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In an upcoming edition of the Baseball Isnt Boring podcast, veteran reliever told host Rob Bradford ( ) that he isnt yet planning to retire, and that the right-hander is aiming to return next season and pitch in what would be his 14th Major League campaign. While there hadnt been any particular indication that Kelly was thinking of calling it a career, it was fair to wonder about his future considering his recent injury history. Kelly was limited to 35 games and 32 innings for the Dodgers this season due to recurring shoulder problems, most prominently a right posterior strain that put him on the injured list for about 2.5 months. The right-hander then mi sed a little under three weeks during another IL stint due to shoulder sorene s, and mi sed out on the Dodgers playoff run after ( manager Dave Roberts) tweaking his shoulder during a simulated game in early October. Kelly did tell Bradford that he thought he might get inserted onto the World Series roster if the Fall Cla sic had gone to a Game 6, perhaps due to another injury within the Dodgers bullpen. Sam Hilliard Jersey Kelly has now visited the IL on ten separate occasions over the last five seasons, due to a variety of both arm-related (shoulder, elbow inflammation, nerve problem in his bicep) i sues and other maladies like a groin strain or a hamstring strain. The longest of these IL stints was this seasons trip to the 60-day IL for the shoulder strain, but the sheer number of knocks clearly makes durability a big concern for Kelly as he heads into his age-37 season. Unsurprisingly, Kellys performance has tended to fluctuate pretty wildly amidst all these injuries. He has a 4.21 ERA over 162 1/3 innings since the start of the 2020 season, with a strong 29.4% strikeout rate but also an 11.2% walk rate. Kelly had this same walk rate during the 2024 season, though only with a 24.5K% and a 4.78 ERA in his 32 frames. Most of his metrics were below average, yet Kelly can still bring elite velocity with his 98.1 mph fastball. That eye-popping heater will still surely get Kelly some looks from interested teams in free agency this winter, though landing anything beyond a one-year contract would count as a surprise. Kellys past forays into the open market have netted some healthy contracts a three-year, $25MM pact with the Dodgers in December 2018, then a two-year, $17MM deal with the White Sox prior to the start of the 2022 season. That latter contract contained a $9.5MM club option for 2024 that the Dodgers (who re-acquired Kelly at the 2023 trade deadline) declined, though they then re-signed Kelly on a one-year, $8MM pact for 2024. Returning to L.A. on a lower salary could certainly be in the cards, as there is some obvious fondne s between the two sides and Kelly would surely love a crack at a fourth World Series ring. Beyond the Dodgers, pretty much any team in need of extra bullpen velo could consider Kelly in the hopes that he is due for another bounce-back year, even with the caveat that is seems unlikely hed avoid the injured list for an entire season. Colorado Rockies Jersey

Here are three things to keep an eye on around MLB today 1. Goldschmidt injury watch: Yankees first baseman was unavailable for yesterdays game after suffering a knee injury in Tuesdays rout of the Twins. The team announced yesterday that Goldschmidt has a low-grade sprain with some inflammation. Goldschmidt that hes hoping for a short-term absence and thinks theres a chance he could avoid the injured list entirely. The Yankees are off today, though its hardly uncommon for clubs to provide medical updates even on off-days. Goldschmidt, wholl turn 38 next month, has cooled considerably since a blistering start to the season. Hes still hitting .276/.331/.422 overall (108 wRC+), but nearly all of his production came in April and May. Since June 1, hes hitting just .207/.259/.340 (63 wRC+) in 203 trips to the plate. 2. Muncy being evaluated for potential injury: was scratched from yesterdays game after feeling discomfort in his right side, . Hell be further evaluated today. Muncys season has been the opposite of Goldschmidt. The 34-year-old slugger Ricky Vaughn Jersey got out to a brutal start but caught fire in late April and has been in vintage form ever since. Muncy drew the ire of Dodgers fans when he opened the season with a woeful .167/.283/.231 performance through his first 25 games (92 plate appearances). Since then? Things look a little different. Muncy has turned in a mammoth .294/.427/.592 batting line with 17 home runs and more walks (18.8%) than strikeouts (15.7%) in his past 255 plate appearances. Hes averaging 91.6 mph off the bat in that time and sporting an enormous 53.3% hard-hit rate. By measure of wRC+, hes been 80% better than average at the plate since late April. Obviously, an absence of any note would sting terribly for Los Angeles, particularly in light of the teams recent slide in the standings. The Dodgers have dropped four games in a row and are just 12-21 over their past 33 games. Making matters worse for L.A. is that the red-hot Padres have won five straight games, leapfrogging the Dodgers for sole po se sion of first place in the National League West. 3. Top Cubs prospect set for debut in home country: Cubs fans should get their first look at top outfield prospect today, as hes as catcher heads to the injured list. As if his first call to the majors isnt sweet enough, the Canadian-born Cai sie will get the opportunity to make his debut in his home country, as the Cubs wrap up a road series against the Jays in Toronto. Cai sies name has kicked up in trade rumors both in the offseason and at the recent trade deadline, but the Cubs held onto him and all of their other most highly regarded prospects amid a surprisingly quiet deadline. Cai sie, a 2020 second-round pick, has slashed .289/.389/.566 (143 wRC+) with 22 homers, 26 doubles and two triples in 404 plate appearances during his second run through the Triple-A level. While his production has improved in his second stint at the level, Cai sies problematic strikeout rate remains largely unchanged. He fanned in 28.4% of his plate appearances in 127 Triple-A games last year and is at 28.2% through 93 games in 2025. Gavin Williams Jersey

The Brewers and left-hander have avoided arbitration, reports . The southpaw will make a salary of $2.05MM in the upcoming campaign. Friday is the deadline for clubs and arbitration-eligible players to submit salary figures, with hearings set to take place in late January. Many cases will be resolved as that deadline approaches, such as this one. Milner, 33 in January, first qualified for arbitration last year and made a salary of $1. Brandon Finnegan Jersey 025MM. projected him for a bump to $1.7MM in 2024, but he will beat that by a bit. He will be eligible for one more arbitration raise in 2025 before hes slated for free agency. He is coming off an excellent season in terms of run prevention, finishing with a 1.82 earned run average over 73 appearances out of the Milwaukee bullpen. He was likely helped by a .254 batting average on balls in play and 84.2% strand rate, both of which are on the lucky side of average. But he still had strong peripherals, with a 23.4% strikeout rate, 5.2% walk rate and 50.9% ground ball rate. ERA estimators like his 3.13 FIP and 3.43 SIERA suggest he wasnt quite as dominant as the ERA makes it look, but they still suggest it was a good performance nonethele s. He projects to be the top lefty in the Milwaukee bullpen in 2024, with depth options like , and also on the 40-man roster. Emilio Pagan Jersey

Cleveland Guardians (72-49, first in the AL Central) vs. Milwaukee Brewers (69-52, first in the NL Central) Milwaukee; Friday, 8:10 p.m. EDT PITCHING PROBABLES: Guardians: Gavin Williams (2-4, 4.38 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 42 strikeouts); Brewers: Aaron Civale (3-8, 5.17 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 113 strikeouts) : LINE Guardians -118, Brewers -102; over/under is 8 runs BOTTOM LINE: The Cleveland Guardians are looking to build upon a five-game win streak with a victory against the Milwaukee Brewers. Milwaukee is 35-24 at home and 69-52 overall. Brewers hitters have a collective .405 slugging percentage to rank seventh in the NL. Cleveland has gone 34-29 in road games and 72-49 overall. The Guardians have a 32-9 record in games when they hit at least two home runs. Friday' Joe Crede Jersey s game is the first meeting between these teams this season. TOP PERFORMERS: William Contreras has 32 doubles, two triples, 16 home runs and 70 RBI for the Brewers. Willy Adames is 12-for-39 with a double, four home runs and 10 RBI over the last 10 games. Jose Ramirez has 27 doubles, a triple and 31 home runs for the Guardians. Andres Gimenez is 12-for-36 with two doubles and five RBI over the past 10 games. LAST 10 GAMES: Brewers: 7-3, .262 batting average, 3.20 ERA, outscored opponents by 22 runs Guardians: 5-5, .225 batting average, 4.15 ERA, outscored by two runs INJURIES: Brewers: Blake Perkins: 10-Day IL (calf), Enoli Paredes: 60-Day IL (forearm), Hoby Milner: 15-Day IL (shoulder), Trevor Megill: 15-Day IL (back), Robert Ga ser: 60-Day IL (flexor), Rob Zastryzny: 15-Day IL (elbow), Christian Yelich: 10-Day IL (back), Oliver Dunn: 60-Day IL (back), J.B. Bukauskas: 60-Day IL (lat), Wade Miley: 60-Day IL (elbow), Brandon Woodruff: 60-Day IL (elbow) Guardians: Carlos Carrasco: 15-Day IL (hip), Sam Hentges: 15-Day IL (undisclosed), Shane Bieber: 60-Day IL (elbow), Trevor Stephan: 60-Day IL (elbow), James Karinchak: 60-Day IL (shoulder) The A sociated Pre s created this story using technology provided by and data from . Bill Melton Jersey

Texas Rangers (51-52, third in the AL West) vs. Toronto Blue Jays (46-56, fifth in the AL East) Toronto; Friday Christian Bethancourt Jersey , 7:07 p.m. EDT PITCHING PROBABLES: Rangers: Andrew Heaney (4-10, 3.60 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 101 strikeouts); Blue Jays: Yusei Kikuchi (4-9, 4.54 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 125 strikeouts) : LINE Blue Jays -126, Rangers +106; over/under is 8 runs BOTTOM LINE: The Toronto Blue Jays begin a three-game series at home against the Texas Rangers on Friday. Toronto has a 23-28 record in home games and a 46-56 record overall. The Blue Jays have a 15-7 record in games when they did not allow a home run. Texas is 22-29 on the road and 51-52 overall. The Rangers have hit 109 total home runs to rank ninth in the AL. Friday's game is the first meeting between these teams this season. TOP PERFORMERS: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has 21 doubles and 18 home runs while hitting .296 for the Blue Jays. George Springer is 10-for-39 with a double, a triple and three home runs over the last 10 games. Corey Seager leads Texas with 19 home runs while slugging .478. Marcus Semien is 13-for-36 with three home runs and three RBI over the last 10 games. LAST 10 GAMES: Blue Jays: 4-6, .236 batting average, 6.33 ERA, outscored by 25 runs Rangers: 7-3, .206 batting average, 3.46 ERA, even run differential INJURIES: Blue Jays: Bo Bichette: 10-Day IL (calf), Isiah Kiner-Falefa: 10-Day IL (knee), Jordan Romano: 15-Day IL (elbow), Alek Manoah: 15-Day IL (elbow) Rangers: Cole Winn: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Evan Carter: 10-Day IL (lumbar), Cody Bradford: 60-Day IL (back), Austin Pruitt: 60-Day IL (knee), Joshua Jung: 60-Day IL (wrist), Tyler Mahle: 60-Day IL (elbow), Jacob deGrom: 60-Day IL (elbow), Carson Coleman: 60-Day IL (elbow) The A sociated Pre s created this story using technology provided by and data from . Nico Hoerner Jersey

John Sterling after serving as the voice of the Yankees since 1989, but fellow broadcaster Michael Kay wondered why the legendary voice wont call one final game before hanging up his headphones. Kay was during Mondays The Michael Kay Show on ESPN New York and YES Network when he wondered out loud why Sterling wouldnt give the fans one final chance to hear him Bobby Doerr Jersey call a game. I dont know why he wont do one more game just to give people closure, Kay said during his radio program. People want to hear that one final game. They experienced that one final game and they didnt know it was his one final game. Michael Kay said that Yankees fans would love to hear one final John Sterling game. AP While he wont be back behind the mic calling a game, the Yankees will honor Sterling with a ceremony on Saturday, and he will make his way to the WFAN booth during the game that day. Still, The Michael Kay Show co-host Don La Greca agreed with Kay on wishing Sterling would do one more game, while Kay added later in the show that hed love to call a game with Sterling later in the season on YES. Explore More We cant say were surprised by this announcement because hes going to be 86 years old. La Greca explained. The day was going to come sooner than later, I just think people thought theyd know the last game. And I just wonder when he sees the outpouring of emotion from the fans, whether given the opportunity to do just one last game, whether he would take that opportunity. Sterling hasnt been behind the mic on a Yankees radio broadcast since April 7 when the Bombers defeated the Blue Jays 8-3 at Yankee Stadium. His final call was Dennis Santana striking out Cavan Biggio. John Sterlings retirement was announced Monday. USA TODAY Network Now the right-hander will deal the payoff, Sterling could be heard on his final call. Strike three is called. Ball game is over. And Yankees win. The Yankees win. They win it 8-3. They defeat Toronto two out of three and they go 8-2. Here's the final call of John Sterling's career Dennis Santana striking out Cavan Biggio. Sterling's final game was on April 7, 2024. The Yankees defeated the Blue Jays 8-3 Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) Sterlings final home run call in that same game when Giancarlo Stanton hit a grand slam in the bottom of the third. Non dimenticar! That ball sure traveled far! Giancarlo! Sterling that afternoon. In an interview on WFANs Evan and Tiki, Sterling seemed to indicate the thought of retiring had been something that was on his mind for some time and he expre sed regret in not making the decision earlier than he did. I just dont want to do any more work, he said. Ive worked for 64 years and in July Ill be 86, so lets face it, my time has come. Jorge Alfaro Jersey

right-hander and former ace added some flavor to Part 2 of the 2024 version of the Subway Series upon revealing last week that he told former teammates of his on the Yankees that they " " after they joked that the right-hander was scared to pitch against them. Severino later elaborated that he was joking around with his old friends and that he still roots for the Yankees from afar. "There were a lot of people, but I know that the guys from the team know that I was joking," the New York Post on Monday. "A lot of fans went crazy about it. The guys that I really care about are the team, and they knew I was joking around. Sometimes somebody is going to be pi sed, but in the end, I wasn't trying to hurt anybody." But Yankees star who's in his first season with the team and did not play with the current Mets pitcher responded to Severino's jab at the Yankees. "It is what it is. They can think whatever they want," on Tuesday. Severino's joke is based on how the Yankees' lineup has been inordinately reliant on 2022 AL MVP and Soto, who have combined for 60 of the team's 146 home runs this season. The duo of 2024 All-Star starters also make up Tippy Martinez Jersey the only two active everyday players on the Yankees who boast an OPS north of .750, which is considered roughly average. Soto, who appeared in his fourth All-Star Game last week, entered the Yankees' Tuesday night game against the Mets having totaled 25 home runs and 71 RBIs, while sporting a .311/.435/.594 slash line. In what's his first season with the Mets, Severino has posted a 3.58 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 88 strikeouts acro s 115.2 innings (19 starts). Severino posted a 6.65 ERA in his final season with the Yankees (2023) and hasn't pitched a full season since 2018 due to elbow and shoulder injuries, among others. The Yankees and Mets faced off earlier this season in Queens, with the Mets sweeping the two-game set and out-scoring the Yankees 21-9. They square off for the final time this week in the Bronx, but Severino isn't slated to start either game of the two-game slate. The two teams are going in opposite directions. While the Yankees are 60-42 which is good for the first AL wild-card seed and 1.5 games behind the for first place in the AL East they've lost 20 of their last 30 games. On the other hand, while the Mets are just 51-48 good for the third NL wild-card seed and third in the NL East they've won 27 of their last 40. It remains to be seen just what exactly the resurgent Mets will do before the MLB trade deadline next week, but the team is reportedly unlikely to trade All-Star first baseman , who will be a free agent next winter. [Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? .] FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience New York Mets Juan Soto Luis Severino Coby Mayo Jersey

The Pirates are in agreement with , as first reported by Francys Romero ( ). Its a one-year, $10.5MM guarantee, reports Joel Sherman of the New York Post ( ). Chapman is a Wa serman client. The deal is pending a physical; Pittsburgh will need to make a corresponding 40-man roster move once the contract is finalized. Chapman, who turns 36 next month, lands a one-year free agent deal for the second straight offseason. Limited to a fairly modest $3.75MM guarantee from the Royals a year ago, he lands a raise on Adam Duvall Jersey the heels of an impre sive season that culminated in his second World Series win. Chapman turned in a 3.09 ERA over 58 1/3 innings, striking out a laughable 41.4% of opposing hitters. Among relievers with 50+ innings, only Orioles star closer punched hitters out more frequently. The lefty split his year between two teams. He turned in dominant results for three months in Kansas City. Over 29 2/3 frames with the Royals, he pitched to a 2.45 ERA with a 43.4% strikeout rate. That production and his affordable salary made Chapman arguably the top rental reliever on the trade market. K.C. moved early, sending him to the Rangers in a one-for-one deal for former first-round pick at the end of June. Its the kind of result that rebuilding teams envision when signing a veteran to a one-year deal. Ragans had an excellent 12-start run to close the year and looks like a potential mid-rotation or better pitcher whom Kansas City controls for five more seasons. Texas knew they were getting a short-term acquisition, but Chapman provided them a much needed high-leverage bullpen arm. Over 29 regular season innings in Arlington, he posted a 3.72 ERA while fanning nearly 40% of batters faced. Chapman saved four games and picked up six holds in front of nominal closer . He continued to pitch in meaningful games during the Rangers run to the first title in franchise history. He picked up six more holds in nine playoff appearances, totaling eight innings of two-run ball. That came with only six strikeouts and five walks, but Chapman wiggled out of trouble more often than not in October. It was frequently an adventure when Chapman took the mound. While he has never had great command, his control has reached particularly worrisome levels over the last three years. He walked 14.5% of batters faced last year, the fifth-highest rate among pitchers to log at least 50 innings. That was neverthele s the southpaws lowest walk percentage since 2020. While Chapman is going to hand out his share of free baserunners, he remains one of the sports toughest pitchers to hit when hes around the strike zone. His four-seam fastball averaged 99 MPH last year, while his sinker sat above 101 MPH. Thats above the 97.5 MPH he averaged on the four-seam during his final season with the Yankees. His slider, which had averaged between 85-86 MPH for the previous few years, jumped to 88.1 MPH. That high-octane arsenal translated to plenty of whiffs. Only and Bautista had a lower opponents contact rate. Hitters put the bat on the ball on only three-fifths of their swings against Chapman. The Bucs will live with the free pa ses to add that kind of swing-and-mi s potential to the back of their bullpen. is entrenched in the ninth inning. Chapman will work in a setup capacity with the ability to step into the ninth should Bednar suffer an injury. He joins as left-handed bullpen options for skipper Derek Shelton. projects as Pittsburghs top righty setup arm. MLBTR Chapman to receive a two-year, $24MM pact. Hell instead settle for one season. The $10.5MM salary makes him the highest-paid player on the Pittsburgh roster this year (after accounting for cash considerations from the Mariners and Braves paying down $12MM deal). Hes the fourth player to ink a one-year free agent deal with the Pirates this winter, joining , and . The deal brings Pittsburghs projected player payroll around $79MM, as calculated by . The low-payroll club opened last season with roughly $73MM in commitments, per Cots Baseball Contracts. Theyre now set to raise spending this year, as GM Ben Cherington suggested at the beginning of the offseason, although it remains to be seen if the front office has any more room at its disposal. Pittsburgh could still seek rotation help and potentially a veteran option at second base, where they have a handful of young players (e.g. , , ) set to compete for at-bats. Owner Bob Nutting over the weekend he anticipated the team staying in the playoff mix for the entire season. Pittsburgh hasnt reached the postseason since 2015 and hasnt advanced to the Division Series in a decade. If that doesnt materialize, Chapman could find himself on the rental trade market for a second straight summer. Image courtesy of USA Today Sports. Mike Lum Jersey

Former Dodgers left-hander pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor domestic battery charge yesterday, . The L.A. City Attorneys office tells the City News Service that Urias will be placed on 36 months of probation, complete 30 days of community service, complete a year-long domestic violence Zach Davies Jersey counseling program, pay a fee to a domestic violence fund, pay restitution to the victim and abide by a protective order. Hes also forbidden from po se sing any weapons. A second domestic battery charge, one count of injuring a spouse, one count of a sault and one count of false imprisonment were dropped as a contingency of Urias no-contest plea to the charge of misdemeanor battery. Back in 2019, Urias was suspended 20 games under the leagues joint domestic violence, sexual a sault and child abuse policy but was never criminally charged. He was arrested a second time in Sept. 2023 after another wave of allegations arose when he was allegedly captured on cell phone video in a public altercation with a woman following an LAFC Major League Soccer match. He was released from custody after posting a $50,000 bond. Documents from the District Attorneys Office back in January indicated that Urias pushed the victim against a fence and pulled her by the hair or shoulders but ultimately referred Urias to the Los Angeles City Attorneys office for misdemeanor charges rather than felony charges. Last month, the L.A. City Attorney : one count of spousal battery, two counts of domestic battery involving a dating relationship, one count of a sault and one count of false imprisonment. With criminal proceedings drawing to a close, Major League Baseball will now presumably move to conclude its own investigation into the matter. MLB placed Urias on paid administrative leave just two days after the incident took place. Thats standard practice for players who are being investigated under the joint domestic violence, sexual a sault and child abuse policy and administrative leave in and of itself is not considered punitive in nature. However, in the event that criminal charges are brought forth and/or that the leagues own investigation determines that a suspension is warranted, any pay accrued while on leave can be rescinded. If and when the league follows Urias no-contest plea with a suspension, hell become the first player in history to receive multiple suspensions under the joint domestic violence, sexual a sault and child abuse policy. Urias became a free agent following the 2024 season and remains unsigned. Blaze Alexander Jersey