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The defending World Series champion Texas Rangers have already run into adversity this season, as second-year slugger Josh Jung suffered a fractured wrist in Monday night's 9-3 win over the Tampa Bay Rays in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Jung, who was 3-for-4 with four RBIs and a home run in the game, swung at a Phil Maton 87 mph sinker that came in on him and hit his wrist / forearm. Because Jung swung, a strike was called to make it a 2-2 count with bases loaded and one out in the ninth.
Josh Smith replaced Jung and finished the at-bat, drawing a walk and bringing in a run.
"I just feel horrible for him," Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said of Jung in a postgame interview. "He's had such tough luck on this thing as far as the injuries and it puts a damper on this one. ... He'll be back."
"It's going to be a little while," Bochy added in terms of any sort of timeline for Jung's return.
The third-year third baseman was on a tear in the early going of this season, batting .412 with a 1.415 OPS at the time of his injury. He has two home runs and six RBIs.
Jung finished fourth in American League Rookie of the Year voting last season and may have finished higher had he not missed 40 games, most of them because of a fractured thumb. An All-Star in 2023, Jung finished the season with a .266/.315/.467 slash line, hitting 23 home runs, driving in 70 runs and scoring 75.
Jung batted .308 with three home runs, eight RBIs and 13 runs scored in 17 playoff games in the Rangers' run to the World Series last season.
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MLB Writer Proposes Surprising Cardinals-Dodgers Last-Second Deal
There has been so much trade chatter and speculation about the St. Louis Cardinals over the last few months. Right when the 2024 Major League Baseball season came to an end, Nolan Arenado's future was up in the air and has still been talked about to this day. The Cardinals obviously wanted to trade him and it wouldn't be shocking if they still wanted to. St. Louis wanted to trim payroll and open up spaces for young guys. Arenado is still with the team and that seems like the most likely option with Opening Day just about two weeks away. Nothing can be ruled out, for sure, but there have been months to get a deal done and it just doesn't seem likely right now. If the Cardinal are going to deal Arenado it seems like it would be more likely around the trade deadline or next offseason. While this is the case, there is still speculation about his future. FanSided's Zach Pressnell made a hypothetical Cardinals and Los Angeles Dodgers deal involving Arenado with Hyeseong Kim starting the year in the minors. "Dodgers receive: 3B Nolan Arenado and $25 million," Pressnell said. "Cardinals receive: RHP Bobby Miller. This deal is simple. The Cardinals would send Arenado and $25 million to help pay for his deal to the Dodgers in exchange for former top prospect Bobby Miller." On paper, this seems like a pretty fair deal for both sides. The Cardinals would get a pitcher with a ton of upside and the Dodgers would get another star. While this is the case, Los Angeles has Max Muncy still and a massive payroll, and plenty of talent already. Arenado would probably love this deal, but it doesn't seem likely right now. Maybe in a few months.
Browns insider predicts trade with Giants, stunning QB move
The Cleveland Browns possess the second overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. They are likely hoping that Miami's Cam Ward, the "consensus" No. 1 quarterback in this year's class, remains available after the Tennessee Titans make their selection with the first overall pick. However, Browns insider Tony Grossi of ESPN Cleveland/The Land on Demand and NFL reporter Darryl Slater of NJ Advance Media for NJ.com believe the Titans will take Ward with the draft's top pick. Thus, Grossi predicted in his latest mock draft that the Browns will trade their No. 2 selection to the New York Giants for pick No. 3 and choice No. 65 this year, along with a 2026 third-round pick. Grossi thinks this could result in the Giants taking Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders at No. 2 and the Browns landing Ole Miss signal-caller Jaxson Dart with the third pick. Following the NFL Scouting Combine, some speculated that the Browns could select Sanders with the second pick and that the Giants would "reach" for Dart at No. 3. Sanders has been linked with the Giants since at least December. Still, numerous reports revealed that some teams don't view him as a first-round prospect after he allegedly "hit the wrong notes in combine interviews." Perhaps there's reason to believe the Browns are one of those clubs. As of Thursday afternoon, the Giants and Browns continued to be mentioned as potential landing spots for veteran quarterbacks such as Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson and Kirk Cousins, even though the Atlanta Falcons seem serious about not releasing Cousins anytime soon. Grossi wrote that "signing either Cousins or Wilson might be the clearest signal yet of the Browns taking a position player other than quarterback with their first pick," and ESPN's Field Yates thinks Cleveland could draft Colorado wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter over both Sanders and Dart. Interestingly, Dart's supposed rise in draft stock has coincided with Sanders sliding down the board in mock drafts. It's difficult to know what to believe during the draft process's "smokescreen season," but it's worth noting that NFL insider Connor Hughes of SNY shared on March 5 that at least "one team source" had Dart ranked ahead of Sanders following the combine. It remains to be seen if the Browns or Giants would be bold enough to select Dart over Sanders with the second pick in the draft.
Vikings Lose Former 1st-Round Pick to Chiefs: Report
The Minnesota Vikings bolstered their defensive front in free agency, signing Jonathan Allen (three years, $51 million) and Javon Hargrave (two years, $30 million) to lucrative contracts. It was a significant investment for the Vikings, who ranked 28th in spending on the defensive line with just $11.7 million spent on five rostered defensive linemen in 2024. That unit provided plenty of value, allowing the second-fewest rushing yards in the league, but offered more to be desired in the pass rush. It led to the Vikings selling out to create pressure, blitzing at the highest rate in the NFL. The desire to improve the defensive line has led several meaningful contributors to reach free agency, but there is still the possibility of re-signing as depth. However, that won't be the case with a former first-round pick who signed with the Kansas City Chiefs on Day 5 of free agency. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported on Friday, March 14, that Jerry Tillery is signing a one-year deal with the Chiefs. The 28th overall pick by the Los Angeles Chargers in the 2019 draft, Tillery didn't live up to his draft status initially and was released after three seasons. He spent two seasons with the Las Vegas Raiders before signing a one-year, $3.8 million deal with the Vikings last season. Tillery played every game and made 11 starts, playing the third-most snaps (482) on the defensive front last season. He totaled 19 pressures and 19 total tackles, according to Pro Football Focus (PFF). Fellow starter Jonathan Bullard remains a free agent while nose tackle Harrison Phillips is poised to start with Allen and Hargrave on each of his shoulders. Bullard and Tillery's combined 25 total pressures pale in comparison to Allen and Hargrave's 113 combined pressures from the 2023 season. Jihad Ward, who played 452 snaps last season, is also still a free agent. Meanwhile, the Vikings have retained Jalen Redmond and Levi-Drake Rodriguez as developmental pieces.
NHL insider reveals young star traded to Buffalo was 'devastated' in debut
Josh Norris had made a home in the NHL in Ottawa, and after the trade to Buffalo, he was unsurprisingly devastated by the change in circumstances, with a major insider revealing how sorry he felt for the 25-year old star. The Ottawa Senators made some big moves at the trade deadline, but none were bigger than giving up franchise mainstay Josh Norris in a deal that saw them acquire Dylan Cozens from the Buffalo Sabres. Since arriving in Ottawa, Cozens had been thriving, showing how happy he is to finally be off the struggling Sabres, but unfortunately on the other side of the coin, Norris was devastated by the move. That comment comes from Elliotte Friedman, who pointed out the obvious as he watched Norris make his debut for the Sabres, as he went from a Stanley Cup Playoffs race to a team that has the longest drought in the NHL, stretching back 14 years. In three games thus far, Norris has tallied a goal and an assist, but given the change in scenery which made Brady Tkachuk immensely emotional after spending six seasons in Ottawa, it's easy to see why he's frustrated and upset about his change in scenery. Ultimately, the Sabres are now likely to keep Norris as a key piece of their future, and with another five years left on his current deal with a $7.95 million cap hit every season. While he's got plenty of talent and could be great for Buffalo, it's hard not to feel sorry for him after all he gave to Ottawa through an injury-riddled run with the team.
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