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There's been no bigger welcome surprise to the 2025 roster than Aiden Jimenez. The righty transfer from Oregon State ascended from potentially unable to contribute at all this season because of recovery from Tommy John Surgery, to coach Dave Van Horn's most trusted arm out of the bullpen.
Jimenez has put up sterling numbers as the team's No. 1 high leverage reliever. Despite a blip on the radar at LSU in which he surrendered the lead in Friday night's 5-4 loss to LSU, he still has a 2.51 ERA, second best of anyone on the team (minimum 20 innings), only behind Dylan Carter.
The numbers are even better in SEC play. He leads all qualified pitchers on the team with a 2.39 ERA. In 32 1/3 total innings, he also has 34 strikeouts to go along with just seven walks. Jimenez was also ranked 13th on D1Baseball's Top 100 relievers list.
The Herd have two making the list!
— EG Herd Baseball (@egherdbaseball) May 9, 2025
Aiden Jimenez▶️ #13
Kade Brown ▶️ #46 https://t.co/9XNQyBHvCf
He also now leads the team in appearances with 17, quite a remarkable development considering coach Dave Van Horn was hesitant to pitch him twice on the same weekend because he was barely a full year removed from TJ.
"It's tough doubling up and I didn't want Jimenez to go again today," Van Horn said after Arkansas lost the series finale to Florida on April 27. "He probably could have gone a little bit, but he threw up and down a few times yesterday and we finally bring him in. It's just too much. Trying to make sure he's healthy at the end of the year."
Now, Van Horn is seemingly comfortable with using Jimenez twice in the same weekend with regularity. He's done it twice now this season, once against Georgia and most recently against LSU. He also did it earlier in the season against Vanderbilt, but only threw three pitches on Friday.
"We had a pitcher in the bullpen [Jimenez] that has done nothing but pitch well here and throw strikes," Van Horn said. "He had two hitters where he didn't throw strikes, and that cost us the lead. But that's baseball, that's what happens. And we gave him the ball again on Sunday. That's how much confidence we have in that individual."
So much about succeeding at this time of year is having a lockdown reliever in the bullpen and getting healthy. While Jimenez isn''t getting healthy in the traditional sense like some of his fellow pitchers such as Gage Wood, Parker Coil and Hunter Dietz, his increased avalibility could be the most critical factor heading into the postseason.
"It's good to go," Van Horn said. "It depends on how many pitches or how stressful they were, or was he cruising? Then he's got to talk to us, communicate with us, tell us how he feels physically, not necessarily how his arm feels. His arm's been feeling great. It's about how your body feels."
Jimenez and the rest of the Razorbacks will take on the No. 17 Tennessee Volunteers to close out the regular season. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday and will be broadcast on ESPN2.
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Oklahoma Sooners could be nearing a significant recruiting win for elite blue-chip playmaker to bolster 2026 class
Michigan battling Oregon for two elite prospects
With a class that already ranks within the top 10, Michigan still has some massive targets on the board for the 2026 recruiting cycle. In addition to five-star RB Savion Hiter, Michigan is also battling Oregon for two elite prospects who are currently uncommitted. This week, Rivals listed 4-star CB Davon Benjamin and 4-star DL Deuce Geralds as two prospects who are currently deciding between the Wolverines and the Ducks. Benjamin, who's rated as the No. 6 cornerback in the nation, has set a commitment date of August 6. Although he has a top five of Oregon, Michigan, Texas, Washington, and North Carolina, the belief is that the Wolverines and the Ducks are the two teams at the top. Here's what Rivals national recruiting reporter Adam Gorney had to say: "The Ducks have long been considered the frontrunner but after talking to him at a recent 7on7, he really likes the Wolverines a lot, too, and the Huskies are not out of this. Oregon is still probably the favorite but Michigan might have pulled pretty close." Geralds is the No. 10 overall prospect from the state of Georgia and the No. 8 defensive lineman in the nation. Recently, Rivals reported that Oregon was still leading in this battle, but that Michigan was also rising quickly. Via Chad Simmons, Rivals director of recruiting: "Michigan is who we reported a week ago was running with the Ducks in that top group and we have not heard anything to change that. " As of this writing, Michigan's 2026 recruiting class is No. 10 in the nation and No. 4 in the Big Ten conference. But with guys like Hiter, Benjamin, and Geralds all still up for grabs, the Wolverines are in prime position to rise in the recruiting rankings in the coming weeks.
Emerging Texans star likely to miss 2025 season
Texans wide receiver Tank Dell is likely to miss the entire 2025 season as he continues his recovery from last year’s brutal knee injury, according to KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. Dell dislocated his knee and tore his ACL, MCL and LCL in a Week 16 loss to the Chiefs in December. With such a severe injury, Houston’s focus is on Dell’s health and long-term career outlook. The team wants him to get healthy rather than rushing back to play this year. Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans said (via Wilson) that Dell is “crushing the rehab,” but declined to offer a specific timeline. His comments hinted that the team is not counting on Dell to return this season. Injuries were always the biggest concern surrounding Dell. His 5-foot-7, 165-pound frame was already undersized by college standards; in the NFL, it’s minuscule. Sitting out this season will set up a major contract year in 2026. Dell will need to prove that he is back at full health and can remain there for an entire season while maintaining his production. Dell was placed on the Active/Physically Unable to Perform list, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, along with teammates Trent Brown and Jimmie Ward.
New Third Base Trade Options For Yankees Emerge
The Rolling Stones knew what they were talking about while belting out "You Can't Always Get What You Want." It's very possible New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman will find himself humming that tune ahead of the July 31 MLB trade deadline. The Yankees, like several contenders, are shopping for a power-hitting third baseman. Arizona Diamondbacks All-Star slugger Eugenio Suarez sits atop everyone's list. Running a distant second and third are Colorado Rockies third baseman Ryan McMahon and Pittsburgh Pirates Gold Glover Ke'Bryan Hayes. After that, it could be slim pickings. Should Cashman find himself scrambling to make a deal, here are a couple of new names entering the conversation. "Amed Rosario would be a good fit for Yankees," the New York Post's Jon Heyman reported Monday. "Played a lot of 3B this year. .802 lifetime OPS vs. lefties (.845 this year). Suarez is top target but many would qualify as upgrades." Rosario is hitting .271 with five home runs and 18 RBIs this season for the Washington Nationals. But the nine-year veteran has big-market experience, making his MLB debut with the New York Mets in 2017. The 29-year-old is making $2 million this season and will be a free agent after the World Series, according to Spotrac. But wait, there's more. "Other possible third-base trade targets include Royals All-Star Maikel Garcia — in theory, Kansas City would have interest in one of the Yankees’ outfielders to play left field for them," The Athletic's Jim Bowden reported Monday. Garcia, who made the American League roster for the 2025 MLB All-Star Game, is hitting .291 this season with eight home runs and 41 RBIs. The 25-year-old is in his fourth big-league season and is making almost $775,000 this season, according to Spotrac. Garcia still has four years of arbitration eligibility remaining, so he won't come cheap. Make sure to bookmark Yankees On SI to get all your daily New York Yankees news, interviews, breakdowns and more! MLB Trade Rumors: Yankees Linked To Red-Hot Reliever Yankees Linked to Former Outfielder in Juicy Trade Rumor Yankees Could Land Infielder With World Series MVP Comparison Will Yankees Use Red-Hot Prospect As Trade Bait? Yankees One-Stop Shopping Pirates?
Steelers' Mike Tomlin's Secret Comments About George Pickens Exposed By ESPN Analyst
The Pittsburgh Steelers, in back-to-back offseasons, traded away a talented wide receiver. Heading into the 2024 NFL season, the team made the surprising decision to move on from Diontae Johnson, sending him to the Carolina Panthers. It was a bold move that left questions about depth behind George Pickens, but the Steelers appeared to have a long-term plan in mind. This week, fans got a clearer picture. ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky had told Louis Riddick a story and Riddick exposed it on Get Up on Wednesday and shared a never-before-told story about Head Coach Mike Tomlin’s relationship with Pickens. According to Riddick, Tomlin once passionately defended his coaching approach to Orlovsky when questioned about how he handled Pickens, offering a glimpse into the challenges the Steelers faced behind closed doors. "I sat in a TV production meeting where Mike Tomlin chastised Dan Orlovsky for asking about George Pickens and why George Pickens wasn't maybe being reprimanded a little bit harsher," Riddick said. "And Mike in no uncertain terms, said, 'Look, you don't give up on talent like this at this point.' So trust me, he knew what he had on his hands, too. As far as the upside of this young man." While the full story behind Pickens’ departure may never be known, it’s becoming increasingly clear that off-field concerns weighed heavily on Tomlin’s mind. The Steelers knew Pickens was a rare talent, and that’s why Tomlin didn’t punish him as much as he probably could have. It wasn’t because he thought Pickens was good enough to get away with it, but because his coaching style is different for every player. In Tomlin’s mind, he still had faith that Pickens would mature, but it appears that growth just didn’t happen fast enough. "We were all, were like, whoa," Riddick said of the panels reaction to Tomlin's secret comments in that production meeting. "Mike was not playing around. He was like, 'Y'all know how this business works now.'" Riddick described the moment as tense, and as the quotes are now being shared, Steelers fans are likely picturing exactly how that meeting went down. Tomlin is known for being a direct, no-nonsense leader. If something bothers him, he speaks up, and it appears he did not appreciate being questioned by Orlovsky about his coaching style when it came to Pickens. Steelers Fans Starting To Understand More Details Behind The George Pickens Trade According to Riddick, Tomlin firmly defended his approach during the exchange. He explained that his coaching style depends on the individual player, and with Pickens, he chose to be patient rather than overly critical. Tomlin believed Pickens could grow with time and guidance. In his mind, treating every player the same does not always produce the best results, and he trusted that Pickens would eventually mature. Despite Tomlin’s belief in his potential, that growth never fully happened. As a result, the Steelers chose to make a change. With Pickens now gone and Metcalf brought in to lead the wide receiver room, Pittsburgh is turning the page. Still, the story behind Pickens’ exit is one that will stick with fans, especially as more behind-the-scenes details continue to surface.
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