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Stephen Strasburg‘s difficult year for the Washington Nationals got a little more harsh, as the right-hander left Saturday’s game against the San Francisco Giants with a side injury.

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Strasburg Leaves in 4th Inning vs. Giants

Saturday, July 4

The Nationals announced Strasburg will be re-evaluated on Sunday after experiencing tightness in his side. Dan Kolko of MASN went into further detail on Strasburg, “Strasburg felt tightness during the Posey AB. Trying to keep positive mindset despite all the injuries. “Everything happens for a reason.”

Strasburg recently returned from missing one month with neck and back issues, so another injury could completely derail a season that’s barely on track already. 

The former No. 1 overall pick has struggled all season, posting a 5.49 ERA with 72 hits allowed in 57.1 innings. He is still striking out plenty of hitters, with 60 strikeouts coming into the day, but consistency has not been his friend thus far.   

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The New York Mets’ charter plane was forced to make an unscheduled landing on Thursday en route to Los Angeles for a series with the Dodgers, beginning on Friday. 

According to ESPN New York’s Adam Rubin, the flight landed in Detroit when a member of the media traveling on the plane had a “health issue.”

“A source said the in unidentified media member remained behind in Detroit for medical attention,” Rubin wrote. “The flight resumed its trip to Los Angeles less than an hour later.”

There was no other information about the landing or specifics about the issue, as Rubin noted a Mets spokesman did not immediately provide details. 

The Mets played the Chicago Cubs on Thursday afternoon, losing 6-1, before packing their bags for a six-game west coast road trip that will take them to Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Fortunately, the plane was able to land in a safe spot and get the person medical attention. 

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Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig missed 39 games earlier this season with a hamstring injury, though some of his teammates would have been happy if he hadn’t come back at all. 

Speaking to Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports, one anonymous Dodgers player made his feelings about Puig clear. 

“We’ve talked about this,” the Dodgers player said. “At this point, it would be addition by subtraction.”

The same player later added that trading Puig would be a Catch-22 for the franchise because “he’s a top-three or -four talent in baseball.”    

In the same article, Passan noted that an upcoming book about the Dodgers written by Molly Knight called The Best Team Money Can Buy offers “anecdote after Puig anecdote that illuminates what makes him so off-putting to so many.”

Here are details of one incident involving Puig and Dodgers right-handed pitcher Zack Greinke that Passan cites from Knight’s book:

In 2014, during the Dodgers’ annual trip to Chicago, the team bus stopped downtown to allow rookies undergoing hazing to walk into a pizza place and emerge with food for the veterans. Some Dodgers players, not wanting to wait, skipped off the bus. When the bus was ready to leave, Puig was outside, looking for his luggage inside of the bay underneath the bus. After Puig ignored multiple requests to close the luggage bay, Greinke hopped off the bus, grabbed the suitcase in front of Puig and chucked it onto Michigan Avenue. Puig stepped toward Greinke and was restrained by reliever J.P. Howell.

Other instances mention Puig being scolded by Skip Schumaker once for showing up to the park 20 minutes late and being engaged in a relationship with the daughter of a minor league coach. 

Passan wrote that those previous problems with Puig have not convinced the Dodgers brass that they go beyond “occasional annoyance.”

Puig’s attitude and antics have long been a source of controversy since he debuted for the Dodgers in June 2013. Dodgers manager Don Mattingly benched him in the fifth inning of a game against the Chicago Cubs as a rookie when Puig threw a bat and sulked following a strikeout. 

In 2014, Puig was benched for the Dodgers’ home opener for showing up late to Dodger Stadium. 

Publicly, things have been quiet around Puig. Some of that could be due to the fact he’s only played 31 games, though he’s also quoted in the book as being flexible to team demands, saying during a meeting last year, “You guys tell me how you want me to play.”

As the player said, Puig is one of the best raw talents in baseball. He made the All-Star team last year and is hitting .289/.382/.465 so far this season. His .847 OPS is second among Los Angeles outfielders, behind rookie Joc Pederson (.913). 

At 24 years old, Puig has proved himself to be an exceptional talent. And he’s signed through 2018, so the Dodgers have every incentive to work with the Cuban star to hope he doesn’t become a bigger problem as the franchise tries to win its first World Series since 1988.   

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Andrew McCutchen has been one of baseball’s most durable players since the Pittsburgh Pirates called him up in 2009. However, he is currently dealing with an elbow injury after being hit by a pitch. His status for Sunday’s game remains unclear.

Continue for updates.

McCutchen Exits Game vs. Braves 

Saturday, June 27

The Pirates announced Jung Ho Kang would replace McCutchen after Atlanta Braves starter Julio Teheran hit the 2013 NL MVP with a pitch. Pittsburgh later announced X-rays on the elbow were negative and that McCutchen would be re-evaluated on Sunday.

Adam Berry of MLB.com noted the pitch was a 91 mph fastball. 

“I hate getting hit, but worse than that I guess pitchers don’t like getting their ERAs run up, either,” McCutchen said, via Stephen J. Nesbitt of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Travis Sawchik of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review provided more comments from McCutchen:

McCutchen says he is unsure about his status for tomorrow’s game, according to Sawchik.

There’s no denying the impact McCutchen makes when he’s on the field. He’s a 28-year-old monster who has posted a .300/.400/.500 slash line in each of the last three seasons. His 22 wins above replacement from 2012-14 rank second in all of baseball, behind Mike Trout (28.8), per FanGraphs. 

Entering the game, he sported a .295/.382/.490 line with nine home runs and 44 RBI.

The Pirates aren’t an offensive juggernaut, finding success with pitching and defense, so McCutchen’s ability with the bat is crucial to how manager Clint Hurdle puts the lineup together. As long as his absence isn’t prolonged, the team should be OK. 

If McCutchen winds up having to miss significant time, expectations for the Pirates in 2015 will change drastically. 

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Johan Santana‘s latest bid for a Major League Baseball return has hit a snag that will keep the left-hander off the mound in 2015. 

According to ESPN.com’s Adam Rubin, Santana needs time to recover from a toe problem before he can pitch again:

Two-time Cy Young winner Johan Santana has suspended his bid to pitch in the majors and will try again in 2016, a source told ESPN.com.

Santana has been dealing with a toe infection and became resigned that he would not have sufficient time to ramp up this season to pitch in the majors once that issue is resolved.

Santana hasn’t pitched in the big leagues since 2012 with the New York Mets, posting a 4.85 ERA in 21 starts.

The former All-Star has battled numerous injuries over the last three years as he tries to pitch for an MLB team again. He missed the entire 2013 season with a shoulder injury but signed a minor league deal with the Baltimore Orioles in 2014. 

In June 2014, Santana tore his left Achilles tendon and missed the rest of the year. He caught on this year pitching in the Toronto Blue Jays’ minor league system but was once again forced to step away from the mound with an injury. 

It’s hard to criticize Santana for continuing to do what he wants, but at some point, Father Time and injuries are too tough to overcome. He’s 36 years old now, and his last season with at least 120 innings pitched was in 2010. He is fighting an uphill battle. 

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Washington Nationals star Bryce Harper has been nursing a hamstring issue since June 25 that has forced him to miss multiple games. 

Continue for updates. 

Harper Out for 3rd Straight Game

Saturday, June 27

Mark Zuckerman of CSN Washington noted that Harper was one of four Nationals starters out against the Phillies on Saturday. 

Injuries have long defined Harper’s career, as he went from 139 games played as a rookie in 2012 to 118 in 2013 to 100 last year. He’s been largely healthy in 2015 up to this point, with the results showing in his stellar performance. 

He’s just 22 years old and is starting to hit his peak, but there will always be injury concerns because of his history. 

The Nationals have legitimate World Series aspirations this season, but they need Harper healthy and producing during the season and in October to reach that destination. 

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Washington Nationals infielder Anthony Rendon has been placed on the disabled list for the second time this season. 

Continue for updates. 

Rendon Has Quad Strain

Friday, June 26

According to Amanda Comak of MLB.com, Rendon went on the 15-day disabled list with a quadriceps strain in his left leg. 

“The Washington Nationals selected the contract of infielder Emmanuel Burriss from Triple-A Syracuse on Friday and placed infielder Anthony Rendon on the 15-day disabled list with a left quadriceps strain, retroactive to June 25,” Comak wrote. 

Mark Zuckerman of CSN Washington added “Rendon said it didn’t bother him at plate, only in field and on bases. Good news is he can keep swinging while on DL, just can’t run.”

Per Zuckerman, the Nationals made room for Burriss on their roster by transferring Reed Johnson to the 60-day disabled list. 

Injuries are starting to pile up for Rendon, whose issues staying on the field date back to his college days at Rice. The 25-year-old has appeared in only 18 games this season after starting the year on the disabled list with a left knee issue. 

The Nationals activated Rendon on June 4. He hadn’t hit for power yet this season, with a .362 slugging percentage, but his .375 on-base percentage trails only Bryce Harper for the team lead. His absence creates another void in a lineup that’s also missing Jayson Werth and Ryan Zimmerman.   

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Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton has landed on the disabled list with a thumb injury two weeks after he was called up from the minors. 

Continue for updates. 

Buxton Placed on 15-Day DL

Friday, June 26

According to MLB Roster Moves on Twitter, the Twins called up Danny Santana to take Buxton’s spot on the roster:

LaVelle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported Buxton could miss four to six weeks.

Buxton, who was injured sliding into second base against the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday, has struggled in his brief big league tenure. The 21-year-old has 15 strikeouts in 37 at-bats with a .189/.231/.270 line. 

Injuries are starting to pile up for Buxton. He played only 31 games last season due to a wrist injury and concussion. He’s still young enough to think these are just fluke incidents, but at some point, it will start to become a concern for the Twins. 

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A lawsuit against Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig was dismissed by a federal judge Monday. 

According to Nathan Fenno of the Los Angeles Times, the dismissed suit claimed Puig had a Cuban man imprisoned and tortured: 

(Miguel Angel) Corbacho Daudinot sued under the Torture Victim Protection Act of 1991, which allows civil lawsuits in the United States against people who commit torture while acting in an official capacity for another country. He said that Puig falsely accused him of human trafficking — attempting to help Puig leave Cuba — which led to a seven-year prison sentence in 2010.

The report also notes that Corbacho Daudinot’s attorneys asked for the case to be dismissed, as he “wasn’t able to leave Cuba to participate in pre-trial discovery.” The trial was scheduled to take place in November before Monday’s ruling. 

Corbacho Daudinot filed the lawsuit in July 2013, per Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times, seeking $12 million after claiming Puig “knowingly made false statements” that resulted in him receiving a seven-year prison sentence. 

Puig’s harrowing escape from Cuba became public knowledge after Jesse Katz of Los Angeles Magazine chronicled it in April 2014. All five men piloting his vessel belonged to a smuggling ring “whose interests ranged from human cargo to bootleg yachts to bricks of cocaine,” according to Katz.

After Puig established residency, the Dodgers signed him to a seven-year, $42 million deal in 2012. He made his MLB debut in 2013 and has posted a .306/.386/.581 line in his 278-game career thus far while making the 2014 National League All-Star team.  

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After flirting with perfection in his previous start, Washington Nationals ace Max Scherzer went one step further by throwing a no-hitter against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday with 10 strikeouts and no walks. 

ESPN Stats & Info provided details from Scherzer’s gem:

Scherzer was just one strike away from a perfect game, but Pirates pinch hitter Jose Tabata was awarded first base after being hit by a pitch on his elbow. There was some controversy on the play, as it looked like Tabata leaned into the pitch.

“I don’t blame him for doing it, I probably would have done the same thing,” Scherzer said about Tabata being hit by the pitch, via SportsCenter.

The right-hander rebounded by getting Josh Harrison to fly out for the final out to complete his first career no-hitter. Here’s how that final out looked, via MLB.com:

After completing his gem, Scherzer said he felt this was one of the best pitching performances he’s ever had, per the Nationals’ official Twitter account:

Scherzer was also quick to give credit to his teammates for some stellar defensive plays made during the game:

The ace also posted a photo of himself getting the Nationals’ celebratory chocolate sauce shower:

Tabata talked about the pitch after the game, according to Chase Hughes of CSN Washington: 

This makes back-to-back shutouts from Scherzer, and Mark Hale of the New York Post questioned if this two-start run is better than Johnny Vander Meer’s consecutive no-hitters in 1938:

Scherzer’s stat line during this season and over the last two starts is impressive no matter how you slice it. In fact, per ESPN’s Jayson Stark, the 2013 American League Cy Young winner is the second player since Vander Meer with a one-hitter and no-hitter in consecutive starts:

In 14 starts with the Nationals, Scherzer has looked capable of throwing a no-hitter almost every time out. He came into Saturday’s start with a 1.93 ERA, 113 strikeouts, 0.879 WHIP and just 14 walks in 93.1 innings, per Baseball-Reference.

While there is still a long way to go in this baseball season, there’s been no doubt who the best pitcher has been in 2015. Scherzer is putting up video game numbers, only validating the $210 million investment Washington made in him this offseason. 

Now, after a start in which he struck out 16 and another with a no-hitter, Scherzer has a lot of pressure on him to deliver in his next outing. Anything less than a perfect game will be a disappointment, right? With the way he’s dealing, it’s probably not a ridiculous question to ask. 

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