Memphis Grizzlies center Zach Edey reportedly will miss the beginning of the 2025-26 season because of surgery to repair a left ankle he reinjured during an offseason training session. 

On Saturday, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported the injury and noted the All-Rookie big will undergo surgery to restabilize the ankle. 

The Purdue product has a history of ankle injuries with the first one coming in November 2024. The issues came back in March and then again in April. 

In his debut season with the Grizzlies, Edey averaged 9.2 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocks. The 23-year-old shot 58% from the field and started in 55 of his 66 appearances. 

Edey played four seasons at Purdue and averaged 25.2 points, 12.2 rebounds, 2 assists and 2.2 blocks during his senior campaign. The Grizzlies selected Edey with the ninth pick in the 2024 NBA Draft after he led Purdue to the NCAA tournament title game, losing to UConn. 

Memphis finished with the eighth seed in the Western Conference with a 48-34 record. After beating the Dallas Mavericks in the play-in tournament, the Grizzlies were swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round of the playoffs. 

Memphis Grizzlies center Zach Edey reportedly will miss the beginning of the 2025-26 season because of surgery to repair a left ankle he reinjured during an offseason training session. 

On Saturday, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported the injury and noted the All-Rookie big will undergo surgery to restabilize the ankle. 

The Purdue product has a history of ankle injuries with the first one coming in November 2024. The issues came back in March and then again in April. 

In his debut season with the Grizzlies, Edey averaged 9.2 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocks. The 23-year-old shot 58% from the field and started in 55 of his 66 appearances. 

Edey played four seasons at Purdue and averaged 25.2 points, 12.2 rebounds, 2 assists and 2.2 blocks during his senior campaign. The Grizzlies selected Edey with the ninth pick in the 2024 NBA Draft after he led Purdue to the NCAA tournament title game, losing to UConn. 

Memphis finished with the eighth seed in the Western Conference with a 48-34 record. After beating the Dallas Mavericks in the play-in tournament, the Grizzlies were swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round of the playoffs. 

Kemp debuts but skidding Phillies’ offense remains stagnant in series loss originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

PITTSBURGH — Otto Kemp has a golden opportunity, one that he’s created for himself by hitting his way from Division II Point Loma Nazarene University to and through the Phillies’ farm system and up to the major leagues this weekend.

The 25-year-old, offensive-minded prospect made his MLB debut Saturday afternoon in the Phillies’ 2-1 loss, going 0-for-3 with a pair of strikeouts and fielding the three balls hit his way at third base.

Kemp was called up Saturday as Bryce Harper went on the 10-day injured list with right wrist inflammation. It is unclear whether Harper will be able to return on June 16 when first eligible but given that it’s a recurrence of an injury he dealt with last season and it has lingered throughout much of this season, it’s safe to say the Phillies will take their time.

They didn’t call Kemp up with the expectation that he’d perform like Harper. They don’t need him to be The Guy, just a piece that helps a stagnant offense.

Kemp had hit .315 with a 1.010 OPS for Triple A Lehigh Valley, leading the International League with 14 homers and 55 RBI. He’s been hot for nearly a year, reaching four different levels in the Phillies’ minor-league system a season ago, then performing well in the Arizona Fall League, spring training and the 2025 season.

“It still caught me by surprise,” Kemp said Saturday before debuting. “I try to do my best to live in the moment, be where I am on that given day. Was trying to not give a ton of thought to when it was going to be, just kinda let it happen. It always comes when you don’t expect it. I was just trying to keep it on the down-low and shut it off whenever my brain wanted to go there.”

Kemp found out he was being called up around 1 a.m. Saturday. The IronPigs were in Charlotte playing the White Sox’ Triple A affiliate. Kemp knew something was up as soon as he opened his hotel room door and saw manager Anthony Contreras, hitting coach Adam Lind and bench coach Chris Adamson.

“AC, Tank and Adam Lind, they all came out and I kinda knew something was going on,” he said. “You don’t get a knock on the door with three coaches standing there for no reason. My dog was the first one to greet them. It was a good time, I got to celebrate with my wife yesterday. Packed up the room and took off this morning.”

Kemp caught a 7:30 a.m. flight to Pittsburgh and was in the Phillies’ clubhouse by noon.

“I haven’t had a ton of time to really just sit down and think,” he said. “I think that’ll come as we go. But me and my wife had a good time last night, just soaking it in before we packed. Really just thank God for the blessing that we have in front of us and that our lives have been changed by this. It still doesn’t feel super real yet.”

The 37-27 Phillies are hoping it provides a jolt to a cold lineup. The Phils have lost eight of their last nine, scoring just 29 runs, 15 of which came in two games. In the other seven, they’ve averaged 2.0 runs per game.

“Whenever you bring up a guy like this, it pumps a bunch of energy into the clubhouse and on the field, everyone’s pulling for him and it’s kind of a neat experience,” manager Rob Thomson said.

“I’m really happy for him. He’s had a great year. We’re gonna get him some work at first, get him some more work in the outfield, but for today I just want to play him the place that he’s most comfortable, then we’ll keep moving forward.”

If he hits, Kemp has a chance to wrestle playing time away from Weston Wilson, who has not produced as the right-handed half of a left field platoon.

“I’m always down for whatever’s gonna keep me in the lineup,” Kemp said.

They aren’t alone, but the four members of the Phillies’ left and center field platoons simply have not hit enough. Max Kepler is hitting .212 with a .300 on-base percentage. Wilson is hitting .152. Brandon Marsh is at .211. Johan Rojas, who made a sensational, run-saving catch in deep left-center Saturday, is batting .245.

“I think you’ve got to send them out there, somebody’s gotta play out there,” Thomson said. “I think that those guys, I still have trust in them that they’re gonna hit. It’s just a matter of time, but we’ve got to get going.”

Kemp debuts but skidding Phillies’ offense remains stagnant in series loss originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

PITTSBURGH — Otto Kemp has a golden opportunity, one that he’s created for himself by hitting his way from Division II Point Loma Nazarene University to and through the Phillies’ farm system and up to the major leagues this weekend.

The 25-year-old, offensive-minded prospect made his MLB debut Saturday afternoon in the Phillies’ 2-1 loss, going 0-for-3 with a pair of strikeouts and fielding the three balls hit his way at third base.

Kemp was called up Saturday as Bryce Harper went on the 10-day injured list with right wrist inflammation. It is unclear whether Harper will be able to return on June 16 when first eligible but given that it’s a recurrence of an injury he dealt with last season and it has lingered throughout much of this season, it’s safe to say the Phillies will take their time.

They didn’t call Kemp up with the expectation that he’d perform like Harper. They don’t need him to be The Guy, just a piece that helps a stagnant offense. He figures to play regularly at third base with Alec Bohm at first while Harper is out.

Kemp had hit .315 with a 1.010 OPS for Triple A Lehigh Valley, leading the International League with 14 homers and 55 RBI. He’s been hot for nearly a year, reaching four different levels in the Phillies’ minor-league system a season ago, then performing well in the Arizona Fall League, spring training and the 2025 season.

“It still caught me by surprise,” Kemp said Saturday before debuting. “I try to do my best to live in the moment, be where I am on that given day. Was trying to not give a ton of thought to when it was going to be, just kinda let it happen. It always comes when you don’t expect it. I was just trying to keep it on the down-low and shut it off whenever my brain wanted to go there.”

Kemp found out he was being called up around 1 a.m. Saturday. The IronPigs were in Charlotte playing the White Sox’ Triple A affiliate. Kemp knew something was up as soon as he opened his hotel room door and saw manager Anthony Contreras, hitting coach Adam Lind and bench coach Chris Adamson.

“AC, Tank and Adam Lind, they all came out and I kinda knew something was going on,” he said. “You don’t get a knock on the door with three coaches standing there for no reason. My dog was the first one to greet them. It was a good time, I got to celebrate with my wife yesterday. Packed up the room and took off this morning.”

Kemp caught a 7:30 a.m. flight to Pittsburgh and was in the Phillies’ clubhouse by noon.

“I haven’t had a ton of time to really just sit down and think,” he said. “I think that’ll come as we go. But me and my wife had a good time last night, just soaking it in before we packed. Really just thank God for the blessing that we have in front of us and that our lives have been changed by this. It still doesn’t feel super real yet.”

The 37-27 Phillies are hoping it provides a jolt to a cold lineup. The Phils have lost eight of their last nine, scoring just 29 runs, 15 of which came in two games. In the other seven, they’ve averaged 2.0 runs per game.

“Whenever you bring up a guy like this, it pumps a bunch of energy into the clubhouse and on the field, everyone’s pulling for him and it’s kind of a neat experience,” manager Rob Thomson said.

“I’m really happy for him. He’s had a great year. We’re gonna get him some work at first, get him some more work in the outfield, but for today I just want to play him the place that he’s most comfortable, then we’ll keep moving forward.”

If he hits, Kemp has a chance to wrestle playing time away from Weston Wilson, who has not produced as the right-handed half of a left field platoon.

“I’m always down for whatever’s gonna keep me in the lineup,” Kemp said.

They aren’t alone, but the four members of the Phillies’ left and center field platoons simply have not hit enough. Max Kepler is hitting .212 with a .300 on-base percentage. Wilson is hitting .152. Brandon Marsh is at .211. Johan Rojas, who made a sensational, run-saving catch in deep left-center Saturday, is batting .245.

“I think you’ve got to send them out there, somebody’s gotta play out there,” Thomson said. “I think that those guys, I still have trust in them that they’re gonna hit. It’s just a matter of time, but we’ve got to get going.”

The Dodgers took two steps forward and one big step back Saturday with their injury-plagued pitching staff, activating relievers Michael Kopech and Kirby Yates while sidelining starter Tony Gonsolin because of discomfort in his surgically repaired right elbow.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Gonsolin will undergo an MRI scan to determine the extent of the injury.

“With a pitcher, when there’s elbow discomfort, we didn’t see him making his next start. And so it just seemed like the logical thing, given where the pitching is at, to get him offline, give him a handful of days to not play catch,” he said. “Hopefully that discomfort subsides.”

Read more:Dodgers’ offensive woes continue in walk-off loss to Cardinals

An All-Star in 2022 when he won 16 games, Gonsolin missed all of 2024 and the first 30 games of this season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. He returned to make seven starts, going 3-2 with 5.00 earned-run average. Against the Mets on Wednesday he gave up two earned runs on three hits in five innings of a 6-1 loss.

Gonsolin, 31, is 37-13 with a 3.34 ERA over six seasons with the Dodgers.

His move to the IL scrambles an already complicated situation for Roberts, who is missing three key starters to injury in Blake Snell, Roki Sasaki and Tyler Glasnow. Asked if he found himself wondering what else could wrong with his pitching staff, Roberts answered quickly.

“I don’t want to wonder that,” he said. “We all know Murphy’s Law so we’re dealing with whatever comes our way.”

Read more:With yet another fresh face on the mound, Dodgers are shut out by Cardinals

Right-hander Dustin May is scheduled to start against the Padres on Monday, but Roberts will have to fill Gonsolin’s spot in the rotation Tuesday. He hinted that he might turn that game over the the bullpen, which would mean additional stress on a relief corps that leads the majors in innings pitched.

Roberts said left-hander Justin Wrobleski, who threw a career-high 104 pitches in a loss Friday to the Cardinals, will get the start Wednesday.

The Dodgers made one other move Saturday, designating pitcher Chris Stratton for assignment.

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper was placed on the 10-day injured list Saturday, with the team calling up prospect Otto Kemp to take his place on the roster.

On Friday, manager Rob Thomson told reporters the 32-year-old first baseman was dealing with soreness in his wrist from hitting — the team later revealed inflammation in his wrist was causing the discomfort. Harper missed five games after getting hit with a 95 mph fastball on his surgically repaired elbow. But until now, Harper was able to avoid the injured list.

While Harper’s absence is not ideal, Kemp has been impressive in Triple-A. Kemp has hit .313/.416/.594 for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs this season, leading the International League with 14 home runs and 55 RBI.

Apart from his hitting success, Kemp has shown his versatility, making 33 starts at third base, 10 at second and seven at first and in left field. The Phillies are playing Kemp at third base, with Alec Bohm taking over at first base Saturday. 

Kemp played Division II baseball at Point Loma Nazarene in San Diego before signing with the Phillies on a minor-league contract in 2022. 

Harper is in his 14th MLB season and seventh in Philadelphia. He arrived in Philadelphia after seven seasons with the Washington Nationals. So far this season, Harper has nine home runs and 34 RBI. 

The Phillies are 37-26, sitting second in the NL East. They continue their series against the Pittsburgh Pirates at 4:05 p.m. ET.