LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jeff McNeil was added to the New York Mets' roster for the NL Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers after recovering from a broken right wrist.
Pitcher Alex Vesia and infielder Miguel Rojas were left off the Dodgers’ roster for the series starting Sunday night while outfielder Kevin Kiermaier and pitcher Brent Honeywell were inserted after they sat out the NLDS.
McNeil's wrist was broken Sept. 6 when hit by a pitch from Cincinnati’s Brandon Williamson. McNeil returned to action this weekend for Scottsdale in the Arizona Fall League. He went 1 for 4 with a walk while playing second base on Friday and 1 for 5 with an RBI single while playing right field on Saturday.
“Just wanted to get through it healthy. Just didn’t want any pain. The wrist felt good,” McNeil said. “I took a really good at-bat, too, my first AB. I think it was six, seven-pitch at-bat and got a base hit. Felt really good. Kind of felt like myself. So as long as I felt good swinging the bat with no pain, I wanted to be here.”
McNeil was born and raised in Santa Barbara, about two hours from Dodger Stadium where he attended games growing up as a Dodgers fan.
“I remember when I got called up in 2018, this is one of the first places I got to play,” he said. “It was pretty cool and special for me to play in this ballpark.”
Right-handed reliever Adam Ottavino was dropped from the Mets' roster.
Vesia felt cramping in his rib cage while warming up for the eighth inning during Friday’s 2-0 win over San Diego in Game 5 of the Division Series. The 28-year-old had an MRI and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said it was an intercostal injury.
“I think he’s still in play if we are fortunate enough to get to the World Series,” Roberts said.
Rojas has been dealing with a left-thigh strain that caused him to miss the final two games against the Padres. He was replaced by Kiké Hernández, who had three hits in those two games, including a solo homer in Game 5.
“He's obviously a huge part of our ballclub,” Roberts said. “He’s playable, but I think we just, as an organization, felt that what he brings to the table as far as elite shortstop defense, we just feel right now physically he’s a little bit more compromised.”
Tommy Edman will start at shortstop throughout the NLCS, Roberts said. He was acquired from St. Louis at the July 30 trade deadline.
Kiermaier was acquired from Toronto at the trade deadline and Honeywell was claimed off waivers from Pittsburgh on July 13.
All-Star first baseman Freddie Freeman was in the Dodgers' lineup for Game 1, set to bat third. He has been hobbling with a sprained right ankle that limited him in the NLDS.
“It’s better than yesterday,” Roberts said. “I’m expecting him to start and finish the game. But if we have to defensive replace, we will.”
The Dodgers are carrying 13 pitchers and 13 position players.
New York kept rookie infielder Luisangel Acuña, a brother of Atlanta star Ronald Acuña Jr. The Mets have 12 pitchers.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
New York Mets' Jeff McNeil speaks during a news conference prior to Game 1 of a baseball NL Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
The New York Mets celebrate after defeating the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 4 of the National League baseball playoff series, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
The Los Angeles Dodgers celebrate off the mound after defeating the San Diego Padres in Game 5 of a baseball NL Division Series Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Dodgers' Mookie Betts, left, and manager Dave Roberts greet each other during practice in preparation for Game 1 of a baseball NL Championship Series against the New York Mets, Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Emirates Team New Zealand avoided a crash and nailed INEOS Britannia with a penalty as it opened up a 3-0 lead in the first-to-seven wins finals of the America’s Cup on Sunday.
Britain was hit with a 75-meter penalty for not keeping clear when the two boats came feet from colliding in the pre-start jockeying for position in Race 3. The Kiwis’ Taihoro foiling yacht cruised through the six laps and won by 52 seconds.
Now the challenger that is backed by billionaire Jim Ratcliffe and the design expertise of the Mercedes Formula 1 team must rebound big if it wants to win Britain’s first ever America’s Cup in its 173-year history.
For the Kiwis, they are four wins away.
“We’re only three races into it but we are obviously happy to be on this side of the scorecard. I think tomorrow (Race 4) will be a pretty important day,” New Zealand helmsman Nathan Outteridge said. “Once you nudge that one forward and get over the halfway stage to seven, maybe the momentum goes a bit that way.”
New Zealand skipper Peter Burling said that they had planned to steer aggressively in the pre-start, and it paid off. They had the right of way as the starboard boat when they bore down on the Brits before turning late, and the Britannia was a tad slow to react as their foils almost touched.
“We tried it yesterday but they just got past us. It was a little bit uncomfortable to be honest with how close the boats got,” Burling said about the maneuver. "But the umpire obviously thought we were pretty clear there, so it was great to get the penalty and control the race from there.”
Britannia was more than 600 meters behind when the lead boat crossed the finish line off the Barcelona beachfront.
“It was about as close as you ever want to get. I think our foils overlapped and thankfully they didn’t collide,” Britannia skipper Ben Ainslie said about the near collision and penalty. “It was a tough call for us and obviously the umpires decided we were at fault and it put us on the back foot off the line. It is what it is, no point in moaning about it.”
“For us it is time to regroup and take on the second half of the competition,” the record Olympic medalist said.
Britannia largely avoided any costly mistakes and technical mishaps, until now.
On Saturday, Britannia was hampered by a battery meltdown just minutes before Race 1. New Zealand dominated both the opening regattas to make a perfect 2-0 start.
New Zealand is trying to win the Auld Mug, the oldest trophy in international sport, for a third straight time and fifth overall.
As defender, New Zealand was guaranteed a spot in the final. Britain had to fend off four other challengers to make its first final in six decades.
Despite not having raced competitively for a month, the Kiwis have shown they are still very much in championship form.
Race 4 had been scheduled for later Sunday, but it was pushed back to Monday after winds died down below the 6.5-knot minimum. Other than early in Race 2 when there were several lead changes, the Brits have been in the wake of the Kiwis — or even further behind.
Spain's King Felipe VI watched the racing from aboard a Spanish navy vessel.
A couple thousand local residents held a protest against the hosting of the America’s Cup near the old port where the team bases and fan zones are located on Sunday.
Some locals link the hosting of international events like the regatta with the already huge presence of tourists in the Mediterranean city. They argue that tourists fuel skyrocketing rents via short-term rentals of apartments and that many areas of the city now cater far too much to tourist appetites and interests.
Barcelona calculates the two-month event will attract some 2.5 million tourists and contribute more than a billion euros ($1.09 billion) to the city. Local authorities say that this type of event is exactly the kind of so-called “quality tourism” that the city needs.
Several thousand people turned out to celebrate the opening ceremony of the America's Cup finals last week.
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Ineos Britannia skipper Ben Ainslie, center, talks to the crew during the Louis Vuitton 37th America's Cup Day 2 race in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
Emirates Team New Zealand crew prepares for the race during the Louis Vuitton 37th America's Cup Day 2 race in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
Emirates Team New Zealand crew prepares for the Louis Vuitton 37th America's Cup Day 2 race in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
Ineos Britannia skipper Ben Ainslie, center santds before the Louis Vuitton 37th America's Cup Day 2 race in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
Emirates Team New Zealand skipper Peter Burling stands before the Louis Vuitton 37th America's Cup Day 2 race in Barcelona, Spain, on Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue
Demonstrators march shouting slogans against the holding of the America's Cup sailing competition, during a protest demanding the right to housing, in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
Supporters of America's Cup wave from a restaurant as demonstrators march shouting slogans against the holding of the America's Cup sailing competition, during a protest demanding the right to housing, in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
Ineos Britannia races during the Louis Vuitton 37th America's Cup Day 2 race in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
Ineos Britannia and Emirates Team New Zealand race during the Louis Vuitton 37th America's Cup Day 2 race in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
Ineos Britannia and Emirates Team New Zealand race during the Louis Vuitton 37th America's Cup Day 2 race in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
Ineos Britannia and Emirates Team New Zealand race during the Louis Vuitton 37th America's Cup Day 2 race in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
Ineos Britannia and Emirates Team New Zealand race during the Louis Vuitton 37th America's Cup Day 2 race in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
Ineos Britannia and Emirates Team New Zealand race during the Louis Vuitton 37th America's Cup Day 2 race in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
