Aaron Choose might be one of many protagonists of baseball’s second half — or a tragic Yankees footnote

It has been almost six weeks since we’ve seen Aaron Choose in uniform, since we noticed the reigning AL MVP tear a ligament in his huge proper toe crashing into the outfield wall at Dodger Stadium.

There isn’t a timetable for his return. Thus, time is running out for him to save the Yankees’ season.

The Yankees open the second half of the season Friday night time in Colorado, sitting one game back of the final AL wild card spot.

When Choose went down on June 3, the Yankees have been 35-25. Since then, the staff has gone 14-17, scoring the third-fewest runs within the majors whereas sporting the worst batting common (.218) and on-base share (.288) within the majors over that span.

The Yankees responded by firing hitting coach Dillon Lawson, who turned the primary coach fired midseason in Brian Cashman’s quarter-century as common supervisor. They employed Sean Casey, the previous All-Star turned broadcaster who has no professional coaching experience.

Even when he did, it wouldn’t help him invent an elixir that takes 5 years off the ages of Giancarlo Stanton, Josh Donaldson, Anthony Rizzo and DJ LeMahieu.

In all chance, the Yankees’ postseason hopes — and perhaps the fates of Cashman and Aaron Boone — hinge on the potential return of Choose, who’s batting .291 with a 1.078 OPS — almost matching his 1.111 OPS throughout final season’s historic 62-homer marketing campaign — and leads the staff in residence runs (19) and RBIs (40) regardless of taking part in in simply 49 video games.

The uncertainty surrounding Choose is simply one of many greatest questions hanging over the second half of the season.

Listed here are a few of the different main storylines to comply with round baseball within the coming weeks and months:

How a lot does hope value?

You will have heard: Mets proprietor Steve Cohen is spending almost half a billion {dollars} on the most expensive roster in major league history. The Padres, who’re spending roughly half that quantity, rank third in payroll.

Each groups entered the season with title expectations — after assembly in a wild-card sequence final yr — however now enter the second half seemingly needing outstanding turnarounds to remain within the playoff race.

The Mets (42-48) are seven games out of the final National League wild card spot. The Padres (43-47) are six video games again.

Each groups have the talent to climb back into contention. However can both one dwell as much as its lofty preseason expectations?

Shohei Ohtani’s future

It might be extremely daring for the Angels to trade the once-in-a-lifetime talent earlier than the Aug. 1 deadline, however the chance exists with Ohtani set to grow to be a free agent and sign the largest deal in the sport’s history this offseason.

Mike Trout’s most up-to-date damage and the Angels’ (45-46) struggles to shut the primary half — they’re 5 video games again of the ultimate AL wild card spot — solely increase the chance of a possible deal for the twin risk, who appears likely to leave the perennial loser in a matter of months.

If the Angels concern fan backlash and/or imagine he could return to Anaheim, Ohtani will end his soon-to-be second MVP season with an opportunity at an thinkable mixture of 60 residence runs (he has 32) and the most effective opponents’ batting common (at the moment a MLB-low .189) of any pitcher in baseball.

Chasing .400

It has been almost 82 years since any participant hit .400, since Ted Williams famously refused the assistance of a rounding quantity and went 6-for-8 in a season-closing doubleheader to finish 1941 at .406.

Rod Carew (.388) and George Brett got here shut (.390) to matching the feat. Tony Gwynn (.394) was denied the chance by the 1994 strike.

Now, Luis Arraez has his chance. The Marlins second baseman, who holds a .327 lifetime common, at the moment is batting .383.

If any participant could make a run at .400, it’s the participant who boasts the majors’ greatest line drive share and the very best contact fee in a quarter-century, in accordance with Fangraphs.

Who’s for actual?

Verify each season preview. Take a look at each prediction. One can find nobody knew what was coming this season.

The Orioles (54-35) are on pace to make the postseason for the primary time in seven years.

The Rangers (52-39) are also on tempo to clinch their first playoff berth in seven years, main the AL West — and reigning World Collection champion Astros — regardless of dropping prized offseason pickup Jacob deGrom.

The Marlins (53-39) have sprinted previous the Phillies and the Mets, and are transferring nearer to their first full-season playoff look since their 2003 title.

Because of a 16-5 document in games played by rookie phenom Elly De La Cruz, the Reds (50-41) have moved into first place within the NL Central, which they haven’t gained in 11 years.

The Diamondbacks (52-39) haven’t gained a division title in a dozen years, however at the moment are in a digital tie with the Dodgers atop of the NL West.

What number of of baseball’s greatest surprises can end sturdy?

The opposite MVP

Ohtani understandably owns the highlight within the sport, routinely doing issues that no participant within the majors — stretching again to the nineteenth century — has ever performed. However Ronald Acuña Jr. is approaching the unprecedented, too.

The NL MVP front-runner, who’s leading the league-best Braves (60-29), may quickly grow to be the fifth participant in historical past to hit 40 residence runs and document 40 stolen bases in a single season. He may grow to be the primary participant in 14 years to steal 70 bases in a season. And he may begin a brand new membership — how in regards to the 40/70?

Acuña, who’s batting .331, has 21 residence runs and 41 stolen bases.

As we speak’s again web page

Learn extra:

🏈 Giants’ $19.5 million guaranteed offer not enough for Saquon Barkley

🏀 Why Quentin Grimes’ Knicks future is suddenly in question

⚾ Tracing the beginning of Anthony Volpe’s Yankees obsession

Can’t knock Quinnen’s payday

The Jets’ return to “Hard Knocks” simply turned much less intriguing, however the staff’s future simply obtained brighter.

Coming 13 years after Darrelle Revis’ holdout dominated the main target of the Jets’ unforgettable look on the HBO program, the staff has ensured it’ll keep away from an analogous distraction throughout this yr’s coaching camp by locking up defensive anchor Quinnen Williams to a four-year, $96 million extension ($66 million assured).

Williams, 25, who skipped the staff’s voluntary exercises and expressed frustration with the franchise on social media, has secured the biggest assure in Jets historical past whereas changing into the second-highest-paid defensive deal with within the league ($24 million common annual worth) behind the Rams’ Aaron Donald.

Williams, who beforehand was set to make $9.6 million on the ultimate yr of his rookie contract, is the primary Jets draft decide to earn a multi-year second contract from the staff since 2011 draft decide Muhammad Wilkerson.

Whereas Aaron Rodgers will probably be tasked with elevating the Jets offense to the extent of a championship contender, Williams is expected to remain the backbone of a defense, which completed final season ranked fourth within the league.

The previous third total pick of Alabama was a first-time Professional Bowler and first-team All-Professional choice final season, recording a team-high 12 sacks and the very best stress share (13.4) within the NFL, in accordance with NextGen Stats. Williams has 27.5 sacks, 191 tackles and 60 quarterback hits in 57 profession video games.

The Jets open coaching camp on Wednesday. No journeys to the Roscoe Diner will probably be obligatory this time.

Garden pictures

In case you are a daily reader of this text (thanks!), chances are you’ll recall that I recommended throwing a wager on Ons Jabeur (+1700) to win Wimbledon earlier than the match started.

On Thursday, the No. 6 seed from Tunisia moved inside one step of her first grand slam title with a comeback win over No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka, 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-3, in an exciting semifinal, organising a finals matchup with unseeded Marketa Vondrousova.

I hope you jumped aboard. And I promise to not choose for those who decide to hedge (Vondrousova is +190 on DraftKings).

If we’re fortunate, this weekend we’ll additionally see Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz face off in a serious last for the primary time.

Djokovic is a heavy favourite Friday in opposition to No. 8 seed Jannik Sinner, a 21-year-old who’s taking part in in his first profession grand slam semifinal, however took the primary two units off Djokovic in final yr’s quarterfinal matchup at Wimbledon.

Alcaraz, the No. 1 seed, can be favored in a heavyweight battle in opposition to fellow former U.S. Open champion and No. 3 seed Daniil Medvedev, who gained their lone head-to-head matchup at Wimbledon two years in the past. Alcaraz, although, dominated their most up-to-date encounter in March at Indian Wells.