June 2025

There were 1,837 posts published in June 2025 (this is page 37 of 184).

Fantasy Basketball Trade Reaction: Jordan Poole headed to Pelicans, CJ McCollum dealt to Wizards

Another trade alert. The New Orleans Pelicans traded CJ McCollum, Kelly Olynyk and a future second-round pick to the Washington Wizards in exchange for Jordan Poole, Saddiq Bey and a 2025 second-round pick.

It’s an interesting swap of guards on two teams who finished near the bottom in their respective conferences. Let’s assess the fallout from this deal.

Jordan Poole – PG/SG, New Orleans Pelicans

I like this move for Poole, as the Pelicans have a gigantic hole to fill without PG Dejounte Murray. He tore his Achilles in January, so it’ll be a while before he returns to the court. Poole bounced back nicely in his second season in Washington, upping his 2-point and 3-point efficiency and posting a career-high 1.3 steals per game. He finished 72nd in 9-cat leagues (the second-highest finish of his career) and averaged over 31 fantasy points per game. There’s some playmaking upside the longer Murray is sidelined.

Poole just turned 26 and has two years left on his deal. He’s on the verge of entering his prime and lands on a more talented team, playing alongside Trey Murphy III, Herb Jones and Zion Williamson. I’ll be okay selecting Poole around Round 8 in fantasy, knowing he’s still a turnover machine.

Carlton “Bub” Carrington – PG/SG, Washington Wizards

On paper, bringing in McCollum doesn’t look like a vote of confidence for Carrington but the Wizards are executing a plan. Take advantage of scooping veterans on expiring deals to gain more flexibility for the future. They’ve done it with Khris Middleton, Jonas Valančiūnas, Marcus Smart, Malcolm Brogdon and now, McCollum. Carrington’s ceiling is far higher with a mid-20s Poole off the roster. The keys to the offense are going to Bub; it’s just a matter of when. In 14 games without Poole last season, Carrington averaged 13.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game with 46/43/85 shooting splits. The second-year pro will be a fantasy asset next season, with the likelihood of McCollum getting traded again.

The Wizards shed salary and acquired two players (McCollum and Olynyk) who have expiring contracts. Whether they decide to hold them is their prerogative but both veterans can help contenders down the road, which would net even more value for the Wizards. They’re going to have over $100 million in cap space heading into the 2026 offseason, so they’re well-positioned to make a splash in free agency to help accelerate their rebuild.

CJ McCollum – PG/SG, Washington Wizards

It’s far from ideal to be moved to one of the worst teams in the Eastern Conference. Sure, he’ll have moments where he’ll put up numbers, but it’s not sustainable knowing Washington is likely a pitstop. I could see the vision in drafting McCollum in fantasy because he could play his way out of Washington like Valančiūnas did last season. However, the Wizards need to develop their young core, so I could see some rest and load management days being built into his season. Maybe I’m wrong, but I don’t see this transaction as a positive for his fantasy value.

Jordan Hawkins – SG, New Orleans Pelicans

If there was a window of opportunity for Hawkins to seize a larger role in the offense, it was now. With Poole coming in, plus a new regime, that opportunity has dwindled. Hawkins struggled to stay healthy last year, and it likely impacted his performance. It’s more likely that Jose Alvarado will get more playing time than Hawkins, but things could change once training camp gets underway.

It feels like New Orleans is taking unnecessary risks. Poole is a good player, but defensively, he can be a liability as much as McCollum. He’s reckless with the ball, and his shot selection is highly volatile. Bey is a buy-low after missing last season with an ACL injury. The roster construction doesn’t make sense if the goal is winning. Olynyk was a useful big man, and now they’re left with just Yves Missi and Karlo Matković. Still, GM Joe Dumars was brought in to change the Pelicans’ culture, and if he trusts in Poole and a healthy Bey to help facilitate that change, we’ll have to wait and see how that turns out.

I Use This Surprising Ingredient for an Egg-Free Fried Chicken Crust

The only bad fried chicken is soggy fried chicken. (And even then, honestly, a quick air fry’ll fix it right up.) However, there are indisputably great ways to get a crackling crust, and those should always be considered. For example, the karaage method or the copycat fast food method. There is another fried chicken trick that I’ve recently become aware of, and unlike the other two I mentioned, this one has no extra steps. There’s no three-part batter, and it doesn’t require a dip in a bowl of (still pricey) eggs. It’s one step with a simple flour swap, and it changes everything. 

Self-rising flour is key

I’ve always used regular all-purpose flour to fry, or potato flour for its superior crisping qualities, but self-rising flour was a complete surprise. This flour, ever-present on my grocery store’s shelves, never seemed to be much use to me. For those who also don’t use it much, self-rising flour consists of a reliable ratio of all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. So if you wanted to make a quick pancake recipe, you could use a scoop of this stuff and skip adding those other two ingredients to your recipe.

I know that folks in the UK use it often, but I’ve always shied away from not being able to control the leavening agent and salt in my baking. But while reading the recipes in Still We Rise, a fantastic cookbook with biscuit recipes and recipes for other things you’d enjoy with a biscuit nearby, I came across the Glori-Fried Chicken Biscuit Sandwich. You guessed it: The recipe uses self-rising flour. 


Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann

An easy, light, and crispy coating

Following the recipe, there is a section of notes called The Gospel of Fried Chicken, and Council (the author) briefly describes why self-rising flour works. The included salt boosts the flavor—no surprises there—but the baking powder plays a large role in giving a thin, shattering crust to the fried chicken. There’s no need for multiple dredges through flour or egg washes to make the crust as brilliant as it is. 

As a leavening agent, baking powder has the duty to lift up and aerate our cakes and muffins, but it does this even in that thin layer coating your chicken. When hydrated and heated up, the baking powder reacts and produces carbon dioxide. This looks like tiny little bubbles in cakes, but on chicken it produces a delicate, rippling crust. 

How to use self-rising flour for fried chicken

1. Brine

Whenever I fry chicken, I prefer to do a buttermilk brine if time affords it. Yogurt will work too, and that’s usually what I use. Even one hour can make a difference in how juicy and tender the chicken will be. I brined some skin-on chicken drumsticks in yogurt with a pinch of salt for about an hour. Then I prepared my flour dredge. 

2. Coat the chicken

I mixed about three-quarters of a cup of self-rising flour with a half-teaspoon of salt (a little extra is necessary for fried chicken), a teaspoon of cornstarch (which provides extra starch for crunch), and a sprinkle of garlic and onion powder. 


Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann

Then comes the easy part: coating the chicken. I put one drumstick at a time into the flour and coated it completely. Just one time. Then let them dry on a wire rack while I heated the oil.

3. Fry the chicken

I heated up about an inch of cooking oil in a dutch oven until it reached 350°F and fried until they were deeply browned on all sides and the internal temperature reached 160°F (carryover cooking—that is, when food continues to cook off the heat for several minutes—takes care of the remaining five degrees to get it to 165°F).

With truly the least effort I’ve ever put into fried chicken, I made a batch of the best drumsticks I’ve had in a long time. And with picnics and backyard parties coming up, you deserve this ease too.

Although I haven’t tried this self-rising flour coating on other fried morsels, like chicken tenders, eggplant, tofu, or zucchini planks, I trust that it would work just as well. Actually, I think I have a pack of tofu in the fridge right now. I know what I must do.

If you want more egg-free alternatives while prices are still high, I’ve tested other ideas, including:

U.S. strikes Iranian nuclear sites Fordow, Natanz, Isfahan overnight

Tuesday, June 24, 2025

A Pentagon-issued graphic released in connection with a pentagon briefing provides details about Operation Midnight Hammer.
Image: United States Department of Defense.
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The United States launched airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear sites: Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, overnight between June 21 and 22, aimed at disable Iran’s nuclear capabilities.

The strike, designated Operation Midnight Hammer by the U.S. military, was ordered by President Donald Trump and announced late Saturday night from Washington. According to the U.S. Department of Defense, the first bombs were dropped on the Fordow site at approximately 6:40 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (2240 UTC) on Saturday, as part of a coordinated strike involving seven B-2 Spirit stealth bombers.

Tomahawk missiles were fired from a U.S. Navy submarine, and B-2 stealth bombers, after an 18-hour flight from the United States with support from fighter escorts and refueling aircraft, dropped a total of fourteen 30,000-pound GBU-57/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bunker buster bombs. According to Air Force General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, this marked the first operational use of the GBU-57. During a press briefing, General Caine said he agreed with President Donald Trump’s assessment that “no other military in the world could have done this,” and praised the mission as a demonstration of the United States’ “unmatched reach, coordination and capability.”

According to the U.S. Department of Defense, the operation included deception tactics involving decoy aircraft flying west over the Pacific Ocean to conceal the true direction and intent of the main strike package.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated the mission was not intended as a regime change effort, but rather a precision operation “to neutralize the threats to our national interests posed by the Iranian nuclear program and [in support of] the collective self-defense of our troops and our ally, Israel.”

Hours after the strikes, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned the U.S. action, saying the time for diplomacy had ended and that Iran had the right to defend itself. “The warmongering, a lawless administration in Washington is solely and fully responsible for the dangerous consequences and far reaching implications of its act of aggression,” Araghchi said during a press conference in Turkey, according to the Associated Press.


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2025 NBA Draft: How to watch, start time, top picks and more

The NBA season may be over following the Thunder’s victory over the Pacers, but the NBA action continues this week with the 2025 NBA Draft. The Dallas Mavericks have the coveted first pick this year and will most likely select Cooper Flagg as the No. 1 draft pick. Dylan Harper, VJ Edgecombe, Kon Knueppel, Tre Johnson and Ace Bailey are also expected to find their NBA homes Wednesday night. 

Here’s everything you need to know about tuning into the 2025 NBA Draft, including times, channels, where to stream it all and the full Draft order.

Date: Wednesday, June 25 – Thursday, June 26 

Draft start time: 8 p.m. ET 

Location: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY 

TV channel: ESPN, ABC

Streaming: Fubo, DirecTV 

The 2025 NBA Draft begins this Wednesday, June 25 at 8 p.m. ET. The second round will take place the following evening, June 26, also at 8 p.m. ET. 

The 2025 NBA Draft will air across ABC and ESPN. ABC will air only the first round, and ESPN will cover both nights of the event. 

The Dallas Mavericks hold the first overall pick in this year’s draft.

There’s no doubt that Cooper Flagg is taking the top spot as this year’s No. 1 draft pick. Other big names in the 2025 NBA Draft include Dylan Harper, VJ Edgecombe, Kon Knueppel, Tre Johnson and Ace Bailey. 

Yahoo Sports has a 2025 mock draft ready for you.

First Round Order: Picks 1-30

  1. Dallas

  2. San Antonio

  3. Philadelphia

  4. Charlotte

  5. Utah

  6. Washington

  7. New Orleans

  8. Brooklyn

  9. Toronto

  10. Houston (from PHX)

  11. Portland

  12. Chicago

  13. Atlanta from (SAC)

  14. San Antonio (from ATL)

  15. Oklahoma City (from MIA)

  16. Memphis (from ORL)

  17. Minnesota (from DET)

  18. Washington (from MEM)

  19. Brooklyn (from MIL)

  20. Miami (from GSW)

  21. Utah (from MIN)

  22. Atlanta (from LAL)

  23. New Orleans (from IND)

  24. Oklahoma City (from LAC)

  25. Orlando (from DEN)

  26. Brooklyn (from NYK)

  27. Brooklyn (from HOU)

  28. Boston

  29. Phoenix (from CLE)

  30. Los Angeles Clippers (from OKC)

Second Round:

31. Minnesota (from UTA)

32. Boston (from WAS)

33. Charlotte

34. Charlotte (from NOP)

35. Philadelphia

36. Brooklyn

37. Detroit (from TOR)

38. San Antonio

39. Toronto (from POR)

40. Washington (from PHX)

41. Golden State (from MIA)

42. Sacramento (from CHI)

43. Utah (from DAL)

44. Oklahoma City (from ATL)

45. Chicago (from SAC)

46. Orlando

47. Milwaukee (from DET)

48. Memphis (from GSW)

49. Cleveland (from MIL)

50. New York (from MEM)

51. Los Angeles Clippers (from MIN)

52. Phoenix (from DEN)

53. Utah (from LAC)

54. Indiana

55. Los Angeles Lakers

Forfeited: New York

56. Memphis (from HOU)

57. Orlando (from BOS)

58. Cleveland

59. Houston (from OKC)

Marlins at Giants Prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends, and stats for June 24

It’s Tuesday, June 24 and the Marlins (31-45) are in San Francisco to take on the Giants (44-34). Cal Quantrill is slated to take the mound for Miami against Justin Verlander for San Francisco.

The Giants are coming off a series win over the Boston Red Sox. Despite the series win, the Giants have won just four of their last 10 games.

The Marlins are fresh off a series win over the Atlanta Braves. They have played better baseball over the last 10 games, winning six of them.

Let’s dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.

We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.

Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.

Game details & how to watch Marlins at Giants

  • Date: Tuesday, June 24, 2025
  • Time: 9:45PM EST
  • Site: Oracle Park
  • City: San Francisco, CA
  • Network/Streaming: NBCS BA, FanDuel Sports Network

Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.

Odds for the Marlins at the Giants

The latest odds as of Tuesday:

  • Moneyline: Marlins (+153), Giants (-184)
  • Spread:  Giants -1.5
  • Total: 8.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Marlins at Giants

  • Pitching matchup for June 24, 2025: Cal Quantrill vs. Justin Verlander
    • Marlins: Cal Quantrill, (3-7, 5.68 ERA)
      Last outing (Philadelphia Phillies, 6/17): 4.0 Innings Pitched, 3 Earned Runs Allowed, 4 Hits Allowed, 0 Walks, and 2 Strikeouts
    • Giants: Justin Verlander, (0-4, 4.45 ERA)
      Last outing (Cleveland Guardians, 6/18): 4.2 Innings Pitched, 3 Earned Runs Allowed, 7 Hits Allowed, 1 Walks, and 6 Strikeouts

Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries, and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions, and news type!

Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Marlins at Giants

  • The Giants have won 4 of their last 5 matchups against NL East teams
  • The Giants’ last 3 versus the Marlins have stayed under the Total
  • The Marlins have covered in 4 of their last 5 on the road, profiting 1.19 units

If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline, and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!

Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Marlins and the Giants

Rotoworld Best Bet

Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.

Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread, and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information, and weather forecasts.

Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.

Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Tuesday’s game between the Marlins and the Giants:

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the San Francisco Giants on the Moneyline.
  • Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Miami Marlins at +1.5.
  • Total: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Game Total of 8.0.

Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC

Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:

  • Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
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  • Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
  • Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)

David Stearns on how Mets’ trade deadline could be impacted by struggling bottom of lineup

The Mets‘ current 1-9 stretch has had a lot to do with the struggles of the starting pitching, which has often put the team in deep holes early in games.

But lately, the struggles of the offense — specifically the bottom four spots in the lineup — have come to the forefront.

While the Mets are getting strong-to-elite production from the first five slots of the batting order (usually some combination of Francisco Lindor, Brandon Nimmo,Juan Soto,Pete Alonso, andJeff McNeil) the six-through-nine slots have been feeble.

Ronny Mauricio (60 OPS+), Jared Young (71 OPS+), Tyrone Taylor (78 OPS+), Luis Torrens (80 OPS+), and Brett Baty (90 OPS+) have left a lot to be desired — perhaps coloring how the Mets will go about things at the trade deadline in just over a month.

“Any time you go through a stretch like this, it’s added information,” president of baseball operations David Stearnssaid on Tuesday at Citi Field. “And so we’re learning about our team. We saw a lot of really good things through the first two-plus months of the season, and now we’re seeing the flipside of that. I still think we have a really good team. I think we’re certainly much better than we’ve played over these last 10 days, 12 days.

“But any time you go through a stretch, it forces you to evaluate the team. Take it in as information, add that to what we already know and help us plot forward. Does it expose any singular spot? I don’t think so right now. But it does add to our information about our team, which at this time of year can be valuable.”

While the aforementioned five players are struggling badly right now, it’s likely that Mauricio will be demoted to Triple-A Syracuse when Mark Vientos returns — potentially as soon as this Thursday or Friday.

Additionally, Young will likely see his at-bats dramatically reduced (or possibly lose his roster spot) once Jesse Winker is back. And Winker is expected to begin a rehab assignment before the end of the weekend.

That’s part of the calculus as Stearns forms a plan for how to attack the deadline.

Apr 28, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; New York Mets third base Mark Vientos (27) poses for a picture with Mets outfielder Jesse Winker (3) and Mets first base Pete Alonso (20) after all three score on his three run home run against the Washington Nationals during the ninth inning at Nationals Park. / Geoff Burke – Imagn Images

“We have some players who are getting healthy who I think will help there,” he noted. “I also think the players who have struggled in our lineup over the last month largely are better offensive players than we’ve seen so far. They themselves have demonstrated that over periods of this season.

“Clearly this month, however you want to define it, our bottom half of the lineup has not produced in a way that’s helping us score runs. This is a team game, and so it’s really tough to rely on three or four or even five guys to carry the load every single night. We know that to be a really good offensive team — we certainly have the potential and the aspiration to be a really good offensive team — we need one through nine contributing more nights than not.

One of the pain points for the Mets has been third base, but it’s possible Baty harnesses something or that Vientos plays a solid enough defensive third base to stabilize the hot corner.

Either way, it will be surprising if the Mets don’t bolster the offense via trade between now and the July 31 deadline.

An obvious target would be Orioles center fielder Cedric Mullins, who is a pending free agent. But that would be contingent on Baltimore (currently 34-44 and in last place in the AL East) coming to the conclusion that their season isn’t salvageable.

Similarly, a bunch of interesting names could be available if the Diamondbacks (40-38 but dealing with a season-ending injury to ace Corbin Burnes and a recent injury to MVP candidate Corbin Carroll) decide to sell.

Starting pitcher Merrill Kelly and third baseman/designated hitter Eugenio Suarez are both free agents at the end of the season, and would figure to be on the move if Arizona becomes a seller.

As Stearns explained, though, teams have been waiting longer than ever to chart a course.

“It’s still really tough to tell,” he said. “With our current playoff format, so many teams don’t really decide how they’re gonna approach the deadline until mid-July.”

Stearns added: “Right now, I think it’s very difficult to tell which teams are where. And we’ll get more information as we go.”

Mets find the dark side in NL East, can the force be with them to rise again? | The Mets Pod

On the latest episode of The Mets Pod presented by Tri-State Cadillac, Connor Rogers and Joe DeMayo recap a terrible week for the Mets against the Braves and Phillies, while looking for light at the other end of the tunnel at Citi Field.

First up, the guys go through the team’s problems, including shaky starting pitching, lack of DH production, the revolving door at third base, the center field issue, and inconsistent scoring overall.

Later, Connor and Joe cover the Farm in all directions, including those moving down – Francisco Alvarez and Luisangel Acuña – and those moving up – Jacob Reimer, Carson Benge, and ColinHouck.

The show then wraps up by giving away Mets Pod hats and checking the Mailbag for questions answered about the current roster and the possibility of trading for Eugenio Suarez.

Be sure to subscribe to The Mets Pod at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Nationals at Padres Prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends, and stats for June 24

It’s Tuesday, June 24 and the Nationals (33-46) are in San Diego to take on the Padres (42-36). Trevor Williams is slated to take the mound for Washington against Ryan Bergert for San Diego.

The Nationals won a high-scoring 10-6 shootout over the Padres in game one. James Wood had a big game for the Nationals. He went 3-5 with four RBI and a home run.

Let’s dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.

We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.

Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.

Game details & how to watch Nationals at Padres

  • Date: Tuesday, June 24, 2025
  • Time: 9:40PM EST
  • Site: Petco Park
  • City: San Diego, CA
  • Network/Streaming: Padres Television Network, MASN 2

Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.

Odds for the Nationals at the Padres

The latest odds as of Tuesday:

  • Moneyline: Nationals (+140), Padres (-166)
  • Spread:  Padres -1.5
  • Total: 8.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Nationals at Padres

  • Pitching matchup for June 24, 2025: Trevor Williams vs. Ryan Bergert
    • Nationals: Trevor Williams, (3-8, 5.55 ERA)
      Last outing (Colorado Rockies, 6/19): 5.1 Innings Pitched, 2 Earned Runs Allowed, 8 Hits Allowed, 1 Walks, and 6 Strikeouts
    • Padres: Ryan Bergert, (1-0, 1.88 ERA)
      Last outing (Los Angeles Dodgers, 6/19): 4.2 Innings Pitched, 0 Earned Runs Allowed, 3 Hits Allowed, 1 Walks, and 3 Strikeouts

Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries, and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions, and news type!

Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Nationals at Padres

  • After winning the series opener at home, the Padres have a 5-2 record in game 2 this season
  • 6 of the Padres’ last 7 home matchups with the Nationals have gone over the Total
  • The Nationals have covered in 4 of their last 5 road games but they are profiting 2.61 units

If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline, and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!

Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Nationals and the Padres

Rotoworld Best Bet

Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.

Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread, and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information, and weather forecasts.

Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.

Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Tuesday’s game between the Nationals and the Padres:

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the San Diego Padres on the Moneyline.
  • Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Washington Nationals at +1.5.
  • Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 8.0.

Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC

Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:

  • Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
  • Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
  • Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
  • Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)

Mets Injury Notes: Jesse Winker heading for rehab assignment, Kodai Senga session ‘went well’

The Mets are hopeful DH Jesse Winker will begin his rehab assignment by this weekend, manager Carlos Mendoza said Tuesday.

“He’ll continue to pretty much go through full workouts here,” the skipper said from Flushing ahead of the game against the Atlanta Braves. “The goal is hopefully he is DHing by the end of the weekend in a minor league rehab assignment.”

Winker has been on the IL since the first week of May with a strained right oblique, an injury that means the slugger will be 6-to-8 weeks out of action. Mendoza wouldn’t say it will be a longer time for Winker’s rehab assignment, but didn’t anticipate it being a quick “couple of games” due to the nature of the injury and his time on the shelf.

“He’s gonna need at-bats, that’s for sure,” he said when asked about the duration of the assignment, adding that Winker will likely play Sunday before the minor league club has Monday off. “And then we’ll put together the plan for Tuesday, like one on, one off, and then back-to-back.. When we’re talking about that area, we’ll have to watch him closely.”

Winker, who sustained the injury making a throw from left field, could still be built up to contribute in the outfield, but that isn’t something the club is looking to do at this time.

“We haven’t got there yet, I think the biggest thing is his bat,” Mendoza said. “Even though we kinda prepare him for a scenario where we need him to play in the outfield, which we did, he still went down, so I think the priority here is get him at his best offensively, and then if we have to continue to the progression defensivelty, if we need to do it here at the big league level we’ll do it.”

Mendoza said they “have to prepare” Winker before playing him in the outfield again, but they aren’t shutting the door on using him in the field later this season.

“I didn’t have any hesitation with putting him in the outfield, because I felt good with the work that he was doing and we put him in a position, it’s just unfortunate that [the injury] happens,” the manager said. “If he gets active as DH, Antoan [Richardson] will continue to work with the trainers and put together a plan where he’s getting defensive work, throwing, and all that. 

“And if we feel like it gets to a point where we could give him a start there in the outfield, we will.”

Kodai Senga’s latest session ‘went well’

Senga played catch on Monday and “everything went well,” Mendoza said. The manager said he had not yet spoken with the starter on Tuesday and that he was set to play catch again ahead of the game against Atlanta. 

On Monday, he noted that Senga had been throwing since the injury, and he was getting on the mound and “letting the ball go with some intensity.”

“That’s a really good sign,” Mendoza said on Monday. “We’ll see what the next step will be. But not even two weeks, and he’s already getting on the mound and playing catch with intensity. That’s good.”