow reconstruction last month but has been used as an opener so far. Ohtani is expected to pitch two innings on Saturday against the Houston Astros, and the team doesn’t envision using him for more than four or five innings at a time in the playoffs.
Every pitcher is an injury risk, and the Dodgers know that. But just because they won the World Series last year with three starting pitchers — they resorted to bullpen games when Yamamoto, Jack Flaherty and Walker Buehler couldn’t pitch — doesn’t mean they can lean as heavily on their relievers and expect the same results. The approach has resulted in more postseason disappointments than championships, so much so that when Ohtani was being recruited by the Dodgers before last season, Mark Walter told him he considered his previous 12 years of ownership to be a failure.
Ohtani will celebrate his 31st birthday on Saturday. He might not be showing his age yet, but Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts have. Freeman will be 36 in September and Betts 33 in October. The window in which the Dodgers have three MVP-caliber players in the lineup is closing, which should inspire a sense of urgency.
The front office’s reluctance to shop in a seller’s market is understandable, considering the most attractive possibilities are by no means sure things. Chris Sale of the Atlanta Braves is on the 60-day injured list with a fractured rib. Sandy Alcantara of the Miami Marlins has been up and down in his return from Tommy John surgery. Then again, the Dodgers made a smart buy in Flaherty last year and the gamble resulted in a World Series.
At this point, it’s up to Glasnow and Snell to perform well enough to convince the Dodgers they don’t need any more pitching. Until Glasnow and Snell do that, the team should operate as if it has to do something.
Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw looks toward his family after his 3,00th career strikeout. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Bill Plaschke has decided that Clayton Kershaw is the greatest pitcher in Dodgers history. Given the distinct eras in which they both pitched, and the completely different roles starting pitchers have today, it is really impossible to definitively conclude who is the absolute greatest. I think the best we can say is that, without much doubt, Sandy Koufax had the greatest five-year stretch of any pitcher in baseball history, and at his peak, was the most dominant pitcher in the history of the game. Kershaw, on the other hand, has had the greatest career and consistency of performance by any Dodger pitcher ever. And perhaps, Bill, it is best if we just leave it at that.
Drew Pomerance Tarzana
With all due respect to Bill Plaschke, why does Clayton Kershaw have to be "greater" than Sandy Koufax, or Don Drysdale for that matter? Can't we just enjoy all their greatness as part of Dodgers history without anointing one greater than another? Don't forget, Drysdale pitched six consecutive shutouts and 58 scoreless innings. What's greater than that?
Rhys Thomas Valley Glen
In what should have been the easiest article to write in Mr. Plaschke’s illustrious career, Bill completely whiffs when comparing Kershaw to Koufax. Baseball’s dramatic evolution over the last 60 years makes it impossible to compare the greatness of both men. Sandy and Clayton represent the best in Dodgers baseball and there is no need to celebrate the greatest Dodgers pitcher of the 21st century at the expense of the greatest Dodgers pitcher of the 20th century.
Rob Demonteverde Brea
Special 'K ' night
In the game when Clayton Kershaw got his 3,000th strikeout, the Dodgers had a Hollywood ending when Freddie Freeman drove Shohei Ohtani in for a walk-off victory. It was fitting that strikeout number 3,000 came at the expense of Vinny Capra — Vinny as in Vin Scully, and Capra as in legendary filmmaker Frank Capra.
Ken Feldman Tarzana
Discriminating concern
The Dodgers are going to lose on their defense of their DEI programs for the simple paraphrasing in the reason set forth by Chief Justice Roberts that the way to end discrimination is not more discrimination … which is what the Dodgers engage in. They have touted it over and over again publicly.
The irony is that DEI is the absolute last thing the organization would think about in assembling and paying those on its 40-man roster.
Strangely, the Dodgers' supposedly brilliant owners and management fail to realize that absent DEI, just hiring the best applicants would produce plenty of diversity in their baseball organization.
Kip Dellinger Santa Monica
All credit to the Dodgers for their DEI programs. I hope that they don’t back down. I have not been a fan of billionaire hedge fund CEOs. However, if Stephen Miller’s stooges are going after Mark Walter, I can only have new respect for him. Good for you, Mr. Walter.
Noel Park Rancho Palos Verdes
The king's return
LeBron James maxed out his pay, taking $52 million for next season, leaving the Lakers with $6 million to spend on free agents and trades, which won’t get much in today’s NBA.
Michael Jordan, Tim Duncan and Tom Brady are examples of superstars who took pay cuts to help their teams build a championship roster.
Such is the difference between a team player and, well, whatever LeBron is. I guess he must be more worried about making his next mortgage payment than winning championships.
Jack Nelson Los Angeles
Breaking news: LeBron James has decided he will allow his employer, the Los Angeles Lakers, to pay him a reported $52.6 million next season.
In other news, the sun once again rose this morning and Earth continues to rotate properly on its axis.
Richard Turnage Burbank
Let me get this straight. Two weeks ago LeBron James decried the "ring culture" in the NBA. Fast-forward to James opting into his $52-million player option and his proxy, Rich Paul, releases a cryptic statement indicating James expects the Lakers to make the necessary improvements to make them a championship team. Thought rings didn't matter, LeBron?
A new broom does not have to sweep clean! Even with their flaws and mistakes, Rob Pelinka and rookie coach JJ Redick earned at least a stay of execution. They have accomplished “enough” to earn the eventual trust of the new boss in town.
With this massive shift in ownership, having some semblance of continuity is not a bad idea.
Rick Solomon Lake Balboa
Mixed emotions
For over 20 years, there has not been a single NHL player I detested more than Corey Perry, especially when he played for that other local team. I have called him (words unsuitable to print here) more than any player in any sport. Hopefully his stay is no more than one season … unless he helps the Kings win the Stanley Cup. In that case — love ya, Corey. Always have and always will.
Erik Schuman Fountain Valley
As a die-hard Kings fan, I have mixed feelings on their signing Corey Perry. But, I suppose, in the team’s desperation to make it out of the first round, they signed a player that guarantees that they will be next year’s Stanley Cup Final runner-up!
Nick Rose Newport Coast
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.
Dodgers catcher Will Smith and pitching coach Mark Prior watch from the dugout during the ninth inning of the team's lopsided loss to the Houston Astros at Dodger Stadium on Friday. (Kevork Djansezian/Los Angeles Times)
They are two longtime Dodger villains, hated for two vastly different reasons.
As the last remaining position player from the Houston Astros’ trash-can-banging, and (in the eyes of most Dodgers fans) World Series-stealing 2017 championship team, Jose Altuve always receives a rude welcome from the fans at Chavez Ravine.
As one of the most productive visiting players in Dodger Stadium history, Christian Walker often shuts them up.
In the Houston Astros' 18-1 Independence Day rout on Friday, both added another tortured chapter to the Dodgers’ history against the team. Altuve went three for three with a double, two home runs, two walks and five RBIs. Walker went four for five with one long ball and four RBIs.
The Houston Astros' Jose Altuve celebrates with Christian Walker after hitting a two-run homer against Dodgers in the third inning at Dodger Stadium on Friday. (Kevork Djansezian/Los Angeles Times)
On a day starting pitcher Ben Casparius once again struggled (giving up six runs in three innings), reliever Noah Davis gave up 10 runs in the sixth inning alone (the most the Dodgers had surrendered in one inning since 1999), and most of a sold-out crowd stuck around for every painful minute (waiting in somber silence for a postgame fireworks show), that was plenty to lift the surging Astros to most lopsided defeat the Dodgers have ever suffered at Dodger Stadium.
Six weeks ago, the retooled Astros were one game above .500 and 3 ½ games out of first place in the American League West; seemingly missing the other 2017 stars who have departed the franchise since their sign-stealing scandal came to light five years ago.
But now, they have won 27 of their last 37, own the second-best record in the AL, and are suddenly looking like unlikely title contenders; even after turning over almost the entirety of the roster from that infamous 2017 season.
“Certainly, there’s been some history with our organizations,” manager Dave Roberts said pregame when asked if any lingering feelings remained from the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal. “But if you look at it in reality, most of those guys are gone. So it certainly doesn’t have any bearing on this series this weekend.”
Instead, in a historically harrowing defeat on their home diamond, the Dodgers had bigger concerns to worry about Friday, with Altuve and Walker at the top of the list.
Altuve received his typical reception from the Dodgers faithful, serenaded with booming boos and loud chants of “cheater!” for each of his at-bats. However, he followed Isaac Paredes’ leadoff homer in the first with a double off the wall, then took Casparius deep for a two-run home run on a curveball in the third.
Those low-lights marked another frustrating night for Casparius, whom Roberts said will likely return to the bullpen moving forward after posting an 8.24 ERA in his last five outings as a starter and bulk-inning pitcher.
“Obviously, when you're a starter, there's more preparation that goes into the other side, as far as preparing for a starting pitcher versus a reliever, so I think there's some [of] that,” Roberts said of Casparius’ struggles as a starter, compared to the 2.93 ERA he had as primarily a reliever to start the year. “But at the end of the day, he's just got to execute better. There might have been 60 throws tonight, and probably only a handful executed where he wanted them to be. And that's tough to do.”
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani looks subdued while watching from the dugout as his team loses 18-1 to the Houston Astros at Dodger Stadium on Friday. (Kevork Djansezian/Los Angeles Times)
Even when Casparius exited, however, Altuve wasn’t done, adding an exclamation point with a three-run homer in the Astros’ 10-run sixth — the most runs the Dodgers (56-33) had allowed in one inning since Fernando Tatis’ historic two grand slam inning in April 1999 with the St. Louis Cardinals.
Walker, meanwhile, was every bit as dangerous.
A 34-year-old slugger who dominated the Dodgers (and, most confoundingly, Clayton Kershaw in particular) during an eight-year career with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Walker was already emerging from an early-season slump in his first year with the Astros (53-35) entering this weekend’s series.
Then, back in the friendly confines of Dodger Stadium, he orchestrated a monster performance of his own from the five-spot of the Houston order.
In his first at-bat, Walker plated Altuve with a single the other way. Then, two batters after Altuve’s big fly in the third, Casparius left a fastball down the middle that Walker whacked for his 28th career home run against the Dodgers — and 20th at Dodger Stadium.
Only nine other players have hit that many home runs as visitors at the ballpark during their careers, a list that includes Hall of Famers Hank Aaron, Mike Schmidt and Willie Stargell, as well as Barry Bonds.
“It’s just one of those funny baseball things,” Walker told the Astros TV broadcast afterward. “No real explanation. Maybe good lights, I see the ball well? I honestly have no idea. It’s fun playing here.”
Walker also made a contribution in the sixth-inning onslaught.
After Davis gave up one run on two singles and two walks, the recently called-up right-hander plunked Walker with the bases loaded to force in another score, losing his grip on an 0-and-2 sweeper that left him visibly rattled on the mound.
Sensing Davis’ frustration, Roberts came to the bump for a motivational pep talk; eliciting memories of the mid-game hug he delivered to journeyman reliever Yohan Ramirez last season in Cincinnati.
This time, however, the mound visit had little effect. In the next at-bat, Davis threw a hanging sweeper that Victor Caratini belted for a grand slam. What was already a laugher became a full-fledged Fourth of July disaster.
The Mets, in need of healthy starting pitchers, opted to keep Brandon Sproat down with Triple-A Syracuse and gave Justin Hagenman the start against the Yankees on Friday night. While Hagenman allowed four runs over 4.1 innings in a 6-5 win, Sproat made the most of his start in the minors.
The 24-year-old had one of his best outings of the season, throwing five scoreless innings with eight strikeouts against a Worcester team featuring former top prospect Kristian Campbell (who's back down in Triple-A after making Boston's Opening Day roster) and Vaughn Grissom (95 MLB games with Atlanta and Boston).
Sproat allowed just two hits over the five innings of work, one to Campbell in the third and another to Karson Simas in the fifth inning. The right-hander threw a total of 89 pitches (51 strikes) and walked one. His fastball peaked at 99.3 mph.
Sproat has now thrown 11 straight scoreless innings, following his six scoreless innings on June 28, and lowered his ERA to 5.05 in what's been an up-and-down year in Triple-A.
While he was considered an option to pitch in the Subway Series matchup, Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns said Thursday prior to the team's series finale against the Brewers that his "preference is to not bring up a top prospect for a spot start."Frankie Montas is scheduled to pitch Saturday, but Sunday's plans are still undetermined and looking like a potential bullpen game.
If Sproat keeps up this hot stretch, he could force Stearns' hand and get called up sooner than later.
Meanwhile, Syracuse went on to win the game 4-0 and scored all four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, including a three-run homer from Gilberto Celestino. Luisangel Acuña went 2-for-4 with a strikeout, boosting his average in the minors to .303 over 33 at-bats. Francisco Alvarez went 0-for-3 with three strikeouts, a walk, and a run scored. Drew Gilbert, who's hit three homers this week, went 0-for-2 with a walk and a stolen base. Brooks Raley ended up earning the win, tossing a scoreless inning with a walk and a strikeout. He's yet to allow a run over 6.1 IP with 11 strikeouts during his rehab.
Brooks Raley gets the strikeout to get out of the jam in his rehab outing for Triple-A Syracuse! pic.twitter.com/SuBt9KMWaS
Out in Binghamton, top prospect Jonah Tong struck out 10 Hartford batters, but got the loss in a 4-1 defeat after allowing two runs over 5.2 innings.
Overall, he threw 92 pitches (56 strikes) and allowed four hits and two walks. His season ERA took a small jump up to 1.83 from 1.73 with the outing.
Tong is now 6-4 over 15 starts and 78.2 IP for Double-A Binghamton with an impressive 125 strikeouts and 0.93 WHIP. He was named the Eastern League Pitcher of the Month for June, after taking home the honor in May, and will play in the MLB All-Star Futures game on July 12. He'll be joined in Atlanta by Binghamton teammate Carson Benge, who was recently promoted to Double-A after owning an .897 OPS in 60 games for High-A Brooklyn.
Benge went 0-for-4 on Friday night as the Rumble Ponies bats were pretty quiet in the loss, totaling just five hits, including two from Jett Williams and one from Ryan Clifford.
Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy is hit in the knee as he tags out Chicago White Sox outfielder Michael A. Taylor trying to steal third on Wednesday. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
When Max Muncy first went down on Wednesday night, clutching his left knee and writhing in pain after a collision with Chicago White Sox baserunner Michael A. Taylor on a steal attempt at third base, Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes couldn’t help but let his mind go to a dark place.
“Obviously, [there were] a lot of emotions,” Gomes said. “From a coping mechanism in my head, it was like, ‘OK, he’s done for the year. We’re gonna have to figure out what the next path is. We have to be prepared for whatever is coming.’”
What came the next day, however, was unexpectedly good news.
Despite having his knee bent awkwardly, gruesomely inward, Muncy escaped with only a bone bruise. There were no ligament tears. No structural damage. No season-ending catastrophe.
Dodger Max Muncy grimaces as he holds his left knee after colliding with White Sox outfielder Michael A. Taylor on Wednesday at Dodger Stadium. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
“We’ve had a lot more [injury situations] where we’ve gone in optimistic and then come out the other side not as optimistic,” Gomes said. “So it was nice to have that turned on its head and know that, ‘Hey, he’s gonna be out there.’”
On Thursday, Muncy said he is expected to miss roughly six weeks. But even that timeline would give him a month-plus before the playoffs to try and rediscover the swing that made him one of the hottest hitters in baseball the past two months.
And because Muncy’s injury was to the lower half of his body, manager Dave Roberts noted, the hope is that “it’s not something that should affect the swing” when he does return.
“With the time we have, there’s nothing pressing as far as needing to rush him back,” Roberts said. “I think we’re in a good spot.”
That’s why, as of Friday, Gomes had shelved those contingency plans that were running through his mind 48 hours earlier. His front office wasn’t urgently scouring the trade market looking for an instant replacement.
Instead, Gomes and Roberts insisted the Dodgers’ trade deadline plans are unlikely to be altered in the wake of Muncy’s injury — with the team content to rely on internal options now, while awaiting Muncy’s return later this year.
“Knowing the certainty of Max coming back at some point,” Roberts said, “I don’t think that will really impact our thinking going into the deadline.”
“Even if [his recovery] is way slow,” Gomes added, “you have a full month of baseball before we hit the playoffs. So we’re giving him that time to get back into a good place and try to set a good foundation, like we try to do with all of our guys, to be prepared for that stretch run.”
Fans cheer after Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy hit a three-run homer against the Washington Nationals at Dodger Stadium on June 22. (Luke Johnson/Los Angeles Times)
Trade speculation surrounding the Dodgers’ third base position is nothing new.
Lately, however, Muncy had quieted such noise with one of the best stretches of his career. Before getting hurt, he was batting .308 over his past 46 games with 12 home runs, 48 RBIs and more walks (32) than strikeouts (26).
“When he’s not in the lineup,” Roberts said, “our offense tapers off.”
Whether Muncy can return to such levels of production, of course, won’t become clear until well after the deadline passes. But finding impact bats on this year’s trade market might not be an easy task, especially at third base.
Nolan Arenado has long been linked to the Dodgers in trade rumors. But he has career-lows in batting average (.247) and OPS (.701) this year, and is still due some $40 million over the next two-and-a-half seasons on his contract.
The Cardinals' Nolan Arenado watches his double in the sixth inning of a game against the Cleveland Guardians in Cleveland on June 27. (Sue Ogrocki / Associated Press)
Lower-profile names such as Eugenio Suárez, Ryan McMahon and Ramón Urías (who could be a better roster fit for the Dodgers as a utility weapon) could also be moved. But the Dodgers won’t be desperate to overpay for an impact bat knowing Muncy should be back well before the start of the playoffs.
“Obviously, he’s been so dialed in, one of the best hitters in the game over the last six weeks, so there’s always some [question of], ‘How are we going to get back to that spot?’” Gomes acknowledged of Muncy.
“But I don’t think that is something that Max has never done before,” he added, referencing Muncy’s ability to contribute to last year’s World Series run despite missing three months in the regular season with an oblique injury. “So there’s a comfort level. We have some time. We’ll make sure that he’s eased back in. We have enough technology that he can take at-bats and see pitches before he ever has to go out on rehab and is back in a major-league game. We should be getting some approximation of what his swing was, and then use that time to get into a rhythm.”
In the meantime, the Dodgers plan to incorporate Tommy Edman at third base, where he has 94 career big-league appearances (mostly in 2019 and 2020 with the St. Louis Cardinals, before Arenado’s arrival there).
“It’s a position I’m comfortable with,” Edman said Friday, after taking grounders at third at the start of his pregame work. “The hops [there] are weird, so you gotta play a little bit more one-handed … But it’s still the infield. You still gotta work on the footwork, just like you would at second and short. Catching the ball, getting behind your throws. It’s a lot of the same concepts.”
Kiké Hernández and Miguel Rojas will also see time at third, typically against left-handed pitching, while triple-A prospect Alex Freeland could offer depth from the minors if needed.
Hyeseong Kim, meanwhile, should also get a bump in playing time at second base on days Edman is at third.
“It’s gonna be a good opportunity for him,” Roberts said of Kim. “It’ll be good to know more and get him some more experience.”
When the deadline rolls around at the end of the month, the Dodgers will have more information to work with — not only on the state of Muncy’s rehab, but also about how their lineup fares without him.
With a top-five farm system in the sport, according to MLB Pipeline and Baseball America, they will have the ammunition to make a splash if needed.
But for now, their expectation is that Muncy’s injury won’t force them into a drastic midseason roster makeover. They are hopeful that what initially appeared to be a season-altering moment will be nothing more than a temporary speed bump in their pursuit of a second consecutive title.
“We’re playing good baseball as a team. We’re in a good position division-wise right now,” Gomes said. “So if we keep doing that, we can weather [Muncy’s absence].”
SEATTLE — On the spot, Cal Raleigh compiled a laundry list of players he would consider for a Mount Rushmore of Seattle Mariners following their 6-0 victory over Pittsburgh on Friday.
Ichiro was one of the first names off the board, followed by the likes of stud starting pitchers Felix Hernandez and Randy Johnson. When identifying who is the face of the Mariners, though, Raleigh immediately landed on Ken Griffey Jr., who he tied for the franchise record for home runs before the All-Star break with 35 with a pair of blasts.
“To be mentioned with that name, somebody that’s just iconic, a legend, first ballot Hall of Famer, I’m just blessed,” Raleigh said. “Trying to do the right thing and trying to keep it rolling. If I can try to be like that guy, it’s a good guy to look up to.”
From Raleigh’s perspective, Griffey would have “smashed” the major league home run record rather than come up 132 short of Barry Bonds if not for injuries. Thankfully for Raleigh’s sake, that admiration hasn’t been reserved for the public eye.
Whenever Griffey finds himself back in Seattle, which was the case when FIFA Club World Cup games were taking place at Lumen Field, Raleigh has enjoyed his chats with “The Kid.”
“It’s always fun to have him around the clubhouse to just talk to him a little bit and figure out how he went about his business,” Raleigh said. “So, I’ve talked to him on the phone once or twice as well. So, he’s a good one. He’s one of the best of all-time. It’s hard to beat talking to somebody like that.”
It’s also hard to find many comparable runs to what Raleigh - who will participate in the Home Run Derby - is in the midst of, and what Griffey accomplished ahead of the 1998 All-Star break. Manager Dan Wilson, who was a teammate of Griffey’s in 1998, is among the few folks who can truly put Raleigh’s fast start to 2025 in perspective.
“It’s remarkable. It feels like he hits a home run every game, that’s what it feels like,” Wilson said. “And I can remember feeling it as a player, that (Griffey) just felt like he hit a home run every day. Again, that’s the consistency that (Raleigh) has shown. It hasn’t been a streak where he has hit a bunch of home runs in a short amount of time. It’s been kind of 10 per month.”
To Wilson’s point, Raleigh has been remarkably consistent. He walloped nine home runs in April, 12 in May and 11 more in June. Griffey’s figures were a tad more mercurial, but just barely (10 in April, eight in May, 14 in June).
All told, the 28-year-old Raleigh has more than lived up to the early stages of his six-year, $105 million contract extension, which he signed just ahead of the 2025 season. Not only has Raleigh set a career high for home runs, but he’s on track to post new marks for batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage.
Raleigh chalked those developments up to his maturing a little over halfway into his fourth full major league season.
“I have the ability to drive the ball out of the ballpark,” Raleigh said. “I mean, it’s part of my game and I’m a strong guy. It’s learning how to hone it in and take your hits when maybe you’re not getting those pitches in the heart of the plate.”
Such an approach is all well and good, but the results have been starkly different. Raleigh has racked up just 36 singles, or one more than his home run total. Suffice to say, Raleigh’s offensive output has justified every dollar the Mariners have sent his way so far, and then some.
“Want to make sure I’m doing everything I can every single day to earn that paycheck and earn what they gave me,” Raleigh said. “But it’s a lot more than just that. It’s being a leader, doing things in the clubhouse and making sure you’re ready to go every single day.”
Despite struggling earlier in the week against the Blue Jays, the Yankees still turned to Luke Weaver on Friday night against the Mets while leading 5-4 in the bottom of the seventh inning with two outs.
But it quickly became yet another déjà vu situation.
Weaver walked Pete Alonso and then let up a go-ahead, two-run home run to Jeff McNeil as the Mets held on for the 6-5 win, handing the Yanks their fifth straight loss. After allowing home runs in now three straight games, Weaver was brutally honest about his recent performances.
"I said I've been feeling good, that just may be a lie now, I don't know," Weaver said. "It's hard to make sense of what's going on. Obviously, we can kind of nitpick it and feels as if, 'You can do this better and that better.' That may be true. But I also know that pitching in the game of baseball come in all different waves and middle-middle works sometimes by accident. All the many things inbetween.
"I think at this point I've got two options: I can sulk and feel bad for myself or I can foundationally grind and find a way to just be flat-out better. Flat-out better for myself, for my teammates, and for this team in general, the fans. I don't want to be too hard on myself, but at the end of the day, what else is there? I have to be able to process it. And competitively it's just devastating."
The right-hander had recently returned from the IL on June 20 after being out since May 31 with a hamstring strain. He let up go-ahead runs to the Orioles in his first game back, but then settled back to his regular self, allowing just one hit over his next three outings. New York then headed to Toronto and things fell off the rails.
Weaver entered Tuesday's game in the bottom of the seventh inning with two on base and one out in a 5-5 game, but allowed a grand slam to George Springer to blow the game open (becoming a 12-5 loss). The right-hander threw again Thursday in the eighth inning with the Yanks down 6-5 and lost to Springer again, letting up a two-run homer to result in an 8-5 loss.
After Friday's loss to the Mets, manager Aaron Boone was asked what's gone wrong for Weaver during this recent stretch of poor outings.
"Just that last bit of execution which is the fine line between being dominant and giving up some damage," Boone said. "I feel like physically he's in a really good place, the stuff is there. It's just that fine line, that's a big difference maker.
"Fully trust in him to get through that and he's got the make-up to handle this, he's been through a lot in his career as far as dealing with successes and failures. Because the stuff is where it needs to be I think, I think he'll get through that."
The Yankees can't afford for Weaver to be an unreliable piece of the bullpen, especially after Fernando Cruz landed on the IL on June 30. But Boone isn't worried about that becoming the case and expressed his confidence in Weaver being able to turn it around.
"You got to get out there and do it," Boone said. "One thing I know about Luke is he's not afraid, he likes the action. And again, it's sometimes just that fine line. We're talking about three pitches that have hurt him big time here this week. But you also have to take a step back and say that, it's three pitches that have hurt him.
"Obviously, in leverage that's a big deal. But it's not something where you're like, 'Man, the stuff's down, how do we get that going again?' That looks like it's all there, physically he seems to be in a really good place so that's why I trust he'll get through this."
Boone reiterated that he hasn't notice anything off mechanically with Weaver, and said he just needs to get pitches to the right spot and "execute."
The Yanks will look to flip the switch and snap their five game losing streak on Saturday at Citi Field at 4:10 p.m.
It's been well-documented by now, but Juan Soto's move from The Bronx to Queens this offseason was a seismic shift in the baseball landscape and ruffled some feathers in the process.
So when Soto made his return to Yankee Stadium in May when the Yankees hosted the Mets in this season's first installment of the Subway Series, he was predictably booed every chance Yankee fans got.
It might've worked, too, as Soto went 1-for-10 over the three games, often looking timid or uncertain in a series the Mets lost two out of three. It was the beginning of a slump that saw the right fielder's batting average fall as low as .224 due to a disappointing month of May.
Fast forward a month and a half later, on the Fourth of July, no less, for the Subway Series rematch and Soto couldn't have asked for a better go-around.
Down 2-0 in the bottom of the first inning after back-to-back home runs by Jasson Dominguez and Aaron Judge led off the game, Soto stepped up to the plate -- to a standing ovation -- with a runner on third base and a chance to do damage. Four pitches later, the 26-year-old deposited a two-run shot into the left-field stands to tie the game and send Citi Field into a frenzy.
"Right away, [Brandon Nimmo] gets us going and then Juan responds right away, just kind of getting the momentum right back," said manager Carlos Mendoza. "That was kind of the setting-the-tone moment, like, okay, they punched, we’re gonna punch back. Here we are."
The game turned into a back-and-forth slugfest with the Yankees blasting four home runs and the Mets hitting three -- fitting for a July 4th match with no postgame fireworks. Soto did his part, finishing 3-for-4 with a home run, double, two RBI and two runs scored, already vastly different than when these two teams met the first time, to help secure a 6-5 win.
"Any time you come through for the team it’s always great," Soto said.
After a red-hot month of June which earned him National League Player of the Month honors, Soto has kept it going so far in July, hitting .429 (6-for-14) in four games this month. He's now slashing .266/.399/.516 with a team-leading 21 home runs and 50 RBI.
"I just feel good right now," Soto said. "I’m seeing the ball really well. I feel like I’m trying to take my chances and when I swing the bat I’m trying to do damage every time and try to help the team to win some games."
Whatever was plaguing him for the first two months of the season seems to be totally gone at this point. And now the Yankees, like every other team in the majors, will have to deal with what happens next.
As for Soto and what it felt like playing for the Mets in a Subway Series at Citi Field for the first time in his career, the energy was definitely there.
"It’s just great. Great vibes," he said. "I feel like the fans showed up today and showed the love that they’ve been doing since Day 1, so really happy and exciting to play for those fans."
In the clubhouse after a gut-check win that featured a depleted pitching staff, the Mets weren’t trying to play it cool. They were jazzed, if you will, about beating the Yankees 6-5 with a late comeback in front of a raucous Citi Field crowd, convinced it said a lot about who they are as they pull themselves out of their June swoon.
And no one said it better than Reed Garrett, who came to the rescue with a six-out save on a day when Edwin Diaz and Ryne Stanek were unavailable, and reacted to the last out as if it were October.
“This is a huge series,” Garrett said. “To get those outs was big for me but it was also a great team win. I think it shows that if you back us into a corner, we’re going to fight our way out of it.”
Garrett wasn’t just speaking of Friday’s win, of course, but also the 3-14 stretch that had them reeling going into July. Suddenly they’ve won three straight games, however, and while they’re still very short on starting pitching, with no obvious starter for Sunday’s game, they’re feeling a lot better about themselves.
Beating the Yankees, even at a time when the team across town is in the midst of a five-game losing streak with worrisome bullpen problems, always seems to have that effect on the Mets.
“This was a huge game,” was the way Jeff McNeil put it, after delivering the go-ahead two-run home run in the seventh inning off Luke Weaver. “It’s always a battle with them. It’s emotional. It’s a playoff atmosphere.”
The Subway Series games do always have that feel, with the crowd providing added energy and intensity, but this one seemed to have a little extra edge, maybe because of the Juan Soto factor.
He was playing in his first Subway Series games as a Met at Citi Field, and not only put on a show with three hits but changed the complexion of the game in his very first at-bat.
By then the Yankees had already stunned the Mets with home runs from the first two batters of the game, Jasson Dominguez and Aaron Judge, and with journeyman right-hander Justin Hagenman on the mound, there was plenty of reason to believe the game could turn into a rout.
But then up came Soto in the first inning, with Brandon Nimmo on third. The crowd, which sounded like 70-75 percent Mets fans, seemed to rise as one to give Soto a huge ovation, as if to remind Yankee fans that he’s their guy now and they love him.
When Soto promptly delivered on that ovation with a home run to left-center off Marcus Stroman, the crowd went bananas.
“Juan responded right away with a setting-the-tone moment,’’ manager Carlos Mendoza said. “It was like, they punch us, we’re going to punch back.”
From there it was on. Cody Bellinger went deep to make it 3-2. Soto doubled and Alonso singled to tie it again at 3-3. Dominguez hit another long ball to make it 5-3 Yankees, then Brett Baty hit a bomb, and Citi Field was electric.
Mendoza was asked if he could appreciate the entertainment level even while living and dying with each pitch in the dugout.
“One hundred percent,” he said. “You appreciate the show. “You’re aware something special is happening, with the back and forth, the big crowd. It’s what you expect out of games like this.”
Of course, for a long time that looked like it might be small consolation, with the Mets trailing and short on arms. Mendoza went to Austin Warren to relieve Hagenman in the fifth and he promptly gave up the two-run shot to Dominguez.
In the seventh he turned to Huascar Brazoban, a disaster lately mostly because he couldn’t throw strikes. Yet on this day Brazoban found the form -- and the strike zone -- that made him such a weapon early in the season, and struck out both Judge and Bellinger to put up a scoreless seventh.
Still down 5-4, the Mets rallied, as Alonso worked a two-out walk off Weaver, and McNeil yanked a 3-2 change-up at the knees into the second deck in right field, saying afterward he had a feeling he might get the off-speed pitch in that spot.
“It’s his best pitch,” McNeil said.
Without Stanek or Diaz available, Mendoza then gave the ball to Garrett, who has been struggling as well lately. But like Brazoban, he found his form and worked a 14-pitch scoreless eighth, leading Mendoza to pull Garrett aside and say, “give me everything you’ve got” as he sent him back out for the ninth.
“The initial plan wasn’t for Garrett to go two innings,” Mendoza said in the interview room.
“What was the initial plan?” a reporter asked.
Mendoza smiled sheepishly, ducked his head, and said, “I’m just glad it worked out the way it did.”
He didn’t want to diss anyone but his best option at that point, and the only reliever warming up, was left-hander Richard Lovelady, a recent waiver-wire pick-up who would have been a bad matchup against the Yankees.
Instead, Garrett delivered another clean inning. It was a tense ninth, all the more so because Judge loomed as the fourth batter up. That made McNeil’s one-out diving play on DJ Lemahieu’s one-hopper in the hole feel almost like something of a game-saver.
“If that ball gets through it’s a completely different inning,” Mendoza said.
“I knew Judge would get up if anybody got on,” said McNeil. “So I knew it was a big play.”
Sure enough, Garrett then got Dominguez on a routine ground ball to McNeil and the game ended with Judge in the on-deck circle.
Gut-check win, indeed. It might be too early to say the Mets have officially turned the corner after their three-week nightmare, but on Friday it clearly felt that way to them.
The Mets didn't have a lot of options on the mound in Friday's Subway Series opener against the Yankees, but they were able to patch things up towards the end with Reed Garrett the big hero as the struggling reliever got the last six outs and closed out the 6-5 win.
With his outing, Garrett was able to overcome some demons that have plagued him lately after an unbelievable two months to begin the season.
In 7.1 innings across the month of June, Garrett owned a 7.36 ERA and 2.05 WHIP before things really came crashing down on him in his previous outing against the Milwaukee Brewers on July 2 where he allowed four earned runs on three hits and a walk in 0.2 innings of what began as a close game.
Two days later, Garrett was right back out there in a one-run game late against the Yanks at Citi Field. But after pitching a clean eighth inning in what would've been a job well-done, manager Carlos Mendoza -- without Edwin Diaz or Ryne Stanek and a bullpen that has generally been taxed recently -- asked Garrett in between innings if the right-hander was up for one more.
"I was just making sure that he was physically feeling fine," Mendoza said of his conversation with Garrett in the dugout. "We’ve asked a lot out of him as of late."
When Garrett gave his skipper the go-ahead, Mendoza, who admitted that having Garrett pitch two innings wasn't his initial plan, told his pitcher, "give me everything you got here."
Garrett responded with a 1-2-3 inning, thanks to a nifty play by Jeff McNeil who hit the go-ahead, two-run homer in the seventh, to strand Aaron Judge on deck and earn his third save of the season while giving the Mets the first win of the weekend series.
"It’s been a grind. The month of June was a grind," Garrett said. "…This is a huge series. This is what everybody in New York looks forward to so to get the last six (outs) was big for me and a little subtle reminder to keep going, keep fighting."
New York (NL) has now won three straight and improved to 32-13 at home. Meanwhile, New York (AL) dropped its fifth consecutive game as it manages problems of its own.
"I think we’ve shown a lot over the last month of just, like, who we are as a team," Garrett said. "I think if you back us into a corner, we’re going to fight our way out of it."
