
Two legendary Atlanta Braves players will be managing and coaching the MLB Futures Game this summer during All-Star week. According to MLB.com, Chipper Jones will manage the National League team and Marquis Grissom will manage the American League.
The showcase of some of the top prospects in MLB will also feature Hall of Famer Fred McGriff, two-time NL Most Valuable Player Dale Murphy, five-time All-Star Andruw Jones, four-time All-Star Tim Hudson and three-time Gold Glove winner Nick Markakis. A lot of nostalgia will be going around that day as the Braves host the All-Star Game for the first time since 2000. Legends will be on call to help show fans who the next generation of talent will be.
For the National League under Chipper, Andruw will be the hitting coach, Hudson will be the pitching coach and Markakis will be a coach. For the American League under Grissom, McGriff will be the hitting coach and Murphy will be the first base coach.
Jones played for the Braves from 1993 to 2012. The eight-time All-Star and member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame won the 1999 NL MVP and the 2008 NL batting title (.364). In the Atlanta era of Braves baseball (1966 onward), Jones is the offensive leader in nearly every category.
Grissom played in Atlanta for two seasons (1995 and 1996). In that short time, he won two of his four Gold Glove awards and received MVP votes in his second year.
Jones, Grissom and McGriff were all part of the 1995 Braves team that won the World Series. It was the first of two won in the Atlanta era and the first title for the franchise since the Milwaukee Braves won in 1957.
Andruw Jones was part of the Braves teams that won the National League Pennant in 1996 and 1999.
Every coach on the staff spent some time with the Braves in some capacity. Rounding the former Braves on the staff include Mark DeRosa, Tyler Flowers, Kanekoa Texeira (Gwinnett manager), Peter Moylan, Marvin Freeman, Brian Hunter, Ryan Klesko and Johnny Estrada.
The 26th edition of the All-Star Futures Game will take place on on Saturday, July 12, at Truist Park. The seven-inning game is scheduled to have a 4:10 p.m. EDT first pitch.
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With MLB free agency slowly but surely coming into shape, Los Angeles Dodgers fans have been scouring the rumor mill for the latest intel on who the next great superstar Andrew Frieman will land. Will it be Kyle Tucker, the current bell of the MLB ball? Or maybe Cody Bellinger, who might just be tired of watching his former teammates win World Series games without him? Well, if Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s recent social media activities are of any indication, it would appear Dodgers fans should keep a close eye on “Murakami-sama,” himself, Munetaka Murakami, as he looks to take his game from the NPB to MLB. Posing for a picture with the 25-year-old slugger while dining with Kenshiro Saito, Yamamoto had to know the interaction should make the rounds on social media and smiled for the camera all the same, setting off a firestorm among baseball fans that makes posting season all the more interesting. Standing 6-foot-2, 213 pounds, Murakami is a certified slugger the likes of which the NPB has seldom seen, leaving the league with 265 home runs on his resume. His 56 homers in 2022 broke a near-60-year record held by Sadaharu Oh, and even in 2025, a down year by his usual standards, he still hit 24 in just 69 total games. Though some question what position Murakami will play in MLB, be that his native third base, at first, or as a power-hitting DH, the Dodgers could easily platoon the 25-year-old with Max Muncy in 2026 and take over the spot in 2027, holding it down until Freddie Freeman rides off into the sunset a little further down the line. Now granted, just because Murakami and Yamamoto had dinner together doesn’t mean the former is a guaranteed lock to join the latter in Dodgers blue next spring. Another team could make a better offer, or Murakami could simply decide he wants to be a big fish in a small pond, instead of just another Japanese player on the Dodgers. And yet, for a player who came up watching Shohei Ohtani dominate in Japan and then America, why wouldn’t Murakami strongly consider teaming up with the “Unicorn,” Yamamoto, and Roki Sasaki to really make a proper go of things at a three-peat?
Jayden Reed’s anticipated return to the practice field for the Green Bay Packers will have to wait a little longer. Despite some growing hope earlier this week that the dynamic wide receiver could begin the next phase of his recovery, head coach Matt LaFleur confirmed Wednesday that Reed will not open his 21-day practice window yet. “He’s not practicing today,” LaFleur said ahead of Sunday’s critical matchup against the Minnesota Vikings. When pressed for a clearer timeline on the second-year standout, who remains on injured reserve with collarbone and foot injuries, LaFleur deferred to the medical staff. “I don’t know. As soon as medical clears him, he’ll be out there,” LaFleur said. “I know he’s excited to get back. As am I.” The optimism had spiked in recent days. On Monday, LaFleur indicated there was a chance Reed and/or rookie running back MarShawn Lloyd could start their practice windows this week. Reed himself fueled the excitement Tuesday by sharing a photo of himself dressed in full uniform on social media. Those plans, however, are now on hold. Reed’s surgically repaired foot seems to have healed satisfactorily, but the collarbone—fractured on a diving attempt during the first half of Green Bay’s Week 2 victory over the Washington Commanders—still needs additional time. For a wide receiver whose job involves regular physical contact and the risk of landing hard on the shoulder, the medical staff is requiring clear imaging evidence that the bone is strong enough before green-lighting a return. The cautious approach echoes the Packers’ handling of Aaron Rodgers’ similar collarbone injury in 2017, when the former quarterback sat out seven games while waiting for full healing. Nearly 10 weeks removed from the injury and having already missed eight contests, Reed could still require another one to two weeks before doctors are comfortable clearing him for football activities. That timeline keeps a potential return for the Thanksgiving night clash with the Detroit Lions or the following week against the Chicago Bears realistically in play. Before the injury, Reed had established himself as Green Bay’s top receiving weapon. He paced the team in receiving yards in both 2023 and 2024, and in the two games he played this season while managing the foot issue, he recorded three receptions for 45 yards and a touchdown. The Green Bay Packers will continue their Week 12 preparations without their leading wideout on the practice field, with LaFleur and the organization prioritizing full recovery over a rushed comeback.
The Atlanta Falcons' once bright future has turned sour. On Wednesday, reports confirmed that second-year quarterback Michael Penix Jr. suffered a partially torn ACL, requiring surgery that will have him out until mid-August 2026. Without a training camp or full preseason, Penix's status for the start of the 2026 season is in doubt. Michael Penix Jr.'s injury update complicates Falcons' future When controversially selecting Penix at No. 8 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, one month after signing Kirk Cousins to a contract worth $180 million ($100M guaranteed), Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot reasoned that it would provide stability once Cousins eventually moved on after years spent trying to find former longtime starter Matt Ryan's replacement. Instead, Atlanta is still without a legitimate franchise quarterback. And absent what's trending toward becoming a top-10 first-round pick after a misguided 2025 draft-day trade with the Los Angeles Rams, the Falcons won't have many good options to improve at the position this offseason. Penix's injury could put the team in a difficult spot next offseason, when Atlanta must decide whether to pick up his 2028 fifth-year option. The 2023 Heisman finalist may only qualify for the basic amount, which is projected to be $22.933M for the 2023 first-round quarterback class. That number would rise for the 2024 class, and that's a considerable amount for a player who hasn't proved to be worth that much. (h/t Over the Cap) In 12 career starts, Penix is 224-of-376 (59.6 percent) for 2,719 yards, 12 touchdowns and six interceptions. Penix will need to show a lot next year, coming off reconstructive knee surgery, to solidify himself as part of Atlanta's future plans. That doesn't bode well for him or the Falcons, who have several outstanding contract situations to resolve. Tight end Kyle Pitts, the No. 4 overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft, is on an expiring deal. He's been a huge disappointment, but the Falcons don't have a viable replacement behind him. Wideout Drake London is set to play on his fifth-year rookie option next season and would be a holdout candidate if he's unable to work out a long-term deal. Two-time second-team All-Pro safety Jessie Bates III is also set to play on an expiring deal and should request an extension before taking the field next year. Owner Arthur Blank must determine how much money is worth putting into a team that might be a season or two away from contending, possibly leading to difficult conversations. Players like London, Bates and running back Bijan Robinson, who will be in his fourth NFL season in 2026, would command massive returns on the trade market. As talented as the three are, they're being wasted in Atlanta, which has nothing to show for their contributions. With Penix set for a long recovery timeline, things are unlikely to improve much next season, setting the trio up for another year compiling meaningless stats. The Falcons will eventually have to make decisions on all of their young stars, including Penix. His season-ending injury gives them fewer data points to make an informed call while also stalling his development. A season that began with hope has slowly morphed into another nightmare for Atlanta. It could be a while before the Falcons wake.
Steve Spurrier is a legend for the Florida Gators. Known as "the head ball coach" down in SEC-land, Spurrier was a star both as a player and as a coach for Florida. Heck, the dang field in Gainesville is named after him. That means what he says about the Florida program carries a lot of weight, and he recently revealed that he believes there are only two people who would live up to the expectations and be a great fit for the Gators as they look to replace fired head coach Billy Napier sooner rather than later. “I know Lane Kiffin and I know Eli Drinkwitz,” Spurrier recently said, according to Daniel Hager of On3. “Obviously, either one of those guys would be super if it works out. But, it’s a long way from whoever we’re going to get as our coach right now.” The Gators are currently making a full-court press for Lane Kiffin, but they're not alone in their pursuit of the Ole Miss head coach. While the Gators reportedly flew members of Kiffin's family down to Gainesville to check things out recently, the LSU Tigers also pulled the same trick — hoping to get Kiffin to ultimately come down to Baton Rouge. LSU is probably Florida's biggest competitor for Kiffin right now, but there's also Ole Miss to consider. It's not like the Rebels are going to let a coach who has led them to a 54-19 record over the past six seasons go without a fight. Kiffin would absolutely be a home-run hire for the Gators, though. He's a high-level recruiter and a high-level offensive mind in the SEC. Those are two things that the Gators desperately need in the wake of the middling Napier era. Not only that, but Kiffin has ties to the state. He was the head coach at Florida Atlantic from 2017-19. Eli Drinkwitz an interesting option for Florida if it can't land Lane Kiffin Drinkwitz is another interesting option, though. You'll also notice that there's a trend here for Florida, and that's going after established SEC head coaches. Napier had come from the Sun Belt conference. Drinkwitz has made Missouri a tough out in the SEC, and he's won a ton of football games. His overall record at Mizzou is 45-27, though his record in big games does leave a little to be desired. He's 7-14 against ranked opponents and 0-7 against top-10 teams. Still, Drinkwitz is a young coach at just 42, so the upside is there. He's a big personality who does well on the recruiting trail, and he could do a lot of good things with the firepower of the Florida Gators behind him. There are other options out there for Florida. Washington head coach Jedd Fisch is a Florida alumnus, for instance. If Spurrier has narrowed it down to Kiffin and Drinkwitz in his mind, though, you can bet those in power at Florida are likely thinking the same thing.
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