Pittsburg, PA
Steelers Enter Massive Week for QB Battle
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers are working through a quarterback competition, and even if Russell Wilson started in “pole position,” things are heating up for the final week of the battle.
As the Steelers prepare for the Detroit Lions and their final preseason matchup, they’re opening up their competition and trying to find out which quarterback is the best fit for the season. Offensive coordinator Arthur Smith made it clear that the decision isn’t his to make, but also that the group is working to improve the opportunities for their quarterbacks in this final game.
“You know that’s not [the players’] standard; that’s not acceptable,” Smith said. “But at the same time, you’d rather go through that now than have that happen Week 1. There’s a lot going on there. We’ve had a really good camp, but the reality is when we’ve got in there under the lights … and this is taking nothing away from the other defenses, but we got to get out of our own way. Those are the things we have to clean up.”
According to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, this is a “big week” for the two QBs. Both Wilson and Justin Fields will get plenty of opportunity to showcase themselves. Wilson holds the lead and has a shot to close out the competition. Meanwhile, Fields has one last chance to put himself ahead of the veteran after an impressive summer.
“This sets up as a massive week for Russell Wilson, who is set to practice without restriction for the first time since injuring his calf at the start of the summer. Wilson’s battled inconsistency since starting to work his way back, and with the injury healing, he’ll need to fix that. Justin Fields has impressed in practice, and shown his ability to extend plays, create a really cool element in the quarterback run game, but questions remain about how he processes information in the passing game,” Breer writes.
The Steelers will use all of their remaining time up until Week 1 to make the decision. In the past head coach Mike Tomlin announced the starter during his Week 1 press conference. That’s the expectation this year as well.
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Crews have blocked off a portion of a road in McCandless, Allegheny County, near UPMC Passavant, after a large sinkhole formed.
A township official confirmed to KDKA-TV on Sunday night that Cumberland Road is closed at Babcock Boulevard in front of the hospital. Barricades have been erected to ensure no pedestrians or vehicles have access to the area while repairs are made.
UMPC Passavant remains accessible via the Babcock Boulevard entrance and from the Peebles Road side of Cumberland Road, officials said.
A fire chief responding to the call told KDKA-TV that there are pipes underneath the area where the sinkhole formed, adding that he was unsure when the road would reopen or how long repairs would take.
No injuries have been reported. The area will remain closed while repair work continues.
WASHINGTON — The Pittsburgh Pirates could’ve lost a pitcher they valued, but they made sure they didn’t let him go elsewhere.
The Pirates announced that they selected the contract of right-handed pitcher Noah Murdock to the 40-man roster and optioned him to Triple-A Indianapolis on July 5.
Pittsburgh needed room on their 40-man roster and did this by designating infielder Davis Wendzel for assignment.
The Pirates can now recall Murdock to the 26-man roster with this move and also move him between the minor leagues and major leagues as needed.
Why The Pirates Added Murdock to 40-Man Roster
It’s an interesting move from the Pirates, not one that necessarily has massive ramifications on the team, but more so from a contract stand point.
Murdock had an assignment clause in the minor league contract he signed with the Pirates this past offseason.
This allows another MLB team to add Murdock to their 26-man roster and the Pirates had to either let him go to that MLB team or put him on their 40-man roster. The Pirates doing so signals that there was interest of another team doing exactly this.
It is somewhat different than when a player exercises an upward mobility clause, which would’ve required the Pirates to add Murdock to their 26-man roster or let him go to another team, which they did with left-handed pitcher Joe La Sorsa, who they traded to the Boston Red Sox on June 4.
The Pirates decided that it was worth it to add him to their 40-man roster and let Wendzel go, who had played for them this season.
Pittsburgh selected Wendzel’s contract on June 7 and then after two games, optioned him back to Indianapolis on June 11.
Wendzel also went on the 7-day injured list on July 3, so the Pirates likely decided that they’d want a healthy minor leaguer on their 40-man roster rather than one who wasn’t.
What the Pirates Will Get From Murdock
There isn’t a guarantee that Murdock will play for the Pirates this season, but this move means that there’s always the possibility.
Murdock built back up this season, first pitching with Single-A Bradenton, then Double-A Altoona and with Indianapolis most recently.
He has posted a 2-2 record in 24 relief appearances with one start, with a 4.11 ERA over 30.2 innings pitched, 39 strikeouts to nine walks, a .223 batting average allowed (BAA) and a 1.11 WHIP.
Murdock has posted a 4.26 ERA over 11 relief appearances and 12.2 innings pitched with Indianapolis, with 21 strikeouts to four walks, a .245 BAA and a 1.26 WHIP.
Expect Murdock to throw one of three pitches in a cutter, sweeper or a sinker, but he does have a changeup and four-seam fastball in his arsenal as well.
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