On Facebook
On Flipboard
On Twitter
The St. Louis Cardinals are performing well in the month of May. After falling to 14-19 on May 2, the team has turned things up a notch and won 13 of their last 17 games.
The team has been carried largely by their starting rotation, but the offense has also performed well, as has the bullpen.
However, there is one area of the organization that needs some attention: the minor leagues.
Several pitchers have gone down with injuries in the minor league levels for St. Louis, and they could look to replenish their supply at the trade deadline.
If the Cardinals trade Ryan Helsley to the Philadelphia Phillies, a team that needs bullpen help this summer, they should target right-hander Mick Abel as part of the return package.
Abel made his Major League debut with the Phillies on Sunday, pitching six scoreless innings and striking out nine batters while earning his first career win against the Pittsburgh Pirates, outdueling Paul Skenes.
He had struggled in the minor leagues over the past few seasons, but he finally appears to be putting it together in 2025. The 23-year-old right-hander is 5-2 with a 2.53 ERA in eight starts with Triple-A Lehigh Valley. He also is averaging 9.9 strikeouts per nine innings.
This is the type of pitcher that St. Louis needs in their system. Several rotation spots will be open next year, and having both Abel and Michael McGreevy available to fill those slots will be important.
We'll see if St. Louis pulls the trigger on a possible trade.
More must-reads:
- Mets to promote top pitching prospect for MLB debut
- Paul Skenes' recent struggles open door for Phillies aces in NL Cy Young race
- The 'American League WAR leaders' quiz
Breaking News
Trending News
TODAY'S BEST
Yankees Rookie Benched for Third Straight Game Amid Playoff Push
For the first time all season, Jasson Dominguez is watching from the dugout for a third consecutive game. The Yankees’ 22-year-old rookie hasn’t started since Sunday, sitting out the entire series against the Minnesota Twins. Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters that Dominguez is simply the odd man out and is not injured. Dominguez entered Wednesday hitting .253/.330/.389 with nine home runs, 37 RBIs, and 19 stolen bases in 99 games. He’s played in 376 plate appearances, posting a 10.1% walk rate and 27.4% strikeout rate, with a wRC+ of 102 and 0.6 WAR according to FanGraphs. Over the past month, his line sits at .262/.319/.393 with three homers, but his last week has been a struggle; he’s hitting just 1-for-15 at the plate. Advanced metrics show a mixed picture of his rookie campaign. Baseball Savant tracks his average exit velocity at 90.7 mph and Hard-Hit Rate at 50.2%, numbers that rank among the better marks for first-year players. However, his barrel rate (6.9%) and xwOBA (.313) suggest there’s room to grow when it comes to maximizing contact quality. Defensively, his Outs Above Average sits at -7, a number the Yankees will want to see improve if he’s going to stick in center field long term. The missed games raise questions only because of Dominguez’s importance to the Yankees’ lineup and his standing among this year’s rookies. MLB.com’s most recent AL Rookie of the Year poll ranked him fifth, and Baseball America’s midseason rookie list had him sixth. His blend of power, speed, and on-base ability, plus the fact he’s already swiped 19 bags, makes him a rare bright spot in an otherwise inconsistent offense. Given the Yankees’ push to lock down a postseason berth, getting Dominguez’s bat and legs back in the mix will be a priority. For now, the “Martian” is grounded and it raises questions about the future.
Oregon suspends former five-star WR recruit indefinitely
Oregon wide receiver Jurrion Dickey has struggled to live up to expectations in his first two seasons with the Ducks, and he is now in a terrible position heading into 2025 as well. Dickey has been suspended indefinitely by Oregon, head coach Dan Lanning announced on Tuesday. Lanning also suggested that Dickey may not play for the Ducks again. "We have two team rules; that’s respectful, be on time,” Lanning said, via James Crepea of The Oregonian. “There’s some pieces of that where I felt like he needed a break from us and we needed a break from that so we could focus on what’s in front of us right now. "Wishing him nothing but the best, as far as success and want to see him get back to where he can be a contributor somewhere; that might be here that might be somewhere else.” Dickey was a five-star recruit and rated as one of the top wide receivers in the country when he came out of Menlo-Atherton High School in Atherton, California, in 2023. He suffered an injury in his senior year in high school and redshirted as a freshman at Oregon. Dickey has two catches for 14 years during his time with the Ducks. Oregon went 13-1 in Lanning's third season with the program last season. The Ducks lost to eventual national champion Ohio State in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals.
Even Mike Macdonald couldn't rattle Sam Darnold, Seahawks insider reports
With so much riding on Sam Darnold, the Seattle Seahawks are doing everything they can to make sure he's ready for the season itself. In such cases, having a defensive mastermind like Mike Macdonald as a head coach comes in handy. Gregg Bell of the Tacoma News Tribune detailed how Macdonald has tested Darnold throughout training camp with various pressures and coverages. While Macdonald's defense gave Darnold trouble early on, but the quarterback has adjusted and is now throwing the ball with ease. Sam Darnold figuring out Mike Macdonald's complex defense "Darnold has gotten accustomed to Macdonald’s tricks along the defensive front," Bell wrote. "The quarterback is now anticipating rookie safety Nick Emmanwori really being an outside linebacker off the edge, about to blitz him. Darnold is figuring out Macdonald’s shifting of defensive backs, from what looks like man-to-man coverage at the snap to what is in fact zone, and vice versa. "Darnold is acing it. After a spate of interceptions early in camp, he hasn’t thrown one in practice since Monday, Aug. 4, an overthrow that landed into the arms of safety D’Anthony Bell. He’s looking more like the quarterback who went 14-3 with 4,300 yards passing and 35 touchdowns in a breakout 2024 season with Minnesota. He’s looking more like the QB the Seahawks traded Geno Smith to get." Even Macdonald conceded that Darnold has figured out his defense, noting how his quick release is giving the unit trouble. “It’s a pain in the butt to pressure you, because the ball’s out and you’re making (quick throws)," Macdonald told Darnold during Sunday's practice. “It’s hard to get to you.” What version of Darnold the Seahawks are going to get is crucial for their season as a whole. Will they get the version that excelled last season with the Minnesota Vikings, or will they get the career journeyman he was before that? Only time will tell for sure, but they're doing everything they can to bring out the best version of him. “I thought we’ve had a really good few weeks,” Darnold said. “Just awesome to see where the team has come from the beginning of training camp.”
Celtics' sale comes with significant and surprising twists
The sale of the Celtics to an investor group led by William Chisholm has received unanimous approval from the NBA’s Board of Governors, the league announced. The results of the vote were never really in doubt, but it’s significant that there was no opposition to Chisholm’s purchase. The league states that the deal is expected to be finalized soon. Chisholm, a Massachusetts native and lifelong Celtics fan, reached a tentative agreement in March to purchase the franchise for $6.1 billion, which set a record at the time as the largest amount ever paid for a North American sports team. That number has since been exceeded by the sale of the Lakers for $10 billion. Chisholm submitted the highest offer among four groups that were bidding for the team. According to Brian Robb of MassLive, his other stakeholders include Aditya Mittal, Robert Hale and Bruce A. Beal Jr., along with Sixth Street, a private investment firm. Chisholm’s group will obtain a 51% stake in the team from the Grousbeck family in the first phase of the sale and will purchase the remaining shares in 2028. When the sale was first announced, Wyc Grousbeck intended to remain in his role as the team’s governor through the 2027-28 season. However, in a surprising twist, a report on Tuesday indicates that’s no longer possible because Grousbeck will control less than the 15% minimum stake that the NBA requires for the person who holds that position. Instead, Chisholm will become lead governor as soon as the sale is official with Grousbeck serving as alternate governor and CEO through the 2027-28 season. Chisholm will take over the Celtics during a time of transition after years of being one of the NBA’s elite teams. Jayson Tatum‘s Achilles injury coupled with a second-round playoff exit have placed an emphasis on cost-cutting measures to lower the team’s tax bill and escape second-apron restrictions. Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis and Luke Kornet are already gone from last year’s roster, and more money-saving moves may take place before the new season begins.
Customize Your Newsletter
+
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!
PRIVACY POLICY EDITORIAL POLICY CONTACT US
ABOUT YARDBARKER TERMS OF SERVICE
Use of this website (including any and all parts and
components) constitutes your acceptance of these
Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
This site is for entertainment purposes only.
There is no gambling offered on this site.
Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-Gambler.
