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The New York Yankees initiated several roster moves on Friday to address their bullpen woes. After the pen relinquished 10 runs in Thursday’s game against the Baltimore Orioles, the team made changes to enhance their pitching staff’s stamina due to heavy recent usage.
Yankees’ Roster Moves
In a bid to bolster their bullpen, the Yankees announced the signing of right-handed pitcher Phil Bickford and the recall of Yoendrys Gomez from Triple-A Scranton on Friday afternoon. Concurrently, they designated left-handed pitcher Victor Gonzalez for assignment.
Despite Gonzalez’s decent performance this season, boasting a 3.86 ERA with a 68.5% left-on-base rate and a 55.1% ground ball rate across 23.1 innings, he was a victim of roster adjustments. If he clears waivers, the plan is to outright him to Triple-A until his services are needed again.
Analyzing Gonzalez’s Performance
Gonzalez, who ranks in the 92nd percentile for ground-ball rate, was facing a 5.17 expected ERA, indicating that his performance might have involved a significant amount of luck. Additionally, his capabilities in generating swings and misses were limited, ranking in the 19th percentile in chase rate and 6th percentile in whiff rate. With only nine strikeouts in his action this season, the Yankees were presumably bracing for a regression. Despite the obvious lack of depth, it was somewhat unexpected that the team chose to part ways with him.
Bickford’s Potential Impact
On the other hand, Phil Bickford, a 28-year-old right-hander, has yet to pitch in the MLB this season. Last year, he split 67.1 innings between the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets, recording a 4.95 ERA.
Despite the higher ERA, Bickford has shown decent velocity and good strikeout capabilities, although his ground ball rate was only 27.9%. He utilizes a four-seam fastball and slider, which pitching coach Matt Blake may find worthwhile to refine. Notably, Bickford’s fastball ranks in the 90th percentile in run value, suggesting the Yankees see untapped potential in his pitching metrics.
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The '50-home-run MLB seasons' quiz
Happy 46th birthday to three-time MLB All-Star, 2005 National League Rookie of the Year, 2008 N.L. MVP and World Series champion with the Philadelphia Phillies, Ryan Howard! Howard played in 13 Major League seasons, making his debut in 2004. By 2006 he was one of the most feared power-hitters in baseball, launching 58 home runs and driving in 149 runs to lead MLB in both categories. That 58-home-run campaign was the first of four-consecutive seasons with at least 40 dingers. In 2008 he once again led MLB in HRs (48) and RBIs (146) en route to the Phillies most recent World Series championship. Which brings us to today’s quiz. There have been 34 players in MLB history to hit at least 50 home runs in one season. How many of those players can you name in five minutes? Good luck! Did you like this quiz? Are there any quizzes you’d like to see us make in the future? Let us know your thoughts at quizzes@yardbarker.com, and make sure to subscribe to our Quiz of the Day Newsletter for daily quizzes sent right to your email!
Scotland media react to Scott McTominay display vs Denmark
Scott McTominay’s reinvention since leaving Manchester United has been one of the major stories of the last 18 months in European football. The midfielder has managed, in a single season, to transform himself into the driving force of the Napoli side that went on to win Serie A and restore their status among Italy’s elite. Having swapped Old Trafford for the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona in 2024, he quickly became a focal point in Antonio Conte’s system and finished his debut campaign as the league’s Most Valuable Player after steering Napoli to the title. McTominay made 36 appearances for Napoli in 2024/25, scoring 13 goals and registering four assists, comfortably the best return of his senior career, sealing a Ballon d’Or nomination. However, this season has been more challenging for the Scotland international. Opposition sides have clearly adjusted to his late runs and aerial presence, while Napoli themselves have not found the same rhythm. McTominay has still chipped in with goals, but with only a handful of strikes so far and more time spent shuttling between roles than dominating games. Unfortunately it seems the form that lit up Italy has been harder to rediscover, a trend that had also been visible with Scotland after Euro 2024. That backdrop is what made Tuesday night at Hampden so significant. With Scotland needing to beat Denmark to leapfrog them and reach the 2026 World Cup, Steve Clarke’s side arrived into a tense, almost wary atmosphere. However, Scott McTominay took matters into his own hands, opening the scoring inside three minutes. Attacking a cross from Ben Gannon-Doak, the former United midfielder adjusted his body and sent an acrobatic overhead effort skidding into the bottom corner. The finish instantly shifted the mood inside Hampden and reminded everyone why Napoli built their title-winning midfield around him. He raced towards the main stand, arms outstretched, as team-mates piled in behind him and the stadium erupted. The Herald’s reaction to the goal described it as a goal: “which will live long in the memory of everyone who was fortunate enough to witness it”. However, from there, Scotland were forced to suffer. A lengthy VAR check eventually handed Denmark a penalty, converted by Rasmus Hojlund, before the visitors went down to ten men and the game descended into chaos. Lawrence Shankland, Patrick Dorgu, Kieran Tierney and Kenny McLean traded goals in a breathless finale that finally ended 4-2 to Clarke’s side. For Scotland, the result ends 28 years of waiting and confirms their place at a World Cup finals for the first time since 1998, with Clarke writing himself into national folklore. For Scott McTominay, it is another landmark in a career that, unfortunately for Manchester United fans, has accelerated since leaving Old Trafford.
Taylor Swift's Emotional Letter to Late Liam Payne Set to Fetch $13,000 at Auction
Taylor Swift's emotional handwritten letter to Liam Payne is expected to draw significant attention when it goes up for auction next month. The note, sent in December 2017, is projected to sell for as much as $13,000 due to its deeply personal and historic nature. Swift wrote the message shortly before Payne took the stage at the Jingle Bell Ball in London, at a time when he was gaining traction as a solo artist after One Direction began its hiatus. According to the auctioneers, interest has already grown ahead of bidding. Taylor wrote: "Liam, long time no see! I'm so excited for you. You're crushing it out there. I'm obsessed with Bedroom Floor. It's so cool to see you from afar, I'm always cheering you on. Good luck tonight!" The Mirror reports that the letter showed up in an envelope labeled only "Liam," covered in stars. The envelope was wax-sealed with a "T," and on the back appeared "Nashville, Tennessee." Payne reportedly gave the letter to a friend shortly after receiving it. The sale of the note comes just over a year after Payne's death in October 2024. The singer died at age 31 after falling from a hotel balcony in Argentina. According to the People, an autopsy later revealed polytrauma along with traces of alcohol, cocaine, and prescription antidepressants in his system. His sister, Ruth Gibbins, described ongoing grief in the months since his death. She said: "My brain is locked on your last minutes on this earth, the unaccounted minutes, the minutes I will never have the answers to, the minutes that changed everything." She also posted on Instagram : "I underestimated grief, woah, did I underestimate it. I am paralysed by it daily. I thought I had felt it before but I know the losses before you were just intense sadness, you are the loss of my life, the one person who l will miss at every single occasion in my life." Omega Auctions is expected to see much interest from collectors once it begins accepting bids for the item, since the letter is a rare personal exchange between two major pop figures. According to the source, the timing has added an emotional weight to the sale, aligning as it does with the anniversary of Payne's death.
Steelers' Darnell Washington Makes History After Brutal Run Against Bengals: 'You Have Infamy'
The Pittsburgh Steelers are no stranger to Kyle Brandt's Angry Run award, but it usually goes to a running back, typically Jaylen Warren, or previously, when he was on the roster, Najee Harris. In Week 11 against the Cincinnati Bengals, someone made history, and it was not a running back. It was the 6'7", probably 300-pound tight end, Darnell Washington. During the game, Washington delivered a 31-yard catch and run and bulldozed through the Bengals’ defense. He was a one-man wrecking crew as he overpowered any defender brave enough to try and tackle him. His domination quickly became the talk of the game and left fans in awe of his size, strength, and determination. For the first time ever, Brandt did not have any other finalists for the award. Washington was finalist 1, 2, and 3. His historic performance against the Bengals will live on in football fans’ memories forever, a moment that changed the way people view the Angry Run award. For Steeler Nation, the 2025 season has finally been the year of Washington. "That is Darnell doing Darnell things, way too big of a dude to be running like that," Brandt said. "So I have got Darnell Washington from the Steelers and there it is again. That is the third finalist as Darnell Washington runs over a dude... This was the Godfather trilogy of runs, except he stuck the landing on part three." Not only was it crazy that a tight end was being nominated for the award, he completely stole any running back's chance of even being considered for the Angry Run award. That just shows how dominant Washington’s run truly was on Sunday. Every defender in his path was left in awe. His performance will be remembered as one of the most unstoppable plays of the 2025 season. "A play of three acts," Brandt said. "A play of violence, a tragedy, but also a comedy at the same time. This thing's going to the Steel City. Darnell Washington, you have made history. You have infamy, and you have the scepter. It's going back to where it belongs after an all-time Angry Run. New York, an all-time Angry Run. Boom. See you next week." Steelers fans have been waiting to see this kind of performance from Washington ever since he was drafted 93rd overall by Pittsburgh in the 2023 NFL Draft. Steelers' Darnell Washington Is Tight End 1 Coming out of Georgia, he was known as an elite blocking tight end, but Sunday showed the full extent of his rare combination of speed, size, and sheer strength. When used properly, Washington can be one of the most unique and dominant tight ends in the league. His historic run against the Bengals was a glimpse of his true potential and a reminder of why Steelers fans are so excited about his future. It seems that Washington has now clearly passed tight ends Pat Freiermuth and Jonnu Smith to become the current number one tight end for the Steelers. The Steelers have three elite tight ends on their roster. Now it's up to Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith to continue to find out how to use them properly. Steelers fans, when you saw Darnell Washington bulldozing through Bengals defenders and making those jaw-dropping plays, what was going through your mind in that moment? How did it feel to see him dominate like that on the field?
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