When umpires ejected Seattle Mariners relief pitcher Hector Santiago from a game on Sunday, it was a historic occasion: the first ejection under the new rules regarding foreign substances in Major League Baseball. Umpires found a sticky substance on Santiago’s glove, then ejected him from the game after a brief […]
Baseball
AEG Founder Selling LA Lakers Stake to Dodgers, Sparks Owners
Philip F. Anschutz is set to sell his stake in the NBA’s LA Lakers to LA Dodgers owners Mark Walter and Todd Boehly. Anschutz, founder of the entertainment and sports conglomerate AEG, owns 27% of the Lakers. The proposed sale still needs approval by the NBA’s Board of Governors. Assuming […]
Pitching Injuries Mount for Mets as Hitters Begin Returning to Lineup
The New York Mets survived the first half of the 2021 season without some of their top hitters, relying on stellar pitching to lead the way. But just as some important bats are returning to the lineup, New York is dealing with a rash of injuries that could derail its […]
Byron Buxton Fractures Left Hand Days After Returning from IL, Could Miss Months
Byron Buxton missed 39 games for the Minnesota Twins earlier this season with a hip strain before returning to the lineup this weekend. Now, the superstar outfielder could miss just as much time after his latest unfortunate injury. Cincinnati Reds pitcher Tyler Mahle hit Buxton in the left hand with […]
MLB Pitchers Sound Off on Upcoming Foreign Substance Ban
Starting Monday, Major League Baseball will expect its umpires to begin enforcing its rules against applying foreign substances to the ball, complete with 10-game suspensions for violators. And while feelings about the new rules are mixed, many pitchers are taking issue with how the league is implementing the regulations. Several […]
Jacob deGrom Exits Early from Another Start, Mets Insist Cy Young, MVP Favorite is Just Fine
Jacob deGrom pitched three stellar innings on Wednesday night, retiring all nine batters he faced and striking out eight while driving in a run at the plate. Then, Mets fans watched a sight they are becoming all too accustomed to, as deGrom exited the game before the fourth inning. deGrom […]
MLB Foreign Substance Ban May Not Produce Dramatic Effects, But Bettors Should Pay Attention
Major League Baseball has announced its plan to crack down on pitchers who are applying foreign substances to baseballs beginning on Monday. The goal of the move is to improve offensive numbers throughout the sport, as batting averages are near all-time lows while pitchers are striking out more batters than […]
Jacob deGrom Now Favorite to Win NL MVP Award as Historic Season Continues
If Jacob deGrom continues at his current pace, he’ll put together one of the greatest pitching seasons in MLB history. In fact, the New York Mets ace has been so good that sportsbooks now rate him as the favorite to win the NL MVP award. Only 25 pitchers have ever […]
Sticky Situation: MLB Unveils New Guidelines on Foreign Substances for Pitchers
Major League Baseball rules already prohibit pitchers from using foreign substances to improve their grip on the ball, but that hasn’t stopped players from flaunting that rule — to varying degrees — for decades. But starting on Monday, MLB officials say they’ll be cracking down on ball-tampering in an attempt […]
Yankees Slide into Fourth Place Worries Manager, Fans, Bookmakers
The New York Yankees suffered a sweep at the hands of the Philadelphia Phillies over the weekend, the latest in a string of disappointing results for the preseason World Series favorites. The Phillies blanked the Yankees 7-0 on Sunday, handing New York its third straight loss and its seventh defeat […]
Cy Young Favorite Gerrit Cole Punts on Question About Sticky Substances
In recent days, Major League Baseball has moved to crack down on foreign substances that benefit pitchers. On Tuesday, Gerrit Cole stumbled over a question about whether or not he had ever used a sticky product known as Spider Tack while pitching. Cole neither confirmed nor denied using Spider Tack […]
Mike Trout Unsure of Return Date, Still Ranks Among Top AL MVP Candidates
Before Monday’s game against the Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Angels star Mike Trout said he’s still not sure when he’ll be back on the field. But even a long-term injury isn’t enough to sportsbooks to remove the superstar outfielder from the list of leading AL MVP hopefuls. The three-time […]
New York Mets Overcome Injuries, Slow Start to Build Lead in NL East
The New York Mets spent most of May playing with a depleted roster ravaged by injuries, something that seems almost typical for fans of the franchise. But a funny thing happened during that stretch. Rather than fall apart, the Mets put together a run that saw them take control of […]
The NFT Bubble May Have Broken, but Sports Collectibles Show Some Resilience
Anyone closely following the NFT space has noticed that the market has cooled in recent weeks following a burst of interest in non-fungible tokens earlier this spring. But a recent story by Protos examined just how far interest in these products, including some sports NFTs, has actually fallen. According to […]
Tampa Bay Rays Win 16 of 17 to Close Out Dominant May, Take First Place in AL East
When the Tampa Bay Rays beat the New York Yankees 3-1 on Monday, it wasn’t just the latest victory in what is becoming a one-sided rivalry in the AL East. It also marked the end of a month in which Tampa Bay went 22-6 to claim the best record in […]
Bronx ER: Yankees Place Luke Voit (Oblique Strain) to IL, Corey Kluber (Shoulder) Out 8 Weeks
The injuries continue to pile up and the nightmare continues for the Bronx Bombers. The New York Yankees put first baseman Luke Voit on the 10-day IL with an oblique strain, while Corey Kluber is out for at least two months with a shoulder injury. Kluber heads to the IL […]
MLB Injury Report: Plesac Loses Battle with Shirt; Harper to IL, Kubler Feels Shoulder Fatigue
Zach Plesac just wanted to rip off his shirt in the Cleveland Indians locker room on Sunday. Now, that decision has landed the starting pitcher on the injured list. Cleveland manager Terry Francona told reporters on Tuesday that the team was placing Plesac on the IL due to a non-displaced […]
Mets Injury Update: deGrom Back on the Mound; Conforto, McNeil Will Miss Month of Action
The leading contender for the NL Cy Young Award will return to action on Tuesday night when Jacob deGrom takes the hill for the New York Mets against the Colorado Rockies. deGrom missed more than two weeks with right side tightness, an injury that required the ace to spend time […]
Tampa Bay Rays Win 11 Straight to Assert Themselves in AL East Race
The Tampa Bay Rays won in dramatic fashion on both Sunday and Monday, extending their winning streak to 11 games and taking over first place in the highly competitive AL East race. The Rays beat the Toronto Blue Jays 14-8 on Monday, overcoming two Vladimir Guerrero Jr. home runs to […]
Will the Yankees Win the World Series Now that Corey Kluber Threw a No-Hitter?
According to a historical trend dating back to 1917, whenever a New York Yankees pitcher throws a no-hitter, the Yankees win the World Series in the same season 70% of the time. Corey Kluber tossed a no-hitter for the Yankees against the Texas Rangers last week, so will this historical […]