MLB News Outside The Confines: Walks will haunt

Dan Szymborski looks at whether teams really improve after changing managers mid-season.

Already dealing with an injury to starting shortstop Francisco Lindor, backup shortstop Ronny Mauricio is now out for 6-8 weeks with a thumb fracture.

Michael Baumann examines all the injury troubles the Mets are having.

The Mets did sign backup catcher Luis Torrens to a two-year contract extension.

The Yankees optioned shortstop Anthony Volpe down to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

The Giants are off to a terrible start to the season, but they’re calling up their top prospect Bryce Eldridge for his major league debut.

Michael Rosen notes that Giants second baseman Luis Arraez has made big strides forward on defense and Rosen tries to figure out how.

Jayson Stark asks if Padres closer Mason Miller is the most-unhittable pitcher who ever lived? (The Athletic sub. req.) Signs point to “yes.”

Twins pitcher Joe Ryan, expected to be one of the most-attractive free agent targets at the trade deadline, left his start on Sunday after two batters with a sore elbow.

Mike Axisa has six prospects off to a hot start down in the minor leagues. The Cubs’ Pedro Ramírez made his list.

Kiley McDaniel updates his top ten prospects for each team.

Tyler Kepner looks at how the Brewers turned around the career of left-hander Kyle Harrison. (The Athletic sub. req.) Plus other notes from around baseball.

Similarly, Theo DeRosa believes that Harrison is the Brewers latest successful reclamation project of which there are more that a few pitchers.

Left-hander Blake Snell is almost ready to return to the Dodgers starting rotation. James H. Williams looks at who might get bumped from the rotation to make room for Snell.

Emmet Sheehan is Williams’ top candidate to get bumped, but Sonja Chen looks at how Sheehan fights for ALS awareness with his “K ALS” glove. He gifted one of the gloves to MLB’s Sarah Langs.

Dayn Perry examines how Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani has been a more productive pitcher so far this year than a hitter.

If you’re confused about the whole “two-way player” rule in MLB that Craig Counsell was complaining about earlier, Sonja Chen answers questions you may have about the two-way player rule.

Yankees slugger Aaron Judge features his two dachshunds on his custom cleats.

Some people on the internet thought Yankees infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. was playing a game with AirPods in his ear. He actually had cotton in his ears after an getting hit in the head with a grounder. (Free The Athletic sub. req.)

Braves superstar Ronald Acuña Jr. played a trick on teammate Ozzie Albies by filling his glove full of dirt.

Angels first baseman Nolan Schanuel couldn’t get the ball out of his glove on a grounder to first. So he just tossed the entire glove to the pitcher for the out.

And finally, Jacob Feldman has the story of the fall and rise of the great art of keeping score at the ballgame.