Latest news with #AmericanLeagueCentral
Newsweek
17 hours ago
- Sport
- Newsweek
Dodgers Reportedly Checking Temperature About Twins All-Star Closer
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 Los Angeles Dodgers are trying to hold on to the lead in the National League West as the trade deadline approaches, and are reaching out to teams about their closers, including the Minnesota Twins, per a report from Bob Nightengale of USA Today. MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - JULY 13: Jhoan Duran #59 of the Minnesota Twins delivers a pitch against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the ninth inning at Target Field on July 13, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Pirates... MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - JULY 13: Jhoan Duran #59 of the Minnesota Twins delivers a pitch against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the ninth inning at Target Field on July 13, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Pirates defeated the Twins 2-1. More Photo byThe Dodgers have endured a season-ending injury to Evan Phillips, along with injuries to Michael Kopech and Blake Treinen, who could still return this season, but to combat these issues, they have called the Twins about Jhoan Durán, per Nightengale. Durán has saved 20-plus games in back-to-back seasons leading up to this season, and is on pace to reach that mark once again. In his 44 1/3 innings this season, Durán has struck out 50 hitters while walking 16 and has a 1.62 ERA, which is the best of his career. Meanwhile, the Twins entered Tuesday sitting in fourth of the American League Central, but just 4 1/2 games back for the final wild card spot. While the Twins could make a run with a good week, they are likely setting up to sell off expiring contracts at the trade deadline. While Durán is not set to be a free agent until 2028, the Twins could still move him if the price is right, and the Dodgers have the talent to meet that price to make them, at the very least, consider the offer. While the Dodgers and Twins look to be on different paths this season, the pair could come together at the deadline and make a blockbuster move that strengthens the defending champions down the stretch. More MLB: A's Reportedly Shopping Starting Pitchers As Deadline Hot Stove Heats Up
UPI
19 hours ago
- Sport
- UPI
Kansas City Royals to call up 45-year-old pitcher Rich Hill
Kansas City Royals left-handed pitcher Rich Hill, who made his MLB debut in 2005, will debut for his 14th different MLB franchise when he faces the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday in Chicago. File Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI | License Photo July 22 (UPI) -- The Kansas City Royals plan to promote Rich Hill from Triple-A, which will make the 45-year-old pitcher the oldest active player in MLB. Royals manager Matt Quatraro confirmed the move Monday night. Hill will start against the Chicago Cubs -- the team that drafted him in 2002 -- on Tuesday in Chicago. "He's done well," Quatraro told reporters. "He's had a couple of ups and downs, performance-wise. But when he's been locating, he's been really good." With his appearance, Hill will tie Edwin Jackson's MLB record for the most franchises played for (14). Hill appeared in four games last season for the Boston Red Sox and signed a minor league contract with the Royals in May. The left-handed pitcher went 4-4 with a 5.36 ERA over nine appearances this year for the Omaha Storm Chasers. Hill went 0-1 with a 4.91 ERA over his four appearances last season for the Red Sox. Hill went 90-74 with a 4.01 ERA over his first 386 MLB appearances. He won a career-high 12 games twice -- in 2016 and 2017. Hill went 12-5 with a 2.12 ERA over 20 starts in 2016, which he split with the Oakland Athletics and Los Angeles Dodgers. Hill also played for the Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Indians, Los Angeles Angels, New York Yankees, Minnesota Twins, Tampa Bay Rays, New York Mets, Pittsburgh Pirates and San Diego Padres. The Royals (49-52) sit in third place in the American League Central, 11 games behind the division-leading Detroit Tigers (60-41). The Cubs (59-41) sit in second place in the National League Central, one game behind the division-leading Milwaukee Brewers (60-40). Hill and the Royals will meet the Cubs at 8:05 p.m. EDT Tuesday at Wrigley Field.
New York Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Twins players grapple with potential roster breakup as trade deadline looms
DENVER — Ryan Jeffers is on high alert these days for several reasons. On a personal level, the Twins catcher is prepared for the possibility of needing to immediately leave the club for the birth of his son. On a professional level, Jeffers recognizes the Twins clubhouse could very soon feature a much different look with the trade deadline looming. Advertisement Though they're not out of the playoff picture yet, the Twins already are in a much worse spot than they were three days ago. Even with a 7-1 victory over the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on Sunday afternoon, the Twins remain five games back in the wild-card race with five teams to pass. Whereas in previous years the division was still in reach, this season is markedly different in Jeffers' opinion because the first-place Detroit Tigers are running away with the American League Central. The combination of the team's disappointing play at Colorado this weekend and an ever-widening gap — the Twins are 11 games behind the Tigers — isn't lost on a group of players wondering how different the roster could look after the July 31 trade deadline. 'You never want to say you expect to sell,' Jeffers said. 'We're still going out and trying to win baseball games. We're not flipping the page to next year as players. We're trying to win baseball games no matter who's in this locker room, no matter who's here, who gets traded away. But I think we understand the reality there's a real chance we have a different locker room in 10 days.' When it comes to trade talk and rumors, the Twins are a hot topic for pundits and scouts. There's plenty of intrigue surrounding a roster full of helpful impending free agents and talented players with multiple seasons of team control who could bring monster returns if traded. Beyond that, it's natural to wonder whether it's time for the Twins to break up a core of position players who — the 2023 run aside — haven't broken through to make the impact the front office hoped when it assembled the group. With the team centered around three players with extended injury histories in Byron Buxton, Carlos Correa and Royce Lewis, speculation surrounding the Twins is whether they'd consider moving Joe Ryan, Griffin Jax or Jhoan Duran to bring in a haul of fresh talent. Advertisement As good as players are about staying focused, trade chatter is unavoidably creeping into the clubhouse, and some Twins players are in places they've never been before. 'I don't know what's going to happen,' Correa said. 'I know there's a lot of talks about the team and selling. I really don't know how that works out because I've never been part of a team that's trying to sell. It's definitely very different.' Willi fast, Willi scored! — Minnesota Twins (@Twins) July 20, 2025 Willi Castro doesn't want to wind up in a different environment. He has thoroughly loved his time in Minnesota, where he revived his career. Given the choice, Castro forever would stay with the Twins, who signed him to a minor-league deal before the 2023 season. But the Twins' 2024 most valuable player is likely to be the impending free agent most sought after by contending clubs, a speedy utilityman with pop from both sides of the plate. 'I want to be a Twin for the rest of my life,' Castro said. 'If they want to trade me, I guess I've got to go. You don't control that. I know there are some other teams that are fighting. But whatever happens, happens. I'm going to be sad if they trade me, of course. But I don't really think about that. I just go out there and get my job done, and that's about it.' Among the impending free agents, the Twins are almost certain to receive strong interest in lefty reliever Danny Coulombe and outfielder Harrison Bader, who is defending like a Gold Glover and having his best season at the plate since 2021. Even though Chris Paddack is carrying a 5.14 ERA and striking out 6.4 hitters per nine innings, he should draw interest, and Ty France could, too. Though the free agents could bring back interesting players, the biggest potential paydays would be attached to names like Ryan, Duran or Jax. The All-Star Ryan has one-plus seasons left until free agency, and Duran and Jax aren't eligible until after the 2027 campaign. Advertisement Though Lewis offered one caveat, he believes the Twins are unlikely to do anything major. 'Unless other teams come in with some mind-blowing offers that make sense for the Twins to do,' Lewis said. 'I think everything is kind of just going to be the same. … Continue to win series and look up at the end of the year and be in the postseason and give yourself a chance.' Correa echoed a similar sentiment. But he also noted the Twins need to quickly discover a level of play they've been unable to maintain. 'The bottom line is we gotta play better baseball, and we haven't been able to do that consistently,' Correa said. 'There's 60-some games left, and we gotta figure out a way to put ourselves in a better position. And everybody in this clubhouse, coaching staff, everybody in here, we gotta do better. We're not doing a good job.' Facing two clocks, Jeffers recognizes time is running out. His wife, Lexi, is nearing her July 28 due date, which prompted Mickey Gasper to be added to the taxi squad in case Jeffers needs to leave the club while the Twins are on the West Coast. After Saturday's loss, Jeffers said the Twins need to climb an ever-steepening mountain to avoid a roster breakup. In the previous three seasons, the Twins always had a chance to win the division, which seems impossible this season. Though he thinks the talent assembled can do the job if it gets on a roll, he knows the chances to turn things around are fading. 'There's just the realities of how big those gaps can get because there's (only) so many games,' Jeffers said. 'But at the same token, the Tigers were in the same spot we're in last year, seemingly out of the playoffs, and came back and put together a really good second half after selling. Just because you sell some players and reshuffle the organization doesn't mean you can't go out there and win a lot of baseball games and make things interesting down the stretch.' (Photo of Ryan Jeffers: Justin Edmonds / Getty Images)
NBC Sports
5 days ago
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Athletics at Guardians Prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, trends and stats for July 18
Its Friday, July 18 and the Athletics (41-57) are in Cleveland to take on the Guardians (46-49). JP Sears is slated to take the mound for Oakland against Slade Cecconi for Cleveland. The Guardians may well be sellers at the trade deadline this season. Cleveland sits 12 games behind the Tigers in the American League Central and 4.5 games back in the Wild Card chase. They won six of their final ten heading into the Break which has them positioned squarely on the fence in terms of buying or selling at the deadline. The Athletics are mired in last place in the American League West sitting 16 games behind the Houston Astros. Their issue lies primarily on the bump. A's pitchers have surrendered the second most runs in baseball allowing 551 runners to cross home plate with only the Rockies having allowed more (589). For a bit of perspective, only three teams (Washington being the third) have allowed more than 488 runs. Lets dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two. We've got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts. Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long. Game details & how to watch Athletics at Guardians Date: Friday, July 18, 2025 Time: 7:10PM EST Site: Progressive Field City: Cleveland, OH Network/Streaming: NBCSCA, CLEG Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out. Odds for the Athletics at the Guardians The latest odds as of Friday: Moneyline: Athletics (+114), Guardians (-135) Spread: Guardians -1.5 Total: 8.0 runs Probable starting pitchers for Athletics at Guardians Pitching matchup for July 18, 2025: JP Sears vs. Slade Cecconi Athletics: JP Sears (7-7, 4.79 ERA) Last outing: July 10 vs. Atlanta - 5IP, 3ER, 4H, 0BB, 6KsGuardians: Slade Cecconi (4-4, 3.44 ERA) Last outing: July 9 at Houston - 7IP, 2ER, 5H, 2BB, 9Ks Athletics: JP Sears (7-7, 4.79 ERA) Last outing: July 10 vs. Atlanta - 5IP, 3ER, 4H, 0BB, 6Ks Guardians: Slade Cecconi (4-4, 3.44 ERA) Last outing: July 9 at Houston - 7IP, 2ER, 5H, 2BB, 9Ks Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type! Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Athletics at Guardians The Guardians have won 7 straight home games against the Athletics 6 of the Guardians' last 8 home game against the Athletics have gone over the Total The Athletics have covered in 4 of their last 5 games showing a profit of 2.46 units Brent Rooker is enjoying a 6-game hitting streak (9-22) including 2 HRs and 6 RBIs Steven Kwan was just 2-15 (.133) in the 4-game series against the White Sox just prior to the Break If you're looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports! Expert picks & predictions for tonight's game between the Athletics and the Guardians Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700. Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts. Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager. Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Friday's game between the Athletics and the Guardians: Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Cleveland Guardians on the Moneyline. Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Oakland Athletics at +1.5. Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 8.0. Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff: Jay Croucher (@croucherJD) Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper) Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)
Chicago Tribune
5 days ago
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
3 questions the Chicago White Sox face after the All-Star break, including who will be traded by the deadline
Will Venable has soaked in a lot while navigating his first season as a major-league manager. 'One of the biggest things is as we try to go out every day and put our best foot forward and put these players out there in the best spots to succeed, being mindful of what that means long term is also significant,' Venable said Sunday. 'For me to deploy these guys the right way, get the usages right, is something I'm always trying to calibrate, always trying to get right. 'There's been a lot of lessons along the way, where I've learned from things that I've done or haven't done and continued to try and be better in that way.' From the field to the dugout, there were several fresh faces throughout the first half of the 2025 season for the Chicago White Sox — including Venable. Even away from the field, the biggest story surrounding the organization came in the form of the long-term investment agreement announced in June that establishes a framework for Justin Ishbia to obtain a future controlling interest in the club. On the field, the Sox look to be in position to avoid repeating history following last year's record-setting 121-loss season. The Colorado Rockies (22-74) are on pace to shatter that mark. But the Sox still sit last in the American League Central with a 32-65 record. There have been a lot of close losses along the way. The Sox are 8-22 in one-run games and 4-14 in contests decided by two runs. The games resume Friday as the Sox begin a three-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Here are three questions as action picks back up after the All-Star break. Luis Robert Jr. has been in a season-long funk. But the center fielder is still one of the names to watch as the July 31 trade deadline approaches. Robert, who turns 28 on Aug. 3, is slashing .190/.275/.325 with nine home runs and 35 RBIs in 79 games. His contract includes $20 million club options in 2026 and 2027, with $2 million buyouts for both seasons. If Robert gets going in the right direction, he could provide a spark for a club during the stretch run. But he's just 8-for-46 (.174) in his last 16 games. Robert could be part of an active trade deadline for the Sox. Starter Adrian Houser also has been mentioned in trade speculation. The right-hander has been phenomenal since signing a one-year deal with the Sox on May 20, going 5-2 with a 1.56 ERA in nine starts. Houser allowed one earned run over 22 innings in his last three starts. He is scheduled to start Saturday. How many more he has with the club is an intriguing question. Rookie Shane Smith represented the Sox at the All-Star Game. He became the seventh Sox rookie — and first rookie pitcher — to earn an All-Star nod. The right-hander made his final start before the All-Star break on July 11, allowing two runs while striking out five in three innings during Game 1 of a doubleheader against the Cleveland Guardians. Smith and Venable said the short start was by design. 'They make that decision for my benefit,' Smith said after the outing. Smith has pitched 86 2/3 innings this season, and the Sox have his workload in mind. 'We have to find ways to be creative, we have to find ways to do the right thing,' Venable said on July 11. 'Without getting too far down the road, we'll explore all the options to make sure we're putting the right calculus into the decision on how to go about protecting him.' Young starters Sean Burke, Jonathan Cannon and Davis Martin are facing similar circumstances. It's one of the reasons the Sox acquired Aaron Civale from the Milwaukee Brewers, adding a veteran with the ability to accumulate innings. The Sox will have to do more maneuvering as the season carries on. Smith was one of 11 Sox players who made their major-league debut during the first half. Only the Athletics (12) entered the final day before the All-Star break with more debuts this season. The list of Sox players also includes catchers Kyle Teel and Edgar Quero. 'I have to keep my head down, and keep grinding every day and focus on the process,' Teel said on July 12 at Rate Field. Right-hander Grant Taylor has been electric in relief work, displaying a 100-mph fastball. The recent double-play combination has featured Chase Meidroth at second base and Colson Montgomery at shortstop. Meidroth, called up from Triple A on April 11, is third on the team with 63 hits and second with 32 walks. Montgomery, the team's first-round pick in 2021, is 7-for-28 (.250) since being called up on July 4. The opportunities will continue for those players. Their progression will be worth monitoring.
