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New York Times
16 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Astros place Jeremy Peña on injured list with rib fracture
HOUSTON — Amid a season already defined by an avalanche of injuries, the Houston Astros must absorb another blow to their best player. Shortstop Jeremy Peña, the Astros' leadoff man and leader in almost every offensive category, will be placed on the injured list with what the team described as a small fracture on the left side of his ribs. Peña exited Friday's 7-4 win against the Chicago Cubs after being hit by an 89 mph changeup on his left side. After the game, manager Joe Espada said Peña underwent imaging that did not reveal a fracture. Peña could not play on Saturday or Sunday, prompting the team to seek more tests. An MRI and CT scan taken on Sunday revealed the fracture, according to a team announcement. The team did not disclose a timetable for Peña's return, nor did it announce a corresponding move for his roster spot. Infielders on the 40-man roster include Shay Whitcomb and Zack Short. Advertisement Peña's stint on the injured list will be retroactive to June 28, meaning the earliest he is eligible to return is a July 8 game against the Cleveland Guardians at Daikin Park. Houston will open a three-game series against the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday at Coors Field. Losing Peña for any length of time is a substantial blow to a lineup already struggling to score. Only 10 teams in baseball entered Monday with fewer runs scored than the 350 Houston has produced. Peña has driven in 40 of them, part of a prolific season that has placed him back among baseball's elite. Only Aaron Judge, Cal Raleigh and Shohei Ohtani entered Monday worth more wins above replacement than Peña, according to FanGraphs. Houston is 34-20 since Espada moved Peña atop the batting order on April 28, a stretch in which Peña is slashing .352/.402/.534. Peña leads the Astros in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, hits and stolen bases. Playing without him will provide the toughest test yet for a team already decimated by injuries. Slugger Yordan Alvarez hasn't appeared in a game since May 2, while two members of Houston's season-opening starting rotation have already undergone Tommy John surgery. Alvarez, like Peña, is dealing with a fracture that Houston's medical staff initially did not diagnose. For about a month, the team maintained Alvarez had a 'muscle strain' at the top of his right hand before subsequent imaging revealed a fracture. Jacob Melton, Zach Dezenzo, Brendan Rodgers and Chas McCormick all remain on the injured list, too, robbing the team of what little position player depth it had when the season began. Mauricio Dubón, the American League's utility Gold Glove winner in 2023, is the most likely candidate to play shortstop in Peña's absence. Dubón started there on Saturday and Sunday in Peña's stead and should receive ample runway to play the position prior to the All-Star break. Advertisement Reimagining the lineup is a far more arduous task. Peña is one of the few sources of power and consistency in a top-heavy offense, shifting the onus to Isaac Paredes, Cam Smith and Jose Altuve to pick up the slack. How Espada configures his batting order is another matter. He could move Altuve back into the leadoff spot or stick with Paredes, who hit first on Saturday and Sunday while Peña was out.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Phillies ‘Growing Frustrated' With Lack of Production From Outfielder Johan Rojas
Phillies 'Growing Frustrated' With Lack of Production From Outfielder Johan Rojas originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Philadelphia Phillies have hit a mid-summer skid after being swept by the Houston Astros. The pitching was tremendous, allowing five runs across 27 innings. However, the offense seemed to have holes in their bats, leading to just one run scored in the three-game series. Although there are plenty of places to assign blame, one underlying issue continues to be outfield production – primarily centerfielder Johan Rojas. Advertisement Philadelphia is searching for an outfield upgrade at the trade deadline, and Rojas' putrid .216/.270/.288 slash-line is, by far, the most replaceable on the team. Even Rojas' defense, his most valuable asset, ranks 22nd, according to FanGraphs WAR, and tied for 20th in Defensive Runs Saved. Philadelphia Phillies center fielder Johan Rojas (18) runs toward second base after hitting a double against the Miami Marlins during the second inning at loanDepot Navarro-Imagn Images After a lackluster 2024 season that offered only glimpses of potential, Rojas has taken a step back in 2025, fueling growing frustration within the organization. "There is growing frustration with Rojas, who has seven hits in his last 59 at-bats," according to Matt Gelb of The Athletic. "He serves a purpose — as a late-inning defensive replacement and potential pinch runner — but the club could look to limit his time at the plate." Advertisement The Phillies are desperate to find offensive output from the outfield. And all options are on the table, including moving former MVP Bryce Harper back to rightfield if they can acquire a first baseman at the deadline, according to ESPN's Bust Olney. As a unit, Philadelphia's outfield ranks 14th in baseball, per FanGraphs, but is inside the bottom ten in home runs, hits, and RBIs for the season. As the trade deadline approaches and dissatisfaction permeates through the organization, an outfield shakeup is overdue. Related: Trea Turner Still Optimistic After Phillies' Horrendous Astros Series This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 27, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Red Sox Listed as Suitor for Rockies' All-Star Ryan McMahon Ahead of Trade Deadline
Red Sox Listed as Suitor for Rockies' All-Star Ryan McMahon Ahead of Trade Deadline originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Boston Red Sox have done a serviceable job patching the hole at first base after Triston Casas' season-ending injury. Although Rafael Devers electing to take over the position was preferred, Abraham Toro and Romy Gonzalez are combining for a .281 batting average, five home runs, 19 RBIs, and a 0.3 WAR. Again, serviceable, if not surprising. Advertisement Despite the success of Toro and Gonzalez, Red Sox first basemen rank 25th in baseball, according to FanGraphs, including the short stints of Casas and Nick Sogard. As the trade deadline approaches, it is evident the Red Sox can improve the position. While Diamondbacks' slugger Josh Naylor or Orioles' Ryan O'Hearn would be tremendous acquisitions, NESN's Jay Pritchard believes Boston should make a move for Colorado Rockies' infielder Ryan McMahon as their deadline upgrade. Colorado Rockies third baseman Ryan McMahon (24) hits a home run against the Atlanta Braves during the seventh inning at Truist Zanine-Imagn Images McMahon, 30, is primarily a third baseman but did spend time at first base through the first five years of his career. Though 75 games, McMahon is slashing .225/.311/.416 – all noticeably lower than the combined numbers of Toro and Gonzalez. Power is where McMahon makes up the difference. With 12 home runs and 25 RBIs, McMahon would become their best-hitting first baseman this season and the third-most home runs on the team. Advertisement McMahon is not just a slugger. He provides tremendous defense, especially at the hot corner, accumulating the second-most defensive runs saved among third basemen. Signed through 2027, McMahon will not come cheap, and prying players away from Colorado is never easy, but it is the insurance McMahon can provide that makes a deal worth considering. Third baseman Alex Bregman has a player option for the 2026 season that he is not expected to exercise. With Devers now gone, Boston will do their best to retain Bregman, but if the two-time All-Star elects to leave, having McMahon, a former All-Star in his own right, on the roster cushions the potential blow. The Red Sox deadline approach is unknown after the Devers trade. Will chief baseball officer Craig Breslow be aggressive or do just enough to keep the team afloat while preparing for a bigger free agency plan? For an organization currently in a transition period, acquiring McMahon might be the happy medium. Related: Red Sox Linked to Padres' $71 Million Free Agent to Fix Struggling Rotation This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 23, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Dodgers Reportedly Targeting Marlins' Cy Young Winner Sandy Alcantara
Dodgers Reportedly Targeting Marlins' Cy Young Winner Sandy Alcantara originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Los Angeles Dodgers need to upgrade their starting rotation. Although injuries to Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, and Roki Sasaki have not derailed their season, it has created a concern for the longevity of the team's success. According to FanGraphs, the Dodgers' starting pitchers rank 24th in the league. Due to their struggles, the Dodgers plan to be active at the trade deadline and have zeroed in on one of the top available pitchers. Advertisement According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, Los Angeles is targeting Miami Marlins' ace Sandy Alcantara to strengthen their pitching rotation. The former Cy Young award winner made his return this season after Tommy John Surgery in 2023. Following a rough start that saw Alcantara's ERA balloon over 8.00, he has shown signs of rounding into form. Since June 3, Alcantara has a 2-1 record with a 2.74 ERA and 19 strikeouts across 23 innings. His recent stretch has brought his ERA down below 6.70 for the season, and although it is still not an appealing number, it is a positive sign heading into the trade deadline. Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts (30) looks on from the dugout against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images Alcantara, 29, is in the third year of a five-year, $56 million deal. The team-friendly contract will make his price tag more expensive, but it will also be an attractive selling point to teams vying for his services. The Dodgers are already spending an estimated $100 million on starting pitching this season, per Spotrac. With the number of starters on the injured list, Alcantara's durability may leave some lingering doubts, but his cheap contract offsets those concerns. Advertisement Los Angeles would not be buying another rental arm to get them to October and perhaps help repeat as World Series champions. They would be investing in a former Cy Young winner with three more years of team control on a contract any team would envy. Alcantara's next scheduled start is Saturday, June 28, against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Expect the Dodgers to monitor his performance closely against a divisional rival. Related: MLB Insider Unveils Dodgers Trade Deadline Plans This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 25, 2025, where it first appeared.
USA Today
6 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
What if Brewers pitching phenom Jacob Misiorowski had played for LSU baseball?
Paul Skenes put up generational numbers with LSU baseball in 2023. After transferring from Air Force, Skenes threw 122.2 innings with a 1.69 ERA. He struck out 209 and walked just 20 while leading LSU to a College World Series title. Skenes went on to be the No. 1 overall pick in the MLB draft and less than a year later, make his MLB debut. Since joining the Pirates, Skenes has continued to dominate. But LSU was close to having another pitching phenom in that rotation. In 2022, Misiorowski tore it up at Crowder Community College and caught the attention of the LSU coaching staff. The righty earned an LSU offer and committed to the Tigers. But before he made it to campus, the Brewers made Misiorowski a second-round pick. Had Misiorowski joined LSU, he would have been in the same rotation as Skenes. At the time, LSU didn't know what it lost with Misiorowski passing on the Tigers to play professional baseball. But now that Misirowski has burst on the scene in the big leagues, its clear LSU was close to having one of the best rotations of all time. Misiorowski only has 11 innings under his belt, but his fastball might be the best pitch in baseball. According to FanGraphs, the fastball has a stuff rating of 135, the best mark in the National League. After two starts, Misiorowski owns a 1.64 ERA and 0.545 WHIP. Meanwhile, Skenes leads the NL in pitching WAR. LSU did just fine without Misiorowski as the Tigers captured the 2023 College World Series. In Game 1 of the final vs. Florida, LSU pitcher Ty Floyd struck out 17 Gators. That would of been hard for Misiorowski to top. We never got to see Skenes and Misiorowski pitch together in college, but its fun to imagine the machine LSU's pitching staff would have been.
