A look at the Texas Rangers logo inside Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas on December 13, 2023. Photo Credit: Larry Brown Sports
The defending champions are throwing in the towel on a former All-Star.
The Texas Rangers announced on Saturday that they have designated first baseman Jared Walsh for assignment. They are doing so to make room for the activation of Nathaniel Lowe (oblique) from the injured list.
Walsh, 30, was an All-Star with the AL West rival Los Angeles Angels in 2021, hitting .277 with 29 homers and 98 RBIs that year. But his production fell off a cliff in subsequent years, in large part due to lingering neurological issues that Walsh believed may have been related to a bout with COVID-19.
After missing all but 39 games in 2023 with headaches, insomnia, and other symptoms related to his neurological issues, Walsh recovered to the point of being able to continue his MLB career. Still, Walsh was outrighted off the Angels roster following the 2023 campaign and was not much better after signing with the Rangers either. He hit .226 with one homer, seven RBIs, and 21 strikeouts in 17 games for Texas this season.
Lowe also plays the first base position for the Rangers (who are slowly getting much healthier) and was a Gold Glover there last season. That means that Walsh’s services will no longer be needed (though it seems possible that he could still catch on somewhere as a lefty platoon bat).
Oct 22, 2019; Houston, TX, USA; The Houston Astros logo is seen during the third inning of game one of the 2019 World Series against the Washington Nationals at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports
The Houston Astros are confirming some tragic news about one of their former prospects.
MLB reporter Hector Gomez shared the news late Friday night that ex-Astros pitching prospect Ronny Garcia was killed in a traffic accident at the age of 24. The accident, which took place in Samana, Dominican Republic, also reportedly took the life of Garcia’s father, who was traveling with him.
The Astros confirmed the news of Garcia’s death on Saturday morning, saying that they were “deeply saddened.”
Garcia spent many years in the Astros organization after first signing with them as an international free agent in 2016 (when he was just 16 years old). A right-handed reliever, Garcia played six total seasons in the farm system of the Astros. While he never made it past the High-A level, Garcia posted a strong minor-league career ERA of 3.42 with 9.6 strikeouts per nine innings over 122 total appearances.
In February, Garcia signed a deal to play in the Atlantic League with the York Revolution. The 2024 Atlantic League season still has yet to begin though, meaning that Garcia’s final pitching appearance ultimately came with the High-A Asheville Tourists in Sept. 2023.
Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning warms up before the game against the BYU Cougars at Royal-Memorial Stadium on Saturday October 28, 2023. Photo Credit: Jay Janner/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK
If the Texas Longhorns spring game is any indication, fans have a lot to look forward to if and when Arch Manning gets a chance to see the field.
Manning came in to quarterback the white team late in the first quarter, and he wasted no time impressing. His very first play from scrimmage was a 75-yard touchdown pass that was thrown perfectly.
Impressively, Manning did it again in the fourth quarter.
In total, Manning went 17/21 for 343 yards and three touchdowns. Skeptics will point out that he was not facing starters, but it was an impressive performance no matter how you look at it.
No matter how good he looks, Manning is destined to back up Quinn Ewers in 2024. The Longhorns avoided burning Manning’s redshirt last year, so he is still a freshman, and if he is willing to stick it out, he has a good shot at starting in 2025. For the moment, he appears content to do just that, giving Texas fans plenty to look forward to.
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Mar 11, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Toronto Raptors center Jontay Porter (34) reacts after a play in the third quarter against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
There was one very high-profile admission from Raptors 905’s recent social media post.
Raptors 905, the G League affiliate of the Toronto Raptors, shared a season retrospective post on Friday. The post noted that Raptors 905 had matched a franchise record this season with five call-ups to the NBA roster. Notably though, the graphic only included images of four players.
That led to the jokesters on X cheekily noting that Raptors 905 had omitted somebody from the post.
Of course, the fifth player in question is Porter, who was just banned from the NBA for life over a betting scandal. Porter signed a two-way deal with the Raptors in December, going back and forth between the G League and NBA roster.
The social media post mentioning five call-ups but only depicting four was always going to draw attention. But it makes sense that Raptors 905 does not want anything to do with Porter right now, especially amid the recent revelation that he committed the one cardinal sin of sports betting while in the organization.
Jun 8, 2021; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; LA Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) warms up prior to game one in the second round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs. at Vivint Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Swinger-USA TODAY Sports
The latest update from the Los Angeles Clippers certainly suggests Kawhi Leonard’s status is certainly in doubt for Game 1 of the Western Conference quarterfinals.
Leonard has yet to practice with contact due to right knee inflammation, Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said Saturday. The latest update certainly suggests Leonard is trending toward being out for Sunday’s Game 1 against Dallas.
Leonard has not played since March 31 due to the knee issue. The Clippers had held out hope that he might be ready to go for Game 1, but that looks like a longshot at this point.
This is hardly the first time Leonard has dealt with right knee problems, though this appears to be stubborn swelling as opposed to anything serious. Still, it is a concerning sign this close to the playoffs that the Clippers cannot seem to figure out how to get the swelling down.
If there is any good news for the Clippers, it is that one media figure that predicted Leonard would miss Game 1 was more optimistic about the Clipper forward’s Game 2 status.
Aug 29, 2019; Orchard Park, NY, USA; General view of a Minnesota Vikings helmet prior to the game against the Buffalo Bills at New Era Field. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports
The Minnesota Vikings will have to trade up to land one of the top quarterback prospects in the NFL Draft, but there might be one they like enough to try to do it.
In an appearance on “The Ross Tucker Football Podcast,” NFL Network analyst and former quarterback Chase Daniel suggested that the Vikings absolutely love North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye. Daniel admitted, however, that there are questions about whether the Vikings have the necessary pieces to swing a trade that would put them in position to draft Maye.
“I do know the Minnesota Vikings absolutely are in love with (Maye),” Daniel said. “I don’t know if they have enough ammo to get up to that third spot where the Patriots are picking, because I do think you’re probably going to have to get to that spot.”
The Vikings are certainly in need of a long-term answer at quarterback. Whether they can get up high enough to draft someone like Maye is the question. They made a move earlier in the offseason that certainly seemed to indicate that they were gearing up in an attempt to move up from No. 11, but that may still be easier said than done.
A pursuit of Maye would certainly make one fan very happy. Realistically, the Vikings may ultimately have to consider whether they would rather invest in a second-tier quarterback prospect due to the cost of moving up.
Howie Schwab, a longtime figure at ESPN and one-time star of “Stump the Schwab,” died Saturday at the age of 63.
Schwab spent 26 years at ESPN, largely as a researcher, statistician, and producer. He became known to the public in 2004 through the “Stump the Schwab” game show. ESPN confirmed Schwab’s death on Saturday and paid tribute to him and his contributions.
Numerous past and present ESPN personalities paid tribute to Schwab on social media, including his longtime friend Dick Vitale. Vitale reported that Schwab had been in poor health recently, but felt good when visiting recently.
Most of Schwab’s public notoriety came from “Stump the Schwab,” which ran from 2004 to 2006. Contestants were tasked with besting Schwab in a sports trivia contest, though few succeeded in doing so.
Schwab was laid off by ESPN in 2013, but went on to work at FOX Sports prior to his passing.
Dec 31, 2022; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh before the 2022 Fiesta Bowl against the TCU Horned Frogs at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
The Michigan football team received their championship rings on Saturday to honor their national championship, but that was not all Jim Harbaugh walked away with.
Harbaugh had said in October that he would get a tattoo if the Wolverines won the championship. The former Michigan coach seemingly made good on that promise, as seen in various social media posts, with a tattoo on his arm depicting the Michigan logo and the team’s 15-0 record.
Harbaugh was cracking jokes as he was getting the tattoo done, at one point saying he was “impervious to pain.”
Harbaugh has since left Michigan for the Los Angeles Chargers, but he departed on the best possible terms. Assuming the tattoo is permanent, this is some solid proof of that. He very much delivered what he was brought in for.
The next question is whether Harbaugh will try to bring some of his former players to Los Angeles during the NFL Draft next week.
Aug 10, 2019; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) on the sideline against the San Francisco 49ers during the fourth quarter at Levi s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott’s contract situation remains uncertain, but he offered an idea of what he might be looking for if and when he and the Cowboys sit down to hash out an agreement.
Prescott confirmed that no real contract talks have begun between his camp and the Cowboys, but that he is relaxed about the situation as he enters the final year of his current deal. Any new contract would be a big one, but Prescott said he is not necessarily looking to reset the market.
“Yeah, no, I’m not trying to be the highest paid, necessarily,” Prescott said, via Coral Smith of NFL.com. “So I’ll wait till negotiations begin, and obviously want to put this team in the best situation.”
Prescott is in the final season of a 4-year, $160 million deal. Owner Jerry Jones has suggested there is not much urgency to get a deal done despite Prescott’s cap hit, which is upwards of $55 million for 2024.
Joe Burrow’s $55 million average annual value is currently the highest in the NFL among quarterbacks. Prescott may not be looking for that, but he would likely expect something fairly close to it.
Sep 3, 2017; Landover, MD, USA; ESPN broadcaster Todd McShay walks on the sidelines before the game between West Virginia Mountaineers and Virginia Tech Hokies at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports
For the first time since 2009, veteran analyst Todd McShay will not be a part of next week’s NFL Draft coverage.
McShay was an unfortunate victim of ESPN’s mass layoffs in June of 2023, which saw more than a dozen on-air personalities given their pink slips.
On Friday, McShay thanked readers and former colleague’s for their support during this draft season in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. He went on to further explain his absence and reveal a few locations where he could be found offering up his analysis and opinions.
“Just want to take a minute to say thank you! The outpouring of support during draft season has been noticed and greatly appreciated,” he wrote.
“As for next week’s draft, I’m sitting this one out on TV due to obvious contract limitations but it’s business as usual around here! You can catch me on God Bless Football today, as well as @PardonMyTake and @ryenrussillo podcast next week. Also, give @ScoutsIncMuench a follow. He’s been my right-hand man the past two decades and will keep you straight for the upcoming draft.
“Thanks again for all the support and inquiries on where to find me during the 2024 draft. I can’t wait to get back out there and will keep you posted on what’s coming next!”
Although McShay will be absent from coverage this year, it will be interesting to see where he pops up next year when he’s finally able to resume his notable role during the draft.
