The Mets will receive a big boost heading into this weekend’s series against the Pirates, as Mark Vientos is officially set to make his return from the IL.
Vientos has been sidelined since the beginning of the month with a hamstring strain.
The youngster had gotten off to a bit of a slow start at the plate this season, but there’s no denying that adding him back into the middle of this struggling lineup could provide a huge boost.
"Mark is a big part of our team," Carlos Mendoza said. "We saw it in the playoffs last year, he drives the ball to all fields, gives you good at-bats, and the power is real -- if we get him going, we’re talking about a deep lineup 1 through 9. He’s a guy who can hit anywhere in the lineup, so it just adds to the quality of our roster."
Vientos’ return also puts the Mets in a bit of a conundrum, as their infield depth suddenly gets a whole lot more crowded and they’ll have to open up another roster spot prior to the 25-year-old’s activation.
While it’s a tough decision to make, Mendoza says it’s not necessarily a bad thing.
"This continues to be a puzzle," he explained. "There are going to be a few spots that are going to be rotating and I think that’s a good problem to have -- I’ve been saying since day one, talking about the depth, how good our team is because of the quality and quantity we have.
"So there will be at-bats for everyone in there who is on the active roster, and we’ll make sure that we are communicating with them on a daily basis and they understand that we’re here to win baseball games."
Ronny Mauricio has been viewed as one of the candidates to go back down -- though the skipper did say there's a possibility we could see him stick around even with Vientos and Brett Baty on the roster.
Mauricio was brought back up to the big leagues earlier than the team had hoped following Vientos’ injury, and while he’s looked a bit overmatched at times, he’s coming off one of his best showings to this point.
The youngster picked up three hits, including a solo homer on Wednesday night.
"I’ve been impressed with how he’s handled the adversity," Mendoza said. "I haven’t been around him much because he spent all of last year rehabbing and this year, in spring training he wasn’t really around much just being in the training room and the backfields.
"Watching him after missing so much time and struggling, he’s being the same guy, continues to work and asks for feedback for help -- it was finally good to see a really good game from him last night, we hope to see that same version moving forward."
Williams played at Kentucky last season after spending four years with Drexel. He averaged 10.9 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game for the Wildcats in 2024-25, in addition to shooting 56.1 percent from the floor.
Williams is an excellent passer, he’s a very good rebounder and he defends the rim at a high level (a three-time CAA Defensive Player of the Year at Drexel). He also runs the floor well for someone his size, and he has a 7-foot-6 wingspan.
Williams becomes just the third active NBA player who was born in England, joining the New York Knicks’ OG Anunoby and the Brooklyn Nets’ Tosan Evbuomwan.
The Celtics entered the second round with the No. 32 pick, but they traded it to the Orlando Magic for the No. 46 and No. 57 picks, in addition to second-rounders in 2026 and 2027, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.
The C’s also selected Spanish wing Hugo Gonzalez from Real Madrid with the No. 28 pick in the first round Wednesday.
DENVER — Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw inched closer to 3,000 career strikeouts on Thursday, fanning five in six innings against the Colorado Rockies.
Kershaw has 2,997 strikeouts in his 18-year career, three short of becoming the 20th major leaguer to reach the milestone.
The 37-year-old would be the third active pitcher to reach the mark behind Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer. Verlander, in his 20th season, has 3,468 strikeouts. Scherzer has 3,412 in 18 seasons.
Kershaw struck out three in the first two innings Thursday and got his fourth for the final out of the fifth. He struck out Tyler Freeman for the second out of the sixth inning and left the game after retiring the next batter. He threw 69 pitches, 41 for strikes.
He recorded two strikeouts on his 73 mph curve and got three more on sliders against a Rockies’ lineup that included all right-handed batters.
Kershaw’s next scheduled start is expected to come at Dodger Stadium on July 2 against the Chicago White Sox.
The three-time NL Cy Young Award winner and 10-time All-Star received plenty of crowd support in Colorado, getting a standing ovation from some in the Coors Field crowd when he left the mound after the sixth inning.
Kershaw had made eight starts this season after being activated from the injured list May 17 following offseason left knee and foot surgeries.
Kershaw left with a 3-1 lead and was in line for his fourth straight victory. His ERA dropped to a season-low 3.03.
Jul 25, 2023; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco (5) throws to first base in the seventh inning against the Miami Marlins at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports
PUERTO PLATA, Dominican Republic — Wander Franco, the suspended Tampa Bay Rays shortstop facing sexual abuse charges, was found guilty on Thursday but received a two-year suspended sentence.
Franco was arrested last year after being accused of having a four-month relationship with a girl who was 14 at the time, and of transferring thousands of dollars to her mother to consent to the illegal relationship.
Franco, now 24, also faced charges of sexual and commercial exploitation against a minor, and human trafficking.
Prosecutors had requested a five-year prison sentence against Franco and a 10-year sentence against the girl’s mother, who was found guilty and would serve the full sentence.
Before the three judges issued their unanimous ruling, the main judge orally reviewed the copious amount of evidence that prosecutors presented during trial, including testimony from 31 witnesses.
“This is a somewhat complex process,” said Judge Jakayra Veras García.
More than an hour into her presentation, Veras said: “The court has understood that this minor was manipulated.”
As the judge continued her review, Franco looked ahead expressionless, leaning forward at times.
Franco, who was once the team’s star shortstop, had signed a $182 million, 11-year contract through 2032 in November 2021 but saw his career abruptly halted in August 2023 after authorities in the Dominican Republic announced they were investigating him for an alleged relationship with a minor. Franco was 22 at the time.
In January 2024, authorities arrested Franco in the Dominican Republic. Six months later, Tampa Bay placed him on the restricted list, which cut off the pay he had been receiving while on administrative leave.
He was placed on that list because he has not been able to report to the team and would need a new U.S. visa to do so.
While Franco awaited trial on conditional release, he was arrested again in November last year following what Dominican authorities called an altercation over a woman’s attention. He was charged with illegally carrying a semiautomatic Glock 19 that police said was registered to his uncle.
Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw struck out five in six innings on Thursday against the Colorado Rockies to get to 2,997 strikeouts for his career. (David Zalubowski / Associated Press)
Clayton Kershaw got to the precipice of history on Thursday afternoon. And now, when he inevitably crosses the 3,000 career strikeout milepost, it will almost certainly happen on his home mound.
In the Dodgers’ 3-1 win against the Colorado Rockies, Kershaw struck out five batters over a six-inning, one-run start to move to 2,997 punchouts for his career.
For a moment, it seemed as if Kershaw might be able to eclipse the threshold on Thursday. At the end of the sixth inning, he had thrown only 69 pitches while mowing through a free-swinging Rockies lineup.
Alas, manager Dave Roberts gave his 37-year-old left-hander an early hook, turning a narrow late-game lead over to his bullpen — and preserving the opportunity for Kershaw’s milestone moment to happen back at Dodger Stadium during next week’s homestand.
“I would argue there might be a temptation to take him out [today] and let him go for it in front of the home fans,” Roberts said pregame, when asked if he would consider extending Kershaw’s leash to let him chase his 3,000th strikeout on Thursday. “I’m not going to force anything.”
Ever since Kershaw returned from offseason foot and knee surgeries in May, and showed an ability to produce even with a diminished fastball and increasing mileage on his arm, his pursuit of 3,000 strikeouts has felt less like an “if” than a “when.”
Entering Thursday, his career total was up to 2,992, leaving him just eight shy of becoming the 20th pitcher in MLB history, and only the fourth left-hander, to join the prestigious 3K club.
“I guess ultimately the last box he needs to check for his future Hall of Fame career is that 3,000-strikeout threshold,” Roberts said. “We’re all waiting in anticipation.”
More impressively, though, Kershaw has been winning games and limiting runs for the Dodgers (51-31), improving to 4-0 with a 3.03 earned-run average through eight starts this season.
“I think there’s good days and bad days, good pitches and bad pitches,” Kershaw said. “Not as consistent, not as perfect as I would want. But the results have been OK. And at the end of the day, we’re winning games that I’ve been on the mound. So I’m thankful for that. Just a product of being on a great team.”
Kershaw wasn’t exactly expecting to reach the 3,000 mark Thursday, acknowledging that “eight in Colorado is never going to be easy to do.”
Over his first two innings, however, he quickly inched closer. Thairo Estrada whiffed on a curveball in the first inning. And though Brenton Doyle hit a solo homer in the second, Kershaw set Michael Toglia and Orlando Arcia both down swinging with a slider and curveball, respectively.
“I just love that edge that he gives each start day,” Roberts said. “We certainly feed off that.”
Kershaw didn’t get another strikeout until the end of the fifth, retiring the side with a slider that froze Braxton Fulford for a called third strike. An inning before that, he was bailed out by his defense after his lone walk, when Miguel Rojas turned a spinning double-play up the line at third base to erase the free pass.
"It could’ve been one run in, runner on second, nobody out," Kershaw said. "So to turn that double-play there was kind of a game-changer. ... Biggest play of the day."
Still, in the sixth, all eyes returned to Kershaw’s strikeout total after Tyler Freeman was rung up on a generous outside strike call to finish off an eight-pitch at-bat.
Though it would have required striking out the side, Kershaw was as little as one inning away from No. 3,000.
Instead, Roberts decided to end his day, ensuring that the next time Kershaw takes the mound — likely to be next Wednesday at home against the Chicago White Sox — he will need only three more strikeouts to do something only two pitchers before have ever done: Have a 3,000-strikeout career while playing for only one team.
“It would be very special,” Kershaw said of potentially reaching the milestone at Dodger Stadium. “It would be.”
While Kershaw mowed through the Rockies (18-63), Shohei Ohtani delivered the biggest swing of the day for the Dodgers, padding what was only a 2-1 lead in the seventh with a solo home run to right, his NL-leading 28th of the year.
The blast came hours after the other big news of the day, with Roberts confirming pregame that the two-way star will make his next start as a pitcher on Saturday against the Kansas City Royals.
That game will mark Ohtani’s third pitching outing of the season and could be his first in which he goes beyond the first inning. Last week, Roberts hinted at the possibility of Ohtani — who is still building up in his return from Tommy John surgery — pitching into the second inning, but he has continued to leave any final decisions open-ended.
The Warriors’ relative restraint during the 2025 NBA Draft that ended Thursday night provided sufficient evidence that they, as Golden State’s general manager indicated earlier this week, are saving their energy for the free-agent market, which opens at 3 p.m. PT on Monday.
As much as the Warriors love their player-development staff, they’re prioritizing next season above those that will follow. It’s a logical approach for a team whose best players – Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Jimmy Butler – are well into their mid-30s.
Dunleavy earlier this week: “We’ve got three players in their 30s that are really good, and that’s the hand we’re playing. It’s certainly admirable what the [Indiana] Pacers and the [Oklahoma City] Thunder and some of these other teams have done in the league, but we have our group. We’re committed to that, and we’ve got to build with it and around it, and that’s kind of what we’ll do.”
Dunleavy on Thursday night: “We add these (draft picks) into the roster however we do it. But I think we’ll be looking to shift of roster the most in free agency, more so than the draft.”
Both Toohey and Richard will compete for roster spots, Dunleavy said, while acknowledging they likely will spend time in the G League.
“These guys are good players; they have a chance,” Dunleavy said. “And we’ll put them in the development program, and it could be some time in Santa Cruz, it could be some NBA minutes. We’ll see how it unfolds.
Alex Toohey
Toohey, who turned 21 last month, spent the past two seasons with the Sydney Kings of Australia’s National Basketball League. In 30 games last season, he averaged 10.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.5 steals 22.9 minutes per game. He committed to play college basketball at Gonzaga in 2023 before opting for the NBL.
At 6-foot-8, 220 pounds, he’s a tweener forward. Too slow to be a prototype small forward, too small to be a prototype power forward. The Warriors are at their best when coach Steve Kerr can lean into a roster with players that have great spatial/movement awareness – a “feel for the game” – and Toohey, by all accounts, has that.
Toohey scored 87 on the NBADraft.net scale and was No. 55 on its big board of draft-eligible players.
Dunleavy on Toohey: “I think he’s like a 4. And I think with our system and the way we play, he has the versatility to play multiple positions. It’s who can you guard and where you can play offensively. And we think especially on the defensive end, he’s super versatile and creates a lot of plays.”
Will Richard
After starting at Belmont as a freshman, the 6-foot-5, 205-pound shooting guard transferred to the powerhouse Florida program and, as a sophomore, became an immediate starter for the Gators. He played 141 college games, with 135 starts, over four seasons.
Though backcourt teammate Walter Clayton Jr. garnered most of the attention in Florida’s triumphant run to the 2025 national championship, Richard acquitted himself quite well — especially in the title game. He scored 18 points, on 4-of-4 shooting from deep, as the Gators came back to defeat the Houston Cougars.
Richard’s profile was not listed on the NBADraft.net site, but the NBA.com site compares his attributes to those of Malik Beasley and Alex Caruso.
Dunleavy on Richard: “We see him as a two-way player, shoot it and defend it. He’s a pretty good on-ball defender, very good off-ball defender, and he’s got good length. And he’s coming from a really good program and system where (he was) well-coached, well-taught through many years in college. This is a guy that knows how to play.”
ST. LOUIS — Chicago Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga pitched five scoreless innings against St. Louis on Thursday in his return from a strained left hamstring that had sidelined him since May 4.
Imanaga, a 31-year-old from Japan in his second season with Chicago, was activated from the 15-day injured list to pitch against the Cardinals.
He threw 77 pitches, 49 for strikes, and allowed one hit — a first-inning single to Masyn Winn. After that, he retired 10 straight batters before issuing his lone walk. Imanaga struck out three.
He left with a 2-0 lead, dropping his ERA to 2.54. Left-hander Caleb Thielbar came in to start the sixth.
To make room for Imanaga on the roster, Chicago designated right-hander Michael Fulmer for assignment.
Imanaga has made nine starts this season, allowing two or fewer runs in seven of them. He was an All-Star as a rookie last season, when he went 15-3 with a 2.91 ERA.
Imanaga made three minor league rehab starts, most recently for Triple-A Iowa on Friday, when he threw 72 pitches in 4 1/3 scoreless innings.
The NL Central-leading Cubs went 25-16 while he was on the IL.
The 32-year-old Fulmer made two scoreless appearances for the Cubs this week during their four-game series against the Cardinals.
Fulmer had a 4.42 ERA in 58 appearances for the Cubs in 2023, but the right-hander needed Tommy John surgery and missed last year. He also had the Tommy John procedure in 2019.
Fulmer appeared in one game this season for the Boston Red Sox, surrendering three runs and four hits in 2 2/3 innings on April 14. He then was released and signed a minor league deal with the Cubs.
Here’s what Emma Lingan, Adam Kierszenblat and Wyatt Thomas discussed in this episode:
1:15: Initial thoughts on the Buffalo Sabres trading JJ Peterka to the Utah Mammoth?
4:35: The Vancouver Canucks have just over $7 million in cap space after trading for Evander Kane, and they may need to replace Brock Boeser. Will they re-sign Pius Suter to fill that role, or will they trade off assets to give them more flexibility?
9:20: Will Evan Bouchard get a deal done with the Oilers to avoid any drama, and will this help Edmonton avoid a cap crunch while they look to re-sign Connor McDavid?
14:30: Where could the Calgary Flames trade defensemen Rasmus Andersson if a deal gets done?
19:00: How will the Los Angeles Kings replace Tanner Jeannot's physicality while also adding someone who can provide more in the offensive zone?
23:35: Will adding Mason Marchment help the Seattle Kraken become more competitive next season? What else do they need to add?
27:55: Reilly Smith signed an extension with the Vegas Golden Knights. Do we think it was the right move?
The Chicago Blackhawks have options with the third overall pick. The consensus top two picks are defenseman Matthew Schaefer of the Erie Otters and Michael Misa of the Saginaw Spirit. The New York Islanders and San Jose Sharks have the first and second picks, respectively.
With those two seemingly off the board, at least we thought, that leaves a group of good but raw, talented forwards to consider. James Hagens, Porter Martone, Caleb Desnoyer, and Anton Frondell are the players in question. Chicago wants Misa, but trading up in this draft doesn’t seem possible.
However, there are new conflicting reports that the San Jose Sharks are incredibly interested in Frondell as the second overall pick. If the Islanders don’t shock the world and avoid taking Schaefer, and the Sharks go with Frondell, that would leave Misa for the Hawks to select third.
If that were to be the case, Chicago would be getting their guy. Misa is a high-end offensive talent who has the ceiling of an NHL star.
During the 2024-25 season, Misa had a huge year for the Spirit, who play in the OHL. In 65 games played, he scored 62 goals and had 72 assists for 134 points. Even in the OHL, that's a lot of goals and points.
Misa is 6'1"/183 lbs and is a center who may end up being a winger in the NHL. Regardless of what position he sticks with, Misa will be an offensive force. Whether it's at even strength or on the power play, he can expect time with Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar once he reaches the NHL.
Will Misa become the game-breaker in the NHL that he was in the OHL? Only time will tell, but he will certainly get the chance wherever he goes. If he has a strong training camp/preseason, he could be the first from his class to debut in the NHL.
Misa already plays with a chip on his shoulder. He wasn't even invited to try and be on Canada's World Junior team last season. They failed to meet expectations in the tournament without him there, too, which makes it that much more disappointing for him.
Is it realistic to expect the San Jose Sharks to pass on Misa? It didn't feel that way a few weeks ago, but now it feels like a real possibility. With Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith already there, they probably would rather have Schaefer over everybody, but the Islanders will likely select him. Maybe the feel that Frondell gives them more of what they need down the middle.
Chicago doesn't care if it gets stronger at center or on the wing. They need scoring forwards in the pipeline, as their defense is already deep in the organization. Once they start adding more snipers to the lineup, they will increase their chances of finishing off the rebuild. It will likely take some luck to get Misa, but he would be a great fit.
After a thrilling 2025 NBA Finals came to an anticlimactic end upon Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton’s torn Achilles in Game 7, Warriors forward Draymond Green noticed a parallel to one of Golden State’s own playoff runs.
During an episode of “The Draymond Green Show,” the 2017 Defensive Player of the Year drew a comparison between Haliburton’s injury and Kevin Durant’s torn Achilles in Game 5 of the 2019 NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors.
“I do send my love and well wishes to Tyrese though just on a speedy recovery, leaving it all out there on the floor, you know,” Green told co-host Baron Davis. “These Achilles/calf injuries are tough, I put it on my Threads account as soon as it happened, “Man, that looks too familiar.” NBA Finals, elimination game, guy get to cooking, cooking. KD got to cooking, and so I just wish him well and a speedy recovery.”
As Warriors fans remember, Durant took the court in Toronto with Golden State facing a 3-1 deficit despite nursing a calf strain that had held the former NBA MVP out since Game 5 of the 2019 Western Conference semifinals against the Houston Rockets.
Durant famously started out Game 5 against the Raptors on fire, dropping 11 first quarter points, including a perfect 3 for 3 from beyond the arc, before hitting the floor early in the second quarter with a torn Achilles, a bitter end to an otherwise glorious chapter in a Warriors uniform.
One year ago, Kevin Durant made his heroic return in Game 5 of the NBA Finals before tearing his Achilles.
Haliburton, like Durant, started Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals on fire, draining three shots from beyond the 3-point line before succumbing to the same ill-fated injury as Durant.
With a recovery timeline that typically lasts well over a year, it calls to reason what the Pacers’ ceiling will be during the 2025-26 NBA season as Indiana’s star rehabs. If you ask Green, it’s a tough ask to expect a team even as talented as the Pacers to make another deep playoff run next season without Haliburton.
“It’s tough, man. We obviously had Klay [Thompson] go down, KD went down, but he left,” Green explained. “Same year Steph went down, it’s tough — You’re not winning without your best player in this league.You can put together a decent season, but it ain’t happening.”
Insider reports say veteran winger Patrick Kane is interested in return to Detroit.
The Red Wings are looking to re-up their near-60 point player in Patrick Kane with more and more reports indicating that a deal should be almost done between both sides.
We had looked at several reports from insiders recently on how It's believed that Kane will be staying in Detroit with NHL Insider Chris Johnston adding to the conversation, saying he believes Kane and his camp has expressed interest to come back.
The three-time Stanley Cup champion has proven to still have some juice left in the tank after recording 59 points through 72 games at 36 years old last season. Reports have indicated that Kane has been able to work as a mentor for the younger players like Marco Kasper to help them grow their game.
Kane still has a lot to offer as his 0.82 point-per-game average last season had him in line with the likes of Connor Bedard, Nazem Kadri and Dylan Holloway.
The cap hit will likely be around $4 million a year, since that’s what he signed for with the Red Wings before. The deal might also include a trade clause, since he asked for one in his last contract.
As for term, Kane spoke to the fact that he would like to finish his NHL career with over 1,500 games played and for a three-year long deal he would have the opportunity to do that in the Motor City.
The cap is going up and Detroit has $21.3 million in cap space heading into free agency so they would have more than enough room to bring back Kane on a agreed-upon deal as well as continuing to fish for a big ticket free agent.
The Red Wings have been linked to Panthers defenceman Aaron Ekblad so far but most insider reports indicate that the team is interested in acquiring goaltending depth.
Other pending free agents with the Red Wings are Alex Lyon, Jeff Petry and key depth forward Tyler Motte among others.
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DENVER — The Colorado Rockies have promoted the oldest son of team owner Dick Monfort amid one of the worst starts in baseball history.
Walker Monfort was named executive vice president of the Rockies on Thursday and will immediately begin leading the team alongside outgoing President and COO Greg Feasel, who is stepping down at the end of this year after 30 seasons in their front office, the team announced.
The Rockies went into Thursday’s home game against the Los Angeles Dodgers with an 18-62 record. Colorado’s 81st game marked the midpoint of its regular season.
Walker Monfort, 38, who had been the team’s vice president of corporate partnerships since 2015, will officially assume Feasel’s responsibilities by January.
Feasel joined the Rockies in 1995 as vice president of sales and marketing. He was promoted to executive vice president and chief operating officer in 2010 and club president in April 2021.
“Greg has been a pillar of this organization since its earliest days,” Rockies owner Dick Monfort said. “His leadership and vision helped shape not only the Colorado Rockies organization, but the entire baseball community throughout the Rocky Mountain region. He has been instrumental in our many successes over the years and has been a strong and steady presence throughout the past three decades.”
Feasel said it is bittersweet to be stepping aside, but that it was something he had discussed with the owner for several years.
Walker Monfort began his career with the Rockies at an entry level, gaining hands-on experience across multiple departments, including the grounds crew, gameday promotions, ticketing and visiting clubhouse from 2006-2009. He officially joined the front office in a full-time capacity in late 2009, working in minor league operations and player development through 2013.
“While we thank Greg for his impact and service, we are excited to turn the page into our next chapter with Walker,” Dick Monfort said. ”He brings a deep understanding of this organization, earned through his 20 years of experience working both within and alongside every department of our operation. He offers a fresh, forward-looking mindset, and we’re confident his perspective, experience and leadership will benefit the club in the months and years to come.”
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. is going to again play for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic, and next year certainly will have a bigger role than last time.
Witt announced Thursday that he is committed to playing for the United States and manager Mark DeRosa in the 2026 WBC. It will be Witt’s second time on the team.
When part of Team USA in 2023, Witt was 22 and the youngest player on the roster who was coming off a standout rookie MLB season. He was a bench player who went 1 for 2 at the plate, and also was a pinch-runner in the ninth inning of the championship game won by Shohei Ohtani and Japan.
Yankees slugger Aaron Judge, who will be the U.S. captain, and Pirates ace Paul Skenes have also committed to play for Team USA next spring.
“It’s truly an honor,” Witt, who turned 25 two weeks ago, told MLB Network. “It’s something I’ve kinda dreamed about my whole entire life. Just being part of that team a couple years ago was amazing, and now we’re going to bring home the gold.”
Witt was the runner-up to Judge in the American League MVP voting last season, when the shortstop led the majors with a .332 batting average. Witt hit .285 with 10 home runs and 40 RBIs in the Royals’ first 80 games this year.
DeRosa said on MLB Network that he approached Witt during spring training about playing in the 2026 WBC, to which the player responded, “100%. I’m starting, right?”
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza provided two positive updates prior to Thursday’s game…
Sean Manaea
Manaea played catch for the first time since being shut down after an MRI revealed a loose body in his left elbow earlier this week.
The left-hander is expected to throw a bullpen session by this weekend, and if all goes well, the hope is that he’ll be able to make his final rehab appearance early next week.
Manaea was terrific during his latest minor league outing -- tossing 5.1 scoreless innings with Triple-A Syracuse last Friday, but he felt some soreness in his elbow afterwards and didn’t recover how he hoped.
Getting him back in the mix would be a huge boost for the struggling Mets rotation.
Jesse Winker
Winker went through his normal routine, taking batting practice on Thursday at Citi Field.
The left-handed hitting slugger was swinging with conviction and wasn’t favoring anything, so the skipper said he remains on schedule to begin a rehab assignment this weekend.
He’s expected to serve as the DH with High-A Brooklyn on Sunday.
Winker will likely require a lengthy build-up after having been sidelined since the first week of May with a Grade 2 right oblique strain.
When he does return, he should see plenty of time at DH against right-handed pitching.
