MLB News: Ichiro Suzuki statue, Mason Miller, Phil Garner, Jo Adell, White Sox Pope promo

It feels unbelievable to say, but we are already almost halfway through April, and what’s more, we are almost three weeks into this season. We’ve been seeing a lot of injuries, which is nothing new, and also still the case this week. We’re also seeing baseball teams having a very short leash with struggling players.

In our news bites today, we look at some big stories from over the weekend. First, the unveiling of an Ichiro Suzuki statue in Seattle went terribly wrong. Then Shohei Ohtani continues to build his legacy, of course. And in an “it can only happen in baseball” story, the White Sox announced they would be honoring their most famous fan with a Pope-themed promo night.

All that and more below, so let’s get right into it!

• Ben Clemens breaks down what he liked (and didn’t) last week in baseball.

• Phil Garner, former MLB manager, has passed away at age 76. Story by Brian McTaggert.

• Todd Zolecki looks at how Andrew Painter was scratched for his Sunday start, but still ended up pitching out of the bullpen.

• Madison Williams spotlights a cinematic moment for the Padres just ahead of Gavin Sheets’ walk-off home run.

• Is Mason Miller unhittable? Ryan Phillips thinks he might be.

• Dennis Lin agrees, as he argues that Miller might be in contention for the Cy Young Award. (The Athletic subscription required.)

• The Angels have optioned struggling rookie George Klassen to Triple-A. (AP)

• We love insane choices by new managers. (Here’s a direct link to the BlueSky post for those reading on Apple News)

• David Laurila looks at the wild variety of pitches A’s prospect Braden Nett brings to the table.

• Shohei Ohtani extends his on-base streak to 45 games. Story by Courtney Hollmon.

And tomorrow will be a better day than today, Buster. Make it so.