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The Atlanta Braves are looking to catch fire after having a slow start to the season, and they’ve slowly been gaining some momentum. Players have been in and out of the lineup, and they recently had to make some moves that could affect the team.
“Braves recalled RHP Zach Thompson and put LHP Aaron Bummer on the major league bereavement list,” The Athletic’s David O’Brien wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Thompson is back with the Braves after getting sent down without making a big league appearance, but unfortunately, it’s because of Bummer being sent to the bereavement list. Through five innings, Bummer is sitting on a 4.50 ERA and a 2.57 FIP, with his most recent appearance being on April 10 against the Philadelphia Phillies.
For Thompson, he’ll be making his first appearance in the big leagues since he was a starter with the San Diego Padres in 2022.
Hopefully, Bummer and his family are doing okay, and the Braves will hold down the fort for him while he’s gone.
Braves trying to find momentum after slow start to season
The Braves were supposed to be one of the top teams in the league this season, but a slow start has calmed the hype. With injuries and inconsistencies haunting them early, they’re looking for anything that can get them to run off some wins in the next couple of weeks. They recently got a big win against the Phillies, and hopefully, they can keep it rolling against the Rays.
The one person that the Braves are hoping to get back sooner than later is Ronald Acuna Jr., who tore his ACL on May 26 and had surgery on June 6. Acuna is set to have his left knee reevaluated soon and will travel to Los Angeles for the checkup, according to manager Brian Snitker. So far, Acuna hasn’t run out of the batter’s box in his workouts and has not been cleared to do any start-and-stop running or cutting.
“They just have to check him out and sign off on it before they can do that,” Snitker said via ESPN. “And I think this was just part of the plan initially. I don’t think he’s going to rush it or anything. This has been the case from the get go.”
The Braves have not been the same with Acuna not in the lineup, as they lost nine of their first 11 games. Hopefully, Acuna will come back with an update that will excite fans.
More must-reads:
- Biggest impact of Josh Naylor trade may still be to come
- Four teams that should be buyers at the trade deadline
- The 'Multiple 100-RBI MLB seasons' quiz
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Biggest impact of Josh Naylor trade may still be to come
While the Seattle Mariners landed an impact bat on Thursday night, their trade for Josh Naylor has also likely impacted the entire upcoming MLB trade deadline. On Thursday, Seattle sent a pair of top pitching prospects to the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for Naylor, with left-hander Brandyn Garcia (ranked as Seattle's 13th-best prospect by MLB.com) and right-hander Ashton Izzi (ranked as Seattle's 16th-best prospect by the same rankings) heading to the desert. Knowing what the Diamondbacks received in exchange for Naylor could well set the market for what is to come between now and the conclusion of the 2025 MLB trade deadline, set for 6 p.m. (Eastern) on July 31. The 28-year-old first baseman was ranked by The Athletic as the 17th-best trade candidate likely to be available, but ranked behind just one other first baseman (Baltimore's Ryan O'Hearn, who was slotted in at 16th). If Naylor brought in a pair of pitching prospects, including Garcia, who has appeared in two games this season for Seattle, the Diamondbacks could be salivating over what third baseman Eugenio Suarez and his 36 home runs could bring in return. All MLB teams who will be buying or selling at this year's trade deadline have had the first price bar set for them with the Naylor deal. Now it will be fascinating to see what comes next, especially knowing that Naylor will be a free agent at the end of this season. If Seattle gave up two pitching prospects for a player who could be a late-season rental only, imagine what the Minnesota Twins may be able to recoup for starting pitcher Joe Ryan (under team control through the 2027 season) or the Boston Red Sox might get back for outfielder Jarren Duran, who won't be a free agent until the 2029 campaign. While Naylor may not be the biggest move to come during this span before the trade deadline comes to a close, his deal could be the one that establishes selling prices for the trades that are to come. With so few MLB teams expected to be outright sellers, the price for available talent was expected to be high. We learned on Thursday night with the Naylor swap just how high those prices may go.
Steelers Teammates Are Noticing Great Differences From Aaron Rodgers: 'A Guy That's Bought In'
The Pittsburgh Steelers have an interesting quarterback situation that has been monitored by NFL fans throughout the 2025 offseason. The organization was in pursuit of four-time league MVP Aaron Rodgers for over three months, and the quarterback finally signed a one-year deal. He was then in Pittsburgh for mandatory minicamp. He is the unquestioned starter heading into the 2025 season, and he is coming off of a quietly good season with the New York Jets in 2024 statistically. He was bouncing back from a serious injury, so it should be expected for him to play even better in 2025. Rodgers got better as the 2024 season went along after missing all of 2023, and he is now further removed from his Achilles injury. He has a decent amount of weapons on Pittsburgh's offense, and the team is expected to rely on its run game and defense once again. Rodgers won't be asked to do too much, which should be a recipe for success for the 41-year old quarterback. Will Howard spoke to the media in Latrobe, PA on Thursday morning, and he had nothing but great things to say about the starting quarterback for Pittsburgh. The 41-year old has been heavily criticized in the media in the past for being a bad teammate, but every report that has come out of Pittsburgh has suggested otherwise. Rodgers has already expressed his willingness to mentor Howard and show him the ropes as he goes through his rookie season, which is something that has gotten a lot of the fan base in Pittsburgh excited about the addition of Rodgers. Rodgers has always been misunderstood throughout his career. He has been blamed for countless things that simply weren't his fault. It seemed that everything that went wrong with the Jets was somehow because of the quarterback, despite the fact that the Jets organization has been one of the worst in all of sports over the last decade or so. The fan base in Pittsburgh was frustrated with the way Rodgers handled his free agency, as he seemed to drag out his signing with Pittsburgh. The quarterback said he was dealing with some things in his personal life that made him want to take his time, which some fans took issue with. After these new comments from Howard, the fans should completely flip in their opinions on Rodgers. He is approaching this job with the Steelers in a positive manner, he is bought in, and he is helping the younger guys on the roster. Steelers’ Offense Has A Chance To Be The Best Its Been With Aaron Rodgers The offense in Pittsburgh has been inconsistent, and sometimes absolutely stagnant in recent years. The run game has fallen apart at times, and the quarterback play has been abysmal on occasion. That shouldn't be the case in 2025, as Rodgers' experience and talent should be able to take the unit to the next level, especially if the offensive line can take a step forward. This will open up the run game, which will only help the offense as a whole. Rodgers will have an absolute animal to throw to on the outside in DK Metcalf, as well as some speedsters in Calvin Austin III and Roman Wilson. Pittsburgh also rosters one of the best tight end rooms in the league with Pat Freiermuth, Jonnu Smith, and Darnell Washington. Rodgers will be able to end his career on a high note with these weapons, and the near-decade long draught of playoff success could come to a close.
Sherrone Moore says Michigan will do away with controversial celebration
Michigan and Ohio State are sure to play another spirited game on the gridiron this season, but it sounds like there will be no flag planting afterward regardless of the outcome. Michigan won its fourth straight game against Ohio State last season, and the Wolverines' latest victory was the biggest upset the rivalry has seen in years. The eventual national champion Buckeyes were ranked No. 2 in the country when an unranked Michigan team went into Columbus and beat them, 13-10. A huge scrum broke out after the game when Michigan players stood on Ohio State's midfield logo and pretended to plant their flag in enemy territory. The brawl got so out of hand that stadium police wound up using pepper spray. While speaking with reporters on Thursday, Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore said his players will not be partaking in any flag-planting activity going forward. "There will be no more flag planting. There will be no more grabbing the flag," Moore said. "We talked about our new tradition and what we do when we win a game is go beat the band, go sing our (fight song) and stay over there until the other team departs. That's how we'll operate — shake hands after the game, show sportsmanship, be cordial." While there has been no formal ban of flag planting, Ohio State coach Ryan Day also expressed opposition to the act after last year's incident. Ohio State and Michigan have one of the best rivalries in sports, so there is always going to be bad blood between the two programs. Moore and Day are doing what they can to make sure things don't get out of hand again the next time their teams meet.
Could a reunion be in the cards for Rangers HC and this defenseman?
New York Rangers general manager Chris Drury has enjoyed an excellent offseason thus far, ticking items off his ‘to do’ list with encouraging regularity. That said, there are still holes to fill on this Rangers team, like the bottom of the Rangers' defensive corps. Adam Fox is a star and Vladislav Gavrikov is a perfect acquisition, sorting out the top pairing. Will Borgen and Braden Schneider, health permitting, should form a solid second pairing. The third pairing, however, remains up in the air. On paper, Carson Soucy is an outstanding third pair D-man. He's big, nasty and responsible in his own end. Last season, though, he was horrible with both the Rangers and the Vancouver Canucks. Never the swiftest of movers, Soucy looked far older than his birth certificate (30) might suggest. He was caught out of position an alarming number of times and, given he provides zero offense, was a huge negative overall. Brought in to fix an ailing defense, Soucy instead poured kerosene onto the blaze. Scott Morrow is an intriguing prospect. Acquired in the K’Andre Miller deal to Carolina, the 22-year-old possesses good size (6-foot-2, 210 pounds) and swift feet while being very offensive minded. Learning at the foot of Fox should only help Morrow’s development. That said, he’s currently a pronounced liability in his own end, prone to the sort of haziness and losses of concentration that saw Miller drive Rangers fans crazy. In time, he’ll be a good one, but the question remains: is that time now? No other option inspires a ton of confidence. Urho Vaakanainen? He’s … fine? Responsible enough defensively but provides little offense and doesn’t exactly own the defensive zone, either. Matthew Robertson, a former second-round pick, played the final two games of last season. Those are his only two games in the NHL. He’s big and can skate, but is 24 and simply could be destined to be an AHL/NHL swingman? E.J. Emery and Drew Fortescue are still far too green for the big leagues. Conner Mackey and Derrick Pouliot set precisely zero hearts racing. With a gap that requires filling, does new head coach Mike Sullivan look to his old team in Pittsburgh and seek a reunion with Matt Grzelcyk? The 31-year-old only played one season under Sullivan after a career spent in Boston, but that one season was clearly his best. His 40 points (one goal, 39 assists) was, by far, a career high, despite playing on a poor Penguins team. Sullivan clearly trusts Grzelyck, his 20:37 of average ice time was also a career high. Despite the lack of goals, Grzelyck is an accomplished power play conductor, his 15 assists last season tied for the team lead with Sidney Crosby. His breakout passing at 5-on-5 is eye-opening. At the same time, he is responsible defensively. He’s also a playoff veteran, with 66 games under his belt. Grzelyck’s agent, Matt Fish, recently told ESPN that his client is looking for ‘the best fit’ and that is where the Rangers may fall short. Would Grzelyck be happy on a second on third pairing? He won’t see PP1 minutes on a team with Fox, so would he be satisfied with quarterbacking the second power play? Of course, the bright lights in New York would mean that Grzelyck remains in the national conscious, no matter how the Rangers perform as a team. If he is looking to get one last decent deal, he could do worse than play in a major market. Grzelyck would be the bridge player that allows the Rangers to let Morrow marinate in the AHL for another season. If Sullivan isn’t happy with his in-house options, he might just lean on his relationship with Grzelyck to convince him to come to Broadway.
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