Pirates Send Struggling Rookie Relief Pitcher to Minors
Pirates Send Struggling Rookie Relief Pitcher to Minors
The Pittsburgh Pirates will hope their young bullpen arm comes back better.Dominic Campbell|
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Pittsburgh PiratesPHILADELPHIA — The Pittsburgh Pirates bullpen has struggled for most of 2026 and they are making another change to try and bolster it once again.
The Pirates optioned right-handed relief pitcher Brandan Bidois to Triple-A Indianapolis ahead of their game vs. the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank park on July 1.
Right-handed relief pitcher Cam Sanders joins the Pirates in his place, marking his fifth stint with the team this season.
The Pirates bullpen consists of five right-handed pitchers in Isaac Mattson, Carmen Mlodzinski, Yohan Ramírez, Dennis Santana and Sanders, plus three left-handed pitchers in Mason Montgomery, Evan Sisk and Gregory Soto.
Overview of Brandan Bidois' First Stint with Pirates
The Pirates recalled Bidois back on May 12, initially putting him on the taxi squad and then on the 26-man roster.
Bidois made his debut for the Pirates on May 13 vs. the Colorado Rockies and became the first ever Australian to play for the Pirates
He posted a 6.32 ERA over 15 outings and 15.2 innings pitched with the Pirates, with 20 strikeouts to 12 walks, a .297 batting average allowed (BAA) and a 1.98 WHIP.
Bidois made his most recent appearance in the 8-0 defeat to the Phillies on June 30, where he gave up four hits, a walk and three runs and got just two outs, before the Pirates pulled him for position player Tyler Callihan, who got the last out.
The Pirates checked up on Bidois during his outing, but manager Don Kelly said pregame that all the testing came out good on Bidois, so no injury for him, especially since they didn't put him on the injured list either.
Bidois also got less time out of the bullpen, going 12 days from June 14 to June 26 between two outings before his last one with the Phillies.
He will now get time back in Indianapolis, where he can work on his game and get more relief appearances to try and make his comeback to the Pirates.
Last Chance for Sanders to Impress Pirates
Sanders is in his fifth stint with the Pirates and if they option him one more time, they have to put him on waivers when they do so.
He has spent just 11 days with the team and made six appearances, posting a 9.00 ERA over six innings pitched, with eight strikeouts to five walks, a .261 BAA and a 1.83 WHIP.
Sanders will have to really show he deserves a spot with the Pirates, or it's likely he'll end up with another team or off the Pirates' 40-man roster.
Luckily for him, the Pirates are in the midst of 13 games in 13 days and have four more games after this one, including a weekend series vs. the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park, July 3-5, which should give him a few opportunites.
Published 1 hour ago
DOMINIC CAMPBELLDominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.
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Twins top prospect Walker Jenkins carries young fan off field after collapse during national anthem
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Jack BaerStaff writerThu, July 2, 2026 at 12:37 AM UTC·1 min readMinnesota Twins minor leaguer Walker Jenkins stepped up before Tuesday's St. Paul Saints game in a way that had nothing to do with his top prospect status.
Jenkins, the No. 14 overall prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline, went viral on Wednesday via a video that showed him taking care of a young fan who collapsed while standing with the players during the national anthem.
AdvertisementAdvertisementJenkins noticed the fan wobbling and was soon carrying him off the field, eventually giving him to a staff member at the dugout.
The Saints, the Twins' Triple-A affiliate, confirmed Wednesday morning that the boy, named Lincoln, is doing well and has received some team merchandise.
After helping Lincoln, Jenkins proceeded to go 3-for-5 with a double, triple and three runs scored in a 12-6 win over the Buffalo Bisons. He was a home run shy of the cycle.
The Twins selected Jenkins fifth overall out of South Brunswick High School in North Carolina in the 2023 MLB Draft. He quickly developed into one of the best prospects in the minors, showcasing five-tool talent while playing well above his age at each level.
AdvertisementAdvertisementThis season, Jenkins, 21, is slashing .273/.394/.436 in 30 games with the Saints.
Philadelphia 76ers among teams expressing interest in LeBron James: Source
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6 Potential Landing SpotsBest Place To Sign?Record 24th SeasonLA LegacyWarriors Make SensePhiladelphia 76ers among teams expressing interest in LeBron James: Source
LeBron James and Joel Embiid shake hands after a February game between the Lakers and Sixers. Adam Pantozzi / Getty Images
By Tony JonesJuly 1, 2026 8:39 pm EDT UpdatedThe Philadelphia 76ers have expressed interest in acquiring free agent forward LeBron James, a league source who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe ongoing deliberations told The Athletic.
On the heels of Wednesday night’s blockbuster trade for Jaylen Brown — which sent Paul George and multiple draft picks to the Boston Celtics — the Sixers have thrown their hat into the proverbial ring for the star forward, who became an unrestricted free agent after eight seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Philadelphia makes sense from a basketball perspective. The 76ers have enough scoring, depth and ballhandling at the top of the roster to allow James to ease into a role. And with James — or even without him — Philadelphia projects as a championship contender. The Golden State Warriors, Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat are also considered among the frontrunners for James’ services.
James, 41, remains an All-Star-caliber player and one of the league’s most impactful talents. The 76ers were eliminated in the second round of last season’s playoffs by the New York Knicks, who went on to win the NBA championship.
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Tagged To: NBAPhiladelphia 76ersPacers' Ivica Zubac Trade Looks Even Better After Lakers Acquire Walker Kessler
Pacers' Ivica Zubac Trade Looks Even Better After Lakers Acquire Walker Kessler
Indiana was heavily linked to Walker Kessler before the trade deadline, but acquiring Ivica Zubac instead may have been one of the franchise's smartest decisions.Alex Golden|
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Indiana PacersLos Angeles LakersUtah JazzLos Angeles ClippersOn Wednesday, July 1, 2026, the Los Angeles Lakers agreed to a lucrative four-year, $130M deal with Utah Jazz big man Walker Kessler. Los Angeles and Utah have agreed to complete a sign-and-trade that will send Kessler to the Lakers for two unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033, and two first-round pick swaps in 2028 and 2030.
This is a massive haul that the Lakers are paying to solidify the now and future of their center position, going after the best five man on the open market. Indiana was once rumored to have interest in the Jazz's big man during the NBA Trade Deadline period, but Utah reportedly declined the Pacers offer. This was the exact same offer that Indiana ended up sending the Los Angeles Clippers for Ivica Zubac.
While there are reasons to believe that trading for Kessler would have been the better move for Indiana, there is no denying that Indiana in retrospect made the right move in February. While Kessler is a solid young player with plenty of room to grow, he is making an average annual value of $32.5M. Indiana's big man, Ivica Zubac is making $20.3M this season, and $21.7M the folliwing season according to SpoTrac.com.
Being able to acquire a center that is just as good, or slightly even better for $11M less this season is a steal in itself, and it allowed the Pacers more financial flexibility to sign another free agent in the offseason.
If the Pacers had acquired Kessler at the trade deadline and agreed to the same exact deal the Lakers agreed to, Indiana would have been a first-apron team, and would not have been able to inked Kelly Oubre Jr. to the two-year, $17M contract they signed him to -- unless they elected to move off of Jarace Walker's $8.4M contract.
Nobody knew exactly how much Kessler would demand on the open market, and maybe the Lakers had to overpay to keep the Jazz from matching the offer, but for a Pacers team that is trying to win a championship next season, adding Zubac and Oubre Jr. for almost $4M less than what the Lakers will be paying Kessler in his first season was a no-brainer decision.
At the end of the day, the Pacers feel the best way to build a roster is with depth. By focusing in on acquiring a player at the Trade Deadline who fits perfectly into their budget, fills a hole on their roster, and has the skillset to elevate this team's ceiling, Indiana was not only able to address their starting center need, but their backup wing depth.
The Pacers front office of Kevin Pritchard, Chad Buchanan, and Ted Wu have done a terrific job of targeting the right players with the right skillset to ensure that this team is strong enough to compete in the improved Eastern Conference. There would have been other holes to fill had Indiana tied itself to an overpay for Walker Kessler, especially when it can get similar -- if not better-- production from Ivica Zubac for $11M less per season.
You can follow me on X @AlexGoldenNBA and listen to my daily podcast, Setting The Pace, wherever you get your podcasts.
Published 22 minutes ago
ALEX GOLDENI was born in Indianapolis, Indiana and I am the host and creator of Setting The Pace: A Pacers Podcast. I have been covering the team since 2015, and talking about them on the podcast since 2018. I have been a credentialed media member since 2023.
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