Latest news with #BlakeSnell
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Dodgers Get Worrying Update on Blake Snell's Future Availability from General Manager
Dodgers Get Worrying Update on Blake Snell's Future Availability from General Manager originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Los Angeles Dodgers understood there were some risks involved in signing Blake Snell. Advertisement Snell has been excellent throughout his career, evident by his two Cy Young Awards. However, throughout his 10-year big league Journey, there have been concerns about him staying on the mound. While Snell has thrown in over 100.0 innings in each of his 10 seasons outside of the COVID year and his rookie campaign, his inability to go late into games is something teams understood in free agency. After throwing in just 9.0 innings for the Dodgers, making two starts, he was placed on the IL with shoulder inflammation. It remains uncertain when the Dodgers plan to bring him back. Still, according to Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes, the idea is to ensure everybody in the rotation gets healthy, and when that happens, they'll proceed from there. Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Blake Snell (7) on the bench against the Atlanta Braves in the ninth inning at Truist Davis-Imagn Images 'It's just being mindful and methodical about the foundational component and the buildup so that when they come back, the thought is when they come back they're running through what we hope is a deep October run,' Gomes said, per Dodgers Nation. Advertisement The Dodgers have given themselves some breathing room. While winning the National League West has to be the priority, the Dodgers are 36-23 and appear to be guaranteed a playoff spot, whether that be in the Wild Card or by winning the division. Only two games ahead of the San Diego Padres and three ahead of the San Francisco Giants, things could get interesting. Despite that, the Dodgers need to get their arms healthy when it matters most. If that means Snell isn't ready to go sooner than some hope, that's what has to happen. Related: Dodgers' Dave Roberts Gives Discouraging Mookie Betts Update This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 3, 2025, where it first appeared.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Why fans are paying more for Savannah Bananas than a Dodgers-Yankees clash
Image Source: Getty The Savannah Bananas, a quirky baseball team, are more popular than some of the largest Major League Baseball games. On June 1, 2025 their games at Angel Stadium in Anaheim had over 45,000 fans, and of course, tickets were selling for even higher than a Dodgers-Yankees World Series rematch. Here is why fans are spending more to watch the excitement of the Bananas' 'Banana Ball' as opposed to traditional baseball. Savannah Bananas tickets cost more than MLB's biggest game The Savannah Bananas make baseball a big, fun show, and fans are willing to pay more for it. On June 1, 2025, the cheapest pair of tickets for their game at Angel Stadium cost $209.52 on StubHub, while Dodgers-Yankees tickets were only $171.72. Their tickets are sold through a lottery, so they're hard to get, which makes resale prices higher. The Bananas mix baseball with dancing and circus-like fun, creating a lively event like a party. With almost 10 million TikTok followers, their videos spread fast, bringing huge crowds. Last year, they had one million fans, and this year, they expect two million, with three million people waiting for tickets. This huge demand makes their games more expensive than even the Dodgers-Yankees matchup, showing how much fans love their 'Fans First' style. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Esse novo alarme com câmera é quase gratuito em Ilha Solteira (consulte o preço) Alarmes Undo Also Read: "One whole year of loving you" — Dodgers star BlakeSnell's wife Haeley Ryane celebrates son's first birthday with heartfelt post Banana Ball's unique appeal transforms baseball into a party Banana Ball is very different from regular baseball, mixing sports with fun that everyone loves. Players dance, lip-sync, and even try backflip catches, making the game feel like a big celebration. Special rules, like picking the best hitter once per game, add excitement. Owner Jesse Cole, who loves Disney's magic, makes sure every part of the event, from the parking lot to the field, is fun. Fans come early to buy Bananas gear and meet players, like 9-year-old Carrigan LaCaze hugging her favorite player. The team's recent Disneyland parade with Mickey Mouse shows their special charm. Unlike the serious Dodgers-Yankees games, the Bananas create a happy, welcoming vibe for all ages. This fun and connection, plus their huge social media fame, explain why fans pay more for their tickets than for MLB's biggest stars. The Savannah Bananas make baseball fun and unforgettable, which is why fans love them so much. Their games are not just about sports; they're about creating happy moments. From packed stadiums to viral videos, the Bananas have changed how people see baseball. As they travel for their 2025 Banana Ball World Tour, their popularity keeps growing, proving that fun and connection can beat even the biggest names in baseball. Whether it's dancing players or a kid's dream coming true, the Bananas give fans a show worth every dollar.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
MLB analyst predicts comeback heroics from Blake Snell over red-hot Max Fried
MLB analyst predicts comeback heroics from Blake Snell over red-hot Max Fried (Image Source: Getty Images) Blake Snell has not pitched since April 2, 2025. The Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander is recovering from a shoulder injury. But even after two months off the mound, an MLB analyst believes Snell could still shine in October. The Dodgers are hopeful for his return. And now, the debate has begun: can Blake Snell outperform Max Fried in the postseason? MLB insider backs Blake Snell to shine over Max Fried On Saturday, June 1, 2025, Doug McKain, a well-known MLB analyst and host for Dodgers Nation, shared a bold opinion. He said Blake Snell could be a key player in the playoffs, if healthy. McKain posted his view on X (formerly Twitter), where he stated that Snell, on his best day, can outpitch Max Fried. Max Fried, now playing for the New York Yankees, is enjoying a spectacular year. Thus yet, the winner of the 2021 World Series has a 7-1 record. With 70 strikeouts in 12 appearances, a 0.97 WHIP, and an ERA of barely 1.92. His sole loss came against the Dodgers on May 30, 2025, at Dodger Stadium. Meanwhile, Blake Snell only made two starts this season. His second game on April 2, 2025 was the Atlanta Braves. After the match, he reported shoulder stiffness and has not returned since. The Dodgers later placed him on the injured list. Despite that, McKain believes the two-time Cy Young Award winner can deliver in October if he fully recovers. Also Read: Blake Snell Silence Grows Louder As Dodgers Wait For Answers Blake Snell's past success gives hope to Dodgers fans Blake Snell is no stranger to high-pressure games. He has already proven himself in past playoff seasons. He assisted the Tampa Bay Rays in winning the 2020 World Series. He claimed the Cy Young Award with the San Diego Padres in 2023. Confident of his ability and experience, the Dodgers signed him over the offseason. Though his health is still a concern, fans and experts remain hopeful. In an earlier interview shared by Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said, 'We signed Blake for moments like these. When he's healthy, he can be one of the best.' Max Fried will pitch next on June 5, 2025, against the Cleveland Guardians at Yankee Stadium. Meanwhile, Dodgers fans are waiting for news on Snell's recovery. If he returns in time, the October spotlight could be on him once again.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Shohei Ohtani throws 2nd batting practice session in a week — 'We still got a ways to go'
LOS ANGELES — Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani threw a two-inning, 30-pitch live batting practice against minor league hitters before Saturday's game against the Yankees. It was Ohtani's second time throwing live BP as the three-time MVP slowly goes through his progression and pitching rehab from elbow surgery in order to return to the Dodgers' rotation. '[He] used his entire mix, take some hitters up, down and came out of it well, which is most important,' manager Dave Roberts said. 'I think he wishes his command would have been a little bit better. But a really positive day for Shohei. Advertisement 'You still got to get to five or six innings, so we still got a ways to go. … I didn't ask what the velocity was, I would think a safe guess is somewhere in the mid 90s.' Shohei Ohtani throws to a live batter prior to Saturday's game vs. the Yankees. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) Ohtani, who hasn't pitched in a regular-season game since Aug. 23, 2023, won't pitch for the Dodgers until the second half at the earliest. Los Angeles' rotation has dealt with several injuries this season. Starters Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow are currently on the 60-day IL while rookie Roki Sasaki is on the 15-day IL. The world's best player has shown no signs of slowing down while he's been rehabbing from elbow surgery, entering Saturday hitting .294 with an MLB-leading 22 homers this season, including two against the Yankees on Friday night. Advertisement He started Saturday's game with a leadoff single and later scored on a Will Smith RBI-single. Dodgers reaffirm that Mookie Betts won't go on IL with fractured toe The Dodgers have not been lucky with their health for quite some time and were hit with another injury as shortstop Mookie Betts is dealing with a fractured left toe, Roberts confirmed Saturday. Betts, who was not in the Dodgers' lineup in their 8-5 win over the Yankees, injured the toe in the dark at his home and reported the pain and swelling to L.A.'s medical staff and Roberts before Friday's series opener. 'It's a fracture at the tip of his toe, so basically it's kind of what he can tolerate,' Roberts said. 'And the last couple days, it's been hard for him to even put on his shoe. So that's obviously why he's not in the lineup. But I still don't believe it's going to be an IL stint.' Advertisement While the injury isn't expected to keep Betts out long-term, the Dodgers may have to reevaluate that plan should Betts' pain and swelling in the toe not improve. He wasn't in the starting lineup Saturday against the Yankees for the second straight game. The Dodgers are currently playing with just 12 position players, but have several players with plenty of experience at shortstop including Tommy Edman, Miguel Rojas and Hyeseong Kim, who got the nod at short on Saturday.
NBC Sports
6 days ago
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Ben Casparius embraces the chaos of his integral role in the Dodgers' bullpen
The Los Angeles Dodgers are the defending World Series champions and current odds-on favorites to hoist the trophy again in 2025. They added two of the most high-profile pitching free agents this offseason when they signed Blake Snell and Roki Sasaki. Yet, for all of their big names and having the second-best record in the National League, the pitcher that has emerged as a key cog in this potential title run is rookie reliever Ben Casparius. Now, Casparius isn't a reliever by trade. The 26-year-old pitched in 21 games in the minor leagues last season, and 19 of them were starts. And pretty good starts too. In his 88.2 innings split between Double-A and Triple-A last year, Casparius posted a 3.35 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, and 106/46 K/BB ratio. However, when the Dodgers' starting pitching depth started to dry up, and they needed a little more length out of their bullpen, they turned to Casparius. After making his two relief appearances in Triple-A, he was promoted to the big league roster and pitched 8.1 solid innings over three appearances for the Dodgers in the final weeks of the season. While he initially believed he would come into the 2025 season as a starter, he was, yet again, thrust into a hybrid role in the bullpen to help the team navigate starting pitcher injuries. 'It's about not ever getting too comfortable in a certain situation,' Casparius explained before the series finale against the Mets last weekend. 'That's the biggest key, just the preparation being pretty similar day to day, whether I'm starting the game, coming in the ninth inning, eighth inning, throwing innings four through six, whatever that might just being able to be thrown into different situations and not necessarily give it a label. Obviously, I'm a reliever by trade right now, and it's something that I'm completely fine with, being able to help the team as much as possible in whatever they need.' What the Dodgers need in 2025 is depth from their bullpen. Injuries to Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Gavin Stone, and Emmet Sheehan, plus Shoehi Ohtani not yet being able to pitch mean that Dustin May, Clayton Kershaw and Tony Gonsolin have all been thrust into spots in the starting rotation despite barely pitching in 2024. With the Dodgers being cautious of how deep any of those pitchers can go in a given game, they have frequently needed multiple-inning appearances from their relievers throughout the week. Something that has been a common occurrence for the Dodgers in recent years with all their pitching injuries. 'It's kind of a similar story to last year,' recalled Casparius. 'I wasn't a part of it until mid-August, but just the versatility that needs to happen in order to get through games with some of the injuries we've been having. You know, be able to step up and fill a role where it's not necessarily anything set in stone. It's a little bit more chaotic. But I've really just bought into that. I enjoy it. It's been great. I feel like I'm in a good spot.' There's no question that Casparius is in a good spot. He has pitched 35.1 innings in 18 appearances this year, posting a 2.80 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, and 41/6 K/BB ratio. He has recorded an impressive 15% swinging strike rate and allowed just a 27% hard-hit rate on the season. While Casparius has had success in the minor leagues, some of his level of production this season can be attributed to a mechanical change he made in the off-season, raising his arm angle from 42 degrees to 47 degrees, which is a pretty drastic change. 'It was a feel thing,' he explained about raising his arm slot. 'I honestly didn't look at any metrics in terms of release height or extension or anything like that, leading up to spring training. I think it was more optimizing. For me, it's 'smooth is fast,' and trying not to get robotic or force deeper positions. It's more just thinking, 'Let's be fluid and when it's time to turn on the jets at the very last second, that's when it is.' I think it's just forcing me to stay upright a little bit longer, or at least get over the top of my throw a little bit longer.' That mechanical change has led to some shifts in Casparius' pitch shapes, including his cutter, which added almost 2.5 inches of horizontal movement and slightly more 'rise' as it approaches the plate. 'I would say [the movement change is due to] arm slot,' admitted Casparius. 'I think the conviction of the pitch is definitely higher too. I'm not necessarily trying to shape it. I'm kind of letting the grip take care of itself.' That added confidence in the cutter has led to Casparius using it 21% of the time in 2025, as opposed to just 4% in his small sample in 2024. Last year, he didn't throw a single cutter to right-handed hitters at the MLB level, but he's now using it nearly 16% of the time, primarily attacking the outside part of the plate with it and using it to set up his slider for swinging strikes. 'To put it simply, I think [the cutter] is just my pitch that I am in the zone a lot with that's not a fastball, you know? It's just another option that I'm throwing more in the zone than I am my fastball, and it's not straight. These guys can all hit fastballs. If it's a day where I'm leaving my curveball a little bit arm-side, or I'm pulling off the slider a little bit, it's just another option where it's something in the zone that's got a little bit of movement to it. Traditionally, it's a soft contact type pitch, not necessarily a swing and miss. I've had a few outings this year where I've gone out there and thrown a few cutters, and you're looking at a five or six-pitch inning.' True to his word, Casparius' cutter has allowed just a 28% Ideal Contact Rate, which is the 85th percentile in baseball. It has just a .194 batting average against with a .223 wOBA and 83 mph average exit velocity. However, it has also missed bats, primarily to lefties, with a 20.3% swinging strike rate on the season. Part of that success is because Casparius does a good job of jamming lefties inside with his cutter and running it off the plate after he attacks inside with a four-seam fastball that has also changed shape in 2025. The higher arm slot has caused Casparius' four-seamer to jump from 15 inches of Induced Vertical Break (iVB) to 18.1 inches of iVB while cutting almost two inches of horizontal movement. That means his four-seamer appears to 'rise' more as it approaches home plate, fighting gravity and becoming a flatter pitch. 'I think it's because of the mechanical change,' guessed Casparius. 'Also, in Double-A, you're using a different ball, so the metrics are going to be inflated with the ball they're using. And then in Triple-A, that was the first time I had used the big league ball in a long time, so I think, just getting more comfortable with it takes time. I don't think there's anybody who makes the switch that quickly, and it's like, 'Oh, my stuff is in a really good spot.' You kind of have to figure that out. Being a little bit more north-south this year, with a higher arm slot, is helping me to stay behind the fastball.' That added vertical movement on the fastball also means that it should succeed more up in the zone than it had in the past. A flatter fastball drops less with gravity as it approaches the plate. That gives it the sensation that it's rising as it approaches the batter, so when those types of fastballs are thrown up in the zone, it's very easy for a hitter to swing underneath it. Casparius has a 20% swinging strike rate on his four-seamer to lefties this season in part because he uses it up in the zone 65% of the time to them. However, he throws it up in the zone just 45% of the time to righties, and his swinging strike rate to them on the four-seamer is a little over 16%. Both are still above league average, but the pitch has been a little more successful as a two-strike pitch to lefties this season. 'We have very advanced reports on every guy,' explained Casparius. 'So, for my arsenal, this is how I'm gonna typically attack this type of hitter, or this lefty handles off-speed in the zone well, so we need to do this. 'I think it's more of a matchup type thing. There are certain teams that are going to hunt fastballs up in the zone more than they are down, where I can get away with throwing some fastballs down in the zone. So I think it just bounces from approach to approach, and a team philosophy for what they're trying to do.' Those types of strategic adjustments are something that Casparius is continuing to learn as he shifts his focus from being a starting pitcher to being a reliever. 'I think the relief side of things has helped with some of my starts too, in just focusing on one pitch at a time and not projecting or looking ahead towards the next inning, or who I have to face if I walk this guy. It's just gotten me into a mindset of, every inning here's my best stuff. Attack guys. Mix it up. Don't be too predictable. Just being able to go out there and trust everything has really helped me with every single role.' Yet, the role that Casparius still longs to fill one day is that of MLB starter: 'At some point, I do think that I have the durability and the arsenal to be an effective starting pitcher, but it just depends on what the team needs at the right time.' If the Dodgers do eventually give Casparius a chance to operate as a more traditional starter, the right-hander knows that will mean adapting from the approach that's currently allowing him to have so much success. 'When there were conversations about potentially moving back into the rotation. It was like, 'Hey, how do we tease the inside part of the plate?' First time, second time, third even, you can get away with some stuff. But, you know, they're the best hitters in the world. They're here for a reason. They make adjustments on the fly, so it's something that was in discussions about how we can utilize the inner half too.' On the season, Casparius is throwing inside to right-handed hitters just 15.8% of the time. Much of that has to do with an arsenal that is dominated by a slider, cutter, and four-seam fastball, but it's also the luxury of not having to attack all quadrants of the plate when you only face a hitter one time. Starters don't have that luxury, which is why, for comparison's sake, his teammate Yoshinobu Yamamoto throws inside to right-handed hitters 33% of the time, and Dustin May throws inside to righties 39% of the time 'Traditionally, I think starting pitchers do a good job of utilizing the inside part of the plate or at least showing that they can get it in there to open up what works away pretty well,' admitted Casparius. 'The attack plan would be a little bit different [as a starter]. It's, 'Hey, we're gonna go six innings here. I'm probably facing at least part of the lineup three times through,' and that's where you need to potentially back-pocket a pitch. Guys that are able to go off the book a little bit, be unique, and maybe throw some stuff that you don't necessarily throw a lot to a certain type of guy. I think once you can go off script a little bit and be comfortable with that, it's when you can find when you can find some success.' That could mean that Casparius simply utilizes the fastball inside more often. It could also mean attacking the inside part of the plate with a pretty north-south curveball that he has already thrown inside 61% of the time to righties in a small sample size. But all of those adjustments remain a challenge for another day. For now, Casparius remains a key cog in the Dodgers' bullpen, and that's more than enough for him. 'I want to win here, and whether it's what I'm doing right now, if it's in the rotation, whatever it is, I'm cool with it. At the end of the day, it's whatever gives the team the best chance to win, and best chance to win over the course of a season.'
