⚾ Suspended! | Sports Daily Newsletter

Mick Abel and José Alvarado brought good news and bad news to Phillies fans on Sunday. We’ll get to the rookie right-hander Abel in a minute. Let’s focus on the veteran left-hander, Alvarado.

Major League Baseball handed him an 80-game suspension, including the postseason, after he tested positive for exogenous testosterone, a performance-enhancing drug.

Alvarado was the Phillies’ best reliever this season, posting a 4-1 record with a 2.70 ERA and seven saves in 20 appearances. So this loss is a tough one for them to absorb.

Dave Dombrowski, the Phillies’ president of baseball operations, said he believes the positive drug test came from Alvarado’s use of a weight-loss drug, “but ultimately, it’s a situation where if [a positive drug test] happens, you’re still responsible.”

By the time Alvarado jogs in from the bullpen again, the Phillies will have replaced him, Scott Lauber writes — at least to the extent that a lefty reliever who throws 100 mph can be replaced.

So it is up to Dombrowski to bring in a reliever (or two) from within the system or in the trade market. Lauber examines some possibilities, short- and long-term.

— Jim Swan, @phillysport, [email protected].

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Mick Abel endured an awful 2024 season in triple A, finishing with a 6.46 ERA, but apparently he listened to his coaches. Pitching coach Caleb Cotham and Travis Hergert, the team’s director of pitching development, encouraged Abel to become a “silent assassin,” embracing a tough, stoic mindset.

Abel embraced it. After a great start to his season with the IronPigs, he made his major-league debut Sunday and shut down the Pirates for six innings in a 1-0 victory. The Phillies finished off a three-game sweep of Pittsburgh.

“I think it’s about channeling [my emotions] in the right way, to where I can go out there and have that killer attitude,” Abel said. “Not to be crazy about it. Just kind of be like, ‘OK, I’m here. Good luck.’”

We know already that Pope Leo XIV is a big sports fan. Whitey Rigsby wonders whether once upon a time at Villanova, the future pope cheered for him on the basketball court. Rigby starred for the Wildcats in the 1970s, when Robert Prevost was a Villanova undergrad pursuing a mathematics degree.

“Everybody in those days went to all the games, so I’m sure he was at games watching us play,” says Rigsby, who is now a broadcaster. “He’s a sports fan.”

The Rev. Rob Hagan, Villanova’s team chaplain and an associate athletic director, has known the new pope for years.

The eighth annual Eagles Autism Challenge gave fans a chance to raise funds for a good cause and also see some of their favorite past and present players up close. The event on Saturday included 30- and 10-mile bike rides, a 5K run, and a sensory walk.

“It’s just a really great organization and they do a lot for kids that are on the spectrum,” said Maggie Wintrode of York, who attended along with her 7-year-old son Quincy Brown.

The Sixers usually make news in June, but not for the right reasons. They are in the spotlight again this year because their luck in last Monday’s NBA draft lottery might help erase some of the missteps of seasons past.

Last year they had the 16th pick in the draft and plenty of cap space available to pursue Paul George. The previous summer, the hiring of Nick Nurse as coach was overshadowed by James Harden‘s refusal to play for Daryl Morey.

This time around, they’ll take the No. 3 pick into June’s draft and maybe it will be Ace Bailey of Rutgers.

Or maybe not. If the Sixers don’t opt to select Bailey or Baylor’s VJ Edgecombe at No. 3, they might trade down in the draft. There are options lower in the first round.

May 19, 1974: The Flyers captured their first Stanley Cup with a 1-0 victory against the Boston Bruins in Game 6 of the Final. Rick MacLeish scored the only goal the Broad Street Bullies would need in the clinching win at the Spectrum. Bernie Parent made 30 saves to post the shutout.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Alex Coffey, Scott Lauber, Ariel Simpson, Jackie Spiegel, Jeff Neiburg, Keith Pompey, Jonathan Tannenwald, and Gina Mizell.

By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

As always, we appreciate you reading Sports Daily. I’ll see you in tomorrow’s newsletter. — Jim