TBLA Sunday morning links: June 16, 2019

RHP Dodgers news ...

The Dodgers lost to the Cubs last night in a pitchers’ duel. You can read the TBLA game recap here.

As always, the Dodgers bullpen remains the No. 1 concern. Los Angeles Times’ Andy McCullough has a column on the situation.

A drumbeat of unease follows Dodgers relievers wherever they tread. Most games, the noise burbles in the background, obscured by the team’s propulsive offense and smothering starting pitching. On some nights, it sounds like a roar. The relievers understand its meaning. On a team on pace for more than 100 wins, they are the weak link.

Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappe visited the Dodgers clubhouse on Saturday, just days after he was in Oakland to see the Raptors win the NBA Finals.

Around the league ...

The Mariners traded Edwin Encarnacion to the Yankees for RHP prospect, Juan Then. Here is SB Nation’s Lookout Landing blog with their take on the trade.

The Minnesota Twins retired Joe Mauer’s number on Saturday night. Here’s the video of the jersey retirement ceremony.

MLB has been recording a lot of home runs this season. A lot. CBS Sports has more details on this record year.

Well, the baseball itself is almost certainly juiced, and most hitters have bought into increasing their launch angle so as to hit for more power. In a related matter, the 2019 season is on pace to have the lowest ground-ball percentage on record. Mostly, though, it’s probably the baseball.