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2 years ago

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  • ESPN News Services

Nov 14, 2023, 12:45 PM ET

NEW YORK — Carlos Mendoza began his tenure as Mets manager emphasizing how close the team was to success in 2022, not how far it descended this past season.

“I’m not just creating a new culture. People need to understand that this is a team that won 100 games not too long ago,” Mendoza said at a Citi Field news conference Tuesday, a day after his hiring was announced. “They started to create something special, and I’m coming in to continue to add to that culture, to continue to add to those positive things that were already building.”

Mendoza became the third Mets manager since Steve Cohen bought the team in November 2020, following Luis Rojas and Buck Showalter.

“We expect to compete in 2024,” he said.

Mendoza, 43, was introduced at the Piazza 31 Club, last used to unveil a manager (Carlos Beltrán) in November 2019 during the waning days of the Wilpon ownership.

Mendoza, who had been a Yankees coach for six seasons, agreed to a three-year contract that includes a 2027 team option. He was introduced by David Stearns, the team’s new president of baseball operations.

“I’m excited about our roster,” Mendoza said. “We got some work to do, and I trust David and his team to continue to make improvement.”

After New York went 101-61 in 2022 and lost to the Padres in the wild-card round, the Mets became the most expensive flop in baseball history. They finished fourth in the NL East this year at 75-87 despite a record payroll projected to finish at $346 million plus a luxury tax on track to be $102 million.

“One of the unique things about Carlos that people told me about him and that I felt through the interview process is this is someone with tremendous people skills, that people like, get along with, can relate to, but he holds people to incredibly high standards and he talks about accountability,” Stearns said.

“He also kind of lives it. And that is difficult to find. It’s difficult to find people that are leaders that people really like and enjoy working with.”

Mendoza became the major leagues’ second Venezuelan-born manager after Ozzie Guillén. Mendoza beamed as he put on a No. 28 jersey, less than half his No. 64 with the Yankees.

“When I first started playing winter ball with Tiburones de La Guaira, they gave me this number and I won the rookie of the year that year and fans started buying that jersey,” Mendoza said. “When I first met my wife, at the time it was on September 28th, so the 28th has been a huge number.”

Mendoza also interviewed with the Padres, Giants and Guardians this offseason, returning to Florida from his visit with the Padres. He was among six candidates put through initial seven-hour Zoom sessions by the Mets, with Stearns leading the first hour before others took over. Mendoza traveled to New York for a second series of interviews, including with Cohen and wife Alex.

“You guys put me to work,” Mendoza said.

He understood Craig Counsell was a contender, having worked for Stearns in Milwaukee. Counsell left the Brewers for the Cubs last week.

“Kind of like a waiting game,” Mendoza said. “It’s something that he earned.”

Mendoza played in the minor leagues from 1997-2009 with the Giants, Yankees and independent Pensacola Pelicans. Mendoza name-checked influential baseball figures who impacted his life, starting when he was 5 and met Luis Aparacio in an elevator of the apartment building they lived in.

Mendoza attended Giants big league camp under Dusty Baker, became friends with Rob Thompson and Willie Randolph — Mendoza danced around questions whether Randolph could be among his coaches. He thanked Luis Rojas, a current Yankees coach predecessor as Mets manager, and the late Mark Newman, a Yankees executive who first told Mendoza he could become a big league manager.

He said he questioned the Mets on their commitment to winning short term and long.

“They blew me away,” Mendoza said. “The other clubs were pretty impressive, too.”

He also inquired about the Mets’ adoption of analytics, “how much, the way they use it, how they use it, why they use it, how they come up with matchups and models and all that.”

On a cool autumn afternoon, with Mendoza looking larger than life on the huge center-field video board, optimism abounded. That will last only until the first losing streak. Stearns acknowledged the crucible created by New York’s tabloids, talk radio and assertive fans.

“I recognize that this is a unique environment for managers,” he said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Braves’ Riley on IL; Holmes passes on TJ surgery

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August 5, 2025

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Braves' Riley on IL; Holmes passes on TJ surgery

  • ESPN News Services

Aug 4, 2025, 11:19 AM ET

Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley on Monday was placed on the 10-day injured list for the second time in two months with a strained lower abdominal muscle.

Right-hander Grant Holmes, meanwhile, has opted to rehab his injured right elbow rather than undergoing Tommy John surgery, manager Brian Snitker told reporters.

Riley suffered the injury while tagging out Cincinnati’s Elly De La Cruz near home plate in the Braves’ 4-2 win on Sunday in the rain-delayed MLB Speedway Classic at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Riley also landed on the IL on July 12 with a strained abdomen. He returned on July 25.

The Braves recalled infielders Nacho Alvarez Jr. and Jonathan Ornelas from Triple-A Gwinnett before opening a home series against Milwaukee on Monday night. The team optioned outfielder Jarred Kelenic to Gwinnett following Sunday’s game.

Riley is hitting .260 with 16 homers and 54 RBIs.

Snitker said Holmes, who has damage to his UCL, made the decision to not have surgery at the present time after consulting with two doctors. The pitcher could also reconsider and have surgery after the season.

Snitker did not give a timeline as to when Snitker, who was placed on the 60-day injured list on July 27, will begin throwing again. He is not eligible to be activated until Sept. 26.

Holmes is 4-9 with a 3.99 ERA and 123 strikeouts this season. He had 15 strikeouts in a game against the Colorado Rockies in June.

The Braves’ other Opening Day starters also are all on the injured list, with AJ Smith-Shawver out for the season after having Tommy John surgery.

Snitker said All-Star left-hander Chris Sale threw a bullpen session as he works his way back from a fractured rib. He is next scheduled to throw live batting practice.

Reynaldo Lopez, who was placed on the IL on March 29 with shoulder inflammation after one start, is playing catch, but Snitker said there is no timetable for his return.

Spencer Schwellenbach, who is recovering from a fractured elbow, has not resumed throwing.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Astros’ Paredes to forgo season-ending surgery

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August 5, 2025

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Astros' Paredes to forgo season-ending surgery

  • ESPN News Services

Aug 4, 2025, 05:15 PM ET

Houston Astros third baseman Isaac Paredes has opted to forgo season-ending surgery on his strained right hamstring and instead will rehab the injury in an effort to return this season, general manager Dana Brown told reporters Monday.

The 26-year-old Paredes, who is hitting .259 with 19 home runs and 50 RBIs this season, was placed on the injured list on July 20 after he was hurt while running to first base. Brown said the injury was “severe.”

Paredes has received a platelet-rich plasma injection and has had multiple rounds of imaging. His rehab stint, which will mostly take place in Houston around the team, will begin after a “long period” of letting the hamstring rest before beginning any sort of exercise, Brown said.

If Paredes undergoes surgery, he likely wouldn’t be able to return for at least six months.

“His whole opinion on this is, he wants to work hard to try to get back this season,” Brown said Monday. “Of course, he’s going to dedicate himself to getting back.”

The Astros were proactive at the trade deadline, acquiring infielder Carlos Correa from the Minnesota Twins. Correa, a Rookie of the Year and two-time All-Star in his prior stint with the Astros, has agreed to move from shortstop to third base while Paredes is out of the lineup.

The Astros (62-50) currently lead the AL West with around 50 games remaining in the regular season.

“He’s doing well and he’s working hard,” Astros manager Joe Espada said of Paredes. “He’s in good spirits, and I know he would rather be on the field. We hope for the best.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Yankees sign veteran Maeda to minor league deal

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2 hours ago

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August 5, 2025

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Yankees sign veteran Maeda to minor league deal

  • Associated Press

Aug 4, 2025, 07:19 PM ET

NEW YORK — The New York Yankees signed right-hander Kenta Maeda to a minor league deal.

New York announced the move Monday. The 37-year-old Maeda had been pitching for Triple-A Iowa, the top minor league affiliate for the Chicago Cubs, but he was released Saturday.

The Yankees assigned Maeda to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Maeda had a 7.88 ERA in seven relief appearances for Detroit before he was designated for assignment on May 1. He went 3-7 with a 6.09 ERA in 17 starts and 12 relief appearances in his first year with the Tigers after agreeing to a $24 million, two-year contract in November 2023.

Maeda pitched well in his last two starts with Iowa, giving up one run and five hits in 12 innings. He went 3-4 with a 4.85 ERA in 12 starts with the Triple-A team.

Maeda made his major league debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2016, going 16-11 with a 3.48 ERA in 32 starts. He went 6-1 with a 2.70 ERA in 11 starts for Minnesota during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, finishing second in AL Cy Young Award balloting.

Maeda, who sat out the 2022 season because of Tommy John surgery, is 68-56 with a 4.20 ERA in 226 major league games, including 172 starts.

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