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Listen, we know it’s tough to catch up on everything happening in the baseball world each morning. There are all kinds of stories, rumors, game coverage, and Vines of dudes getting hit in the beans every day. Trying to find all of it while on your way to work or sitting at your desk just isn’t easy. It’s OK, though. We’re going to do the heavy lifting for you each morning and find the things you need to see from within the SB Nation baseball network, as well as from elsewhere. Please hold your applause until the end, or at least until after you subscribe to the newsletter.
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Remember like, less than a week ago, when a story published that explained how it was very likely that Mets' COO Jeff Wilpon was making his team's medical decisions, and that his primary concern had to do with how the Mets were viewed in this light and not necessarily the health of his players or whether the job was being done right? Well, the Mets have found their next target in the PR battle against injuries, and it's manager Terry Collins.
Collins is no longer allowed to talk about injuries to his players, and not just significant injuries with lengthy recovery timelines. He's not allowed to talk about minor injuries, or whether a player is going on a rehab assignment, or any of the normal stuff that managers talk to the media about so that they (and then fans) can be kept in the loop about the status of the team they root for.
Collins is, reportedly, not taking this very well, as John Harper's team source explained that Collins was "furious" about the gag order and how broad it is. It's also fascinating that the Mets don't seem overly concerned about how they can go about improving the health of their players in order to keep them on the field, or find out why their recovery estimates are always off and so on, but have just decided instead that not telling anyone anything is the best way to handle things going forward.
That's not to say the Mets aren't thinking even a little about what they're doing wrong, but come on. If this points back to Jeff Wilpon like Jerry Crasnick's in-depth feature says it likely does, chances are good that image is what comes first, especially since it doesn't sound like the Mets think anything they're doing is wrong.
- The Pirates were tied with the Braves 5-5 in the 10th inning on Wednesday, and then, the offense exploded. Gift Ngoepe hit a double to give Pittsburgh the lead, and then David Freese, Jose Osuna, and Jordy Mercer hit back-to-back-to-back homers to give the Pirates a 12-5 lead and the W.
- Not every Braves story from their series with the Pirates is as depressing as the above, though: During Tuesday's rain delay, Braves players gathered around a Nintendo Switch for a Mario Kart tournament.
- Don't assume that the Brewers will avoid buying at the deadline this year, just because the expectation was that they were rebuilding.
- Former NFL running back Rashad Jennings beat out former MLB catcher and World Series champion David Ross in the Dancing with the Stars finale.
- Some Yankees fans apparently hate fun, as they aren't fans of The Judge's Chambers. Lighten up, y'all.
- The Diamondbacks and Rockies are a pair of surprises out in the NL West, and Beyond the Boxscore wonders which of the two will last.
- The end seems nigh for Jered Weaver's MLB career, and his body has chosen whimper over bang.
- Playing under Mike Matheny was both the best and worst thing for former Cardinal Matt Adams.
- Salvador Perez is swinging at everything, but he's making the most of it.