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“Being in India and a star Indian player, to be in that position is certainly something he wouldn’t have experienced”

Nagraj Gollapudi and Raunak Kapoor29-Mar-20246:16

Steven Smith: Didn’t expect Hardik to be booed in Hyderabad

Steven Smith’s suggestion to Hardik Pandya is to simply “block out” the boos and the abuse he has been copping from fans at the IPL so far.Smith, target of constant heckling across the globe a few years ago for his role in the 2018 Newlands ball-tampering scandal, said that Hardik needed support from his team-mates at Mumbai Indians, including from Rohit Sharma, who Hardik replaced as captain ahead of IPL 2024 after a 11-year stint.”I’d try and just say, to block it out, it’s all irrelevant,” Smith said on ESPNcricinfo’s TimeOut show. “No one outside knows what you are going through. No one [from outside] is in that change room.”Related

• Relaxed Rohit Sharma eases himself into Wankhede gig

• The People vs Hardik Pandya – why, what, and the way out

• Ashwin defends Hardik: 'Fan wars should never take an ugly turn'

• Moody and Klaasen baffled by Mumbai holding back Bumrah

• Ahmedabad shows its feelings in Hardik's night of agony

Smith was handed a year-long ban by Cricket Australia after admitting to “leadership failure” in the Newlands Test, and was also forced to “step down” as Rajasthan Royals captain in IPL 2018. He said he had treated the heckling he had experienced – including at the 2019 ODI World Cup in England where fans chanted “cheat” – as “white noise”.But can the abuse from fans, coupled with criticism of his captaincy in Mumbai Indians’ back-to-back losses in IPL 2024 by pundits, impact Hardik adversely?Smith suggested that Hardik might have been surprised at the reception because it is not often India’s top players are booed by fans. It is not unprecedented, though, with Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar and Ravi Shastri being at the receiving end at various points in their careers.”Personally, for me, it doesn’t bother me. I don’t care. I don’t pay any attention,” Smith said. “You know it’s all white noise, but certainly players do hear things and everyone’s entitled to their own emotions and how they respond to those.”So is it affecting him [Hardik]? Maybe. It’s possible. He probably hasn’t experienced that before in, in any walk of life. So it’s natural, I suppose, and particularly being in India and a star Indian player, to be in that position where some fans are booing you, it’s certainly something he wouldn’t have experienced.”

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It has been a poor start for Mumbai Indians to IPL 2024, where they have suffered two defeats in two games, first against Gujarat Titans in front of a near sellout crowd in Ahmedabad, and then in Hyderabad where Sunrisers Hyderabad registered the highest IPL total, which Mumbai lost by 31 runs. Smith said that while he could understand the Ahmedabad crowd coming down heavilty on Hardik as he left Titans to rejoin Mumbai Indians. However, he failed to get the “context” of why fans in Hyderabad joined in.Hardik Pandya did not get a warm reception in either Ahmedabad or Hyderabad•AP Photo / Mahesh Kumar

Hardik was picked by Titans and appointed captain immediately after Mumbai Indians released him ahead of the 2022 mega IPL auction. Titans won the IPL in their maiden season and reached the final in 2023, establishing Hardik as a successful leader. Last November, though, Mumbai Indians pulled off a coup of sorts by bringing Hardik back into their fold via a monetary trade, details of which have remained a source of intrigue. Immediately after that, Hardik was appointed captain.In his first media briefing, responding to a query on whether he had spoken with his predecessor Rohit, Hardik was vague, triggering a critical response including vitriolic trolling on social media.In 2017, Smith was installed as captain at Rising Pune Supergiant replacing MS Dhoni, who had then recently retired as India’s white-ball captain. It was a challenging moment for Smith, but he said that Dhoni had supported him all the way.”It was an enjoyable season and we had some success that year [2017], I suppose, which helped as well,” he said. “But MS was great with everything that he did. He was supportive, he helped me in any way that he could. He was great behind the stumps, obviously. He’s got a great view of what’s going on in the game and the angles that sort of take place on the field, and was able to sort those out and get people in the right areas.”Hardik is in the middle of a challenging time, losing the first two games their IPL season. It’s a big one for him. He’s filling big shoes with Rohit Sharma, who’s been the most successful captain [with Dhoni] in IPL history, lifting five titles, and it hasn’t started well for him.”So he’s under a little bit of pressure at the moment and it’ll be interesting to see what the reception’s like in their first home game at Wankhede in a couple of days’ time. We have heard a few boos going around at the grounds, which… that’s been disappointing from my aspect. But I’m intrigued to see what the reception’s like in Mumbai. We know how big a star Rohit is and how much he is loved inside that stadium.”2:25

Should Hardik have reassessed his plans?

‘Hardik’s made a few tactical errors’

Outside of the noise, Smith said that Hardik had erred tactically against Titans as well as against SRH.”I feel like he’s under a little bit of pressure. I think he’s made a few tactical errors in the first couple of games: batting himself a little bit low, probably in the first one, is my assessment. And then, in particular in the second one, [Jasprit] Bumrah only bowling one over in the first 13 overs was in my mind just a little bit mindblowing,” Smith said. “He [Bumrah] is the best bowler in the world and to have only bowled one over when the team’s got 173 on the board in the 12th over, I was in disbelief, to be honest.”I’m sure he is going to learn from that. As a captain, you have to have plans in place for the start of the game. And clearly the plan was to bowl Bumrah straight up to Heinrich Klassen. But you’ve got to shift your plans when things aren’t going well. And it didn’t look like they shifted. They sort of just kept doing the same thing. It was a bit of a blunder in his first outings.”Now then, can Rohit do for Hardik what Virat Kohli did for Smith in 2019?Five years ago, during the World Cup match against Australia at The Oval, Kohli put an arm around Smith during the game and asked Indian fans, who had been heckling Smith, to stop booing.”It was lovely, wasn’t it? I remember that game and Virat – I walked past him and sort of gave a little fist bump, I think, from memory. It’s nice when someone does something to… you are in the middle of a game, you are playing against an opponent. I thought it was really nice gesture.”Maybe someone can do something [similar for Hardik]. Maybe it’s Rohit Sharma. Maybe he stands up and says, ‘guys, what’s going on, let’s support this guy’. I don’t know. That could happen, I suppose. Well, we’ll wait and see.”

Also, how many times has a wicket fallen off the first ball of a Test?

Steven Lynch15-Aug-2017How many people have hit their maiden first-class century in a Test, as Hardik Pandya did in Pallekele? asked Chandrakant Sarwate from India

Hardik Pandya, whose previous highest score was 90, was the 41st batsman – the 14th in the current century – to score his maiden first-class hundred in a Test match. The first instance was in the very first Test match of all, by Charles Bannerman for Australia against England in Melbourne in 1876-77. Bannerman’s famous 165 retired hurt in that game was actually his only century in a career of 44 first-class matches. The list includes four other Indians: Vijay Manjrekar (1952), Kapil Dev (1978-79), Ajay Ratra (2001-02) and Harbhajan Singh (2010-11, in his 88th Test).How many wicketkeepers have been out for 99 in a Test, as Jonny Bairstow was? asked Michael Ward from England

Jonny Bairstow’s important 99 at Old Trafford was only the third such score by a wicketkeeper in a Test. The first to fall for 99 was Brendon McCullum, for New Zealand against Sri Lanka in Napier in 2004-05. He was followed by MS Dhoni, for India against England in Nagpur in 2012-13. Bairstow was the unlucky 13th batsman to be out for 99 in a Test for England, but the first since Kevin Pietersen against Bangladesh in 2009-10. Mike Atherton and MJK Smith were both dismissed for 99 twice, while Geoff Boycott – who was out for 99 against West Indies in Port-of-Spain in 1973-74 – was also stranded on 99 not out against Australia in Perth in 1979-80. Alex Tudor, against New Zealand at Edgbaston in 1999, is the only other man to make 99 not out in a Test innings for England.Who was the first man to play 100 ODIs? asked Wayne Johnstone from Australia

The first man to reach the milestone of 100 one-day international appearances was Australia’s Allan Border, in January 1985. The record he overhauled shortly before was held by another Australian, Rod Marsh, with 92. Border was also the first to play 200 ODIs, reaching the mark in February 1990, at which point Viv Richards had played 177 and Desmond Haynes 171. First to 300 was Mohammad Azharuddin, in September 1998; he had gone past Border’s final tally of 273 earlier that year. And the first of the four men so far to reach 400 was Sanath Jayasuriya, in October 2007. At that time Sachin Tendulkar had played 397 ODIs; he went past Jayasuriya in February 2011, and finished with 463 one-day caps.Hands up if you think he’s out for a golden duck•Getty ImagesThere were four first-ball ducks in South Africa’s second innings at The Oval – was this a record? asked George Symons from South Africa

South Africa’s disappointing second innings in the third Test at The Oval was indeed the first in Tests to contain four golden ducks – Faf du Plessis, Vernon Philander, Kagiso Rabada and Morne Morkel all perished first ball. With the proviso that there are several matches for which we don’t have complete ball-by-ball records, there appear to have been 12 previous instances of an innings containing three golden ducks, most recently by India (Abhinav Mukund, Harbhajan Singh and Praveen Kumar) against England at Trent Bridge in 2011. The first such instance was in an Ashes Test at Edgbaston in 1902, when the Australian trio of Warwick Armstrong, Ernie Jones and Bill Howell were all out first ball. In Melbourne in 2003-04, Sachin Tendulkar, Parthiv Patel and Ajit Agarkar were all out first ball, while Zaheer Khan also faced just one ball, but finished with 0 not out.I know that the first delivery of a Test match was hit for six only once, but how many times has the first ball of a Test match resulted in a wicket, and which team has done it most often? asked Allan Alexander from the United States

There have now been 30 instances of a batsman being dismissed by the first ball of a Test, most recently when Mitchell Starc dismissed Dimuth Karunaratne in the second Test in Galle in August 2016. West Indies have done it most often – eight times, helped by the fact that Pedro Collins three times dismissed Bangladesh’s Hannan Sarkar with the opening delivery of a match. Australia have started five different Tests with a first-ball wicket, England four, India, New Zealand, Pakistan and South Africa three, and Bangladesh one.Just in case anyone doesn’t know about the first-ball six you mention, it was struck by Chris Gayle off Bangladesh’s Sohag Gazi in Mirpur in 2012-13. It was actually Gazi’s first ball in Test cricket!Leave your questions in the comments section

He says England’s attacking cricket has made him focus on restricting batters as well as taking wickets

Shashank Kishore13-Feb-2024India’s left-arm wristspinner Kuldeep Yadav has said he enjoyed his first taste of England’s Bazball approach in Visakhapatnam because it not only created more wicket-taking opportunities but also made bowlers think about restricting batters in Test cricket.”Usually in Tests you’re not used to teams attacking you with this kind of approach [Bazball], but it also involves you a lot more,” Kuldeep said ahead of the third Test against England starting on February 15 in Rajkot. “As a spinner it makes you more focused on how you want to bowl and what your approach is.”Normally when you play Tests, you don’t worry about batters attacking you, you’re only focused on how you want to get them out. But here the approach is different, they’re in attacking mode so you also have to plan how to restrict them. When they play shots, you have those many opportunities to take wickets. It’s interesting. The last game was my first [against Bazball], I enjoyed it a lot, it’s good for cricket.”Related

• India vs England, round three: scores level, stakes high

• Theme for a meme Kuldeep makes Test cricket a lot of fun

• Can India's batters restore the balance of power against England's spinners?

• India's selection puzzle: is there room for both Kuldeep and Axar?

• Rahul ruled out of third Test against England; Padikkal called up

The Visakhapatnam Test was only Kuldeep’s ninth Test since he made his debut in March 2017. It was his first in over 15 months. Kuldeep picked up three of his four wickets in the first innings as India took a 143-run lead that helped them level the five-Test series 1-1.”It’s been good,” Kuldeep said with a smile when asked about finally getting a chance in Test cricket. “Whatever Tests I’ve played, I’ve performed well. I have three five-fors, so yeah it feels good when you see the stats. I’m very happy.”The pitches for the first two Tests of this series have not been rank turners and, if that trend continues in Rajkot, Kuldeep could keep his place in the XI even if Ravindra Jadeja returns. Kuldeep’s accuracy and extra bounce made him more effective than Axar Patel in Visakhapatnam.”Am not sure of my position,” he said when asked about his chances of playing in Rajkot. “If I get the opportunity, I’ll be more than happy. I don’t think too much about whether am playing or not. I just enjoy my day and keep working hard. Combination is such a thing that it matters in a team game. As simple as that.”Kuldeep needed no reminders of his previous Test in Rajkot, where he took a five-for against West Indies in 2018.”It’ll be a batting wicket,” he said when asked about the pitch for the upcoming Test against England. ‘It doesn’t mean there’ll be 700-800 runs scored. It’ll be a good wicket. It won’t be a rank turner, it will be a live wicket, good for cricket.”Why has there been a sudden shift in the nature of pitches for this series?”I haven’t played on rank turners, I don’t know what the approach or thought is, it’s a team management decision,” Kuldeep said. “Obviously everyone wants to watch good cricket. I don’t know if I’ll get an opportunity or not, but whether it’s flat wicket or rank turner, I enjoy it. I think batting is also important, not just spin bowling. Fast bowling comes into the game as well. It’s good for cricket. It’s not like you’ll see rank turners only, but hopefully you’ll see it [laughs].”

Barcelona have handed a professional contract to teenager Roberto Tomas after he emerged as La Masia’s top scorer.

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• Roberto Tomas has been handed his first professional contract at 16
• He was the top scorer of La Masia
• Has earned rapid promotion through the youth setup

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Barcelona have handed a professional contract to 16-year-old Roberto Tomas, who finished the season as La Masia's top scorer. Notably, this is the teenager’s first professional deal with the club.

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  Roberto Tomas is currently enjoying his third season at La Masia and is considered a huge prospect for the future. During his Infantil A days, he played both as a No.9 and an attacking midfielder, scoring 21 goals in the process.

  His performances prompted the coaching staff to promote him directly to Cadet A rather than Cadet B. Although younger than many of his teammates and opponents, he adapted well and was deployed both as a false No.9 and in an attacking midfield role. This season, he has been pulling double duty, playing for Juvenil B as well as stepping in for Cadet A when needed, scoring 10 goals for the former and 12 for the latter.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Roberto Tomas is set to turn 17 next February and is nearly 19 months younger than Lamine Yamal, who currently plays for the senior team.

• AFP
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR ROBERTO TOMAS?

  Tomas will now represent Barcelona’s U-18 squad and is contracted to remain at the Catalan club until 2028. He is widely expected to break into the senior team in the coming years.

Arne Slot is well on his way to securing his first Premier League title with Liverpool in his first attempt, currently sitting top of the tree on 67 points after 28 matches played, 13 points ahead of second-place Arsenal who do have one game in hand.

Liverpool are unsurprisingly the league’s top scorers, scoring 66 goals in their 28 games played, taking the most shots per game with 16.6 and averaging 56.7% possession; the fourth highest in the division.

Mohamed Salah has scored a whopping 25 Premier League goals this season, whilst also providing 17 assists and totaling 2,485 minutes played.

Behind Salah, the likes of Luis Diaz, Cody Gakpo and Diogo Jota have all contributed with goals, as has Dominik Szoboszlai in recent weeks, being deployed as a false 9 at times under Slot.

This has left Darwin Nunez’s future in doubt, as he clearly finds himself out of favour.

The Darwin Nunez conundrum for Liverpool

Nunez was signed by Liverpool back in 2022, joining for a club-record fee of around £85m from Benfica.

Since joining the Reds, Nunez has made 132 appearances, scoring 39 goals, providing 22 assists and totalling 7,105 minutes played.

The story of Nunez’s time at Liverpool can largely be put into perspective with his missed chance against Aston Villa.

Whilst he gets himself into very good positions, working hard for the team and constantly offering a threat on the break, his ability to provide that final clinical touch has proven to evade him at times.

This term, he has missed 13 big chances which remarkably is an improvement on last season where he missed a colossal 38 across all competitions.

Some of his misses have been described as “unacceptable” by pundits, and the longer this continues, the more you begin to wonder if Nunez will eventually be replaced, even if it’s by someone from Liverpool’s academy system.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

Liverpool's "special" star could replace Nunez

The Reds are currently bringing through a number of highly-rated young forwards at the moment with Jayden Danns perhaps the most exciting from a striker perspective.

However, in the shape of Ben Doak, they have a winger who could also take minutes away from Nunez heading into Slot’s second term.

Liverpool signed Doak from Celtic back in 2022, with the youngster joining for a measly £600,000 compensation fee from the Scottish giants.

The 19-year-old has found himself on loan at Middlesbrough this season, making 24 appearances, scoring three goals, providing seven assists and totalling 1,789 minutes.

Doak can play on both wings, which opens the opportunity for Slot to continue using the likes of Diaz, Szoboszlai, Jota and even Curtis Jones through the middle, looking to exploit his attacking firepower out wide with the likes of Salah and Gakpo.

The Scotland international was described as a “special” young player by Jürgen Klopp, whilst Jones described the Liverpool youngster as a “potential game-changer” when he joined Boro in the summer on loan.

Doak is clearly an extremely talented player, who is expected to make the jump to Premier League football next campaign one way or another.

If Slot is willing to put his trust in the 19-year-old next season, Doak could offer some extra firepower to their attacking line, leaving the door open for Nunez to be sold, which may become more feasible if he remains out of favour under the Dutch manager.

Sold for £15m: Klopp’s Liverpool star is playing like a £100m Salah heir

This former Liverpool star could have been a valuable asset in Arne Slot’s system.

By
Angus Sinclair

Feb 28, 2025

The fast bowler developed a pelvic inflammation during the first Test

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Dec-2023South Africa fast bowler Gerald Coetzee has been ruled out of the second Test against India that starts on January 3 in Cape Town because of pelvic inflammation. South Africa have not named a replacement.Coetzee developed the inflammation during the first Test in Centurion, and his discomfort got “progressively worse while bowling” in India’s second innings, a Cricket South Africa release said. He was sent for scans on Friday, which revealed the extent of the injury. South Africa’s Test coach Conrad Shukri opted to release Coetzee from the squad “as a precautionary measure,” but there is no indication if he will be fit for the SA20, which starts on January 10.Coetzee bowled only five overs in India’s second outing on day three before leaving the field as the hosts romped to a thumping win. He did not return, and Tristan Stubbs took over fielding duties for the rest of the match.Related

• Questions aplenty for India as SA look to give Elgar the perfect farewell

• Shardul Thakur hit on the shoulder at India's nets session

• Injured Bavuma ruled out of Cape Town Test

• Jubilant South Africa put their name up in lights

• Avesh to join second Test squad to replace Shami

Coetzee becomes the second South Africa player to get injured in the first Test against India, with captain Temba Bavuma ruled out of the New Year’s Test with a hamstring injury. Zubayr Hamza has been called up as a batting replacement, with Stubbs also in the squad, but South Africa already have two other fast bowlers they can call on to play in Coetzee’s place. Lungi Ngidi has recovered from the ankle injury that kept him out of the T20Is against but not selected for the first Test because he was deemed not to be match fit. He was seen training during the match. Allrounder Wiaan Mulder is another option in the squad but it is likely South Africa will turn to Keshav Maharaj in what should be a more spinner-friendly surface in Cape Town.In Centurion, Coetzee was South Africa’s most expensive bowler in both innings with the ball, and picked up just one wicket.

Manchester United’s stance on Ruben Amorim’s future as head coach has been revealed following the Portuguese’s sack admission.

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• Appointed in November 2024
• Has won just 15 of 41 games at the helm
• Boasts full support of club's board

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Red Devils hoped that a change in their dugout would deliver a reversal in fortune during the 2024-25 campaign. After taking the decision to part with League Cup and FA Cup-winning coach Erik ten Hag, reins at Old Trafford were handed to Amorim.

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  He has overseen just 15 victories through 41 games at the helm, giving him a miserly win ratio of just 36 per cent, and United’s latest setback saw them suffer an agonising 1-0 defeat to domestic rivals Tottenham in the Europa League final.

• WHAT RUBEN AMORIM SAID

  Amorim said in the wake of that contest, as uncomfortable questions continue to be asked of his ongoing presence: “If the board and the fans feel I am not the right guy I will go tomorrow with no compensation. But I will not quit.”

  He also told : “I'm confident that I'm still the guy. More than (in) the beginning. I know that it is going to be tough. I know that we lost against an English team. I know that the patience of the fans is going to be really short next season. But I guarantee you I will not quit, I will not go away, so at this time I am really confident.”

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  Amorim reportedly considered walking away back in January, following a difficult start to his tenure, but now boasts the full support of Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the United board. report: “No change to previous Man United position following last night's press conference. Club and ownership still behind Ruben Amorim and feel the fans are too.”

Wayne Madsen adds fifty as Derbyshire wicketkeeper plays vital hand

ECB Reporters Network19-Jul-2023Derbyshire wicketkeeper Brooke Guest scored a career-best unbeaten 145 to frustrate Division Two leaders Durham in the LV=Insurance County Championship game at Derby.Guest backed-up his hundred against Sussex at Hove last week with another accomplished display to steer Derbyshire to 317 for 6 after Durham had put them in. Wayne Madsen made 62 and shared a third wicket stand with Guest of 118 in 32 overs before he fell to England fast bowler Matt Potts who took 2 for 57 from 20 overs.Durham’s decision to bowl first was probably based on the overhead conditions rather than the pitch which played well once the sun broke through. But while there was cloud cover, the openers were challenged by Potts and Ben Raine who saw Luis Reece dropped on 3 at second slip by David Bedingham.It did not prove costly as Reece, who along with Harry Came has signed a two-year contract extension, offered no shot to a ball from Raine that took out his off stump in the 11th over of the morning.Durham had to wait another 14 overs for their second success with Potts removing Came with a full length ball that straightened to bowl him for 16.Madsen almost went first ball, edging Potts just short of first slip and there was more frustration for the paceman when he squared Madsen up but the ball flew over the slip cordon.Potts had the chance to remove Madsen on 14 in the fourth over after lunch when an edge off Brydon Carse went low to him in the gully but the ball went through his hands. It was a miss Durham were made to pay for as Guest and Madsen played with increasing authority in bright sunshine.Guest drove Migael Pretorious through the covers for his ninth four to reach 50 from 103 balls before Madsen greeted Matt Parkinson by sweeping him for four. He came down the pitch to the legspinner and lifted him over mid-on for his eighth boundary to go to 50 off 73 balls and the runs continued to flow with the century stand coming up from 157 deliveries.Durham were desperate for a wicket and Potts provided it when he found some extra bounce to have Madsen caught in the gully by Alex Lees.Haider Ali survived a close lbw shout against Potts but announced his intentions in the last over before tea by launching Parkinson into the seats behind long-on. It completed a good session for the hosts with Guest 13 runs short of another hundred which he completed in the eighth over after the restart by sweeping Parkinson for his 15th four.Guest faced 181 balls and showed good judgement to bat his side into a promising position against the top side in the division.The stand with Haider was worth 70 when Durham got a fourth wicket in bizarre fashion. The Pakistan right-hander went to sweep Scott Borthwick, survived a confident lbw appeal but set off for a run that was never on and was stumped.That brought in Leus du Plooy who needed 21 to complete 1000 Championship runs for the season but made only 2 before he scooped Borthwick low to cover.Durham should have removed Guest on 122 when he edged Raine behind but Ollie Robinson could not hold on and he took advantage to pass his previous best score of 138 against Glamorgan last season.Raine claimed his second wicket when he bowled Anuj Dal but Guest made sure it was Derbyshire’s day.

The Padres are reportedly keeping their managerial job within the organizational family.

San Diego is hiring front-office assistant Craig Stammen as its next manager, according to a Thursday morning report from Jon Heyman of the . Stammen, 41, pitched for the Padres from 2017 to '22.

In 2024, Stammen assumed a baseball operations role with San Diego focused on player development.

Born in rural Ohio, Stammen pitched collegiately for Dayton before the Nationals drafted him in 2005. After several up-and-down years shuttling between the rotation and bullpen, he broke through as a reliever for the Nationals' first playoff team in 2012.

He spent seven years with Washington and six with the Padres in all, and now will be tasked with injecting life into a San Diego team that disappointed in 2025. The Padres went 90–72 but failed to advance out of the wild-card round; since their ballyhooed postseason return in 2020, San Diego hasn't gone farther than the NLCS in Stammen's last season.

The Padres will open Stammen's first season on March 26 against the Tigers.