AROUND THE HORN
MLB: Two additional Major League Baseball teams have been able to relax coronavirus protocols after reaching the 85% vaccination threshold for players and other on-field personnel, raising the total to 22 of the 30 clubs. However, the pace of vaccinations has slowed and no additional teams were announced as being on track to reach the threshold. The commissioner’s office and the players’ association said Friday that 85.1% of Tier 1 individuals such as players, managers, coaches, trainers and support personnel had been partially or fully vaccinated, down 0.1% from the previous week, and 83.7% had been fully vaccinated, up 0.8% from the previous week. There were two positive tests — one for a player and one for a staff member — among 8,868 tests in the past week, a 0.02% positive rate. So far this season, there have been 65 positive tests — 36 players, 29 staff — among 194,419 samples tested, a 0.03% positive rate. The positive tests are among 25 teams.
Mets: Mets acting general manager Zack Scott refuted Mets star Pete Alonso’s charge that Major League Baseball has been manipulating baseballs to hurt potential free agents, saying changes to the ball would have “no influence on how players are valued or paid.” Asked on Wednesday about the simmering debate over pitchers’ use of foreign substances, Alonso claimed MLB intentionally juiced baseballs before star pitchers like Gerrit Cole hit the open market, then deadened the ball this season with a talented group of hitters ready to become free agents. “I didn’t know Pete was a conspiracy theorist,” Scott said with a laugh Friday before the Mets opened a series against the Padres. The league did not comment on Alonso’s charge.
Mariners: Mariners reliever Kendall Graveman is back with the team after being on the injured list following a COVID-19 scare. The 30-year-old righthander, who had been out since May 23, was activated Friday before the Mariners opened a three-game series against the Indians.
Cubs: Joc Pederson homered and drove in three, Anthony Rizzo and Willson Contreras went deep and the Cubs beat the Cardinals 8-5 on Friday. Wrigley Field allowed 100% capacity for the first time since 2019 on what the Cubs called “Opening Day 2.0:. They fell behind 5-1, then treated a crowd of 35,112 to a comeback win over their NL Central rivals. Pederson gave the Cubs a 7-5 lead in the seventh with a two-run double off of Génesis Cabrera. He also singled leading off the first and homered in his second straight game when he drove one to the center-field basket.
Brewers: Brewers third baseman Travis Shaw likely won’t return until August after dislocating his left shoulder diving for a ground ball this week. Shaw got hurt Wednesday at Cincinnati and was placed on the injured list the next day.
Nationals: Nationals ace Max Scherzer exited with an apparent injury after throwing just 12 pitches in Friday night’s start against the Giants. There was no immediate report on Scherzer’s condition.
Diamondbacks: General manager Mike Hazen is taking a physical leave of absence from the team while his wife Nicole is dealing with brain cancer. Hazen said he will continue to consult regularly with assistant general manager Amiel Sawdaye