Toronto Blue Jays star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. left Monday’s 5-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates with a hamstring injury. 

Guerrero was pulled from the game after the sixth inning with what the team called left hamstring tightness. Guerrero had been openly complaining about his hamstring throughout the night at PNC Park, too. 

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After a base hit in the bottom of the first inning, Guerrero was spotted pointing at his hamstring and saying, “malo” toward someone in the dugout. That translates to “bad” in English.

Guerrero remained in the game after that, and made a wild play at first where he did the splits to make a catch and complete the out, which couldn’t have helped any. He popped right back up after that play and jogged off the field.

Guerrero had an RBI in his two at-bats of the night before he was pulled from the game. Guerrero underwent an MRI on Tuesday, which revealed only left hamstring inflammation. He’s now being considered day-to-day, and appears to have avoided significant injury.

Though the score was tied when Guerrero left the game, the Pirates pushed ahead down the stretch after both Henry Davis and Jared Triolo scored on throwing errors. Davis hit a sacrifice fly in the eighth to bring in Alexander Canario, too. That sent them to the three-run win, which moved them to 53-73 on the season.

The Blue Jays now sit at 73-53 after the loss, which was their second straight. They now trail the Detroit Tigers by just half of a game in the American League standings, but they still have a significant lead over the Boston Red Sox in the AL East race. Monday’s contest was the first of a three-game series with the Pirates in Pennsylvania.

After going 0 for 4 in the Chicago Cubs‘ 7-0 defeat in the first game of their Monday doubleheader versus the Milwaukee Brewers, Kyle Tucker was not in the lineup for the postponed nightcap. And according to manager Craig Counsell, it could be the first of several games off for the struggling right fielder. 

Tucker has slogged through a 2-for-25 (.080) stretch over his past seven games, which has extended a significant slump for him since the All-Star break. During the second half of the season, he is hitting .182/.333/.239 with one home run and six RBI in 110 plate appearances. He hasn’t hit a home run since July 19. 

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That’s nearly a 180-degree turn from the .280/.384/.499 slash average, 19 doubles, 17 homers, 56 RBI and 22 stolen bases that earned Tucker a spot on the National League All-Star team. 

Cubs fans voiced their disapproval of Tucker’s recent performance, booing him during Monday afternoon’s game. 

“The fans are frustrated and Kyle is frustrated,” Counsell said after the game. “When you make outs, it doesn’t look good. He’s trying. It’s just not clicking.”

“We’re going to have to take a step back here, just give him some days off to reset him, hopefully,” he added. 

Though Tucker has denied it, injuring his right ring finger on June 1 while running the bases may be a major factor in his struggles.

“It’s fine,” Tucker told MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian on Aug. 7. “I’ve got to go out and do my job regardless of how I feel. I’m just trying to continue that the best I can.”

Yet Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer believes the injury is affecting Tucker more than he’ll admit, whether it’s in how he grips the bat or the mechanics of his swing. 

“I don’t know whether it still bothers him, whether it created some bad habits along the way with compensating and things like that,” Hoyer said. “There’s no question that when you look at his numbers, it’s had an impact on him, for sure. That’s the nature sometimes of these small injuries — they can do that.”

Tucker wasn’t the only Cubs batter who struggled in Monday afternoon’s loss. The team managed only two hits against four Brewers pitchers, one of which was rookie Owen Caissie‘s first in the major leagues. 

Starting pitcher Cade Horton also had to leave the game in the third inning due to a blister on his right middle finger. Four batters before leaving the game, Horton gave up a home run to Brice Turang, grooving a 97 mph fastball right down the middle of the strike zone for an early 1-0 Milwaukee lead. 

Following Monday’s loss, the Cubs (70-54) have four more games this week against the Brewers. They came into the series eight games behind Milwaukee (79-45) in the NL Central and could face a double-digit deficit by Thursday. The Cubs then go on a nine-game road trip out West against the Los Angeles Angels, San Francisco Giants and Colorado Rockies. 

Phillies ace Zack Wheeler underwent a procedure Monday morning to remove a blood clot in his “right upper extremity,” the team announced. Wheeler was initially placed on the injured list following Saturday’s game in Washington. As of Monday afternoon, the Phillies had yet to disclose or develop a timetable for Wheeler’s possible return to the mound, but they did convey that the procedure was deemed a success.

During his pregame availability with the media Monday, Phillies manager Rob Thomson was asked whether he thinks Wheeler, indisputably one of the game’s best pitchers, will pitch again this season.

“We don’t know,” Thomson said. “We don’t know until we get further information.”

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The serious nature of Wheeler’s condition means that Thomson and the Phillies have, understandably, been most concerned with the hurler’s general well-being. Blood clots, left untreated, can be life-threatening, particularly for those who travel often. Monday’s announcement of a successful surgery appears to be positive news on that front.

“A lot of people ask me about the pitching staff and the team. Right now my thoughts are just about him. I said the other day: This isn’t like a hamstring or a calf,” Thomson said. “This is real. This is life. So my thoughts are constantly on him and his family. Hopefully everything works out. So far, so good.”

Wheeler reported discomfort after his most recent start, a five-inning outing against the Nationals on Friday. According to the team, Wheeler felt a heaviness in his shoulder that was abnormal for him. Evaluations the following day uncovered the blood clot.

Although the specifics of his situation are not publicly known, it is very likely that Wheeler will need to go on blood thinners after his surgery Monday. That would almost certainly prohibit him from retaking the mound anytime soon. Playing sports on blood thinners, even a non-contact sport such as baseball, is incredibly dangerous due to the increased risk of bleeding.

A similar situation kept San Antonio Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama off the court for the second half of this NBA season after he was found to have a vein issue in his right shoulder. New England Patriots defensive tackle Christian Barmore, the second-highest paid player in franchise history, was diagnosed with blood clots last season. He missed the majority of the season after the diagnosis.

There is a track record, albeit small, of blood clots and vascular issues affecting MLB pitchers. Most often, this manifests in the form of thoracic outlet syndrome, or TOS, a condition in which blood vessels and nerves get pinched just below the collarbone. Although Wheeler has not, to this point, been diagnosed with TOS, the procedure he underwent, according to Will Carroll of Under The Knife, is similar and often precedes a similar rehab process.

In August 2020, current Rangers pitcher Merrill Kelly had TOS surgery to remove a blood clot in his shoulder. The then-Arizona Diamondback missed the remainder of that season but returned the following year and continued to pitch well. Kelly’s experience with TOS varies wildly from, say, that of former Nationals ace Stephen Strasburg, whose career was derailed by the condition. It is worth noting that the type of TOS that afflicted Strasburg, called neurogenic TOS, tends to be much more debilitating than the vascular TOS that Kelly dealt with.

How this all relates to Wheeler remains to be seen.

The 35-year-old right-hander is in the midst of another superb season. Wheeler currently leads the National League in strikeouts with 195 and slots in fifth in ERA with a 2.71. He was firmly in the mix, alongside Pirates flamethrower Paul Skenes, to win the first Cy Young of his already sensational career.

From a baseball perspective, Wheeler’s absence will undoubtedly inconvenience a Phillies team currently five games up on the New York Mets in the National League East. Wheeler would’ve been the best pitcher on the NL side of the playoff bracket and surely would’ve started Game 1 of the team’s first series.

But while Wheeler’s consistent dominance is irreplaceable, the Phillies are relatively well-suited to weather his absence.

Southpaw Cristopher Sánchez looks slated to finish in the top three of NL Cy Young voting as well. He has a sparkling 2.45 ERA across 24 starts. Behind Sánchez, the Phillies have a quartet of dependable options. Ranger Suárez (3.28 in 18 starts) has struggled of late but had a 10-start stretch over the summer in which he was the best arm in MLB. Jesús Luzardo (4.21 in 25 starts) has rolled through ups and downs in his first year with the Phillies but looks like a frontline arm when he’s on.

Taijuan Walker (3.34 in 15 starts) entered the year as an afterthought but has delivered a very impressive bounce-back campaign. Aaron Nola (6.92 ERA) returned from the IL on Sunday after missing three months due to a foot issue. He was not sharp in his first start back and was underperforming before the injury, but Nola has a long enough résumé to inspire some level of confidence.

Top prospect Andrew Painter (5.15 in 21 MiLB starts) was expected to join the big-league club this summer, but the heralded 22-year-old has underwhelmed in Triple-A. He remains something of a wild card.

None of those characters, obviously, will match the reliability and impact Wheeler provides. Since joining the Phillies in 2020, the bald Georgian leads all qualified MLB pitchers in innings and fWAR. He has established himself as a generational talent, one undeniably worthy of the record-breaking, three-year, $126 million contract he received last spring. That $42 million annual average value is the highest in MLB history.

Wheeler has also endeared himself to a fan base, a franchise and the entire Phillies community. He is understated but wry. Unrelentingly fierce but kind. Appreciated in his own clubhouse and immensely respected in the 29 others.

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The San Diego Padres walked into Dodger Stadium, on Friday, with a one-game lead in the NL West over the Los Angeles Dodgers. They left, on Sunday, two games behind the Dodgers after being swept over the weekend. The Padres struggled at the plate in the series. Is this a sign of an improving pitching staff for the Dodgers? Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman discuss their takeaways from the series and preview what it may be a sign of for the rest of the season. These two teams will meet up again this weekend in San Diego.

The Little League Classic was over the weekend. All of the little leaguers competing at the Little League World Series got to meet and watch some of their favorite major leaguers. Jordan, who was in attendance, shares some of the stories he witnessed from the weekend. The guys dive into the importance of these events and the memories they have from years past. In contrast to the little leaguers’ unadulterated joy, drama across Major League Baseball came from the broadcast. Commissioner Rob Manfred spoke about realignment and expansion plans for MLB’s future. Jake and Jordan discuss what they think an actual timeline for this is and how they see it playing out.

Amongst all of this drama, there were so many other series played. Three other sweeps occurred this weekend by the Yankees, the Braves and the Royals. Giancarlo Stanton may be injured. How might this change the Yankees? The Guardians have a huge misstep against the Braves. How can they recover? The Royals are trying to work their way into the Wild Card conversation. Jake and Jordan dive into all of these topics and every other series from the weekend.

Start off your week with us here at Baseball Bar-B-Cast.

AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian, Photo by Harry How/Getty Images, Photo by Emma Sharon/MLB Photos via Getty Images

(2:47) – Dodgers sweep Padres

(11:49) – Yankees sweep Cardinals

(29:12) – Scenes from the Little League Classic

(51:11) – Zack Wheeler goes to IL w/ blood clot

(56:35) – Victor Robles throw bat at pitcher

(1:00:26) – Turbo Mode

Follow the show on X at @CespedesBBQ

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Follow Jordan @J_Shusterman_

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The Philadelphia Phillies are placing ace Zack Wheeler on the injured list with a blood clot near his right shoulder, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski told reporters Saturday.

On Monday, the Phillies announced that Wheeler had successfully undergone a thrombolysis procedure to remove the blood clot. Plans for additional treatment and a return timeline are still undetermined.

Aaron Nola was activated from the injured list to replace Wheeler on the Phillies’ active roster.

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The exact nature of the blood clot is unclear beyond its rough location, but it is disquieting news for the first-place Phillies nonetheless with only a month and a half until the playoffs begin. 

“There’s not a lot we can say about it at this time, but I commend [head athletic trainer Paul Buchheit] and the doctors here for finding this because it could have been a much more trying situation than what it is,” Dombrowski said.

Buchheit emphasized the team needed more information before figuring out when Wheeler will be pitching again.

“Zack had been feeling better after his right shoulder soreness, but yesterday some symptoms had changed. He felt a little heaviness,” Buchheit said. “It’s still early on in the diagnosis, so I think we should gather more information before we put a prognosis and treatment plan together.”

At age 35, Wheeler is enjoying one of the best seasons of an already standout career, leading the NL in strikeouts with 195 and in WHIP at 0.935. Before Saturday, he sat behind only Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes on the odds board for the NL Cy Young Award, for which he finished as runner-up last season.

With Wheeler atop the rotation and flanked by the likes of Cristopher Sánchez and Ranger Suárez, the Phillies have arguably the top rotation in baseball, leading MLB in innings pitched (705) and ranking second in ERA (3.42). Without Wheeler, things get much more dicey.

After a 2-0 loss to the Washington Nationals on Saturday, the Phillies’ record sits at 70-53, 5.5 games ahead of the New York Mets for first place in the NL East. Not having Wheeler for the playoffs would be especially bad considering he owns a 2.18 ERA in the postseason and hasn’t allowed more than two earned runs in seven straight appearances.

Seattle Mariners outfielder Victor Robles completely erupted during a rehab assignment on Sunday night, throwing a bat at a pitcher after he was hit resulting in Robles’ ejection from the minor league game.  

Robles, who is currently playing with the Mariners’ Triple-A affiliate out of Tacoma, was hit by a pitch in the third inning against the Las Vegas Aviators, the Triple-A affiliate of the Athletics. Aviators starter Joe Estes’ first pitch to Robles went high and inside, and hit Robles near his head, though he swung at the pitch before it made contact.

Robles, after briefly collecting himself, then launched the bat hard at Estes. Robles was immediately thrown out of the game while the catcher stood there, stunned. Robles then charged at Estes and had to be held back as things escalated quickly on the field.

Robles eventually walked away and into the dugout. He ended up throwing a big box of seeds out onto the field before finally leaving for good. The seeds went everywhere while both teams stood around near the mound.

Hours later, Robles posted an apology to his Instagram story:

“I want to take a moment to sincerely apologize for my recent reaction on the field. I let my frustration get the best of me, and I understand how that may have affected not just the game, but the energy and respect we all work so hard to maintain.

“Coming off a long rehab and being away from the game for most of the season has been physically and mentally challenging. Adding to that, the recent passing of my mother has been incredibly hard, and I’ve been doing my best to hold it together. That’s not an excuse, but some context I feel you deserve to understand where I’m coming from. 

“Getting hit 5 times in 15 at-bats added to that pressure, and I reacted in a way I’m not proud of. This game means the world to me, and so do the people who play it. I respect every one of you — my teammates, the opposing players, and everyone in this league.

“I’m committed to being better, not just as a player, but as a teammate and competitor. I appreciate your understanding, and I’m grateful to be back on the field doing what I love. Thank you.”

Robles has been recovering from a dislocated shoulder he went down with while trying to make a catch for the Mariners in April. He ran hard into the wall and netting at Oracle Park during a game against the San Francisco Giants, but awkwardly bent back and fell to the ground after making the catch. He was later carted off the field.

Robles made his first rehab assignment in Tacoma on Tuesday night. He’s now been hit by a pitch at least three times in his short time with the team. It’s unclear if anything else happened Sunday night to prompt that reaction, though he’s likely to face punishment from the league in the near future.

Robles signed with the Mariners midway through last season after he spent his first eight years in the league with the Washington Nationals. He held a .273 average and .624 OPS with 12 hits in 10 games before he went down with the shoulder injury.

It’s unclear how long Robles was going to play in the minors before the incident, but Sunday’s outburst certainly doesn’t help things for him. The Mariners, meanwhile, hold a 68-57 record and sit in second in the AL West.

The list of available two-start pitchers is especially short this week, as most teams have one of their best hurlers lined up for a pair of outings. All the players listed below carry significant risk, and Leiter is by far the best option in the group. On the hitting side, players on the Rockies, Dodgers and Mets are sensible streamers for fantasy baseball. 

Two-Start Pitchers (listed in order of preference)

Jack Leiter, Rangers, 36% (@ KC, vs. CLE): Leiter continues to walk too many batters, but he deserves credit for allowing two or fewer runs in seven of his past eight starts. He has also had several recent games in which he tallied strong strikeout totals. Leiter has favorable matchups this week, as the Royals rank 27th in runs scored and the Guardians place 26th. He needs to go deeper into games to get fantasy managers a win, but he should at least be a source of 10-12 strikeouts.

Nestor Cortes, Padres, 21% (vs. SF, vs. LAD): Cortes has been decent in two starts since returning from a long injured list stint. On a positive note, he has allowed just three runs. However, he didn’t finish the fifth inning in either game and logged a mediocre 9:4 K:BB ratio. Cortes could benefit from working at his pitcher-friendly home park this week, and the Giants matchup is a favorable one. But the Dodgers matchup is enough to scare me away, especially when I worry that Cortes isn’t in his top form.

Dustin May, Red Sox, 37% (vs. BAL, @ NYY): May is coming off his best start of the season, when he struck out eight Astros across six scoreless innings. The righty has been inconsistent throughout 2025, which makes it unlikely that he will follow up a dominant outing with an effective two-start week. He would need to have favorable matchups to be considered in mixed leagues, and that’s not the case.

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Spencer Arrighetti, Astros, 29% (@ DET, @ BAL): Arrighetti has not looked his best since returning from four months on the IL, allowing seven runs on 12 hits and six walks over 8.2 innings in two starts. His matchups are tough this week, as the Tigers have had a productive offense this season and the Orioles have been one of the highest-scoring groups since the All-Star break. He should stay on waivers in mixed leagues.

Matthew Liberatore, Cardinals, 22% (@ MIA, @ TB): Liberatore may be wearing down in his first full MLB season. His last quality start came on June 29, and he hasn’t thrown five innings in any of his past five starts. He has also watched his strikeout rate drop, as he has tallied just eight strikeouts in his past five outings. Despite having respectable season-long numbers, Liberatore belongs on waivers in all mixed leagues.

Jake Irvin, Nationals, 11% (vs. NYM, @ PHI): Managers would have to be desperate to stream Irvin this week. After all, he has poor ratios this season (5.14 ERA, 1.38 WHIP) and has logged a 7.88 ERA since the All-Star break. Irvin hasn’t even contributed in the strikeouts category, as he has just 11 punchouts in his past five starts.

One-Start Streamers

In order, here are the best streamers for the week, with their start date and Yahoo roster rate in brackets.

• Emmet Sheehan @ COL (Tuesday, 20%)

• Nolan McLean @ ATL (Friday, 26%)

• Joe Boyle vs. STL (Thursday, 9%)

• Joey Quintana vs. SF (Friday, 46%)

• Joey Wentz vs. NYM (Friday, 7%)

• J.T. Ginn @ MIN (Wednesday, 4%)

• Mike Burrows vs. COL (Friday, 6%)

• Zebby Matthews @ CWS (Friday, 20%)

• Patrick Corbin @ KC (Thursday, 14%)

• Landen Roupp @ SD (Wednesday, 23%)

• Michael Lorenzen vs. TEX (Thursday, 9%)

• Justin Verlander @ SD (Thursday, 22%)

• Cam Schlittler @ TB (Wednesday, 14%)

• Jack Perkins @ MIN (Thursday, 8%)

Hitters with favorable matchups this week

Mickey Moniak, OF, Rockies, 14%: I continue to regularly recommend Moniak, as he is in the midst of a favorable schedule. The Rockies play seven games this week, with four of the contests coming at Coors Field. There are also five right-handed starters on the schedule, which puts the lefty hitting Moniak in a favorable position. My ideal usage for Moniak is to start him until Friday and then send him to waivers before the Rockies face lefty Andrew Heaney and ace Paul Skenes.

Michael Conforto, OF, Dodgers, 4%: I know what you’re thinking — Conforto is no longer a good hitter. I agree with you, but I also want as many shares of the Dodgers offense as possible for their upcoming four-game series at Coors Field. Conforto is one of the few widely-available Dodgers, and he should start three consecutive games against righties from Tuesday to Thursday. I’m fine with dropping him on Friday.

Colson Montgomery, 3B/SS, White Sox, 39%: Montgomery has been a premium power producer since joining the White Sox by hitting 10 homers in 35 games. The slugger is in great position this week, as he will face two teams (Braves, Twins) who rank among the worst clubs in second half ERA. The Braves have run out of effective starting pitchers in an injury-plagued season, while the Twins depleted their staff at the deadline. Additionally, the White Sox have fared much better at the plate since the All-Star break.

Jeff McNeil, 2B/OF, Mets, 6%: The Mets are well-positioned to score plenty of runs this week when they face the Nats (29th in second half ERA) and Braves (28th in second half ERA). And although McNeil is not a flashy fantasy asset, he is slotted fifth in the lineup for nearly every game. Additionally, those who need a catcher should monitor Francisco Alvarez (18%), who jammed his right thumb on Sunday and is getting an MRI. A healthy Alvarez would belong in fantasy lineups this week, as he has logged a 1.054 OPS since being recalled on July 21.

Jake Moody Kicks 49ers Over Raiders in Preseason Matchup originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

The San Francisco 49ers defeated the Las Vegas Raiders 22-19 on a 59 yard walk-off field goal by Jake Moody on Saturday afternoon at Allegiant Stadium. … one of the five field goals he nailed on the afternoon.

Meanwhile, San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy played only one series and opened the game with an efficient field goal drive—completing 5 of his 7 passes for 66 yards.

The 49ers came into the game dealing with a multitude of injuries and they seem to continue piling. Starting guard Dominic Puni went down with a knee injury on the opening drive and running back Corey Kiner was later carted off the field with an apparent leg injury.

Raiders star tight end Brock Bowers made his presence known early by hauling in a highlight reel 28-yard reception on the team’s opening drive.

On the same drive, Raiders fans held their breath after rookie running back Ashton Jeanty took a big hit, prompting a trip to the blue medical tent for evaluation.

However, Jeanty returned the following drive and scored his first preseason touchdown—trucking a 49ers defender on his way to the end zone.

Overall, it was a good showing for the starting Las Vegas unit in two drives, scoring 10 points.

Las Vegas quarterback Geno Smith finished 6 of 8 for 55 yards passing while Jeanty had 7 carries for 33 yards and a touchdown.

And for Moody? He was met with derision from Niners fans on his one miss … but ended up the hero.

San Francisco will face the Los Angeles Chargers in their preseason finale, and Las Vegas will travel to Arizona to take on the Cardinals.

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 17, 2025, where it first appeared.

As Penn State lines up to start the 2025 season, coach James Franklin knows he’s facing a new kind of pressure. Just about everyone believes the Nittany Lions are good enough to compete for a national title.

Actually winning one? That’s a different story.

College football analyst Josh Pate sat down with Franklin on Tuesday afternoon to discuss what he’s learned in the last few years and how he can apply it to this season. And Franklin revealed an interesting conversation he recently had.

“A couple things, right? You’re constantly studying the game,” Franklin said. “You’re constantly talking to people about things that you handled the previous year. You’re talking about how do we go into this season?

“I’m on a walk the other day, I pick up the phone and call coach (Nick) Saban, right? ‘You’ve been in this situation before.’ He had really good feedback, as you could imagine. I’ve watched all the stuff, you’ve had a number of conversations. We were in the league together. But that was good.”

James Franklin didn’t get too much into what he took away from the conversation from Saban. That he’ll keep to himself.

But if he was able to find a few good nuggets of wisdom from one of the most successful guys to ever do it, that could be just the push that Penn State needs. Franklin expounded.

“A lot of times it’s not that they’re going to tell you anything different, they’re reinforcing what you already know, and there’s value in that,” he said.

There’s another element to this offseason for James Franklin that he has tried to highlight. He has some really, really good assistant coaches.

“I think the other thing is leaning in,” Franklin said. “Stan Drayton has been a part of I think three national championships, right? Jim Knowles just had a national championship last year.

“So I’m trying to encourage Jim to say, ‘Look, I just was a part of it. This is what it looks like. What we just did at practice yesterday, that’s what it looks like. This doesn’t. This is not aligned with championship-level football.’ So I’m encouraging them to talk about it, because we want to grow from their experiences as well.”