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The Philadelphia Phillies face an intriguing decision on filling their open bench spot for the upcoming NLDS. According to Matt Gelb of The Athletic, in the Division Series, the Phillies will have 14 position players and 12 pitchers on their roster. As Gelb noted, the decision on who gets the open spots is dependent on some health factors. Carrying 14 position players is a sign that Phillies manager Rob Thomson intends to play the matchup game in high-leverage pinch-hit situations. Expect Thomson to primarily pinch-hit for Johan Rojas late in games during the NLDS. He has a .276 OPS in 45 career postseason plate appearances. Weston Wilson made an appearance in center field during the Phillies’ regular season finale, which is worth keeping in mind.
Phillies Face Decision on Open Bench Spot for NLDS
Austin Hays
Trade deadline acquisition Austin Hays will likely get the open spot if healthy. Hays has been dealing with a back injury that caused him to miss the last series of the regular season. Additionally, Hays has been on the injured list twice since joining the Phillies. He has a .256/.275/.397 line with two home runs and six RBI in 22 games with the Phillies. To add to that, Hays recorded an 85 wRC+ and a .316 BABIP in that span. Hays would likely platoon with Brandon Marsh in left field if on the NLDS roster. Gelb wrote that if Hays makes the postseason roster, his role is still to be determined. Even if he is healthy, there might be better options for this role. Wilson would be in line to platoon with Marsh if Hays is not on the Phillies’ NLDS roster.
Phillies ‘Extremely Optimistic’ About Austin Hays Ahead of NLDS – @OnPattison https://t.co/6R0u215WPE
— Tim Kelly (@TimKellySports) October 1, 2024
Buddy Kennedy
Called back up for the last game of the regular season, Buddy Kennedy is a candidate if Hays is not ready to go. Kennedy had a .182/.308/.273 line with no home runs and two RBI in eight games with the Phillies this season. The Phillies traded for him in June. Kennedy recorded a 71 wRC+ and a .250 BABIP after joining Philadelphia. One reason he might not get the spot is that he primarily plays infield positions. The Phillies are likely to carry an extra outfielder as the 14th position player given who might be pinch hit for during games. Kennedy has never played an outfield position in the majors, having exclusively played second base and third base. However, he does have 11 career minor league appearances in left field.
Cal Stevenson
After filling in for Hays while on the IL, Cal Stevenson is the other candidate for this role. Stevenson had a .250/.333/.375 line with no home runs and six RBI in 18 games this season, along with a 100 wRC+ and a .300 BABIP. Stevenson primarily plays center field, which gives him an advantage to win the slot. While filling in for Hays this season, Stevenson made 10 appearances in center field to go along with two appearances in left field and four appearances in right field. Stevenson has a 161 wRC+ and a .929 OPS in seven plate appearances as a pinch hitter this season which also helps his case.
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New suitor emerges for Diamondbacks third baseman Eugenio Suarez
The Arizona Diamondbacks have plenty of suitors for third baseman Eugenio Suarez. A new team has reportedly entered the market for his services. Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that the Phillies have reached out regarding Suarez. While Lauber did not provide any indication as to whether or not those talks have gained traction, the Phillies are an intriguing suitor for the Diamondbacks' third baseman. The Phillies' interest may be a recent development. Jon Heyman of the New York Post speculated on Friday that the Phillies could emerge as a suitor in the wake of third baseman Alec Bohm landing on the injured list with a fractured left rib. Suarez is in the midst of what is arguably his best season thus far. He has produced a .249/.321/.587 batting line in 421 plate appearances entering Saturday with 36 homers and a major league-leading 87 RBI. Suarez would be more than just another powerful bat in the lineup. Designated hitter Kyle Schwarber and first baseman Bryce Harper are both left-handed hitters — adding Suarez would provide more balance in the batting order. He would also provide a counter against opposing managers bringing in a lefty reliever to face Schwarber and Harper. The biggest question would be how the Phillies would handle an eventual logjam on the roster. Bohm is expected to return from the IL in mid-August and would not have a clear path to regular at-bats if Suarez were acquired. Schwarber could theoretically return to left field to open up playing time at the DH spot, but his outfield defense is mediocre at best. However, as the Phillies are also looking to upgrade the outfield, where Max Kepler and Brandon Marsh have been disappointments, adding Suarez could solve several problems in one fell swoop.
Observations from Dallas Cowboys' first padded practice: Tyler Booker handles business, late-round rookie impresses, and more
The Dallas Cowboys got one step closer to regular season form by wearing pads for the first time in training camp. Below are some of the main takeaways from Sunday's practice in Oxnard, California, starting off with a couple of notes on rookies. Jaydon Blue's skills translate with pads on Blue was turning heads early in camp but it's always hard to tell the difference between a tackle or a big play when defenders are essentially playing tag instead of hitting players. Well, Blue looked promising even in pads, with the play below being the highlight of the day as he jukes Markquese Bell to break free for the extra yardage. The fifth-round rookie also showed off his speed as a receiver more than once. Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders are seeing the most playing time with the starters but Blue is off to a great start. Tyler Booker stacks highlights vs. Osa Odighizuwa It was a good day for the Cowboys' first-round rookie and projected starting right guard Tyler Booker. The play that stood out the most was a reach block on Osa Odighizuwa that sent the defensive lineman to the ground, opening a hole for Javonte Williams. ln a play-action play, Booker joined forces with center Cooper Beebe to take Odighizuwa out of the play. After a double block sent the defender to the ground, Booker blocked Odighizuwa with fully-extended arms to keep him away from Dak Prescott. Cowboys HC Brian Schottenheimer said ahead of practice that Booker had hit a bit of a wall leading to him working with the second-team the day before. He sure bounced back. Cowboys showing off a jumbo package Schottenheimer and offensive coordinator Klayton Adams have said the Cowboys will run a physical offense. In short yardage situations, that might mean running six offensive lineman onto the field. Asim Richards and Saahdiq Charles have both been used as a sixth OL/TE at practice. Below is a play where Charles even motions from one side to the OL to the other. The personnel grouping below includes fullback Hunter Luepke leading the way for the running back. Terence Steele participates in pads Earlier in training camp, right tackle Terence Steele suffered an ankle sprain that knocked him out of practice, raising concern for his availability moving forward. That concern is turning out to be short-lived. Steele was back Sunday, a major development for the first practice in pads. However, he didn't participate in team drills. Even so, the Cowboys appear to have dodged a major bullet as the injury was a high ankle sprain, which can be a headache for players. Steele wore tape on his ankle Sunday.
Lakers' Luka Doncic Going Viral for Shocking Body Transformation
The Los Angeles Lakers have been very invested in getting Luka Doncic into better shape this offseason. After how poorly he played defense and how tired he looked against Minnesota in the playoffs, it has been their top priority. Doncic has never been the most fit player in the league. He is still one of the best players in the league, but he could be a lot better if he were less tired at the end of the season. So far this offseason, it looks like Doncic has been committed to the training program that the Lakers put him on. He looks like an entirely different player. More news: NBA Insider Reveals Why Bradley Beal Spurned Lakers for Clippers A video of Doncic has been circulating online, showing off his body transformation. The Lakers would be thrilled if Doncic were able to stay this fit all year long. He needs to be able to play better defense now that he is the face of the franchise, and that could be abetted by improved lateral quickness. A big reason why the Lakers lost to the Timberwolves in the playoffs is because of their inability to stop guards from penetrating the paint. The starting backcourt is not a good defensive one. Doncic isn't the only one to blame for poor perimeter defense. Austin Reaves isn't the best defender, either. The difference with him is that he at least tries to be in the right spot on defense. At times against the Wolves, he was too tired to actually stay in front of some of the players who were attacking him. A large part of Minnesota's game plan was to get Doncic switched on to Anthony Edwards. More news: Massive 5-Team Blockbuster Trade Sees Lakers' LeBron James Shipped for $238 Million All-Star The Lakers would be in a great position to contend for a title if Doncic could stay in shape for an entire season. Based on this video, he has a renewed commitment to doing that. Doncic likely has extra motivation to show the Dallas Mavericks what they decided to trade away. He wants to prove them wrong for deciding to get rid of him. After he was traded to the Lakers, Doncic averaged 28.2 points per game, 8.1 rebounds, and 7.5 assists per game. He shot 43.8 percent from the field and 37.9 percent from beyond the 3-point arc. More news: Former Lakers Guard Signing in Israel to Continue Career For more news and notes on the Los Angeles Lakers, visit Los Angeles Lakers on SI.
Watch: Colston Loveland making plays at Bears 2025 training camp
After missing all of the offseason workout program while he recoverd from shoulder surgery, Chicago Bears first-round pick Colston Loveland is beginning to make his presence felt at training camp. The Bears' social media team share a few clips of Loveland making in action, which has Bears Nation very excited. Check it out: Adam Jahns, a longtime Bears beat writer, mentioned Loveland's recent assimilation into the offense as well. "Today’s big news from Bears camp: rookie tight end Colston Loveland making three catches in 7v7 (two) and team periods (one) — including one from Caleb Williams for a first down (7v7)," Jahns wrote Saturday. Loveland is in a training camp battle with veteran Cole Kmet for starter's reps in 2025, although it may take him a bit of time before he completely unseats Kmet for the TE1 role. Regardless, Ben Johnson's offense will rely heavily on two tight end sets, which means Loveland will get every opportunity to prove he was worthy of being selected 10th overall in the 2025 NFL Draft. Loveland ended the 2024 season with 56 catches for 582 yards and five touchdowns. He trailed Penn State's Tyler Warren for the majority of the 2025 NFL Draft season, but a late push up the pre-draft rankings resulted with him leapfrogging Warren in Round 1. Warren was selected 14th by the Indianapolis Colts. Loveland's ascent up the Chicago Bears depth chart will continue as the weeks march on, as will his place in passing game's pecking order.
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