The Reds’ star lost his sister, but played on to honor her.
We have seen many players take breaks from the game when they lose loved ones. But this weekend, Reds’ star Elly De La Cruz learned about the death of his sister on Saturday. On Sunday, he insisted on taking to the field, and honored her memory the best way he knew how: playing his heart out.
There’s plenty more to get into in today’s links: from a napping Shohei Ohtani, to a historic Rockies slump. Get your coffee ready and let’s just jump right into it.
- Lance McCullers Jr. and his family are now under 24-hour security protection after receiving multiple death threats from “fans.” (AP)
- Elly De La Cruz learned of his sister’s death on Saturday. On Sunday, he hit an emotional home run in her honor. Story by Mark Sheldon.
- Jack Baer reports that Braves rookie AJ Smith-Shawver, a strong contender for Rookie of the Year, had torn his ACL.
- The Rockies have become the fastest team to 50 losses since 1884. Story by Karl Rasmussen.
- The FBI are investigating a multi-million-dollar business owned by the MLBPA and NLFPA. Story by Jeff Passan.
- Awesome news.
- The Royals desperately need Jac Caglianone called up before their season gets away from them. Story by Dan Szymborski.
- How MLB celebrated its fifth annual Lou Gehrig Day. (MLB)
- Cody Stavenhagen looks at how the Tigers are mixing old-school grit and new-school methods to turn into an unstoppable force. (The Athletic subscription required.)
- Five things Ben Clemens liked (or didn’t like) last week.
- Liam McKeone reports that Shohei Ohtani was potentially caught napping during the Dodgers’ recent blowout win.
- Karl Rasmussen shares that the Dodgers have placed their 15th pitcher on the IL this season.
- Tyler Kepner shares what the future holds for Clayton Kershaw as he approaches 3000 Ks. (The Athletic subscription required.)
- Andrew McCutchen has tied Roberto Clemente for an important place in Pirates history. Story by Shaun O’Neill.
- Brendan Kuty reports that the Dodgers have installed protective netting after a concrete chunk of the stadium fell on a fan. (The Athletic subscription required.)
- Don’t think they’re supposed to do this…
And tomorrow will be a better day than today, Buster. Make it so.