Did the Boston Red Sox just completely end the New York Yankees? After sweeping them this weekend — including handing them two losses in a doubleheader on Sunday, the Red Sox joined the party in the AL East with all five teams above .500 now.
Meanwhile, the rest of our rumors roundup focuses on the NL West, which has been a surprising division so far this season. The Arizona Diamondbacks have the lead over the second-place Los Angeles Dodgers by four games, with LA getting swept at home by the San Francisco Giants this weekend.
Let's take a look at all the news, including injury updates and a possible retirement announcement.
Dodgers get recovery timelines for two key players
As the month of June nears an end, Los Angeles Dodgers fans will have plenty to look forward to, especially with two key players set to return from injury.
Julio Urias and Daniel Hudson both now have targeted date ranges for their return to the big leagues. Both of which are key weapons in the pitching quiver for Los Angeles that could help them get back on track in an intensely competitive NL West in 2023.
Urias has been out since late May, with Hudson having been out since early 2022.
Left for Urias before his return is live batting practice and then a minor league start
On the other hand, Hudson, who has been on a much longer road to recovery, has performed well at AA and is expected to move up to AAA by Tuesday according to the Orange County Register.
Both players should be available to the active roster in early July if all goes well.
Alex Cobb hits the injured list for the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Alex Cobb is hitting the injured list with a tight oblique. Cobb hasn't pitched since June 13th, so his stint on the IL is retroactive to Thursday, which could speed things up for his return.
Cobb, himself, said he expects his recovery to be a quick one, which means the move is likely more to create flexibility with a roster spot while he rests for the Giants than anything else. His comments on the injury indicate midseason soreness rather than anything to be overly concerned about for San Francisco.
"I fully anticipate being ready to go the day I'm eligible to come off the IL," Cobb said. "And I probably feel I could have pitched before then."
The pitcher told the media that if he further injured his oblique, it could have meant a stint on the injured list of a month or longer.
That said, Cobb joins Ross Stripling and John Brebbia on the injured list. The trio has started a combined 27 games this season for the Giants.
Cobb owns the best ERA among the starting rotation this year and is one of just two pitchers to log five wins already.
Josh Donaldson is considering calling it a career after 2023
In a somewhat surprising development, New York Yankees third-baseman Josh Donaldson admitted he isn't sure if he'll return for the 2024 season. As a reminder, we're still in just the month of June, so the timing of the admission is interesting, to say the least.
Donaldson was open and honest with Brendan Kuty of The Athletic (subscription required) on Sunday night. He said he'll have to see how the season plays out, how he feels, and what his family thinks. But ultimately, Donaldson didn't do much to shut down the idea of curtains for his career after 2023.
The Yankees had just gotten swept by the Red Sox when he spoke to Kuty, losing both ends of the doubleheader on Sunday at Fenway Park.
Donaldson has not played much this year, missing most of April and May due to injury. He jumped back into the lineup in early June and has slashed .162/.256/.568 this month so far. New York acquired Donaldson in a trade with the Minnesota Twins ahead of the 2022 season, and since arriving in New York he's been up and down offensively. 2022 was his worst offensive season since his rookie year in 2010.
That said, he has been steady on the defensive end even throughout offensive struggles in New York.
Donaldson, if he hung it up now, should be proud of his career. He had staying power for over a decade and won himself an MVP in 2015, a year where he led the American League in RBI for the Blue Jays.
Surely, he's hoping he can turn things around and go out on a higher note than the one he's been on in New York the last two seasons.
