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CHICAGO — The Arizona Diamondbacks‘ sixth overall pick in the amateur draft in 2021 was at Panera Bread when he got the call Wednesday that he was joining the big league club in Chicago for his MLB debut.

In his first career game, shortstop Jordan Lawlar, 21, will bat eighth against righty Javier Assad and the Chicago Cubs.

“Just have to be myself and try to do anything I can to help this team win when my name is called,” Lawlar said from the visitors clubhouse at Wrigley Field before batting practice. “It’s one of the historic parks. Anytime you can open here… it’s going to be special.”

Lawlar was the No. 25 prospect in ESPN’s midseason rankings.

He was promoted to the majors on the basis of a hot streak at Triple-A Reno where he hit .358 with five home runs in 16 games. He’ll play mostly against lefties, but Arizona manager Torey Lovullo put him in the lineup right away to get him acclimated to his new surroundings.

“I want him to get all the nervous jujus out of there,” Lovullo said. “He’s going to be jumping out of his skin for a little while. I want to capitalize on the momentum of how he’s been doing and the energy of how he’s feeling.”

Lawlar wasn’t necessarily destined to make the majors this season after struggling at Double-A Amarillo earlier in the year. He credited his coaches there for helping him through his struggles, which led to his promotion to Triple-A and now the big leagues.

“I’ve always tried to control the controllables,” he said. “That’s all you can do in baseball.”

His familiarity with a young Diamondbacks team should make the transition to the majors a bit easier.

“I’ve been around these guys a lot,” Lawlar said. “Seen a lot of these faces outside the field so it’s nice to have them on your first day up.”

Lawlar compiled a .910 OPS last season playing at four different levels of the minors but stalled at Double-A for most of this year, as he hit only .263 in 89 games. But changes to his approach at the plate made the difference, and even though the Diamondbacks are in a playoff race, they’re willing to give Lawlar a chance to help them down the stretch.

Arizona started the day a half game out of the third wild-card spot in the National League.

“It’s a great day for this organization,” Lovullo said. “It’s a great day for a lot of people that have touched his development. A lot of people are really excited, me included.”

The Diamondbacks are hoping a three-week burst from Lawlar can make a difference for them — before the league makes any adjustments to him.

“You get a certain number of at-bats, probably two or three weeks, and then the league starts to pay attention to what you do well,” Lovullo said.

Arizona and Chicago, separated by four games in the wild-card race, are meeting for the first time this season and will play seven of their next 10 games against each other.

“We knew that these days were coming,” Lovullo said. “We have them for seven games. We’re behind them in the standings. We have to be at our competitive best.”

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Former White Sox pitcher, world champ Jenks dies

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Former White Sox pitcher, world champ Jenks dies

Bobby Jenks, a two-time All-Star pitcher for the Chicago White Sox who was on the roster when the franchise won the 2005 World Series, died Friday in Sintra, Portugal, the team announced.

Jenks, 44, who had been diagnosed with adenocarcinoma, a form of stomach cancer, this year, spent six seasons with the White Sox from 2005 to 2010 and also played for the Boston Red Sox in 2011. The reliever finished his major league career with a 16-20 record, 3.53 ERA and 173 saves.

“We have lost an iconic member of the White Sox family today,” White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said in a statement. “None of us will ever forget that ninth inning of Game 4 in Houston, all that Bobby did for the 2005 World Series champions and for the entire Sox organization during his time in Chicago. He and his family knew cancer would be his toughest battle, and he will be missed as a husband, father, friend and teammate. He will forever hold a special place in all our hearts.”

After Jenks moved to Portugal last year, he was diagnosed with a deep vein thrombosis in his right calf. That eventually spread into blood clots in his lungs, prompting further testing. He was later diagnosed with adenocarcinoma and began undergoing radiation.

In February, as Jenks was being treated for the illness, the White Sox posted “We stand with you, Bobby” on Instagram, adding in the post that the club was “thinking of Bobby as he is being treated.”

In 2005, as the White Sox ended an 88-year drought en route to the World Series title, Jenks appeared in six postseason games. Chicago went 11-1 in the playoffs, and he earned saves in series-clinching wins in Game 3 of the ALDS at Boston, and Game 4 of the World Series against the Houston Astros.

In 2006, Jenks saved 41 games, and the following year, he posted 40 saves. He also retired 41 consecutive batters in 2007, matching a record for a reliever.

“You play for the love of the game, the joy of it,” Jenks said in his last interview with SoxTV last year. “It’s what I love to do. I [was] playing to be a world champion, and that’s what I wanted to do from the time I picked up a baseball.”

A native of Mission Hills, California, Jenks appeared in 19 games for the Red Sox and was originally drafted by the then-Anaheim Angels in the fifth round of the 2000 draft.

Jenks is survived by his wife, Eleni Tzitzivacos, their two children, Zeno and Kate, and his four children from a prior marriage, Cuma, Nolan, Rylan and Jackson.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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In search of infield options, Yanks add Candelario

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In search of infield options, Yanks add Candelario

NEW YORK — The New York Yankees, digging for options to bolster their infield, have signed third baseman Jeimer Candelario to a minor league contract and assigned him to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, the affiliate announced Saturday.

Candelario, 31, was released by the Cincinnati Reds on June 23, halfway through a three-year, $45 million contract he signed before the start of last season. The decision was made after Candelario posted a .707 OPS in 2024 and batted .113 with a .410 OPS in 22 games for the Reds before going on the injured list in April with a back injury.

The performance was poor enough for Cincinnati to cut him in a move that Reds president of baseball operations Nick Krall described as a sunk cost.

For the Yankees, signing Candelario is a low-cost flier on a player who recorded an .807 OPS just two seasons ago as they seek to find a third baseman to move Jazz Chisholm Jr. to second base, his natural position.

Candelario is the second veteran infielder the Yankees have signed to a minor league contract in the past three days; they agreed to terms with Nicky Lopez on Thursday.

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Dodgers’ Snell pitches to hitters, ‘looked good’

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Dodgers' Snell pitches to hitters, 'looked good'

LOS ANGELES — Pitchers Blake Snell and Blake Treinen are progressing toward a return for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Snell and Treinen each faced hitters Saturday, and Snell pitched two innings. Each could begin a rehab assignment after the All-Star break.

The 32-year-old Snell has pitched in two games for the Dodgers following his five-year, $182 million free agent deal after spending last season with the San Francisco Giants and three before that with the San Diego Padres. He is a two-time Cy Young Award winner.

“(Snell) looked good. He looked really good,” manager Dave Roberts said. “I don’t know what the velo was but the ball was coming out really well. He used his entire pitch mix. I thought the delivery was clean, sharp, so really positive day.”

The Dodgers’ starting rotation has been injury-prone this season but is starting to get a boost from Shohei Ohtani, the two-way superstar who is working as an opener in his return from elbow surgery.

Treinen is looking to get back to his role in the back end of the bullpen. He threw one inning Saturday.

“Blake Treinen I thought was really good as well,” Roberts said. “Both those guys should be ready at some point in time shortly after the All-Star break.”

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