
Tigers Urged To Move For Nationals All-Star Reliever As All-Star Break Nears
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.
The Detroit Tigers' bullpen is on the edge of being one of the best in all of baseball; meanwhile, the Washington Nationals have struggled through the season and were amid a five-game losing skid on Thursday.
The Nationals could have the reliever who would put the Tigers over the top and give the best of the American League more firepower as the stretch approaches.
WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 04: Kyle Finnegan #67 of the Washington Nationals pitches in the ninth inning against the Chicago Cubs at Nationals Park on June 04, 2025 in Washington, DC.
WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 04: Kyle Finnegan #67 of the Washington Nationals pitches in the ninth inning against the Chicago Cubs at Nationals Park on June 04, 2025 in Washington, DC.
Photo byRight-handed reliever Kyle Finnegan was an All-Star last season, and while he is on an expiring contract, the Nationals could look to gain value out of him when the trade deadline arrives. After racking up 38 saves last season, Finnegan has already accumulated 18 this season while the Nationals have only won 30 games.
Finnegan has been a key piece of the Nationals' securing what few wins they have, closing out nearly two-thirds of the Nationals' total victories. Sports Illustrated's Michael Brauner tagged him as the reliever that should be the Tigers' top target at the deadline.
Finnegan's 18 saves have come on only 21 opportunities, so placing him in a game is nearly a sure thing for the Nationals. With the Tigers having aspirations of hoisting the Commissioner's trophy at the end of the season, they will need as close to a guarantee as they can get in the ninth inning.
The Nationals are rebuilding and are likely to dump Finnegan as this season rolls on, but the Tigers should be calling now and getting the skeleton of a deal together for the closer.
More MLB: Clayton Kershaw Calls Cardinals 'Bush League' For Showing Postseason Highlight
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


USA Today
30 minutes ago
- USA Today
Where LSU football's 2026 recruiting class ranks after latest four-star addition?
LSU picked up a top prospect in its region with four-star offensive tackle Emanuel Tucker, who announced his commitment last week. The top offensive lineman out of Mississippi in 2026, Tucker, adds to the best recruiting class under head coach Brian Kelly. The group ranks atop the SEC and second nationally behind USC, according to On3's Industry Rankings. The Trojans' class contains 28 prospects, which is why they lead the country in the 2026 cycle. Should the Tigers add a few more four or five-star commitments, they could pull ahead once again. LSU has yet to add a quarterback to the group and it's pursuing Bowe Bentley hard. The four-star passer out of Celina, TX ranks No. 7 at his position and listed the Tigers, Oklahoma and Georgia as his top three. He takes official visits to each over the summer. Led by five-star prospects Tristen Keys and Richard Anderson, the Tigers built their 2026 class on keeping the best homegrown talents in the state. Seven of its commits hail from Louisiana, meaning they're less likely to listen to other programs. Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle


New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
Livvy Dunne honors boyfriend Paul Skenes with playful twist on LSU jersey
And these are a few of Olivia 'Livvy' Dunne's favorite things. While cheering on her beloved Tigers Saturday at the Men's College World Series in Omaha, the former LSU gymnast-turned-Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover model rocked a custom jersey that paid tribute to her alma mater and her boyfriend, fellow LSU alum and reigning NL Rookie of the Year Paul Skenes. Taking to her Instagram Stories, Dunne — who boasts more than 13 million followers across Instagram and TikTok — showed off her split jersey that recognized the Tigers on the front and Skenes' Pirates on the back. 8 Livvy Dunne modeled a split jersey in June 2025 that recognized MLB boyfriend Paul Skenes, an LSU alum, and the Tigers, at the College World Series. Livvy Dunne/Instagram 8 Livvy Dunne cheered on the Tigers from Omaha on June 14, 2025. Livvy Dunne/Instagram 'Party in the front business in the back,' the 22-year-old New Jersey native captioned a selfie, which highlighted the star pitcher's No. 30 jersey number. Dunne — whose relationship with Skenes, 23, was revealed in 2023, the same year he and the Tigers captured the College World Series title — had one of the best views in the house at Charles Schwab Field, where LSU defeated Arkansas, 4-1. LSU advanced in the winner's bracket with the victory and will face UCLA on Monday night. 8 Livvy Dunne's relationship with Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes was revealed in 2023. Olivia Dunne / Instagram 8 She's supported him as he's advanced to the pros. Livvy Dunne/Instagram 'I am so happy geaux tigers,' Dunne exclaimed in a separate Instagram Story on Saturday. It's certainly been a spring to remember for Dunne, who was announced as one of the four Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover stars for the 2025 edition of the iconic publication, along with Olympic gymnast Jordan Chiles, actress Salma Hayek and entrepreneur Lauren Chan. Dunne, just two years removed from her Sports Illustrated Swimsuit debut, shot what became the cover photo in Bermuda while nursing a knee injury. 8 Livvy Dunne became a first-time Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover model in 2025. WireImage 8 She celebrated this year's issue by taking the runway in Miami in May 2025. Getty Images 'Fun fact, I was shooting on a fractured kneecap, so poses like this and the cover shot kind of hurt, but it was honestly so worth it,' Dunne said in an Instagram video recapping the whirlwind shoot. Elsewhere this year, Dunne bid farewell to gymnastics after her collegiate career came to an end in April. She won a national championship with LSU last year. 'You will always be my first love,' Dunne said in an emotional tribute video. 8 Paul Skenes (30) made his MLB debut in 2024. Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images 8 Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes on the mound on June 8, 2025. AP 'Time did fly by, and I will cherish every memory for the rest of my life.' As Dunne chases new dreams in this next chapter, she's also supporting Skenes as he lives out his. The Pirates' first-overall pick in 2023, Skenes was officially called up to the majors in May 2024 and struck out seven in his debut. Although Skenes has posted an ERA of 1.78 across 15 games, the Pirates sit in last place in the NL Central at 29-43. Skenes is slated to pitch Sunday to close out Pittsburgh's four-game series against the Cubs.


USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Three takeaways from LSU baseball's College World Series win vs. Arkansas
Three takeaways from LSU baseball's College World Series win vs. Arkansas LSU baseball started its College World Series with a 4-1 win over third-seeded Arkansas on Saturday in Omaha. With their ace Kade Anderson on the mound, the No. 6 Tigers took an early lead and didn't look back in the victory over their SEC rival. They finished with six hits in the low-scoring affair. Zach Root made the start for the Razorbacks, but he didn't make it out of the second inning. The All-SEC first teamer surrendered just two hits but couldn't land his pitches for strikes often enough as he was charged with the loss. Gabe Gaeckle pitched six innings of relief, giving up one run and striking out 10. In a matchup between the betting favorites to win the national championship, neither side could quite breakthrough following the Tigers' second inning outburst. They left eight runners on base but relied on their pitching staff to hold off Arkansas. Here are three takeaways from LSU's win over Arkansas from Charles Schwab Field. Anderson took control on the mound With an early lead, Anderson used his elite fastball-changeup combination to keep Arkansas hitters off balance and record another quality start. Through seven innings, the left-handed pitcher allowed just three hits and seven strikeouts. In what was expected to be a pitcher's dual against Root, Anderson got his stuff working throughout the contest. He responded after surrendering the lone run off a solo homer in the sixth by getting three strikeouts and three groundouts through the following two frames. Anderson's outing only furthered his case to be the No. 1 overall pick in the MLB Draft. Small ball in the second inning made the difference LSU couldn't find power in Saturday's contest as its top three hitters went a combined 0-13. In its three-run second inning, the Tigers resorted to small ball and hit just one ball out of the infield. Chris Stanfield drove in the first run with a single to left field, then Michael Braswell was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. With the bases loaded, Josh Pearson grounded a ball to shortstop to plate the third run of the frame. The Tigers kept the line moving by putting the ball in play and not overthinking their at bats against Arkansas' ace, which led him to exiting the game with two outs in the second. Bullpen turns in strong showing Following Anderson's exit, Chase Shores and Casan Evans held the Razorbacks off the score board to preserve the victory. Shores needed just 10 pitches to get through the frame and he touched 100 multiple times, a good sign for LSU as it advances in the College World Series field. 10 of Evans' 13 pitches were strikes in a crucial ninth inning. Despite surrendering a leadoff single, the true freshman picked up a strikeout and induced two groundouts to end the game. In the stellar outing for LSU's pitching staff, Arkansas only had three guys reach second base throughout the contest. Evans and Shores' efficiency means they'll both be available out of the pen on Monday.