‘All Rise’ for baseball nicknames

Major League Baseball players will get to express themselves for a weekend later this month.

MLB, along with the MLB Players Association, announced Wednesday that from Aug. 25-27, players will wear alternate jerseys inspired by youth league designs. They also can use nicknames instead of their last names on the jersey nameplates.

Here are some of the nicknames that will be used for the games:

■ New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge: “All Rise”

■ Seattle Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager: “Corey’s Brother” (in reference to Kyle’s younger brother, Corey, a shortstop for the Los Angeles Dodgers)

■ Boston Red Sox outfielder Andrew Benintendi (Arkansas Razorbacks): “Benny”

■ Cincinnati Reds second baseman Scooter Gennett: “Ryan” (Ryan is Gennett’s actual first name, but he goes by his nickname Scooter.)

■ Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson: “Bringer of Rain”

The “Players Weekend” will allow players to not only show some flash but also connect their pasts with youth baseball. The jerseys’ right sleeves will have logos that symbolize the development of each player, while a patch on the jersey will have a blank space where players can write someone they wish to thank who helped them get to the major leagues.

Hurt in Memphis

With injuries to key players over the past two seasons, the Memphis Grizzlies are what Geoff Calkins of The Commercial Appeal in Memphis calls “the Golden State Warriors of lower extremity injuries.”

“Now that Zach Randolph is gone and Tony Allen seems to be going, the Grizzlies may need to find a new slogan,” Calkins wrote

“Out with ‘Grit & grind.’ In with: ‘He is expected to make a full recovery.’

“The Grizzlies could give out commemorative walking casts. For in-game entertainment, they could ask fans to match the player with the lower extremity injury or medical procedure.

“Which player did the Grizzlies sign even though he once had hybrid microfracture surgery?

“Which player underwent arthroscopic debridement of the left ankle?

“Which two players did the Grizzlies draft even though they couldn’t get through their predraft workouts because of foot injuries?

“Answers, in order: Chandler Parsons, Brandan Wright, Jarell Martin and Ivan Rabb.

“If you got all those right, you win a free trip to the team podiatrist!

“But now, another entry. Free agent guard Ben McLemore will be out 12 weeks after surgery to repair a non-displaced fracture of the fifth metatarsal in his right foot.

“He is expected to make a full recovery,” said the Grizzlies.

“Will all that fit on a growl towel?”

He said it

From Brad Dickson of the Omaha (Neb.) World-Herald:

■ “Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Chris Archer is feuding with Houston Astros mascot Orbit. This was evident when a brushback pitch took out the mascot atop the dugout.”

■ “Fans are being allowed to rename the Gwinnett Braves minor league team. Choices include Big Mouths, Lambchops and Sweet Teas. The New Orleans Baby Cakes: ‘We feel for you.’ ”

■ “Nebraska men’s basketball got a commitment from Iceland player Thorir Thorbjarnarson. He’s not on Twitter mostly because ‘Thorir Thorbjarnarson’ is too many characters.”

AP/CHARLES KRUPA Boston Red Sox outfielder Andrew Benintendi (Arkansas Razorbacks) is one of several players who will put a nickname on their uniform nameplates later this month during the “Players Weekend.”