Top News:
ESPN:
Marlins 2B Dee Gordon suspended 80 games after PEDs violation — Miami Marlins second baseman Dee Gordon has been suspended 80 games without pay, effective immediately, for violating MLB's performance-enhancing drug policy, the league said early Friday. — The speedy second baseman tested positive …
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ESPN, baseballmusings.com, Fish Stripes, Halos Heaven, Yahoo Sports and ABC News
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Jeff Todd / MLB Trade Rumors:
Dee Gordon Receives 80-Game PED Suspension — 10:39am: Gordon tested positive for the pair of substances in Spring Training, a league source tells ESPN's Jayson Stark. — 12:20am: In a stunning development, Marlins second baseman Dee Gordon has been hit with an eighty-game suspension for PEDs, according to a league announcement.
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Halos Heaven, Fish Stripes, Yahoo Sports, ESPN, True Blue LA, Marlin Maniac, MLB Daily Dish and miamiherald
Ken Rosenthal / Fox Sports:
Will angry players push for tougher PED penalties after the latest suspensions? — Dee Gordon is the latest prominent player to get suspended — Harsher penalties are coming — a fierce debate over harsher penalties, at the very least. — Some prominent players, in a story I wrote …
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MLB Trade Rumors, NESN.com and Pirates Breakdown
Ken Rosenthal / Fox Sports:
The Braves' season is lost and their future is a big question mark — Atlanta's season is already in the tank, but are the Braves poised to get any better in 2017 and beyond? — The Braves are 4-17. The season is lost. Manager Fredi Gonzalez will be fired.
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Talking Chop
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Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
Braves right-hander Norris could be replaced for next start — BOSTON — There's a chance struggling Braves right-hander Bud Norris won't make his next scheduled start, Monday at the Mets. — Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez and pitching coach Roger McDowell met with Norris on Thursday …
Discussion:
Talking Chop
John Hayes / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Hays eagles' feline meal disturbing for some viewers — It was inevitable, from the moment video cameras went up over Pittsburgh bald eagle nests, that viewers would eventually see something disturbing. — On Tuesday, eagles at the Hays nest site brought a young cat into the nest to feed their two eaglets.
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Associated Press and WFLA-TV, more at WeSmirch »
Denver Post:
COLORADO ROCKIES / MLB — ROCKIES PITCHING DEPTH HAS EVAPORATED. AND NOW THEY'RE PLUGGING HOLES. — The Denver Post — Eddie Butler, currently in limbo between the bullpen and rotation, delivers a pitch to a Pittsburgh Pirates during the fourth inning Wednesday. (David Zalubowski, The Associated Press)
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Baseball Prospectus, MLB Trade Rumors and AZ Snake Pit
Jeff Todd / MLB Trade Rumors:
Braves Seeking To Trade For Draft Picks — The Braves have reached out to teams with competitive balance draft selections — the only kind that can be traded — in an attempt to bolster their number of draft choices and available bonus pool, Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports reports (Twitter links).
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NBCSports.com, Camden Chat and Talking Chop
Steve Adams / MLB Trade Rumors:
Scooter Gennett Placed On DL; Brewers Select Hernan Perez's Contract — 11:20am: Manager Craig Counsell tells Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel that Gennett has a “mild” strain of his oblique (Twitter link). Counsell's early expectation is that Gennett will be out three weeks …
Discussion:
Brew Crew Ball
ESPN:
Tigers call up pitcher Michael Fulmer; debut could come Friday — DETROIT — Tigers fans won't have to wait too long to see the organization's top prospect in action. — Michael Fulmer, 23, will be recalled from Triple-A Toledo, according to manager Brad Ausmus, presumably to make his major league debut on Friday.
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Baseball Prospectus, Bless You Boys and Minor League Ball
Baltimore Sun:
Orioles recap: Chris Tillman fans nine as Birds avoid sweep with 3-1 win over Rays … The Orioles had just three hits Wednesday night against the Tampa Bay Rays, so their offense definitely didn't break out in their 3-1 victory at Tropicana Field. But right-hander Chris Tillman didn't need much run support.
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Camden Chat, DRaysBay and Roar from 34
Robert Barnes / Washington Post:
Supreme Court decides for N.J. police officer in free-speech case — These 10 states will decide whether Trump is the GOP nominee … The Supreme Court ruled Tuesday for an officer with the Paterson, N.J., Police Department who was demoted because his bosses thought — mistakenly …
Anthony Fenech / Detroit Free Press:
Tigers' James McCann might DH for Toledo during rehab — James McCann was in Detroit on Monday. — He ran the bases again, shagged fly balls during batting practice and hit. — And McCann could be headed south on I-75 this morning to begin a minor league injury rehabilitation assignment with Triple-A Toledo.
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Bless You Boys
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Ken Rosenthal / Fox Sports:
The Tigers' many problems go much deeper than Brad Ausmus
The Tigers' many problems go much deeper than Brad Ausmus
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Bless You Boys and Athletics Nation