Mariners Moose Tracks 7/8/23: MLB All-Star Game, Esteury Ruiz, and Andrew Painter

Hello everyone and happy All-Star Weekend! The Mariners have got two more games before the All-Star Game, but the festivities have already begun. Let’s dig into all of that and more.

In Mariners news...

• The Stranger wrote about the human cost of hosting an event like the All-Star Game in a city like Seattle.
• Ryan Divish at The Seattle Times wonders if the Mariners and their fans are ready to be the main character for All-Star week.
• José Rodríguez sticks around in the organization.

• Get ready to catch these young studs in the Futures Game today!

• Are the Mariners back? Colin O’Keefe says that this time, it feels real.

Around the league...

• Adam Jude at The Seattle Times recapped the first-ever HBCU Swingman Classic.
• For all of you MLB Draft heads out there, we got a feast in terms of mock drafts yesterday. Here are the links to the latest from Baseball America ($), ESPN ($), The Athletic ($), CBS Sports, FOX Sports, and Future Stars Series.
• Just as quickly as the slider rose in popularity, hitters have caught on. Eno Sarris at The Athletic discusses how the hitters have adjusted to pitchers’ greatest weapon. ($)
• Matthew Roberson at GQ wrote a piece in appreciation of the Baseball Nap. Have you partaken yet this summer?
• A’s stud outfielder Esteury Ruiz has hit the injured list with a shoulder issue.
• Congratulations Kewan!

• The Cubs 3-0 victory over the Yankees yesterday was somehow the first-ever win for the Cubbies in the Bronx.
• Despite the recent rule change, pickoffs are still very much in style, writes Leo Morgenstern at Fangraphs.
• Phillies top pitching prospect Andrew Painter, who decided not to undergo Tommy John surgery this spring to address a UCL injury, suffered another setback in his rehab and will undergo testing.

Anders’ picks...

• Check out this tune from a Seattle native and friend of the site!