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Chase Burns made his first Double-A start in the seven-inning first game of a doubleheader.
Burns pitched the first four innings, allowing one run on five hits. He walked one and struck out five.
The Reds’ number one pick in the 2024 draft out of Wake Forest University, also pitched for the University of Tennessee before transferring.
Burns did not pitch in the minor leagues after he was drafted in June. He pitched one inning in the Cactus League for the Reds in Goodyear, Arizona. He walked one and struck out the next three batters.
“It’s always cool,” Francona said after the outing. “For us it’s kinda, it's coming into the middle of spring training. Guys are getting a little heavy legs and this kid comes out. His heart is probably racing. He threw the ball very, very well. I didn’t have any words of advice for him. I didn’t want to scare him.”
Even in his one inning with a runner on base, he showed he already knows how to control the running game, a nuance that young pitchers need to master before they come to the big leagues. Burns didn’t need to throw over to first base. He just varied the time he held the ball before the pitch.
“You know what sometimes with kids that are coming out of some of these college programs they’re getting taught how to do those things. Like Tanner Bibee in Cleveland, part of the reason he got so successful so quick is because he threw strikes and controlled the running game. You had to beat him. This kid (Burns) has exceptional stuff.”
In Chattanooga on Saturday, Burns walked the first batter he faced, Cody Milligan. Burns picked Millagan off first. Burns gave up a single and an RBI double. The Lookouts had a strikeout double play as catcher Mike Trautwein threw out a runner trying to steal second.
Burns retired the last five batters he faced. He ended with a no-decision in an 8-2 win.
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Yankees makes pair of roster moves following Phillies loss
After a crushing 12–5 defeat to the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday night, the New York Yankees made a pair of roster changes aimed at strengthening a bullpen that surrendered 10 earned runs in the loss. Right-handed reliever Scott Effross and infielder Jorbit Vivas were both optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, clearing space for immediate reinforcements. Effross, 31, bore the brunt of the damage late in the game. Entering in the ninth inning with the Yankees trailing 8–5, he gave up four runs on four hits, failing to record the shutdown frame the team desperately needed. His ERA ballooned from 5.59 to 8.44 after the outing. Across 11 appearances in 2025, Effross has allowed 10 runs on 16 hits in 10.2 innings, striking out six and walking three. The outing proved costly, both in the game and for his place on the roster. Vivas, 24, didn’t fare much better this season. Used sparingly, he appeared in 29 games while slashing .161/.266/.250 with one home run and five RBIs. He entered Friday’s game as a late substitution at third base and flew out in his lone plate appearance. In their place, the Yankees activated third baseman Ryan McMahon, acquired earlier in the day from the Colorado Rockies. The 30-year-old 2024 All-Star brings experience and a needed defensive upgrade to the hot corner. Through 100 games this season, McMahon is hitting .217 with a .314 on-base percentage and .403 slugging percentage, while adding 16 home runs and 35 RBIs. Discussing McMahon’s fit with the Yankees, Paul Goldschmidt celebrated the addition, noting how exciting he fits within New York’s defensive identity. “He’s a really good player, great defender,” Goldschmidt said of McMahon. “He’s a good hitter, and he’s going to help us.” Manager Aaron Boone confirmed that McMahon would be active for Saturday’s matchup against the Phillies. The Yankees, currently 56–47, trail the Phillies, who improved to 59–44 with Friday’s win. Boone also acknowledged the bullpen’s ongoing struggles. The relief corps entered Friday ranked 20th in the league with a 4.07 ERA and has been thinned by injuries to Mark Leiter Jr., Fernando Cruz, and Ryan Yarbrough. With Clarke Schmidt out for the season and Luis Gil still recovering, reinforcements are expected before the July 31 trade deadline. The Yankees are expected to call up a fresh arm Saturday morning. Whether that move stabilizes the bullpen or not, more changes could be imminent.
Bengals finally reach agreement with first-rounder Shemar Stewart
The Cincinnati Bengals have finally reached an agreement with first-round pick Shemar Stewart, putting an end to what became the story of the offseason for the team. Stewart, drafted 17th overall in this year's draft, has finally agreed to a four-year, fully guaranteed $18.97 million deal that includes a $10.4 million signing bonus, according to his agent Zac Hiller of LAA. Now with this deal done, every first-round pick is signed. The road to this deal was a bumpy ride. For months, negotiations between Stewart’s camp and the Bengals front office stalled due to disagreements over contract language, particularly around guarantees. The team pushed to include contract language that could void the deal under certain off-field circumstances, but since other Bengals first-round picks did not face similar terms, Stewart stood firm and refused to sign. Both sides remained firm throughout the offseason, leading to a long standoff and a lot of reports of frustration from both sides. Despite the frustration and disagreement, the Bengals and Stewart’s group continued to engage in conversations, trying to find a resolution to the issue. And finally, after weeks of back and forth and weeks of controversy surrounding what Stewart may be forced to do, both parties appear to have met in the middle and found common ground. For the Bengals, getting Stewart signed and ready for training camp is a major win. Stewart was viewed as a developmental prospect who needed plenty of on-field reps to reach his full potential. Stewart's absence from earlier camps had slowed a lot of his progress. With the contract dispute resolved, he can now focus entirely on gaining important reps and continuing his development over the coming weeks. Now with this contract done and over with, the team can put their full focus on Trey Hendrickson, who is also seeking a long term deal. If the Bengals can get a deal done with Trey before the season kicks off, they would secure their edge-rushing room for not only 2025, but for years beyond. For a team looking to go all in on making the playoffs, signing Stewart was long overdue. Now it will be vital for the team to get Stewart up to speed with the rest of the roster, and allow him to get as many reps as possible before the 2025 season begins.
Steelers News: Omar Khan Details Why George Pickens Was Traded to the Cowboys Despite 'Developing' Him Since 2022
Following his breakout year in 2023, George Pickens was expected to be the WR1 of the Pittsburgh Steelers for the foreseeable future. He had already justified the second-round draft capital that the franchise had initially invested in him, but there were growing concerns about Pickens’ lack of maturity. Fast forward to the 2025 offseason, and even though he’s managed to produce a career total of 2,841 receiving yards throughout his first three seasons in the league, the Steelers were willing to let him go in exchange for nothing more than a 2026 third-round pick and a minuscule value swap with the Dallas Cowboys. While the team has since managed to replace Pickens’ service with that of D.K. Metcalf, fans and analysts alike are still questioning the decision. Thankfully, the self-titled host of The Rich Eisen made the most of his recent discussion with the team’s general manager, Omar Khan, by directly asking him “Why did George Pickens have to go despite developing him?” “I’ll just say, as we went through the offseason and the process, it just became evident that, for both sides, a fresh start was the best thing,” Khan explained. “It just made sense for both of us.” Suffice to say, Khan’s answer, while not very insightful, does suggest that Pickens’ relationships with various Pittsburgh personnel had become fractured beyond repair. Whether it was the Steelers or Pickens himself who was responsible for things not working out does not matter anymore, as Khan’s brief statement brings the entire saga to a somewhat definitive end. For one reason or another, it was no longer in either side’s best interest to continue working together, and that’s that. Much like the rest of his interview with Eisen, Khan and the rest of the Steelers’ organization is now moving forward. When Eisen noted that Pittsburgh’s trade involving Minkah Fitzpatrick and Jalen Ramsey couldn’t have “happened over night,” Khan explained that it took “weeks” to finally get the deal done with the Miami Dolphins. Being sure to cover all of the high notes from the Steelers’ chaotic offseason, the seven-time Sports Emmy award nominee also inquired about T.J. Watt’s latest benchmark contract with the team. While he was unwilling to go into the “specifics of the numbers,” Khan did proclaim that, “I think it just reflects how we feel about him. It was important for me, and the organization, for T.J. to be a one-helmet Hall of Famer. It would be a great thing and hopefully there’s many, many more years to go with T.J., but it was just important. His numbers speak for themselves… As great of a player as he is, he’s an even better person.” At 6-foot-4 and 229-pounds, the aforementioned Metcalf is certainly capable of filling the Pickens-sized hole in Pittsburgh’s receiving core. Likewise, the addition of Ramsey along with their retaining of Watt will help to ensure that the defense is as stout as ever. The Steelers are going all in on the 2025 regular season with the hopes of discovering their first playoff win since January 15th of 2017 and it’s too late for them to turn back now. They’ll have to hope that they’ve made the right moves and prioritized the right signings. Otherwise they’ll risk wasting the final regular season of one of the most storied careers in all of NFL history.
Raiders Pushed to Sign Ex-Cowboy, Pro Bowler as Christian Wilkins Replacement
Training camp has started for the Las Vegas Raiders, and Christian Wilkins still isn't on the practice field. He hurt his foot in Week 5 of last season and continues to be in recovery. Head coach Pete Carroll didn't exactly instill confidence when he revealed that there's still no timeline for his return. “It’s still uncertain,” Carroll said during his Tuesday press conference. “We sort of have to wait it out.” Wilkins appears to be out of the boot, so that's a good sign, but there's been no clarity on when he might be able to get back on the field. With that in mind, the Raiders might want to consider adding more defensive line help. Linval Joseph Could Be Fit for Raiders At this stage of the offseason, there aren't going to be great options in free agency, but the Raiders could find a dependable veteran. Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report believes Las Vegas should target free agent defensive tackle Linval Joseph. "Joseph finished his 2024 campaign with two sacks, two tackles for loss and 19 total tackles," Knox wrote. "He'd be a solid addition for any team needing depth along the defensive interior, and there are a couple. "The Las Vegas Raiders may need another defensive tackle, as Christian Wilkins still hasn't fully recovered from last year's second-ending foot injury." Joseph spent last season with the Dallas Cowboys and had 2.0 sacks. He's 36 now, but was able to play in all 17 games in 2024. He also went to back-to-back Pro Bowls in 2016 and 2017 when he was with the Minnesota Vikings.
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