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Kyle McCann, Art Warren Sign With Mexican League Teams

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Former A’s catcher Kyle McCann signed with los Piratas de Campeche in the Mexican League over the weekend, the team announced. He’s not the only former big leaguer headed to Mexico this week. MLBTR has learned that former Reds and Mariners reliever Art Warren is signing with los Tecos de los Dos Laredos. McCann is represented by the Ballengee Group. Warren is a client of Gaeta Sports Management.

McCann, 27, made his big league debut last year and got into 54 games with Oakland. He posted a .236/.318/.371 slash in 157 plate appearances, smacking five homers and six doubles along the way. The former fourth-rounder drew walks at a strong 10.2% clip but was also set down on strikes in an ugly 37.6% of his plate appearances. The year prior, McCann posted a .270/.351/.474 line in Triple-A Las Vegas, but in that ultra-hitter-friendly setting, that seemingly strong slash line actually checked in 11% worse than league average by measure of wRC+ (89).

Defensively, McCann had some issues. His 19% caught-stealing rate was worse than the 21.9% league average, and he posted well below-average framing marks in his 324 innings behind the plate. Statcast credited him with average numbers in terms of blocking balls in the dirt. McCann didn’t play any first base in the majors, but he’s played more than 800 minor league innings there and Baseball America called him an average defender at the position back in their 2021 scouting report.

Warren, 32, posted strong numbers in his first two big league looks with the 2019 Mariners and 2021 Reds. In 26 1/3 innings between those two teams, he notched a sparkling 1.03 earned run average with a massive 37.9% strikeout rate against a 9.7% walk rate. He looked set for a nice run in the Reds’ bullpen after that 2021 showing, but his 2022 follow-up was wrecked by injury.

Warren logged 36 innings for the ’22 Reds but was rocked for a 6.50 ERA. His four-seam fastball, which had averaged 95.2 mph in 2021, saw a sharp drop to a 93.5 mph average. The right-hander’s eye-popping 19.2% swinging-strike rate plummeted to 12.1%, resulting in a deflated 24.2% strikeout rate. His command also eroded, evidenced by a 13.3% walk rate.

The Reds placed Warren on the injured list with a flexor strain that July. He returned six weeks later, struggled for about a month, and was optioned to Triple-A Louisville. That option was quickly rescinded when elbow damage was discovered, and Warren was instead placed on the major league injured list. Two weeks later, the team announced that Warren had undergone a UCL procedure that would wipe out the rest of his 2022 campaign and his entire 2023 season.

Warren was non-tendered and eventually signed a minor league deal with the Yankees once he was healthy. He struggled immensely with their Triple-A squad last year in his return from surgery. In 26 2/3 frames, he served up 26 runs (8.78 ERA) on 36 hits and 22 walks. Eight of those hits were long balls. Warren still punched out 29 batters in his 26 2/3 innings of work, but with the barrage of walks, that only came out to a 21.2% strikeout rate (against a 16% walk rate). His average fastball in Triple-A sat at the same 93.5 mph average he showed in 2022 before undergoing his UCL repair.

The hope for both McCann and Warren is surely to parlay solid play in Mexico into a return to affiliated ball on a minor league deal. McCann has actually already suited up for three games — two at catcher, one as a DH — and gone 3-for-11 with a pair of doubles but also seven strikeouts. Warren’s new club, los Tecos, has been picked over by MLB teams in recent weeks. They’ve seen Cory Abbott (Rangers), Beau Burrows (Pirates), Nick Margevicius (Tigers), Sean Poppen (Angels) and Andrew Vasquez (Angels) all sign minor league deals with affiliated clubs.

The Opener: Cubs, Cardinals, Twins

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As the 2025 regular season continues, here are three things for MLBTR readers to keep an eye on today:

1. Cubs 40-man roster move incoming:

Reports surfaced last night indicating that the Cubs are poised to call up top catching prospect Moises Ballesteros today. Ballesteros is unlikely to catch much in this first taste of big league action, as he appears poised to serve as the club’s DH for the time being while Seiya Suzuki covers for the injured Ian Happ in left field. The 21-year-old Ballesteros has been among the best hitters at Triple-A this year despite his young age, crushing the ball at a .368/.420/.522 clip across 150 plate appearances. Ballesteros is not yet on the Cubs’ 40-man roster, and with no obvious 60-day IL candidates it appears that they’ll need to designate a player for assignment today. Ballesteros’s first game in the majors, assuming he makes his debut today, will come against Valente Bellozo (3.50 ERA in four starts) and the Marlins at 6:40pm local time in Chicago.

2. Cardinals go for ten in a row:

The Cardinals took an eight-game winning streak into Philadelphia yesterday and emerged with a 3-2 victory over the Phillies to extend that streak to nine games. It’s the longest winning streak of the season so far and has thrust them into the thick of the race for the NL Central crown. They’re currently one game behind the Cubs, but to stay hot on the North Siders’ heels and extend the streak to ten straight wins they’ll need to take down Phillies southpaw Jesus Luzardo, who has posted a 2.11 ERA in eight starts during his first season with the club. The Cardinals, meanwhile, will counter with veteran righty Sonny Gray and his 3.50 ERA across eight starts. Tonight’s game in Philadelphia begins at 6:45pm local time.

3. Twins go for nine in a row:

Minnesota is looking to extend its own impressive win streak, which currently sits at eight games. The Twins took the final two games of their recent series in Boston before sweeping a struggling Orioles club and a strong Giants team in their visits to Target Field. Next up is a rematch with the Orioles — this time in Baltimore. The Twins will send 24-year-old righty Simeon Woods Richardson (4.01 ERA in 33 2/3 innings) to the mound against former Twins prospect Cade Povich (5.55 ERA in 35 2/3 innings) in the series opener, which is scheduled for 6:35pm local time. Minnesota tagged Povich for five runs in six innings when the two squared off last week. The Orioles scored two runs off Woods Richardson in a shorter, 4 2/3-inning start.

Despite rattling off eight straight wins, the Twins have only picked up 2.5 games in the division race. The Tigers, Guardians and Royals have all been playing well recently, leaving Rocco Baldelli’s club 5.5 games out of the division lead. Minnesota has, however, wiped out a 5.5-game deficit in the Wild Card chase with this streak. The Twins are currently tied with the A’s and Red Sox for the final Wild Card spot in the American League.

Padres’ Jhony Brito Underwent UCL Surgery

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Last month, Padres righty Jhony Brito underwent an internal brace surgery to address his UCL as well a flexor tendon repair. General manager A.J. Preller announced the news to reporters (including AJ Cassavell of MLB.com).

Brito will miss all of this season and likely the first couple months of next year. The internal brace procedure can sometimes come with a slightly quicker timeline than would a full Tommy John ligament reconstruction. It’s nevertheless typically at least a yearlong rehab process. Brito is already on the 60-day injured list after beginning the season on the shelf with what was initially diagnosed as a forearm strain. He’ll remain on the IL all season but will need to be reinstated to the 40-man roster or placed on waivers at the beginning of the offseason.

San Diego acquired Brito as an ancillary part of the Juan Soto return from the Yankees. He had reached the big leagues with New York in 2023 after seven seasons in the minors. The righty started 13 of 25 appearances as a rookie, working to a 4.28 ERA through 90 1/3 innings. The Friars used him out of the bullpen last year. He allowed 4.12 earned runs per nine with a well below-average 15.7% strikeout rate over 43 2/3 innings. Brito did start all six appearances that he made with Triple-A El Paso. Opposing lineups tagged him for 17 runs over 14 innings.

An elbow strain ended his ’24 season in August. He was healthy enough to return to the mound in Spring Training, where he was competing for a middle relief role. The new elbow injury prevented that from happening and could put him on the roster bubble next winter. Brito will be paid the MLB minimum $760K salary for this season. He’ll surpass the two-year service threshold and isn’t on track to qualify for arbitration until the 2026-27 offseason. The Padres could control him for another four seasons if they’re willing to carry him on the 40-man throughout the offseason.

A’s Return Rule 5 Pick Noah Murdock To Royals

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The A’s returned Rule 5 draftee Noah Murdock to the Royals, as first reflected on the MLB.com transaction log. Kansas City assigned him to Triple-A Omaha. Murdock does not occupy a spot on their 40-man roster.

This was the likeliest outcome after the A’s designated Murdock for assignment last Friday. Any team that traded for him or claimed him off waivers would have taken on the same Rule 5 restrictions. They would have needed to carry him in the big league bullpen. Murdock evidently went unclaimed and heads back to the team that drafted him in the seventh round in 2019.

Murdock, 26, divided his 2024 season between Double-A Northwest Arkansas and Omaha. He worked to a 2.22 earned run average over 24 1/3 innings at the former level. Murdock posted a 3.76 ERA through 38 1/3 frames in Triple-A. He combined for a 27% strikeout rate and a huge 59.7% ground-ball percentage, though that came with an alarming 15.4% walk rate.

The 6’8″ righty broke camp with the A’s after being selected with the fifth pick in last winter’s Rule 5 draft. His first 14 big league appearances did not go well, as he was blitzed for 25 runs across 17 1/3 innings. The free passes remained far too problematic. Murdock walked 20 batters and hit two more among the 98 he faced. The grounder rates that have been his calling card in the minors weren’t there against big league competition. Murdock posted a 42.6% ground-ball percentage and a 21.4% strikeout rate — both decent numbers but not nearly enough to offset the free passes.

Yankees Notes: LeMahieu, Infield, Gil

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The Yankees plan to activate DJ LeMahieu from the injured list before tomorrow’s game against the Mariners, manager Aaron Boone told reporters (including Brendan Kuty of The Athletic). LeMahieu is already en route to Seattle but will not be active for tonight’s series opener. They’ll ease him back in, as he’ll be off the bench on Tuesday and draw into the starting lineup on Wednesday.

LeMahieu will make his season debut after a six-week IL stay. The veteran infielder strained his left calf fairly early in Spring Training. The Yankees announced it as of borderline Grade 1 or 2 severity. It ended his camp after one game and two at-bats. The Yanks sent him out on a minor league rehab assignment on April 22. Position players can spend up to 20 days on a rehab stint before the team either needs to activate them or pull them off the stint for at least another five days. The rehab window closed today.

While there’s not much to be gleaned from a player’s stats during a rehab stint, the Yankees are presumably encouraged by LeMahieu’s form. He batted .444 with a home run and nearly as many walks (three) as strikeouts (four) over nine games. He divided that time between Double-A Somerset and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

LeMahieu projected as the Yankees starting third baseman entering camp. New York seemingly made little effort to upgrade at the hot corner even though he’s coming off a .204/.269/.259 showing in his age-35 season. He also missed time with foot and hip injuries. Boone suggested last week that LeMahieu could see more time at second base while Jazz Chisholm Jr. is on the shelf (relayed by Chris Kirschner of The Athletic).

The Yanks have been relying upon Oswaldo Cabrera and Jorbit Vivas at third and second, respectively. The switch-hitting Cabrera owns a .243/.319/.311 slash through 117 plate appearances. Vivas is hitting .158 through his first nine MLB games. Their other second/third base candidates are out-of-options bench players Oswald Peraza and Pablo Reyes. LeMahieu will play regularly.

Boone also provided an update on Luis Gil (via Greg Joyce of The New York Post). Last year’s AL Rookie of the Year remains two to three weeks away from working off a mound. Gil began a throwing program at the end of April but has worked solely on flat ground. Gil sustained a high-grade lat strain a couple weeks into Spring Training. He wasn’t able to pitch in an exhibition game. He’s going to need multiple bullpen sessions and an extended rehab assignment. It seems Gil might not get onto a mound until the end of May, making it tough to envision a return to Yankee Stadium before the calendar flips to July.

White Sox Outright Nick Maton

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May 12: Maton cleared waivers and was outrighted back to Charlotte, relays James Fegan of Sox Machine. He’ll again have the right to test free agency but seems likelier to accept another outright and remain in the organization.

May 10: The White Sox announced that infielder Nick Maton has been designated for assignment.  First base prospect Tim Elko’s contract was selected in the corresponding move, as was reported yesterday.

This is the second time in two weeks that the Sox have designated Maton, and his first trip through DFA limbo saw him clear waivers and then accept an outright assignment to Triple-A Charlotte.  Maton had the option of becoming a free agent because he has been outrighted in the past, but chose to remain in the organization and wait for another crack at a spot on Chicago’s big league roster.  That chance came when Maton’s contract was selected again as a corresponding move to Andrew Benintendi’s placement on the injured list, though Maton’s latest stint with the White Sox lasted just a couple of days.

Maton has hit .167/.286/.315 over 63 plate appearances, and he has played in 25 of Chicago’s 39 games this season primarily as a first baseman and designated hitter.  Since Maton is out of minor league options, the White Sox have to designate him and expose him to the waiver wire whenever they wish to send him to Triple-A, thus giving Maton repeated chances to elect free agency.

As a veteran utilityman on a rebuilding team, Maton isn’t likely to receive the benefit of the doubt when it comes to playing time, as the White Sox are obviously prioritizing young talent.  That said, catching on with another team that has more established players also might not give Maton much time on the diamond.  Maton’s lack of minor league options leaves him with little flexibility, so if he isn’t claimed on waivers this time around, he’ll face another decision about whether or not to stick with the White Sox or test the open market.

Brandon Bielak Undergoes Season-Ending Shoulder Surgery

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Right-hander Brandon Bielak recently underwent season-ending surgery, reports MLBTR’s Steve Adams. He’s expected to be ready for 2026 Spring Training. Bielak was released from a minor league deal with the Diamondbacks on Saturday after going on the full-season injured list last month.

The injury essentially ended Bielak’s stint with Arizona before it got off the ground. The 29-year-old signed a minor league contract with the Snakes in February. He worked 5 2/3 frames of two-run ball during Spring Training before being reassigned to the minors. Bielak started twice for Triple-A Reno. He allowed three runs across 9 2/3 innings with five strikeouts and walks apiece. Both appearances came within the first week of April. Bielak landed on the injured list on April 9 and was ruled out for the season within three days.

There’s a decent chance Bielak will spend the rest of the year as a free agent. He’ll be limited to minor league offers next winter but would again project as rotation or long relief depth if his recovery goes as expected. A former 11th-round draftee by the Astros, Bielak has spent most of his minor league career as a starting pitcher. He made 13 big league starts with Houston a couple seasons ago, though his 16 MLB appearances last year all came in relief.

Bielak divided last season between Houston and the A’s. He turned in a 5.16 ERA over 29 2/3 big league frames and a 6.08 mark across 16 Triple-A appearances. He now owns a 4.63 ERA over 204 major league innings. Bielak has a 4.37 mark over six career Triple-A seasons — a decent number for a depth starter who has spent all that time in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League.

Brandon Woodruff Pulled Off Rehab Assignment Due To Ankle Injury

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Right-hander Brandon Woodruff seemed on the cusp of returning to the Brewers but that will have to wait a bit longer. He has some right ankle tendinitis and has been returned from his rehab assignment, per Andrew Wagner of Freeman Sports and 105.7 The Fan.

Woodruff, 32, is trying to work his way back from shoulder surgery. His 2023 was cut short due to an injury to his throwing shoulder and the subsequent operation prevented him from pitching in 2024. He was still working on getting healthy as the 2025 campaign began, which landed him on the 15-day injured list.

He didn’t seem to be too far off, as he started a rehab assignment pretty early, making a minor league appearance on April 12. Rehab assignments for pitchers can last as long as 30 days, so he was coming to the end of that window, making his sixth rehab start yesterday.

However, this new injury will prevent that from happening. It’s unclear how long the Brewers expect him to rest his ankle but, per MLB rules, he has to wait at least seven days before starting a new rehab assignment.

That will delay the return of a pitcher who was once a huge part of the club’s success. From 2019 to 2022, he posted a 3.02 earned run average over 528 innings for the Brewers. He struck out 30% of batters faced, only gave out walks at a 6.3% clip and got grounders on 42.2% of balls in play.

The Brewers non-tendered him ahead of the 2024 season but re-signed him to a back-loaded deal, accounting for his expected injury absence. He made $2.5MM last year and is making $5MM this year, followed by a $10MM buyout on a $20MM mutual option for 2026. Mutual options are almost never picked up by both sides, so that was just an accounting measure to kick some of the money into the future.

For now, the Brewers will have a few other rotation issues to deal with. The club optioned right-hander Tobias Myers yesterday morning, perhaps hoping that Woodruff would take his rotation spot, though that won’t be happening now. Pitchers optioned to the minors have to stay down for a minimum of 15 days unless they are being recalled to replace someone going on the injured list. That means Myers can’t be called back unless someone else gets hurt.

Also, left-hander Jose Quintana has a minor issue of note. The lefty was scheduled to start Wednesday’s game but has a “cranky arm,” per Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. The club plans to push him to Friday but that may depend on how he responds between now and then. Whatever issue he’s dealing with wasn’t apparent in the data of his most recent start, as his velocity on all his pitches was actually up relative to his previous outing.

With Myers optioned and Quintana out of action for a few days, the club is down to Freddy Peralta, Quinn Priester and Chad Patrick as healthy rotation options. Peralta and Priester are scheduled for today and tomorrow but the club will need a solution for Wednesday, and maybe another solution after that if Quintana needs to miss some time.

Patrick just started yesterday and won’t be available by Wednesday. Tyler Alexander has starting experience but pitched in relief for the Brewers in each of the past two days. Perhaps they could lean on him for multiple innings on Wednesday if they can stay away from him between now and then. Aaron Civale, on the IL due to a hamstring strain, threw four innings in a rehab outing on Thursday. That was his first rehab outing but he got his pitch count up to 50. Aaron Ashby and DL Hall are also on rehab assignment but Ashby’s most recent outing was just two innings while Hall’s was just three.

Elvin Rodríguez is on the 40-man but was optioned in recent days and is therefore in the same boat as Myers. Carlos Rodríguez just pitched on Saturday and wouldn’t be rested by Wednesday. Logan Henderson is on the 40-man and could be an option. Prospect Jacob Misiorowski could also be available, though he’s not yet on the 40-man roster.

All of these various injuries and others have left the Milwaukee rotation in a state of flux all year. That’s what prompted the late signing of Quintana and the early-season trade for Priester. With so many guys nearing a return from the injured list, some stabilization could be just over the horizon, but that won’t involve Woodruff for now.

Photo courtesy of William Glasheen, Imagn Images

Blue Jays Outright Dillon Tate

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The Blue Jays announced this afternoon that reliever Dillon Tate accepted an outright to Triple-A Buffalo. He cleared waivers after being designated for assignment on Friday.

Tate, 31, first landed in Toronto last September. The Jays claimed him off waivers from the division-rival Orioles, with whom the former fourth overall pick had pitched parts of five MLB campaigns. Toronto dropped him over the offseason in lieu of a projected $1.9MM arbitration salary. They re-signed him midway through Spring Training on a split deal that pays at a $1.4MM rate in the big leagues and $500K for whatever time he spends in the minors.

The Jays have mostly kept him in Triple-A early this year. He opened the season on optional assignment to Buffalo. The Jays recalled him in mid-April and kept him on the active roster for around two and a half weeks. He made five appearances, allowing three runs on seven hits and six walks over 5 1/3 frames. He fanned seven hitters but got whiffs on only 6.8% of his total pitches. The results have been much better over his six innings with the Bisons: one run on six hits and a walk with seven strikeouts and a huge 18.2% swinging strike rate.

Tate has spent most of his career working in middle relief. His best season came in 2022, when he provided the O’s with 73 2/3 innings of 3.05 ERA ball behind a 57.4% ground-ball percentage. A flexor strain wound up costing him the entire following year. Tate avoided surgery but was unable to progress through multiple attempts at a rehab assignment.

He wasn’t as effective when he returned last season, allowing 4.66 earned runs per nine across 36 2/3 frames. His stuff hasn’t been as sharp since the injury. Tate’s sinker averaged 94 MPH during the ’22 season. It was down to 92.6 last year and is checking in below 92 MPH on average through this season’s first six weeks.

Tate entered this season with four years and 144 days of major league service. He has collected another 17 days on Toronto’s roster this season. Players reach a full service year at 172 days, meaning Tate will tip beyond the five-year threshold with 11 more days in the big leagues. At that point, he’d be able to refuse any optional assignments and retain his salary if he declines an outright and elects free agency after clearing waivers. Until then, he’d need to forfeit his salary to test free agency, so it’s no surprise that he decided to accept the assignment back to Buffalo.

Ronald Acuña Jr. To Begin Rehab Assignment

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The Braves announced to reporters, including Gabe Burns of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, that outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. will start a rehab assignment in the Complex League tomorrow. He will be playing the outfield and will be monitored for a potential transfer to Triple-A Gwinnett at some point. The club also announced that right-hander Spencer Strider will throw a simulated game on Wednesday, per Mark Bowman of MLB.com. The plan is for Strider to throw 70 to 75 pitches before a decision is made about whether to send him on a rehab assignment or simply reinstate him from the injured list.

The news is obviously quite welcome for Atlanta fans. The injuries to the two players have been hampering the club for almost all of the past year-plus. Strider required UCL surgery in the middle of April last year. Just over a month later, Acuña suffered a torn left ACL. The club limped through the rest of the season without those two, qualifying for a Wild Card spot in the final game of the season. They were quickly swept by the Padres in the Wild Card round.

Here in 2025, things have gotten out to a rough start. Strider was reinstated from the IL last month but made just one start before a hamstring strain put him back on the shelf. Jurickson Profar, signed in the offseason to bolster the outfield in Acuña’s absence, played just four games before receiving an 80-game PED suspension. Reynaldo López made just one start before requiring arthroscopic shoulder surgery and is going to be out for several months.

Around all of those speedbumps, Atlanta has managed to somewhat tread water, currently sporting a 19-21 record. The upcoming returns of both Acuña and Strider should improve their chances of climbing in the standings going forward.

When last healthy, Acuña was on top of the world. He was the Most Valuable Player in the National League in 2023. He hit 41 home runs and stole 73 bases that season, producing a .337/.416/.596 batting line and 171 wRC+. FanGraphs considered him to be worth 9.1 wins above replacement while Baseball Reference had him at 8.4. That was all the more impressive because he had recovered from a previous ACL tear in his right knee.

His initial return from that injury, suffered in June of 2021, was more good than great. He was reinstated from the IL in April of 2022 and then hit .266/.351/.413 for a 115 wRC+ that year. But in 2023, he was firing on all cylinders and was one of the best players in the world.

It’s anyone’s guess which version of Acuña will show up this year. With his previous ACL tear, he was eventually able to get back to MVP-level performance, but with a half-decent season in between. Now that he has suffered tears in both ACLs, it’s hard to say what’s ahead, but it shouldn’t take too much longer to find out. Rehab assignments for position players can last as long as 20 days. Even if Acuña uses that entire timeline, he’ll be back by early June, unless he suffers a setback of some kind.

When he does return, the club will have to decide which player loses playing time. Eli White is currently holding down Acuña’s right field spot. He has a .284/.333/.506 line and 127 wRC+, but is getting some help from a .350 batting average on balls in play. He could drop into a fourth outfielder role but left fielder Alex Verdugo has a .241/.300/.325 line and 76 wRC+ on the year, comparable to his poor season with the Yankees in 2024, so perhaps White could slide over to left and take some time there.

As for Strider, it seems there’s a chance he could be back as soon as a week from now, if the sim game goes well. Even if he does go on a rehab assignment, it might be a brief one. Whenever he’s healthy, he should slot next to Chris Sale, Spencer Schwellenbach and AJ Smith-Shawver in the rotation. Bryce Elder and Grant Holmes are currently in the mix but both have ERAs close to 5.00. Elder has a tepid strikeout rate but a good walk rate while Holmes has been getting more punchouts but also giving out more free passes.

Photo courtesy of Kim Klement Neitzel, Imagn Images

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