Jered Weaver shocked everyone by asking out of a game

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Managers almost always come out to the mound to remove pitchers from the game, so when the pitching coach makes a mound visits it’s usually just to chat. And that was Angels pitching coach Mike Butcher’s plan Sunday when he came out to talk to Jered Weaver, but then Weaver surprised everyone involved by actually asking to be removed from the game in the seventh inning.

He’d thrown 6.1 innings of one-run ball on 102 pitches and the Angels were up 7-1, but Weaver wasn’t happy with how he was pitching and specifically told Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times that he “didn’t have any command of my fastball.”

And because he’s Jered Weaver, longtime excellent pitcher with a good reputation for such things, Butcher had plenty of praise for him, saying: “It takes a man to tell you he wants to come out of the game. Hats off to him.”

Weaver’s catcher, Hank Conger, said: “I was a little shocked. He always loves taking the ball.”

And the reliever who came in to replace him, Michael Kohn, said: “I was surprised. I was warming up, taking my time, and they said, ‘You’re in the game.'”

Sunday’s start may have been a batter or two shorter than manager Mike Scioscia planned, but it was Weaver’s fifth straight strong outing since beginning the season with three straight rough games. During that five-start stretch he’s 4-0 with a 1.71 ERA and 23/8 K/BB ratio in 32 innings and has allowed just one homer.

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.