Jacob deGrom hits 2,000 strikeouts. Only one man got there faster.

There are 94 pitchers in major league history with 2,000 strikeouts. Jacob deGrom got there faster than 93 of them.

The Texas Rangers right-hander needed eight pitches Thursday night to reach the moment. He struck out Abimelec Ortiz on a slider Thursday night for No. 2,000, two batters into a game against the Washington Nationals. He reached 2,000 Ks in 1,661 career innings. Only Chris Sale, at 1,626 innings in 2019, needed fewer.

DeGrom passed Yu Darvish (1,697⅓ innings), Pedro Martinez, who got there in 1,711⅓ innings, and Randy Johnson, who needed 1,733⅓, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. If you measure it by games, it is nearly as lopsided. Thursday was deGrom's 272nd big league appearance, all of them starts. Johnson needed 262 games to hit 2,000 strikeouts. Nobody else has done it in fewer than 277.

Sale was 30 at the time he reached 2,000 strikeouts and Clayton Kershaw was 29. DeGrom just turned 38 in June.

The two-time Cy Young Award winner in 2018-19 had a late start. DeGrom was a shortstop the first two years of college and drafted after converting to pitching in 2010. He was a ninth-round pick who blew out his elbow six starts into his professional career. He had Tommy John in 2010 and missed all of 2011. He didn't make it to the majors until a month before his 26th birthday.

He has also been saddled with injuries in MLB. He made 31 or more starts in each season from 2017 through 2019 and pitched to a 2.53 ERA across 622⅓ innings. He made 32 starts in 2018 alone. Then came the injuries, and the Tommy John surgery in June 2023, 13 years after the first one. He made just 35 starts total from 2021-24.

When he was healthy, his strikeout rate was among the tops in the game. His strikeout percentage is 30.5 for his career.

This season has been deGrom's messiest of any "healthy stretch." He entered Thursday night's game at 8-8 with a 3.95 ERA and a 98 ERA+. Both are career worsts. The fastball still averages better than 97 mph.

He's had a left hip and glute issue nagging him since the All-Star break, and it is why manager Skip Schumaker pulled him after five innings and 88 pitches against Baltimore on Aug. 8, a night deGrom still struck out nine and gave up one run. Five days later he left his start in Anaheim after just two innings with what the Rangers labeled triceps fatigue. He had an MRI that came back clean and he threw two bullpens to gear up for this night.

DeGrom gave a vintage performance Thursday night. He gave up one hit and held the Nationals scoreless over six innings. He struck out 10, the 64th game of his career he has recorded double-digit strikeouts. The Rangers won 2-0.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jacob deGrom hits 2,000 strikeouts. Only one man got there faster.

Mets honoring Howie Rose with special retirement ceremony before final regular season game

Howie Rose, wearing sunglasses and a pinstripe suit, speaking at a podium with two microphones on a baseball field.
Howie Rose does introductions before the game between the New York Mets and the Miami Marlins during Opening Day on Friday, April 7, 2023, at Citi Field in Queens, NY. (Robert Sabo)

Legendary Mets broadcaster Howie Rose will retire at the end of the club’s home schedule this season.

The team will celebrate Rose with a special retirement ceremony before the last game of the season at Citi Field against the Phillies on Sunday, Sept. 20. 

The Mets will recognize Rose’s career and his impact on the organization.

Howie Rose does introductions before the game between the New York Mets and the Miami Marlins during Opening Day on April 7, 2023, at Citi Field in Queens, NY. Robert Sabo for NY Post

Rose has been part of Mets baseball for close to four decades.

The first 15,000 fans will receive a “Put it in the books” notebook and scorecard.

Fans hold up a sign for Howie Rose before a game between the New York Mets and the Pittsburgh Pirates on March 26, 2026, at Citi Field in Queens, NY. Robert Sabo for NY Post

The phrase was his signature sign-off after a Mets victory.

“For generations of Mets fans, Howie Rose has been more than a broadcaster, he has been the soundtrack of summer and the voice behind some of the most memorable moments in our history,” owners Steve and Alex Cohen said in a statement. “His love for baseball and this organization has come through in every call, creating a connection with Mets fans that few broadcasters ever achieve. Howie’s impact extends far beyond the booth. 

“He is part of the fabric of this franchise, and we are proud to celebrate an extraordinary career while thanking him for everything he has meant to the Mets. We wish Howie and his family nothing but the best in this next chapter.”

Rose, 72, grew up a Mets fan in Queens and started calling games for the team in 1987.

He has been their lead play-by-play voice on the radio since 2006. 

Mariners calling up top pitching prospect Kade Anderson in middle of fight for playoff spot

A baseball pitcher in a red and blue jersey and grey pants throws a ball at the 2026 MLB Futures Game.
Kade Anderson of the Seattle Mariners pitches for the American League Team during the 2026 MLB Futures Game at Citizens Bank Park on Sunday, July 12, 2026, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The Mariners are calling up one of the best pitching prospects in baseball.

Seattle is promoting left-hander Kade Anderson to make his major league debut Saturday against the Cubs at T-Mobile Park, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported Thursday.

Anderson, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft, has dominated the minor leagues during his first professional season.

Kade Anderson of the Arkansas Travelers pitches during the game between the Wichita Wind Surge and the Arkansas Travelers at Dickey-Stephens Park on Friday, April 10, 2026 in North Little Rock, Arkansas.

The 22-year-old southpaw owns a 1.06 ERA across 93⅓ innings in 18 starts for Double-A Arkansas.

He’s punched out 135 batters while issuing just 13 walks and allowing 47 hits, holding a 10-1 record with a 0.64 WHIP.

Anderson currently stands as the game’s top pitching prospect, along with being the No. 5 overall prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline.

Baseball America and FanGraphs both also have Anderson as the top arm on their prospect lists. 

The Mariners had recently begun openly discussing the possibility of Anderson joining their rotation for the final stretch.

“We’re not going to put Kade in the bullpen,” Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto said earlier this month. “He’s the best starting pitcher in the minor leagues.”

Kade Anderson of the Seattle Mariners pitches for the American League Team during the 2026 MLB Futures Game at Citizens Bank Park on Sunday, July 12, 2026, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Getty Images

Anderson emerged as one of college baseball’s biggest stars during his final season at LSU when he struck out 180 batters in 119 innings before helping the Tigers win the College World Series and earning Most Outstanding Player honors.

His debut will come on the national stage, with Saturday’s game scheduled for 7:15 p.m. ET on Fox.

The Mariners, who are 60-68 heading into the weekend series against the Cubs, are hoping Anderson can provide a boost with their playoff hopes currently on life support.

Although Seattle is just three games back of the third and final American League wild-card spot, five teams standing between them and the final playoff berth.

Struggling Seattle Mariners calling up top prospect Kade Anderson: What it means

The Seattle Mariners, one of baseball’s greatest disappointments this season, are calling up the minor league’s most dominant pitcher in an effort to reverse their fortunes.

Kade Anderson, the left-hander making a mockery of Class AA hitters all season, will be called up to start their Saturday, Aug. 22 game in Seattle against the Chicago Cubs, ESPN first reported.

Anderson, 22, was the third overall pick in the 2025 draft out of LSU, and in his first full professional season has proven almost untouchable. He’s struck out 135 in 93⅓ innings while compiling a 10-1 record and 1.06 ERA in 18 starts.

He will be joining one of the deepest and best rotations in baseball, though one that’s collectively not reached expectations this season. That goes for the team as well: With All-Star catcher Cal Raleigh going from a 60-homer campaign to batting .156 with just 13 homers, the Mariners are 60-68 one year after reaching Game 7 of the ALCS.

Yet they’re still just 4.5 games out of first place in the West and 3 games out of an AL wild card spot. But time is slipping away: They absorbed a 22-0 beatdown at Milwaukee on Tuesday and lost two of three games there.

Anderson can probably help.

“I’m really focused on myself, being patient through this process. I feel like my time will come when it comes,” Anderson told USA TODAY Sports last month at the Futures Game in Philadelphia.  “I don’t want to play this game for this season.

“I want to play this game for a long time.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Struggling Seattle Mariners calling up top prospect Kade Anderson: What it means

Outfielder’s two-out blunder in the ninth inning costs Reds the game in most brutal fashion

An outfielder's brutal gaffe with two outs in the ninth costs the Reds the game.

The Reds were handed one of their most brutal losses of the season on Thursday.

With Cincinnati holding a 5-4 lead over the Cardinals with two outs in the ninth inning, St. Louis shortstop J.J. Wetherholt lofted a ball to left-center field, which appeared to be an easy out for center fielder Dane Myers to track down.

But as Myers drifted toward the ball while calling off left fielder TJ Friedl, the ball deflected off his glove and rolled back to the warning track, allowing the Cardinals to score two runs and regain the lead.

After throwing the misplayed ball back into the infield, Myers appeared dumbfounded while crouching in the outfield.

The Cardinals’ offense then exploded with another four runs in top half of the ninth before the Reds responded by putting four across in the bottom half.

Myers owned up to the blunder while speaking to reporters. PNC

Cincinnati’s comeback attempts were ultimately foiled after Matt McLain hit a hard line drive to St. Louis outfielder Jordan Walker with the bases loaded to end the game, with the Cardinals sealing the 10-9 victory.

Myers owned up to the blunder while speaking to reporters, saying that he and Friedl had talked about plays in the gap beforehand.

“Shaded over a good bit. We had talked before the play. Anything in that gap with how we were shaded was supposed to be mine,” Myers said, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. “So, I know the sun may have been tough.

Myers appeared dumbfounded while crouching in the outfield after throwing the ball back into the infield. PNC

“Pretty loud for the last out of a game. I called him off and just didn’t make the play.”

Reds skipper Terry Francona likened Myers’ game-altering error to a simple baseball mistake.

“TJ looked like he was fighting the sun and I was kind of glad that Myers called him off,” Francona said. “Just didn’t look it into his glove. Just glanced off.”

Thursday’s loss gives the Reds a 61-67 record, and they sit seven games out of the final National League wild-card spot with just over a month left in the regular season.

Aaron Judge’s next step in injury recovery goes ‘well’ in positive Yankees sign

New York Yankees Aaron Judge watch the Yankees in the dugout when the New York Yankees played the Seattle Mariners Thursday, August 13, 2026 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, NY.
New York Yankees Aaron Judge watch the Yankees in the dugout when the New York Yankees played the Seattle Mariners Thursday, August 13, 2026 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, NY.

BALTIMORE — Although the Yankees were due to play a key game at Camden Yards on Thursday night, the most important swings of the day may have come in The Bronx, where Aaron Judge started hitting off a tee.

Aaron Boone noted the advancement in Judge’s recovery from the fractured rib that’s kept him out since the beginning of June.

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“It went well,’’ the manager said before the Yankees topped the Orioles 6-1. “It will be good to see him [Friday] when we get home.”

Initially restricted to limited activity, Judge had moved on to playing catch and, more recently, swinging in a pool.

But if there’s any real chance of Judge getting healthy and performing up to his normal standards before the end of the season, the Yankees will have to keep an eye on the calendar.

Aaron Judge watches from the dugout during the Yankees’ loss to the Mariners on Aug. 13, 2026 at the Stadium. Robert Sabo for NY Post

He’s already been sidelined for nearly three months and will need time to get back into playing shape when he’s completely healthy.

Another injured outfielder, Cody Bellinger, played his first minor league rehab game Thursday with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after being out with a hamstring strain since suffering the injury July 25. He served as the DH and went 1-for-3.

Bellinger will likely need more than one rehab game before his return, but the Yankees haven’t ruled out a potential return this weekend at the Stadium against Toronto.

Without Bellinger, the Yankees have been forced to play Spencer Jones and Heliot Ramos more than they would like.

Boone said Giancarlo Stanton has continued his running program as he works to get back from the calf injuries that have kept him from playing since April.


Ryan McMahon didn’t play Thursday after suffering an injury to his left thumb while sliding into second base during Wednesday’s win.

The third baseman said he expected to get another scan of the injury Friday in The Bronx, but as of Thursday, no IL stint was deemed necessary, and initial X-rays showed nothing was broken.

JosĂ© Caballero started at third base in McMahon’s place.

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Since the Yankees were unable to pick up a catcher at the trade deadline, Mitch Garver likely is their best option if they decide to replace Ali Sánchez as Austin Wells’ backup.

Garver, released by the Mariners earlier this month, signed a minor league deal with the Yankees, and Boone said the veteran right-handed hitter has made “good strides” after working with the organization’s catching group in Tampa, Fla.

He’s been with SWB for a week, but Boone said “nothing’s imminent” in terms of Garver potentially being called up to The Bronx.


Right-hander Ben Hess, the Yankees’ fourth-best pitching prospect according to MLB Pipeline, was placed on the 60-day IL.

Hess, 23, was the first-round pick in 2024 and was limited to 56 ÂČ/₃ innings at Double-A this season.

Mariners to promote top prospect Kade Anderson to Major Leagues

BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA - JUNE 25: Kade Anderson, 2025 College World Series Champs LSU Baseball Star, works celebratory "Shift" at Raising Cane's Baton Rouge on June 25, 2025 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Photo by Kaitlyn Morris/Getty Images for Raising Cane's) | Getty Images for Raising Cane's

The Seattle Mariners are calling up left-handed pitcher Kade Anderson to make his first big league start on Saturday, August 22nd against the Chicago Cubs. The long awaited debut comes following a road trip where Seattle struggled to contain three potent offenses, scuppering their chances of upsetting a few of the best teams in baseball and making up ground in the American League West.

Anderson has not been merely lights out so much as vantablack with Double-A Arkansas in the Texas League. Anderson is all but universally viewed as the top pitching prospect in baseball due to stellar stuff, plus command, and a dominant résumé from his time on campus at LSU up through this summer with the Travelers. Some evaluators have even placed him as the best prospect in all of baseball, full stop.

His 1.06/1.78/2.67 ERA/FIP/DRA are mildly aided by a very friendly home field for pitchers in Dickey-Stephens Park, but what has aided them more is Anderson being an absolute monster. He has dominated every lineup he has faced, from veteran-filled rosters 4 to 6 years his senior to highly regarded prospect groups, including a star-studded Tulsa Drillers team that features several of the top prospects in baseball as the AA affiliate for the Los Angeles Dodgers. What’s been particularly standout is his consistency – Anderson has allowed more than two runs just once on the year in 18 starts (a five-run outings in mid-May). He’s allowed more than one run just two other times, with two runs in starts against Double-A Amarillo (San Diego’s affiliate) and at the launching pad of Springfield (the Cardinals affiliate). In his 93.1 innings, he’s had 135 strikeouts against just 13 walks and a single hit by pitch.

Anderson utilizes a deep bag of tricks, all of which he commands excellently. His fastball doesn’t explode on the radar gun, but there is some aspect of deception in Anderson’s lanky delivery that lets it get on opposing hitters far quicker than one would expect. He complements those heaters with a nasty mid 80s slider that is his best out pitch, breaking tightly and befuddling hitters of either handedness. Anderson also utilizes a beautiful big curveball which frequently buckles knees and freezes hitters, alongside a firm change up that completes a gorgeous compass rose of movement profiles.

Watching Anderson, it’s been reasonable to say he is one of Seattle’s five best starting pitchers, even in a rotation that for much of the year has been a strength. It’s been defensible to continue letting the existing starters have their run considering each has big league success they can point to, but the timing of Anderson‘s promotion cannot be decoupled from the passing of the recent service time deadline. With under 45 days to go in the service time calendar, Anderson will maintain rookie eligibility in 2027, keeping him eligible for the prospect promotion incentives rewards without risking an additional year of closer proximity to free agency.

President of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto recently stated there was no intention to have Anderson come up and work in relief. Mariners fans should know by now not to take any public comments from Dipoto as gospel, but the level at which Anderson has performed is meritorious of a rotation look. Seattle has been cautious with him in terms of innings, rarely letting Anderson face opponents more than twice through the order, which is a point worth monitoring when considering his numbers. But even in outings frequently kept around five frames for that reason, Anderson has been hilariously efficient and effective.

Washington Nationals vs Texas Rangers Game Thread

ARLINGTON, TX - AUGUST 19: Andrés Chaparro #87 of the Washington Nationals celebrates with CJ Abrams #5 in the dugout after hitting a three-run home run in the seventh inning during the game between the Washington Nationals and the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on Wednesday, August 19, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Courtney Kramer/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images

Last night the Nats got carried by their ace Cade Cavalli. They also got enough offense thanks to a monster night from Andres Chaparro. The Nats will look to claim a series win with their second best starter on the mound. After some recent road struggles, a series win would be a nice way to get back on track.

CJ Abrams is out of the lineup in this rubber match with an ankle injury. Nasim Nunez will be playing shortstop while Jose Tena plays second base. Brady House will be at third base for Jorbit Vivas and Dylan Crews is back in the lineup in center field. Andres Chaparro and Abi Ortiz are both in the lineup again. Andrew Pinckney will also get a somewhat rare start. Andrew Alvarez has been excellent lately and will look to keep that up.

With a lefty on the mound, we will see a lot of the faces we saw in game one. Jake Burger, Justin Foscue, Danny Jansen and Cody Freeman all return to the lineup. Most of these guys are short-side platoon bats. The Nats will see an old friend on the mound tonight. Jacob DeGrom dominated them with the Mets for many years, but now he is in Texas and still throws heat.

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Game Info:

Stadium: Globe Life Field

Time: 8:05 PM EST

TV: Nationals.TV and FS1

Radio: 106.7 The Fan

A series win would be very uplifting for a Nats team that has struggled lately. With Alvarez on the mound, they have one of their hottest arms. Hopefully they can get enough done offensively. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats!

Kade Anderson called up by Mariners

OMAHA, NEBRASKA - JUNE 21: Kade Anderson #32 of the LSU Tigers pitches during the first inning against the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers at Charles Schwab Field on June 21, 2025 in Omaha, Nebraska. (Photo by Jay Biggerstaff/Getty Images) | Getty Images

LSU’s ace from the 2025 College World Series championship team has finally received his Major League call up. Kade Anderson is on his way to Seattle to make his professional debut on Saturday vs the Chicago Cubs.

The left-handed stud has been magnificent in his first year of minor league baseball in 2026. He has spent the entire season with Arkansas Travelers, the Mariners AA team.

In 18 starts, Anderson has posted an ERA of 1.06 with a record of 10-1. In 93.1 innings pitched, he’s allowed just 47 hits while striking out 135 and walking just 13.

All of his stats are elite, but having a WHIP of 0.643 and strikeout to walk ratio of 10.38 is absurd. He’s been untouchable, further proved by his .147 batting average against. He leads the minor leagues with a strikeout rate of 40.5%.

Anderson had worked his way up to the #1 overall prospect in Seattle’s organization. As for overall, he ranks #3 in ESPN’s prospect rankings and #5 for MLB Pipeline.

Although he threw 38.1 innings as a true freshman in 2024, he was returning from Tommy John surgery that held him out for his entire senior season at St. Paul’s High School in Covington, Louisiana. He had success in midweek games, but his experience in the SEC was full of trouble.

As a true sophomore, Anderson began the 2025 season as the Tigers ace and never looked back. His 12-1 record helped lead LSU to a National Seed and a national championship. He pitched to a 3.18 ERA through 119.0 innings of work, while leading the entire country in strikeouts with 180 and walking just 35.

Due to his age, Anderson was a draft-eligible sophomore and was selected #3 overall by Seattle in the 2025 MLB Draft.

First pitch for the Mariners-Cubs game on Saturday is 6:15 central and will be nationally televised on FOX.

Game 128 Game Day Thread – Washington Nationals @ Texas Rangers

ARLINGTON, TX - AUGUST 09: Jacob deGrom #48 of the Texas Rangers takes the field during a game against the Baltimore Orioles at Globe Life Field on August 09, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Gunnar Word/Texas Rangers/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Washington Nationals @ Texas Rangers

Thursday, August 20, 2026, 7:05 PM CDT (105.3 The Fan / Rangers Sports Network)

The Shed

LHP Andrew Alvarez vs. RHP Jacob deGrom

Today’s Lineups

NATIONALSRANGERS
Daylen Lile – RFWyatt Langford – DH
Abimelec Ortiz – DHCorey Seager – SS
Andres Chaparro – 1BJake Burger – 1B
Jose Tena – 2BBrandon Nimmo – RF
Brady House – 3BEzequiel Duran – LF
Keibert Ruiz – CJustin Foscue – 2B
Dylan Crews – CFDanny Jansen – C
Nasim Nunez – SSCody Freeman – 3B
Andrew Pinckney – LFEvan Carter – CF
Andrew Alvarez – LHPJacob deGrom – RHP

Go Rangers!

Premier League: 10 things to look out for as the new season kicks off

Manchester United’s new-look midfield, Ipswich’s ambition is tested and Kevin Keegan tributes at Newcastle

While Myles Lewis-Skelly looks likely to remain at the Emirates, the same can’t be said for Ethan Nwaneri. The 19-year-old was outstanding in his breakthrough season for Arsenal in 2024-25 but barely featured last season and was sent on loan to Marseille. That didn’t really work out and Arsenal are now exploring another temporary move to ensure Nwaneri gets regular football this season. Milan, RB Leipzig, Dortmund and Fulham are all thought to be interested, with Nwaneri unlikely to feature on the bench for Friday’s opener against Coventry as a result. Whether Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus are available remains to be seen as Arsenal attempt to find suitors for the Brazil duo. Ed Aarons

Arsenal v Coventry City, Friday 8pm (all times BST)

Hull City v Manchester United, Saturday 12.30pm

Ipswich Town v Sunderland, Saturday 3pm

Nottingham Forest v Leeds, Saturday 3pm

Brighton v Aston Villa, Sunday 2pm

Manchester City v Bournemouth, Sunday 2pm

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Inner confidence and ‘BBL’ nickname: Inside Tanner Scott’s bounce-back Dodgers season

An image collage containing 3 images, Image 1 shows Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Tanner Scott throws in the eighth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers, Image 2 shows Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Tanner Scott works against the Colorado Rockies, Image 3 shows Dodgers reliever Evan Phillips wears a

At first, Evan Phillips didn’t get what the big deal was.

Tanner Scott’s “BBL” nickname?

“I thought it was just completely organic,” Phillips said.

Not quite. At least, not initially.

Last year, Scott had a disastrous debut season as the Dodgers’ closer. He signed a $72 million free-agent contract, then posted a 4.74 ERA with 10 blown saves, four losing decisions and a career-worst negative-0.6 mark in WAR, according to Baseball-Reference.

Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Tanner Scott works against the Colorado Rockies in the 10th inning of a baseball game Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026, in Denver. (Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) AP Photo/David Zalubowski

If that wasn’t bad enough, the campaign also culminated in fittingly futile fashion. During the National League Division Series, the left-hander developed an infected abscess on his 
 uh 
 backside. He was removed from the team’s playoff roster after rushing to the hospital for what manager Dave Roberts described at the time as an emergency excision procedure.

“Last year sucked,” Scott said. “That’s what I say every time someone asks.”

In other words, it was an all-around, pain-in-the-butt experience.

However, 2026 has gone markedly better for the former All-Star reliever. He has cut his ERA by more than half, owning a 2.28 mark entering Friday. He is unexpectedly leading the team in saves, going 18-for-20 in a ninth-inning role that was supposed to belong to new signing Edwin Díaz before he suffered his own string of injuries. In Roberts’ estimation, “he’s been our most consistent reliever, by far.”

And as a result, a very-online corner of the club’s fan base found a peculiar way to praise him.

Tanner Scott’s nickname takes a life of its own

Early on in Scott’s rebound season, some social media users began tagging him with the “BBL” nickname –– a Brazilian Butt Lift joke that played off his season-ending medical issue last fall, as well as the transformation he’d undergone since.

It was sophomoric humor, no doubt, a niche internet meme that largely went unnoticed outside of Dodgers-centric communities on Twitter.

Dodgers reliever Evan Phillips wears a “BBL” T-shirt he ordered to commemorate teammate Tanner Scott’s new nickname. Jack Harris

But then, when Scott faced Seattle Mariners slugger Cal Raleigh last month, team broadcaster Stephen Nelson took the acronym mainstream, slipping it into his SportsNet LA commentary with a twist.

“It’s the Big Dumper,” Nelson said, in reference to Raleigh’s iconic nickname, “against BBL: Big Bad Lefty, Tanner Scott.”

Before long, the clip had caught the attention of Dodgers players. Those who weren’t attuned to the phrase’s original meaning –– including Phillips, one of Scott’s close, longtime friends in the sport –– quickly learned and latched onto the bit.

“There’s some backstory to the Twitter world, the meme world,” Phillips laughed this week. “It’s amazing.”

So much so, Phillips commissioned an order of T-shirts emblazoned with the BBL moniker, dozens of which have since been passed out around the clubhouse. 

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Tanner Scott throws in the eighth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California, on Friday, August 14, 2026. (This asset – including all text, audio and imagery – is provided by Imagn Images. Reuters Connec) IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Phillips made sure to use the PC version of the nickname in the shirt’s design, with the letters spelling out “Big Bad Lefty” in a crossword-esque pattern. The accompanying photo, though, uncoincidentally shows Scott in the middle of his wind-up, with his leg lifted and posterior prominently featured.

Scott’s take on it all?

“It’s fun,” he told the California Post with a sheepish grin this week.

Indeed, for as juvenile as the jokes may seem, the 10-year veteran has been a surprisingly good sport about it.

Scott laughed about the clubhouse shirts, saying he was a fan of them because “Evan’s my friend.” He noted that his wife, Maddie, has found another novelty tee online of “me with a giant tush.” This offseason, Scott even poked fun at himself on Instagram, captioning a photo of him holding the World Series thusly: “Put everything BEHIND me,” he wrote, alongside a peach emoji.

Not every player would embrace such attention so light-heartedly, of course, especially when the comedy is referencing something as dispiriting as his 2025 season.

Scott’s attitude, however, is exactly part of the reason he has been able to stage his sudden turnaround. 

He didn’t let himself get hung up on last year’s failures. He was able to flush his frustrations and reframe his mindset. And now, with the help of some offseason mechanical tweaks that have eliminated last year’s habit of too often missing down the middle, he has rediscovered his “inner confidence” as one of the sport’s premier left-handed relievers, as Roberts noted this week.

Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Ben Rortvedt, left, congratulates relief pitcher Tanner Scott after defeating the Colorado Rockies in a baseball game Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026, in Denver. (Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) AP Photo/David Zalubowski

“He’s very good at not letting the noise affect him,” Roberts said. “He doesn’t run from struggles.”

Entering the stretch run of this season, it has made Scott the most important arm in the Dodgers’ banged-up bullpen.

With Díaz back on the injured list, he has a chance to re-establish himself as the team’s primary closing option.

This week, Scott authored an auspicious return to the role in the wake of Díaz’s neck injury, recording a four-out save on Tuesday night in Colorado then a scoreless 10th-inning save to complete a series sweep over the Rockies a night later.

And, as Phillips unintentionally quipped while discussing Scott’s resurgent performance, it might be giving new meaning to the BBL nickname –– with Phillips highlighting the way his teammate has “bounced back” this season.

“Baseball is a game of really tiny adjustments and subjectivity and nuance and –– all these words that Tanner would never use,” Phillips joked. “But just his ability to show up each day and get after it and do what he does, that’s part of what makes him so good.”

European playoffs: Rangers scrape first-leg win as Brighton draw in Norway

  • 10-man Rangers hang on for 1-0 win against Jablonec

  • TromsĂž 0-0 Brighton; Hearts 2-2 Rapid Vienna

Ryan Naderi’s second-half strike gave an unconvincing Rangers a narrow 1-0 win in the first leg of their Conference League playoff tie against Czech side Jablonec at Ibrox. Derek McInnes got his first win as Rangers manager at the fifth time of asking with a 5-1 thumping of St Mirren on Sunday but there was regression in the goalless first half which brought boos at the interval whistle.

The Govan side pepped up after the break and Naderi opened the scoring from close range in the 50th minute but in the 78th minute the substitute Cammy Devlin was sent off – minutes after coming off the bench – for a high tackle on Jiri Slama to leave Rangers to see out the game with 10 men.

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Luka Doncic showing Lakers true colors as Buss family drama rages on

Luka Doncic’s minicamp couldn’t be better timed. 

Amid the chaos of the Lakers being sold twice in 10 months and the Buss family being embroiled in a battle over its remaining 17.8% stake in the team, Doncic is gifting the players some noise-canceling headphones in the form of chemistry. 

He chartered a flight for his teammates to come to Slovenia. They’re going to be playing basketball. Golfing. Going out to dinners. 

Luka Doncic is steeling his Lakers teammates against the drama that has recently mired the franchise. Getty Images

They’re going to be steeling themselves against the drama that has recently mired the Lakers.

This is Doncic’s first important act as the official leader of the team. 

Yes, the Lakers became Doncic’s team as soon as he was stunningly traded by the Mavericks to Los Angeles in February 2025. But even though it was clear that Doncic was their No. 1 priority, a man by the name of LeBron James was on the squad. You know, arguably the greatest player of all time. 

Doncic was the present and the future of the organization, but James was the face of the league. He’s going to be the sun on any squad he’s on. That’s what happens when you’re a four-time champion, four-time MVP and the league’s all-time leading scorer. 

When James left this summer in free agency, everything changed. 

There’s no more ambiguity. No fuzziness. No ifs, ands or buts. 

Jeanie Buss and her siblings are embroiled in off-court drama regarding the sale of the franchise. AP

The Lakers belong to Doncic. He will be celebrated for their successes. He will be blamed for their failures. And more than anything, it’s up to him to keep things together when there are speed bumps. And right now, they’re Himalaya-sized. 

Doncic has already begun putting his fingerprint on all parts of the organization. He played a major role in helping build the Lakers’ new roster. 

He wanted to keep playing alongside Austin Reaves, whom the Lakers signed to a four-year, $180 million deal, the richest contract for a player who went undrafted. 

He wanted to be paired with center Walker Kessler, whom the Lakers acquired from Utah on a four-year, $130 million sign-and-trade deal, including giving up two unprotected first-round picks (2031 and 2033) and two first-round pick swaps (2028 and 2030).

The Lakers went all in on trying to make Doncic happy. They have zero tradable first-round draft picks through 2033. Now it’s his turn to pour his heart and soul into the team. 

A minicamp is just what the Lakers need now, and Doncic got very lucky with the timing.

They’ve been going through whiplash-inducing changes. They’re the talk of the sports world. They’re a mess.

During the minicamp, which began Thursday, Doncic will remind everyone of what matters. 

Each other. 

The Lakers’ new ownership isn’t going to play within the four lines. Former Disney CEO Bob Iger and venture capitalist Josh Kushner aren’t going to shoot game-winning jumpers with the clock expiring. 

Doncic didn’t play in the 2026 postseason, but he is helping his teammates gear up for the 2026-27 campaign. Getty Images

The massive investigation into former Lakers owner Mark Walter’s financial empire can’t block their shots. 

Whether the Buss family sells its share in the Lakers and Jeanie Buss remains governor isn’t going to impact their locker room chemistry. 

All of the noise around the Lakers is really just noise, even though it’s seemingly deafening.  

What matters is Doncic and Reaves harmoniously playing off one another like two perfectly tuned musical instruments in a symphony. 

What matters is Kessler learning their games and blossoming into an All-Star. 

What matters is Quentin Grimes, Collin Sexton and Matisse Thybulle wanting to run through a wall for the team’s three stars. 

Doncic has brought everyone together before, such as organizing a Porsche Driving Experience for the team in October 2025. But this feels different. 

He brought everyone to his home country. He greeted his teammates at their hotel while holding one of his daughters. They’re seeing the real him. 

The minicamp is going to remind the Lakers how unimportant all of the major earthquakes around them are as soon as they take the court.

It’s the type of thing that can quiet the chaos. 

It’s the type of thing that can pay dividends come April.


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