MLB Bullets is a family affair

Baez, Rizzo and Russell all get time to heal their injuries. I’m still on the job, playing through the pain.

• Pirates closer Felipe Vazquez was arrested on Tuesday on several charges, including sexual assault of a minor. He is being held without bail as prosecutors expect to file more charges in the coming days.
• Michael McCann explains just how much trouble that Vazquez is in. That includes both legal jeopardy and with Major League Baseball.
• On a happier note, Giants outfielder Mike Yastrzemski played his first game at Fenway Park, where his grandfather Carl is a Hall-of-Fame legend. Mike got a standing ovation from the BoSox faithful the first time he came to the plate. In his second at-bat, Yastrzemski hit a home run. And yes, grandfather Carl was in the stands.
• Hannah Keyser gets Mike Yastrzemski’s backstory and talks with him about what it means to him to be the grandson of a legend.
• Here’s more on Mike and Carl talking about how much it means to him to see his grandson play at Fenway. Carl says it compares to winning the Triple Crown.
• The Blue Jays’ Cavan Biggio hit for the cycle on Tuesday, becoming just the second father-son duo to both accomplish that feat. (The first was Daryle and Gary Ward.)
• Tom Verducci writes on how the Yankees plan to use a different approach with their pitching staff in the postseason.
• When they do, they’ll be without Dellin Betances, who tore his Achilles tendon after just eight pitches into his season debut on Sunday.
• Eric Chesterton writes that it looks like the Yankees will have a fully-healthy pitcher Luis Severino, and that’s bad news for American League hitters. Severino pitched four scoreless innings in his season debut Tuesday night.
• Marly Rivera speaks with Severino about what he expects to do the rest of the way.
• I guess this is as good a time as any to document the injuries. Indians infielder Jason Kipnis is out for the rest of the season with a wrist fracture. As Kipnis is a free agent at the end of the year, his nine-year career with Cleveland is probably over.
• Red Sox legend David Ortiz talked about the experience of getting shot and almost dying. (h/t Hardball Talk)
• Former Cardinals and Royals manager Whitey Herzog is recovering from a stroke.
• Brittany Ghiroli has more on the inspiring story of Nationals pitcher Aaron Barrett and his four-year comeback from arm injuries. (The Athletic sub. req.)
• Nationals manager Dave Martinez is recovering from a cardiac procedure. Chip Hale is managing the team in his absence. Get well soon, Davey.
• Mike Petriello notes that the Nationals have the best outfield defense in MLB in 2019.
• David Schoenfield is impressed the way the Athletics keep winning without ever undergoing a complete rebuild.
• Craig Calcaterra notes that with the Raiders moving to Las Vegas, last Sunday’s NFL game at the Oakland Coliseum was likely the last time an NFL team will play on baseball diamond dirt. If the A’s make the World Series, then there might be one final time.
• Emma Baccellieri watched the Tigers play the Orioles this week and she found meaning in what others would term “meaningless” baseball.
• When a manager calls for a replay review from New York, what exactly happens there? Jesse Rogers got a look at the umpire replay room and explains how the whole process works.
• Jayson Stark looks at all the nightmarish tiebreaker situations that could come up in the NL. (The Athletic sub. req.)
• R.J. Anderson looks at some of the strategy tendencies of managers heading to the playoffs.
• No manager has been fired during the 2019 season. Bob Nightengale has ten that could go when the season ends.
• Dan Szymborski looks at the current state of the Mariners rebuild.
• Zach Kram believes the Reds have found a perfect two-way player in Michael Lorenzen.
• Devan Fink argues the Rangers got found a mid-season treasure when they traded for pitcher Kolby Allard.
• The Dodgers have been the best team in the NL most of this season. Ben Clemens asks if there is a better time to face Los Angeles in the playoffs.
• Former pitcher Barry Zito has a new memoir coming out and in it, he admits he rooted against the Giants in 2010 after they left him off the playoff roster. (h/t Hardball Talk)
• The Phillies and catcher J.T. Realmuto are mutually interested in agreeing to a contract extension.
• Jim Callis ranks the 2019 rookies on how good a career they can be expected to have. Nico Hoerner’s not on the list, but only because he’s considered a 2020 rookie.
• Eno Sarris looks at the weirdest pitches of the season. (The Athletic sub. req.)
• September call-ups can be a big deal for minor leaguers who are trying to make ends meet on a minor league salary.
• And finally, Michael Clair is disappointed in Twins reliever Michael Duffey who wore a “Beatles” T-Shirt for the “Wear Your Favorite Band” road trip. Me, I would have worn this “X-Ray Spex” shirt, not because they’re my favorite band (although I do love them) but simply because then I’d get to talk about X-Ray Spex.

And tomorrow will be a better day than today, Buster.