He expected more players to be excluded this week. I certainly didn’t expect to hear that Nick Markakis is choosing to return in.
David O’Brien of The Athletic reports that Markakis joins the Braves, three weeks after he chose to leave. In doing so, he becomes the first of 14 major league players who have so far chosen not to change their minds. “Markakis felt like he had disappointed the team, especially when he saw the Braves on television during their 2-3 opening trip,” O’Brien writes.
That contrasts with his comments on July 6, when he retired. In announcing his decision, Markakis said: “With everything that is happening not only in baseball but in the world, it makes you open your eyes. I have three children that I have missed for 11 years. “It was also reported at the time that the fact that his teammate Freddie Freeman became ill with COVID-19 shook Markakis. Freeman has recovered and is playing. No doubt, that It has also affected his decision.
Markakis, a 14-year major league veteran who turned 36 in the past offseason, hit .285 / .356 / .420 with nine home runs and 62 RBIs in 116 games in 2019. He is under contract for $ 4 million. in 2020, it was going to be prorated to 60 games. Which now, I suppose, will be prorated further.
Either way, Nick Markakis is getting back into it. What a week this has been.
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The Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant converted a 5-3 triple play in the seventh inning of Wednesday night’s 12-7 loss to the Reds in Cincinnati. It’s the first triple play of the 2020 season, the first since the Twins made a 5-4-3 triple play against the Braves on August 7 of last season, and the Cubs’ first triple play since May 10. 1997 when they made an 8 -5-4 triple play against the Giants.
The Reds already did some damage in the inning, scoring three runs to bring their lead to 12-5. The Cubs ‘reliever, Dillon Maples, issued back-to-back walks, forcing in the Reds’ twelfth run, before being relieved by Duane Underwood, still with no inning outs. Shogo Akiyama came to the plate, taking a couple of hits to fall behind 0-2. He then spun at a 94 MPH fastball, hitting a driving line at Bryant. Bryant seemed to catch the ball on the fly, then stepped on the third before shooting through the diamond at first base.
However, the replay showed that the ball hit the ground first. Unfortunately for the Reds, the play was not reviewable, so the play was sustained and the Cubs escaped the inning without further damage.
The Cubs made up a couple of runs in the top of the ninth but were unable to overcome the large deficit. The missed call on the triple play didn’t end up being important to the Reds.
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