MLB Bullets Is On Base

Josh is traveling today. I'm pinch-hitting.

• Jose Reyes is going to be joining the Mets Tuesday, say Joshua Needleman and Chad Thornburg.
• Mike Vorkunov hopes for nuance in the Reyes narrative, but the story notes that the general public struggles with nuanced interpretations of such crimes..
• Anthony Castrovince rates the Five Best Rotations. The Cubs are still first on the list, but the gap is closing.
• Wade Davis was placed on the 15-day DL, leaving the Royals without a closer, reports Cash Kruth. They brought up PCL All-Star Brooks Pounders to replace him on the roster.
• Jordan Ray writes about Olympian gymnast Simone Biles, who threw out the first pitch at an Astros game. Biles performed a side aerial flip before throwing a strike.
• Five international prospects are leaving the Red Sox, says Jesse Sanchez. This is about the bonus-pool issues.
• The Dodgers are likely to send rookie Julio Urias down to Triple-A, even though the teenage pitcher has made quite an impression. Jack Baer has details, such as they are.
• Dayn Perry predicts the 2016 All-Star rosters. No real surprises there.
• The Pirates have been hijacked by Jameson Taillon's shoulder fatigue, says Mike Axisa.
• Axisa also has a tale of a bald eagle exercising its independence. Steve Miller had something to say about that years ago.
• Matt Snyder has the Rangers on top of his Power Rankings. He makes an argument for the Cubs, though.
• Andrew Joseph presents five foods so outrageous that they didn't make ballpark menus. The healthy nachos don't have a hope. I'd consider eating the others. Hot beef sundae!
• The Cincinnati Reds have fired Mark Riggins, their pitching coach. Zach Buchanan relates some of the scapegoating.
• Jeff Francouer isn't the best player out there, but he's a good guy. Cameron DaSilva relates a win-win situation with a fan.
• Nick Schwartz regales us with a piece about animal-rights activists hot-dogging it. They apparently mustered quite an effort.
• CJ Nitkowski asks if it would be better if the Mets missed the postseason. I'd prefer it if they missed the regular season, too.
• Players that leave via free agency are not disloyal, explains Craig Calcaterra. The logic is kind of tortured, if you ask me, but then you didn't.
• As much as you want them to, the Yankees aren't selling, says Joseph Coblitz. They might be happier keeping everyone.
• David Price wishes the All-Star game didn't count, writes Zack Cox. He's not alone.
• Vincent Frank informs us about a monster trade being discussed between the Rangers and the Rays. The idea originated with Jim Bowden, though.
• NBC News opines that female players may be headed to the Majors.[VIDEO]
• It's time for God to stop blessing America during ball games, says Gersh Kuntzman. The song offends virtually everyone, he continues.
• Ron Juckett tells of the five best parks in Major League Baseball. I disagree about the order.
• Justin Skinner reports that Joey Votto might soon adopt a villainous laugh to go with his image.
• Rich McCormick (or a reasonable facsimile thereof) writes of robot journalists taking over reporting about minor-league games. Is this the future then? Robot umps, android reporters, cyborg players...
• The Giants are the winningest team in baseball, writes Karl Buscheck. Jake Peavy and the pen made it happen.
• And finally, Jesse Spector asks -- What do Fourth of July standings in baseball really tell us?

Happy clicking. See ya 'round.