August 2025

There were 1,614 posts published in August 2025 (this is page 45 of 162).

Orioles’ Cade Povich second MLB pitcher this week to call out fans sending death threats

Baltimore Orioles starter Cade Povich shared a disturbing message sent to his wife following a subpar outing this week. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
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Cade Povich is the second MLB pitcher this week to call out fans sending death threats.

The 25-year-old Baltimore Orioles left-handed starter posted on X early Saturday, revealing a disturbing screenshot of an Instagram direct message he said his wife received Friday night after he gave up four earned runs in 4 2/3 innings of a 10-7 loss to the Houston Astros.

The defeat dropped Povich to 2-7 on the year, his second in the big leagues.

“I understand that I may not have performed or have gotten the results that I, my team, or many fans may have wanted so I get the frustration. Say what you want about me in that regard. However, going out of your way to DM my wife is unacceptable and what is shown in this image is crossing the line,” Povich wrote on X.

“Me, or especially my wife, should not have to worry about our safety in the public, nonetheless church, because of how I perform on the mound.”

Povich added in his post: “I’m coming on here to say something about this because I know my family is not alone. This stuff does not belong in the game.”

Earlier this week, Seattle Mariners pitcher Tayler Saucedo and his girlfriend shared worrying screenshots of messages they each received after Saucedo’s rough outing in Philadelphia on Wednesday. Saucedo, a left-handed reliever, recorded only one out while giving up four earned runs in an 11-2 defeat to the Phillies — at the time the Mariners’ fifth straight loss that continued their setback in the AL West race.

A 32-year-old in his third season with Seattle, Saucedo is struggling mightily on the mound this year. He’s registered a 9.82 ERA in his seven appearances, with more earned runs (8) than innings pitched (7 1/3).

Saucedo took to X to post a statement Wednesday.

“I understand wanting me gone after today and this year as a whole,” Saucedo wrote. “Nobody is more disappointed with how this year has gone for me than myself. Trust me, I want to win just as much as all of you, whether I’m here or not. But messaging me this bulls*** and my girlfriend and sending this stuff is beyond baseball. 

“It’s insane how comfortable people are sending this stuff to not only me but my partner. Tell me I suck all you want that’s fine, but at some point we gotta get a grip.”

Unfortunately, these incidents aren’t isolated.

Earlier this year, Houston Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. reported death threats made to him and his family following his May 10 start, which was just his second appearance since a 2 1/2-year layoff due to flexor tendon surgery and recovery obstacles. McCullers allowed seven earned runs to the Cincinnati Reds in 1/3 of an inning and was pulled after throwing only 36 pitches.

A report from The Athletic on June 2 revealed that a sports bettor overseas was behind the threats, sending them on social media while he was “frustrated and inebriated,” a Houston Police Department spokesperson told The Athletic.

Zack Wheeler to undergo surgery, will miss rest of Phillies season

Zack Wheeler to undergo surgery, will miss rest of Phillies season originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Phillies announced Saturday that pitcher Zack Wheeler will be out for the rest of the season.

A statement from the team said: Wheeler was diagnosed with venous thoracic outlet syndrome, and the recommendation is to undergo thoracic outlet decompression surgery in the coming weeks. Details of the surgery are forthcoming. The timeline of recovery from the surgery is generally 6-8 months.

Wheeler had been dealing with something unknown in the shoulder since around the All-Star break and it caused him to be moved back a few days on a start. A dip in velocity and command heightened questions about what may be wrong, but it was after a start in Washington on August 15, in which Wheeler pitched five innings, gave up two runs and struck out six, where concerns grew. Though Wheeler said he felt really good during his outing, after the game he described “heaviness” in the shoulder area. That’s when red flags went up.

“Yeah, so that’s it (heaviness),” said Phillies head athletic trainer Paul Buchheit. “They weren’t very subtle but having some heaviness and fullness was one of the symptoms where we said, ‘hey let’s get this looked at’.

“He had a venous thoracic outlet syndrome, so it’s not the same as, say, a neurological vascular outlet, so the recovery can be a little bit different. The fact that he wasn’t dealing with this, it was more of an acute issue, that also is in his favor that he wasn’t dealing with this for a long time prior to going under for the procedure. He wasn’t exhibiting any of the symptoms that ultimately drove us to get the Washington Nationals docs involved in evaluating it, which they were great, by the way in expediting everything. We do think they were independent. Typically, these things kind of have a cluster of symptom patterns. He wasn’t exhibiting any of those until we had him evaluated.”

Wheeler underwent a thrombolysis procedure to remove the blood clot on August 18.

“He’s doing well,” said Buchheit. “He’s doing fine. (There were) two second opinions and they were the leaders in the industry on this topic.”

The human aspect of something like this always comes first, and from management to players that is first and foremost on everyone’s mind. After that, however, there is the business of baseball and the absence of Wheeler is a huge blow to this baseball team.

“He’ll miss this season, but then we figure he’ll come back in the six-to-eight-month time period and come back and be the Zack Wheeler of old,” said president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski. “That’s what we were told. Unless something unanticipated happens, he’ll be able to come back and pitch like he has before this.”

Dombrowski said he hasn’t spoken to Wheeler but has shared texts. He also said Wheeler was at the ballpark Friday.

How the rest of the season will play out with the starting staff is now a little more mysterious. Manager Rob Thomson was on the cusp of implementing a six-man rotation just before Wheeler went out. Now, it’s all in a bit of flux.

“I found out a little bit more last night and he’s healthy,” said an obviously relieved Thomson. “It’s disappointing to lose him but we have a lot of depth on our club. So, the six-to-eight-month recovery was encouraging to me. I talked to him yesterday; he was in here yesterday.

“Our offense has kicked in. The three lefties threw very well. I was proud of (Taijuan Walker) getting us through five innings last night. We’ll see what (Aaron Nola) has today, I’m expecting more out of him today. I think they’ve responded very well (to not having Wheeler).”

While the tail-end of the recovery period takes Wheeler to about the beginning of next season, it really is all speculation at this point. So many factors will come into play over that time but for the time being, positivity seems to be prominent.

“If you have symptoms from a neurological perspective, they may be present for a long time and it takes a while to evaluate, treat through,” said Buchheit. “A lot of times you don’t go to surgical options right away. With Zack it was an acute onset. He doesn’t have that long, protracted time period where he’s been battling things. The surgeons say that he’s going to have a really good prognosis with this.

“The protocols on this are pretty general. A guy can start throwing, maybe eight weeks after the procedure. But that all really depends on how he’s presenting, how the procedure goes and how he’s doing in the rehab process.”

In the meantime, we will see how it all plays out without their ace’s presence. Does Andrew Painter get the long-awaited call-up? Is there someone else in the wings? Is there another game-plan? That is the challenge facing upper management.

“It’s disappointing but I think everyone knows it’s out of our control,” said Thomson. “We’re happy that he’s going to be healthy cause it’s a very serious thing that he went through. They’re baseball players and they kind of move on. We’ve got a game today and they’re not going to cancel it and we’ve got another game tomorrow.

“We just got to keep moving forward.”

Former NBA star Shawn Kemp given 30 days of home monitoring for Washington parking lot shooting

TACOMA, Wash. (AP) — Former NBA star Shawn Kemp was sentenced Friday to 30 days of electronic home monitoring for shooting at two men inside a vehicle in a Washington state mall parking lot.

Kemp must begin home monitoring within two weeks, The Seattle Times reported. He must also serve one year of state Department of Corrections supervision and complete 240 hours of community service.

Prosecutors had recommended the six-time NBA All-Star be sentenced to nine months in jail, a year of supervision and pay restitution.

Judge Michael Schwartz of Pierce County Superior Court found the circumstances surrounding the crime warranted a lesser sentence, allowing Kemp to avoid incarceration.

Kemp looked at the ceiling and blew a huff of air when Schwartz announced the sentence. He then repeatedly made the sign of the cross with his hand.

Kemp, who played for the Seattle SuperSonics from 1989 to 1997, pleaded guilty to an assault charge in May as part of a plea agreement.

No one was hurt in the March 2023 shooting.

Kemp said he acted in self-defense and returned fire after one of the men shot at him from inside their Toyota 4Runner vehicle.

The defense also claimed that the two men Kemp shot at provoked the shooting by stealing Kemp’s truck, his cellphone and memorabilia in Seattle. The judge agreed.

Using a phone-tracking app, Kemp located and briefly tried to talk to the driver of the 4Runner that was circling a casino parking lot, according to the trial brief. The men in the vehicle afterward dumped some of Kemp’s belongings but hung on to the phone, the brief says.

Kemp later saw his phone was near the Tacoma Mall. He drove there, spotted the same 4Runner and “expressed his understandable frustration” with the driver, according to the brief. The man in the back seat “fired off a round from a handgun at Mr. Kemp. Mr. Kemp returned fire and attempted to disable the Toyota. It did not work,” the document said.

The 4Runner fled, and when the vehicle was found abandoned days later, an empty holster was found inside but there was no gun, according to court documents.

After the hearing, Kemp said in an interview that “the last three years have been tough.” He said he plans to be an advocate against gun violence, especially among youth.

“Think twice,” he said. “Think twice when you get mad. Think twice when you get a little upset.”

Several people sent letters of support to the court on Kemp’s behalf. About 30 people attended the hearing, including his pastor and former NFL star Marshawn Lynch.

Kemp debuted in the NBA during the 1989-90 season as a 20-year-old who had never played college basketball. He also played for Cleveland, Portland and Orlando and was known for his high-flying dunks.

Yankees Notes: Aaron Judge progressing in throwing program; time off for Anthony Volpe ‘in play’

As the Yankees look to bounce back after back-to-back losses to the Boston Red Sox, manager Aaron Boone addressed a few big issues facing his club before Saturday’s matinee in The Bronx.

Aaron Judge progressing 

The Yankees slugger is still dealing with the effects of the flexor strain in his right arm, but he has progressed in his throwing program as the wait for his return to the outfield continues.

Boone said that he believes Judge was throwing with “a little more intensity” on Friday and was out to 150 feet. “I think we’re getting to introduce some paces, so hopefully we’re getting close,” the skipper said.

With the reigning AL MVP limited to just hitting, Boone dismissed a question about whether the injury was impacting the slugger at the plate. “I don’t,” he said.

Giancarlo Stanton was in the lineup in right field for Saturday’s game, his seventh start in the outfield since Judge’s return from the IL.

But since coming back from the injury during the first week of August, the slugger has just 11 hits in 51 at-bats (.216) with a double and three home runs for a .412 slugging percentage and .806 OPS (boosted by 15 walks) through his first 15 games as a DH. 

In the 15 games before the injury, Judge had just 11 hits in 54 at-bats (.204) with three doubles and five homers for a .537 slugging percentage and an .836 OPS. He had nine walks to 21 strikeouts in that span compared to 14 since the injury.

Anthony Volpe could get a day soon

Boone said he didn’t consider giving Volpe a day off for Saturday’s game with Red Sox left-hander Garrett Crochet on the mound, but amid the shortstop’s struggles at the plate and in the field, it is something he is considering. 

“Especially now with [Jose] Caballero [able to play short], I gave him one the other day,” Boone said about a start for the trade deadline acquisition. “So those can be in play here, but wasn’t gonna do it with the lefty here.”

Volpe has struggled again at the plate this year as his .209 average entering Saturday’s game matches his mark from his rookie season. His .403 slugging percentage is a career high, but his .276 on-base percentage is a career low.

The numbers have been particularly dire of late, as the 24-year-old has just eight hits in his last 18 games is slashing .127/.179/.254 for a .433 OPS with four walks and 18 strikeouts. 

Through his first 446 career games, Volpe is slashing .222/.285/.381 for a .666 OPS for an 84 OPS+ and 86 wRC+ (average is 100).

And his once-reliable fielding has abandoned him with 16 errors already this season (not including a mental error in Friday night’s game) and a minus-7 outs above average (fourth percentile in MLB). On the other hand, his three defensive runs saved on the year are good for eighth among qualified shortstops. So he hasn’t totally regressed.

On Friday, with a runner on second and nobody out in the ninth inning, Volpe fielded a grounder right at him and tried to get the runner at second rather than taking the out at first. Instead, the Sox got two on and nobody out.

“It’s obviously not the right play,” Boone said after the game Friday. “It’s a little bit of a heady play, too. He almost caught a guy off in scoring position there, and then he doesn’t come around to score anyway. He makes a really good play on the contact play. Are we going to really dive into that one a lot? I mean, I get it. It wasn’t an out, but it’s kind of a heads-up. Almost got a guy napping.” 

Fernando Cruz nearing return

The veteran right-hander is set to come back after a lengthy stint on the IL that has seen him sidelined since late June, either on Sunday or Monday, the skipper said. 

Cruz pitched to a .300 ERA and 1.000 WHIP in 33 innings over 32 appearances. He had 54 strikeouts to 14 walks, thanks to an absolutely wicked split-finger that had a 60.2 whiff percentage and .119 expected batting average against.

Malik Beasley no longer a target of federal gambling probe, his lawyer says

Malik Beasley is no longer a target of a federal investigation into gambling on NBA games by NBA players, his attorneys have said.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York is conducting a broad investigation and Beasley’s attorneys, Steve Haney and Mike Schachter, told multipleoutlets that Beasley is no longer a target in that investigation. The U.S. Attorney’s office has not confirmed that, although it is not their policy to talk about who is or is not under investigation.

Beasley had been a person of interest in the case, with reports that the feds were specifically looking at a 2024 game (when Beasley was with the Milwaukee Bucks) that was flagged by at least one sportsbook. In that game, the prop bet of Beasley under 2.5 rebounds changed from +120 to -250 after large bets were placed. Beasley had six rebounds in that game. Here is what attorney Hanley told Shams Charania of ESPN:

“Months after this investigation commenced, Malik remains uncharged and is not the target of this investigation,” Haney told ESPN. “An allegation with no charge, indictment or conviction should never have the catastrophic consequence this has caused Malik. This has literally been the opposite of the presumption of innocence.”

Beasley and the Pistons were reportedly in discussions about his re-signing in Detroit for around three years, $42 million, when news of the investigation went public. After that, any free agent talks around Beasley dried up. Announcing that he is no longer a target in the investigation — and Hanley’s comments — are clearly about getting Beasley a roster spot in the NBA next season. Unfortunately, that is just tougher at this point in the offseason, when most teams have filled up their rosters and the kind of money Beasley was about to sign for is not really available as teams are dealing with the luxury tax and its aprons. For example, the Pistons now have 14 players under guaranteed contracts.

Beasley, 28, averaged 16.3 points a game while shooting 41.6% on 3-pointers for the Pistons last season.