What is the story about?
Good morning and happy Thursday everybody. Ders is still out of town so you get a double-dose of Nick links this week. The Mariners got trounced 7-2 by the Orioles yesterday but have a chance to bounce back in the series finale with Bryan Woo on the mound at 4:05 PST on ESPN.
I know it is maybe a little main-charactery of me to say this, but I really feel like every time I put together the links there’s always more injuries to report on than normal. Spoiler alert but there’s SIX (6) links today about
various players either getting hurt or getting placed on IL yesterday. Do I actually believe that my reporting on the news and notes is leading to more injuries in the league? I’m not confident enough to answer that question right now. Anybody else tangentially convinced they’re cursed in a hyper specific way?
In Mariners news…
- The Mariners greeted us all with a litany of roster moves yesterday, with the headline being reliever Matt Brash is going back to the IL with a lat strain. Miles Mastrobuoni is returning to the M’s and taking Ryan Bliss’ spot, while Domingo González is coming up to fill in for Brash.
- Don’t forget to vote for your favorite Mariners to go to the All-Star game this year in Philadelphia! It’s your civic duty to vote. Don’t make me come over to your house to make you vote. I’ll do it. I know where you live. I’ll march right in. Won’t even knock. You might not like it, but if that’s what it takes to get you to vote then so be it.
Around the league…
- Max Scherzer was activated by the Toronto Blue Jays yesterday morning to make his first start since April and got his 3,500th career strikeout against the first batter he saw. Scherzer is the eleventh man in MLB history to reach 3,500 strikeouts, and is now just twelve away from tying Walter Johnson at 10th all-time.
- Scary moment in Kansas City yesterday when Rangers outfielder Brandon Nimmo hit a 106.6 mph line drive that bounced off starting pitcher Seth Lugo’s forehead. Nimmo raced over to the mound to check on Lugo immediately, who stood up and walked off the field under his own power. If you watch the clip, you can actually watch the bump on Lugo’s forehead grow in real time.
- Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told the media after their game last night that they will be placing All-Star catcher Will Smith on the IL. Smith hasn’t played in a game since last Friday while he’s been suffering from neck stiffness.
- The Pittsburgh Pirates placed outfielder Oneil Cruz on the IL with a broken left hand. He will miss at least a month.
- Former MVP Ronald Acuña Jr. is going to the IL with a Grade 1 hamstring strain. Acuña left Tuesday’s game early after coming up lame trying to beat out a ground ball.
- The Philadelphia Phillies announced that outfielder Johan Rojas, who was only just beginning to work out for his return from PED suspension, will now miss the full 2026 season with a UCL strain in his right elbow.
- Los Angeles Angels backup catcher Sebastián Rivero exited the game on Tuesday in significant pain after fouling off a ball. The team put him on the IL yesterday with a broken hamate bone and announced he will be out for about a month.
- Speaking of the Angels, Brent Maguire at MLB.com made the case for Reid Detmers being one of the best pitchers available at this year’s upcoming trade deadline, behind Skubal of course.
- In a game where the Giants stormed back from an eight run deficit to ultimately win on a Bryce Eldrige walk-off grand slam, this diving play by the ball dude down the right field line is the play of the day.
Nick’s pick…
- The New York Knicks were once down by 29 before storming all the way back to win 107-106 in an absolute thriller in The Garden last night. Absolutely electric series so far.
- Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals is tonight at 5 pm PST from Raleigh. The Hurricanes are looking for their first lead of the series, while the Golden Knights want to take a 3-2 lead back to Vegas.
- Auburn University athlete Ja’Kobe Tharp set a new world record in the 110m hurdles yesterday becoming the first athlete to set a world record at the NCAA Championships since Dwight Stones in 1976.
