Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day:
1. Profar returns from suspension:
Jurickson Profar played in just four games with the Braves before being hit with an 80-game PED suspension, which is set to expire today. The switch-hitting outfielder signed a three-year, $42MM deal in free agency but has thus far been a non-factor. His last performance of any real substance was the 2024 season where he slashed .280/.380/.459 with credible peripherals in 158 games for the Padres. The PED suspension could call some of that breakout into question, but Atlanta is surely hoping that he’s still the same player they thought he was when they gave him that three-year deal over the offseason. The Braves, currently 38-46, have fallen below the Marlins in the NL East standings. They’re 7.5 games out of a playoff spot and recently lost ace Chris Sale for the foreseeable future. Can Profar provide a spark?
2. Kershaw on the cusp of 3,000 Ks:
Three-time Cy Young winner and future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw is knocking on history’s door. The southpaw currently sits at 2,997 strikeouts for his career, leaving him just three away from becoming the 20th pitcher in MLB history to reach 3,000. Kershaw isn’t missing bats like he did in his prime — his 18.6% strikeout rate is several percentage points shy of league average — but he still boasts a 3.03 ERA in 38 2/3 innings of work this year. He’s very likely to reach this illustrious milestone in front of the home crowd at Dodger Stadium tonight when he takes the mound opposite the White Sox at 7:10pm local time.
3. Doubleheaders galore:
Three games were postponed due to inclement weather yesterday, and all three are set to be made up for today as part of split-admission doubleheaders. Fans with tickets to the game between the Padres and Phillies that was postponed yesterday can use their tickets to attend Game 2 at 6:15pm local time in Philadelphia. Fans with paid tickets to the Mets’ postponed game against the Brewers will be able to use them for Game 1 at 1:10pm local time in New York. Fans with tickets to the Nationals’ postponed game against the Tigers can use their tickets to attend Game 1 at 1:05pm local time in the nation’s capital. You can click the following links for more information on the postponed games between the Padres and Phillies, the Mets and Brewers, and the Nationals/Tigers courtesy of MLB.com, including information on potential refunds or ticket exchanges.
It would be more challenging if he could do it throwing underhanded against the White Sox, though.
More challenging but still not much of a challenge.
Brew88: That’s how they used to do it. That’s one of the reasons Cy Young won an unbreakable record of 511 wins and over 800 decisions.
Your first sentence is correct, but it had nothing to do with Cy Young who came around some 20 years later.
Cy pitched from many arm angles but I couldn’t find anything saying he threw softball style underhanded. More like a submarine style. Some early leagues mandated sidearm delivery. Cy threw hard enough that he was part of the reason they increased the distance of the pitcher from home to the current 60ish feet. Either way avenger’s comment spurred some interesting research so thank you. Felt like being a kid reading baseball autobiographies.
Avenger is referring to the era of baseball when the pitcher intentionally threw hittable pitches.
Cy said he pitched to contact and that he focused on control over speed or movement. He also said that once you learned control, movement was easier to accomplish.
I hope Clayton saves one of the many game balls for Austin Barnes.
Congratulations Clayton Kershaw!
Braves are toast. Profar may provide a spark but he’s not going to fix the bullpen nor hit for 50% of the lineup not producing.
If he gets enough juice in him he can hit for the whole team!
A spark? Before the cheating he was having seasons where he only hit 4 and 9 homers while batting .230
Back to the dumpster he goes!
I want him to come back looking like a Giambi. Beady eyes and just ripped looking like a bull ready to murder anything that moves. Just double down on the Powerade.
50% of Snitker’s brain not producing!
The other 50% not thinking about it!
With that attitude he won’t!
You’re right, he’s going to rake and close out the 7th, 8th and 9th innings in relief every game!…There, glass half full or what not, better?
Heck yeah, brother! That’s the optimism we like to see.
Braves had one of (if not) the best pen in mlb in June. You can state earlier ‘the Braves are toast’ if it serves you. The reason they are 9-20 in 1 run games (20 1 run losses is generally the result of bad luck over an entire season not 80 something games). is squarely on the hitting or lack there of. Adding a 400 on base person behind Acuna is not a bad thing. Best of luck the rest of this toast season.
Braves are so dead lol
hottakesonly: Hard to believe Atlanta, Baltimore and Arizona might not make the PO.
Extremely! Only one I’m upset about is AZ though.
Red Sox vs Reds basically count as a doubleheader!
Maybe call it a singleandahalfheader?
In Boston, the day game is to complete the Tuesday night contest suspended by rain after 3 innings. The night game is the scheduled game and will be a full 9 innings.
The Profar situation is interesting. If he comes back and is an absolute dud for the remainder of his contract, could the Braves take any sort of action against his contract with the league and PA?
Teams end up with disappointing contracts all the time, either because of injury or aging, but rarely is there this much of possible case of fraud. If he Juiced to get his career year last year, and then immediately gets busted after signing a noteworthy deal and turns back into a pumpkin, it feels like a bad faith situation.
The primary reason that any players have juiced is to get a better contract – this is hardly an anomaly. It is simply more visible due to the Profar career track record being so notably different and a one-off season last year rather late in the game.
The highest % of abusers have usually been the bubble guys where it can mean the difference between having a career and being out of the game before they even get there.
Doubtful considering he never tested positive last season.
One thing I wonder: Do teams not check for banned substances during physicals? It would seem like something they would want to know about as much (if not moreso) than frayed ligaments of things like that…
That was going to be my next question. Can teams test a free agent that they’re about to sign for PEDs? Or is that something that only MLB can do?
A13
Should a PED suspension void a contract? I don’t know what the legalize is on that . Has that ever been approached or touched on. ? The CBA may have language in it to prevent such an action.
cdchi,
I’m not aware of anything in the CBA. I’m curious if this will become a talking point during the next CBA negotiations though.
“Can teams test a free agent that they’re about to sign for PEDs?”
Might not even matter. Steroids (depending on type) can be out of the system between a week and a month after taking them. If Profar stopped taking at the end of the season and got tested in January when signed by Atlanta, his system would have been clean, then he could go right back on after the tests were finished and the contract was signed and start prepping for the season.
I touched on this in an earlier post.
Verlander, Kershaw,and Scherzer all still active and with over 200 wins. I doubt MLB will ever have 3 active pitchers with that many wins again. 300 wins is unattainable in this era. 250 ?? 200 wins ? Does not seem likely any time soon. G.Cole and C. Sale are the closest ,but both are on long IL stints and in there mid-30s. A.Nola and J.Berrios may have a shot at 200 if they can stay relatively healthy.
Berrios is 31 and still needs 97 wins. He won’t be good enough for that long to reach that milestone.
He had a career high in wins with 16 last season but only has 4 this season and would need to average 14 wins for another 7 seasons.
Against the White Sox? Yeah, no problem lol
As a White Sox fan, it’ll be an honor to have my team give Kershaw his 3000k!
White Sox fan ,now that is a tough assignment. Crazy some of the top pitchers the W. Sox have traded the last several seasons.
I follow both the Cubs and White Sox, so it’s been bearable only because the Cubs are playing good baseball right now. Also Jerry’s selling the team so there’s hope for the White Sox!
I always thought the Red Sox and the Cubs were going to meet in the World Series. A decade or so ago they were both loaded with good young players and savvy vets. That’s a series I think the nation would be excited about. Imagine if it happened before 2004 , nobody would have won . LOL. I have to get to Wrigley before I’m done. I also remember that pitching staff for the White Sox was tremendous that year they won the Series.
It almost happened! 2003 World Series between the Red Sox and Cubs would have been bonkers! Just the ad revenue made from the broadcast alone would have made it possibly the most watched World Series or close to it. I wouldn’t have cared who won in that series, I’d be thrilled for either fanbase lol
The 2005 White Sox were great! From 2005 to 2008, White Sox had great teams.
Come on down to Chicago, Wrigley Field is great and I enjoy Sox Park too, but I’m biased lol
All offseason I came on here saying the Braves would be a 4th place team and everybody laughed at me. Its almost like a know ball.
I wonder if Braves could opt out of the contract for unknowingly signed a player who had performance enhancements in violation of contract
18 games today + the resumption of the suspended Reds/Red Sox game from yesterday. I wonder when the last time 19 games were scheduled for one day?