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Ja Morant finished with 23 points (10-of-25 FGs, 1-of-2 FTs), six assists, two steals, one block and two three-pointers in 40 minutes in Tuesday’s Game 2 loss to the Thunder.
Morant struggled with his shooting efficiency for the second straight game against a suffocating Oklahoma City Thunder defense. Combined with Morant’s shooting struggles were the five turnovers he produced, helping underscore just how much he struggled. Perhaps a change of scenery could help ignite Morant and the Grizzlies as they look to avoid going down 0-3 in the series when returning home for Thursday’s Game 3.
Andrés Chaparro (oblique) will begin his rehab assignment this week.
The 26-year-old was put on the IL with an oblique strain back on March 26th, so it’s been almost two months since he’s played in a game. He will take some time to work his way back into game shape, but he also hit .215/.280/.413 over 33 games with the Nationals last year, so there is no guarantee he gets another chance right away.
Guardians hired Corey Kluber as a special assistant with a focus on pitching development.
The former Guardians ace will be primarily responsible for helping the pitching staff; although, there is little information on what capacity. The Guardians already have one of the most experienced and respected pitching coaches in baseball in Carl Willis, but perhaps Kluber can help with gameplans and the mental side of the game. “I probably experienced pretty close to a full spectrum of things in a career. I wasn’t a very good minor-leaguer, figured out some stuff, and still had to develop at this stage. … It’s having a lot of different types of experiences to build on. Hopefully, it presents opportunities to help guys with a lot of different things.”
Andruw Monasterio is playing shortstop and batting eighth for the Brewers on Wednesday.
The Brewers are facing right-hander Gavin Williams, and Monasterio is still getting the start over Joey Ortiz. Monasterio has started the last three games, two at shortstop and one at third base, while both Ortiz and Caleb Durbin continue to struggle. Monasterio hit .250 with four home runs and eight steals in 30 games at Triple-A this season.
Colby Thomas went 4-for-6 with three RBI and two runs scored for Triple-A Las Vegas on Tuesday.
Thomas and his fellow Triple-A outfielder Denzel Clarke continue to put on a show in Triple-A, with Clarke also driving in three runs in this game. Clarke is on the 40-man roster while Thomas is not, but Thomas is slashing .314/.372/.551 in 37 games this season with eight home runs and two steals. The Athletics may need to find at-bats for both of these guys at some point over the summer.
Mariners C prospect Harry Ford went 4-for-4 with a home run, three RBIs, and three runs scored for Triple-A Tacoma on Tuesday.
Ford is now hitting .292 with an .851 OPS, two home runs, and 12 RBI on the season. There is no spot for the 22-year-old in Seattle, but it’s nice to see him begin to find his power stroke a bit.
Dalton Rushing went 2-for-5 with a walk, a home run, three RBI, and two runs scored for Triple-A Oklahoma City on Tuesday.
The 24-year-old is now hitting .308 with a .938 OPS, five home runs, and 17 RBI on the season. Rushing is primarily a catcher but has also played nine games at first base and two games in left field this season as the Dodgers look to create any path for him to get at-bats with the big league club.