Stay updated on everything baseball with our morning MLB News & Moments articles. We’ve got you covered to keep you in the know.
Sometimes, the news is spread out among several teams. Then, there are other times when the news just keeps pouring out from one team. Friday, it was the latter of those two scenarios that ensnared the San Francisco Giants.
In addition to the situations detailed below, the Giants got caught in an embarrassing situation where reliever Jake McGee, just activated off the injured list, went out to warm up in the bottom of the eighth inning, but the Cincinnati Reds pointed out that the left-hander wasn’t on the lineup card and this couldn’t pitch in the game. His replacement, José Álvarez, coughed up a pair of runs in a 5-1 loss. Oh, and because of a rain delay that could have caused a postgame fireworks show to run into a noise curfew at Great American Ball Park, the Reds set the fireworks off before the game.
Today’s Headlines
Fantasy Football Flap Leads to Pham Slap
Apparently, Tommy Pham is one of those people who can’t let things go. The Cincinnati Reds outfielder and Giants outfielder Joc Pederson crossed paths during batting practice, with Pham bringing up a fantasy football situation from more than a year ago. Their brief chat ended with Pham slapping Pederson and causing a disruption in the outfield as players from both teams briefly mixed it up. Pham was removed from the lineup after a request from the Giants, and MLB is investigating and could levy a suspension.
Joc shares details of what happened in his fantasy football league that started his altercation with Tommy Pham today pic.twitter.com/d9NBTwPVoG
— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) May 28, 2022
Kapler Stays In Clubhouse During Anthem
After writing a blog post on his website with the headline “Home of the Brave?” that encapsulated his feelings about the shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, that left 19 students and two teachers dead and questioning the police’s action as the situation unfolded, Giants manager Gabe Kapler said he will not be on the field during the national anthem in the near future. “I’m often struck before our games by the lack of delivery of the promise of what our national anthem represents,” Kapler wrote in the post.
Giants, Dodgers Team Up Against AAPI Hate
One day after American League East foes the Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees didn’t tweet about their games and focused on combatting gun violence in the wake of the Uvalde, Texas, massacre, the rival San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers eschewed normal Twitter coverage of their respective games to bring attention to the hateful conduct against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
We may be rivals on the field but the #SFGiants and Dodgers stand together against the hate and violence that Asian Americans face across the country. #NoHateAtHomePlate pic.twitter.com/zdjqlRR6TY
— SFGiants (@SFGiants) May 27, 2022
The Dodgers and @SFGiants may be rivals on the field but stand firmly together against AAPI hate and violence. #NoHateAtHomePlate pic.twitter.com/GdlT495pbR
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) May 27, 2022
Martinez Suspended 80 Games for PEDs
Free-agent right-hander Carlos Martínez was suspended by MLB for 80 games after testing positive for Ibutamoren, a performance-enhancing drug. Martinez, once a stalwart in the St. Louis Cardinals‘ rotation but recently released by the Boston Red Sox after spending spring training with the Giants, has a career record of 62-52 with a 3.74 ERA. That includes a 4-9 mark and 6.23 ERA last season with the Cardinals.
Betts Belts 10th Homer of May
Even with so many stars to choose from in the Dodgers’ lineup, it is hard to overlook Mookie Betts. The right fielder has been red-hot in May and hit his 10th homer of the month when he followed Edwin Ríos‘ three-run blast off Madison Bumgarner with a solo shot to left in the Dodgers’ 6-4 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks. It gave him 13 homers for the season, tops in the National League, and he is slashing .347/.414/.745 with 25 RBIs in May. The sizzling month has almost erased a dismal April and put his season numbers at .297/.387/.587 with 31 RBIs.
Back-to-back got 'em Mad. pic.twitter.com/anBwkJYJcV
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) May 28, 2022
Yankees Place Donaldson on IL
Josh Donaldson’s forgettable May continued when the New York Yankees‘ third baseman went on the 10-day injured list due to right shoulder inflammation. Donaldson was already on the COVID-19 IL before being transferred to the regular IL, retroactive to May 24. His stint on the COVID list came after he was suspended one game for a comment directed at Chicago White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson.
Rockies Reveal City Connect Jerseys
The City Connect jerseys that have been produced by Nike this season and last season have drawn heavy reaction, whether it be positive or negative. Seven teams got their alternate sets last season, with more being rolled out this year. The Colorado Rockies were the latest to unveil their City Connects. While the hype for the uniforms featured the slogan “Colorful Colorado,” the set the Rockies chose from four finalists was inspired by the Colorado license plate (with the Rocky Mountains in green) and is basically just green with purple trim. What do you think of these?
‘Colorado’ is more than our namesake.
It’s all of 𝗨𝗦.We are the fabric of our state 🏔️💚#Rockies / @nikediamond pic.twitter.com/1PoECFOPqc
— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) May 27, 2022
Best Moments From Yesterday
Bring Your Kid to Work Day
Oakland A’s shortstop Elvis Andrus had a special helper during his pregame stretching routine. We think little Elvis — yes, he has his dad’s first name — has a future as dancer if he doesn’t make the majors.
Bring your kid to work day looks a little different in the big leagues 🥰 pic.twitter.com/x3Q4h45iQ0
— MLB (@MLB) May 27, 2022
Smile Says It All
There is nothing like catching a ball at a game. Whether it is a home run or a foul ball, the fact that you were lucky enough to snag one of those pearls is magical. The same can be said for giving up that prized possession to a young fan and making their day.
This kid just became a fan for life. pic.twitter.com/X6cLnuMVTs
— MLB (@MLB) May 28, 2022
Both Sides Missed It
This one is baffling. Seattle Mariners right fielder Taylor Trammell crushed a pitch from Houston Astros right-hander Justin Verlander over the fence in right-center field. Now, it didn’t clear by much and Astros center fielder Jose Siri made a great effort to get over to the spot, but he never really was able to attempt robbing the blast as he caromed off the wall. Yet both play-by-play announcers for the Astros and Mariners each thought Siri caught the ball.
Taylor Trammell destroyed this home run to dead center and Astros broadcasters thought the center fielder caught it pic.twitter.com/XUTeRK6CZO
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) May 28, 2022
Mariners broadcast got fooled too 🤣 pic.twitter.com/QIwQpV8rDy
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) May 28, 2022
Injuries
New York Mets outfielder Travis Jankowski, already on the IL, had surgery to repair his fractured fourth metacarpal on his left hand. He will miss six to eight weeks.
Baltimore Orioles second baseman Jahmai Jones had Tommy John surgery and could be back for spring training.
Washington Nationals pitcher Joe Ross suffered a setback in his rehab from an elbow injury.
Articles You Should Read
Saying goodbye to a mentor and a friend — Tom Verducci, Sports Illustrated, on Roger Angell
How Dmitri Young started a fun competition in Philly — Matt Monaghan, MLB.com
What went into the Blue Jays drafting Alex Manoah — Ken Rosenthal, The Athletic
How accurate are the probabilities on the Apple+ telecasts? — Ben Clemens, FanGraphs
Fantasy Baseball Coverage
Featured image by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter)