MLB Rumors: Jacob deGrom's return timetable is unclear
The Texas Rangers have played coy about Jacob deGrom's injuries to start the season. While he's been on the injured list twice, the organization knew deGrom had preexisting issues when they signed him to a massive five-year, $185 million deal. If deGrom can even make half his scheduled starts in a season, he's probably worth the money, especially if he can remain healthy for a theoretical playoff run.
Nonetheless, Texas general manager Chris Young probably hoped deGrom would remain a factor through the first month-plus of the regular season, at least. That hasn't been the case, and now the Rangers have no idea when their ace will come back.
Per the Dallas Morning News, deGrom can still only play light catch, meaning there's no real timetable for his return to the mound at this juncture.
By no means does this suggest he'll be out for the entire season, but his previously-scheduled IL timetable is no more. deGrom addressed this and more a few days ago:
"I want to be out there," deGrom said. "There's a little inflammation in there, so the goal is to get that knocked out here in the next few days and resume throwing. So, staying optimistic about it."
The Rangers are right to be cautious with deGrom, but they still need him on the mound if they are to reach their full potential. Ownership spent a ton of money on him, Corey Seager, Marcus Semien and more with the expectation those investments will pay off in the form of wins and, eventually, a postseason run.
MLB Rumors: Aaron Judge is back, but are the Yankees ready to take off?
The New York Yankees are 19-17, which is somehow only good for last place in the crowded AL East. Fans in the Bronx are impatient, and Aaron Boone and Brian Cashman are under fire for that reason.
While some fans hoped the activation of Aaron Judge would lead to some roster move involving Aaron Hicks, Cashman stuck to his guns and instead placed Oswald Peraza on the injured list. Peraza was struggling as is, so it made sense to give him some much-needed time off rather than eating $30 million, which is what would occur if Cashman simply admitted defeat for the Hicks contract he gave out years ago.
The Hicks extension is a bad move, that much is obvious. But for now he's a depth piece on the Yanks bench, and that's still valuable for a team that has so many injuries.
With that in mind, the return of Judge will help. The Yankees are facing the lowly Oakland Athletics in the Bronx to start the week, which will hopefully lead to some easy wins. Beyond that, though, they still face some major hurdles. Giancarlo Stanton, Josh Donaldson, Luis Severino and Carlos Rodon are injured. Harrison Bader just came off the IL a few days ago, which has already paid dividends.
When this Yankees team is healthy, they're postseason-caliber. New York is flawed, sure, but by no means is it time to hop off the bandwagon, regardless of how bad some of their roster moves have looked thus far.
MLB Rumors: Marcell Ozuna's legal problem resolved
Marcell Ozuna was arrested in 2022 for a DUI — his second such legal problem in just a few years — which had Atlanta Braves fans calling for his release. Despite a contract extension and a very, very impressive 2020 season, Ozuna has struggled to do much of anything on the field, and his off-field issues are well-documented.
Ozuna remains a Brave for now, and he just recently got hot with two home runs in a three-game span. If he can provide that sort of power at the dish at a consistent clip, then there's a place for him in this Braves lineup. If not, then Alex Anthopoulos could consider a move.
At the very least, Ozuna's off-field concerns seem to be a thing of the past. The Braves outfielder settled his DUI case this week, per WSB-TV.
Ozuna was clocked driving under the influence and speeding, going 90 mph in a 35 mph zone. When he was pulled over, he alluded to being an Atlanta Braves outfielder. That, of course, did not resolve the situation in itself, and Ozuna was booked.
Ozuna entered Tuesday still hitting under the Mendoza line, but it's important to take into account that he's nearly doubled his batting average over the past week-plus. Yes, that speaks to how poor of a start he got off to this season, but perhaps he's righted the ship after all.
