Vets are back | Sports Daily Newsletter

After the trade deadline, the message to the players who were expected to be the big bats of the Phillies was clear: you are your own cavalry.

No one else was brought in to walk through the clubhouse door as a slugger.

So the team’s sluggers started slugging instead.

Granted, it’s not as if Nick Castellanos and Kyle Schwarber haven’t hit home runs this year. They have, but far fewer than expected. One good game still doesn’t change that.

But change has to start somewhere. If the Phillies plan to make a postseason run, doing so on the bats of Castellanos and Schwarber is as good a strategy as any, especially in the absence of other options.

—Andrea Canales, Inquirer Sports Staff, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.

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Even with multiple outfielders available in the final hours of baseball’s annual midseason swap meet, the Phillies took a pass. Why the change in plans? And what did it reveal about how club officials view an offense that was built to slug but has been league average — or even slightly below — in almost every statistical category? The main takeaway is undeniable. The Phillies are hitching their National League pennant defense to their biggest stars: Bryce Harper, J.T. Realmuto, Kyle Schwarber, Nick Castellanos, and Trea Turner. But this was about more than merely throwing down the gauntlet to five sluggers who represent 45% of a club-record $255 million luxury-tax payroll. Let’s break down that decision and delve into one potential offshoot of their approach to the deadline.

Phillies center fielder Brandon Marsh was placed on the 10-day injured list Sunday after bruising his left knee against the center-field fence in Saturday’s win over the Royals. An MRI and an X-ray revealed no structural damage.

Next: The Phillies open a four-game home series against Washington at 6:40 p.m. Monday (NBCSP). Ranger Suarez (2-5, 4.01) will start against Nationals right-hander Trevor Williams (5-6, 4.72).

Training camp has a way of steeling veteran Eagles and letting young players emerge. Fans were able to catch a glimpse of it as the team held its public training camp practice at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday night.

Here’s what Eagles beat writer EJ Smith observed on the day.

Offensive lineman Josh Sills also made his return to the practice field two days after being acquitted of rape and kidnapping charges in Ohio.

And before the practice, the Eagles made a series of moves, agreeing to terms with veteran linebackers Zach Cunningham and Myles Jack, while signing offensive lineman Josh Andrews.

Owner Jeffrey Lurie also announced the team would build a popcorn concession stand at the stadium that will employ adults with autism and intellectual disabilities.

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Before Sunday morning, Julie Ertz had never played in a World Cup she didn’t win, going back to when she captained the U-20 team in 2012. She then won titles on the senior level in 2015 and 2019 and fought her way back from taking time off to have a baby to play every minute of the USWNT’s games in 2023.

It was to no avail, and now her national team career appears to be over.

That’s because the United States crashed hard out of the tournament in penalty kicks after failing to score in regulation against a stubborn Swedish squad.

It’s a new world in which the U.S. women may no longer be the most dominant team on the scene, but it would be foolish to ever take them lightly.

Union face familiar foe: Leagues Cup is a spiffy new tournament that millions are watching now because of Lionel Messi, but for the Union, the next opponent is a squad it knows well.

Retro return: Remember SlamBall? Yeah, it wasn’t just a fever dream of trampolines and basketball. Guess what? It’s back.

Thoughts on things: David Murphy saw the Phillies game on Saturday and the Eagles practice on Sunday and he has some things to say.

In 1929, a New York Yankees player named George Herman “Babe” Ruth hit two grand slams against the Philadelphia Athletics, helping to consign them to a 13-1 defeat. The Athletics got the last laugh, however, as they won the World Series later that year.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from EJ Smith, Alex Coffey, David Murphy, Jonathan Tannenwald, Sapna Bansil, Matt Breen, Andrea Canales, Josh Tolentino, Olivia Reiner, and Scott Lauber.