Outside The Confines: Where do you think you are, the Oscars?

I hope everyone is having a good long weekend.

• The weirdest story of the season started on Friday as Reds outfielder Tommy Pham slapped Giants outfielder Joc Pederson over a dispute about a fantasy football league they were both in last year.
• Pham was suspended for three games. Pham defended himself and said that Pederson had also insulted Pham’s former team, the Padres, with a GIF.
• Jack Baer tries to sum up everything we know about l’affair Pham.
• Andrew Joseph presents the GIF in question that Pham objected to. I can see why someone who played for the Padres last year wouldn’t like it, but it’s hardly fighting words.
• After the mayor of Anaheim resigned last week over accusations of impropriety over the sale of Angels Stadium to the Angels, the city of Anaheim and the Angels agreed to cancel the deal.
• Bill Shaikin answers several questions about what’s next in the Angels quest for a new stadium. Could they move to Long Beach? Maybe!
• Jayson Stark lists ten things that we’ve learned over the first 40 games of the season. (The Athletic sub. req.) Answer: Not much! But there are ten things! They’re interesting! With comments from anonymous team executives.
• The White Sox designated former Cy Young Award-winner Dallas Keuchel for assignment.
• James Fegan explains why releasing Keuchel (and his $18 million contract) made the most sense for the White Sox, and adds that the Pale Hose have got tougher decisions ahead. (The Athletic sub. req.)
• As of last Friday, the Yankees have won 13 games already this season in which they’ve trailed at some point. Bradford Doolittle analyzes what that means, if anything, for the Yankees and their World Series chances. (ESPN+ sub. req.)
• Matt Carpenter has signed with the Yankees. Dan Szymborski examines what, if anything, can Carpenter bring to the Bombers lineup.
• Zach Crizer takes note of how well Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts has been playing lately and says that it’s a sign that Betts may be on his way to an MVP-winning season.
• Mike Axisa asks which team has a better chance of breaking their playoff drought this year: the Phillies or the Mariners?
• Ken Rosenthal tried to explain what has gone wrong with the Mariners this season. (The Athletic sub. req.) Not enough “fun” differential, I’d guess. Also, other notes from around the league from Rosenthal.
• Joon Lee looks at how the Red Sox have been playing better lately and how it all corresponds to when manager Alex Cora shaved his beard. OK, Lee actually looks at four factors that has Boston playing better and whether it might continue, but he does throw the beard thing in there as a hook.
• Luke Hopper breaks down what has gone wrong with Guardians pitcher Shane Bieber this year.
• MLB dot com presents five midseason deals that make sense. I’m pretty sure at least one of you doesn’t think it would make sense for Cubs player you-know-who to go you-know-where.
• Bob Nightengale looks at the shape of the trade market as we head into June.
• R.J. Anderson has five minor league prospects who could yet make a difference on contending teams this year.
• Will Leitch has one “secretly” dominant pitcher from all 30 teams.
• Eno Sarris notes that there is no such thing as a “fastball count” anymore as pitchers are more and more relying on the slider in such situations. (The Athletic sub. req.) He also explains what that means for the game.
• There was a scary moment at Angels Stadium on Saturday night when Halos catcher Kurt Suzuki was hit in the neck with a warm-up pitch between innings and then he passed out on the way off the field. Suzuki went to a hospital for tests and was released.
• The Rockies announced their “City Connect” uniforms. I’m not really a fan.
• UCLA scored nine runs in the ninth inning and four in the tenth to beat Oregon State 25-22 in the Pac-12 tournament. Yowza.
• And finally, watch the organist at Busch Stadium make a perfect barehanded catch of a foul ball.

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