Elephant Rumblings: A’s Shut Down Puk, Maxwell Set To Make Opening Day Squad

A’s Coverage:

• Slusser: A’s shut down A.J. Puk with biceps issue...
• NYT: After Parkland Shooting, A’s Prospect Finds Sanctuary in the Arms of Baseball...
• Slusser: After meeting with A’s players, union head Tony Clark discusses spending issues...
• Lee: Fowler looking to secure A’s center-field job...
• Zavoral: Oakland A’s to give plant-based burger its stadium debut...

MLB News:

• ESPN: Mariners’ David Phelps to have Tommy John surgery, season over...
• AP: MLB Hall of Fame says it won’t use Chief Wahoo logo for future plaques...
• ESPN: Steven Souza suffers strained right shoulder; MRI set for Thursday...
• CBS: The Royals are not going to send the struggling Alex Gordon to the minors...

Baseball Interest Stories:

• Heyman: Is anyone going to sign Greg Holland?
• Sullivan: Alex Cobb’s Patience Actually Worked...
• THT: The Most Underrated Base Stealer of the 1980’s and ’90’s...
• The Ringer: Presenting MLB’s 2018 Bargain Signing All-Stars...

Today in Baseball History:

• 1962 - A former member of the New York Giants requesting anonymity reveals that Bobby Thomson’s home run in the 1951 playoffs against the Brooklyn Dodgers was helped by a sign-stealing clubhouse spy. The spying is claimed to have gone on for the last three months of the season. Thomson, along with former Giants manager Leo Durocher, vehemently denies that he received help, but a source close to the team confirms the spy operation.
• 1976 - The California Angels’ groundskeeper finds hundreds of marijuana plants growing in the outfield at Anaheim Stadium. The culprits? Most likely rock fans who attended a recent performance at the stadium by The Who.

Best of Twitter:

• Maxwell makes the squad...

• No structural damage, but still discouraging...

• Cotton is on the mend...