The Yankees announced right-handed reliever Fernando Cruz has been placed on the 15-day injured list with a left oblique strain.
In corresponding moves, right-hander Geoff Hartlieb has been signed to a major league deal and added to the Yanks’ active roster. To make room for Hartlieb, who had been pitching for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, on the 40-man roster, infielder CJ Alexander has been designated for assignment.
Curz sustained the injury while warming up with a medicine ball in the weight room on Sunday, manager Aaron Boone told reporters ahead of the Yankees series opener against the Toronto Blue Jays. He went for an MRI on Monday morning, but the club is still waiting to know the grade of the strain to determine the length of time the reliever will be out. The IL designation was retroactive to June 28.
Cruz had been a stalwart of the back end of New York’s bullpen during his first season in The Bronx, pitching to a 3.00 ERA and 1.000 WHIP in 33.0 innings over 32 games. He had 54 strikeouts to 14 walks while allowing 13 runs (11 earned) on 19 hits.
Added this offseason in a trade with Cincinnati that sent catcher Jose Trevino to the Reds, Cruz’s success is based on a devastating split-finger pitch that has bamboozled batters. He has a 60.2 whiff rate on the pitch, which he is throwing 59.3 percent of the time. Overall, the righty’s 49.6 percent whiff rate and 41.2 percent strikeout rate are both in the 100th percentile for all MLB pitchers.
Hartlieb has pitched to a 3.34 ERA and a 1.286 WHIP in 35.0 innings over 24 games at Triple-A this year. The 31-year-old has 38 strikeouts to 10 walks and finished 12 games, collecting two saves. He appeared in five games last season for the Colorado Rockies, allowing 10 runs (nine earned) on 13 hits and four walks over 9.0 innings pitched.
Alexander spent just 13 games in the Yanks organization at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after he was claimed by the organization following his DFA by the Athletics organization on June 5. The 28-year-old corner infielder had a .196 average and .498 OPS over his 46 at-bats there. In six games with the A’s at the big league level this year, he had three hits in 17 at-bats.
This is the second time Cruz has been on the IL after right shoulder inflammation caused him to miss 15 days in late May.
Austin Wells dealing with finger issue
Wells is having a circulation issue in one of his fingers and will miss his second-straight game on Monday night.
Testing over the past two days ruled out any blood clots.
“It’s not something that bothers him from a performance standpoint,” Boone told reporters, via Chris Kirschner.
Boone said he will likely not return to the lineup until Wednesday, which means JC Escarra will catch Tuesday’s day game after a night game.
Through 69 games this year, Wells is slashing .214/.275/.424 for a .699 OPS (93 OPS+) with 11 home runs and 45 RBI.
– Dropping off the list: Zach Eflin (245th), Jordan Romano (281st), Bailey Ober (286th), José Soriano (287th), Hayden Birdsong (290th), Mickey Moniak (291st), Luke Weaver (297th), Dane Myers (298th), Drake Baldwin (299th)
– This is one of those weeks that I wish I had an extra 10-12 spots to work with. I didn’t really intend to drop Myers or Baldwin, and I wanted to add the Astros’ Brandon Walter and have Phillies prospect Andrew Painter start working his way up the list in anticipation of a second-half debut. I also nearly included Guardians prospect Chase DeLauter, but he’s just such an injury risk; he’ll warrant adding in mixed leagues if he gets a callup here soon, but he can’t really be counted on to stay healthy.
– There’s no denying that Camilo Doval has been pretty shaky since returning to the closer’s role in late May, and with the Giants being pretty proactive when it comes to changing closers, Randy Rodriguez joins the top 300 this week. Rodriguez has a 0.75 ERA and a crazy 51/7 K/BB in 36 innings. He’s also clearly ahead of Ryan Walker on the depth chart at this point.
– Brandon Woodruff’s cursed rehab time in the minors appears over after he gave up four runs in 3 1/3 innings Sunday. The good news there is that he averaged 93.0 mph with his fastball. That’s down from 95.8 mph when he was last seen in the majors prior to shoulder surgery, but it’s considerably better than the 91.6 mph he averaged in his earlier Triple-A starts. I wouldn’t want him active immediately in mixed leagues, but I’m a little more optimistic now than I was a couple of weeks ago. He checks in at No. 228.
– The A’s promoted Colby Thomas on Monday, but since I’m not sure where they’re going to start him, he didn’t crack the top 300. The 2022 third-round pick was batting .297/.365/.542 for Triple-A Las Vegas and has enough speed and power to be interesting, especially with the way the ballpark is playing in Sacramento this season. But he needs an everyday gig, and I don’t think he’s getting one just yet. Maybe it’ll eventually come at Denzel Clarke’s expense, but Clarke’s defense has been incredible enough to justify the playing time so far.
MLB and ESPN have reportedly renewed discussions on a potential deal to keep the network involved in baseball, per The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand. Any deal that would arise from the talks, which are in the early stages, would focus on local rights and parts of ESPN’s old package, per Marchand.
ESPN has been airing MLB for more than three decades, but the partnership went sour earlier this year, with both sides agreeing to part ways in February.
ESPN’s current $550 million deal gave it the right to broadcast “Sunday Night Baseball,” the Home Run Derby and around 10 playoff games per season. Although the media rights contract ran through 2028, the deal had a March 1, 2025 deadline for either side to opt out.
In May, NBC made an offer to take over ESPN’s signature “Sunday Night Baseball.” Per Marchand, Apple and Fox have also been in talks to obtain parts of ESPN’s current package, with MLB commissioner Rob Manfred hoping to have a deal by the All-Star Game.
In terms of ESPN and MLB, the reasons for the breakup were different for each side. MLB was frustrated with the network’s lessened coverage, while ESPN had reportedly been asking MLB to accept a lower rights fee. Both sides took issue with the other’s stance.
In a statement at the time, MLB called ESPN’s request for a lower rights fee “simply unacceptable.”
“We have had a long and mutually beneficial partnership with ESPN that dates back to its first MLB game in 1990. Unfortunately in recent years, we have seen ESPN scale back their baseball coverage and investment in a way that is not consistent with the sport’s appeal or performance on their platform,” the league wrote.
Meanwhile, in its own statement, ESPN made a point of saying that it “super-serves fans” with its baseball coverage, essentially denying Manfred’s claim.
If no new deal is reached, ESPN and MLB will part ways in October, after the end of the 2025 season. But new negotiations could salvage a 35-year partnership as MLB moves into a new media landscape. The league has shifted its broadcasting significantly over the past few years, building partnerships with streaming services such as AppleTV+, Roku and Peacock while also dealing with the repercussions of Diamond Sports Group’s bankruptcy and subsequent broadcast fallout.
MLB and ESPN have reportedly renewed discussions on a potential deal to keep the network involved in baseball, per The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand. Any deal that would arise from the talks, which are in the early stages, would focus on local rights and parts of ESPN’s old package, per Marchand.
ESPN has been airing MLB for more than three decades, but the partnership went sour earlier this year, with both sides agreeing to part ways in February.
ESPN’s current $550 million deal gave it the right to broadcast “Sunday Night Baseball,” the Home Run Derby and around 10 playoff games per season. Although the media rights contract ran through 2028, the deal had a March 1, 2025 deadline for either side to opt out.
In May, NBC made an offer to take over ESPN’s signature “Sunday Night Baseball.” Per Marchand, Apple and Fox have also been in talks to obtain parts of ESPN’s current package, with MLB commissioner Rob Manfred hoping to have a deal by the All-Star Game.
In terms of ESPN and MLB, the reasons for the breakup were different for each side. MLB was frustrated with the network’s lessened coverage, while ESPN had reportedly been asking MLB to accept a lower rights fee. Both sides took issue with the other’s stance.
In a statement at the time, MLB called ESPN’s request for a lower rights fee “simply unacceptable.”
“We have had a long and mutually beneficial partnership with ESPN that dates back to its first MLB game in 1990. Unfortunately in recent years, we have seen ESPN scale back their baseball coverage and investment in a way that is not consistent with the sport’s appeal or performance on their platform,” the league wrote.
Meanwhile, in its own statement, ESPN made a point of saying that it “super-serves fans” with its baseball coverage, essentially denying Manfred’s claim.
If no new deal is reached, ESPN and MLB will part ways in October, after the end of the 2025 season. But new negotiations could salvage a 35-year partnership as MLB moves into a new media landscape. The league has shifted its broadcasting significantly over the past few years, building partnerships with streaming services such as AppleTV+, Roku and Peacock while also dealing with the repercussions of Diamond Sports Group’s bankruptcy and subsequent broadcast fallout.
The MLB trade deadline is officially one month away, and while we’re waiting for the ice to break on the market, it’s a good time to go through some team needs ahead of the deadline and see which players could help fill those needs.
Here are some of the top priorities for this year’s contenders ahead of the deadline.
Starting pitching
Chicago Cubs
The Cubs have looked like one of the best teams in baseball this season, and much of that has to do with their monster offense, which currently ranks second in MLB in runs scored. But the thing that could stop the Cubs from making a run in the postseason is their rotation. Once Justin Steele underwent Tommy John surgery in April, we knew the Cubs would be depending on production from other pieces in their rotation. Then Shota Imanaga went down for an extended period due to a hamstring injury, which further exposed the team’s rotational flaws.
Now Imanaga is back, and left-hander Matthew Boyd is pitching well, but over the past month, starters Cade Horton, Colin Rea, Ben Brown and Jamison Taillon each have an ERA over 5. The Cubs need a starter in the worst way, and with no true ace available outside of underperforming former Cy Young winner Sandy Alcántara, they will have to attempt to make do with what is on the market.
Throughout the first half of the season, the Mets’ starting rotation looked like their biggest strength. As the team’s offense searched for its footing, it was the rotation that carried them. But now that narrative seems to be shifting, as New York is all of a sudden in desperate need of starting pitching help.
Injuries have played a major role. Kodai Senga (7-3, 1.47 ERA) has missed extended time, left-hander Sean Manaea hasn’t pitched yet this season, and reclamation project Griffin Canning, who was in the midst of a breakout campaign, ruptured his left Achilles tendon last week, ending his season.
Left-hander David Peterson has been strong for the Mets this season. And while Senga and Manaea are nearing returns, the Mets, who have dropped 13 of their past 16 games, are likely in need of not one but two starters to supplement their rotation.
Potential targets: Mahle, Kelly, Severino, Andrew Heaney (Pirates)
Los Angeles Dodgers
Given how much the Dodgers have spent on pitching over the past few years, you might think the last thing they’d need is another starter. You’d be wrong.
If there’s one thing L.A. has not been able to do in the recent past, it’s keep starters healthy. On paper, L.A.’s rotation should be dominant, with a combination of Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Clayton Kershaw, Tony Gonsolin, Dustin May and, of course, Shohei Ohtani — not to mention Roki Sasaki, who signed as an international free agent over the offseason. Unfortunately, every one of those starters except May has been on the IL (or, in Ohtani’s case, DH-ing only) for an extended period of time this season. Snell, Glasnow, Gonsolin and Sasaki remain on the shelf.
While getting Ohtani and Kershaw throwing in the big leagues again is a big deal for the Dodgers, Ohtani is pitching just one inning at a time, and expecting Kershaw to carry a rotation at 37 years old is unrealistic.
While L.A. might not need a frontline starter like other contenders, depth is something they could really use as they try to keep the Giants and Padres at bay in the NL West.
Potential targets: Heaney, Kelly
Eugenio Suarez, Sandy Alcantara, David Bednar and Ryan O’Hearn are among the players who could be on the move to help a contender next month. (James Pawelczyk/Yahoo Sports)
James Pawelczyk/Yahoo Sports
Bullpen
Philadelphia Phillies
It feels like the Phillies have been looking for bullpen help for several seasons now, and that hasn’t changed in 2025. Philadelphia could be in the final year of a closing window, and even with the team now playing its best baseball of the first half, their need for high-leverage arms is still there.
The current situation in the Phillies’ bullpen isn’t great. Left-hander Jose Alvarado was suspended for PEDs, and the Jordan Romano experiment has not worked out. While the recent iteration of the Phillies has not been a team to have an assigned closer, now might be the time to adjust that philosophy and get one.
The Phillies have been in the postseason enough in recent years to know that bullpens win in October, and if they hope to make this season count, high-leverage arms should be at the top of their July list.
Potential targets: Emmanuel Clase (Guardians), David Bednar (Pirates), Carlos Estevez (Royals), Aroldis Chapman (Red Sox)
First base/DH
San Francisco Giants
The Giants already started their trade deadline maneuvers, acquiring Rafael Devers from the Boston Red Sox to be the team’s slugger of the present and future. While Devers is likely to play first base soon, that shouldn’t stop the Giants from looking for other options to man the position, as Devers can be the left-handed complement to Wilmer Flores at DH.
Offense has been hard to come by for the Giants over the past month; they rank 27th in runs scored in that span. There’s a need for some thump wherever the Giants can find it.
Potential targets: Ryan O’Hearn (Orioles), Josh Naylor (D-backs)
Second base
New York Mets
The Mets could use a lot of help right now, and while starting pitching is the main concern at this point, when you lose 13 of 16 games, there are many areas to improve. Despite a huge month from Juan Soto, the Mets’ offense has been pretty average thus far, and one of the biggest holes in their lineup is at second base.
While Ronnie Mauricio and Luisangel Acuña are talented, neither has been able to take hold of the position. And with Jeff McNeil playing multiple places around the diamond, having someone who can play second on days McNeil is in the outfield or at third would be helpful.
The silver lining for the Mets is that between Soto, Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso, their offense can get by. But after a stretch like they’ve had to close the month of June, it’s difficult to hide their flaws.
Potential targets: Luis Rengifo (Angels), Gavin Lux (Reds), Jonathan India (Royals)
Third base
New York Yankees
The Yankees went into the 2025 season having addressed most of their lineup needs by signing Paul Goldschmidt to play first and trading for Cody Bellinger to play center, allowing Aaron Judge to move back to his natural position in right and Jazz Chisholm Jr. to fill the need at third base.
However, once Chisholm came off the injured list at the beginning of June, the Yankees moved him to second base, where he’s an above-average defender, and his bat has thanked them, as Chisholm has been one of the best hitters in baseball over the past month.
Which serves to underscore the fact that New York has been looking for someone to fill the void at third for a while, and at this point, having tried all the internal options, the fix is going to have to come from outside the organization.
The Tigers are rolling. They’re the best team in the American League, and they’ve been the most consistent team in baseball through the first half. With a powerful offense that has hit its stride in the month of June, their only area of need is one that was almost addressed before the season began.
Just how differently would we be talking about Detroit if they had this same roster plus Alex Bregman hitting in the middle of it? We’d be talking about not only the best team in the AL but also a team the National League would have trouble matching in the World Series.
At this point, it’s unknown if the Tigers would be able to land the Red Sox’s third baseman or if Boston will even decide to sell. But given the way the Red Sox have been playing, they probably should, and Detroit should be there ready to bring Bregman in. It could mean the difference between the Tigers reaching the ALCS and having a real chance to win the World Series.
Potential targets: Alex Bregman (Red Sox), Suarez, McMahon
Chicago Cubs
Like the Tigers, the Cubs had their eye on Bregman before the season started, but they also had a solid backup plan in top prospect Matt Shaw. So far in his first season in the big leagues, Shaw has struggled to start the year, been demoted to Triple-A, returned to the majors, enjoyed a hot streak and cooled off again, meaning third base remains a need for Chicago.
The Cubs are in their window to win right now, and with superstar right fielder Kyle Tucker a free agent after this season, the clock is ticking for Chicago. Shaw will be a big part of the team’s future, but the front office needs to acquire an answer at third base for right now.
Potential targets: Suarez, McMahon
Left field
Los Angeles Dodgers
There aren’t many areas of weakness in the Dodgers’ lineup, but L.A. has struggled to find production in left field this season. Longtime outfielder Michael Conforto was supposed to fill that need after a strong 2024 season, but that success has not followed him to L.A., as Conforto is slashing just .173/.300/.302 with six homers and 77 wRC+ this season.
Starting pitching should be the Dodgers’ main concern ahead of the trade deadline, but acquiring an additional outfielder who could replace Conforto or allow Teoscar Hernández to move back to left field should also be a target.
The Padres have been in an almost identical position to the Dodgers this season when it comes to left field. With Jackson Merrill roaming center and Fernando Tatis Jr. in right, San Diego has two-thirds of its outfield very well covered. But left field has been a revolving door featuring the likes of Jason Heyward, Connor Joe, Tyler Wade, Brandon Lockridge and Gavin Sheets.
There’s no doubt that the Padres have the top-tier talent to be a problem if they make it back to the postseason. But their lineup as currently constructed lacks depth, and their inability to find stability in left since the departure of Jurickson Profar is something they need to remedy in July.
The MLB trade deadline is officially one month away, and while we’re waiting for the ice to break on the market, it’s a good time to go through some team needs ahead of the deadline and see which players could help fill those needs.
Here are some of the top priorities for this year’s contenders ahead of the deadline.
Starting pitching
Chicago Cubs
The Cubs have looked like one of the best teams in baseball this season, and much of that has to do with their monster offense, which currently ranks second in MLB in runs scored. But the thing that could stop the Cubs from making a run in the postseason is their rotation. Once Justin Steele underwent Tommy John surgery in April, we knew the Cubs would be depending on production from other pieces in their rotation. Then Shota Imanaga went down for an extended period due to a hamstring injury, which further exposed the team’s rotational flaws.
Now Imanaga is back, and left-hander Matthew Boyd is pitching well, but over the past month, starters Cade Horton, Colin Rea, Ben Brown and Jamison Taillon each have an ERA over 5. The Cubs need a starter in the worst way, and with no true ace available outside of underperforming former Cy Young winner Sandy Alcántara, they will have to attempt to make do with what is on the market.
Throughout the first half of the season, the Mets’ starting rotation looked like their biggest strength. As the team’s offense searched for its footing, it was the rotation that carried them. But now that narrative seems to be shifting, as New York is all of a sudden in desperate need of starting pitching help.
Injuries have played a major role. Kodai Senga (7-3, 1.47 ERA) has missed extended time, left-hander Sean Manaea hasn’t pitched yet this season, and reclamation project Griffin Canning, who was in the midst of a breakout campaign, ruptured his left Achilles tendon last week, ending his season.
Left-hander David Peterson has been strong for the Mets this season. And while Senga and Manaea are nearing returns, the Mets, who have dropped 13 of their past 16 games, are likely in need of not one but two starters to supplement their rotation.
Potential targets: Mahle, Kelly, Severino, Andrew Heaney (Pirates)
Los Angeles Dodgers
Given how much the Dodgers have spent on pitching over the past few years, you might think the last thing they’d need is another starter. You’d be wrong.
If there’s one thing L.A. has not been able to do in the recent past, it’s keep starters healthy. On paper, L.A.’s rotation should be dominant, with a combination of Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Clayton Kershaw, Tony Gonsolin, Dustin May and, of course, Shohei Ohtani — not to mention Roki Sasaki, who signed as an international free agent over the offseason. Unfortunately, every one of those starters except May has been on the IL (or, in Ohtani’s case, DH-ing only) for an extended period of time this season. Snell, Glasnow, Gonsolin and Sasaki remain on the shelf.
While getting Ohtani and Kershaw throwing in the big leagues again is a big deal for the Dodgers, Ohtani is pitching just one inning at a time, and expecting Kershaw to carry a rotation at 37 years old is unrealistic.
While L.A. might not need a frontline starter like other contenders, depth is something they could really use as they try to keep the Giants and Padres at bay in the NL West.
Potential targets: Heaney, Kelly
Eugenio Suarez, Sandy Alcantara, David Bednar and Ryan O’Hearn are among the players who could be on the move to help a contender next month. (James Pawelczyk/Yahoo Sports)
James Pawelczyk/Yahoo Sports
Bullpen
Philadelphia Phillies
It feels like the Phillies have been looking for bullpen help for several seasons now, and that hasn’t changed in 2025. Philadelphia could be in the final year of a closing window, and even with the team now playing its best baseball of the first half, their need for high-leverage arms is still there.
The current situation in the Phillies’ bullpen isn’t great. Left-hander Jose Alvarado was suspended for PEDs, and the Jordan Romano experiment has not worked out. While the recent iteration of the Phillies has not been a team to have an assigned closer, now might be the time to adjust that philosophy and get one.
The Phillies have been in the postseason enough in recent years to know that bullpens win in October, and if they hope to make this season count, high-leverage arms should be at the top of their July list.
Potential targets: Emmanuel Clase (Guardians), David Bednar (Pirates), Carlos Estevez (Royals), Aroldis Chapman (Red Sox)
First base/DH
San Francisco Giants
The Giants already started their trade deadline maneuvers, acquiring Rafael Devers from the Boston Red Sox to be the team’s slugger of the present and future. While Devers is likely to play first base soon, that shouldn’t stop the Giants from looking for other options to man the position, as Devers can be the left-handed complement to Wilmer Flores at DH.
Offense has been hard to come by for the Giants over the past month; they rank 27th in runs scored in that span. There’s a need for some thump wherever the Giants can find it.
Potential targets: Ryan O’Hearn (Orioles), Josh Naylor (D-backs)
Second base
New York Mets
The Mets could use a lot of help right now, and while starting pitching is the main concern at this point, when you lose 13 of 16 games, there are many areas to improve. Despite a huge month from Juan Soto, the Mets’ offense has been pretty average thus far, and one of the biggest holes in their lineup is at second base.
While Ronnie Mauricio and Luisangel Acuña are talented, neither has been able to take hold of the position. And with Jeff McNeil playing multiple places around the diamond, having someone who can play second on days McNeil is in the outfield or at third would be helpful.
The silver lining for the Mets is that between Soto, Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso, their offense can get by. But after a stretch like they’ve had to close the month of June, it’s difficult to hide their flaws.
Potential targets: Luis Rengifo (Angels), Gavin Lux (Reds), Jonathan India (Royals)
Third base
New York Yankees
The Yankees went into the 2025 season having addressed most of their lineup needs by signing Paul Goldschmidt to play first and trading for Cody Bellinger to play center, allowing Aaron Judge to move back to his natural position in right and Jazz Chisholm Jr. to fill the need at third base.
However, once Chisholm came off the injured list at the beginning of June, the Yankees moved him to second base, where he’s an above-average defender, and his bat has thanked them, as Chisholm has been one of the best hitters in baseball over the past month.
Which serves to underscore the fact that New York has been looking for someone to fill the void at third for a while, and at this point, having tried all the internal options, the fix is going to have to come from outside the organization.
The Tigers are rolling. They’re the best team in the American League, and they’ve been the most consistent team in baseball through the first half. With a powerful offense that has hit its stride in the month of June, their only area of need is one that was almost addressed before the season began.
Just how differently would we be talking about Detroit if they had this same roster plus Alex Bregman hitting in the middle of it? We’d be talking about not only the best team in the AL but also a team the National League would have trouble matching in the World Series.
At this point, it’s unknown if the Tigers would be able to land the Red Sox’s third baseman or if Boston will even decide to sell. But given the way the Red Sox have been playing, they probably should, and Detroit should be there ready to bring Bregman in. It could mean the difference between the Tigers reaching the ALCS and having a real chance to win the World Series.
Potential targets: Alex Bregman (Red Sox), Suarez, McMahon
Chicago Cubs
Like the Tigers, the Cubs had their eye on Bregman before the season started, but they also had a solid backup plan in top prospect Matt Shaw. So far in his first season in the big leagues, Shaw has struggled to start the year, been demoted to Triple-A, returned to the majors, enjoyed a hot streak and cooled off again, meaning third base remains a need for Chicago.
The Cubs are in their window to win right now, and with superstar right fielder Kyle Tucker a free agent after this season, the clock is ticking for Chicago. Shaw will be a big part of the team’s future, but the front office needs to acquire an answer at third base for right now.
Potential targets: Suarez, McMahon
Left field
Los Angeles Dodgers
There aren’t many areas of weakness in the Dodgers’ lineup, but L.A. has struggled to find production in left field this season. Longtime outfielder Michael Conforto was supposed to fill that need after a strong 2024 season, but that success has not followed him to L.A., as Conforto is slashing just .173/.300/.302 with six homers and 77 wRC+ this season.
Starting pitching should be the Dodgers’ main concern ahead of the trade deadline, but acquiring an additional outfielder who could replace Conforto or allow Teoscar Hernández to move back to left field should also be a target.
The Padres have been in an almost identical position to the Dodgers this season when it comes to left field. With Jackson Merrill roaming center and Fernando Tatis Jr. in right, San Diego has two-thirds of its outfield very well covered. But left field has been a revolving door featuring the likes of Jason Heyward, Connor Joe, Tyler Wade, Brandon Lockridge and Gavin Sheets.
There’s no doubt that the Padres have the top-tier talent to be a problem if they make it back to the postseason. But their lineup as currently constructed lacks depth, and their inability to find stability in left since the departure of Jurickson Profar is something they need to remedy in July.
Harper, 32, has been on the IL since June 6 due to right wrist inflammation. In 57 games this season. he’s batting .258/.368/.446 with nine home runs, 13 doubles, 34 RBI and 8 stolen bases. In addition to the wrist injury, Harper missed five games earlier this season after taking a fastball to his right elbow.
The Phillies decided to activate him after he had no setbacks following batting practice on Friday and facing pitches from two minor leaguers on Saturday. Harper rested and received treatment Sunday and appeared ready to go for Monday.
Prior to tonight’s game against the San Diego Padres, the Phillies reinstated 1B Bryce Harper from the 10-day injured list. To make room on the 26-man roster, INF Buddy Kennedy was designated for assignment.
Harper acknowledged that his timing felt off during the Friday batting practice session, but Phillies manager Rob Thomson said that was corrected against Double-A Reading pitcher Jack Dallas and Joel Kuhnel from Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
The wrist isn’t completely pain-free, according to Harper. But he isn’t feeling significant pain, nor is there swelling in the area that was causing the most discomfort when he went on the IL and was shut down.
“Definitely way healthier than I was a couple weeks ago,” Harper told MLB.com’s Paul Casella.
There is some concern about a recurring injury given that Harper had issues with his wrist last season. Still, the hope is that various treatments from the Phillies’ medical staff, in addition to changes in his pregame routine, will prevent the wrist from being aggravated again.
Otto Kemp was called up from Triple-A when Harper went on the IL and has filled in at first base, third base and left field while batting .246/.325/.348 with one homer and 10 RBI in 77 plate appearances. When he was called up, Kemp was hitting 313/.416/.594 with 14 home runs and 55 RBI for Lehigh Valley.
The Phillies went 13-14 in Harper’s absence and took over first place in the National League East at 49-35, thanks in part to the New York Mets (48-37) having lost 13 of their past 16 games. Philadelphia has a 1.5-game lead going into Monday’s slate of MLB games.
Harper, 32, has been on the IL since June 6 due to right wrist inflammation. In 57 games this season. he’s batting .258/.368/.446 with nine home runs, 13 doubles, 34 RBI and 8 stolen bases. In addition to the wrist injury, Harper missed five games earlier this season after taking a fastball to his right elbow.
The Phillies decided to activate him after he had no setbacks following batting practice on Friday and facing pitches from two minor leaguers on Saturday. Harper rested and received treatment Sunday and appeared ready to go for Monday.
Prior to tonight’s game against the San Diego Padres, the Phillies reinstated 1B Bryce Harper from the 10-day injured list. To make room on the 26-man roster, INF Buddy Kennedy was designated for assignment.
Harper acknowledged that his timing felt off during the Friday batting practice session, but Phillies manager Rob Thomson said that was corrected against Double-A Reading pitcher Jack Dallas and Joel Kuhnel from Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
The wrist isn’t completely pain-free, according to Harper. But he isn’t feeling significant pain, nor is there swelling in the area that was causing the most discomfort when he went on the IL and was shut down.
“Definitely way healthier than I was a couple weeks ago,” Harper told MLB.com’s Paul Casella.
There is some concern about a recurring injury given that Harper had issues with his wrist last season. Still, the hope is that various treatments from the Phillies’ medical staff, in addition to changes in his pregame routine, will prevent the wrist from being aggravated again.
Otto Kemp was called up from Triple-A when Harper went on the IL and has filled in at first base, third base and left field while batting .246/.325/.348 with one homer and 10 RBI in 77 plate appearances. When he was called up, Kemp was hitting 313/.416/.594 with 14 home runs and 55 RBI for Lehigh Valley.
The Phillies went 13-14 in Harper’s absence and took over first place in the National League East at 49-35, thanks in part to the New York Mets (48-37) having lost 13 of their past 16 games. Philadelphia has a 1.5-game lead going into Monday’s slate of MLB games.
Moving to a new home is exciting, stressful, and expensive. The average cost is just over $1,700, but it can cost as much as $10,000 depending on how far you’re moving and how complex your requirements are. One aspect that’s easy to overlook is moving boxes, which typically cost from $2 to $4 on average. Specialty boxes like wardrobe boxes or TV boxes cost more, anywhere from $10 to $40 each. Fortunately, you usually don’t need new boxes, and there are options for getting your hands on free boxes so you can move as cheaply as possible.
Use U-Haul Box Exchange for people giving away boxes
U-Haul is where a lot of folks head for vehicles and supplies, and the company has a bare-bones program to reduce waste: The U-Haul Box Exchange (part of its Customer Connect program). It’s not a sure thing, but it’s easy to use, with no registration or sign-up required. Pop in your zip code and see if anyone in your area is giving away boxes (or other moving supplies). If so, you can message them directly through the site and arrange to pick everything up. There’s no guarantee that you’ll get a convenient hit, but it’s worth checking regularly as soon as you know you’re going to be moving.
Use online platforms like Facebook Marketplace and Freecycle
Many social platforms can be a source of free boxes, including:
Craigslist’s Free Stuff sections are usually goldmines of moving supplies, especially boxes.
Freecycle is a platform where people explicitly seek to give away stuff they don’t need anymore, and to find stuff for free they don’t want to (or can’t afford to) pay for. People routinely post moving boxes here, so it’s worth it to join your local Freecycle group to see if you can score some. If you don’t see any posts, you can make a request, which might prompt someone who hadn’t thought about giving away their boxes.
The Buy Nothing Project (formerly BuyNothing) is the same basic concept as Freecycle: Once you sign up, you can scan for people giving away moving boxes or post a request for some.
Nextdoor is a neighborhood platform that connects folks living in the same area so they can communicate, solve problems, and organize the occasional block party. You can sign up (on the app or website) and join your new neighborhood’s group, then check to see if anyone’s giving away boxes (or politely ask for some).
OfferUp is a platform for buying and selling items, but it also allows free listings. It’s worth signing up to scan for free moving boxes that someone might be itching to get rid of.
Ask local stores that discard a ton of boxes
Sometimes the best ways to do things are the old ways. People have been scrounging moving boxes from local businesses since the dawn of cardboard, and plenty of stores and other local spots in your area get tons of deliveries in cardboard boxes, which they then have to manage and recycle. Many of these businesses will be totally happy to give them to you. A few key places to check:
Liquor stores
Book stores
Banks
Libraries
Schools
Convenience stores
Grocery stores
Department stores
Pharmacies
Restaurants
A few phone calls or in-person visits could net you a ton of moving boxes at zero cost aside from your time and sweat equity. Often, you can just grab boxes from dumpsters located behind buildings or around loading docks.
Use your own job’s mailroom, loading dock, or waste management
If you work somewhere that deals with a lot of shipments, you might check the mailroom, loading dock, or waste management area. Your co-workers might also be a great source of free boxes. Picking up a few at a time every day for a few weeks might supply all the boxes you’ll need.
Ask your local recycling center
If your area recycles cardboard, you could head out on collection day and walk around, looking for a stack of flattened boxes you can easily scoop up for your own use. If you know of a recycling center in your area, you could also contact them about taking some of their cardboard boxes off their hands.
Referencing notes on your laptop while you’re using it to give a presentation is always awkward. If you mirror your displays, there’s no way to see your notes without showing them to your audience, which isn’t ideal. But using multiple displays is also kind of clumsy—you need to move your mouse from one display to the other every time you want to advance slides, which can throw you off.
There’s no perfect solution to this problem, but a Mac app called Beeno comes close. This free, open source application by developer Uli Kaufmann places your entire second display in a window on your primary display. The basic idea is that you’ll be able to see the presentation on your laptop without having to turn around and look at the display behind you. This means you can see the slides in front of you, instead of having to turn around to look at the presentation screen. It also means you can see and scroll through your notes and take control of the presentation, all on one screen.
Using the application is simple: You just need to run it when you have two displays connected. You will need to provide the appropriate permissions before everything starts working, and a window on your primary display will automatically pop up, showing you everything on the secondary display. The window is scalable, meaning you can resize it to fit alongside your notes or anything else you need to reference during the presentation. If you need to switch which display is in the window, you can right-click the menu bar and choose a different one.
I’ve been playing around with Beeno for a few weeks, and it works quite well—certainly I don’t think I’ll be awkwardly looking behind me during a presentation ever again.
