The series opener between the Mets and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Citi Field was stopped in the top of the third inning due to rain.

No restart time was announced at the time of the rain delay.

The Dodgers were threatening to score the game’s first run when the clouds opened up and heavy rain came pouring down. The defending champions had runners on second and third with two outs. Mets starter Griffin Canning had Freddie Freeman in a 3-1 count when officials stopped play and the tarp was rolled out.

This story is still developing…

Ronald Acuña Jr.’s return was worth the wait.

In his first game since tearing his ACL nearly a year ago, the Atlanta Braves star clubbed a homer on the first pitch he saw from San Diego Padres starter Nick Pivetta. He certainly looked happy to be back.

The homer was a monster by Statcast numbers, leaving the bat at 115.5 mph and traveling 467 feet into the left-field stands. That’s the fifth-longest homer of Acuña’s career, per Baseball Savant.

Before Friday, Acuña’s last MLB game was May 26, 2024. In the first inning, he went down with a non-contact injury after a quick acceleration on the basepaths and eventually limped off the field.

The Braves need Ronald Acuña Jr.

Acuña had previously torn his ACL in 2021, causing him to miss the rest of the season and then part of 2022. Four of his past five seasons have been impacted by ACL tears and the lone unaffected season, 2023, saw him win unanimous NL MVP honors after posting MLB’s first 40-homer, 70-steal season.

The Braves have languished without their star outfielder, going from 104 wins in 2023 to only 89 in 2024 (part of a team-wide regression). This season, they are 24-25, good for third place in the NL East. They are closer in the standings to the last-place Miami Marlins than the first-place Philadelphia Phillies.

Like with most superstars, the Braves are simply a different offense with Acuña atop the lineup. Alongside 50-50 man Shohei Ohtani, he’s one of the biggest power-speed threats in modern baseball history when he’s on the field, hitting .296/.385/.515 with 84 homers and 135 stolen bases since 2021.

Atlanta also recently welcomed back All-Star pitcher Spencer Strider, who can make a similar impact.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

There was an extracurricular component to Acuña’s absence as well, as he caused a minor controversy with a quickly deleted tweet accusing manager Brian Snitker of a double standard over which players get benched for not hustling on the basepaths.

Acuña has since apologized to Snitker and his teammates. Judging from his return, they have plenty of reason to forgive him.

Ronald Acuña Jr.’s return was worth the wait.

In his first game since tearing his ACL nearly a year ago, the Atlanta Braves star clubbed a homer on the first pitch he saw from San Diego Padres starter Nick Pivetta. He certainly looked happy to be back.

The homer was a monster by Statcast numbers, leaving the bat at 115.5 mph and traveling 467 feet into the left-field stands. That’s the fifth-longest homer of Acuña’s career, per Baseball Savant.

Before Friday, Acuña’s last MLB game was May 26, 2024. In the first inning, he went down with a non-contact injury after a quick acceleration on the basepaths and eventually limped off the field.

The Braves need Ronald Acuña Jr.

Acuña had previously torn his ACL in 2021, causing him to miss the rest of the season and then part of 2022. Four of his past five seasons have been impacted by ACL tears and the lone unaffected season, 2023, saw him win unanimous NL MVP honors after posting MLB’s first 40-homer, 70-steal season.

The Braves have languished without their star outfielder, going from 104 wins in 2023 to only 89 in 2024 (part of a team-wide regression). This season, they are 24-25, good for third place in the NL East. They are closer in the standings to the last-place Miami Marlins than the first-place Philadelphia Phillies.

Like with most superstars, the Braves are simply a different offense with Acuña atop the lineup. Alongside 50-50 man Shohei Ohtani, he’s one of the biggest power-speed threats in modern baseball history when he’s on the field, hitting .296/.385/.515 with 84 homers and 135 stolen bases since 2021.

Atlanta also recently welcomed back All-Star pitcher Spencer Strider, who can make a similar impact.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

There was an extracurricular component to Acuña’s absence as well, as he caused a minor controversy with a quickly deleted tweet accusing manager Brian Snitker of a double standard over which players get benched for not hustling on the basepaths.

Acuña has since apologized to Snitker and his teammates. Judging from his return, they have plenty of reason to forgive him.

Shohei Ohtani has reached another milestone in his return to two-way stardom.

The Los Angeles Dodgers star will face live hitters Saturday while the team is on the road facing the New York Mets, manager Dave Roberts told reporters Friday. It will be the first time he has faced hitters since undergoing UCL surgery at the end of the 2023 season.

Ohtani has thrown occasional bullpen sessions for much of the season, most recently adding breaking pitches to his repertoire earlier this week. Roberts said he has looked good in those sessions, reportedly reaching as high as 95 mph, but the team is still eager to see how he performs as he progresses:

“The stuff looks good. It’s easy 94, 95 coming out of his hand. It’s a really good throw. I think we’re all anxious to see how it looks to hitters. When he decides to ramp it up it, I’m anxious about that too, but it’s all on his schedule. It really is. When he’s going to introduce the slider to hitters, when he really wants to ramp up velocity, all that stuff is between him and the doctor.”

Complicating Ohtani’s return to the mound is his obligations as a hitter, where he’s currently the favorite to take home a second straight MVP award. Roberts confirmed Friday the Dodgers still do not plan to send Ohtani on a rehab assignment as a pitcher because the team does not want to lose its MVP leadoff hitter:

“Obviously, the build-up is important, but so is him taking five at-bats a game.”

When exactly Ohtani will make that return remains extremely unclear. He was originally supposed to be ready for Opening Day, but a torn labrum in the 2024 World Series threw off his offseason rehab plans enough that they spilled well into this season. Roberts said last month he was “still a couple months away,” but said Friday, “I don’t think anyone knows how the next couple months are going to look.”

The timing will depend on how Ohtani is feeling, especially on Saturday, but Roberts did indicate some optimism by saying, “I don’t see how he couldn’t feel that it’s starting to become more realistic.”

The Dodgers obviously aren’t going to rush Ohtani back, even if they need rotation help. His return would allow them to move to a long-planned six-man rotation, putting less pressure on a set of injury-prone arms, but they’re already in first place in the NL West with 99.3% playoff odds at Baseball Prospectus. 

The priority is for Ohtani to be all systems go when the postseason begins, hence why they don’t seem to be fretting when he’ll be pitching.

As for the rest of the rotation, Roberts also said Tyler Glasnow had completed a successful bullpen session:

“He threw today and I think it was 16 or 19 pitches. He said he felt great afterwards. Don’t know what that means as far as velocity, but I know he was getting after it pretty good.”

His return from right shoulder inflammation also remains unclear. Starting pitchers Blake Snell, Roki Sasaki and Emmet Sheehan are also currently on the injured list, as are a plethora of relievers, including Blake Treinen, Michael Kopech, Kirby Yates and Evan Phillips. 

The team currently ranks 21st in MLB in ERA.

Shohei Ohtani has reached another milestone in his return to two-way stardom.

The Los Angeles Dodgers star will face live hitters Saturday while the team is on the road facing the New York Mets, manager Dave Roberts told reporters Friday. It will be the first time he has faced hitters since undergoing UCL surgery at the end of the 2023 season.

Ohtani has thrown occasional bullpen sessions for much of the season, most recently adding breaking pitches to his repertoire earlier this week. Roberts said he has looked good in those sessions, reportedly reaching as high as 95 mph, but the team is still eager to see how he performs as he progresses:

“The stuff looks good. It’s easy 94, 95 coming out of his hand. It’s a really good throw. I think we’re all anxious to see how it looks to hitters. When he decides to ramp it up it, I’m anxious about that too, but it’s all on his schedule. It really is. When he’s going to introduce the slider to hitters, when he really wants to ramp up velocity, all that stuff is between him and the doctor.”

Complicating Ohtani’s return to the mound is his obligations as a hitter, where he’s currently the favorite to take home a second straight MVP award. Roberts confirmed Friday the Dodgers still do not plan to send Ohtani on a rehab assignment as a pitcher because the team does not want to lose its MVP leadoff hitter:

“Obviously, the build-up is important, but so is him taking five at-bats a game.”

When exactly Ohtani will make that return remains extremely unclear. He was originally supposed to be ready for Opening Day, but a torn labrum in the 2024 World Series threw off his offseason rehab plans enough that they spilled well into this season. Roberts said last month he was “still a couple months away,” but said Friday, “I don’t think anyone knows how the next couple months are going to look.”

The timing will depend on how Ohtani is feeling, especially on Saturday, but Roberts did indicate some optimism by saying, “I don’t see how he couldn’t feel that it’s starting to become more realistic.”

The Dodgers obviously aren’t going to rush Ohtani back, even if they need rotation help. His return would allow them to move to a long-planned six-man rotation, putting less pressure on a set of injury-prone arms, but they’re already in first place in the NL West with 99.3% playoff odds at Baseball Prospectus. 

The priority is for Ohtani to be all systems go when the postseason begins, hence why they don’t seem to be fretting when he’ll be pitching.

As for the rest of the rotation, Roberts also said Tyler Glasnow had completed a successful bullpen session:

“He threw today and I think it was 16 or 19 pitches. He said he felt great afterwards. Don’t know what that means as far as velocity, but I know he was getting after it pretty good.”

His return from right shoulder inflammation also remains unclear. Starting pitchers Blake Snell, Roki Sasaki and Emmet Sheehan are also currently on the injured list, as are a plethora of relievers, including Blake Treinen, Michael Kopech, Kirby Yates and Evan Phillips. 

The team currently ranks 21st in MLB in ERA.

Former Mets reliever Jake Diekman announced his retirement late Friday.

“The time has come for me to retire as a Major League Baseball player,” Diekman wrote in a social media post. “Thank you, God, for this life and being able to live out my wildest dream.”

Diekman was drafted in the 30th round of the 2007 draft by the Philadelphia Phillies, where he spent the first three-and-a-half seasons of his career. The 38-year-old would go on to pitch for the Rangers, Diamondbacks, Royals, Athletics, Red Sox, White Sox, Rays before landing in Queens to play for the Mets in 2024.

He signed a minor league contract with the Atlanta Braves this offseason but did not break camp with the team. He was later released by the organization in March.

“To the Diamondbacks, Royals, Athletics, Red Sox, White Sox, Rays and Mets, it was an honor to wear each and every uniform,” he wrote. “The goal was always to try and win, not just for the front office and organization, but also for your city.”

Diekman appeared in 705 career games, amassing a 27-34 record and a 3.91 ERA. He closed 19 games and struck out 764 batters across 602.1 innings. Last season with the Mets, he made 43 appearances, pitching to a 5.63 ERA and closing four games.

His most memorable Mets moment came during last year’s Subway Series. On July 23, Diekman was called upon to hold a one-run lead against the Yankees in the ninth. The left-hander walked Juan Soto with out, allowing Aaron Judge to come up to the plate as the winning run. Diekman got to a 2-2 count and challenged Judge with an inside fastball that the soon-to-be AL MVP would swing through for the second out.

Diekman would get Ben Rice to ground out to finish off the 3-2 win.

Jake Diekman’s full 9th-inning duel with Aaron Judge 🔥 pic.twitter.com/eWbWpgR05P

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) July 24, 2024

To no surprise, NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander headlined the All-NBA First Team that was announced Friday. 

The Oklahoma City Thunder star was joined by Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell and Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić with forwards Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks and the Boston Celtics‘ Jayson Tatum. 

Gilgeous-Alexander, Jokić, Antetokounmpo and Tatum were unanimous selections to the All-NBA First Team. 

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards led the Second Team, followed by LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers, the Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry, New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson and Cleveland Cavaliers center Evan Mobley. 

Making the Third Team were the Detroit Pistons’ Cade Cunningham, Tyrese Haliburton of the Indiana Pacers, the Los Angeles Clippers’ James Harden, Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns and the Thunder’s Jalen Williams. 

James was named to his 21st All-NBA team, six more than any other player in league history. Cunningham, Williams and Mobley were All-NBA selections for the first time in their careers. 

As of last season, All-NBA Teams didn’t have to be named by position (i.e., two guards, two forwards, one center). That could make some traditionalists wince, but it also doesn’t mean voters have to stretch to include someone just to fill out a position. Or exclude someone because a particular position was already filled. Players also had to appear in a minimum of 65 games to be eligible for regular-season honors.

Also receiving votes

Alperen Şengün, Houston Rockets
Jaren Jackson Jr., Memphis Grizzlies
Ivica Zubac, Los Angeles Clippers
Darius Garland, Cleveland Cavaliers
Domantas Sabonis, Sacramento Kings
Pascal Siakam, Indiana Pacers
Bam Adebayo, Miami Heat
Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks
Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns

Jaren Jackson Jr., Trae Young lose out on supermax extensions

The All-NBA Teams also have implications for certain players and the contract extensions for which they’re eligible after next season. Under the current collective bargaining agreement, a player is eligible for a supermax extension with at least seven years of service and hitting one of three criteria: (1) being named to an All-NBA Team in the most seasons or both years before that, (2) being named Defensive Player of the Year or (3) earning league MVP.

Unfortunately, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Trae Young were not named to either of the three All-NBA Teams, costing them a supermax deal. Yet Cade Cunningham earned a boost to the rookie max extension he signed in July. 

Cade Cunningham

Cunningham isn’t eligible for a supermax extension having just finished his fourth NBA season. But earning All-NBA honors does boost the value of the five-year max rookie extension he signed with the Detroit Pistons last July. That contract was originally worth $224 million.

Now, Cunningham’s All-NBA status means Detroit owes him 30% of the salary cap in the deal’s first year, with subsequent raises. That increases the total value of the contract to $269 million. While that affirms Cunningham as one of the top players in the NBA and an excellent return on being the No. 1 overall pick in 2021, it also reduces the Pistons’ cap space from approximately $27 million to $19 million next season.

Cavaliers center Evan Mobley already qualified for the same increase in his rookie max contract by being named 2025 Defensive Player of the Year.

Jaren Jackson Jr. 

Jackson was eligible for a three-year, $106 million extension with the Memphis Grizzlies last offseason, but decided to delay negotiations until after this season. Had he been named to an All-NBA Team, Jackson was eligible for a five-year supermax extension worth up to $345 million — or up to 35% of the Grizzlies’ salary cap in the first year of the deal.

This season, Jackson averaged 22.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 1.5 blocks. He was the only NBA player to reach 1,500 points and 100 blocks.

Trae Young

Young was already eligible for a four-year, $229 million extension that he had until June 30 of next year to sign with the Atlanta Hawks. However, falling short of All-NBA honors means Young is not eligible for a supermax five-year, $345 million extension.

In his seventh NBA season, Young averaged 24.2 points, a career-high 11.6 assists and 1.2 steals per game. Additionally, he shot 34% on a career-high 640 3-point attempts.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Gilgeous-Alexander was already in line for a four-year, $293 million extension after earning All-NBA status for the past two seasons. However, he was eligible for a supermax extension of five years and $380 million, the largest contract in NBA history, after being named league MVP. All-NBA First Team was just icing on the cake.

However, Gilgeous-Alexander will have to wait until after next season to sign the deal, worth 35% of the Thunder’s salary cap. The terms won’t be affected by whatever happens next season. Additionally, he’s playing for the team that acquired him during his rookie contract.

All-NBA First Team

All-NBA Second Team

All-NBA Third Team

The Mets open a three-game series with the Dodgers at Citi Field on Friday at 7:10 p.m. on Apple TV+.

Here’s what to know about the game and how to watch…

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Mets Notes

• Brett Baty has four home runs, and is slugging .583 with an .833 OPS in 36 plate appearances since returning from Triple-A Syracuse
• Mark Vientos, originally slotted to bat second and play third, was scratched an hour before first pitch in precaution due to abdominal soreness
• Edwin Diazhas allowed just one earned run since April 11 — a span of 13.1 innings over 13 appearances
• Griffin Canning has a 2.47 ERA and 1.28 WHIP in 47.1 innings over nine starts this season

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How can I watch Mets vs. Dodgers online?

To watch Mets games online via Apple TV+ and MLB’s “Friday Night Baseball,” you will need a subscription to Apple TV+. This will allow fans to watch the Mets on their computer, tablet, or via the Apple TV app.

The Boston Red Sox’s streak of bad luck continued Friday after third baseman Alex Bregman exited Game 1 of a doubleheader against the Baltimore Orioles early with an apparent injury.

Bregman hit a single in the fifth inning, rounding first base before calling for the trainer. He left the game with “right quad tightness,” per the team, which did not provide any additional information about the injury.

Infielder Abraham Toro replaced Bregman for the rest of the game. Prior to the injury, Bregman had one hit and one walk in two at-bats.

Bregman is having a career year so far. The veteran has 11 home runs, with a batting average of .297 and a .935 OPS — the sixth highest in the league.

It’s unclear whether Bregman’s injury is a serious one, as manager Alex Cora said after the game “we’ll see tomorrow” what the severity is. But the issue taps into an ongoing saga between Bregman and Red Sox designated hitter Rafael Devers. When the Red Sox signed Bregman as a free agent, Devers was demoted from his third base position and relegated to DH.

Now, it’s possible Devers will head back to the infield if Bregman has to miss time. Bregman, meanwhile, would be considered a top free agent if he chooses to opt out during the offseason — but a major injury could change things.

In the end, losing Bregman didn’t matter much to the Red Sox on Friday: Boston flattened the Orioles, 19-5, icing the victory with a 13-run eighth inning. Devers had a great day, hitting a three-run homer in the sixth inning and a grand slam in the eighth.

But otherwise, it’s been a tough few weeks for the Red Sox, who are 26-26 after losing several players to injury, all while dealing with the pressure of disappointed Boston fans. On top of that, Cora and starting pitcher Walker Buehler were both ejected earlier this week after erupting at home plate umpire Mike Estabrook.