The reinforcements are coming. Or at least, they’re back on the field.
The 49ers held a walk-through practice Tuesday that included four key players who have been sidelined in recent weeks: running backs Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson, receiver Deebo Samuel and cornerback Richard Sherman.
The 49ers activated the 21-day practice windows for Mostert and Wilson, both of whom are still on injured reserve with high ankle sprains. That means both runners remain question marks for Sunday’s game against the Rams. The 49ers will evaluate them in practice this week to see how their ankles react. They’ll do the same with running back Tevin Coleman, who is not on injured reserve but who has missed the last two games with a knee sprain.
Still, the fact that the 49ers have one healthy tailback, Jerick McKinnon, on the active roster suggests they’re optimistic at least one of the rehabilitating runners will be ready to play in Los Angeles.
Of course, hardly a day passes without at least a small dose of gloomy 49ers news, and Tuesday was no exception.
The NFL announced that nickel cornerback K’Waun Williams has been suspended for two weeks for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs. He’s not eligible to return until Dec. 8, one day after the 49ers play the Buffalo Bills.
Williams had been out of action with his own high ankle sprain and the timeline for his recovery roughly coincides with his suspension date. His agent, Evan Krakower, said by phone Tuesday that Williams may have used a supplement that included a banned substance.
The two-game suspension indicates this is Williams’ first offense. Krakower said the cornerback wouldn’t challenge the suspension.
“He’s more concerned with how it reflects on his character than he is with the suspension or fine,” he said. “Because he’s not that person.”
Veteran Jamar Taylor has played well in Williams’ absence and will continue to fill in at nickel cornerback for the next two weeks.
Williams’ suspension further reduced the team’s active roster — normally at 53 players — to 42 players. That’s largely because nine players remain on the COVID-19 list/reserve list. Defensive lineman Arik Armstead was the first to go on the list on Nov. 16, one day after the 49ers’ loss to the Saints.
Since then, eight others have gone on the list: defensive linemen D.J. Jones, Jordan Willis and Javon Kinlaw; offensive linemen Trent Williams and Hroniss Grasu; linebacker Joe Walker; receiver Brandon Aiyuk; and practice squad tight end Daniel Helm.
On Wednesday, the 49ers will have their first full practice — and complete injury report — since their bye week.
https://theathletic.com/2220569/2020/11/25/andre-iguodala-on-nba-media-the-match-steph-curry-warriors-new-additions/?source=user_shared_article
Steph is going to be a big figure in your broadcast and beyond that people are interested in him this year with Golden State. Before Klay Thompson’s injury, I think most fans would have thought it’s going to be an unbelievable year for Golden State given what they were coming back and what they added. You’ve been in the middle of that group. What do you expect from Steph this year?
I think they will be motivated from last year. I think it was good for them to have that time off. Going to that many Finals takes a toll on a body, especially what is expected from him. It was good for him to just be able to let the brain settle down from the last five years. I think Steph is in his bag right now in terms of the prep he’s been putting to get ready for the upcoming season. I’m really, really excited to see what he comes out and does. They have an interesting team. They made some good pickups. I like (Kelly) Oubre (Jr.) a lot. I like the draft pick (James Wiseman). Brad Wanamaker I like a lot. I got to play against him in the Eastern Conference finals. I think he’ll thrive in that system, and he is going to be really solid and a calming figure for them. Draymond (Green) has been putting his work in this summer too to get back out there. I think Steph’s going to have a big year.
https://theathletic.com/2217753/2020/11/25/bowden-mlb-decision-universal-dh/?source=user_shared_article
If Commissioner Rob Manfred were to ask all 30 team owners to vote on a universal designated hitter for 2021 and beyond, he would get the necessary 25 votes, according to sources familiar with each organization’s thinking. If Tony Clark, head of the players union, were to ask his players to vote on the same issue, it’s assumed a strong majority would be in favor of the universal DH.
So what’s the hang-up? It’s simple: The clubs feel that if they are going to agree to the universal DH, they want something in return, whether it’s an agreement for expanded playoffs or any other trade-off that makes sense. For the lawyers involved in the negotiations for a new CBA, I get it; it’s their job. However, it’s pretty absurd when you realize both sides want this to happen. The players want it because, in theory, it opens up 15 more jobs with potentially higher pay, since each National League team would in theory want to add at least one more significant bat to their active rosters. The NL clubs, in particular, want it because with so many starting pitchers earning high salaries, GMs no longer want the risk of their pitcher getting hit by a pitch or pulling a hamstring running the bases. Also, with so many teams incorporating an opener and not allowing starters to go around opposing lineups more than twice, either too many relievers either have to hit, or teams have to pinch hit for them.
Yet right now, neither side knows if we’re going back to the NL’s rule in 2021 or if both sides can agree to implement the universal DH, putting the game in limbo.
This, like the many unknowns of this season, is pausing the offseason plans for free agents and teams alike — not a scenario you want with the virtual Winter Meetings set to begin in just over a week. The present situation has put former Braves outfielder/designated hitter Marcell Ozuna in a precarious position. The Braves want him back and badly need to sign a bat, but don’t want to commit to him if the DH rule isn’t in effect because of their concerns about his throwing shoulder and questions about how effective he’d be if he had to play left field every day.
How about Nelson Cruz of the Minnesota Twins? He’s arguably the best DH in the game, but he doesn’t want to commit to the Twins’ latest offer with the likelihood that he could garner significantly more interest from NL teams like the Washington Nationals, St. Louis Cardinals, Atlanta Braves, New York Mets, Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies if the universal DH is approved for 2021 and beyond. He’d probably get a much better contract if the 15 NL teams had a DH need.
The pause in the decision-making is also hurting teams like the Boston Red Sox. They’d love to be able to move designated hitter J.D. Martinez’s contract so they could put that money toward starting pitching, but he’s not really that tradeable unless there’s a demand for a DH. If that were the case, then suddenly Boston would have several potential trade partners they don’t have now.
Both sides want the universal DH. So instead of making it about a negotiation, how about just going ahead and implementing it immediately? It doesn’t have to be tied to the other rule changes, or expanded playoffs, or revenue-sharing issues. Just separate this one issue, and let the free agents and clubs all operate under the same rules for the first time since the DH was implemented in the American League back on Jan. 11, 1973.
It’s been almost 48 years. Let’s finally land on one rule for teams in both leagues and adopt the universal DH now.
Another celebrity golf match is set this week, though for the first time in this series it will be without Tiger Woods. Worried it will lack drama? Insert Charles Barkley, whose golf swing is, uh, interesting. (That's being nice.) On Friday, he will team up with Phil Mickelson against three-time NBA champion Steph Curry and two-time Super Bowl winner Peyton Manning in "The Match: Champions for Change."
Let's just say Curry and Mickelson are getting a head start on heckling Barkley.
It started innocently enough, with a simple promo.
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