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Many fans spent a good chunk of the MLB season waiting for the Toronto Blue Jays (44-53) to fulfill their potential and turn things around. While the Houston Astros, St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets all started climbing out of the hole they dug themselves in, the Jays continued to languish near the bottom of the American League East.
Optimism eventually transformed into reluctant acceptance, as the ballclub failed to sustain momentum. But now this fan base is descending into a state of complete dejection, one that could take years to fully cure. With the MLB trade trade deadline only a week and a half away, the prospects of Toronto becoming a clear seller just increased even more following the latest Bo Bichette injury update.
The two-time All-Star shortstop is being placed on the 10-day injured list with a right calf strain, according to MLB Network’s Jon Morosi. Bichette has been laboring for most of what has been a career-worst season and is batting only .223 with four home runs and a ghastly .597 OPS. Additionally, he has already missed 18 games.
The 26-year-old son of 1995 National League MVP runner-up and four-time All-Star Dante Bichette exited Friday’s 5-4 home loss to the Detroit Tigers after suffering the strain. Maybe this latest IL stint will allow him to come back stronger than he was before, but the best way to get out of his funk (hitting .129 in July) might just be more at-bats.
Since the Blue Jays are nine and a half games out of playoff position and will now be without one of their top stars for the foreseeable future, their fate is essentially sealed.
Multiple players will be heading elsewhere ahead of the deadline. The only question, however, is if the franchise pillars will also be removed.
More must-reads:
- MLB sends message by suspending Victor Robles for bat-throwing incident
- Aaron Judge seemed annoyed with Aaron Boone over troubling health update
- The 'Most multi-HR games by MLB team' quiz
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Orioles give concerning injury update on young star
BOSTON — After missing more than a month with a left oblique strain, there was some concerning news about the other side of Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman on Tuesday. Rutschman was a late scratch from the lineup on Tuesday night as the Orioles wrapped up a quick two-game series at Fenway Park against the Boston Red Sox. The 27-year-old catcher was originally slated to hit second for Baltimore, but he was replaced in the lineup after reporting right abdominal discomfort during pregame batting work. Orioles interim manager Tony Mansolino gave Rutschman credit for reporting the injury and not trying to push through it. "There was some side soreness that popped up a little bit. I'm learning now, but it sounds like yesterday he had some general soreness in the opposite side that he injured earlier," Mansolino said. "He came in today and started his cage routine. Didn't feel good, so wisely stopped. We'll get him checked out tomorrow and see the severity of it." The Orioles have an off day on Wednesday before starting a series at Camden Yards against the Houston Astros. Rutschman did not play against the Red Sox on Monday, but Mansolino insisted that was "a planned off day." Rutschman caught all three games for the Orioles in Houston before the trip to Fenway, going 2-for-15 at the plate. "It was all by design," Mansolino said of the off day, trying to alleviate concerns about Rutschman being out of the lineup yet again. Rutschman's trip to the injured list with the left oblique strain was his first time on the IL in his four-year career. It's part of a season that has been disappointing for the former top overall draft pick as he is just 3-for-29 over his last seven games, lowering his slash line to .227/.310/.373 in 308 at-bats. He is also batting just .138 with runners in scoring position, the third-lowest average among all MLB hitters with a minimum of 50 at-bats. Rutschman's soreness comes at a time when the Orioles are also without infielder Jordan Westburg, who left Monday's game in the top of the first inning with a sore right ankle. "It's not been fun. The injury situation and the injury bug that we've had, it's been pretty wild," Mansolino said. "At some point, the baseball gods will take their foot off our necks in some way. "But, nonetheless, we still have a game to go play. I like the nine guys we got out there. They might not be some of the regular names that we've seen here over the years, but I like what's out there. I like what we have on the mound, and I feel like we have a chance to go play a good game." All quotations obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.
Shaquille O'Neal makes peace with longtime enemy — mostly
Shaquille O'Neal and Dwight Howard patched things up Sunday after years of feuding. But even while describing their rapprochement, O'Neal couldn't keep from teasing his longtime nemesis. The "Big Aristotle" was at the BIG3 playoffs Sunday to watch Howard's L.A. Riot play the Chicago Triplets. In the middle of describing to Rachel Nichols how he and Howard had made peace, O'Neal broke off his explanation to make fun of Howard for missing a dunk. The two Hall of Fame centers had sparred for years, despite their common ground as former members of the Orlando Magic and Los Angeles Lakers. Some of the tension seemed to be due to Howard adopting O'Neal's "Superman" nickname, though O'Neal claimed to Nichols that he was simply being tough on Howard to motivate him. That explanation doesn't account for the time O'Neal mocked Howard for playing basketball in the Taiwanese league or the decade-plus he's spent roasting Howard on his podcast, in public appearances and on "Inside the NBA." Still, it appears that the two have made peace. Despite O'Neal being left off the original list of presenters, he insisted that he'll be among a group of Hall of Famers inducting Howard Sept. 6, including Dominique Wilkins, Robert Parish, Dennis Rodman and Patrick Ewing. It means that two of the most dominant big men of their eras have finally buried the hatchet. It's added a new level of interest to the Hall of Fame ceremonies, and it should be a sweet moment between O'Neal and Howard. As long as Howard doesn't mention Superman.
Green Bay Packers: Slo-Mo Video of Malik Willis’ TD Bomb to Matthew Golden Unleashes Wild Reactions
Three-time NASCAR champion to retire after 2025 season
A storied NASCAR career will come to an end after 2025. Three-time NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion and 15-time race winner Matt Crafton will retire following the Truck Series championship race at Phoenix Raceway, concluding a NASCAR career that has spanned 25 years. Crafton, 49, has spent the entirety of his NASCAR Truck Series career — save for 2004 — with ThorSport Racing. His partnership with Menards has made his No. 88 truck iconic. Following Friday's eero 250 at Richmond Raceway, Crafton has made a total of 585 Truck Series starts and 592 across the top-three series of NASCAR competition. His last Truck Series victory came at Kansas in July 2020. Crafton failed to qualify for the 2025 Truck Series playoffs and will not compete for a fourth title in his final season. 2025 marks the second consecutive year that Crafton has missed the postseason and the second time he's missed it since NASCAR instituted the playoffs in the Truck Series in 2016. Through 18 races in 2025, Crafton is 16th in the Truck Series standings with three top-10 finishes. Defending Truck Series champion and ThorSport driver Ty Majeski will take over the No. 88 in 2026.
Draymond Green Calls Out Alperen Sengun With Three-Worded Message
It's no secret that the Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets aren't fans of each other. If that much wasn't evident before the 2025 NBA Playoffs, it's definitely evident now. Whether it's Dillon Brooks and Steph Curry or Draymond Green and Alperen Sengun, there are multiple players with animosity on both teams. When it comes to Sengun in particular, though, he really wasn't a fan of the officiating against Golden State. “The Warriors were probably the one team that would have given us the most trouble, and we drew them," Sengun said in a recent interview with Socrates Dergi. "They’re a very experienced team, and they fouled a lot. In the playoffs, they don’t call it. But they were the ones crying all series about fouls not being called." “When it comes to us, we’re not really allowed to complain. It’s more of an internal thing. Ime Udoka doesn’t allow it. He loses his mind if we complain," Sengun added. Draymond Green's Response to Sengun If anyone expected Draymond Green to stay quiet after Sengun's words, they'd immediately be wrong. When the Golden State Warriors star saw the quote on Threads, he gave a blunt three-word response. "Hold that L," Green said to Sengun It didn't stop there for Green, though. He doubled down on his statements toward Sengun, adding further insult to injury. "That's a tough thing to say after you lose," Green said. "You have to win to stuff like that." Golden State Warriors vs Houston Rockets Rivalry Throughout Steph Curry's tenure with the Golden State Warriors, they've absolutely decimated the Houston Rockets. Curry has defeated them three times in the playoffs and has a 28-17 record against them all-time. During the 2025 NBA Playoffs, it looked like the Warriors were about to blow a 3-1 lead against Houston before ultimately winning. However, it'll be much harder for the Warriors to replicate the same success against Houston there, especially with Kevin Durant on the team now.
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