Clayton Kershaw nabbed the first stolen base of his career

By Aaron GleemanJul 21, 2014, 11:51 AM EST
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Tired of simply being the best pitcher in the world, Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw decided to start stealing bases last night.

After reaching first base on a fielder’s choice in the fourth inning, Kershaw took off for second base on Carlos Martinez’s third pitch to Dee Gordon … and made it standing up, without a throw, when the pitch bounced away from the catcher.

It was the first stolen base of Kershaw’s career. Obviously.

Martinez gave zero effort to hold on Kershaw, so the big left-hander got a nice walking lead and just took off.

Also: There are 70 different position players with at least 150 plate appearances this season and zero steals.

Report: Rangers sign Jeff Mathis to two-year deal

Denis Poroy/Getty Images
By Bill BaerNov 15, 2018, 9:47 PM EST
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The Rangers have signed catcher Jeff Mathis to a two-year contract, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. The deal is pending a physical.

Mathis turns 36 years old at the end of March and has a career .564 OPS across 14 seasons, but he is well-regarded for his defense and ability to handle a pitching staff.

The arrival of Mathis could mean the Rangers are moving on from Robinson Chirinos behind the plate, as he is now a free agent. The Rangers could go after another catcher to complement Mathis or just have Isiah Kiner-Falefa back up Mathis. Though Kiner-Falefa mostly played elsewhere, including three spots across the infield, he did rack up over 300 defensive innings behind the plate in 2018.