On Facebook
On Flipboard
On Twitter
The Marlins placed right-hander Sixto Sanchez on the 15-day injured list Sunday (retroactive to June 1), with right-hander Emmanuel Ramirez called up from Triple-A in the corresponding move. Sanchez is dealing with inflammation in his throwing shoulder and something seemed awry when his velocity was significantly down in his start against the Rangers on Friday.
Given how multiple shoulder surgeries (amidst other injuries) kept Sanchez from just a single inning of minor league ball from 2021-23, it isn’t a good sign that the former top prospect is again dealing with any type of shoulder problem, even if some inflammation or soreness might be expected given Sanchez’s long layoff. The righty made his return to the big leagues this season and has a 6.06 ERA over 35 2/3 innings for Miami, starting seven of his 14 appearances. While Sanchez has always been more of a grounder specialist than a strikeout artist, Sanchez has struck out only 10.5% of batters faced this season.
More from around the NL East…
- Brandon Marsh is “day to day…at this point” with a right hamstring strain, as Phillies manager Rob Thomson told reporters (including Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer) after Marsh was removed from Sunday night’s game. In the eighth inning, Marsh was rounding second base after a Nick Castellanos single, but seemed to tweak his hamstring and immediately asked for a trainer. One of the many Phillies players enjoying a strong season, Marsh is hitting .265/.344/.426 over 186 plate appearances, playing primarily as the regular left fielder against right-handed pitching, and also bouncing around to the other two outfield spots when needed. Philadelphia has a pair of upcoming off-days on Thursday and Friday, so the club might try to get by without Marsh until that break in the hopes that he can avoid the injured list.
- Francisco Alvarez could possibly be making a quicker return than expected from thumb surgery, as The Athletic’s Will Sammon writes that “there’s a distinct possibility” Alvarez could be part of the Mets’ roster for the pair of games with the Phillies in London on June 8-9. The catcher was given a recovery timeline of 6-8 weeks after he underwent the surgery on April 23, though since Alvarez has started a minor league rehab assignment, the Mets are hopeful that he might make it back right at the low end of that initial progression.
- In other Mets injury news, the team called up Shintaro Fujinami in mid-May and placed him on the major league 15-day injured list, a procedural move that MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo explains was made so Fujinami could eventually be moved to the 60-day IL, thus freeing up a 40-man roster spot. Fujinami hasn’t been pitched for a month due to a shoulder strain, and the updated 6-8 week timeline means that he’ll likely be out of action until July. New York signed Fujinami to a one-year, $3.35M deal in February, coming off his MLB debut season that saw him post a 7.18 ERA across 79 innings with the A’s and Orioles. Despite that big ERA, the hard-throwing Fujinami pitched better as the season went on, leading the Mets to make a small investment in his potential as a bullpen arm.
- The Braves have assigned David Fletcher from Triple-A Gwinnett to Double-A Mississippi, the team announced. While technically a demotion, the Mississippi affiliate’s official X feed listed Fletcher as an infielder and right-handed pitcher, indicating that this move could be a way of giving Fletcher more runway to explore his new career path as a knuckleballer. The Athletic’s David O’Brien recently detailed how Fletcher has been experimenting with a knuckler, culminating in a start last Wednesday when he limited the Orioles’ Triple-A squad to two runs over five innings. Fletcher (who recently celebrated his 30th birthday) is still owed at least roughly $12M through the end of the 2025 season, as per the five-year, $26M extension he signed with the Angels in April 2021. His production as an infielder has declined sharply since signing that deal and the Braves acquired him as part of a mutual salary dump of trade last December. Fletcher is also under investigation from the league in regards to allegations of non-baseball bets placed with an illegal bookmaker.
More must-reads:
- Teams inquiring on Marlins closer
- Three trade chips for the Miami Marlins
- The '2003 Florida Marlins' quiz
Breaking News
Trending News
Customize Your Newsletter
+
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!
TODAY'S BEST
Blue Jays' hot streak has them in rare territory
The Toronto Blue Jays won again on Friday, defeating the Detroit Tigers by a 6-2 margin to extend their American League East lead and take over the best record in Major League Baseball. All of this is relatively uncharted territory for Blue Jays fans of a certain age — and the franchise itself. With Friday's win, this is the latest in a season that Toronto has owned baseball's best record since 1992 (when they went on to win the World Series). Their five-game lead in the division is also the biggest divisional lead they have had this late in the season since 1992. The Blue Jays continue to write a pretty incredible story for themselves this season. They did not have overly high expectations when the season began and were dealing with a contract negotiation with their top star — Vladimir Guerrero Jr. — who seemed destined to play out the season before hitting free agency. It's amazing how much has changed, and how rapidly it has changed, over the past couple of months. Not only did the Blue Jays get Guerrero Jr. signed to a long-term deal when it seemed like they had missed their opportunity, but they also overcame a mediocre start that had them hovering around the .500 mark through the end of May. Since June 1, the Blue Jays have gone on a 32-14 run, and they're 20-5 over their past 25 games. It has not only put them right in the thick of the American League playoff race, but it has put them in the driver's seat for a highly competitive American League East crown,
Jonathan Kuminga Open to Kings Move Amid Prolonged Prolonged Free Agency
What could have been a very exciting offseason for Golden State Warriors fans has turned into one of dread. They haven’t made any major additions to the roster, aside from a couple of late second-round picks from the Draft, and the Jonathan Kuminga situation has gone from bad to worse. It’s clear that the Congolese baller no longer wants to be part of the Dubs. He wants to be a first or second option, and Head Coach Steve Kerr hasn’t been able to run the team with Kuminga as the centerpiece. The issue, however, has been finding a way out. Kuminga has placed a high value on every trade package, one that other teams have been unwilling to match. As a result, Kuminga hasn’t agreed to a contract that would allow the Warriors to sign-and-trade him, leaving him to explore free agency, an option that likely won’t land him a big payday. Recent reports, however, have linked him to the Sacramento Kings, a franchise the Warriors were previously reluctant to deal with regarding Kuminga. Warriors insider Anthony Slater revealed in an ESPN podcast that Kuminga has had contact with Kings’ General Manager Scott Perry for the first time, and was impressed with what they were offering. “He liked the pitch that Scott Perry gave, and he’s open-minded to the idea of Sacramento,” Slater said. “And I think part of that pitch is, you’re talking starting role, you’re talking bigger opportunity than the Warriors are [giving] necessarily now. And I think that’s the part that shouldn’t get lost in this whole situation.” Slater then emphasized that Kuminga isn’t just chasing money, he’s also looking to be the star in a new team. And the Kings, for now, seem to be the only team that can make that happen. “Kuminga is not just looking for the exact contract he wants and free agency. He’s looking for the opportunity he wants on the court,” Slater concluded. Kuminga was selected seventh overall in the 2021 Draft and played a supporting role in Golden State’s championship win during his rookie season. Expectations were high, but it soon became evident that he wasn’t part of Kerr’s long-term plans. To his credit, Kuminga didn’t shy away from calling the Warriors out in front of the media. It appears the relationship between the two is now beyond repair. A move away, and soon, would be best for both parties, especially for the Warriors, who are looking to clear salary space to make additions ahead of the 2025–26 campaign.
'I shouldn't have said yes to doing that' - Taylor Fritz reflects on being setup during viral interview at the ESPYs
After a moment that left him slightly embarrassed, tennis star Taylor Fritz has expressed regret at agreeing to an interview that would later go viral due to the American's slight inebriation. The top-ranked American was present at the annual ESPY's event, where a clip featuring him would later go viral. Fritz was interviewed by a social media influencer, who would ask him a question as the California native was leaving the venue. Slightly intoxicated, Fritz agreed to answer a quick question. However, the interviewer would present Fritz with a math problem, asking for the total amount of 50 $20 bills, to which the American was unable to quickly solve due to his intoxication. "Let me think for a second," responded Fritz. "Uh, every five is a hundred, so... every five is a hundred, so that’s... I’ve been drinking too much tonight. Every five is a hundred, so... there’s ten fives—I mean... it’s $10,000" Fritz goes viral, regrets interview once sober The clip of Fritz failing the simple math question would find it's way to the internet, initially posted by the Instagram account @alfredopastadonn. Subsequently, Fritz would be forced to chime in on the matter during a press conference at the ongoing DC Open, where he was unsure on whether the interviewer's goal was to embarrass him. "I shouldn't have said yes to doing that," said the World No.4. "I knew it was one of those. I had just left the ESPYs after party... I'm actually pretty happy with how it turned out, because when I did the interview, in my head, I thought that I was, like, going to sound super drunk. But I actually sounded very coherent, like normal. I don't think you'd ever tell from watching the video. I was happy about that. "I know those street interviews are such a setup too. He said he was going to interview me, ask me some questions, and he hit me with a math question. It's really bad. It's really, really bad." The 27-year old is the top seed at the DC Open, where he advanced to the quarterfinals after defeating Italian Matteo Arnaldi in straigtht sets.
Steelers News: Omar Khan Details Why George Pickens Was Traded to the Cowboys Despite 'Developing' Him Since 2022
Following his breakout year in 2023, George Pickens was expected to be the WR1 of the Pittsburgh Steelers for the foreseeable future. He had already justified the second-round draft capital that the franchise had initially invested in him, but there were growing concerns about Pickens’ lack of maturity. Fast forward to the 2025 offseason, and even though he’s managed to produce a career total of 2,841 receiving yards throughout his first three seasons in the league, the Steelers were willing to let him go in exchange for nothing more than a 2026 third-round pick and a minuscule value swap with the Dallas Cowboys. While the team has since managed to replace Pickens’ service with that of D.K. Metcalf, fans and analysts alike are still questioning the decision. Thankfully, the self-titled host of The Rich Eisen made the most of his recent discussion with the team’s general manager, Omar Khan, by directly asking him “Why did George Pickens have to go despite developing him?” “I’ll just say, as we went through the offseason and the process, it just became evident that, for both sides, a fresh start was the best thing,” Khan explained. “It just made sense for both of us.” Suffice to say, Khan’s answer, while not very insightful, does suggest that Pickens’ relationships with various Pittsburgh personnel had become fractured beyond repair. Whether it was the Steelers or Pickens himself who was responsible for things not working out does not matter anymore, as Khan’s brief statement brings the entire saga to a somewhat definitive end. For one reason or another, it was no longer in either side’s best interest to continue working together, and that’s that. Much like the rest of his interview with Eisen, Khan and the rest of the Steelers’ organization is now moving forward. When Eisen noted that Pittsburgh’s trade involving Minkah Fitzpatrick and Jalen Ramsey couldn’t have “happened over night,” Khan explained that it took “weeks” to finally get the deal done with the Miami Dolphins. Being sure to cover all of the high notes from the Steelers’ chaotic offseason, the seven-time Sports Emmy award nominee also inquired about T.J. Watt’s latest benchmark contract with the team. While he was unwilling to go into the “specifics of the numbers,” Khan did proclaim that, “I think it just reflects how we feel about him. It was important for me, and the organization, for T.J. to be a one-helmet Hall of Famer. It would be a great thing and hopefully there’s many, many more years to go with T.J., but it was just important. His numbers speak for themselves… As great of a player as he is, he’s an even better person.” At 6-foot-4 and 229-pounds, the aforementioned Metcalf is certainly capable of filling the Pickens-sized hole in Pittsburgh’s receiving core. Likewise, the addition of Ramsey along with their retaining of Watt will help to ensure that the defense is as stout as ever. The Steelers are going all in on the 2025 regular season with the hopes of discovering their first playoff win since January 15th of 2017 and it’s too late for them to turn back now. They’ll have to hope that they’ve made the right moves and prioritized the right signings. Otherwise they’ll risk wasting the final regular season of one of the most storied careers in all of NFL history.
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.
