Just before the start of Monday night’s Boston Red Sox-Kansas City Royals game, Sox manager Alex Cora made a last-minute lineup switch that had fans scrolling their social feeds for updates.
Roman Anthony, the Sox rookie star who has helped propel the team to first place in the Wild Card race, was scratched from the lineup, but it wasn’t immediately clear why. Was he ill? Did he suffer an injury? Was the future of the season in jeopardy?
As it turns out, Anthony wasn’t seriously injured, but experienced some mid-back tightness, and the team chose to replace him in right field with Wilyer Abreu as a precaution.
“Came out to the line, everything felt normal all day, and I felt something as I was standign on the line. Just figured we’d be cautious with it,” Anthony said after the game. “It just was super uncomfortable, and I relayed that quickly and we just decided we were going to shut it down.”
Anthony is expected to sit out Tuesday’s game as well, but could be back in the lineup as soon as Wednesday.
“Yeah, obviously, I’ll get with the training staff and figure that out, but already definitely trending in the right direction and feeling better than it was earlier,” Anthony said.
As it turned out, the Sox didn’t need Anthony on Monday anyway, as they beat the Royals 8-5 behind strong pitching from starter Brayan Bello and strong offensive performances from Jarren Duran and Rob Refsnyder.
Yegorov, 19, is entering his sophomore season at Boston University, where he plays under former Devils forward Jay Pandolfo. Standing 6-foot-5 and weighing 181 pounds, the Russian netminder was drafted 49th overall in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. He impressed at the Devils’ 2025 Development Camp, towering over fellow prospects.
While not NHL-ready just yet, Yegorov has already shown why he’s among the league’s most highly regarded young goalies. In his freshman season at BU, he appeared in 18 games, posting a .927 save percentage. Remarkably, he joined the team midseason and debuted just four days later in a rivalry game against Boston College.
Raised in St. Petersburg, Russia, Yegorov moved to the United States at 17 with dreams of making the NHL. He spent two seasons in the USHL with the Omaha Lancers, playing 43 games in 2023–24 (.892 SV%) and 19 games in 2024–25 (.912 SV%) before leaving midseason for NCAA hockey.
Only three goaltenders ranked ahead of him:
Yaroslav Askarov – San Jose Sharks prospect, 6'4", known for size and athleticism.
Jacob Fowler – Montreal Canadiens prospect, 6'2", considered a top-tier talent.
Trey Augustine – Detroit Red Wings prospect, 6'1", athletic and composed.
The Devils’ current goaltending depth chart features Jacob Markstrom as the starter, coming off a playoff run last season. Veteran Jake Allen, who re-signed this offseason, serves as backup, while Nico Daws, with 52 NHL games under his belt, holds the third spot.
Yegorov is widely seen as the franchise’s future in net, and his No. 4 ranking among all NHL goalie prospects is a promising sign for New Jersey’s long-term outlook.
A recent report shows that among major sportsbooks, the New Jersey Devils have the eighth-best odds to win the Stanley Cup this season.
ESPN Bet NHL Futures lists the Devils at +1600 to take home the Cup.
This follows the 2024-25 season, when New Jersey was eliminated in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs by the Carolina Hurricanes, 4–1. The Devils finished the regular season 42-33, ranking 16th in the league and 7th in the Eastern Conference.
2024–25 Playoff ResultsFirst Round Eliminations:
Ottawa Senators: Lost to Toronto Maple Leafs (4–2)
Tampa Bay Lightning: Lost to Florida Panthers (4–1)
Montreal Canadiens: Lost to Washington Capitals (4–1)
New Jersey Devils: Lost to Carolina Hurricanes (4–1)
St. Louis Blues: Lost to Winnipeg Jets (4–3)
Colorado Avalanche: Lost to Dallas Stars (4–3)
Minnesota Wild: Lost to Vegas Golden Knights (4–2)
Los Angeles Kings: Lost to Edmonton Oilers (4–2)
Second Round Eliminations:
Toronto Maple Leafs: Lost to Florida Panthers (4–3)
Washington Capitals: Lost to Carolina Hurricanes (4–1)
Winnipeg Jets: Lost to Dallas Stars (4–2)
Vegas Golden Knights: Lost to Edmonton Oilers (4–1)
Conference Final Eliminations:
Carolina Hurricanes: Lost to Florida Panthers (4–1)
Despite last year’s early exit, the Devils’ projected 2025–26 roster has both high-end talent and depth. Stars like Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, Dawson Mercer, and Luke Hughes lead the way, supported by veterans Dougie Hamilton and Jacob Markstrom.
Offseason additions Connor Brown and Evgenii Dadonov strengthen the bottom six, while continued development on defense and improved even-strength scoring are expected to boost the team’s performance.
If the Devils stay healthy, particularly Jack Hughes, maintain a solid goaltending rotation, and tighten their defensive identity, they could make a deep playoff push.
Heading into the new season, they remain 8th in the league in Stanley Cup odds.
Dodgers starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow delivers during a 3-2 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals at Dodger Stadium on Monday night. (Luke Johnson / Los Angeles Times)
Brock Stewart slumped in front of a mostly empty locker in the middle of the Dodgers clubhouse Monday afternoon, a stall that used to belong to pitcher Dustin May, as clubhouse attendants rushed over with boxes of brand new size 13 cleats.
A week ago Stewart was pitching for the Minnesota Twins, who wear red cleats. The Dodgers don’t, so Stewart needed a makeover.
“I got blue gloves coming too,” he said.
Getting dressed properly isn’t the only thing players have to worry about when they change teams in the middle of the season. Stewart had a home and family in Minnesota to pack up and move when he learned Thursday that he had been traded from a team with a losing record to one chasing a second straight World Series title.
By late Monday evening, Stewart found himself in the middle of that pennant race when he took the mound in the ninth inning of a tie game. It didn’t end well, with Stewart (2-2) surrendering a run on three hits while getting just two outs in a 3-2 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals.
It was a rude homecoming for the right-hander, who was drafted by the Dodgers in 2014 but waived five years later after pitching 36 times over parts of four seasons. After he remade himself during a six-year sojourn in which dropped down to independent ball, Stewart was brought back to Los Angeles to stabilize an overworked, injury-plagued bullpen that has struggled.
In his first appearance at Dodger Stadium in the home uniform since 2019, he added to those struggles, giving up hits to the first two batters he faced, then falling behind 2-0 to pinch-hitter Yohel Pozo, who flared a single over the infield to drive in the go-ahead run.
For manager Dave Roberts, one bad outing won’t change Stewart’s role.
“That’s baseball,” he said.
“He's a high-leverage guy,” Roberts added. “He was certainly needed for our ballclub and I will use him as such.”
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts watches from the dugout during a 3-2 loss to the Cardinals on Monday. (Luke Johnson / Los Angeles Times)
Stewart certainly wasn’t the only reliever who struggled, with both bullpens wasting excellent efforts by starters Tyler Glasnow and Sonny Gray.
Glasnow gave the Dodgers (65-48) seven strong innings for the second time in three starts, conceding a run on three hits — none after the second inning — while striking out seven. Gray was even better in his seven innings, giving up just a fourth-inning solo home run to Freddie Freeman and a second-inning walk to Max Muncy before leaving with the score tied 1-1.
Anthony Banda was the first man out of a Dodger bullpen that has pitched more innings than any in baseball. Three batters later the Cardinals (57-57) went ahead on Iván Herrera’s home run to center.
Cardinals reliever Riley O’Brien gave the run right back in the bottom of the inning on a double to Teoscar Hernández.
So with the score even again, Roberts called on Stewart, who has had a whirlwind week. Five days ago he was on his way to Cleveland with the Twins when he got a call to fly to Tampa, Fla., to join the Dodgers instead. That left his wife Christina to pack up the couple’s house, their sons, 3-year-old Jett and 16-month-old Cal, and their hound-mix puppy and move to Los Angeles.
“My wife is just wearing the brunt of it,” he said. “That's maybe what people don't understand.”
Roberts, who played in five cities in his career, said the challenge of changing teams can go beyond finding the right color glove and cleats. But the transition was easier for Stewart since he broke in with the Dodgers.
“He's familiar with some of the players, most of the coaching staff, the city itself, the ballpark,” he said. “Things like that are part of his past routine.”
Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman hits a solo home in the fourth inning of a 3-2 loss to the Cardinals on Monday. (Luke Johnson / Los Angeles Times)
Stewart, arguably the biggest acquisition the Dodgers made at the trade deadline, had been in Los Angeles less than a day when he got to the ballpark Monday. He agreed he didn’t have much time to get acclimated, though he said he may need some time to find his way around the clubhouse, which underwent a $100-million renovation last winter.
As for his job, he said the Dodgers had made that clear.
“Andrew [Friedman] and [Brandon] Gomes just told me don't try to change anything. Just do what you've been doing and that'll be good enough,” he said, referencing the team’s president of baseball operations and general manager, respectively.
It wasn’t good enough Monday. But, Roberts said afterward, there’s still a lot more games to be played.
Right-hander Roki Sasaki is expected to throw the equivalent of three innings to hitters Friday and if that goes well, he could begin a minor-league rehab assignment next week. He has not pitched in nearly three months after going on the IL with a shoulder impingement.
Edman goes on injured list
Utilityman Hyeseong Kim, out since July 29 with a shoulder issue, is swinging a bat and taking grounders. Roberts is optimistic Kim will be able to return soon. But another utility player, Tommy Edman, went on the IL with an ankle injury. With Kim, Edman and Kiké Hernández, another utility player, all out with injuries, Roberts has not had the usual versatility he has enjoyed in fielding a lineup.
The Yankees led after three pitches, but on the final pitch of the night, surrendered a walk-off three-run home run to fall 8-5 to the Texas Rangers in extra innings Monday in Arlington.
In the home half of the 10th frame, Jake Bird, the fifth Yankee out of the bullpen, made Marcus Semien look foolish going down swinging on the sweeper before getting Adolis García to tap out to third. Manager Aaron Boone came out of the dugout to call for Wyatt Langford to be intentionally walked, and Josh Jung made that move look foolish: taking a sinker off the inside corner and driving a three-run homer 401 feet to left center to walk-off the Yanks.
The fourth straight loss doomed the struggling New York club to a 60-53 on the season (26-31 on the road) and lifted Texas to 59-55 (35-20 at home). The Yankees are now 5.5 games out of first place in the AL East and tied with the Seattle Mariners for the second Wild Card spot, with just a 1.5 game cushion ahead of the Rangers.
Here are the key takeaways...
- After Max Fried gutted through five innings, the bullpen trio of Luke Weaver, Camilo Doval, and David Bednar combined to retire the next nine batters with a strikeout each on 34 total pitches to preserve a one-run lead.
Devin Williams got the first batter of the ninth, but his 2-1 offering to pinch-hitter Joc Pederson was demolished 408 feet to right. The changeup hung right over the middle of the plate, and Pederson – 18-for-143 (.126) with a .473 OPS on the year – smoked it 101.6 mph off the bat to tie the game.
Williams got the game to extra innings, with a strikeout in the process, but it was his third blown save of the season as his ERA hit 5.10.
- In the top half of the tenth, Jasson Dominguez moved to third on a groundout and Anthony Volpe walked to put runners on the corners, but Austin Wells tapped into the 1-6-3 double play.
New York was 2-for-7 with runners in scoring position with six left on base through two frames while scoring three runs. They finished the night 3-for-15 with 10 left on base.
- The Yankees wasted no time jumping on left-hander Patrick Corbin as Paul Goldschmidt cranked a 92 mph sinker 419 feet to left field on the third pitch of the game. The homer, off the facing of the second deck, was his ninth of the season and first since June 19.
Amed Rosario followed by smacking a 92 mph sinker the other way into the right center gap for a double. Corbin got a pair of loud outs in between a pair of walks, which meantVolpe had a bases-loaded chance with two outs, but the shortstop went down swinging on a slider just off the outside corner.
The Yanks jumped on Corbin again in the second:Wells singled, Goldschmidt roped a double to the gap in left, Rosario singled up the middle to score one, and Cody Bellinger singled to left to plate another run. A wild pitch put the runners in scoring position and Giancarlo Stanton was walked intentionally, but again, the Yanks left the bases loaded asDominguez went down swinging and Jazz Chisholm Jr. flied out to left.
- After Goldschmidt singled to start the fourth, leaving him a triple shy of the cycle, against Rangers reliever Jon Gray, Stanton hit his classic line-drive homer, annihilating a ball 427 feet to center (115 mph off the bat) to put New York back ahead, 5-4.
In what could be his final start of the series, as Aaron Judge is expected to come off the IL on Tuesday and take the DH role, Stanton slugged his 10th homer in his 36th game of the season and sixth in his last 12 games
- Fried retired the first four batters he faced with two strikeouts before he allowed the next six batters to reach: Langford roped a double to the corner in left field, Jung worked a walk, Josh Smith went right back up the middle to plate the Rangers' first run, JonahHeim’s infield hit loaded the bases, Ezequiel Duran's single to left tied the game by driving in two, and Sam Haggerty singled to center to load them again.
Fried was responsible for the fourth run of the inning when he made a wild throw to second on a pickoff attempt. The lefty finally got out of the 35-pitch frame by retiring the next two.
After allowing a walk and a single in a scoreless third, the left-hander opened the fourth with a four-pitch walk and a Duran single to left. After a swinging bunt put two in scoring position, Fried froze Corey Seager with a sweeper and Volpe made a good stop on a smashed grounder, and his throw bounced the perfect height for Goldschmidt to field and end the inning.
Fried allowed a hit to start the fifth, but struck out the side to give him seven on the night. The lefty allowed eight hits and three walks (both matching his season high marks) but just four runs in five innings of work on 105 pitches (64 strikes).
- After Stanton's homer with two outs in the fourth, the Yanks managed just two hits – a Chisholm double and Bellinger single – as Gray kept it a one-run game to the middle of the eighth.
- The Yanks’ infield defense lacked a bit of crispness in the second inning. On the base hit up the middle that scored the first run, Chisholm and Volpe appeared to exchange glances as the ball went up the middle without either making much of an attempt at it. Later, Chisholm should have started an inning-ending double play, but his throw to second forced the shortstop to stretch and meant he couldn’t even attempt a throw to first.
- Dominguez entered the game in the top of the first inning after Austin Slater, making just his second start after coming over at the trade deadline, exited the game with left hamstring tightness. Slater sustained the injury running to first after grounding into a fielder’s choice to short.
Game MVP
The Rangers' bullpen got the job done with Gray starting things off with 5.0 innings of two-run ball before Luis Curvelo and Danny Coulombe pitched scoreless frames.
These two sides face off on Wednesday with an 8:05 p.m. first pitch.
Right-hander Will Warren (4.64 ERA and 1.428 WHIP in 110.2 innings over 23 starts) gets the ball for the visitors and will have to be on his game as the hosts are going with Nathan Eovaldi (1.49 ERA and 0.893 WHIP in 103.0 innings over 18 starts).
Before the sixth inning, Sean Manaea was making quick work of the Cleveland Guardians as the Mets left-hander held them scoreless through five innings on Monday night at Citi Field.
In fact, it looked like Manaea was on his way to another superb outing with a pitch count low enough that would enable him to go deep into the game, which would not only allow New York's bullpen some more rest, but also check off an important step in the Mets' attempt at stretching him out following injury.
Yet, as quickly as Manaea was disposing of the Guardians earlier, that's how fast they got to him in the sixth. After three singles, a hit by pitch and a wild pitch, suddenly, Cleveland had a 2-0 lead.
"It happened fast," manager Carlos Mendoza said. "Solid through five -- like dominating. First couple of guys get on, then (flyout) to Jose Ramirez, and then we get down 2-0, and you still feel like, ‘alright he’s in a good position to get out of this.'"
But on the second pitch thrown to Gabriel Arias, a 1-0 changeup left up in the strike zone, Arias parked it 440 feet to center field for a massive three-run bomb that quickly destroyed Manaea's night and put the Mets in a 5-0 hole.
After the game, Manaea, keeping it brief, said all the things that a starting pitcher would say after giving up a five-run inning like "I didn’t execute" and "no way around it, that sucks."
Manaea ended up going a season-high 5.2 innings, but allowed five runs on seven hits while striking out three.
Nevertheless, after Manaea's outing, New York persevered and was able to fight back almost immediately. Pete Alonso's 251st career home run, one shy of tying Darryl Strawberry's franchise record, got three runs back in the bottom half of the sixth, and just like that, the Mets were back in it.
They would tie it in the eighth with Alonso in the middle of it again, singling home a run to make it 5-4 before a sac fly by Mark Vientos evened things up. Unfortunately, New York was never able to take the lead despite multiple chances, including loading the bases with one out in the ninth.
It was Alonso, already 4-for-4, who came up to the plate with the bases loaded. A hit (or sac fly) would've won the game; a home run would've tied the record and caused chaos at Citi Field. Instead, Alonso struck out before Jeff McNeil lined out, which sent the game to extra innings.
"We had really good at-bats throughout and then just couldn’t get that last one there to finish the game," Mendoza said.
In the 10th inning, Brett Baty made an error on a bunt attempt, getting to the ball quickly but then throwing it wide of Francisco Lindor at second base. Mendoza said it was the right decision to keep the double play in order, but Baty's errant throw brought home a run for the Guardians and led to their second run of the inning, which turned out to be the game-winning run.
"I just gotta make a better throw on that play," Baty said. "The bunt was kind of up in the air, so I knew the runners were gonna have a tough read on it just because it went straight up into the air, and then I got it on one hop, and I gotta make a better throw than that."
But even after losing a tough one, Alonso pointed to the fight he saw from his team.
When asked how discouraging a loss like that can be, the first baseman thought the opposite.
"I think to be honest, it’d be more frustrating if we didn’t do anything, if we just kind of laid down right there," Alonso said, looking on the bright side. "... It was a good team comeback... There was a lot of positives. I know we didn’t get the W, but there’s a lot of positives because I think it would be more concerning if we had just kinda got blown out. But for us to battle back and keep fighting that’s a lot of good signs."
MIAMI — Astros third baseman Isaac Paredes will rehab his right hamstring injury instead of undergoing surgery in hopes of returning before the season is over, general manager Dana Brown said Monday.
Paredes sustained what Brown described as a “severe” right hamstring strain in a loss to the Seattle Mariners on July 19. He’s had multiple rounds of imaging done since then and received a second opinion last week from a doctor, who told him his two choices were to rehab the injury or undergo season-ending surgery.
Paredes received a platelet-rich plasma injection for his hamstring and will begin his rehab stint, which will mostly take place in Houston around the team, Brown said. He added that the immediate course of action will be a “long period” of letting the hamstring rest before beginning any sort of exercise.
“His whole opinion on this is, he wants to work hard to try to get back this season,” Brown said before Houston’s series opener at Miami. “Of course, he’s going to dedicate himself to getting back.”
The Astros (62-50) currently lead the AL West with around 50 games remaining in the regular season. Surgery would have sidelined Paredes at least six months.
“He’s doing well and he’s working hard,” Astros manager Joe Espada said. “He’s in good spirits, and I know he would rather be on the field. We hope for the best.”
Paredes was injured running to first base on a single to left field during a 7-6, 11-inning loss to Seattle. He left the game and was replaced by Zack Short. The 26-year-old Paredes is hitting .259 with 19 home runs and 50 RBIs this season.
Brown said that while it is too early to know if foregoing surgery could cause lingering issues in the long run, the team was informed of NFL players who have come back with no problems after rehabbing similar hamstring injuries.
“You can come back from this injury," he said. "Even though it was significant.”
PHILADELPHIA — Baltimore right-hander Grayson Rodriguez will have season-ending surgery on his pitching elbow next week.
Orioles interim manager Tony Mansolino made the announcement before Monday’s game in Philadelphia.
Rodriguez started the season on the injured list due to right elbow inflammation that flared up in spring training. A rehab outing scheduled for April 17 was canceled because of a strained lat muscle.
The 2018 first-round draft pick, who missed three months of the minor league season in 2022 with a lat injury, hasn’t pitched in the majors since July 31, 2024. He finished last season on the IL with a strained lat.
NEW YORK — The New York Yankees have signed right-hander Kenta Maeda to a minor league deal.
New York announced the move on Monday. The 37-year-old Maeda had been pitching for Triple-A Iowa, the top minor league affiliate for the Chicago Cubs, but he was released on Saturday.
The Yankees assigned Maeda to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Maeda had a 7.88 ERA in seven relief appearances for Detroit before he was designated for assignment on May 1. He went 3-7 with a 6.09 ERA in 17 starts and 12 relief appearances in his first year with the Tigers after agreeing to a two-year, $24 million contract in November 2023.
Maeda pitched well in his last two starts with Iowa, allowing one run and five hits in 12 innings. He went 3-4 with a 4.85 ERA in 12 starts with the Triple-A team overall.
Maeda made his major league debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2016, going 16-11 with a 3.48 ERA in 32 starts. He went 6-1 with a 2.70 ERA in 11 starts for Minnesota during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, finishing second in AL Cy Young Award balloting.
Maeda, who missed the 2022 season because of Tommy John surgery, is 68-56 with a 4.20 ERA in 226 major league games, including 172 starts.
LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Dodgers activated Max Muncy from the injured list and put fellow infielder Tommy Edman on the list Monday.
Muncy has been out since July 2, missing nearly five weeks with a bone bruise in his knee after a collision on a tag play during a game against the Chicago White Sox. The veteran slugger had been on a monthlong roll at the time of his injury, boosting his OPS to .832 with 13 homers and 55 RBIs.
Muncy returned more quickly than the initial six-week projection for his recovery. He was batting fifth and playing third base at Dodger Stadium on Monday night when Los Angeles opened a homestand against the St. Louis Cardinals.
“He’s put in a lot of work to get back with this timeline,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “Getting him back lengthens and strengthens our lineup.”
But just when Muncy is healthy enough to return, the NL West-leading Dodgers are losing Edman after he aggravated his injured right ankle.
Edman left a game in Boston last week after apparently spraining his ankle while running the bases, and he came out of the Dodgers’ game against Tampa Bay on Sunday with pain from running the bases again.
“Don’t know how long it’s going to be, but I do think that he’ll be back at some point,” Roberts said. “The main thing is when he gets back, how we can make sure that this doesn’t happen again. It’s kind of a ligament strain, tendons, whatever it is.”
Edman also missed time in May with a sprained ankle. Last year’s NLCS MVP is batting .228 with 12 homers and 44 RBIs this season.
Edman joins the lengthy list of Dodgers hoping to return soon from injuries to bolster the defending World Series champions’ repeat bid. Los Angeles didn’t make a bold move at the trade deadline last week, deciding to roll with its current roster while aiming for full health in October.
Utilityman Kiké Hernández went out last month with a sprained left elbow, and he isn’t close to returning despite undergoing multiple procedures including platelet-rich plasma therapy and cortisone shots.
“We’re not there yet, as far as worrying the season is lost” for Hernández, Roberts said.
Other injury news is more encouraging: Second baseman Hyeseong Kim is swinging a bat and taking grounders in anticipation of returning from left shoulder bursitis as early as this weekend, while reliever Tanner Scott will throw another batting practice session soon in his recovery from left elbow inflammation.
Roki Sasaki is still on the injured list on his bobblehead night Monday. The rookie right-hander has been out since May 8 with a right shoulder injury, but he will throw three live innings Friday after hitting mid-90s velocity in his most recent mound session. If his arm continues to feel good, he will get a minor league rehab assignment next week, Roberts said.
ARLINGTON, Texas — Aaron Judge could be back in the New York Yankees’ lineup as early as Tuesday, when their captain is eligible to come off the 10-day injured list after being sidelined because of a flexor strain in his right elbow.
Judge hit off Yankees minor league pitchers at the team’s complex in Tampa for the second day in a row Monday before flying to Texas, where he was seen in the dugout during the opener of a three-game series. Manager Aaron Boone said the two-time AL MVP could be available Tuesday.
“I don’t want to say definitely because I haven’t seen him yet, but I think that’s the plan,” Boone said before the game.
Judge hasn’t played since July 25 because of the elbow strain. An MRI showed no acute damage to his ulnar collateral ligament and he had a platelet-rich injection July 27, when he was placed on the IL in a move retroactive to the previous day.
His .342 batting average was still the best in the majors going into Monday’s games. He was fourth with 37 homers and fifth with 85 RBIs.
If Judge does return while in Texas, Boone said he will be the designated hitter. But the slugging outfielder could also play catch while there, which will help determine when he could return to the outfield.
“I’m hoping that Judgie’s clean and is playing catch either (Tuesday) or the next day and we’ll start to get an idea about a timeline for that and then we’ll see when we get back home what happens there,” Boone said.
Giancarlo Stanton has been the Yankees’ starting DH for all of his 32 games this season, including the opener against the Rangers. He missed the first 70 games of the season with inflammation in the tendons of both elbows, and Boone said he wouldn’t play the outfield in Texas if Judge does DH during the series.
The first time Judge said he felt pain in the elbow was July 22 at Toronto, after he made a strong throw home when George Springer singled to right. An inning later, Judge winced after catching a fly in the right-field corner and throwing to second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. Judge was caught by a YES Network camera clenching his right hand in a fist.
The Yankees arrived in Texas after being swept in a three-game series at Miami. That dropped them to third place in the AL East behind Toronto and Boston with 50 games left in the regular season, including Monday night. They go back home after the series in Texas.
Boone said having Judge back will be good for the team.
“Yeah, he’s Aaron Judge. We know what he means to our lineup and to the guys in the room,” Boone said. “So to get him back, we’re certainly excited about that and then hopefully shortly thereafter he’s back out in the field, too.”
The Mets erased a 5-0 deficit but suffered a heartbreaking 7-6 loss in extra innings to the Cleveland Guardians on Monday night at Citi Field.
Here are the takeaways...
-Locked in a scoreless pitchers' duel entering the sixth inning, things changed in a heartbeat for Sean Manaea.
With the top of the order due up, Steven Kwan started the ambush with a single. On Manaea's next pitch, he hit Angel Martinez. After a Jose Ramirez flyout advanced Kwan to third, Manaea unleashed a wild pitch that had a lucky bounce to catcher Francisco Alvarez that prevented Kwan from scoring, with Martinez able to reach second.
Things spiraled from there. First, David Fry singled home a run (Juan Soto did well to quickly get the ball in to prevent another). Soto's effort proved futile as Carlos Santana followed with a run-scoring single of his own on the next pitch. The big blow came off the bat of Gabriel Arias, who smashed a three-run homer 440 feet to left center to make it 5-0 as it all came crashing down on the left-hander, who left after 5.2 innings.
-There was something about that sixth inning, though, because after New York was stifled by Guardians starter Slade Cecconi for most of the night, the offense broke out thanks to a little bit of luck.
Francisco Lindor began the inning by striking out but ended up on first base on a wild pitch strike three. Soto also reached base fortuitously after hitting a ground ball right to the second baseman Brayan Rocchio, who just completely missed it. What was an easy double play turned into runners at the corners with nobody out.
Given a gift, Pete Alonso did not waste it, although he wasted no time by attacking the first pitch he saw and depositing it into center field for a three-run home run that sent Citi Field into a frenzy. The long ball was Alonso's 251st of his career, one shy of tying Darryl Strawberry's franchise record.
Alonso, already 3-for-3, came up to the plate in the eighth inning with another chance to do big damage after Lindor and Soto singled in front of him. With the crowd on their feet, hoping for the slugger to tie Strawberry, Alonso -- again attacking the first pitch -- ripped a run-scoring single that got the Mets closer at 5-4. Jeff McNeil's fourth straight single of the inning loaded the bases before Mark Vientos hit a sac fly that tied the game.
New York left two runners in scoring position following groundouts by Cedric Mullins and pinch-hitter Brett Baty.
-After scoreless outings by Brooks Raley, Tyler Rogers and Reed Garrett, Edwin Diaz kept the game tied in the top of the ninth with a scoreless inning of his own, stranding a runner on at third base and nobody out in the process by striking out two in between a popout.
-The Mets had a chance to win it in the last of the ninth. After Alvarez singled and was taken out for pinch-runner Tyrone Taylor, Lindor doubled down the right-field line. With the speedy Taylor running, third base coach Mike Sarbaugh could've sent him, but elected to hold him at third base. The Guardians intentionally walked Soto to bring up Alonso, who was 4-for-4 on the night and chasing history. But Alonso struck out and McNeil lined out to send the game to extra innings.
-Staying in the game for defense after pinch-hitting earlier, Baty made a costly error in the 10th when he threw wide of shortstop on a bunt attempt. The error brought home a run and put Ryan Helsley in a big mess with runners at second and third and nobody out. Helsley allowed a second run (neither of them earned), and New York entered the bottom of the 10th down 7-5.
-Baty did his best to make up for his error by singling home a run to cut the Mets' deficit to 7-6 with two outs, but Luis Torrens, in his first at-bat of the night, ended the game with a deep flyout to right field.
-Before that nightmare inning, Manaea was in total control of Cleveland's hitters and looked great in his fifth appearance and fourth start of the year. Efficient with his pitch count through the first five innings and just 57 pitches thrown, it looked like Manaea was well on his way to his longest outing of the season. And while he did pitch into the sixth inning for the first time as a starter this season, he failed to join David Peterson as the only other Mets starter to complete six innings since Clay Holmes did so on June 7.
His final line: 5.2 IP, 7 H, 5 ER, 0 BB, 3 K on 85 pitches (62 strikes).
Game MVP: Gabriel Arias
His three-run bomb was the cap to the Guardians' five-run sixth inning, but his sacrifice fly in the 10th inning was the insurance run needed to come away with the win.
It is no secret that it has been a far quieter off-season this year for the Chicago Blackhawks compared to last year. While this is the case, the Blackhawks did make a few new additions, as they brought in Andre Burakovsky, Sam Lafferty, and Dominic Toninato.
With this, let's take a look at where each player could end up fitting into the Blackhawks' lineup now.
Andre Burakovsky Should Fit In Blackhawks' Top Six
When looking at the Blackhawks' current roster, it is likely that Burakovsky will have a spot in their top six. There are not too many better wingers than Burakovsky on the Blackhawks right now, and they are likely to give him the best chance to succeed after acquiring him from the Seattle Kraken.
Burakovsky could be a nice fit playing with either Connor Bedard on the first line or Frank Nazar on the second line. In either scenario, Burakovsky would give one of Chicago's young centers the opportunity to play with a skilled veteran.
Sam Lafferty Should Fit On Blackhawks' Fourth Line
Lafferty has been a bottom-six forward throughout his career, and this should not change during his latest stint with the Blackhawks. When looking at Chicago's current group, Lafferty could be a nice fit as their new fourth-line center. However, due to his versatility, he could move to the wing on their fourth line if needed.
Dominic Toninato Should Fit As Extra Or AHL Forward
It seems likely that Toninato will serve as simply an extra orward for the Blackhawks next season if he makes their NHL roster. However, Toninato could also be a nice addition for the Blackhawks' AHL affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs, as he would give them a veteran forward to help mentor their youngsters.
