What is the story about?
Good
morning.
- Three Astros pitchers, Tatsuya Imai, Steven Okert and Alimber Santa, combined to throw MLB’s first no-hitter since 2024, beating the Rangers 9-0 on Monday. It was the first no-hitter in the majors since 2024. I hope you remember the last one.
- For Santa, he pitched two innings of a no-hitter in his major-league debut.
- A look at all 22 combined no-hitters in MLB history.
- Davy Andrews explains why this was an extremely unusual and unlikely no-hitter.
- Chandler Rome asks that as disappointing has Imai has been this season, is this no-hitter the thing that gets him back on track? (The Athletic sub. req.)
- Cranky Matt Snyder thinks combined no-nos shouldn’t count as no-hitters.
- Will Leitch has the most recent no-hitter for every team.
- Rays shortstop Wander Franco was found criminally responsible of sexual abuse of a minor in a trial in the Dominican Republic. However, the judge did not sentence Franco to any jail time. He’s still never playing a game in MLB again.
- This is something that I’ve wanted to write about, but I couldn’t find the right way to frame it. So thankfully Jake Mintz wrote this article explaining why you should care that a rookie ball game finished with a score of 29-2. Basically, trends in MLB and the 2021 contraction of the minors are breaking the minor leagues and that’s having a negative effect on player development. Check out the article for more information.
- Mike Axisa looks at where the races for the postseason awards stand at Memorial Day.
- Bradford Doolittle offers his take on the same topic of the postseason awards races at Memorial Day.
- Brian Murphy looks at ten players who have turned their seasons around after slow starts.
- Can Mets infielder Marcus Semien turn his season around, asks Theo DeRosa.
- Christina De Nicola explains how a talk with Marlins bench coach Carson Vitale helped put rookie outfielder Owen Caissie’s season back on the right path. For all you ONKC fans out there.
- Rays pitcher Griffin Jax is “day-to-day” after getting hit in the back with a 107 mile per hour line drive.
- Sad news as 1978 Rookie of the Year Bob Horner passed away at 68. Horner, who played almost his entire career with Atlanta, is known for two things: hitting four home runs in a game and never playing a single game in the minor leagues. He did play one year in Japan. Our condolences go out to Horner’s friends, family, former teammates and the Braves organization.
- After a weekend of hemming and hawing, two-time World Series champion Chris Taylor says he’s retiring and he means it this time.
- Ken Rosenthal talks with Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman and how wanting to spend time with his family and his new baby daughter has him thinking about retirement sooner rather than later. (The Athletic sub. req.) To be clear, Freeman says he fully intends to play out the final three years of his contract with the Dodgers. But after that? He’s not so sure.
- Reliever Craig Kimbrel has signed with the Rays after being designated for assignment by the Mets.
- Thomas Harrigan makes the case that a pair of players that no one else wanted, Marlins Xavier Edwards and Otto Lopez, are the best double-play combination in baseball.
- Paul Casella has ten things to watch for from the Phillies over the next ten games.
- Chris Sale thought the Braves were crazy to trade for him, but he’s better than he’s ever been in Atlanta. Julian McWilliams with the story.
- We know how well the Mason Miller trade worked out for San Diego, but Martin Gallegos looks at how the deal worked from the Athletics perspective.
- Doug Haller talks to Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll and examines the art of the triple. (The Athletic sub. req.) George Brett and Lance Johnson offer their takes on Carroll and triples as well.
- Jared Belby notes that when it comes to throwing over 100 mph, no one does it more often than Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski and he provides the details.
- Gordon Edes talks to ex-Cubs manager David Ross about how he isn’t getting any calls about managerial jobs.
- Sam Blum notes how Angels fans protests over the sorry state of the team are getting louder and louder, but team management pretends to not hear them. (The Athletic sub. req.)
- Devin Gordon writes about what it is like to be a Mets fan right now and how much of a struggle it is. But he doesn’t want to hear from you if you’re a Yankees fan.
- Alice Yin reports on the many Chicago-based things being presented to Pope Leo XIV by a delegation headed by mayor Brandon Johnson. However, the Cubs-fan mayor has said that the only baseball-based items will be White Sox-branded to the South-Side Pontiff.
- Dodgers top prospect Kendall George suffered what appears to be a serious knee injury trying not to trip over a bat dog in the minors.
- Jeff Passan looks at the rise of collecting Pokemon cards in the clubhouse among major leaguers.
- And finally, Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper is a psychopath, but we already knew that.
