Charlie Manuel might become the Orioles hitting coach after all - MLB

At the end of November it was reported that Charlie Manuel had been approached to become the Orioles hitting coach but ultimately declined. Apparently the Orioles are not taking his initial no for an answer. Roch Kubatko of MASN:

The Orioles are still targeting Charlie Manuel in their search for a new hitting coach, according to sources, and they should know later this week whether he’s willing to fill the position.

Manuel was the Indians hitting coach from 1988-89 and from 1994-99. He’s 70 now and it’s not likely that he’ll land another manager job, so to the extent he’s wavering, you have to figure it’s less about him holding out for another job or worrying about taking a step back as much as it’s about him deciding whether he wants to go back to the eight-month or more grind of the baseball season.

CINCINNATI — The Los Angeles Dodgers placed pitcher Noah Syndergaard on the 15-day injured list Thursday with a blister on the index finger of his right throwing hand.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said the timetable for Syndergaard’s return is unknown despite the 15-day designation.

“The physical, the mental, the emotional part, as he’s talked about, has taken a toll on him,” Roberts said. “So, the ability to get him away from this. He left today to go back to Los Angeles to kind of get back to normalcy.”

Syndergaard allowed six runs and seven hits in three innings against the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday night, raising his ERA to 7.16.

Syndergaard (1-4) has surrendered at least five runs in three straight starts.

Syndergaard has been trying to return to the player he was before Tommy John surgery sidelined him for the better part of the 2020 and 2021 seasons.

Roberts said Syndergaard will need at least “a few weeks” to both heal and get away from baseball and “reset.”

“I think searching and not being comfortable with where he was at in the moment is certainly evident in performance,” Roberts said. “So hopefully this time away will provide more clarity on who he is right now as a pitcher.

“Trying to perform when you’re searching at this level is extremely difficult. I applaud him from not running from it, but it’s still very difficult. Hopefully it can be a tale of two stories, two halves when he does come back.”