Before rainout, Nats call up Robert Hassell III, put Dylan Crews on IL
Robert Hassell III was experiencing all the expected emotions in the Washington clubhouse Wednesday afternoon. Less than 24 hours earlier, the 23-year-old outfielder learned he was being called up from Class AAA Rochester and was set to make his major league debut against the Atlanta Braves at Nationals Park.
Yes, he was excited. Yes, he was nervous.
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Fox Sports
28 minutes ago
- Fox Sports
2025 Commanders game-by-game predictions: Next stop Super Bowl?
What will Jayden Daniels do for an encore after winning the NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year Award in 2024? After leading the Washington Commanders to the 2024 NFC title game, can the star quarterback take the team one step further in 2025? The last time Washington appeared in a Super Bowl was 1992. The Commanders face a daunting 2025 schedule — the eighth-toughest in the league based on opponents' winning percentage last year — that includes five prime-time games, a trip to Madrid and a Christmas Day tussle with the Cowboys. Washington's road slate includes the Packers, Chargers, Chiefs and Vikings — all playoff teams last season. And in the final three weeks of the regular season, the Commanders play four straight games against NFC East rivals, including the Super Bowl-champion Eagles twice. Bottom line: Daniels & Co. have an uphill climb to duplicate the success of last year. Let's break down their season week by week. Week 1: vs. Giants, Sunday, Sept. 7 Head coach Dan Quinn gets his first look at a New York offense led by Russell Wilson, with whom he teamed up to win a Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks. Daniels will have to contend with talented edge rusher Abdul Carter, the No. 3 overall pick in the draft. But the Commanders swept the season series with their NFC East rivals last year and have won four of the past six games. They'll continue to have the Giants' number here. Result: Win, 1-0 record Week 2: at Packers, Thursday, Sept. 11 Washington's first prime-time game of the season is in Green Bay, where the Commanders have a 5-13-1 all-time record. The last time Washington won in Green Bay was 1986. Packers QB Jordan Love has a new weapon in the passing game with speedy first-round receiver Matthew Golden. The Commanders do get the benefit of playing in Green Bay in late summer, avoiding cold weather, but they still take a loss. Result: Loss, 1-1 Week 3: vs. Raiders, Sunday, Sept. 21 Quinn faces his mentor in Pete Carroll as the Commanders host the Silver and Black. While Carroll-led teams have traditionally been competitive in cross-country games, the Raiders finished 2-7 on the road in 2024 and will still be finding their way at this point of the season. Result: Win, 2-1 Week 4: at Falcons, Sunday, Sept. 28 Daniels and fellow 2024 draftee Michael Penix Jr. meet for the second time in their short careers. Daniels won the first matchup, rushing for a season-high 127 yards in a hotly-contested 30-24 victory in Week 18. Former Falcons coach Quinn returns to Atlanta for the first time as a head coach, facing his former colleague Raheem Morris. Result: Win, 3-1 Week 5: at Chargers, Sunday, Oct. 5 Daniels and Justin Herbert face off at SoFi Stadium in a scintillating matchup between two of the top quarterbacks in the league. The Bolts also have one of the top defenses from the 2024 season, led by up-and-coming coordinator Jesse Minter. Washington's run defense will be tested by L.A.'s one-two punch in the backfield of first-round pick Omarion Hampton and free-agent signee Najee Harris. Result: Loss, 3-2 Week 6: vs. Bears, Monday, Oct. 13 Last season, the Commanders beat the Bears on a last-second Hail Mary, so Chicago will surely be looking for some payback. Plus, Caleb Williams, who was drafted ahead of Daniels, will want to show his progress under new head coach Ben Johnson, one of the league's best offensive minds. Note that Johnson spurned the Commanders during the 2024 hiring cycle, which ultimately led to the hiring of Quinn, who will beat the Bears again. Result: Win, 4-2 RELATED: Bears-Commanders among top 10 revenge games for 2025 Week 7: at Cowboys, Sunday, Oct. 19 The Cowboys have won six of the past eight games in this classic rivalry, including the last four games in Dallas. New Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer will experience some growing pains in his first season, but having a healthy Dak Prescott back leading the offense should alleviate some of those issues. In Prescott's first matchup against Daniels, the veteran will come out on top. Result: Loss, 4-3 Week 8: at Chiefs, Monday, Oct. 27 After facing Prescott, Daniels takes on Kansas City and Patrick Mahomes for the first time in his NFL career. He'll also face the daunting task of going against longtime Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, whose scheme has been tough to decipher for young quarterbacks. Result: Loss, 4-4 Week 9: vs. Seahawks, Sunday, Nov. 2 Legion of Boom founding member Bobby Wagner faces his former team for the first time as a Commander. And receiver Deebo Samuel is probably licking his chops in anticipation of seeing his former NFC West rival. Samuel totaled 766 receiving yards and four touchdowns in eight games against Seattle while playing for the San Francisco 49ers. Result: Win, 5-4 Week 10: vs. Lions, Sunday, Nov. 9 Washington faces one of last season's most explosive offenses in the Lions. However, how different will Detroit's offense be with John Morton replacing Ben Johnson as OC? The Lions also lost defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, who left to become head coach of the Jets, so Dan Campbell will have his hands full resetting the culture on both sides of the football. Result: Win, 6-4 Week 11: vs. Dolphins, Sunday, Nov. 16 In the franchise's first international game since 2016, facing Miami in Madrid, the Commanders take on another explosive offense. Top of mind for Washington defensive coordinator Joe Whitt will be slowing down Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who loves to create explosive plays down the field for Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. Result: Win, 7-4 Week 12: Bye Week 13: vs. Broncos, Sunday, Nov. 30 Daniels takes on another quarterback from the 2024 draft class in Bo Nix, who surprisingly helped lead Denver to the playoffs in his first season. The Broncos also bring one of the top defenses to Northwest Stadium, led by last year's Defensive Player of the Year, cornerback Patrick Surtain II. Result: Win, 8-4 Week 14: at Vikings, Sunday, Dec. 7 With J.J. McCarthy set to lead the Minnesota offense, Daniels will face the fourth different quarterback from his 2024 draft class. This is an important game for the Commanders, as it could affect playoff seeding in the NFC conference. The Vikings have won five of the past six games against Washington, and Minnesota will extend its dominance. Result: Loss, 8-5 Week 15: at Giants, Sunday, Dec. 14 New York's vaunted pass rush — led by Dexter Lawrence, Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux — finished with five total sacks and 19 pressures in two games against Washington last year. The Commanders worked this offseason to provide better pass protection for Daniels with the addition of Laremy Tunsil via trade and the selection of Josh Conerly Jr. in the first round of the draft. Games like this one against the Giants will test if those were good moves for the Commanders. Result: Loss, 8-6 Week 16: vs. Eagles, Saturday, Dec. 20 Saquon Barkley averaged 138 rushing yards a contest and scored seven touchdowns in three games against the Commanders last season. But Washington needs this win at home. Result: Win, 9-6 Week 17: vs. Cowboys, Thursday, Dec. 25 The Commanders play their first-ever game on Christmas, hosting a marquee matchup against America's Team. How Washington matches up defensively with star receivers CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens will go a long way in determining who gets the last present under the tree. Result: Win, 10-6 Week 18: at Eagles, Flex Game These final three games will likely determine if the Eagles can become the first team to repeat as NFC East champs since Philly won the division in four consecutive seasons from 2001 to 2004. They could also determine which of the Eagles, Commanders and Cowboys will move on to the postseason. A lot of Washington's offseason moves were made with defeating the Eagles in mind. We'll find out if they were the right decisions at the end of the season. Result: Loss Final Record prediction: 10-7 Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him at @eric_d_williams . Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account , and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! recommended Get more from National Football League Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
Newsweek
39 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Paul Skenes to Red Sox? Insane Trade Thought Pushed by MLB Network Host
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Last year's National League Rookie of the Year Paul Skenes, the 2023 No. 1 overall draft pick, continues to pitch at a Cy Young Award-worthy level, but his talents are seemingly being wasted on the Pittsburgh Pirates. After finishing 10 games under .500 last season, 17 games out in last place in the NL Central, the Pirates are even worse this year — already 15 1/2 games behind the division-leading Chicago Cubs and 13 games under .500 with 100 games remaining. PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - JUNE 4: Paul Skenes #30 of the Pittsburgh Pirates looks on during batting practice before the game against the Houston Astros at PNC Park on June 4, 2025 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - JUNE 4: Paul Skenes #30 of the Pittsburgh Pirates looks on during batting practice before the game against the Houston Astros at PNC Park on June 4, 2025 in Pittsburgh, the same time, Skenes leads the National League in pitcher WAR at 3.2, WHIP at 0.88, and fewest hits allowed per nine innings with 5.8. His 2.05 ERA is second in the league. Skenes has also been a workhorse, with NL-best figures in games started (13), innings pitched (83 1/3), and complete games, though his league-leading total in the latter category is one. Yet with the Pirates, Skenes this year has a losing record of 4-6. The Pirates have lost eight of his 13 starts. In fact, in nine of his starts, Skenes has pitched at least six innings while allowing two or fewer earned runs. The Pirates record in those games is 4-5. With all of that in mind, MLB Network studio host Greg Amsinger threw out a wild idea. "So every fifth day we're going watch Paul Skenes shove and the Pirates lose 1-0 or 2-0. We're going to do that every fifth day?" Amsinger asked his co-hosts, former players Dan PLesac and Harold Reynolds, on a Wednesday broadcast. Then he pitched his trade idea. "If Paul Skenes were traded to the Boston Red Sox for Marcelo Mayer, Roman Anthony, and Kristian Campbell, would you do it if you were the Pirates?" More MLB: Pirates Owner Wasting Paul Skenes Era, 'Should be Embarrassed,' MLB Analyst Says Mayer, Anthony and Campbell are known as the "Big Three" among Red Sox fans, as the organization's three top prospects. Mayer and Campbell have already made it to the Boston big league roster. Anthony is the No. 1 prospect in baseball, though for some reason the Red Sox have kept him at Triple-A Worcester all season so far. Together, that big three, along with several other highly-rated Red Sox prospects, represent the future of the Boston organization. Plesac, who pitched 18 seasons in MLB for six different teams, wasn't having it. "I'm not into trading him," Plesac said, referring to Skenes. "He's the identity of the Pirates. He's the one attraction that you have to get you to go out and watch a Pirate game." The MLB Network hosts did not address, however, the Red Sox's perspective on the proposed trade. Would the Red Sox sell their future for Skenes, even with four years of team control for the 22-year-old prodigy? It should be noted the Red Sox already have a starting pitcher who this season has been arguably as good as Skenes, or at least very close to his level. Has left-hander Garret Crochet fared better with Boston than Skenes with Pittsburgh? Crochet has a better ERA than Skenes at 1.98, and he leads the American League in strikeouts with 101 (Skenes has fanned 85). Crochet has also started 13 games, and thrown a league-leading 82 innings. His won-loss record with the Red Sox is 5-4. In his seven starts of at least six innings, allowing two runs or fewer, the Red Sox are 5-2. More MLB: Red Sox Frustrate Fans With Call-Up of Triple-A Outfielder Not Named Roman Anthony
CNN
an hour ago
- CNN
Trump helped influence Pete Rose reinstatement, says MLB commissioner
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said President Donald Trump had an influence on the decision to remove Pete Rose from baseball's permanently ineligible list. With no major votes are expected to take place at this week's quarterly MLB owners meetings in New York, Manfred discussed Trump's influence on Rose and 'Shoeless' Joe Jackson's reinstatement, the automated ball-strike (ABS) system and more on Wednesday. Last month, MLB announced Rose and Jackson were among a list of players reinstated from baseball's permanently ineligible list. Rose, who died last year, was banned in 1989 for accusations of gambling on the game as a player and manager. He later admitted to gambling on games while managing the Cincinnati Reds and said in a 2007 radio interview that he bet on every Reds game while he as manager. '(President Trump) was one of a number of voices that was supportive of the idea that this was the right decision,' Manfred said at the owners' meeting, per the Associated Press. 'Obviously, I have respect for the office and the advice that he gave I paid attention to, but I had a lot of other people that were weighing in on the topic, as well.' Trump had been vocal about his disapproval of the ban and his belief that Rose should be in the National Baseball Hall of Fame as the leader for games played (3,562) and hits (4,256). 'Major League Baseball didn't have the courage or decency to put the late, great, Pete Rose, also known as 'Charlie Hustle,' into the Baseball Hall of fame. Now he is dead, will never experience the thrill of being selected, even though he was a FAR BETTER PLAYER than most of those who made it, and can only be named posthumously. WHAT A SHAME!' Trump wrote on Truth Social in February before the decision was announced. The removal from baseball's permanently ineligible list means Rose can now be considered for election into the Hall of Fame. Manfred – who's spoken previously about his hope of bringing the automatic ball-strike (ABS) challenge system to the majors – reiterated his plans, with an eye on the 2026 season, according to The Athletic's Evan Drellich. Since its implementation in the minor leagues, the pitch calling challenge system was trialed in spring training to explore its suitability for full-time use in the majors. Manfred believes the response from teams was positive. However, he wants to make sure players, managers and umpires remain part of the conversation. 'My single biggest concern is working through the process and deploying it in a way that's acceptable to the players,' Manfred said, per 'I want them to feel like we respected the committee process, and that there was a full airing of concerns about the system and an attempt to address those concerns before we go forward.' The commissioner noted a similar experiment in the minors testing a check swing challenge system is further from possible implementation. 'We haven't made a decision about the check swing thing,' Manfred said. 'We do try to think sequentially about what's coming out. I think we've got to get over the hump in terms of either doing ABS or not doing it before you'd get into the complication of a separate kind of challenge involved in an at-bat.' Manfred and the owners also discussed media rights, improved viewership and attendance figures and Tropicana Field's re-opening. Tropicana Field, the home of the Tampa Bay Rays, incurred significant damage during Hurricanes Helene and Milton last year. The Rays have been playing home games this season at the New York Yankees' spring training stadium, Steinbrenner Field. 'The big contingency is what happens with hurricane season. There's not much you can do about that other than keep your fingers crossed. But we are hopeful that we'll get it ready for Opening Day '26,' Manfred said regarding the construction timeline.
