José Caballero's diving catch
José Caballero reacts quickly to a hard-hit line drive and dives to his right for a great catch and the final out of the bottom of the 3rd inning
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Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Trent Alexander-Arnold told he's still nowhere near as good as 35-year-old RB
England manager Thomas Tuchel has been told that Kyle Walker remains a better all-round player than former Liverpool star Trent Alexander-Arnold, as the Three Lions prepare to face Finland and Senegal over the next few days. Advertisement England has been blessed with top-quality right-backs in recent times, with Walker, 35, and Alexander-Arnold also facing competition from Chelsea's Reece James. Walker's club career took an unexpected turn this year, as he was sent to AC Milan on loan for the second half of the season — after reportedly being snubbed by Real Madrid — following a disappointing start to the campaign. Although Madrid wasn't keen on Walker, Alexander-Arnold has found a place on the Spanish team's roster. Liverpool acted quickly to replace him with Jeremie Frimpong, and the right-back's former Bayer Leverkusen teammate Florian Wirtz could also join the Reds. READ MORE: Liverpool transfer news LIVE: Rayan Cherki decision, Florian Wirtz 'confirms' deal, Kerkez medical READ MORE: Liverpool transfer target 'says yes' to Reds in record-breaking deal Advertisement Walker started just 11 games for Milan but was still named in the England squad for the World Cup qualifier against Finland as well as next week's friendly against Senegal. Former England winger Chris Waddle suggested that Walker should get the nod. "It's a really strange one," Waddle said of Walker's current career situation while speaking to "He's been in and out of the team at Milan. "It was a good move to go there, and when I watch him play he clearly has the pace to deal with the top-level stuff, but he's still been an inconsistent starter. Kyle Walker and Trent Alexander-Arnold are among England's best right-backs "Now, that might be because he doesn't fit their tactics right now, or because they just played so many games, but even if it was a sensible move to make at the time, it hasn't quite gone as he'd have hoped. Advertisement "At the same time, it's hard to name a better English right-back. Trent Alexander-Arnold can be exceptional but he's not outstanding as a true defender. "He's got his talents, there's no denying it, with exceptional passing and dead-ball delivery, but if it's him or Walker, we're not blessed in that position for a young right-back who does what you expect. I think Kyle is the pick of the two right now, his all-round game puts him ahead of the rest." Alexander-Arnold's move from Liverpool to Real Madrid was confirmed at the end of May, with the Spanish club paying the Reds an $11 million transfer fee — despite the player's Liverpool contract being due to expire just a few weeks later. That's because Madrid wanted Alexander-Arnold to be part of Xabi Alonso's squad for the start of the Club World Cup, which gets under way in the middle of June. Madrid could have waited until July 1 to sign Alexander-Arnold on a free transfer, and he would have been eligible to play in Los Blancos' remaining games in the tournament, but the Spanish giant was keen for the player to have a period of integration in the weeks building up to the revamped event.
New York Times
3 hours ago
- New York Times
Twins' minor-league adventure: Tampa, Sacramento trips marked by ‘difficult' playing conditions
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The risk simply wasn't worth it for Carlos Correa. Recognizing the soreness developing in the middle of his back after two days of slipping and sliding in a rock-hard batter's box at Sutter Health Park, the Twins shortstop elected to sit out the final two contests of a four-game series at the new, temporary home of the Athletics. Advertisement In abandoning Oakland to spend three seasons in the California state capital before they move to a new ballpark on the Las Vegas Strip, the A's made a controversial decision by voluntarily relocating to a Triple-A stadium they're sharing with a minor-league affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. While the refurbished facility's amenities drew rave reviews from every Twins player interviewed by The Athletic, including Correa, several noted a number of 'minor-league' issues with its playing surface. After playing in West Sacramento and at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, the temporary home of the Tampa Bay Rays and spring training facility for the New York Yankees, during their recent three-city road trip, the Twins have a fresh perspective on Major League Baseball's minor-league issues as the weather heats up. From Tampa's oppressive heat and humidity to its poor outfield lighting and short foul poles to a batter's box in Sacramento multiple players described as akin to hitting on cement and a rigid pitcher's mound that's drawn the ire of hurlers across the league, the Twins experienced the full range of challenges these parks present in playing seven away games against the Rays and A's since May 26. Correa's experience with the batter's box represents one of the bigger hardships Twins players faced during their minor-league adventure. 'It's the worst box I've ever stepped in,' Correa said. 'I like (the park). The ball travels very well. The facilities are good. They did it right. The plate is the only problem. … I'm not going to sacrifice two months of my season because of a couple of at-bats here.' How the clubhouses at both temporary stadiums are arranged isn't an issue. But the playing conditions are a different story. In Sacramento, the dirt and the disconnected dugouts create difficulties for the home and visiting players. Both teams' clubhouses are located beyond the left-field fence at the ballpark, which means players and trainers are often commuting across the field between innings. Advertisement Athletics pitcher Luis Severino voiced his frustration with his home stadium last month. During a typical start, Severino reportedly likes to retreat to the clubhouse between innings to watch film and move around, something he can't do at Sutter Health Park. This season, Severino, who signed a multi-year contract with the A's in free agency, has a 0.87 road ERA and a 6.99 ERA at home. Before their four-game series began Monday, Twins manager Rocco Baldelli joked about how awkward it would be to get ejected, as he did in Seattle on Saturday night. Noting fans described the potential scenario as a walk of shame, Baldelli suggested he'd be worried about how his stride would look with such a long walk. Still, Baldelli determined if an ejection occurred, he'd make the most of it. 'It's the march of triumph,' he said. The batter's box and mound, which are pored over by the grounds crew daily to handle a combined 156-game schedule for the Athletics and Triple-A River Cats, also have been heavily criticized for their firmness. When he pitched in Sacramento on May 24, Philadelphia Phillies starter Zack Wheeler struggled to dig a hole on the mound in front of the rubber with his foot because of the hard clay used. Wheeler said he couldn't 'get into the dirt to drive' through his pitches, which left him throwing 'all arm.' Wheeler's phrasing stuck with Twins pitcher Joe Ryan, who wondered aloud if a firm mound played a role in the significant injury suffered by teammate Pablo López this week in Sacramento. Coming off a daytime start in which he pitched in 100-degree temperatures in Tampa, López suffered a Grade 2 teres major muscle strain on Tuesday and is expected to miss eight to 12 weeks. Ryan is perplexed by how a teammate as fit and process-oriented as López — 'he spends hours a day (warming up) to go play catch' — could suffer such an injury. Advertisement 'The first thing I thought of was Wheeler saying, 'I was all arm when I was here,'' Ryan said. 'Does that play into that? Someone was mentioning it. We're in the big leagues and we have these amenities for a reason. It's to get prepared and go inside if you need to for a second. Whatever your routine is, you can't do that here. You can't do that in Tampa. As (Lopez's) teammate, it makes it sting a little bit more. I don't think Pablo is the kind of guy that's going to say (the mound was the issue), but I'll say it.' During his May 28 start in Tampa, López called a timeout in the first inning for groundskeepers to fix the mound. Ryan also took issue with the mound in Tampa and said it was much different than the one he warmed up on in the bullpen before his start. 'Tampa was a fricking sh– box and they have a massive mound in the bullpen before,' Ryan said. 'It's a huge contrast.' According to players, the issues in Tampa — which is scheduled to be used by the Rays for only the 2025 season after Hurricane Milton destroyed the roof of Tropicana Field last September and caused massive flood damage — include poor outfield lighting, a short porch in right field and short foul poles. The miniature poles likely cost Aaron Judge a home run in an April 20 game as the ball appeared to incorrectly be ruled foul. Poor lighting seemed to hamper Twins outfielder Trevor Larnach's ability to track fly balls in a May 26 loss to the Rays. 'I could see better at Tampa at the beginning of the game and then at night it was really difficult for me,' Larnach said. '(In a regular park), the lights are bright and you see the ball a tad bit better, whether it be in the outfield, at the plate or whatever.' Lighting doesn't seem to be an issue at Sutter Health Park, which has a berm beyond the fence in right field with trees that offers fans a unique way to catch a major-league game. But the lack of a third deck in both stadiums allows wind to impact the ball in different ways. The ball carries extremely well in Sacramento, which Baseball Savant ranks as tops in the majors — tied with the Baltimore Orioles' Camden Yards — in Park Factor, meaning it is the most hitter-friendly park in baseball. Advertisement Athletics outfielder Lawrence Butler hit a three-run homer Monday, a 100.9-mph, 28-degree fly ball, which Ryan and Byron Buxton swore would have been an out at the Twins' home ballpark, Target Field. However, Buxton also benefitted at the plate as the wind turned what likely would have been an out into a two-run double. By comparison, Steinbrenner Field currently is playing as a neutral venue, according to Baseball Savant's Park Factor. 'Big-league stadiums, you don't have the ball dancing like these balls are moving here,' Buxton said of Sacramento. 'My double, fly out, wind takes it, almost takes it out and it's like, 'What?' … (Butler's) ball, I'm (normally) catching at the warning track.' Players described the wind in Tampa as swirling and unpredictable. Twins outfielder Willi Castro raced toward the left-field foul line during a May 27 game, only for the wind to spin the ball back into play — well out of his grasp — for a double. Even the view of left field from the visiting dugout in Tampa is deceiving. From his perch atop the dugout, Baldelli couldn't see any plays that occurred in left field. The park's configuration is such that the visiting dugout juts out into the field of play with the left-field foul pole situated about 15 feet behind where Baldelli stands. 'Every ball that's hit down the left-field line, we think it's foul by like 100 feet,' Baldelli said. 'It looks like it's foul off the bat, like the hitters not even hitting it, and it's getting blown up, and they're fair.' Both parks are expected to heat up like a microwave as summer arrives. The heat issues in Tampa are concerning enough that MLB scheduled the Rays away from home for a 10-game road trip in July and a 12-gamer to the West Coast in August. Despite pitching at night in Tampa on May 27, Twins starter Chris Paddack went through four baseball caps and jerseys as well as multiple undershirts. For the teams' May 28 day game, the temperature was sweltering as Twins players scrambled for minimal shade in the visiting dugout. Advertisement 'I was sweating a ton right after (batting practice),' Twins infielder Royce Lewis said. 'Sweating through batting gloves and stuff. The heat for some guys definitely played a part. To stand out in the sun for hours is depleting.' Still, it's not all bad. Although the layout of the visitors locker room, weight room and cafeteria at Steinbrenner Field is unlike almost any other ballpark in the majors, the two batting cages for visiting teams were lauded by nearly every Twins hitter. Staffers also noted there was ample space to perform their different activities. 'We're finding our bearings,' Baldelli said. 'We're finding meeting rooms and weight rooms. It's not set up where it's all in one space, like guys are typically used to, but it's nothing that we can't get familiar with and figure out.' Similarly, players raved about the behind-the-scenes setup at Sutter Health Park. Multi-million dollar offseason upgrades at the stadium included a renovated visiting clubhouse, a revamped scoreboard and a new playing surface. Though MLB originally wanted the Athletics and River Cats to play on synthetic turf, a decision was made to use real grass. Buxton described the outfield grass as playing faster than the grass at most parks, while Baldelli described the turf as squishy. Stadium officials plan to re-sod the playing surface during the middle of July to help combat dead spots during a stretch where temperatures are expected to soar above 100 degrees. As much as each stadium has its drawbacks, nothing compares to Sacramento's hard dirt, several Twins hitters said. Throughout their four-game series, Twins hitters could be seen slipping in the batter's box when swinging at pitches. Correa slipped during his first at-bat Monday (a double) and tried to improve his footing by changing into catcher Ryan Jeffers' metal spikes. After dealing with plantar fasciitis in each foot over the past two seasons, Correa ditched metal spikes in favor of moldings, comfortable shoes that don't grip the ground as well. But he quickly rid himself of Jeffers' spikes because they began to hurt his feet. Advertisement Over the next two days, Correa's back began to hurt. He experienced back issues earlier in his career and could tell the new soreness was in a different location. He believed it was related to slipping in the batter's box and overcompensating with his back. To test and confirm his hypothesis, Correa hit on flat ground in the indoor batting cages and felt fine each time. At that point, Correa determined he would sit out the final two games of the series rather than risk a severe back injury. 'The plate here is killing me right now,' Correa said. 'It's very slippery. … For us that play with moldings, it's a tough time getting grip on the plate, but it's better than your feet hurting.' (Top photo of Twins reliever Jonah Bride pitching at Sutter Health Park: Scott Marshall / Associated Press)
New York Times
4 hours ago
- New York Times
Braves registering on our panic meter. Plus: White Sox's complicated sale plans
The Windup Newsletter ⚾ | This is The Athletic's MLB newsletter. Sign up here to receive The Windup directly in your inbox. Well, that was an all-time meltdown in Atlanta. Is it time to panic? We consult the WiPS. Plus: The White Sox are (maybe) being sold, and some gambling suspensions have come to an end. I'm Levi Weaver, here with Ken Rosenthal. Welcome to The Windup! Let me tell you about a couple of impressive streaks: Both counters reset yesterday. Atlanta led 10-4 going into the ninth inning. Reliever Scott Blewett (has anyone noticed his last na— OK, so everybody made the joke, got it) struck out Eugenio Suárez to start the ninth inning. Fast-forward two blinks, and Suárez was hitting a two-run double off Raisel Iglesias to put the D-Backs up 11-10. Yikes. Advertisement So much for that recovery. It peaked when Atlanta took two out of three in Boston to go over .500 for the first (23-22) and last (24-23) time this season. Since then they're 3-11. On the WiPS (Windup Panic Spectrum), I'm putting them at 7/10. Immediately after the game, the Braves made some roster moves. Craig Kimbrel, 37, is back in the big leagues, for one. Blewett — whose ERA jumped from 2.25 to 3.91 — was designated for assignment. Set-up man Daysbel Hernández was sent to the IL, and left-hander Dylan Dodd was recalled. The last time the Braves finished under .500 was 2017. In the seven seasons since, they haven't missed the postseason. That's one more impressive streak that might be coming to an end soon. … but on the other hand … From my latest column: The Braves are 27-34, 11 games back in the NL East, 1 1/2 games behind rebuilding Washington and only 3 1/2 ahead of lowly Miami. After their latest misstep yesterday, their broadcaster and Hall of Fame pitcher Tom Glavine said, 'If you were looking for rock bottom, this might be it.' The tendency, in this age of overreaction, is to project the Braves as trade-deadline sellers and start listing potential landing spots for designated hitter Marcell Ozuna. But through the same date a year ago, the Mets were 27-35 and the Astros 28-35, records nearly identical to the Braves' current mark. Both teams finished with nearly 90 wins and reached the postseason. If the Braves fail to ignite, it will be fair to question whether they lost too much of their fabric with the free-agent departures of first baseman Freddie Freeman, shortstop Dansby Swanson and left-hander Max Fried over a four-year span. Whether president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos created too comfortable an environment by awarding so many players extensions. Whether Anthopoulos last offseason should have done more to address his offense and bullpen. Advertisement But more than 100 games remain. As poorly as the Braves are playing, the recoveries of the 2024 Mets and Astros are a testament to the dangers of passing judgment on a team too soon. So, for that matter, is the example of the 2021 World Series champion Braves, who at this stage of the season were 29-32. The 162-game marathon, combined with an expanded playoff format, allows teams to recover from a bad month or even three. The Braves are unlikely to even consider selling unless they are buried at the All-Star break. Their replacement of third-base coach Matt Tuiasosopo with former manager Fredi González on Monday was not a warning shot at manager Brian Snitker, who has led the team to seven straight postseason appearances and is in his 49th year with the organization. No, it was simply a response to two seasons of Tuiasosopo making poor decisions. A change team officials deemed necessary. Snitker isn't blameless. The Braves aren't going to fire him after all he has achieved, but this sure looks like his last season. On Thursday alone, he could have stuck longer with right-hander Grant Holmes rather than start the bullpen carousel by lifting him after 3 1/3 innings. Still, the Braves took their six-run lead into the ninth. At some point, their disappointing performance is on the players, from center fielder Michael Harris II to second baseman Ozzie Albies to closer Raisel Iglesias. More here. It's complicated. Over the winter, it appeared that billionaire Justin Ishbia (part owner of Phoenix's NBA and WNBA teams, along with his brother) was on the precipice of buying the Minnesota Twins. In February, he twisted the steering wheel eastward, deciding instead to 'boost his stake' in the White Sox. But according to Jon Greenberg's report yesterday, current White Sox controlling partner Jerry Reinsdorf will have the option to sell his interest to Ishbia in the years 2029-2033. Even if that doesn't happen, Ishbia will have the option to purchase a controlling interest after the 2034 season. Advertisement So is Reinsdorf selling the team? Yes or no? Sure, probably. Just before 2029, or maybe at any point, starting *deep sigh* a little over nine years from now. It's exhausting, but not entirely unlike David Blitzer's deal with the Guardians. And not exactly unpredictable, either — Greenberg all but predicted exactly this outcome back in late February, despite a statement from White Sox vice president of communications Scott Reifert at the time that implied the deal included no pathway to control for Ishbia. A mere three-plus months later, that pathway has *gasp* materialized. Amazing. If (when) it happens, it will be a windfall for Reinsdorf, whose investment group paid ~$19 million for the team in 1981. The estimated current valuation is around $2 billion. More White Sox: Kyle Teel — Keith Law's No. 24 prospect this year — is coming to the big leagues. More Greenberg: Old friends Scott Harris, Jed Hoyer find themselves in first place again. It was a year ago Wednesday when the bombshell dropped: Major League Baseball was suspending five players — four of them for a year, and one for life — for gambling on baseball. The one player with a lifetime ban, Tucupita Marcano, got the harsher penalty because he bet on games in which he was playing. Whether you bet for your team to win or lose does not matter — at least not for as long as you're still shuffling along this mortal coil, as it now stands — that's a one-and-done unforgivable sin. For the other four, their year-long timeout has come to an end. According to reporting by Sam Blum, we now know what their future holds: As Blum reports, the increase in popularity, availability and legality of sports betting is certainly a factor across these cases. These were not rich players paying shady brokers huge sums of money — the four suspended players each bet under $1,000 (with Kelly betting a mere $99.22). The problem is not limited to players. Or baseball. Or even the professional ranks. The infusion of ad money has certainly been welcomed by leagues, sports and media companies (full disclosure: The Athletic has a business partnership with online sportsbook BetMGM). But the longer it's around, the more of these stories we should expect to see. Is it worth it? Drama in Pittsburgh: One day after the Red Sox and Angels beefed before their game, Astros GM Dana Brown was caught hollering at Pirates manager Don Kelly and others. I thought this article by Cody Stavenhagen was so cool: inside the Tigers' 'smart cage' at Comerica Park. Paul Skenes is still very, very good. And the Pirates have been very, very bad when he pitches, says Jayson Stark. Tyler Kepner's 'Sliders' column starts with Rockies manager (and Rockies lifer) Warren Schaeffer and proceeds from there. Jazz Chisholm Jr. moved positions to play third base for the Yankees. So how does he feel about Rafael Devers' situation in Boston? Actually … Manny Machado is on the verge of 2,000 hits. Could he be the last player to reach 3,000? Max Muncy's defense has been an issue in L.A. His latest player-coach? A Gold Glover … as an outfielder. How Mookie Betts is helping Muncy. Advertisement When Phillies starter Jesús Luzardo gave up three runs to the A's on May 25, his ERA jumped from 1.95 to 2.15. Two starts and 20 runs later, it's at 4.46. What the heck is going on? Griffin Canning was one of the AL's worst pitchers last year. Now he's one of the NL's best starters with the Mets. What changed? A lot, actually. Myles Straw's trade to the Blue Jays was a blessing in disguise: it allowed him proximity to his mom after a health scare. On the pods: The 'Rates and Barrels' crew dives into some candidates for starting pitcher regression. Most-clicked in our last newsletter: Zack Meisel's great story on how Guardians star José Ramírez remains MLB's best-kept secret. 📫 Love The Windup? 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