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Royals sign veteran Rich Hill to minor league deal. They would be his 14th team if called up

HOUSTON — The Kansas City Royals are giving Rich Hill another chance to pitch in the big leagues.

The Royals signed the 45-year-old left-hander to a minor league deal Tuesday, and he will report soon to the club’s spring training facility in Surprise, Arizona. Once he gets up to speed, Hill likely will head to Triple-A Omaha and try to prove he can still help a major league ballclub with designs on contending for the postseason.

Kansas City entered Tuesday night’s game in Houston tied for second in the AL Central.

Hill made his big league debut with the Cubs in 2005, and he has made 248 starts and appeared in 386 games over the past two decades. He has a 4.01 ERA with 1,428 strikeouts while pitching for 13 different franchises; the Royals would be the 14th should he get called up, joining Edwin Jackson as the only players to play for that many clubs.

Hill made four appearances out of the Red Sox bullpen last season before he was designated for assignment in September. His best season was in 2016, when he went 12-5 with a 2.12 ERA while pitching for the Athletics and the Dodgers.

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Koss slam gives Giants ‘energy' for much-needed offensive outburst

Koss slam gives Giants ‘energy' for much-needed offensive outburst originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO — At some point for just about every big league hitter, the moment comes. But few can say they did it in as cool a way as Christian Koss. 

The rookie infielder picked up his first career home run on a grand slam to left that gave the Giants the lead for good on Tuesday night. He became the 17th player in franchise history to hit a slam for his first big league homer, and the first since Brandon Crawford in 2011 to have it be a go-ahead slam. 

The moment was memorable, even if Koss will have to piece some of it together with replays. He blacked out as he ran the bases. It was the way you dream it up in just about every way, except one. 

“I kinda messed up the handshake with Willy [Adames],” he said after a 10-6 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks. “He kinda got on me for it, but I haven’t been in that position before.”

To be fair to Koss, the handshake appeared to be a very complex one. 

“The moment got a little too big,” he said, laughing. “I panicked a little.”

Koss’ slam wiped out an early three-run deficit and Robbie Ray did the rest, getting through six to become the first Giant since John Burkett in 1993 to go 6-0 through his first nine starts. The Giants have won all nine of them, and this one snapped a four-game skid that included three one-run performances from a lineup that saw a shakeup Monday afternoon.

Adames was moved down, and after two days of working on a smaller, calmer leg kick, he hit a homer to left and came a few feet away from putting one in the arcade. Jung Hoo Lee did clear that wall, picking up his first homer at Oracle Park this year and doing so on Korean Heritage Night. 

The Lee blast got the biggest pop from the 30,960 in attendance. But it was the Koss slam that made the biggest difference.

“That home run brought in a different vibe, a different energy in the dugout,” Lee said. 

Ray called it “huge,” saying the players had a sense that Koss might do something noteworthy. He has looked comfortable with runners on base all year, but this was something different. Koss got a low sinker and blasted it into the first row in left. 

“He’ll never forget that moment,” Ray said. “He’ll be telling his grandchildren about it.”

For now, there’s just one young child in the Koss family. She was there on Opening Day in Cincinnati as Koss celebrated making the initial roster with a strong spring, and he has shown enough defensive versatility to stick on a roster that is desperate for more offense from the bottom of the lineup.

Koss made the team in part because of how simple his swing is in bigger spots. If there’s a runner on second, he’ll try to slap the ball to the right side. If he needs to move a runner over, he’s shown he can do that, too. It’s an old-school approach, and if the Giants need a spark, well, apparently he’ll hit a slam. 

“You definitely don’t draw up a grand slam as the first one,” he said. “Even in that situation, I wasn’t really trying to put a big swing on it. I was trying to stay out of a double play and elevate something. I put a good swing on it.”

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Rangers place Corey Seager on 10-day injured list with right hamstring strain

ARLINGTON, Texas — Corey Seager was placed on the 10-day injured list again Tuesday by the Texas Rangers after the two-time World Series MVP shortstop had already missed four of their previous five games because of right hamstring soreness.

Seager is on the IL for the second time this season, with the latest move retroactive to Sunday. He had played in only five games since being activated May 3 after missing 10 games with a right hamstring strain. He homered twice Saturday at Detroit.

There was no immediate move for right-handed closer Luke Jackson, who was struck on his pitching hand by a 111-mph comebacker liner on the only pitch he threw after coming into the ninth inning of their 2-1 win over Colorado on Monday night.

Jackson still had some swelling Tuesday, but X-rays and a CT scan showed no broken bones and he said he didn’t anticipate having to go on the IL. He was in the clubhouse squeezing a squishy stress ball in his right hand in an effort to help relieve what swelling remained on the top of his hand and the wrist area where the ball struck him.

The Rangers activated catcher Kyle Higashioka from the 10-day IL after he missed 12 games because of a mild left intercostal strain.

Seager, who is in the fourth season of his 10-year, $325 million contract with the Rangers, is hitting .300 with six homers and 12 RBIs in 26 games this season.

The five-time All-Star missed the end of last season after his second hernia surgery in less than eight months. That operation last September was a right sports hernia repair, on the opposite side of his abdomen from a procedure the previous January.

He dealt with the left hernia issue at the end of 2023, when he still hit .318 with six homers, 12 RBIs and 15 walks in 17 postseason games as the Rangers won their first World Series title. He was on the IL twice that season, for a left hamstring issue and a right thumb sprain.

Ryan McMahon was leading off the ninth for Colorado in the series opener when he hit the ball right back at Jackson. The ball struck the pitcher’s hand and popped up in the air before falling to the ground for an infield single.

Jackson said that had “to be the hardest ball” to ever hit him.

“The second it hit my hand. I didn’t know, like, how bad it was. You know, adrenaline,” he said. “Then my hand swelled up so fast I couldn’t even, like, think about holding the ball ... It wasn’t comfortable last night. But this morning I woke up, felt pretty good.”

Jackson, who signed with the Rangers as a free agent in February, is 0-3 with a 5.54 ERA and eight saves.

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Report: Ex-Hurricanes Forward Finalist For Canucks Coach Gig

Manny Malhotra (© Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images)

Late last month, Rick Tocchet announced that he was moving on from the Vancouver Canucks. With this, the Canucks are now looking for a new head coach, and a former Carolina Hurricanes forward is reportedly one of the favorites for the job.

According to The Province's Patrick Johnson, former Hurricanes forward Manny Malhotra and current Canucks assistant coach Adam Foote are the frontrunners for Vancouver's head coaching gig. Johnson also added that Malhotra is the "slight favourite" in the race. 

Hearing that Malhotra is getting serious consideration for the Canucks' head coaching job is understandable. The 44-year-old is currently the head coach of the Canucks' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Abbotsford Canucks and led them to a 44-24-2-2 record this season. Abbotsford is also set to play the Colorado Eagles in the Pacific Division Final.

If the Canucks end up going with Malhotra, it will be the Mississauga, Ontario native's first NHL head coaching job. However, he has experience as an assistant coach at the NHL level, as he previously held the role with the Canucks (2017-18 to 2019-20) and Toronto Maple Leafs (2020-21 to 2023-24). 

Malhotra spent the 2013-14 season as a member of the Hurricanes, where he served as an alternate captain. In 69 games with the Metropolitan Division club, the 1998 seventh-overall pick posted seven goals, 13 points, 82 hits, and an even plus/minus rating. His time with the Canes ended when he signed a one-year deal with the Montreal Canadiens during the 2014 NHL off-season. 

Recent Hurricanes News 

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Yankees sign veteran RHP Anthony DeSclafani to minor league deal

The Yankees have signed veteran right-hander Anthony DeSclafani to a minor league deal on Tuesday and will report to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

DeSclafani, 35, was with the Giants a year ago but was part of a trade to the Twins in the Robbie Ray deal to the Mariners. He was then part of a trade with the Twins for shortstop Jorge Polanco. Unfortunately for DeSclafani, he suffered an elbow injury in his throwing arm that required season-ending surgery.

Prior to going under the knife, DeSclafani pitched 19 games (18 starts), where he pitched to a 4-8 record and a 4.88 ERA. His best season came in 2021 with the Reds when he pitched to a 13-7 record and a 3.17 ERA across 31 starts.

Over his nine-year career, DeSclafani has a 54-56 record with a 4.20 ERA with the Marlins, Reds and Giants.

With Carlos Carrasco recently DFA'd and sent to Triple-A after clearing waivers, the Yankees are looking for a potential arm in the rotation to pitch alongside Max Fried, Carlos Rodon, Will Warren and Clarke Schmidt.

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Five NHL Playoff Underachievers: Who's Failing to Meet Expectations In Big Moments?

Connor Hellebuyck and Mason Marchment (Jerome Miron-Imagn Images)

The NHL playoffs have already provided a fair share of players reaching another level, but for some high-profile names, the spotlight's not flattering.

Based on their regular-season results or post-season expectations, these five NHL players are underachieving when it matters most. While some of them simply have another gear they can reach in the second round, others are just not good right now.

Mason Marchment, LW, Dallas Stars

Mason Marchment enjoyed a solid regular season with more than 20 goals but has vanished in the playoffs for the Dallas Stars, contributing just one goal and three points. 

Worse, his growing frustration boiled over when he tapped an official with his stick – a move widely condemned by broadcasters. 

“You can’t make contact with an official under any circumstances,” said Sportsnet’s Kelly Hrudey.

Added ESPN’s Ray Ferraro: “I don’t know what the hell he was thinking.” 

Marchment’s emotional edge, often an asset, has become a liability in the post-season. While he should feel fortunate that he escaped supplementary discipline, he’s taken five penalties and only drawn two. Combined with his low scoring, he’s not living up to the moment right now.

Darnell Nurse, D, Edmonton Oilers

Credit should go to the Edmonton Oilers and their blueline, which has stepped up in the absence of the injured Mattias Ekholm. 

That said, Darnell Nurse struggles as often as he is useful in the playoffs, and this year is no different.

As the Edmonton Journal’s David Staples pointed out, in nine games, the Oilers’ highest-paid defenseman made major mistakes on nine even-strength goals against. 

With Ekholm sidelined, Nurse was elevated to play alongside Evan Bouchard, but playing alongside a top-tier defenseman hasn’t changed Nurse’s underlying numbers. 

Perhaps the most obvious of mistakes came in Game 3’s collapse against Vegas, which saw Nurse caught on his knees during critical goals.

Mitch Marner, RW, Toronto Maple Leafs

Mitch Marner has excelled at times during this year’s playoffs with 12 points in 10 games. However, the Toronto Maple Leafs' pending UFA should achieve even more.

Marner has just two goals in the post-season, including zero shots in his last two games against the Florida Panthers. If Marner wants his next cap hit to be around Auston Matthews’ $13.25 million on his next contract, he can’t lack another gear when the Leafs had a chance to take a stranglehold on the second-round series.

Marner and Auston Matthews have now played four more games than Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk, but they have combined for as many goals as their first-round opponent, with four.

It’s tough to complain about Marner recording 12 points, the sixth-most in the NHL, but a fellow right winger whose contract expires this summer is showing how it’s done. 

The Stars’ Mikko Rantanen, who signed an eight-year contract extension worth $12 million per season, has nearly as many assists as Marner’s 10, with nine. The biggest difference is that Rantanen has nine goals, including two hat tricks, two game-winners and 12 even-strength points, double Marner’s six.

One X user put it bluntly: “Marner when it comes time to negotiate his contract: ‘Pay me like Rantanen.’ Marner when it comes time to play like Rantanen: ‘LMAO I’m not Rantanen.’ ”

Can Someone Please Tell Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews There's A Playoff Series Going On?Can Someone Please Tell Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews There's A Playoff Series Going On?Can someone please let the Toronto Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews know that there’s a playoff series going on that desperately needs his help.

Pierre-Luc Dubois, C, Washington Capitals

Pierre-Luc Dubois is an interesting case study of how a player can be hot and cold throughout an NHL career. His playoff woes continue after a productive 66-point regular season.

Dubois has yet to score in the post-season and has just three assists. Now with his fourth NHL team, Dubois’ reputation for disappearing remains a problem.

With the Washington Capitals on the verge of elimination now, Dubois is a key reason the team has struggled despite being one of the hottest clubs this season.

Connor Hellebuyck, G, Winnipeg Jets

Connor Hellebuyck’s playoff numbers are staggering – and not in a good way. 

With a .848 save percentage and 3.51 goals-against average, the Hart Trophy finalist has been a liability on the road, going 0-4 with a .772 SP and 6.65 GAA. 

Outside of a Game 2 shutout, he’s failed to look anything like the goalie most expect to be a shoo-in for the Vezina this season. Not only that, but the Winnipeg Jets are now two losses away from elimination, and he must win a game in Dallas to avoid the Jets going down 3-1 in the series.

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Trading Into First Overall Pick Is Possible For Blackhawks

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The New York Islanders jumped ten spots to select first in the 2024 NHL Draft by winning the first lottery. The Utah Hockey Club jumped from 14th to 4th by winning the second. That left the San Jose Sharks with the second overall pick and the Chicago Blackhawks at third. 

There is a lot of speculation about who each team in the top four will take. It will shape how the rest of the draft goes from there, as there is no clear-cut order that any of these top prospects could go in. 

Matthew Schaefer, a defenseman, is considered the number one prospect in the draft. Right behind him is forward Michael Misa. After that come names like James Hagens, Porter Martone, and Anton Frondell. 

Hagens, however, is a native of Long Island. This may make the Islanders think twice about passing on him. They already had one number one overall pick leave on them to go home. Hagens would already be home. 

If the Islanders wanted to select the hometown kid, the Blackhawks could help them while also helping themselves. With Connor Bedard, a smaller offensive-minded center, already in the mix, they would likely rather have Misa. 

Swapping with the New York Islanders would cost Chicago, as they’d be moving up two spots and getting a player that everyone deems to be better. They have plenty of other draft picks in 2025 and 2026 to offer, and they also have a cupboard loaded with outstanding prospects. 

It has been a long time since the number one overall pick in the NHL Draft has been traded. If there were a year that the streak would end, it would be this one. There isn’t a generational talent coming out, there isn’t even a sure-fire number one guy. There are plenty of great players, however, that will make teams take a pause. 

This wouldn’t be the first time that these two organizations swapped first-round picks, either. In fact, it has happened within the last year. On May 24th, 2024, the Islanders took an extra 2024 second-round pick from the Blackhawks to swap their 2024 first and second picks. 

Some new people are (and will be) in charge of the Islanders this time, but the organizations have worked well together many times before. If Kyle Davidson feels that Misa (or Schaefer) is his guy, he should be on the phone with the Islanders daily. 

The risk is there, considering the Islanders could take Hagens first overall without trading down. He did come into the year as the projected number one guy. However, trading up guarantees the guy that the Blackhawks want, and it stops other teams from potentially trading into that spot. Anything can happen. 

Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.

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What we learned as Koss' memorable slam powers Giants' win vs. D-backs

What we learned as Koss' memorable slam powers Giants' win vs. D-backs originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

BOX SCORE

SAN FRANCISCO — The new City Connects have gotten off to a slow start. Luckily for the Giants marketing department, Robbie Ray was the one to wear the jersey out to the mound Tuesday night. 

The Giants have been unbeatable in Ray’s starts this season and that continued Tuesday, as they snapped a four-game losing streak with a 10-6 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks and picked up their first win in the City Connects 2.0. Ray threw 108 pitches, his most since he returned from Tommy John surgery last year, and an early deficit was wiped out when Christian Koss hit a grand slam to left for his first big league homer.

Koss’ slam gave the Giants a 4-3 lead and they pulled away from there. Willy Adames added a two-run shot and Ray took the lead through the sixth. 

Ray improved to 6-0 and tied Brandon Pfaadt, who gave up the slam, for the National League lead in wins. The Giants are 9-0 in Ray’s starts this year, and the left-hander is the first Giant to go 6-0 through nine starts since John Burkett in 1993. 

The Diamondbacks did threaten to end that streak in the eighth when they loaded the bases for the top of the order, but Camilo Doval threw a 100.2 mph cutter to Ketel Marte that was bounced back to the mound for an inning-ending double play. The scoreless outing was the 15th in a row for Doval. 

In the bottom of the inning, Jung Hoo Lee put the game out of reach. The Diamondbacks intentionally walked Heliot Ramos to set up a left-on-left matchup, but Lee spoiled their plans with a three-run homer to right that delighted the crowd on Korean Heritage Night at Oracle Park.

Koss The Boss

On Tuesday morning, Tyler Fitzgerald and Casey Schmitt started rehab assignments with Triple-A Sacramento, joining Jerar Encarnacion. All three will be back on the roster in the next couple of weeks and Fitzgerald — the starting second baseman — should be back at some point this week. 

Koss’ run in the starting lineup is coming to an end, and it’s possible he gets caught up in a roster shakeup once Schmitt and Encarnacion are back in the mix, as well. But he certainly took advantage of the latest start and made a statement at a time when the Giants are desperately searching for contributions at the bottom of their order and from their backups. 

Koss became the 17th Giant to have his first career homer be a slam, and the first since Ford Proctor on Sept. 29, 2022. After walks of struggling regulars Willy Adames and Patrick Bailey loaded the bases, he unloaded on a low sinker, hitting it into the first row of seats in left. 

Koss has a .589 OPS, but he has shown a short, simple swing in his opportunities and he looks comfortable with runners in scoring position. That will all be remembered as the Giants sort through their infield in the coming weeks. 

Ray Day = Win Day

The Diamondbacks had a double and four singles in the first inning, taking an early 3-0 lead on a team that had scored exactly one run in three of the previous four games. But when Ray is pitching, the Giants always find a way. 

The slam gave Ray a lead, and after that, he slammed both feet on the gas pedal. The Diamondbacks got two runners on in the fourth and Ray went 3-0 on Corbin Carroll, who homered twice Monday, but he battled back to a full count and then blew a 95 mph fastball past the young star outfielder. With the tying run on first an inning later, he did the same to catcher Gabriel Moreno. 

Ray came out for the sixth and reached 100 pitches for the first time this season. He struck out nine, a season-high. 

Positive Steps

Adames has taken early BP each of the last two days to work on a smaller leg kick. LaMonte Wade Jr. was out of the lineup on Monday to get a full physical and mental breather. On Tuesday, the two veterans who are off to slow starts had reasons to feel like they’re headed in the right direction. 

Adames extended the lead with a two-run homer in the fifth, his fifth of the season, and later doubled off the top of the wall in right. Wade followed with a single to right that was his second in two at-bats; his first time up, he hit a long fly ball to Triples Alley that would have been a homer in five MLB parks.

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Gary Cohen joins the show, Citi Field is a scene, and the Mets are all about winning | The Mets Pod

On the latest episode of The Mets Pod presented by Tri-State Cadillac, SNY Mets play-by-play broadcaster Gary Cohen joins Connor Rogers and Joe DeMayo to talk about the Mets' winning ways and the party atmosphere at Citi Field.

The crew covers crazy crowds in Queens, the sparkling starting rotation, Brett Baty, Luisangel Acuna, Francisco Lindor, and Gary reveals what it was like calling the Roku game with Joe Girardi and his favorite ballpark to call a game in outside of Citi Field.

Later, Connor and Joe look back at another successful week for the Mets, go Down on the Farm to chat about Jonah Tong, Nolan McLean, Matt Allan, and other pitching prospects, and answer Mailbag questions about additional outfield options, potential Mets All-Stars, and pitching possibilities surrounding the MLB trade deadline.

Be sure to subscribe to The Mets Pod at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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Where the Mavs' 2025 NBA Draft Lottery win ranks among the most unlikely ever

Where the Mavs' 2025 NBA Draft Lottery win ranks among the most unlikely ever originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The ping pong balls bounced the Dallas Mavericks’ way in the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes.

The Mavericks bolted to the top of the 2025 NBA Draft board thanks to one of the most unlikely draft lottery wins in event history.

Dallas, which was eliminated in the play-in tournament following a much-maligned midseason trade of Luka Doncic, entered the lottery with the 11th-best odds of landing the coveted No. 1 overall pick at 1.8%. The Mavs owned just 18 of the 1,001 possible four-digit combinations for the lottery drawing.

But one of them proved to be the winning combination for the top pick: 10-14-11-7.

The Mavericks became just the fourth team with less than 2% odds to win the No. 1 pick since the weighted lottery system debuted in 1990.

The biggest lottery miracle came back in 1993. After winning the Shaquille O’Neal sweepstakes with the second-best odds in the 1992 lottery, the Orlando Magic came into the 1993 event with the worst odds at 1.52%. But Orlando jumped from No. 11 to No. 1, becoming the first franchise to win consecutive lotteries. The Magic selected Chris Webber first overall in 1993 and then promptly traded him to the Golden State Warriors for No. 3 pick Penny Hardaway and several future first-rounders.

There are two teams that have won the lottery with 1.7% odds. The Chicago Bulls in 2008 went from ninth to first before selecting hometown prospect Derrick Rose. And one year after claiming the 2013 No. 1 pick with the third-best odds, the Cleveland Cavaliers went back-to-back in 2014 by winning it with the ninth-best odds. Cleveland then used No. 1 pick on Andrew Wiggins and dealt him less than two months later to the Minnesota Timberwolves in a trade for Kevin Love.

Here’s a full look at the most unlikely draft lottery wins of all time, according to RealGM, along with the players who were selected:

1. Orlando Magic, 1993: 1.52% — Chris Webber

T-2. Chicago Bulls, 2008: 1.7% — Derrick Rose

T-2. Cleveland Cavaliers, 2014: 1.7% — Andrew Wiggins

4. Dallas Mavericks, 2025: 1.8% — TBD

5. Cleveland Cavaliers (via Clippers), 2011: 2.8% — Kyrie Irving

6.Atlanta Hawks, 2024: 3% — Zaccharie Risacher

7. New Jersey Nets, 2000: 4.4% — Kenyon Martin

8. Portland Trail Blazers, 2007: 5.3% — Greg Oden

9. New Orleans Pelicans, 2019: 6% — Zion Williamson

10. Milwaukee Bucks, 2005: 6.3% — Andrew Bogut

11. Toronto Raptors, 2006: 8.8% — Andrea Bargnani

12. Houston Rockets, 2002: 8.9% — Yao Ming

13.Golden State Warriors 1995: 9.4% — Joe Smith

Editor’s note: The original version of this story was published in 2022.

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Watford appoint Paulo Pezzolano as 18th permanent manager since 2013

  • Former Valladolid manager is ‘the leader we need’
  • Hornets finished 14th in Championship this season

Watford have announced the appointment of Paulo Pezzolano as their new head coach. The 42-year-old Uruguayan succeeds Tom Cleverley, who was sacked on 6 May following the Hornets’ disappointing 14th-place finish in the Championship.

Pezzolano becomes Watford’s 18th permanent manager since Gianfranco Zola left in December 2013.

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MLB’s New After-Death Rule Makes Pete Rose, Black Sox HOF Eligible

Pete Rose was reinstated by Major League Baseball on Tuesday, commissioner Rob Manfred announced, along with anybody deceased who was on the permanently ineligible list of the sport.

That instantly makes Rose eligible for the National Baseball Hall of Fame, an institution that has shunned him since he signed an agreement in 1989 to a lifetime ban with the ability to apply for reinstatement after one year for betting on baseball as manager of the Cincinnati Reds.

Rose, along with Shoeless Joe Jackson and the other Black Sox players who were banned for betting on and throwing the 1919 World Series, will be now considered by the Hall’s Era Committees. Rose is MLB’s all-time leader with 4,256 hits.

“The National Baseball Hall of Fame has always maintained that anyone removed from baseball’s permanently ineligible list will become eligible for Hall of Fame consideration,” Hall chair Jane Forbes Clark said in a statement. “Major League Baseball’s decision to remove deceased individuals from the permanently ineligible list will allow for the Hall of Fame candidacy of such individuals to now be considered.”

The Classic Baseball Era Committee, which studies candidates whose impact on the game occurred prior to 1980, will now get to vote on some of these individuals when it meets again in December 2027. As always, a historical committee will select the eight names to appear on that ballot for consideration by a 16-member panel of Hall of Fame players and executives, historians and eligible members of the baseball writers’ association. As with any Hall vote, it takes 75% for a candidate to be elected.

The determination by Manfred came after Rose’s family asked for him to be reinstated and President Donald Trump weighed in positively on the issue. Manfred met with Trump at the White House last month.

In a letter to Jeffrey M. Lenkov, the attorney for Rose, Manfred said MLB’s policy will now be that permanent ineligibility ends upon the death of the disciplined individual, dating back to the ruling by MLB’s first commissioner Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis that banned the Black Sox. Rose was placed on the list on Aug. 23, 1989, by then-commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti, who died only a week later.

Rose died from heart disease in Las Vegas this past Sept. 30 at the age of 83. Throughout his life, he petitioned MLB for reinstatement without success as he continued to bet on baseball. Manfred himself ruled against him, citing the integrity of the game as the main reason.

“Obviously, a person no longer with us cannot represent a threat to the integrity of the game,” Manfred wrote in the letter. “Moreover, it is hard to conceive of a penalty that has more deterrent effect than one that lasts a lifetime with no reprieve. Therefore, I have concluded that permanent ineligibility ends upon the passing of the disciplined individual, and Mr. Rose will be removed from the permanently ineligible list.” 

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