A reversed balk call cost the Royals a run in a loss to the Marlins, writes Anne Rogers.
In a 1-0 count against Jac Caglianone — who could very likely be the August American League Player of the Month — Vodnik stepped off the mound. But as he did so, his right cleat caught the edge of the rubber, leading to a slight stumble. He stepped to the bottom of the mound to reset.
First-base umpire Nestor Ceja called a balk. Jensen jogged home for a run.
“I saw him kind of step off, and I saw the top of his foot hit the rubber before he stepped off,” Jensen said. “I didn’t hear anybody say anything, so I kind of turned my back. And then Vance told me it was a balk. I was thinking in my mind, ‘I thought that was a balk,’ but I didn’t hear it at first.”
Manager Matt Quatraro was ejected arguing after the call was overturned.
It became a contentious situation. Quatraro was visibly upset with the umpires’ decision and was ejected from the game — his second ejection this season and the ninth of his career.
“I think my frustration was just more that it seemed like they were looking for a reason to overturn it when that call doesn’t usually come from second base or home plate — just because of the nature of the balk itself,” Quatraro said post. “I was just more frustrated at where it was in the game and what a big spot it was.”
Corbin Young at FanGraphs writes about pitchers that have tweaked their arsenal, like Noah Cameron.
Since July, Cameron has been pitching well, with a 2.74 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, and a 3.13 xERA. Given Cameron’s 12.9% K-BB and 4.18 SIERA, it appears he has been fortunate. Cameron’s fastball usage has continued to trend down. He is throwing his four-seamer 16.8% of the time in August, coinciding with more sliders (20.7%) and changeups (21.1%).
Closer Carlos Estévez will have shoulder surgery, writes Jaylon Thompson.
The veteran pitcher is expected to miss the remainder of the 2026 campaign.
“It’s going to be somewhat exploratory,” Quatraro said. “They don’t know what they will end up doing when they go in there. We have exhausted the full rehab process. He’s tried everything that he can and it just wasn’t responding.”
Dave Helling writes about the unanswered questions with the downtown ballpark project.
Consider: If the city doesn’t know the boundaries of the stadium impact area, it can’t possibly know the area will provide $710.3 million. It’s like a restaurant owner projecting her income before writing a menu or renting space. It’s just a guess.
If the city does know the boundaries, it is purposely hiding that critical information before the Sept. 9 public hearing on the plan. Hiding relevant facts from the public until the last minute would be on brand for this project, of course, but it’s concerning anyway.
There’s a third possibility. City Hall knows it needs to raise $710 million for this part of the project, and plans to simply declare enough of downtown “impacted” to reach that number. Voila! Problem solved.
The Missouri Supreme Court could decide the fate of the state’s stadium-funding law.
Yirsandy Rodriguez at Royals Keep writes about the adjustments helping Nate Pearson.
Arte Moreno sells the Angels for $4 billion to Stan Kroenke.
The Padres call up 20-year-old rookie catcher Ethan Salas.
What is the strength of schedule for remaining contenders?
The most important players for contending teams in September.
Former Royals reliever Carlos Hernández reveals he was texting before a career-threatening car crash in Venezuela.
The Dodgers activate catcher Will Smith.
A look at each team’s September callups.
Dan Szymborski writes that preseason projections still matter.
How are the Rookie of the Year races shaping up?
White Sox’s broadcaster John Schriffe has a verbal gaffe during a game.
Bill Simmons is under investigation for proxy betting.
The biggest takeaways from the Chiefs 53-man roster.
Wheel of Fortune announcer Jim Thornton is suspended, pending an investigation over an airline incident.
Uber cuts 10 percent of its workforce.
How Swedes one day switched to start driving on the other side of the road.
Your song of the day is Sturgill Simpson with All Around You.