On Facebook
On Flipboard
On Twitter
Jazz Chisholm Jr.'s triumphant return and Giancarlo Stanton finally beginning a rehab assignment created a sense that, at long last, the New York Yankees could have good luck with the injured list.
Nope. Not even close.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters on Tuesday that the club paused reliever Jake Cousins' rehab assignment. Cousins has missed the entire season with a forearm strain and pectoral injury.
Boone said that Cousins underwent MRI testing on Tuesday. According to SNY, Boone shared that Cousins self-reported the injury because he "felt some stuff" in his elbow.
Cousins quietly impressed upon joining the Yankees last year, posting a 2.37 ERA and 0.7 bWAR in 37 games. Although he struck out 53 in 38 innings, he also walked 20 and allowed five home runs.
However, Cousins notably struggled when the calendar turned to October. Cousins allowed five runs and four walks in five playoff innings.
Cousins is the cousin (pun not intended) of Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins, who visited Jake at Yankees spring training in March. At the time, Jake admitted he hoped the New York Giants would acquire Kirk, who remains the subject of trade rumors.
The Giants instead opted for a combination of Russell Wilson, Jameis Winston, and rookie Jaxson Dart.
A 2017 20th-round pick of the Washington Nationals, Cousins is 5-2 with a 2.78 ERA over four seasons with the Yankees and Milwaukee Brewers.
More must-reads:
- Surprising Marlins earn MLB first in sweep of Yankees
- Brewers place All-Star righty Jacob Misiorowski on 15-day injured list
- The '250-strikeout MLB seasons' quiz
Breaking News
Trending News
TODAY'S BEST
Milwaukee Brewers: Nestor Cortes Makes Big Admission About Sudden Trade to Padres
As it turned out, veteran pitcher Nestor Cortes’ time with the Milwaukee Brewers was just a short one. Cortes, who was acquired by the Brewers via a trade with the New York Yankees in December and signed a one-year, $7.6 million contract with the Brewers nearly a month later, has been sent by Milwaukee to the San Diego Padres ahead of last week’s trade deadline. Cortes opens up about trade from Milwaukee Brewers to San Diego The 30-year-old Cortes recently shared how he learned he was on the move to San Diego, which came just minutes before he was to board the team bus for a road trip. “It’s been a little crazy, I was in Milwaukee and flew in last night,” Cortes said on Monday (h/t Marty Caswell of The Sporting Tribune). “But as soon as I got traded, a bunch of people reached out and made me feel like I was really welcomed here. And walking into the clubhouse today, obviously a lot of guys came up to me and presented me to all these places that we have here. It’s amazing for me now. Just happy to be here, happy for the opportunity.” Getting traded wasn’t exactly a surprise for Cortes, and he also seemingly got to an ideal situation with the Padres despite parting ways with a Milwaukee squad that is leading the big leagues in the standings with 67 wins through Sunday. “I was a little surprised. Even though I felt if there was a chance to get out of Milwaukee, it was going to be to a contender and I’m just happy to be here and happy to compete,” added Cortes. “I want to get the ball every five days hopefully and be able to give the best that I can.” Cortes appeared in only two games with the Brewers, as he landed on the 15-day injured list with an elbow flexor strain before getting placed on the 60-day IL.
DK Metcalf makes huge claim about Steelers defense
D.K. Metcalf has faced plenty of steep competition through his first six NFL seasons, both during games and practice, but the star wide receiver has noticed something different in his first training camp with the Pittsburgh Steelers. During an interview with Ian Rapoport and Steve Smith of NFL Network on Sunday, Metcalf discussed some of his first impressions of the Steelers. He spoke about how challenging it has been to go up against cornerbacks Joey Porter Jr., Jalen Ramsey and Darius Slay every day. When asked how the practice competition compares to what he saw with the Seattle Seahawks, Metcalf made a bold claim about his new teammates. "You don't want my opinion, because I think they're the best defense I've ever seen," Metcalf said. "There's some dogs everywhere on the field, and I tip my hat to them because they come to work every day and we don't have any choice but to get better." There is no question that the Steelers should have one of the best defensive backfields in the NFL on paper. While they sent five-time Pro Bowl safety Minkah Fitzpatrick to the Miami Dolphins in the Ramsey trade, their cornerback trio of Ramsey, Porter and Slay is as talented as any in the league. The Steelers allowed 20.4 points per game last year, which ranked eighth in the NFL. Their pass defense surrendered 228 yards per game, which only ranked 25th. If Metcalf's assessment is accurate, Pittsburgh should show great improvement against the pass in 2025.
Dolphins lock in defensive standout to long-term extension
It's been a lucrative weekend for some of the NFL's defensive tackles. Just one day after the Denver Broncos locked in Zach Allen on a long-term deal, the Miami Dolphins did the same with another Zach — Zach Sieler — and signed him to a three-year, $67 million extension that will now make him the highest-paid defensive player on the Dolphins roster. The Dolphins defense took a big step forward in 2024 and climbed to the top 10 in points allowed and the top four in yards allowed. They still struggled against some of the NFL's better teams, but it was a better unit overall and Sieler was a big part of that. He's been a full-time starter the past three seasons and is coming off back-to-back 10-sack campaigns for the Dolphins. He is going to turn 30 just after Week 1 of the season, but his game should age well throughout the contract extension. It was a quiet free agent signing period for the Dolphins defense, mainly focusing on depth additions, but they did make one blockbuster trade by sending Jalen Ramsey and Jonnu Smith to the Pittsburgh Steelers for Minkah Fitzpatrick. They also addressed the defensive line in the 2025 NFL Draft in a big way by selecting defensive lineman with two of their first three picks. That included first-round pick Kenneth Grant out of Michigan and fifth-round pick Jordan Phillips out of Maryland.
Do the Vikings have a kicker problem on their hands again?
For much of last year, it looked like the Vikings had found their long-term solution at kicker in Will Reichard, who they selected in the sixth round of the 2024 draft out of Alabama. That still might end up being the case. But Reichard has had a shakier-than-ideal start to his second training camp, and he generally hasn't quite looked the same since the quad injury that cost him a month as a rookie. Reichard missed twice from inside 40 yards at Saturday's practice, going wide left both times. He also missed twice the last time we saw him kick, hitting the left upright from 53 yards out and missing wide right from 46 on Tuesday. In total, Reichard has gone 13 for 18 in the three open practices where he's taken live field goal reps. That's not great for a training camp setting. To be very clear, I think it's entirely too early for any sort of real concern. Reichard has plenty of time to work with special teams coordinator Matt Daniels and fix whatever issues he's having. None of this will matter if he delivers in the regular season, which is still more than a month away from beginning. But it at least bears watching. It's something to keep in mind over the rest of training camp and into preseason action, which starts next Saturday at U.S. Bank Stadium. Early last season, Reichard was a bit of a rookie sensation. He had an incredible training camp, booming kicks through the uprights from long range over and over. He then began his NFL career by going 14 for 14 on field goals and 20 for 20 on extra points over the Vikings' first seven games. That includes four makes from beyond 50 yards. But after the bye week, Reichard missed a couple field goals in a game against the Colts and cited some discomfort in his kicking leg. He wound up landing on IR with a quad injury, which cost him the next four games (John Parker Romo had an effective stint as his replacement). Upon returning, Reichard went 10 for 14 on field goal attempts the rest of the way. He wasn't the automatic sniper he was prior to the injury. And early in training camp, the shakiness seems to have carried over. Again, it's too early for significant concern. The Vikings don't suddenly need to bring in a kicker for competition. But given the franchise's history at the position, fans will be monitoring Reichard closely to see if he can get back to his pre-injury form. More Vikings coverage
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.
