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The Cubs have activated Cody Bellinger from the 10-day injured list, the team announced on Monday. Bellinger has been on the IL since July 11 after he was hit by a Cionel Perez pitch, resulting in a fracture in his left middle finger. Fortunately for Bellinger and the Cubs, the injury hasn’t proven to be too serious and Bellinger has been taking part in baseball activities.
The activation comes as a bit of a surprise due to the immediacy, as manager Craig Counsell told reporters (including Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune) earlier on Monday that Bellinger would return in a few days. However, Bellinger apparently looked so good in his hitting progression that the club feels comfortable in activating him in time for Monday's game with the Reds. Counsell recently suggested that Bellinger could return as a DH at first as he was feeling comfortable hitting, but was still having some issues throwing (Bellinger is left-handed).
Bellinger has hit .269/.331/.410 with nine home runs over 344 plate appearances this season and he missed a couple of weeks due to a rib fracture earlier this year in addition to his just-completed IL stint. While Bellinger’s 108 wRC+ is above average, it is well below the 134 wRC+ he posted in 2023 and not what the Cubs were expecting when he was re-signed to a three-year, $80M free-agent deal last winter.
Since Bellinger can opt out of that contract after the season, he’ll have two more months to post some bigger numbers and build a better platform for another foray into the free-agent market. If Bellinger decides to just stay with Chicago, he can also opt out following the 2025 campaign, giving him some extra flexibility down the road as he considers his long-term future. Between this contractual uncertainty, his recent injury absence and his just-okay numbers, Bellinger is probably unlikely to be dealt by a Chicago team that has been doing more adding than subtracting in advance of Tuesday's trade deadline.
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White Sox release former All-Star pitcher
The White Sox have released right-handers Noah Syndergaard and Penn Murfee. Syndergaard’s release was announced on Sunday, while Murfee’s MLB.com profile page indicates he was let go on Friday. Syndergaard signed a minor league deal with Chicago in late June, which marked his first contract with any team since he was released by the Guardians in August 2023. Despite some interest from teams during the 2023-24 offseason, Syndergaard ended up not pitching anywhere in 2024, so the Sox started him off with some rookie ball outings just to get acclimated back to game action before reporting to Triple-A Charlotte. Syndergaard had a 2.93 ERA over his 15 1/3 frames of Rookie League work, but then was hit hard for a 10.13 ERA over two outings and eight innings at the Triple-A level. The ugly numbers in Charlotte included only two strikeouts and a rather incredible five homers allowed. While eight innings is obviously a small sample size, it was enough for the White Sox to decide to move on from Syndergaard, putting the former All-Star at yet another career crossroads. Syndergaard turns 33 later this month, and it is fair to wonder if retirement could be a possibility. Despite his past pedigree, the amount of time it took for him to land even a minor league contract could indicate that evaluators simply doubt he can ever regain any of his past effectiveness. A frontline member of the Mets’ pitching staff during his prime years, Syndergaard has never really recovered from a Tommy John surgery that sidelined him for virtually all of the 2020-21 season. He pitched decently well in posting a 3.94 ERA over 134 2/3 innings for the Angels and Phillies in 2022, but rather than approach his old form or at least settle in at a mid-rotation arm, Syndergaard regressed in the form of a 6.50 ERA in 88 2/3 frames with the Dodgers and Guardians in 2023. Murfee is another pitcher whose career was interrupted by a major arm injury. After posting a 2.70 ERA for the Mariners in his first 83 1/3 career big league innings, he underwent UCL surgery in June 2023, and some elbow discomfort kept him from making his return late in the 2024 season as a member of the Astros. The White Sox claimed Murfee off waivers from Houston last November, marking the fourth time in a 13-month period that the right-hander had changed teams on the waiver wire. Murfee made his return to the Show in the form of 12 2/3 innings of 7.82 ball for the White Sox earlier this season. Chicago outrighted the hurler to Triple-A in early May, and while Murfee had a respectable 4.09 ERA over 22 innings for Charlotte, he has recorded more walks (18) than strikeouts (16).
Justin Fields Called 'Biggest Loser' In Jets Training Camp
The New York Jets opted to cut Aaron Rodgers and sign Justin Fields to replace him during the offseason. This kind of commitment to Fields should bolster his confidence, but it could also place a lot of pressure on his shoulders. To this point, Fields has looked solid in training camp, aside from a scary toe injury that was quickly resolved in July. Justin Fried of the Jet Press recently reported that Fields' training camp may have reached a new low over the weekend as the young signal caller struggled. "Justin Fields put together his best practice of the summer to this point on Friday, completing his first 12 passes en route to an excellent all-around performance. The same can't be said about his showing on Saturday, however," Fried wrote. "Fields finished the day an abysmal 2-of-10 in the air, including a drop from rookie tight end Mason Taylor. "Some of his incompletions were catchable balls, but the Jets' passing game struggles on Saturday can largely be blamed on No. 7. Fields did flash his running ability with a 25-yard rushing score on the first play of red-zone drills, but the Jets would like to see more consistency in the air from the starting quarterback. Saturday's scrimmage was far from his best showing of the summer." Fields is a runner first at the NFL level, but his arm is nothing to scoff at. For most of training camp, his arm talent has been better than advertised, but during Saturday's scrimmage, it just wasn't there. A 2 for 10 performance is unacceptable for a $40 million quarterback who was signed to take over the team. The running game should open up the passing game for the Jets, which is going to need to be the case if Fields is going to struggle like this. However, it's just one day of camp. It's nothing to be too concerned about. Just because Fields lost this specific practice doesn't mean he's heading in the wrong direction as a whole.
Green Bay Packers: Jordan Love’s ‘Fiery’ Response to Wife’s Take on Franchise’s Timeless Tradition
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.
Colts insider seems to refute narrative about Anthony Richardson, Daniel Jones QB competition
Whispers emerged ahead of the first weekend of August, suggesting that Anthony Richardson had taken a noteworthy lead over free-agency signing Daniel Jones in the competition for the Indianapolis Colts' Week 1 starting quarterback job. However, Colts reporter Stephen Holder of ESPN mentioned on Sunday that "there has not been substantive separation between the two players through two weeks of camp." As of early Monday morning, Indianapolis head coach Shane Steichen hadn't revealed how he'll handle the quarterbacks for the club's preseason opener at the Baltimore Ravens this coming Thursday evening. "Tuesday's joint practice with Baltimore and the subsequent game could be pivotal," Holder added about the quarterback battle. "Steichen said one quarterback will get a bigger share of playing time in the first preseason game; the other will receive a larger share in Week 2 of the preseason." For an article posted on Monday, Holder wrote that "Richardson's status as the team's 2023 fourth overall pick might give him an edge, so Jones presumably needs to take the job from him" before Indianapolis' Week 1 game against the Miami Dolphins on Sept. 7. "It's difficult to argue that that has happened thus far, with both passers showing the inconsistency that has plagued their careers," Holder continued. "But coach Shane Steichen said he's willing to take his time reaching a decision, so this one could linger until the end of the preseason." As of Monday morning, FanDuel Sportsbook had Richardson as a -350 betting favorite to start against the Dolphins over Jones (+255 odds). Such information would seem to confirm that Jones hasn't yet done enough during training camp for Steichen to give up on Richardson ahead of Labor Day. That said, Indianapolis plays against the Green Bay Packers on Aug. 16 before the Colts wrap the preseason up with a matchup at the Cincinnati Bengals on Aug. 23. It sounds like Jones could at least remain alive in the competition through the start of the Bengals game unless he essentially falls on his face during Indianapolis' first two exhibition contests. Even if Richardson gets the nod for the Miami game, it's worth noting that injuries have limited him to just 15 career regular-season starts (minus a two-game benching last fall). History shows that Steichen may need to turn to Jones sooner rather than later, regardless of how Richardson performs throughout August.
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