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Rangers ace Jacob deGrom addresses latest injury concern
Texas Rangers ace Jacob deGrom has tried to ease worries about his latest injury concern.
"Obviously what I've been through the last couple of years, I've dealt with some things, and this is very minor," deGrom told reporters Thursday, per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN). "Left side was a little tight, I mentioned that to them. ... They just said, let's take a couple of days off and knock this all the way out and then resume."
Eyebrows were raised when Rangers general manager Chris Young confirmed Wednesday that deGrom was being held back from throwing for a day or two after he felt what Kennedi Landry of the MLB website described as "a little tightness" in his left side during a bullpen session. The two-time National League Cy Young Award winner left the New York Mets for the Rangers in free agency via a five-year contract reportedly worth $185 million that carries a conditional sixth-year option which could increase the deal's value to $222 million.
A healthy deGrom may be the best pitcher in MLB, but fans haven't seen much of that version of the 34-year-old over the past couple of campaigns. He missed the second half of the 2021 season because of lingering elbow problems and was then sidelined last year from the final days of spring training through all of July due to a stress reaction in the scapula of his pitching shoulder.
Rangers manager Bruce Bochy doesn't seem to be losing sleep over deGrom's health ahead of this weekend.
"I can't tell you how many times in my 25 years of managing when we've done this to a pitcher, even a position player, just to give them another day or two," Bochy said. "That was our call. ... We took it away from him."
Bochy added that deGrom will be re-evaluated on Friday, and the righty insisted he just doesn't want to "do anything dumb now" that might jeopardize his availability for the start of the upcoming season. That's all well and good, but skeptics and pockets of Mets fans can't be blamed for believing they've seen this movie before and know how it ends.
In total, deGrom recorded just 26 starts over the past two regular seasons.
More must-reads:
- Rangers GM Chris Young gives concerning Jacob deGrom update
- Jacob deGrom's latest injury confirms Mets made right decision
- The 'Pitchers from the 1998 MLB All-Star Game' quiz
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Ichiro had the most backhanded compliment for Marlins during Hall of Fame speech
Ichiro Suzuki delivered an amazing speech as he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday, and it even included a surprising swipe at one of his own former teams. During the iconic speech, Ichiro took the time to thank each of of the three MLB teams that he played for across his 19 MLB seasons. When he arrived at the Miami Marlins, he made a hilarious wisecrack about how he had never heard of the team before they offered him a contract in 2015. “And to the Miami Marlins: I appreciate David Samson and Mike Hill for coming today. Honestly, when you guys called to offer me a contract for 2015, I had never heard of your team,” Ichiro joked. Many were surprised to hear Ichiro deliver his speech in English, as he almost always used an interpreter in interviews during and after his playing career. The fact that the 51-year-old was able to entertain the crowd while not speaking in his native language made the speech even more iconic. While thanking the New York Yankees, Ichiro had a funny comment about how his former teammates were only there to support CC Sabathia, who was also being inducted into Cooperstown. Ichiro is one of the greatest hitters in MLB history, and fans have enjoyed seeing the less serious side of him in recent months. Earlier this year, he also took a hilarious shot at the lone Hall of Fame voter who snubbed him. Ichiro called out the voter again during his speech on Sunday.
Kirk Cousins makes notable leadership move after Falcons practice
Kirk Cousins might be relegated to the job of backup quarterback, but he is showing veteran leadership to his Atlanta Falcons teammates. Following Sunday's practice, Cousins pulled aside rookie defensive end James Pearce to encourage the first-round pick after his fourth practice in the league at Flowery Branch, Georgia. "QB Kirk Cousins pulled aside Pearce after practice to compliment him on a pass batted down," wrote Marc Raimondi of ESPN. Cousins reportedly had a solid day of practice on Sunday, going 7-of-12 passing against the first-team unit. If Cousins wants out of Atlanta, he's not showing it at practice. The four-time Pro Bowl quarterback is competing on the field and being a good teammate around the facility. Cousins' actions on the field backed up what Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot praised Cousins for before the team's practice on Sunday. “Outside, it's a lot more of a deal than it is in the building,” Fontenot said to the media about the idea of friction between the Falcons and Cousins, per video from D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal Constitution. “He shows up, he does his job, just like anybody ... We've gotta build the best 70-man roster so we can go win games. "That's what we're focused on, and Kirk, just like all the other players, is focused on coming in here and doing their job. That's what he's been doing." Fontenot didn't dismiss the idea that Atlanta would trade Cousins before the season. He said the Falcons will do whatever it takes to make the team better, but stressed that Cousins has been a professional throughout the process of being replaced by Michael Penix Jr., a first-round pick from the 2024 draft. “In terms of making moves, whether it's trades or acquiring players, we're always looking at those factors," Fontenot said. "We're gonna do whatever we can do to make this team the best it can possibly be. But he's been a great professional, and he's handled himself well.” Cousins is coming to work in a manner that will make another owner want to take a chance on the veteran quarterback. That could be one of his best-selling points before he plays in his 13th season in the league.
Bruins' David Pastrnak Calls Out Canadiens' Juraj Slafkovsky: He Just Lacks Humility'
Juraj Slafkovsky is one of the most promising players in the NHL, but now he has been called out by David Pastrnak, who stated he lacks humility. After being picked No. 1 overall in 2022 NHL Draft, expectations were high in Montreal for young star Juraj Slafkovsky, and thus far, he's shown glimpses of being the elite level player many expected when he entered the National Hockey League. However, there are still some major steps to go, and in a recent interview, Boston Bruins star David Pastrnak pointed out perhaps one area where the 21-year old may need to improve moving forward. When asked about Slafkovsky and his potential, Pastrnak gave nothing but a glowing review of the young Canadiens star, but he did note that he believes Slafkovsky needs more humility. 'He's still a young player who is gaining experience in the NHL every year. This season it was already clear that he gave the team more than before...He just needs a little more humility, he should set an example for the young ones.' On the ice, there's no doubting that Slafkovsky has the presence, the size and the talent to be a true star, posting 101 total points over the past two seasons, but for whatever reason, it appears as though Pastrnak believes he needs to improve off the ice before he can take a major leap in Montreal. Ultimately, the talent is still there for Slafkovsky, and at 21-years old, he'll continue to learn off the ice, and if he can go anywhere close to living up to the potential that he's shown in his first three years at the NHL level, there's no doubt that he can be a big time star and help lead the Canadiens to significant post-season success.
How Vikings' J.J. McCarthy 'has checked critical boxes early on' in training camp
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