Mets demote second former top prospect in two days
For the second straight day, the New York Mets have demoted a former top prospect to the minor leagues.
The Mets optioned infielder Luisangel Acuna to Triple-A Syracuse on Monday. The younger brother of Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuna Jr. has started just five times over the last month due to offensive struggles, collecting only 18 at-bats in June.
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Luisangel Acuna was slashing .308/.357/.385 through April with five doubles, but his numbers dropped dramatically in May when he hit .204/.254/.222. June brought more struggles at .167/.211/.167.
Overall this season, Acuna carries a .241/.293/.283 line with no home runs and a poor 68 OPS+ — meaning he was 32% worse than the league average hitter. The Mets called up veteran outfielder Travis Jankowski to fill his roster spot.
Acuna joins catcher Francisco Alvarez in Syracuse after Alvarez was sent down Sunday before the Mets' series finale against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Alvarez has struggled at the plate all season, hitting .236/.319/.333 with just three home runs and 38 strikeouts in 35 games. He fractured the hamate bone in his left hand during spring training and didn't make his season debut until April 25.
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Just two seasons ago, Alvarez hit 25 home runs.
The Mets hope to get both players back on track offensively as they are part of the young core the team will need to rely on later this season and potentially in the playoffs.
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Forbes
15 minutes ago
- Forbes
Nike's Breaking4: Faith Kipyegon And The Global Branding Moonshot
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By breaking records and redefining the limits of human performance, she is not just competing; she is transforming the narrative of what women can achieve in sports. Her journey is a testament to resilience, vision, and the relentless pursuit of excellence. This isn't corporate posturing. Nike's Breaking4 and Faith Kipyegon's quest aren't just aligned—they are reflections of the same belief: that boldness, when shared, can shift culture. One brand, one athlete, betting on the impossible together. With echoes of its ground-shifting Breaking2 marathon project, Nike's Breaking4 is building not only toward a finish line - but toward a shift in perception, visibility, and belief around women's athletic potential. Here's how the Swoosh is turning one athlete's quest into a multi-platform experience designed to inspire the world. What Is a Branding Moonshot? 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This is branding not as advertising, but as experience design. Every piece of gear reinforces Nike's identity as a performance-first innovator, engineered for athletes on the edge of what's possible. Mythologizing the Athlete: Storytelling With Stakes Great brands don't just market - they mythologize. And Nike, through its two-part docuseries on Prime Video, is doing just that. Titled Breaking4: Faith Kipyegon vs. the 4-Minute Mile, the series chronicles not just Kipyegon's training, but her humanity: a mother, a champion, a dreamer chasing something once deemed out of reach. The campaign elevates what could have been a single live-stream into a global narrative arc. Part one builds anticipation, while part two, to be released post-race, ensures emotional connection regardless of the outcome. It's smart marketing - but it's also sincere storytelling. 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Not just betting on the impossible - but building the infrastructure that makes it plausible. In a world where hype fades fast and meaning endures, Nike's Breaking4 reminds us that the most powerful stories are the ones that dare to redefine the limits. Faith Kipyegon isn't the only one making a moonshot. Nike is right there with her through Breaking4 - not chasing speed, but meaning. Together, they're not just racing the clock. They're rewriting it.
Associated Press
20 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Keegan Bradley would be a shoo-in for the Ryder Cup except that he's the American captain
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Forbes
26 minutes ago
- Forbes
Arizona's Best Batter Joins Club's Top Pitcher On MLB Injury List
Arizona's Corbin Carroll is one of the top table-setters in the majors. (Photo by Christian ...) The title chances of the Arizona Diamondbacks were last seen heading out to sea on an injury wave threating to burst into a tidal wave. The 2003 National League champions had already lost star pitcher Corbin Burnes, relievers A.J. Puk and Justin Martinez, and catcher Gabriel Moreno when All-Star outfielder Corbin Carroll – widely considered their best player – suffered a fractured wrist over the weekend. For the D'backs, who entered play Tuesday just two-and-a-half games short of the National League's third wild card berth, that news hit with the force of another nail in the coffin. Carroll, 24, has 20 homers in 72 games and is a catalyst at the top of the lineup. He has nine extra-base hits in 13 games this month. Although the team placed the slugger on the injured list, it did not indicate how long he'll be out with what was termed a 'chip fracture' in his left wrist. Carroll is a left-handed hitter. The 2023 NL Rookie of the Year was hurt when Toronto relief pitcher Justin Bruihl hit him on the wrist with a sinker that didn't sink. The pitch was timed at 91 mph. It's just the latest and greatest disaster for the Diamondbacks. Burnes needed Tommy John elbow surgery expected to cost him the rest of this season and most of next. Ditto Puk and Martinez. Moreno will return sooner from his fractured index finger but his absence may last well into July. It may take three men to replace the young All-Star. The team has already announced that Geraldo Perdomo will be the new leadoff man, Randal Grichuk will play right field, and Jake McCarthy – promoted from Triple-A Reno – will fill the vacant roster spot. Fortunately for manager Torey Lovullo, Arizona has a robust offense even without Carroll's speed-plus-power package. Ketel Marte is having another All-Star season and could be joined on the NL's squad for this year's game by Eugenio Suarez, who hit four home runs in one game against Atlanta. Josh Naylor and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. also swing potent bats. The D'backs entered play Tuesday fourth in the NL West at 40-38. They rank third, trailing only the Dodgers and Yankees, with an average of 5.19 runs per game. Carroll, the catalyst, had 58 extra-base hits – 22 of them home runs – and 35 stolen bases last season.
