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SEATTLE — The Seattle Mariners will head into the offseason with four key players needing downtime or surgery to heal injuries, including AL Rookie of the Year favorite Julio Rodriguez.

Jerry Dipoto, Seattle’s president of baseball operations, said Wednesday that Rodriguez broke his left pinkie during Game 3 of the AL Division Series against the Houston Astros. Dipoto said an exit exam this week revealed the injury to the 21-year-old All-Star, but he’s not expected to need surgery.

Also needing downtime to recover from injuries are catcher Cal Raleigh (thumb) and standout reliever Andres Munoz (foot), while outfielder Jesse Winker has already undergone one of two operations needed to repair injuries he dealt with during the season.

“There’s quite a few,” Dipoto said.

Rodriguez got hurt sliding headfirst into second base on a double in the eighth inning of what became an 18-inning marathon the Mariners lost 1-0 to Houston that ended their season. Rodriguez also dealt with back and wrist injuries during the season, with the lower back strain popping up late in the season and costing him time when the Mariners were pushing for a postseason spot.

“He just needs to have some downtime, get his body feeling good again,” Seattle manager Scott Servais said. “He went through a lot. He’s never played this much baseball, certainly at this level, the intensity and the emotional toll that it takes on you when you go through a season like that.”

Raleigh played the final month of the season with a torn ligament in his left thumb, a painful injury that never got worse but never improved. Raleigh is expected to see a hand specialist in the coming days to determine whether surgery will be needed.

Raleigh was a huge piece of Seattle’s run to the postseason, including the home run on Sept. 30 that clinched its first playoff berth since 2001 and another long ball in Game 1 of the wild-card series in Toronto.

“The physical and emotional toughness that he showed in the final six weeks of this season when he was playing a lot, and especially in September when he was playing through a pretty painful injury,” Dipoto said. “Especially when you catch baseballs that are flying at very high speeds with unpredictable movement. I can’t say enough about the job that Cal did and gutted his way through it and had huge moments for us.”

There was some question about the situation with Winker when he wasn’t around the team during its postseason run. That was cleared up a bit when Dipoto said Winker was in New York having surgery on his left knee and is expected to undergo another operation to repair an issue with his neck.

Winker struggled badly in his first season with the Mariners after being the centerpiece of a spring training trade that brought him and third baseman Eugenio Suarez to Seattle. Suarez exceeded expectations both at the plate and in the field, while Winker was a defensive liability and hit just .219, more than 80 points lower than he did in 2021 when he was an All-Star with the Cincinnati Reds.

The Mariners believe Winker can rebound, but he might end up fighting for a role next season.

“(He) has a really good track record hitting in this league,” Servais said. “He has other some things you need to improve on, yes. There’s no question about that and he’ll be the first admit it. So I think there’s a spot for him on this club going forward.”

Seattle doesn’t face many free-agent questions, but the biggest involves right fielder Mitch Haniger, who is coming off another season that was derailed by injuries. When he was healthy, Haniger looked great. But he missed more than four months with an ankle injury.

“I think everyone would like to see us find a way to find common ground with Mitch,” general manager Justin Hollander said. “But players work a long time to get to free agency. It’s really hard to get six years of service to get there, and I know Mitch, as much as he wants to be here, also wants to gauge what else is out there. So we’ll keep talking.”

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Utes’ Whittingham reenergized after ’24 free fall

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Utes' Whittingham reenergized after '24 free fall

FRISCO, Texas — A dynamic new quarterback, a new offensive system and two projected first-round picks up front have Utah coach Kyle Whittingham feeling enthusiastic about the Utes’ chances of bouncing back from a disastrous debut season in the Big 12.

Utah was voted No. 1 in the Big 12 preseason poll last year after joining from the Pac-12, but a brutal run of injuries and inconsistency resulted in a seven-game conference losing streak and a 5-7 finish — the program’s first losing season since 2013.

After weeks of contemplation about his future and what was best for the program, Whittingham, the third-longest-tenured head coach in FBS, decided in December to return for his 21st season with the Utes.

“The bottom line and the final analysis was I couldn’t step away on that note,” Whittingham told ESPN at Big 12 media days Wednesday. “It was too frustrating, too disappointing. As much as college football has changed with all the other factors that might pull you away, that was the overriding reason: That’s not us, that’s not who we are. It just left a bad taste in my mouth. I did not want to miss the opportunity to try to get that taste out.”

“The bottom line and the final analysis was I couldn’t step away on that note. It was too frustrating, too disappointing. … That’s not us. That’s not who we are. It just left a bad taste in my mouth. I did not want to miss the opportunity to try to get that taste out.”

Utah coach Kyle Whittingham on going 5-7 in 2024

Whittingham and Utes defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley conducted a national search for a new offensive coordinator and quickly zeroed in on New Mexico‘s Jason Beck. Then they managed to land Devon Dampier, Beck’s first-team All-Mountain West quarterback, via the transfer portal.

After finishing 11th nationally in total offense with 3,934 yards and 31 total touchdowns and putting up the fourth-most rushing yards (1,166) among all FBS starters, Dampier followed his coach to Salt Lake City and immediately asserted himself as a difference-maker for a program that had to start four different QBs in 2024.

“He’s a terrific athlete,” Whittingham said. “He’s a guy that, if spring is any indication, he’s an exciting player, and we can’t wait to watch him this season. … He’s got that ‘it’ factor. He’s a leader. Needless to say, very excited to see what he does for us.”

They’ve surrounded Dampier with 21 more newcomers via the transfer portal and will protect him with two returning starters at tackle in Spencer Fano and Caleb Lomu, who are projected first-round NFL draft picks by ESPN’s Matt Miller.

“We feel they’re the best tandem in the country,” Whittingham said. “The offensive line in general, I feel, it’s the best since I’ve been there. And that’s quite a statement. We’ve had some really good offensive lines. We’ve got two first-rounders and three seniors inside that have played a lot of good football for us. That better be a strength of ours, and that’s what we’re counting on.”

Whittingham has previously said he did not want to coach past the age of 65. Now that he’s 65, he acknowledges that he might’ve arrived at a different decision about his future had the Utes ended up winning the Big 12 in 2024. He is reenergized about getting them back into contention, but he’s not ready to say whether this season might be his last.

“The best answer I can give you is, right now, I’m excited and passionate about going to work every single day,” Whittingham said. “As soon as that changes, I’ll know it’s time. I’m just counting on knowing when the time is right. I can’t tell you exactly what the circumstances will be other than losing the fire in the belly.”

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MLB to utilize ABS challenge system during ASG

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MLB to utilize ABS challenge system during ASG

The automated ball-strike system is coming to the All-Star Game next week in Atlanta.

MLB officials added the feature to the annual exhibition game knowing it could be a precursor to becoming a permanent part of the major leagues as soon as next year.

The same process used this past spring training will be used for the Midsummer Classic: Each team will be given two challenges with the ability to retain them if successful. Only a pitcher, catcher or hitter can ask for a challenge and it has to happen almost immediately after the pitch. The player will tap his hat or helmet indicating to the umpire he wants to challenge while any help from the dugout or other players on the field is not allowed.

MLB officials say 72% of fans who were polled during spring training said the impact of ABS on their experience at the game was a “positive” one. Sixty-nine percent said they’d like it part of the game moving forward. Just 10% expressed negativity toward it.

MLB’s competition committee will meet later this summer to determine if ABS will be instituted next season after the league tested the robotic system throughout the minor leagues and spring training in recent years. Like almost any rule change, there were mixed reviews from players about using ABS but nearly all parties agree on one point: They prefer a challenge system as opposed to the technology calling every pitch.

As was the case in spring training, once a review is initiated, an animated replay of the pitch will be shown on the scoreboard and the home plate umpire will either uphold the call or overturn it. ABS uses Hawk-Eye system technology which tracks the pitch trajectory and location in relation to the strike zone, providing an instant assessment which can be relayed to the home plate umpire.

The All-Star Game will be played at Truist Park in Atlanta on Tuesday.

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Royals sign former Cy Young winner Keuchel

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Royals sign former Cy Young winner Keuchel

The Kansas City Royals have signed former Cy Young Award winner Dallas Keuchel to a minor league contract, the team announced Wednesday.

The 37-year-old left-hander will start at Triple-A Omaha and will earn a prorated $2 million salary if he reaches the big leagues, sources tell ESPN’s Jeff Passan.

Keuchel has not pitched in the majors for nearly a full calendar year. He elected to become a free agent on July 18, 2024, after being designated for assignment by the Milwaukee Brewers.

In four starts with the Brewers last season, Keuchel had a 5.40 ERA in 16 2/3 innings without a decision. In 13 major league seasons, the 2015 American League Cy Young winner with the Houston Astros is 103-92 with a 4.04 ERA in 282 appearances (267 starts).

After pitching his first seven seasons with the Astros, Keuchel has made appearances for six different teams since 2019. He won a World Series with Houston in 2017 and is a two-time All-Star selection and five-time Gold Glove winner.

Information from Field Level Media was used in this report.

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