Sports
Padres pin White Sox with 119th loss of season
Sep 21, 2024; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres shortstop Xander Bogaerts (right) throws to first base after forcing out Chicago White Sox designated hitter Bryan Ramos (44) at second base to complete a double play to end the top of the eighth inning at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images Xander Bogaerts, David Peralta and Elias Diaz all homered as the San Diego Padres sent the visiting Chicago White Sox to the brink of modern major league history with a 6-2 victory on Saturday night.
Left-hander Martin Perez (5-5) improved to 3-0 in nine starts with San Diego, permitting one run on two hits and three walks in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out six. Four relievers took care of things from there, with Tanner Scott getting the last five outs for his 22nd save of the year.
Chicago starter Chris Flexen (2-15) yielded eight hits and four runs in five innings, walking two and fanning three. The outcome dropped the White Sox to 36-119 in 2024, putting them one setback away from matching the 1962 New York Mets for the most losses in a single season in modern big-league history.
Chicago had a chance to completely erase a 4-1 deficit in the eighth after getting a run when Bryan Ramos drew a bases-loaded walk while facing Jason Adam. But Scott came in and got Dominic Fletcher to ground into an inning-ending double play to spoil the rally.
Diaz added insurance in the bottom of the eighth with his first homer as a member of the Padres and his sixth overall of the year, a two-run shot to left-center.
The Padres (89-66) still hold a two-game lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks for the National League’s top wild-card spot. San Diego is also 3 1/2 games behind the first-place Dodgers in the NL West. Los Angeles was scheduled to play the Colorado Rockies later Saturday.
Bogaerts gave San Diego a 2-0 lead in the second when he pounced on a cutter and drilled it an estimated 426 feet to left-center for a two-run shot. It was Bogaerts’ 11th homer of the year.
Peralta made it 3-0 in the fourth, cracking his eighth homer of the season an estimated 393 feet. The Padres’ fourth run scored an inning later, as Jackson Merrill followed Jurickson Profar’s leadoff double with a one-out RBI single.
Lenyn Sosa got the White Sox on the board in the sixth with a single that plated Luis Robert Jr.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Bobby Witt Jr. put on 10-day IL, likely sealing Royals' seller status
Jul 18, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. (7) makes a diving stop during the third inning against the San Diego Padres at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. landed on the 10-day injured list on Wednesday due to tightness in his lower back.
A starter for the American League in the All-Star Game last week, Witt left the Royals’ 4-3 win against the San Francisco Giants on Monday with back spasms. The roster move is retroactive to Tuesday.
Being without their best player for any length of time is likely the crowning blow for the Royals, who at 42-60 have a better record than only the Los Angeles Angels (41-60) and Colorado Rockies (41-61) heading into play Wednesday.
Because of the relative weakness of the AL Central, the Royals are 12 games behind the division-leading Chicago White Sox and Cleveland Guardians. But with a little more than two months to play and a dozen games to make up, Witt’s injury should insure the Royals will be sellers at the trade deadline on Aug. 3.
Veteran starting pitchers Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha are projected to be coveted by contenders, though the Royals have said they are not inclined to move either right-hander.
In 94 games this season, Witt is batting .289 with 13 homers and 39 RBIs. He has 103 hits and 22 doubles, scoring 51 runs.
His 30 stolen bases lead the major leagues.
Witt is a three-time All-Star and the winner of two Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards. He won the AL batting title in 2024 when he led the majors with a .332 average.
Kansas City’s shortstop since 2022, Witt has a career average of .288 with 118 home runs, 412 RBIs and 178 stolen bases in 720 games.
In a corresponding move, the Royals promoted 32-year-old Andrew Velazquez from Triple-A Omaha. He is a well-traveled utility infielder who has not played in the major leagues since 2023.
He and Tyler Tolbert, a 28-year-old infielder hitting .328 in 38 games this year, are expected to share duties at shortstop.
The Royals also transferred right-hander Stephen Kolek to the 60-day injured list, designated center fielder Kameron Misner for assignment and traded right-hander Nate Pearson to the Houston Astros in exchange for right-hander Max Martin.
–Field Level Media
Sports
O's place rookie C Samuel Basallo (shoulder) on 10-day IL
Jul 12, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles catcher Samuel Basallo (29) throws to first for an out during the seventh inning against the Kansas City Royals at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images Already without injured starter Adley Rutschman, the Baltimore Orioles placed rookie catcher Samuel Basallo on the 10-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation on Wednesday.
The roster move is retroactive to Monday. In a corresponding move, the Orioles recalled right fielder Johnathan Rodriguez from Triple-A Norfolk.
Basallo, 21, is enjoying a solid first full season in the majors, posting 16 homers and 46 RBIs to go along with a .241 batting average in 86 games. He left Sunday’s game at the Houston Astros with right shoulder discomfort and did not play in Monday’s series opener at the Boston Red Sox.
Sam Huff started Monday and also was behind the plate Wednesday afternoon in the opener of a day-night doubleheader against Boston. Tuesday night’s game was rained out.
Rodriguez, 26, is 0-for-7 with an RBI in five games this season with Baltimore. He played 44 games for the Cleveland Guardians in 2024-25, hitting .176 with two home runs and 15 RBIs.
–Field Level Media
Sports
No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza, Raiders at odds over bonus
Jun 9, 2026; Henderson, NV, USA; Las Vegas Raiders offensive coordinator Andrew Janocko (left) talks with quarterbacks Fernando Mendoza (15) and Kirk Cousins (8) during minicamp at Intermountain Health Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images What’s the deal with Fernando Mendoza as the Raiders begin training camp with rookies due in Las Vegas on Thursday?
The franchise might be without the No. 1 overall pick, and the cause of his absence is a clause in his unsigned rookie deal.
The Heisman Trophy winner is locked into the four-year, $57.2 million contract parameters set by the collective bargaining agreement, with a $38.11 million signing bonus.
Representatives for Mendoza, according to multiple reports, are asking for the entire signing bonus at the time the rookie puts pen to paper on his first pro deal. Fact is, the lump sum bonus for No. 1 picks has become a matter of course since the Cincinnati Bengals decided to pay Joe Burrow, the top pick in the 2020 draft, his full signing bonus before ever taking a snap. After some posturing and public consternation, the Jacksonville Jaguars followed suit in 2021 (Trevor Lawrence) and 2022 (Travon Walker).
Rookies report for the first day of training camp with the Raiders on Thursday and veterans join next week, including backup quarterback Kirk Cousins. Cousins could start the season as the No. 1 quarterback even if Mendoza decides to sign.
But he’s not the only quarterback giving the stiff-arm to his rookie contract at the moment. A line formed behind Mendoza with Rams rookie first-round pick Ty Simpson (13th overall) waiting to see whether any precedent is established with the only quarterback drafted ahead of him. Carson Beck (65th overall by the Arizona Cardinals) and Drew Allar (76th overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers) were in the same holding pattern as of Wednesday afternoon.
–Field Level Media
Bobby Witt Jr. put on 10-day IL, likely sealing Royals' seller status
O's place rookie C Samuel Basallo (shoulder) on 10-day IL
