Albert joins the club

The lore of some no-hitters is more fun than the accomplishments themselves.

Dock Ellis claimed to have pitched a no-hitter on LSD. David Wells said he threw his perfect game on a day he was hung over from the night before.

For Edinson Volquez, it was the no-hitter that almost wasn't.

Covering first on the first play of the game, Volquez collided with Diamondbacks center fielder Rey Fuentes Saturday afternoon, tweaking his ankle in the process and nearly requiring that he be lifted before his day had even begun.

“I can’t pitch anymore,” he told Marlins trainers and officials, saying that he had twisted his ankle. “It hurts.”

He was able to stay in the game, to the chagrin of the D'backs. Twenty-six more outs and zero hits later, he'd made history.

Volquez struck out 10, including all three batters he faced in the ninth inning, in a 3-0, no-hit shutout of the Arizona club on Saturday. It was the sixth no-hitter in Marlins history and the first since Henderson Alvarez in 2013. The no-no was also the first of 2017.

Even more impressive than the feat was the fact that Volquez went a full nine innings while using fewer than 100 pitches. Before Saturday, he had yet to record an out in the seventh inning in any start this season.

It hadn't been one to remember for the 33-year-old, who owns a 3.79 ERA and 1.38 WHIP even after Saturday's brilliance. Now, it'll be one he'll remember forever.

“That’s just one of those days,” Marlins teammate Justin Bour said, “that you’re not gonna ever forget.”

Pujols Joins 600-Homer Club

For all the things he's lost, Albert Pujols can still hit bombs.

That home run ability has been on display in recent years, even as his ability to hit for average and on-base skills have eroded, and on Saturday Pujols became the ninth player in Major League Baseball history to hit 600 home runs for his career. Pujols accomplished the feat faster than only three other major leaguers in history.

And he did it in dramatic fashion, skying an Ervin Santana offering into the left field seats for a grand slam in an Angels win. It was Pujols' only hit in four at-bats.

And while the 600 plateau is a milestone, it likely won't be the last major accomplishment for the 37-year-old yet this year. Sammy Sosa's mark is now nine homers away, and Jim Thome's is 12. Pujols won't get to Ken Griffey Jr.'s 630 this year, but that may be in store for next season.

Declining skills aside, Pujols is a generational talent who should be and likely will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Congratulations on the accomplishment, Albert.

Segura Out Indefinitely With Sprained Ankle

 

Jean Segura's timetable may not be universally agreed upon, but everyone is certain of one thing: however much time he misses, it'll be more than the Mariners can afford.

Reports came out Saturday suggesting Segura could miss up to two months due to a sprained right ankle suffered Thursday, and while the 27-year-old said later Saturday that he thinks it could actually be less than a month before his return, the consensus is that he'll miss weeks, not days, due to the injury.

"I don’t think this is going to take a month," Segura said prior to Saturday’s game. "Maybe a couple of weeks. We’ll see how it feels the next couple of days.

"If it feels good over the next couple of days, maybe I’ll do some activities. Right now, I’m just getting treatment to get the swelling down. It’s still bothering me a little bit, but it could have been worse. Thank God, it’s just a sprain."

The M's will replace Segura, in the way that a warm body will play shortstop every day in Segura's absence, but he won't truly be replaced, given the start he's gotten off to offensively. Segura is batting an American League second-best .341 mark with an .852 OPS in 43 games.

Taylor Motter is the logical option to fill in for Segura, but fantasy owners would do well to make a wish that it's sooner than later for the shortstop.

National League Quick Hits: Scott Schebler has been diagnosed with a left shoulder strain. Schebler suffered the injury Saturday while making a diving catch on a Nick Markakis line drive. The severity of the strain is unknown at this time, though he immediately motioned for a trainer after snaring the ball and looked to be in a good amount of pain. Schebler is currently tied for the National League lead in homers with 16 ... Jeff Hoffman will be called up to start against the Padres on Sunday. He'll be filling in for Tyler Anderson, who landed on the 10-day disabled list Saturday with left knee inflammation. Hoffman was terrific in a spot start against the Phillies in late May, allowing just one run on three hits over seven innings while striking out seven batters and issuing zero walks. He's an appealing fantasy streaming option versus a light-hitting San Diego squad ... Billy Hamilton left Saturday's game against the Braves with a left shoulder strain. Hamilton was 1-for-3 before getting replaced in center field by Arismendy Alcantara. He'll be re-evaluated by the Reds' medical staff Sunday morning ... David Dahl's rehabilitation from a stress reaction in his rib has "completely stalled," per beat writer Nick Groke of the Denver Post. Groke notes that Dahl is now "long from returning" to the Rockies' active roster. The young outfielder has been sidelined since the second week of spring training and he remains out indefinitely ... Hunter Pence (hamstring) will either be activated from the disabled list Sunday or Monday. Pence was due to arrive Saturday night in Philadelphia, where the Giants are playing a three-game weekend series. They'll begin a four-game series at Miller Park on Monday night. Sunday's finale at Citizens Bank Park is a 12:35 p.m. ET start, so that might be asking a bit much of the 34-year-old outfielder, who's been sidelined since May 13 with a left hamstring strain ... Jayson Werth was pulled from Saturday's game against the A's after fouling a ball off his left foot. Werth finished out the at-bat and singled to right field, but he struggled to make it down the first-base line and Wilmer Difo entered as a pinch-runner. Werth will probably sit out Sunday's series finale in Oakland Saturday was grand to a quartet of National League hitters, as Travis Shaw, Chris Taylor, Matt Adams and Ian Desmond each hit a grand slam ... Ben Lively allowed one run in seven innings to earn a 5-3 win over the Giants while making his major league debut on Saturday. He gave up just four hits and the only run he allowed came home on a sacrifice fly. He walked three batters and was not able to register a strikeout in the ballgame. He did manage to smack his first major league base hit though. The 25-year-old rookie had a 6-1 record and 2.40 ERA in nine starts at Triple-A before getting the call to the majors Jameson Taillon (cancer) will make another rehab start Wednesday with Triple-A Indianapolis. Taillon allowed just one unearned run over five innings Friday with Indy, after working three scoreless innings in his rehab debut last Sunday at Double-A Altoona. The 25-year-old right-hander will likely return to the Pirates' starting rotation after Wednesday's outing, assuming it goes smoothly ... Matt Garza has been diagnosed with a chest contusion. Garza suffered the injury in the fourth inning of his start Saturday against the Dodgers when he collided with teammate Jesus Aguilar at first base. The right-hander allowed two runs, one earned, before getting lifted. He will be reevaluated by the Brewers' medical staff on Sunday morning.

American League Quick Hits: Cole Hamels (oblique) is scheduled to throw his first bullpen session Sunday. He'll throw two or three more of those before advancing to simulated action and then eventually a minor league rehab assignment. Hamels is on track to return to the Rangers' starting rotation sometime in early July, though there are many hurdles to clear ... Jacoby Ellsbury (concussion) has been shut down again due to a recurrence of his headaches. Ellsbury had hoped to be activated from the disabled list this weekend, instead he'll see a neurologist when the club returns to New York. As of now, there's no estimate on when he'll rejoin the Yankees ... Royals optioned OF Jorge Soler to Triple-A Omaha. The 25-year-old outfielder, and prize of the Wade Davis trade over the winter, was hitting just .164/.292/.273 with one homer, three RBI and a 19/10 K/BB ratio in 65 plate appearances with the Royals. He'll work through his issues in the minors before returning later in the season ... Dustin Pedroia (wrist) said he expects to be activated from the disabled list on Friday. That's the first day he's eligible. Pedroia took grounders and did some dry swings on Saturday at Camden Yards and reported feeling great after the workout ... Mike Napoli was forced to leave Saturday's game against the Astros early due to back spasms. With Napoli out, Joey Gallo moved from left field to first base while Ryan Rua entered the game and took over in the outfield. It's uncertain how long Napoli will be sidelined, if at all. Rua might see added playing time with Gallo manning first base if Napoli needs to miss time ... Mitch Haniger (oblique) reported feeling good Saturday after taking a full round of batting practice on Friday. If he continues to make progress through the weekend, Haniger should be cleared to begin a minor league rehab assignment on Monday ... Ryon Healy went 4-for-4 and blasted a pair of home runs in a 10-4 thrashing of the Nationals on Saturday. He hit the second of his club's two-run homers in the first inning, then swatted a solo shot in the seventh. Healy hasn't hit nearly as well as he did in his breakout rookie season a year ago, although he has still been quite productive Whit Merrifield extended his hitting streak to 18 games Saturday versus the Indians. Merrifield contributed a two-run double to the Royals' six-run outburst in the bottom of the fifth inning, finishing 1-for-4 with two RBI. The second baseman is now batting .293/.349/.489 with six home runs, 15 RBI, six stolen bases, and 18 runs scored in 38 games this season for Kansas City ... David Price pitched seven innings of one-run ball, and the Red Sox bested the Orioles 5-2 on Saturday. Price surrendered just three hits, including a solo homer to Manny Machado in the seventh inning, and he walked one while striking out seven. Through two starts, the southpaw has allowed five hits and walked three, good for a 0.67 WHIP. It's still early, but Price appears to be up to his pre-injury form.