Seems like all season I’ve led off with a list of who got injured this week. That did a 180 over the last 7 days.
Zach Neto came back and reminded us why we all like the kid with a series of great defensive plays.
Zach and Logan O’Hoppe appear to be the backbone of the next Angels team. Their play and passion is evident. This is the kind of passion for the game you hope rubs off on other players.
And Ben Joyce is back and looking filthy. I really hope his arm stays attached and functional for the next few years.
Even old friends David Fletcher and Jared Walsh are back. They join Jose Suarez who was activated earlier this week.
I’m not sure how much the person who sews names on jerseys gets paid, but that person earns their keep around here for sure.
Each year there are a handful of articles that on their own justify a subscription to The Athletic. This is one. Angels prospect Zac Kristofack’s mother was murdered by his father and Sam Blum tells the incredible story of pain, purpose, and redemption.
Brett Phillips had a nice series for himself in Seattle. He credits new swing mechanics and getting a chance to use them in the minors for his improvement.
From around baseball:
Adam Wainwright will give a post game concert and sing three original songs for Cardinals fans. He had a country music album in the works and wants to get in a show before retiring from baseball. So we found one thing a ballplayer can do that Ohtani can’t.
The new rules have made baseball look a lot more like the game I fell in love with 30 years ago. Back then a 30 home run 30 steal campaign was a big deal but not as rare as a celebrity marriage that lasts. Julio Rodriguez joined what could be a bumper crop of 30-30 players this season.
The Braves clinched the NL East on Wednesday night. That’s the sixth season in a row for the Bravos. Every year the NL East is predicted to be a dog fight yet Atlanta seems to make easier and easier work of it.
The Diamondbacks are stating they are making a playoff run of their own, fueled largely by young players. Now would be a great time to remind you that George Kirby and Corbin Carroll were both on the board when the Angels took Wil Wilson, but I’ll be nice.
The Roid Sux fired Chaim Bloom. Not saying I’d love it or hate it but the fact he has executive experience so Arte won’t hire him.
Mad Max Scherzer is out for the regular season and likely out for the year. Texas has dealt with a litany of injuries this year. Max’s injury is another indication the Rangers can’t have nice things.
You might have noticed I post a lot of X/Twitter links. What I recently noticed is that since Rahul left the masthead our X/Twitter content has ceased to exist. Would anybody out there be interested in being the CtPG X/Twitter master? Perks include getting to post fun stuff on Twitter, joining our group conversation, and occasional free tickets or swag that come our way. Please comment below or email any of us.
Have a great weekend and link what I missed.
