MLB Rumors: Should Bryce Harper expect punishment?
Despite missing a month of action, Philadelphia Phillies slugger Bryce Harper could enter the NL MVP conversation shortly. Harper's numbers since returning to the lineup have been otherworldly. He underwent Tommy John surgery just five months ago, only to return in record timing and not miss a beat.
During Sunday's game in Colorado, Harper got heated. Harper chirped at Rockies reliever Jake Bird, which led to a benches-clearing incident at Coors Field. Rob Thomson loved every minute of it, stating that Harper is a real leader in the clubhouse and willing to stick up for his teammates.
"You never want to see your star players get thrown out of the game, but he's protecting his teammates," Thomson told FanSided's Kevin Henry. "That's what this group does. They protect each other. They fight for each other. I'm proud of him for it. He's an emotional guy and he was sticking up for his teammates."
As to whether he should expect some sort of punishment, a fine could be in Harper's future, as well as Bird's. Rob Manfred and MLB rarely let incidents like what occurred on Sunday happen without retribution.
"I never want to put myself in the danger of getting hurt or anything like that. But, like I said, when anybody does anything to my teammates or anything like that, I just don't agree with that. And that's how I react when people come after my team or anything else," Harper said postgame.
Had Harper thrown a bunch, he would have put himself at risk. Thankfully, the conflict died down without much violence.
MLB Rumors: Could Braves ace Spencer Strider make history?
Atlanta Braves pitcher Spencer Strider has been one of the best hurlers in baseball so far this season. While the year is young, Strider is on pace to reach a strikeouts-per-nine innings mark that no pitcher has averaged over the course of an entire season.
Strider, at 15.9 K/9 after Friday's start against the Toronto Blue Jays, leads baseball. No MLB player has ever averaged over 15 K/9 over the course of a full season. Strider, with some of the most electric stuff in all of baseball, has the pitch arsenal to make it happen.
"I felt great," Strider said after his last start. "I could have kept going if I could have kept getting outs. It's my job to be out there until they take the ball away. So as long as they let me pitch, I'll pitch."
Strider arguably pitched his best game of the season in a defeat. The right-handed pitcher recorded 32 swings and misses, which beats his previous high of 31 from earlier this season. His slider, in particular, was impossible to hit, as the Blue Jays whiffed 16 times on that pitch alone.
"The slider is something I felt like I made great improvement with during the last outing, and I was glad to carry it over tonight," Strider said. "But you know, I probably should have thrown one more."
Somehow, Strider is finding ways to one-up himself.
MLB Rumors: What did Tim Anderson say about the White Sox?
No, Tim Anderson did not pull an Alec Bohm, despite what some amateur lip readers might want you to think. Anderson is the homegrown star of the Chicago White Sox, a team failing to live up to its expectations this season.
The team on Chicago's south side could very well be sellers. While the White Sox won 93 games in 2021 and the AL Central in the process, they've failed to make the postseason since, and are one of the worst teams in baseball so far this year. Chicago took on the Houston Astros over the weekend, which includes longtime Sox first baseman Jose Abreu.
Anderson found his way on base, and spoke to Abreu about the current iteration of this White Sox team. Some fans thought he said "I hate this place."
Now, it's impossible to confirm what Anderson said unless you were there. Per White Sox anchor Chuck Garfien, Anderson was instead complaining about the pitch clock, rather than the team or its fans.
Now that makes far more sense. Anderson is a player to wear his emotions on his sleeve, but to insists that he hates playing for Chicago is a bit of a stretch, no?