Category: Sports News

Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s season can be divided into three distinct parts so far.

The thrilling opening act, when the second-year Japanese star started the season with a 4-2 record and 0.90 earned-run average in his first seven starts.

A shaky middle stanza, when the 26-year-old right-hander stumbled with a 2-4 mark and 4.43 ERA over his next eight outings from May 8 to June 19.

And lately, what he and the Dodgers hope will be a midseason revival, with Yamamoto rounding back into Cy Young-caliber form again with a 3-1 record and 1.71 ERA over his last six trips to the mound bump.

Read more:As Dodgers look to upgrade outfield, Harrison Bader could be a trade deadline fit

In a 5-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Monday, Yamamoto delivered another master class for the Dodgers at Great American Ball Park, giving up just one run on four hits while striking out nine over seven superb innings.

"He was fantastic,” manager Dave Roberts said. “It seemed like he had all of his pitches working tonight.”

Indeed, it was Yamamoto once again at his best. Filling up the strike zone. Working ahead in counts. And getting almost nothing but empty swings and soft contact after allowing his lone run in the first.

Yamamoto got 17 whiffs, gave up just two balls hit harder than 95 mph (MLB’s threshold for “hard hit” contact) and largely cruised against a Reds team battling for a National League wild-card spot.

“My stuff today was really good,” Yamamoto said through interpreter Yoshihiro Sonoda.

“Yoshi has so many pitches,” added catcher Dalton Rushing, “he can basically manipulate anything.”

Yamamoto's only trouble came early, when the Reds (56-51) loaded the bases on two singles and a walk in the first before scoring on a ground ball from former Dodgers infielder Gavin Lux.

After that, Rushing said he and Yamamoto made “a couple pivots” in their game plan, mixing in more sinkers and curveballs to go along with his primary fastball-splitter combination.

“We had to change lanes a little bit and kind of mix it up,” Rushing said. “Once we found our groove, it was just easier."

From the second inning on, only one other baserunner even reached scoring position in what was Yamamoto’s fifth start this season of at least seven innings and no more than one run. At one point, he retired 10 hitters in a row, keeping the Reds quiet while the Dodgers broke open an early 1-1 tie with two runs in the fifth and two more in the seventh.

“He seemed like he got better as the game went on, which is a good sign,” Roberts said. “Overall, just outstanding."

Monday was the start of what the Dodgers (62-45) envision as a week-long stretch of strong starting pitching.

On Tuesday, Tyler Glasnow will take the mound. On Wednesday, it will be Shohei Ohtani, who was pushed back a few days in order to pitch ahead of an off day. And after Clayton Kershaw goes on Friday in a series opener in Tampa Bay, marquee offseason signing Blake Snell will make his long-awaited return from a shoulder injury later in the weekend.

That’s the kind of star power the Dodgers hope to have for the rest of the season, crossing their fingers that the star-studded group will stay healthy and intact through the campaign’s final two months.

“We feel really good,” Roberts said of the rotation. “Kind of trying to stabilize some things in the 'pen. But I think with the starters … [it’s] encouraging.”

Still, while Snell and Glasnow have missed significant time with injury, and Ohtani has been ever-methodically built up, it is Yamamoto who has helped carry the starting staff this season, improving to 9-7 on the year with a 2.48 ERA (third-best in the National League).

Read more:With Dodgers battling more injuries, prospect Alex Freeland could make MLB debut

“It's good to see him get back, [compared to] when he was kind of middling for a bit there, to being the dominant pitcher that we know he can be,” Roberts said.

On Monday, Yamamoto got plenty of help from his offense.

Mookie Betts led the game off with a double on his hardest-hit ball (103.8 mph) in almost a month, before scoring on Teoscar Hernández’s RBI single. In the fifth, Ohtani put the Dodgers in front with a two-run double to center. In the seventh, Hernández and Freddie Freeman each singled home insurance runs.

The scoring was nice for a Dodgers offense coming off two frustrating losses full of missed chances over this past weekend in Boston.

But in the big picture, it’s Yamamoto and the pitching staff that might be most important in the team’s title defense — with Monday serving as another reminder of the firepower he, and they, possess.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza gave a handful of updates on the team prior to their series opening game against the Padres in San Diego.

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Next steps for Paul Blackburn

Mets veteran pitcher Paul Blackburntossed six-plus innings for Triple-A Syracuse on Sunday and Mendoza discussed the plan for him as he nears his return from a shoulder injury.

"He was traveling today. It was an off day from throwing after the outing yesterday," Mendoza said. "He's going to check back with our trainers back in Citi Field and then tomorrow we'll talk to him. We'll see where he's at, how he's feeling, and then we got to make a decision. But we got to hear from him too."

"Really good," Mendoza added. "Ball was coming out nice, 91, 93. Just commanding the baseball, and that's what makes him who he is. This is a guy, in and out, up and down, changes speed, and that's what he did yesterday. He continues to trend in the right direction, hopefully that's the case tomorrow, and then we'll see what the next step will be."

Blackburn allowed one run on Sunday and has allowed just three runs in total over three rehab outings. He started four games and made two relief appearances with New York before landing on the IL, pitching to a 7.71 ERA and 1.98 WHIP with 15 strikeouts over 18.2 innings.

Latest on Tylor Megill

As for fellow injured pitcher Tylor Megill, who was transferred to the 60-day IL on July 8, continues to progress from his right elbow strain. Mendoza noted the right-hander threw a bullpen on Sunday and will get another session prior to going up against hitters.

"Yeah, he threw one yesterday. Came out fine. Think he's got another one before he starts facing batters."

Mendoza said last week after a positive bullpen session that Megill is "moving in the right direction."

The 30-year-old has gone 5-5 across 14 starts, owning a 3.95 ERA and 1.36 WHIP with 89 strikeouts over 68.1 IP this season.

Contributions from younger players

The bottom half of the Mets lineup has consisted mostly of their younger players, all former top prospects, who have struggled at times but more recently have been showing very promising signs.

Brett Baty is hitting .273 with six walks over his last 15 games, Mark Vientos has picked it up with 13 hits over the same time frame, Francisco Alvarez is mashing .353 with four extra-base hits since returning from the minors on July 21, and Ronny Mauricio notched his first career four-hit night in Sunday's win over the San Francisco Giants. Plus, Luisangel Acuña continues to show his speed on the base bath off the bench.

When asked about the group's contributions as of late, the manager said he's proud of how they've adapted this season.

"It means a lot," Mendoza said. "It makes our lineup a lot deeper when you're getting contributions up and down. We've been giving these guys opportunities. From day one we said it in spring training, that they were going to get opportunities. It's been a grind, ups and downs. But that's part of a big league life and the development and the understanding that you're going to go through stretches where it's not easy and you gotta find a way. And they've done that.

"I feel like whether they're in the lineup or not, adding versatility, different roles like Acuña's case where he's not in the lineup but making an impact defensively, baserunning. Vientos, Baty providing some versatility at second base. And the way that they're swinging the bat. Alvy, since he's been back, like the at-bats have been unbelievable, and defensively as well. We knew we had good players and they're stepping up right now."

Mendoza added that he's happy with how Vientos "continues to work, continues to grind" amid his tough sophomore season and the team is still counting on him.

"I will say not happy, but also understanding that he's got an opportunity, when he's in the lineup he can help us win baseball games," Mendoza said. "He continues to work, continues to grind, continues to make adjustments. He's a really good player and we're going to need him."

Vientos is hitting just .226 with six homers over 73 games this year after blasting 27 HRs in 2024.

With the trade deadline coming up later this week on July 31, SNY MLB Insider Andy Martino reported earlier Monday that the Mets have been discussing Vientos in trade talks and rival executives believe New York is willing to move the 3B/DH. The team has also been asked about Baty and Mauricio, but "are not actively trying to rid themselves of any of those young infielders," Martino noted. New York is expected to look for relief pitching and potentially starting pitching.

Phillies can't shake travel woes as they drop one to the White Sox originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

CHICAGO – Lots of yawns and slow-moving bodies surrounding the Phillies Monday before their game with the Chicago White Sox as a ground stoppage in New York on Sunday didn’t allow the team to leave for Chicago until around midnight. If they were looking for some adrenaline during their game at Rate Field, there was none to be had in front of a sparse crowd. And though the Phillies took a two-run lead early in the game, there was enough juice all around to hold it as they lost 6-2 to the White Sox.

Starting pitcher Cristopher Sánchez was flat for the first few innings, and he uncharacteristically gave up a pair of two-run homers, one to Colson Montgomery, a lefty, in the third and another to Luis Robert, Jr. in the fourth.

“Four runs, two pitches,” said Sánchez, who fell to 9-3 on the season after giving up those four runs in 6.2 innings. “We have to keep grinding and battling. That’s how I was able to go out a couple more innings. I don’t like to make excuses, but yeah, we did have a long day yesterday, a really long day. I felt a little sluggish. Also the weather was really humid today. But that was just a part of it. I did feel a little uncomfortable out there.”

The whole night felt a bit odd, partly due to the dull atmosphere at the ballpark, partly due to seeing Sánchez struggle early. Giving up a home run to a left hander is something he rarely does.

“He just hung a breaking ball and the home run to Robert was a changeup and it didn’t have the normal action on it that it normally does,” said Rob Thomson. “After the second or third, Sanchy said he just felt a little fatigued. Didn’t know if it was travel, coming off a complete game, humidity, but the fifth, sixth and seventh he turned it on and had the finish back in his pitches. 

Even his fastball and slider didn’t seem like they had the finish that it normally does. But then he got it in the fifth.”

But the damage had been done by the White Sox and they improved to 39-68 on the season while the Phillies dropped to 60-46.

The fear of it being a long game after the previous day’s struggles with travel seemed a reality in the first inning as Chicago starting pitcher Davis Martin struck out Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper. Harper got a little revenge in the third when he drove in two runs with a single to left to give the Phillies a 2-0 lead. It was short-lived as Chicago started having fun with the long ball off Sánchez.

“We hit some balls hard,” said Thomson. “I thought Schwarb had some good at-bats, Harper. All the lefties for the most part. Kemp hits the ball to the wall. I thought we swung ok.”

Just not good enough on this hot and humid night. Though no one wants to deal out the excuses, Sunday’s delay in New York certainly couldn’t have helped. 

Mum’s the word

With Thursday’s tread deadline quickly approaching, Rob Thomson was pressed on what may be going on there. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski has been with the team through the road trip so far.

“There’s been conversations, but I don’t think we’re necessarily close on anything,” Thomson said.  “We had good conversations. I mean really good conversations.” Asked if there are things discussed that would be upgrading the team, Thomson said: “I would think so. I trust other people on that type of stuff. They’re the evaluators. I think we’re all on the same page.”

The biggest name the Phillies have been linked to in various reports is Eugenio Suarez, the power-hitting infielder for the Arizona Diamondbacks who has 36 home runs and 87 RBI this season. Suarez has played all but one game this season at third base. Friday against Pittsburgh, he played first. He left Monday’s game against the Detroit Tigers after getting hit by a pitch on his right hand.

Robertson sees action

Newly acquired veteran left hander David Robertson saw action in Lehigh Valley on Saturday night, pitching one inning and having the strange line of giving up three hits and no runs. Robertson threw 12 pitches, 10 of them for strikes.

“Good,” said Rob Thomson of Robertson’s outing. “He’s going to go again (Tuesday) for an inning. And, yeah, just figure out where we’re at after that. He’s at 92 (miles-per-hour) and I think he gave up three singles. Threw a guy out at the plate, so he didn’t give up any runs. Didn’t strike anybody out and I don’t think he walked anybody. So basically it was fastball, slider, twelve pitches. Yeah, hopefully (he’ll be up). We’ll see.”

After signing him last week, the Phillies optioned Robertson, 40, to Lehigh Valley where he must stay for at least 15 days.

What’s the update on Alec Bohm?

Third baseman Alec Bohm continues his quest to get back to the lineup as soon as possible. He joined the team on Sunday in New York and Monday in Chicago was out on the field getting in some sprinting and other things. “Bohm feels better again today,” said Thomson. “I think he’s going to try and do some glove work with Bobby (Dickerson), not ground balls but glove work. Maybe some dry swings either today or tomorrow.”

Bohm is recuperating from a fractured rib he suffered on July 12 on a pitch by Yu Darvish. 

Ryne Sandberg passes

Former Phillies manager and Hall of Fame second baseman Ryne Sandberg passed away Monday after a battle with cancer. Sandberg was 65. 

Giants' Carson Whisenhunt debuts in MLB after nervous couple of days for family originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO — When Carson Whisenhunt was scratched from his scheduled start in Triple-A on Saturday, he wasn’t initially told what the next step would be. Whisenhunt is just 24 years old, but he has been around professional baseball long enough at this point to know that the last week of July is not an ideal time to be pulled off the field. 

There were some nerves overnight as the young lefty wondered if he would be included in a trade, but when he reported to the field on Sunday morning, he was told that he would be making his MLB debut a day later. It was a whirlwind few days, but it was nothing compared to what his father went through. 

Dennis Whisenhunt works for an aerospace company and travels often for work. When the Giants decided to make his son their Monday starter, Dennis was in the Philippines, and he was without his wallet, having lost it on the way overseas. Luckily, he had held onto his passport, and that allowed him to hop on a 13-hour flight to San Francisco and be in the family section when Carson threw his first pitch Monday night. 

A very special night for the Whisenhunt family 🧡 pic.twitter.com/ny3pYGf1ux

— SFGiants (@SFGiants) July 29, 2025

There would be 85 of them on night one in the big leagues, and it was a mixed bag. Whisenhunt’s changeup, one of the best off-speed pitches in the minor leagues the last couple of seasons, was hit hard early, but he adjusted and responded with three scoreless innings to finish his night. 

Whisenhunt was charged with four earned in five innings, but he took a no-decision. After he departed, Carson Seymour gave up a two-run homer to Andrew McCutchen and a ninth-inning rally attempt fell short. The Giants left two runners on in the ninth, falling 6-5 to the lowly Pittsburgh Pirates. 

The loss was the 10th in 12 days for the Giants, who now are just one game over .500. It’s an uneasy way to play heading into the MLB trade deadline, but Whisenhunt at least can take solace in the fact that he almost certainly won’t be involved in any wheeling and dealing. 

Before the game, manager Bob Melvin said the lefty should view this as an audition for a rotation spot. Whisenhunt is likely to get at least one more opportunity, and he’s hopeful he can run with it. 

“Obviously it’s an honor just to be able to get a chance to play in the big leagues. It’s every kid’s dream,” he said. “But I’ve just got to go out there and compete and fill up the zone. Tonight was a little adrenaline here and there, overthinking things a little bit, trying to do a little too much. I’ve just got to go out there and be myself.”

Whisenhunt threw 85 pitches and only 49 were strikes, although he walked just two. It would have been understandable if there were some rust in addition to the nerves. 

Whisenhunt went seven innings in four consecutive starts earlier this season in Triple-A, but June and July have been uneven. Because he appeared in the Futures Game, he had started for the River Cats just once since June 5, and he went 3 2/3 in that appearance. 

On Sunday and again on Monday, Melvin said he wasn’t entirely sure how much he would get out of Whisenhunt, and early on it looked like it wouldn’t be much. The Pirates scored three in the second to take a 4-1 lead, but Whisenhunt changed his approach and responded with three shutout innings, giving the Giants about as much length as they could have asked for. 

In Triple-A, Whisenhunt used his changeup to finish off 73 percent of his strikeouts. But he left it up early in his debut and gave up a solo homer and then a two-run double. After throwing 20 changeups the first two innings, he threw just 10 in the final three innings, relying heavily on his sinker. He said a conversation with pitching coach J.P. Martinez set him on the new path. 

“It kind of seemed like they were sitting changeup early on and we kind of wanted to flip the script a little bit,” he said. “I talked with [catcher Patrick Bailey] and we were like, hey, let’s go curveball if we can figure out the release point and then stick with the heater up-and-out, kind of get it moving a little bit. The changeup was used a little bit too much, in my opinion, early on. It was also a little too firm tonight compared to what it has been, but other than that, it felt good.”

Whisenhunt’s changeup has been big league-ready since he was taken in the second round of the 2022 MLB Draft, and his fastball can hit the mid-90s, but he has spent his time in the minors searching for a reliable third pitch. On Monday, it appeared there’s plenty of work to be done. Whisenhunt threw nine breaking balls, but the only strike came on his 85th and final pitch, when he got Oneil Cruz to ground out with a runner on. 

While there’s still development ahead of Whisenhunt, the Giants currently have two vacancies in their rotation. Though they expect Landen Roupp back from the IL soon, Hayden Birdsong might need some time to iron out his command issues. 

“It’s all about performance, especially where we are right now,” Melvin said. “But if [Whisenhunt] performs well, that’s going to be a spot. You would think he would embrace that and that’s kind of what he’s digging for. There’s an opportunity, and whenever you’re in the minor leagues and you get an opportunity, you try to take advantage of it.”

The organization’s top pitching prospect should get a chance to pitch in New York against the Mets this weekend. After that, the Giants will see where they stand, not just with Whisenhunt, but with a rotation that might look different by the time they arrive at Citi Field. 

The expectation within the organization in recent days has been that a starter will be added at the deadline. But if this skid continues, Buster Posey might not have a whole lot of appetite to add to this group. 

That will be decided in the next couple of days. On Monday, it was about the debut for the organization’s top pitching prospect. 

At some point, Whisenhunt should be here for good, making the planning a lot easier for Dennis and the rest of the family. 

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With Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase under investigation for baseball betting, fans that bet a combined $315,000 on him could be at risk of losing some or all of that investment.

Clase is the star attraction at Finlete, a San Diego company that offers fans the chance to invest in an athlete in exchange for a share of his future earnings.

The future earnings of Clase, 27, a three-time All-Star, could be influenced by Monday’s announcement that Major League Baseball had placed him on paid leave as part of what the league called a “sports betting investigation.” The sport in question is baseball, according to an official familiar with the probe but unauthorized to discuss it publicly.

Read more:Guardians' Emmanuel Clase placed on paid leave as part of MLB betting investigation

In its offering statement, Finlete noted that Clase’s current contract extends through 2026 and guarantees him at least $13.3 million, if the Guardians decline a 2027 buyout. The Guardians hold an option for $10 million in 2027 and another for $10 million in 2028. Clase would be eligible for free agency if the Guardians decline either option, or after the option years have been exercised.

However, if the league determines Clase had bet on any baseball game in which his team participated, he could be declared permanently ineligible. If the league determines he had bet on any other baseball games, he could be banned for one year.

On July 14, Finlete announced on Instagram that it had raised more than $315,000 from “hundreds of investors in Emmanuel Clase’s career.”

In its offering, beyond the boilerplate warning that investors should not invest money they could not afford to lose, Finlete cited injuries, illnesses and work stoppages among risks that could derail payments to investors.

Finlete also warned that players “suspended or banned” from the league “would not receive amounts under their existing player contract and may not be able to secure future playing contracts.”

Read more:Historical Horse Racing machines key to the sport's future in California are in peril

In his Clase sales pitch, Finlete co-founder Rob Connolly last year told Sportico: “Mariano Rivera was the best ever. And this guy’s in that conversation. So he’s got a full career in front of him. How the hell did we land this deal? It’s incredible.”

Finlete spelled that out in its offering: If you really want to make the big bucks as investors, Clase needs to sign a lucrative extension, or hit free agency and strike gold.

“The profitability of the Clase Agreement is substantially dependent on Mr. Clase entering into additional high-value MLB player contracts,” the offering read.

On its homepage, Finlete highlights seven baseball players with which it has agreements, Clase included. The other six are in the minor leagues.

Connolly did not immediately return a message seeking comment.

Read more:Orel Hershiser puts a bounty on his Topps one-of-one signed chrome card

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

The Dodgers have already clinched a losing record in July, entering play Monday with their worst single-month winning percentage since May 2013.

Their league-leading offense has remained stuck in a nosedive, ranking bottom-four in the majors entering Monday in runs scored, batting average and OPS this month despite some short-lived signs of life from their lineup last week.

For a while now, the team has known it would target a high-leverage reliever ahead of Thursday's trade deadline. But suddenly, amid a protracted slump that even president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman acknowledged he didn’t see coming, the deadline might feel incomplete without the addition of another position player as well.

“Relief pitching is always talked about, certainly with what we're going through,” manager Dave Roberts said this weekend. But, he added, “a potential bat” is something club officials are “kicking the tires” on.

As deadline week commenced on Monday, it meant the question wasn’t so much whether the Dodgers would look to bolster their lineup over the next four days, but rather how they could best supplement their already $400-million roster.

Read more:Trade Dustin May? Dodgers pitcher stumbles in loss to Red Sox as deadline rumors swirl

One specific priority that has been increasingly emphasized by people around the organization in recent days: Someone who can not only hit, but more profoundly upgrade their outfield defense.

The Dodgers, after all, know their long-term offensive success depends primarily on their superstar players. So far in July, Freddie Freeman, Shohei Ohtani and Teoscar Hernández have all batted in the low .200s. Mookie Betts and Tommy Edman are hitting .186 and .150, respectively. And Max Muncy has been out with a knee injury (though he could return during next week’s home stand, if not the end of this current trip).

No impact hitter on the market can change that reality. No one they add this week can save them if their star-studded core endures similar struggles in October.

In a surprise twist, some of their best hitters this month have actually been those who once seemed like obvious candidates to replace at the deadline — none more so than Michael Conforto, who is batting .280 with an .855 OPS since June 22 after belting a home run and two doubles in the team’s series finale in Boston on Sunday.

“The first half [of the season] was not me,” said Conforto, the $17-million offseason signing who was hitting a woeful .163 before his recent 24-game surge. “I left a lot of hits out there. There was a lot of work to be done. And I just had to put my head down and keep grinding.”

Now he’s finally starting to produce at a level the Dodgers would be happy to get from any potential deadline acquisition.

“The biggest thing that I’ve really appreciated and admired is — given how his season has been, understanding we’re coming up to the deadline and all this noise that’s out there — for him to not let it affect his day-to-day, and continue to get better,” Roberts said. “That’s something for me that’s shown a lot.”

That doesn’t mean, however, the Dodgers will be dissuaded from looking for outfield help this week.

Because, even as Conforto’s bat has heated up, his glove remains a glaring area of weakness in left field.

For all he did at the plate Sunday, Conforto also had two costly defensive misplays early in the game, dropping a fly ball in the first inning that stressed Dustin May’s pitch count before overpursuing a line drive off the Green Monster that turned into a run-scoring triple in the fourth, aiding a Red Sox rally that keyed their eventual victory.

On the whole this season, Conforto ranks 13th out of 16 qualified MLB left fielders in defensive runs saved (negative three) and 14th in outs above average (negative five).

It has illustrated a larger conundrum facing the team.

Unlike last October, when the Dodgers needed potent offense to compensate for their patchwork pitching staff, their playoff run this year could be keyed more by what they do on the mound.

Barring late-season injuries (a big “if” given their recent history), the club is shaping up to have a potentially dominant rotation featuring Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell (who will return from injury this weekend) and Ohtani (who Friedman believes will be capable of pitching “real innings” come the playoffs).

While their bullpen has struggled to this point, the returns of Blake Treinen (who was activated from the injured list Sunday), Michael Kopech (who is due back late next month), Tanner Scott (who avoided a season-ending elbow injury last week) and Brusdar Graterol (expected to return sometime in September) figure to transform the group, along with whoever the front office adds in an expected deadline splash.

It all means that preventing runs could be the biggest key to the Dodgers’ title defense this fall.

And to do that, they could benefit from more trustworthy outfield defense — where Conforto’s issues have been compounded by Hernández’s regression in right field (he also grades out at one of the worst defenders in the majors at that position this year, while being limited by a groin injury) and repeated misreads from Andy Pages in center (mistakes that have at least been somewhat offset by his lethal throwing arm).

That’s why it came as no surprise to see the Dodgers' interest in someone like Harrison Bader intensify this week, as a person with knowledge of the situation but not authorized to speak publicly confirmed.

A 31-year-old veteran with the Minnesota Twins, Bader is a premium defender (ranking sixth among all qualified outfielders with 10 defensive runs saved) who's also having one of his best career seasons at the plate (.255 average, 12 home runs, .777 OPS). And as a likely free agent this offseason (he has a mutual option for 2026), he could be acquired at a relatively reasonable price — or, perhaps, in a package deal with a top Twins reliever such as Jhoan Durán or Griffin Jax.

There are bigger outfield names who could be moved before the deadline. Cleveland Guardians left fielder Steven Kwan, for instance, remains a dream target, albeit with the kind of hefty acquisition cost the Dodgers are unlikely to meet.

Still, in Bader, who was first linked to the Dodgers by USA Today, the team could add a player capable of providing plus defense in center field, and allow them to shift Pages to a more naturally-suited corner outfield spot.

Other contenders, including the New York Yankees, have also been mentioned as potential landing spots for Bader. But the Dodgers’ interest appears to be strong.

The Dodgers’ other route would be to add an infielder, and move Edman to center field. Utilityman Brendan Donovan of the St. Louis Cardinals is one such option, as The Athletic reported this week. But Edman has been limited by a lingering ankle injury (he was given Monday off to keep managing it). And his most defensive value is on the infield dirt anyway, evidenced lately by his sharp play filling in at third base in Muncy’s absence.

Bader is a right-handed bat, running counter to the initial belief that the Dodgers preferred to add another left-handed hitter at the deadline.

But between Conforto’s recent improvements (even if the Dodgers make another addition, the left-handed slugger will likely still have a role on the team), and the fact that backup left-handed- hitting catcher Dalton Rushing is not expected to be dealt this week (“I don’t see a world in which he’s moved,” Roberts said of Rushing on Monday), the Dodgers could accommodate anything — if it means making a significant improvement to their outfield defense.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Behind top prospect Arjun Nimmala, MLB eyes India as next hotbed for talent and fans originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Baseball is known as America’s pastime, but it has long been a global game. From the Dominican Republic to Japan to Venezuela, the sport reigns supreme for fans, and countless players are on Major League Baseball rosters.

The next country that could soon be on that list? India.

While its residents may prefer a different game with a ball and a bat — cricket — it’s also the motherland of Arjun Nimmala, the top prospect in the Toronto Blue Jays organization. Picked 20th overall in the 2023 draft, Nimmala is the first first-generation Indian American to be selected in the first round.

Nimmala, who grew up outside Tampa, Florida, said his father introduced him to cricket at a young age but also taught him baseball. He fell in love with the sport and played competitively all the way through high school until the Blue Jays selected him at just 17 years old.

Two years later, he is ranked No. 46 out of 900 prospects by MLB and considered a future centerpiece of the organization.

While Nimmala, currently with the Blue Jays’ high-A affiliate Vancouver Canadians, continues to ascend the minor leagues, MLB is doing extensive outreach in India by putting together tournaments for children and taking baseball programs to schools.

“We want to try to introduce the sport to as many kids as possible,” Chris Marinak, MLB’s chief operations and strategy officer, told NBC News. “That’s the foot in the door. That’s the way that you educate kids on the game — you get kids to fall in love with it, and they become fans for the rest of their lives.”

He said the goal is to take baseball to India both on the fields and inside homes.

“We’re focusing on getting our MLB games on broadcast and streaming,” Marinak said. “We have two partners in India right now that are putting games live for the postseason and the regular season, and we’re seeing great interest from fans around consumption.”

MLB opened an office in India in 2019 and since 2021 has hosted the MLB Cup, a tournament for amateur youth teams across the country.

Nimmala traveled to India in 2023 to see the initiatives the league was producing and to help grow the game in the country where much of his family still lives.

“To be able to go there and not only see that baseball is a part of India, as well, but just also trying to make it bigger, I think that makes me super proud,” Nimmala said. “Knowing that I have a possibility of doing that and just seeing how much baseball is played in India already, I thought was very cool.”

Asked how big baseball can be in India, a country with 1.46 billion people, Marinak said MLB has high goals.

“When you have a billion fans that are watching cricket, it creates a real opportunity to grow the sport,” he said. “If we can get baseball to the scale of cricket, it would be a huge penetration into that market. It would look a lot like what you see in Japan [and the] United States. It can be done.”

Nimmala says the goal remains to make the major leagues, though that could take multiple years because of his age and experience. His 17 home runs last year led all players ages 18 or younger, and after some early-season struggles, he turned up his production in the second half.

From June 27 on, Nimmala hit .265/.331/.564 with 13 homers over his final 53 games.

Known as a solid fielder, he has elite arm strength, according to MLB.com.

But the stats tell only one part of his story. By just being on the field, Nimmala is inspiring a whole new generation of Indian players.

“I do get a lot of messages, especially on Instagram, from younger kids that are Indian that start to play baseball,” he said. “They’re like, ‘Dude, I really look up to you.’ I think it’s super cool to see that.”

But even with all the responsibilities of being a trailblazer, he’s keeping his eyes on the prize.

“I have 100% confidence that I will play with the Toronto Blue Jays one day and make an impact.”

Former Phillies player and manager Ryne Sandberg passes originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Former Phillies manager and Hall of Fame second baseman Ryne Sandberg passed away Monday after a battle with cancer. Sandberg was 65. 

In what would become one of the franchise’s most regrettable moves, Sandberg was traded by the Phillies to the Chicago Cubs in 1982 along with shortstop Larry Bowa for shortstop Ivan DeJesus.

“It’s a sad day for baseball where you lose one of the better players in the game and, obviously, a nice human,” said Kyle Schwarber. “Around us in camp in Chicago in the clubhouse he was always very respectful. Just a really nice overall human being. Our thoughts go out to his family.  Hopefully he’s at peace now.”

In 16 seasons in the majors, Sandberg hit .285, accumulated 2,386 hits, including 403 doubles and 282 home runs. He was the National League MVP in 1984, was an All-Star 10 times and won nine gold gloves.

Sandberg managed the Phillies from 2013 to 2015 and compiled a 119-159 record. He infamously took over for the beloved Charlie Manuel.

“Hanging around with Larry Bowa and he brought Ryne around a couple of times,” said Rob Thomson on his interactions with Sandberg. “First class individual, obviously a great player. I feel so bad for him. He fought like hell. It’s just a real loss. Thoughts and prayers to his family.”

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— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) July 29, 2025