Jose Fernandez strikes out six, hits a homer in his 2015 debut

By Craig CalcaterraJul 2, 2015, 2:30 PM EDT
8 Comments

Jose Fernandez coming back to pitch today for the first time since his Tommy John surgery was already a big deal. The fact that he pitched more or less OK — striking out six in six innings, but giving up three runs — is pretty cool too. But the fact that he did this, off of the likewise-returning Matt Cain, made the day all the more special for him:

[mlbvideo id=”220361283″ width=”600″ height=”336″ /]

 

And here is a Fernandez striking out Matt Duffy on 99 m.p.h. gas:

[mlbvideo id=”220273183″ width=”600″ height=”336″ /]

 

The day was not as nice for Matt Cain, who went five innings allowing five runs and two homers.

At the moment the Marlins lead 5-3 in the eighth.

 

Royals, Alex Gordon close to contract agreement

Alex Gordon
Cody Glenn/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
By Bill BaerJan 19, 2020, 5:38 PM EST
1 Comment

MLB.com’s Jeffrey Flanagan reports that the Royals and outfielder Alex Gordon are “getting close” to an agreement on a one-year contract. Terms of the deal aren’t yet known, but the Royals could make it official within the next few days.

Gordon, who turns 36 years old next month, hit .266/.345/.396 with 13 home runs and 76 RBI over 633 plate appearances with the Royals this past season. His offense has waned, owning an adjusted OPS of 84 since 2016 (100 is average), but he still plays decent defense.

Gordon has spent all 13 years of his major league career with the Royals. With the club in a rebuilding phase, he will serve as the clubhouse leader and be a mentor to younger players on the roster.