NL Central

A frustrating season for the Chicago Cubs took another bad turn on Sunday when Colten Brewer landed on the injured list.

The Cubs announced prior to their series finale against the Los Angeles Angels that Brewer was placed on the 60-day injured list.

Brewer told reporters he suffered a broken hand in Saturday's game after punching the dugout wall in frustration. The right-hander was charged with three runs (one earned) on two hits and two walks in 0.2 innings.

"My intention wasn't to break my hand," Brewer said. "I'll get frustrated and make mistakes. That's no excuse. There's a lot I can prove out there, that I'm willing not to do stuff like that. Emotions get the best of us sometimes."

Brewer entered the game to start the third inning. He came on to relieve Kyle Hendricks, who allowed two runs on four hits in two innings.

The first three hitters reached base against Brewer, including one because of a throwing error by the right-hander. It was one of two throwing errors in the inning, with the second one committed by first baseman Michael Busch.

By the time the third inning was over, the Cubs were trailing 5-0. They went on to lose the game 7-0 with Angels starter Tyler Anderson striking out 10 over eight shutout innings.

Since winning 18 of their first 30 games to start the season, the Cubs are 23-37 in the last 60 games. Their 41-49 record coming into Sunday is the third-worst in the NL, ahead of only the Colorado Rockies (32-57) and Miami Marlins (31-58).

Despite their ongoing struggles, the Cubs are only six games out of a wild card spot because the middle of the NL has been mediocre so far.

Brewer is in his first season with the Cubs after signing a deal in January. He finished 2023 with the Hanshin Tigers in Japan after appearing in three games with the New York Yankees early in the season.

The 31-year-old has a 5.66 ERA with 22 strikeouts over 20.2 innings in 16 appearances this season. He will be eligible to return on Sept. 6.

The Chicago Cubs may be sellers once again at the 2024 MLB Trade Deadline.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported that while the Cubs are "undecided" on selling at the deadline, they are "preparing" for a significant sell-off with players like Cody Bellinger, Jameson Taillon and Nico Hoerner as major trade chips.

"The Cubs are telling teams they still remain undecided whether they will be sellers at the trade deadline, but are preparing for a potential sale, with Bellinger, Jameson Taillon and Nico Hoerner expected to draw interest," Nightengale wrote. "It's hard to believe how things went south on the Northside after their 17-9 start."

Heading into the 2024 season, this seemed like an unlikely reality. Chicago had barely missed out on the playoffs in 2023, hired away Milwaukee Brewers manager Craig Counsell and had even retained Bellinger in free agency.

This led to the 17-9 start to the season, but it has not been smooth sailing since then. Chicago had a difficult May and June, with a 21-34 combined record, and currently sits in last place in the NL Central at 41-49.

The Cubs are 11 games out of first place in the division and six games outside of the final NL Wild Card spot. With another missed postseason looking likely, capitalizing on some assets could be attractive while the Cubs wait for continued growth from Pete Crow-Armstrong, Cade Horton and Matt Shaw.

Bellinger would be the biggest name available. He is currently hitting .270/.330/.417 with nine home runs and 37 RBIs. He is a two-time All-Star, former NL MVP and a two-time Silver Slugger who has an opt-out following the 2024 season.

Taillon is more of a long-term commitment as he is under contract through 2026. However, he has returned to form in 2024 and is 5-4 with a 2.99 ERA. Hoerner is also under contract through 2026 and is a two-time Gold Glove winner who has struggled a bit at the plate in 2024 but hit over .280 in both 2022 and 2023.

The MLB Trade Deadline is set for July 30 at 6 p.m. ET.

PNC Park exhausted the last of its fireworks as the Pittsburgh Pirates blasted a historic number of home runs against the New York Mets.

The Pirates belted seven homers, tying a franchise record for the most in a single game. There were so many home runs in the 14-2 win that PNC Park ran out of fireworks to shoot off.

The Mets actually had the first home run of the game as Jeff McNeil homered in the first inning, but from there it was all Pittsburgh.

Rowdy Tellez got things started with a solo shot in the fourth, and Jack Suwinski followed that up with a homer of his own. In the fifth inning, Bryan Reynolds hit a two-run home run to right center, and he then added a grand slam in the seventh inning.

Pittsburgh added three more home runs in the eighth inning from Yasmani Grandal, Michael Taylor and finally a grand slam from Tellez to cap off the historic night.

Perhaps all of the homers on Friday will give the Pirates some good energy heading into the rest of the season to potentially make a playoff push. Pittsburgh currently sits at 42-45 and in third place in the NL Central.

Eleven fans were injured in an escalator malfunction at American Family Field Saturday.

The incident occurred following the Milwaukee Brewers 5-3 loss to the Chicago Cubs. The Brewers released a statement following the game.

"After the conclusion of today's game, an escalator at American Family Field moving fans from the terrace to loge level malfunctioned, resulting in an increased downward speed," the statement reads. "Eleven people were injured in the incident, five of them treated at the ballpark and six others transported to area hospitals with non-life threatening injuries."

This incident comes after the Brewers made repairs to the stadium in the offseason. The repairs totaled more than $500 million, with $368.5 million coming from the state of Wisconsin.

The project included freight elevator repairs and overall structure repairs.

American Family Field was constructed in 2001 and is the 12th-newest stadium in MLB.

The Milwaukee Brewers acquired left-handed pitcher Dallas Keuchel in a trade with the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.

The Mariners received cash considerations in return, per Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. Keuchel is currently on a minor league deal and has accumulated a 3.93 ERA in Triple-A ball, although he's recorded an impressive 1.61 ERA in his past five starts (h/t Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel).

Keuchel established himself as one of the top pitchers in the majors shortly after his debut season with the Houston Astros in 2012, earning an American League Cy Young Award and winning 20 games as a starter for the Astros in 2015.

He was unable to stay in one location as he entered his 30s, suiting up in games with four separate teams since the 2021 season. His last MLB appearance was in 2023, when he played in 10 games for the Minnesota Twins while making six starts.

Keuchel struggled with the Twins, posting a 5.97 ERA and allowing 45 hits in 37.2 innings. The 36-year-old also racked up just 25 strikeouts compared to 18 walks.

While his All-Star days appear to be behind him, he may be able to provide some valuable rotation depth after stringing together some promising starts in the minors. The Brewers have dealt with several injuries to pitchers, currently ranking No. 18 among all teams with an average ERA of 4.20 among starters (via MLB.com).

Right-hander Brandon Woodruff won't pitch in 2024 after undergoing shoulder surgery in Oct. 2023, while lefty Wade Miley underwent Tommy John surgery in May. Rookie Robert Grasser's season also came to an end due to elbow surgery on Monday.

As the Brewers attempt to maintain their five-game lead in the NL Central, Keuchel could become a potential depth option.

The Chicago Cubs entered Sunday's matchup against the New York Mets with a 13-23 record in their last 36 games and outside the National League playoff picture, so the day's focus was on better times of the past instead of the bleaker present.

The Cubs unveiled a Ryne Sandberg statue outside of Wrigley Field and celebrated the legendary second baseman ahead of the contest:

Sandberg played for the Cubs for 15 seasons from 1982 to 1997 and remains one of the best players in the history of the organization.

He is a Hall of Famer with a resume that includes the 1984 National League MVP, seven Silver Slugger awards, nine Gold Gloves, 10 All-Star selections and a Home Run Derby title. He impacted the game in a number of ways with impressive fielding, power at the plate, the ability to hit for average and speed on the basepaths.

In all, Sandberg slashed .285/.344/.452 with 282 home runs, 1,061 RBI and 344 stolen bases during his time on the Cubs.

ESPN's Jesse Rogers noted there was once "some doubt" about whether he would be able to attend Sunday's ceremony considering he was diagnosed with prostate cancer in the time after the Cubs announced they would honor him in such a manner.

However, he was declared cancer-free in May.

"This was a guarantee for me," Sandberg said of attending. "I reverted back to my baseball days of having goals and my attitude of working towards something. That's what I've done."

Not only was he in attendance, he threw out the first pitch and was celebrated by Cubs fans as a franchise favorite who will forever be recognized outside of Wrigley Field thanks to the statue.

Elly De La Cruz is one of MLB's most impressive young players. Just ask Snoop Dogg.

The legendary hip-hop artist was in the broadcast booth during a matchup between the Cincinnati Reds and Milwaukee Brewers and couldn't believe the athleticism and arm strength De La Cruz showed off while fielding his position:

Snoop Dogg, who was in Milwaukee to throw out the first pitch, was wildly entertaining during his time broadcasting Saturday's matchup:

Not a bad first pitch from Snoop. And a hell of a performance in the booth.

As for De La Cruz, the 22-year-old is hitting .232 this season with 11 homers, 30 RBI, 43 runs, a .749 OPS and an MLB-leading 34 stolen bases. Consistency has been an issue, as he also leads the big leagues with 92 strikeouts, but his upside and star power is undeniable.

If you have Snoop Dogg singing your praises, you know you're on the right track.

One week after being released by the New York Mets, reliever Jorge López will look to provide a spark in the Chicago Cubs' bullpen.

Per The Athletic's Will Sammon and Patrick Mooney, López agreed to a minor-league deal with the Cubs on Wednesday.

López had a notable exit from the Mets that started with an ejection when he argued a check swing call in the eighth inning of a 10-3 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 29.

As López was walking off the field toward the Mets dugout after being ejected by third-base umpire Ramon De Jesus, he tossed his glove over the protective netting and into the stands.

There was some confusion after the game during his postgame press conference. López, who is from Puerto Rico and speaks English as his second language, was initially thought to have said he plays for the "worst f--king team in the MLB."

In a post on Instagram (h/t Sammon and Jenna West), López clarified he said he was being the "worst teammate" in the league.

"During that interview, I spoke candidly about my frustrations with my personal performance and how I felt it made me 'the worst teammate in the entire league,'" López wrote. "Unfortunately, my efforts to address the media in English created some confusion and generated headlines that do not reflect what I was trying to express."

The Mets designated López for assignment on May 30, giving them seven days to either trade or release him. He went unclaimed on waivers, allowing the team to officially release him on June 5.

López signed a one-year deal with the Mets as a free agent in December. He had a 3.76 ERA with 19 strikeouts and 11 walks in 26.1 innings over 28 appearances.

The Cubs, who are tied for last in the NL Central with a 32-35 record, need any bullpen help they can find right now. Their relievers rank 24th in ERA (4.47), 24th in home run rate (1.03 per nine innings) and 25th in FanGraphs' wins above replacement (0.2).

The fan who went viral Tuesday night for executing a backflip in the ninth inning of a game between the Cleveland Guardians and Cincinnati Reds has been charged with a crime.

Per court records obtained by Quinlan Bentley of the Cincinnati Enquirer, William Hendon was charged with criminal trespassing and a misdemeanor charge of obstructing official business. A judge reduced his criminal trespassing charge to a misdemeanor "at the behest of prosecutors, because he was wrongly charged with a felony," according to Bentley.

Video of the incident shows Hendon appearing to stop in the outfield to talk with a Guardians player before starting his run again, then stopping to perform a backflip as a security guard rapidly approached him.

After Hendon completed the backflip and started running again, the security guard tased him.

Bentley's story included an amusing exchange between Hendon and Municipal Court Judge William Mallory from the arraignment hearing on Wednesday.

"Everybody thinks you landed that backflip," Mallory said.

"I'm pretty sure I did," Hendon responded while still wearing the Reds jersey he had on Tuesday night.

According to Bentley, one of the court documents stated Hendon purposely impeded a public official's lawful duties and did so "with purpose to delay his arrest run from police."

Hendon pleaded not guilty to the charges. He was booked into Hamilton County Justice Center at 10:51 p.m. local time on Tuesday night and was held overnight without bond.

The 19-year-old Hendon is a sophomore at Ohio State. Bentley noted he is currently banned from Great American Ball Park and will be back in court on July 3 for a pretrial hearing.

The incident occurred prior to the bottom of the ninth inning on Tuesday night. The Guardians went on to win the game 5-3 in the first game of the season between the two in-state rivals.

As the Chicago Cubs seek ways to escape the muddled mediocre pack of teams in the middle of the National League, third baseman Christopher Morel's spot in the lineup is in a state of flux.

Per The Athletic's Patrick Mooney, the Cubs have "evaluated alternatives" to the 24-year-old and are open to the possibility of a prospect like Matt Shaw eventually taking over.

The primary issue for Morel has been his defense at the hot corner. His minus-eight defensive runs saved are the fourth-most among all qualified players at any position this season.

Per BaseballSavant.com, he ranks in the first percentile in outs above average in 393 innings at third base.

It doesn't help that Morel's offensive production has dipped so far. He entered this season expected to be a cornerstone in the middle of the lineup after hitting 26 homers and slugging .508 in 107 games during the 2023 campaign.

Even though consistent contact has never been a hallmark of his game, he proved last year that he was capable of hitting enough to make an impact.

So far this season, Morel has shown better plate discipline by increasing his walk rate by more than four points (8.4 percent to 12.6 percent) and decreasing his strikeout rate by more than nine points (31.0 percent to 21.9 percent) from 2023 to 2024.

But it seems as if some of that success has come at the expense of what made Morel's future so exciting. He leads the Cubs with 12 homers, though he's only slugging .388.

Power has been an issue for the Cubs this season. Seiya Suzuki is their only regular slugging over .450, with Michael Busch and Cody Bellinger the only other regulars with a slugging percentage above .400.

Shaw is the No. 3 prospect in the Cubs' system, per MLB.com. The 2023 first-round draft pick is hitting .225/.345/.366 with six homers and 15 stolen bases in 54 games at Double-A.

The Cubs could also explore trade options, but it's unusual to see any significant deals that might impact the pennant race happen this far away from the deadline

Chicago (32-34) is tied with the Cincinnati Reds for second place in the NL Central, but it only trails the San Francisco Giants by one game in the loss column for the final wild-card spot.