Yasiel Puig injured his thumb diving head-first into first base

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In the third inning, Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig led off with a ground ball up the middle. Shortstop Brandon Crawford snagged the ball and fired to first but couldn’t beat Puig, who dove head-first in an attempt to beat the play. Puig reached successfully but was ultimately picked off.

After the dive, Puig consulted with trainer Stan Conte but remained in the game until its completion. After the game, however, Puig had an X-ray on his thumb and manager Don Mattingly said his star player was “a little sore”, according to Eric Stephen of SB Nation’s True Blue L.A. However, results haven’t been released yet, which will determine the extent of the injury. In Stephen’s account, Puig’s thumb wasn’t taped, nor was it in a splint, suggesting the injury could be minor, but the team should release more details later on Saturday night or early on Sunday.

Cardinals sign pitcher Miles Mikolas to 3-year, $55.75M deal

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Rhona Wise/USA TODAY Sports
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ST. LOUIS — Miles Mikolas is sticking with the St. Louis Cardinals.

The right-hander signed a three-year, $55.75 million contract on Friday that will carry through the 2025 season.

The new deal replaces a $68 million, four-year contract signed in February 2019 that covered the 2020-23 seasons and was set to pay $15.75 million this year.

Mikolas will receive a $5 million signing bonus payable July 1 and will make $18.75 million in 2023 and $16 million in each of the following two seasons. Mikolas can earn a $250,000 bonus for winning a Cy Young Award, $50,000 for All-Star election or selection or winning a Gold Glove, $100,000 for League Championship Series MVP and $150,000 for World Series MVP.

Mikolas is scheduled to make the second opening-day start of his big league career next Thursday when the Cardinals host Toronto. Mikolas went 12-13 with a 3.29 ERA last season while helping St. Louis to the NL Central title.

“Miles stands among the top pitchers in the game today, and has continued to provide a steady presence for us both in the rotation and inside the clubhouse,” St. Louis general manager John Mozeliak said in a statement.

Mikolas is 45-40 with a 3.79 in 143 games with San Diego, Texas and St. Louis. He recently pitched six shutout innings in two appearances for the U.S. in the World Baseball Classic.