News
Wyatt Langford went 3-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI in the Rangers’ 2-0 win over the Giants on Friday.
Jamal Murray (illness) has been upgraded to available to play in Game 6 against the Thunder on Thursday.
Murray will be good to go after being a late addition to the injury report, which isn’t that surprising. It would’ve taken a significant illness for him to miss an elimination game, though the fact that he was questionable may speak to how sick he is. That could result in a poor shooting performance for him, or it could lead to a legendary tale.
JJ Bleday is not in the Athletics’ starting lineup for Thursday night’s showdown against the Dodgers.
The Dodgers are going with a bullpen game on Thursday with left-hander Justin Wrobleski expected to work bulk innings out of the bullpen, so Bleday getting a breather makes sense. Seth Brown will start in his place in center field and bat third for the A’s.
Astros’ general manager Dana Brown told reporters on Thursday that the team should know more on Hayden Wesneski (elbow) in the next 36 hours.
The lack of an update isn’t in itself a bad thing, though it sounds like they could be waiting on a second opinion after his MRI revealed only inflammation in his pitching elbow. It sounds like we should have an update on his timeline before the weekend is through.
White Sox acquired RHP Miguel Castro from the Astros for cash considerations.
The 30-year-old right-hander had an opt-out clause coming up in his minor league deal, so the Astros decided to flip him someplace where he’ll get an opportunity. He’s expected to join the White Sox’ bullpen on Friday.
Will Smith is not in the Dodgers’ starting lineup for Thursday night’s tilt against the Athletics.
It appears to be nothing more than a routine night off for the hard-hitting backstop. Dalton Rushing will start behind the plate in his place and will bat seventh against A’s right-hander Osvaldo Bido on Thursday evening.
ESPN’s Jordan Raanan expects Jaxson Dart to sit his entire rookie year if “all goes well.”
The problem with that otherwise sensible opinion, of course, is that it is extremely unlikely “all goes well” with Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston on a roster that found itself picking at No. 3 overall last month. If the Giants are genuinely serious about redshirting Dart for a year, it will be easier than most places because of the presence of two veteran quarterbacks instead of just one, but coach Brian Daboll and GM Joe Schoen both have their jobs on the line. That almost equals “break rookie glass.” Teams have become more amenable to sitting blue-chip rookie QBs in recent years, but we would be stunned if Dart fails to make 2025 starts.