Latest news with #JasonHeyward
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Dodgers predicted to DFA $17 million former All Star, following Jason Heyward blueprint
Dodgers predicted to DFA $17 million former All Star, following Jason Heyward blueprint originally appeared on The Sporting News The Los Angeles Dodgers might be one of the coldest teams in MLB right now. The team has lost four in a row after falling to the Angels on Wednesday night. The Angels finished the season perfect against their rivals. Meanwhile, LA continues to watch problems creep onto the injured list. 'The Los Angeles Dodgers are placing right-hander Brock Stewart on the injured list with right shoulder inflammation. Stewart has only made four appearances for LA, allowing two runs in 3.2 innings thus far,' SI's Gabe Smallson wrote. The Dodgers have been in a terrible slump since returning from the All-Star break. The situation has gotten so bad that even Shohei Ohtani found himself on the wrong side of MLB history Tuesday night. 'According to Baseball Almanac's tracker of every triple play in MLB history, it marked just the eighth the Angels have ever turned. As for the Dodgers, they have now fallen victim to 24 triple plays. There had never been a triple play in the 152 games between the Dodgers and Angels since the Freeway Series began in 1997,' SI's Sam Connon wrote. Freddie Freeman recently voiced his concerns about the NL West lead. '(Division) won't be tied if we don't win games. So that's kind of our main focus right now. If we worry about outside things –– we gotta worry about inside things right now,' Freeman told the media. Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp The Dodgers could soon face a roster decision involving Michael Conforto, who hasn't been playing well. 'With the one-year anniversary of that release just around the corner, there's no reason the Dodgers shouldn't follow their own blueprint and let go of Michael Conforto, a player with less history with the club, worse offensive performance, and who is not Freddie Freeman's best friend,' Dodgers Way's Katrina Stebbins wrote. Conforto hasn't been clutch at the plate recently. With the Dodgers in the middle of a perfect storm where change is needed, they could legitimately consider designating Conforto for assignment. No matter what decision is made, LA needs to turn around its losing ways before it's too late.
CBS News
16-07-2025
- Sport
- CBS News
Former Cub Jason Heyward holds home run derby for Chicago kids
The day after the MLB Home Run Derby going on in Atlanta, former Cubs outfielder Jason Heyward joined up with Intentional Sports Tuesday to host his own JHey Home Run Derby in Chicago. Heyward was joined by former Cubs right fielder Nick Castellanos to host the event at the North Austin Center, at 1841 N. Laramie Ave. on Chicago's West Side, which is home to the Jason Heyward Baseball Academy. Heyward, who was recently released from the San Diego Padres, is trying to expose young players to cutting-edge technology. His academy uses HitTrax, an advanced baseball and softball technology system that offers real-time ball tracking, video analysis, and other analytics. Heyward hopes high-tech hitting will help them achieve their big-league dreams. "This is comparable to home club houses, better than a lot of division clubhouses on the roads, batting-cage-wise that we get to hit in, and the technology from HitTrax — we appreciate them working with us — and Jason Heyward Baseball Academy to have that technology here? This is the game now. You know, you don't go in the batting cage without having these type of analytics." Castellanos also said the event gives kids a great opportunity. "To be able to support him and kind of what he's doing, and giving back to the city of Chicago, I think is great," he said. "This is on par with what we have in the big leagues, so I think for the kids to be able to come here and get a little bit of a taste of the tech that we have the privilege of using, I think is pretty special." Sam Incandela, director of the Jason Heyward Baseball Academy and Intentional Sports, emphasized in particular how kids get to simulate hitting a ball at their favorite stadium with HitTrax technology. "Bringing a 6-year-old or a 7-year-old or an 8-year-old kid in here, and flipping the ball to them, and letting them see the ball fly in Wrigley Field, or Guaranteed Rate, where they watch the big leaguers play, they want to come back and do it again," said Incandela, "and the more they come swing the bat, the better they become, because really at that age, that's all it's about — see how far you can hit it, have fun, and if you have fun it comes back. And that's how I fell in love with the game."
Yahoo
22-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Padres make tough Jason Heyward decision amid injury problems
The post Padres make tough Jason Heyward decision amid injury problems appeared first on ClutchPoints. The San Diego Padres are hoping to get more production from their outfielders as the season approaches the halfway point. They have seen leftfielder Jason Heyward struggle with his offensive production throughout the season, and he was designated for assignment prior to the Padres game Saturday against the American League's Kansas City Royals. Advertisement While Heyward will no longer contribute to the Padres, the team reinstated right-handed pitcher Bryan Hoeing from the 60-day Injured List. They also optioned right-hand pitcher Sean Reynolds to Triple-A El Paso. Heyward started the season as the Padres' starting leftfielder. However, his offensive production did not warrant a spot on the roster. He had been on the injured list twice during the season and Heyward was slashing .176/.223/.271 with 2 home runs and 12 runs batted in. He struck out 20 times and earned just 6 bases on balls. The Padres had signed Heyward in the offseason with the hope that he would deliver reasonable offensive production to go along with his noted leadership and defense, but the Padres rarely received the kind of production needed to keep Heyward in the lineup going forward. Heyward continues to battle an oblique injury, and he could wait for a team to claim him after he recovers from the injury. Padres trying to track down Dodgers, Giants in National League West Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images The Padres have had aspirations of wresting control of the NL West from the Dodgers since the start of the season. They currently have a 40-35 records and find themselves 6.0 games behind the division-leading Dodgers. He also trail the second-place San Francisco Giants by 2.0 games. Advertisement The Padres have dropped seven of their last 10 games, and they saw the Giants add slugger Rafael Devers in a trade with the Red Sox, so it seems likely that general manager A.J. Preller would like to add a power bat of his own to bolster the Friars' outfield. That may explain the timing of the Heyward move. To this point in the season, the Padres have depended on Fernando Tatis Jr. , Gavin Sheets and Manny Machado for the bulk of the team's power hitting this season. Tatis leads the Padres with 13 home runs, while Machado and Sheets have each belted 12 long balls to this point in the season. The Padres need to demonstrate more power on a consistent basis if they are going to catch both of their division rivals in the second half of the season Related: Padres' Michael King provides confident injury update Related: Dodgers, Padres get suspensions after scuffle
New York Times
25-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Switching lockers and shaving mustaches, Christian Walker is trying anything to get a spark
HOUSTON — Lockers line both sides of the Houston Astros' home clubhouse at Daikin Park. The last one on the right is now empty, cleared of clothes, cleats, camouflage Crocs and the giant National League Gold Glove trophy that sat on a middle shelf. Christian Walker dressed, dwelled and debriefed there for the first 49 games of his Astros tenure. He sported a sub-.200 batting average and struck out 30.6 percent of the time across a stretch he would rather forget, so changing something only seemed logical. Advertisement According to Walker, conversations 'outside of me' conceived the idea to switch lockers. Crushing outs that carried exit velocities of 106.0 and 104.5 mph during the team's trip to Tampa Bay only convinced Walker to 'switch something up.' That Walker finished the entire seven-game road trip 4-for-27 furthered the thought. 'That wasn't me asking for it,' Walker insisted after Saturday's 2-1 win against the Seattle Mariners. 'That was a funny conversation that was happening. One of those baseball things.' 'But if there's an energy and feels like there's a vibe, then I'll support it.' Walker inherited the locker from Jason Heyward, who became the first Astros player to inhabit it since José Abreu: the last free-agent first baseman this franchise signed to a three-year deal. That Walker signed an almost identical contract and has authored such a similar offensive start has already prompted fear from a frustrated fan base. Only Walker can calm it — and he's attempting almost anything to do so. He is superstitious 'within reason,' but like most ballplayers, won't refer to it as such. 'I feel like I don't go out of my way, but if I throw a couple hits out there, I'll probably do a real similar routine,' Walker said. 'We call it routine, not superstition. But I think it's part of the game.' Walker wore a mustache for the first two games of this 11-day homestand, but shaved it after finishing with one single in his first eight at-bats. High socks made an appearance for Saturday afternoon's game against Seattle. A clean-shaven Walker struck two singles that traveled a total of 175 feet, a stroke of luck that may prompt a more permanent look. 'I'll do whatever I can to try to get the baseball gods' attention,' Walker said. The two singles inched Walker's batting average back above .200, but he still sports a .600 OPS. Only seven qualified American League hitters have a lower one. Walker still hasn't batted lower than fifth in Houston's batting order, a byproduct of limited options to replace him and the runway a veteran player deserves. Advertisement '(We're) keeping our conversations positive and I think mindset is important when coming to the ballpark, expecting to do well every single day,' manager Joe Espada said on Thursday. 'He's been a really good hitter for a very long time. It's all about the journey and it's a very long season.' It grows shorter with each passing game, a fact both Espada and Walker can't avoid. Memorial Day looms and, after it, the dog days of summer will arrive for a lineup still searching for any semblance of consistency. Yordan Alvarez's absence is crippling, but even with him available, the Astros' problems persisted. Houston's lack of power is apparent — a problem it signed Walker to avoid, but is still confronting anyway. Blaming Walker alone is absurd, though he has just four extra-base hits in his past 99 plate appearances. That Walker entered Saturday slugging .328 with a .404 expected slugging percentage portends at least some poor fortune, though that isn't a satisfactory explanation for everything. Hitting .137 against four-seam fastballs is concerning. So is just a .235 expected batting average for a player with an actual mark of .202. 'I'm really comfortable at the moment with how I'm preparing and the work I'm putting in before the game,' Walker said. 'I think when you're comfortable with the process, it makes dealing with the results a little bit easier. I feel like we're working on the right stuff. My head is in the right place.' No Astro has taken more at-bats with runners on base than Walker. He's slashing .204/.262/.344 when he does. Of Walker's 45 at-bats with a runner in scoring position, 25 have ended in a strikeout. Thirty-three of Walker's 57 strikeouts this season have come with a runner on base. Walker wears his emotions more viscerally than most players mired in such a miserable start. He maintains it is his 'edge' — a way to stave off complacency and not crater to any outside noise. Earlier this season, he acknowledged the pressure of signing a sizable contract and the difficulties in navigating it. Advertisement 'I'm hard on myself all the time, even when things are going well,' Walker said on Saturday. 'I hit two homers and it's like, 'Yeah, that's supposed to happen.' That's kind of been my edge, my chip on my shoulder. It's been wearing on me, but no more than usual.' Adding Alvarez back to the lineup may remove the microscope from Walker's every at-bat. Isaac Paredes' power surge and Jeremy Peña's resurgence already have done that, but for the Astros' lineup to actualize its potential, Walker must perform like the player Houston presumed it was getting. Perhaps clubhouse reorganization can help. Walker's belongings now reside inside the locker adjacent to his original one. Hanging inside of it after Saturday's game: the white wrestling belt awarded after each win to the team's hitter of the game. 'I can put my own personal numbers aside if the team is winning,' Walker said. 'It stings more when we lose and I feel like I didn't do what I needed to do to help the team. 'The guys have definitely had my back. We all have each other's backs. We've all been there, all had tough stretches. I think we're all our worst critic and it's good to know the support is everywhere.'
New York Times
19-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Padres' offense fueled them last season. Now, they're searching for it
SAN DIEGO — Almost three hours before Sunday's first pitch, Gavin Sheets patrolled left field at Petco Park, attempting to get his bearings. It had been several weeks since he made his first-ever appearance at that particular position in this particular building. Soon, he would receive his 10th career start in left. So, as he shagged fly balls ahead of a day game, the San Diego Padres' primary designated hitter welcomed the nearby presence of Jason Heyward, a five-time Gold Glove right fielder and, thus far in 2025, the team's primary left fielder. Advertisement 'To come out there today with me and be a part of that,' Sheets said afterward, 'it just shows the special player, the special teammate he is, and what he means to this team and this ballclub.' Heyward's purported value has been as intangible as it is measurable. The former Chicago Cubs stalwart and 2016 World Series winner signed a one-year, $1 million contract on the eve of spring training. Teammates and coaches say Heyward has brought a wealth of experience and a willingness to impart his wisdom. In left field, a relatively unfamiliar assignment, Heyward has supplied adequate defense as he approaches his 36th birthday. Meanwhile, inside the left-handed batter's box, he has provided reminders of the challenges the sport tends to pose for older players. The Padres defied modern convention last season, riding a contact-fueled lineup to October while getting a slew of timely swings from veteran additions Kyle Higashioka, David Peralta and Donovan Solano. In 2025, the club's efforts to again fill out an offense on a budget have yet to produce such promising returns. Yuli Gurriel was designated for assignment before April was over. Heyward, who is hitting .177 with an adjusted OPS of 42, sat out Sunday for the third time in four games — despite the Padres' facing a right-handed starter in every game. From his perch along the dugout railing, he watched as San Diego was swept for the second time in four home series. 'This is one of those things where the game tests you,' manager Mike Shildt said after a 6-1 loss to the Seattle Mariners marked the Padres' third consecutive game in which they were held to a single run. 'It actually paints an even clearer picture of when we're going well — which is a lot of the time — what we do to help us win baseball games.' The past month has seen a purported World Series contender regress in multiple ways after a franchise-best start. Since winning 14 of their first 17 games, the Padres have lost 15 of 28. Their pitching staff has gone from posting a 2.70 earned run average in the former span to logging a 3.85 ERA in the latter. Though the second number puts San Diego near the middle of the pack, the club's offense ranks closer to the bottom with an average of 4.14 runs per game since April 15. Take out a 21-0 demolition of the historically bad Colorado Rockies at mile-high Coors Field, and the aforementioned number would drop to 3.52 runs per game. Advertisement Three games against the Mariners indeed highlighted the contrast between the early-season Padres and the more recent version. The home team finished 0-for-21 with runners in scoring position. The Padres did not have to face injured top starters Logan Gilbert and George Kirby. Seattle still got the best performance of rookie Logan Evan's big-league career, a competitive outing from Emerson Hancock and his inflated ERA, and seven mostly dominant innings from Bryan Woo, one of the more talented pitchers in the majors. The visitors also got 9 1/3 innings of one-run baseball from a shutdown bullpen featuring former Padres reliever Andrés Muñoz. 'Everybody knows what they had,' said right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr., who hit a leadoff homer Sunday for the Padres' lone run. 'It was a matter of fact of them executing, and they did. So, tip your cap.' Nando has left the yard. — San Diego Padres (@Padres) May 18, 2025 Yet the Mariners also appeared to wield an edge in offensive firepower. In the three-game series, they out-homered the Padres by a 6-2 margin, with four players going deep at least once. On the other hand, San Diego's three best hitters — Tatis, third baseman Manny Machado and center fielder Jackson Merrill — combined to go 4-for-34. The collective slump amplified what can happen when the Padres' stars do not carry a top-heavy lineup. San Diego's only other home run in the series belonged to Sheets, who joined the organization shortly before Heyward, signing a minor-league deal after he was non-tendered by the Chicago White Sox. The Padres have since gotten more than expected; Sheets, who ended last season with a .660 OPS, has delivered six home runs and an .800 OPS. But his defensive utility is limited. Sunday, Sheets received the start in left field, Shildt explained, to give Machado a day at DH and veteran infielder José Iglesias his first start in 11 days. Then, during the Mariners' four-run fourth inning, Sheets lost his glove trying to make a play on a double off the wall. 'Not many people are making that play,' Shildt said. 'When (the ball) shoots past him, maybe that's probably not what you're looking for optically. But it wasn't like, 'Oh, my gosh, you should've had that play.'' Advertisement The Padres can stomach some defensive awkwardness in their search for more sustainable offense. Shildt, after Sunday's game, did not rule out the possibility that Sheets will receive more left-field opportunities. Iglesias might have earned more playing time with a two-hit showing, but a pair of singles merely bumped his OPS to .578. The Padres haven't gotten much more than that from their catching position, even as their left fielders have scuffled to the tune of a .517 OPS, fourth worst in the majors. Elsewhere Sunday, there were reminders that last season's offense represented an ideal confluence of established stars and newcomers. Higashioka, now catching for the Texas Rangers, is batting .235 with only one home run. Solano, who was not in the Mariners' lineup, is hitting .131. Peralta, a fellow 37-year-old, remains a free agent. The Los Angeles Dodgers released Chris Taylor, making him a hypothetical candidate to address the Padres' left-field woes, but the 34-year-old's underlying numbers are even worse than Heyward's. Of course, most teams would welcome the position the Padres find themselves in: still possessing baseball's fifth-best record despite weeks of largely uninspiring offense. The sweep by the Mariners brought what seemed to be an especially uncharacteristic series for Merrill, arguably the best center fielder in the sport. Merrill said after the finale that a wrap he had worn on his right hand was to cover a blister, but he declined to blame the annoyance for another hitless game. 'Obviously, it's frustrating. Like, it pisses me off, for sure. I'd love to hit,' Merrill said. 'When I'm not hitting, it's a little tough. But, you know, there's plenty of season left. Just got to relax, take it one day at a time.' Weeks from now, San Diego could approach the trade deadline with a greater sense of urgency. The Padres certainly could use more depth and increased firepower; their 23 home runs since April 15 put them near the bottom of the majors. (Take out the five they hit in their historic shellacking of the Rockies, and they would rank last in that category.) But the front office no longer wields as much prospect depth as it did a year ago before it traded much of that depth away. And the club's projected luxury-tax figure already sits above the second tax threshold. There could be significantly less flexibility this July. So, as they did last summer, the Padres must conjure more of the relentless, contact-driven attack that powered them to October. It remains to be seen whether this particular offense can replicate such production. The Padres, coming off the wrong end of a sweep, are counting on it. Advertisement 'We've won a lot of series, and we're going to continue to win series, but it just crystallizes you've got to throw strikes (and) you've got to execute with quality strikes and get your opportunities, especially with teams that have more consistent pitching,' Shildt said. 'But there's no concern on my part at all. Just get back to playing our game. We know what that looks like.' (Photo of Fernando Tatis Jr.: Orlando Ramirez / Getty Images)
