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Before the Colts potentially trade Jonathan Taylor, they should think about what they could be walking away from.

While rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson is a bit of a mystery, he has a sky-high ceiling. With Taylor, they could form one of the most dynamic QB/RB rushing attacks in NFL history.

Richardson blew up the NFL combine with a 4.43 40-yard dash, 40.5-inch vertical and 10-foot, 9-inch broad jump at 244 pounds. He also ran for 654 yards and nine touchdowns while leading all FBS QBs in yards per rush (6.3) last year.

He can do this:

ANTHONY RICHARDSON WAS UNSTOPPABLE ✈️ pic.twitter.com/0EDr211DHI

— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) October 16, 2022
Taylor won a rushing title in 2021 (1,811) while also leading the NFL in touchdown runs (18) before battling injuries in 2022.

He can make house calls too:

GOOD NIGHT INDY!

Jonathan Taylor makes a 67-yard house call to shut the door on the Patriots 🙌pic.twitter.com/Ih35dnqnnh

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) December 19, 2021
Colts head coach Shane Steichen was the Eagles offensive coordinator last year when Jalen Hurts and Miles Sanders helped Philadelphia finish fifth in rushing yards. Hurts led all quarterbacks in run-pass option (RPO) plays in each of the last two seasons, something you can expect a lot of from the Colts in 2023.

Those plays put defenders in conflict. Hypothetically, when Richardson sticks the football out to Taylor, defenders will be wondering at the mesh point whether Richardson is going to hand off, keep and run, or keep and throw.

All that would mean more running lanes for two of the most talented rushers at their respective positions.

Given the circumstances around Taylor and mystery around Richardson, it’s a big IF, but can you imagine the possibilities for this electric, rushing combo if both play to their potential?

Lucky for you I’ve been dreaming up benchmarks and comparisons for the Colts’ pair.

The ceiling for a rookie Richardson and Taylor this year is Robert Griffin III and Alfred Morris. The duo rode the zone-read option to a playoff appearance and combined for 2,428 rushing yards in both of their rookie seasons in 2012, the most combined rushing yardage by a QB-RB pair in a season in NFL history according to SportRadar. They are also the only duo in NFL history to feature a QB with 500 rushing yards and a RB with 1,500 rushing yards in a season.

That got me and my fellow CBS Sports researcher Brian Coyle thinking about other rushing “clubs” for QB-RB combos. And this doesn’t extend to just rookies.

The Tampa Bay Rays will promote infield prospect Curtis Mead for his big-league debut ahead of Friday’s series-opening contest against the Detroit Tigers, the team announced Friday. Mead will be taking the roster spot of left-handed ace Shane McClanahan, who was placed on the injured list on Thursday night because of forearm soreness.

Mead, 22, has batted .291/.379/.453 with three home runs this season in 46 Triple-A games. He missed nearly two months earlier in the summer because of a wrist injury. Since returning to the Durham Bulls lineup in late June, he’s hit .355/.460/.538 in 113 trips to the plate. It is worth noting that Mead has homered just once over those 24 games, though he has recorded 12 other extra-base hits.

Mead’s ball-tracking statistics include an 89.3 average exit velocity, a 12.3 degree launch angle, and a 16.4% barrel rate. He was ranked by CBS Sports over the offseason as the No. 1 prospect in the Rays system. Here’s what we wrote:

Mead, who originally signed with the Phillies out of Australia, was acquired in exchange for lefty reliever Cristopher Sanchez in November 2019. He’s since ascended thanks to an above-average offensive projection. Mead split last season between Double- and Triple-A, batting .298/.390/.532 with 13 home runs in 76 games. He hits the ball hard and often, and he walked more frequently in 2022 than he had in past years. Mead’s best defensive position is in the batter’s box, since he lacks the arm to be good at third base and the range to excel at second. The Rays may try to play him all over the place anyway, but make no mistake: his bat is the selling point.

Mead has primarily played third base since coming back from injury.

The San Diego Padres announced on Friday that left-hander Cole Hamels and righty Craig Stammen had been placed on the voluntarily retired list.

Hamels, 39, signed a minor-league pact with the Padres in February with an eye on making his way back to the majors for the first time since undergoing shoulder surgery in 2021. He never appeared in an official game with the San Diego organization.

Hamels’ final big-league appearance came with the Atlanta Braves during the 2020 season. He finishes his career having pitched in 423 games and accumulating a 3.43 ERA (123 ERA+) and a 3.34 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He made four All-Star Games and played a pivotal run in the Philadelphia Phillies’ 2008 World Series title, winning the Most Valuable Player Award designation in both the National League Championship and the World Series itself.

In addition to that time with the Phillies and Braves, Hamels also suited up as a member of the Texas Rangers and Chicago Cubs. He signed a contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2021 but, as with the Padres, never appeared in an official game with the organization.

Stammen, 39, had not pitched this season after suffering a torn capsule and strained subscapula in spring training. At the time, he suggested that without surgery his ailment could heal in four to six months’ time. Still, Stammen was not optimistic about making his way back onto the mound.

“Without saying that I’m done,” Stammen told the San Diego Union-Tribune in March, “it’s highly unlikely that I pitch again.”

Stammen appeared in 562 big-league games over a 13-year career. He amassed a 3.66 ERA (109 ERA+) and a 3.15 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Stammen appeared in games as a member of the Washington Nationals and Padres and spent a minor-league season in the Cleveland Guardians farm system.

It was quite the scene on Thursday when an independent league baseball player made his way into the stands to confront a fan. Spire City Ghost Hounds first baseman Raudy Read, who spent time with the Washington Nationals, ran into the crowd midway through the 10th inning of Thursday’s game against the Long Island Ducks.

Read had just completed a double play to finish off the top half of the 10th inning. The 29-year-old then ran into the stands and chased someone all the way up the concourse.

Former MLB player Raudy Read completes a double play then immediately runs up into the crowd to confront a fan pic.twitter.com/WceV8CIXrs

— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) August 4, 2023
It’s unclear what exactly angered Read to the point that he raced into the crowd. Immediately after turning the double play, he threw his glove down, and before anyone could even react he was running up the concourse.

According to a fan who claimed to be in attendance, a man and his daughter had been calling Read “barbaric” names during the top half of the 10th inning.

Independent baseball Twitter account Indy Ball Nation reported that Read wasn’t ejected from the game. The fans that Read was chasing “took off running” once they noticed Read chasing after them. Indy Ball Nation also reported that Read may have been following another player into the stands, potentially to restrain them.

Read appeared in 14 games with the Nationals in 2017 and 2019, and he’s hitting .303 with Spire City during the 2023 season.

With the exception of the NL East, which the Atlanta Braves lead by 11.5 games, every division in baseball is tight entering the first weekend of August. The 14-game Friday MLB schedule features only a handful of division matchups, but teams still have a chance to make up some ground. The tightest race is the NL Central, where the Milwaukee Brewers lead the Cincinnati Reds by just half a game. The Brewers host Central foe the Pittsburgh Pirates, while the Reds take on the NL East’s Washington Nationals as part of the Friday MLB schedule. The Houston Astros head to New York to face the Yankees, and they trail the Texas Rangers in the AL West by 1.5 games. The Rangers host the Miami Marlins in a three-game interleague series starting Friday night.

The Yankees are in last place — but five games above .500 — and could build some confidence if they can find success against Houston. Astros vs. Yankees is set for first pitch at 7:05 p.m. ET at Yankee Stadium. Houston is a -154 favorite (risk $154 to win $100), while the Yankees are +131 underdogs in the SportsLine consensus MLB odds. The over/under for total runs scored is set at 9. The 14-game Friday MLB schedule is short on big matchups, but there are plenty of opportunities for wagers. If you combine your favorite picks into a parlay, you can cash in big.

Before making any MLB picks or parlays, be sure to check out the MLB predictions and betting advice from SportsLine’s proven simulation model.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every MLB game 10,000 times. It went 331-285 on top-rated MLB money-line picks (+357) over the past two seasons. It entered Week 19 of the 2023 MLB season 49-39 on all top-rated MLB picks this season and has excelled on top-rated run-line picks, going 11-3 (+504). The model also hit on Wednesday’s parlay at +548. Anyone following it has seen big returns.

For Friday, the model has locked in four confident MLB best bets for games that begin at 7:05 p.m. ET or later. If you successfully parlay the picks, you’d be looking at a payout of over 7-1. You can see the model’s best bets at SportsLine.

Top MLB picks today
After simulating every game on Friday 10,000 times, the model is taking the White Sox +1.5 (-152) against Cleveland. Mike Clevinger is expected to start for Chicago, while Logan Allen is the scheduled starter for the Guardians. It’s the same pitching matchup as last Saturday’s meeting between the teams, and Chicago won that one 7-2. White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson led the game off with a home run, his only one of the season, and Allen gave up eight hits and five runs. The left-hander has yielded 15 hits and nine earned runs in his past 13 innings.

Both pitchers are 4-4, with Clevinger’s ERA at 3.59 and Allen’s at 3.70, but the White Sox righty has been better recently. Clevinger hasn’t allowed a run in his past two starts, giving up five hits in 9⅔ innings. Andrew Vaughn also homered off Allen in last weekend’s victory and has 13 for the season. Luis Robert took the day off Thursday, and he’ll look to add to his 29 homers. Chicago lost its fourth in a row as the Rangers finished a three-game sweep with a 5-0 victory on Thursday. But the Guardians were just swept by Houston and have lost five of their past six. See more picks at SportsLine.

The Reds jumped all over Washington starting pitcher Patrick Corbin when they last met a month ago. With Corbin scheduled to start against Cincinnati again on Friday, should daily Fantasy baseball players expect similar offensive outbursts? Elly De La Cruz went 3-for-3 and Spencer Steer went 2-for-2 with a walk against Corbin on July 4, so should you pull them from the MLB DFS player pool when constructing MLB DFS lineups on sites like FanDuel and DraftKings on Friday?

Corbin has allowed 10 runs (nine earned) over his last two starts, so timing and the previous outcomes seem to favor Reds hitters. But one poor outing won’t guarantee another, so daily Fantasy baseball players will have to balance those thoughts when forming an MLB DFS strategy for Friday. The Reds allowed 41 runs over their last three games, so maybe utilizing Nationals hitters could be wise for creating MLB DFS lineups.

Before submitting any MLB DFS picks for Friday, be sure to check out the MLB DFS advice, strategy and projections from SportsLine daily Fantasy expert Mike McClure.

McClure is a daily Fantasy pro who has won more than $2 million in his career. And when it comes to daily Fantasy baseball, McClure is at his best. Recognized in the book “Fantasy Football (and Baseball) for Smart People: How to Turn Your Hobby into a Fortune” as a top MLB DFS player, McClure’s proprietary projection model simulates each game 10,000 times, taking factors such as matchups and recent results into account. This allows him to find the best values on every site.

On Thursday, McClure highlighted Cubs outfielder Ian Happ in his MLB DFS player pool on both sites. The result: Happ went 1-for-2 with a double, two walks, an RBI and a run scored, returning 13 points on DraftKings and 18.7 points on FanDuel. Anybody who included him in their lineups was well on the way to a profitable day.

Now, with the 2023 MLB season rolling on, McClure has locked in his top MLB daily Fantasy picks for Friday, August 4. Head to SportsLine now to see them.

McClure’s top MLB DFS picks for Friday
One of McClure’s top MLB DFS picks for Friday is Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt ($5,700 on DraftKings and $3,700 on FanDuel). Goldschmidt was also being discussed as a trade deadline target leaving an underachieving squad for ones with World Series aspirations, but that never came to fruition. The 35-year-old hasn’t lived up to his personal expectations either with 18 home runs two-thirds of the way through the season after hitting at least 30 long balls in each of his last five full seasons.

But that has driven his MLB DFS price down as well, leading to a valuable position for Friday. The Cardinals begin a three-game series with the Rockies on Friday as Colorado has allowed the second-most runs in baseball (627) this year. Rockies probable starter Chris Flexen has an 8.08 ERA over 18 outings, including a 10.71 ERA in his five starts this year. He allowed six runs (five earned) in 3 2/3 innings against Oakland in his last start on July 29 as Goldschmidt should find himself in positions to drive the ball with runners on base on Friday.

McClure’s optimal MLB DFS strategy includes rostering Mariners shortstop J.P. Crawford ($3,600 on DraftKings and $3,000 on FanDuel). Crawford, a left-handed hitter, went 2-for-3 and reached base four times on Thursday to improve his slash line to .327/.441/.519 over 28 games since July 1. The seven-year veteran is having a career season, posting his best OPS (.785) in a season and he already has tied a career-high in home runs (nine) with two months left.

The Angels are scheduled to start left-handed pitcher Reid Detmers, who had a 6.12 ERA over his five July starts, on Friday. Detmers is coming off his worst month over the last two seasons and despite being a LHP, he’s struggled against left-handed batters this season. Left-handed hitters are batting .297 with an OPS of .887, which is more than 200 points higher than he’s allowing against right-handers, this year. The Mariners, who are in the middle of the wild card race, have won seven of their last nine games, averaging 5.6 runs per game during that stretch, and adding Crawford will leave money to pair with higher-priced players. See who else to pick right here.

The Cleveland Guardians entered Friday 2 1/2 games behind the Minnesota Twins in the American League Central. If the Guardians are to make up that ground over the season’s final two months, they’ll have to do it largely without first baseman Josh Naylor, who is expected to miss between three and six weeks after suffering a strained oblique, according to Mandy Bell of MLB.com.

Naylor, 26, had been one of the Guardians’ best hitters this season. In 96 games, he’d batted .306/.346/.500 (133 OPS+) with 15 home runs and 79 RBI. The only qualifying Guardians player with a higher OPS+ than Naylor this season is superstar third baseman José Ramírez. Steven Kwan, at 104, ranks third.

The Guardians recently traded Josh Bell at the deadline. Incoming prospect Kyle Manzardo remains sidelined with his own undisclosed injury, meaning that the Guardians may have to continue deploying David Fry at the cold corner with a rotating cast assuming DH responsibilities.

Naylor isn’t the only Guardians player slated to miss some time. Cleveland also placed young infielder Tyler Freeman on the injured list because of a strained shoulder. Freeman, 24, has hit .286/.344/.357 (97 OPS+) in 38 games.

In a pair of corresponding moves, the Guardians recalled infielder José Tena and obtained veteran outfielder Kole Calhoun from the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for cash considerations.

Tena, 22, will be making his big-league debut after appearing in just one game at the Triple-A level. In 81 prior games at Double-A, he batted .260/.353/.370 with four home runs and 16 stolen bases (on 23 attempts). Baseball America recently ranked Tena as the 13th best prospect in the Guardians farm system.

Calhoun, 35, was eligible to be traded after the deadline because he hasn’t spent any time in the majors this season. In 58 games at the Triple-A level split between multiple organizations, he’s hit .297/.376/.530. It’s worth noting that Calhoun has not been an above-average hitter at the big-league level since 2020.

The Guardians will begin a three-game set against the Chicago White Sox on Friday night.

Atlanta Braves left-hander Max Fried made his first start since May on Friday afternoon against the Chicago Cubs (GameTracker). He had previously missed close to three months because of a strained left forearm.

Fried showed little sign of rust against what had been a red-hot Cubs lineup. He fired off six shutout innings, holding Chicago to three hits and no walks. Fried also struck out eight batters and saw his fastball average 94.7 mph, or a full tick higher than his previous seasonal average. He generated nine whiffs on 33 swings, with four of those coming on his fastball variants.

8-strikeout gem for Max Fried.

Ace things. pic.twitter.com/DYYeQoebvk

— Bally Sports: Braves (@BravesOnBally) August 4, 2023
Fried, 29, made five starts earlier in the year before going on the shelf. In 26 innings, he had accumulated a 2.08 ERA (221 ERA+) and a 4.17 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Fried, of course, finished second in National League Cy Young Award balloting last winter.

“I felt sharper than expected. Had a lot of nervous energy. Just was looking forward to this day for a long time,” Fried told reporters, including Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Fried’s afternoon was made easier thanks to the run support provided by Atlanta’s lineup. The Braves were up 8-0 at the time of his departure, due almost entirely to a seven-run fourth inning that saw them launch back-to-back home runs and continue their recent mastery of Cubs right-hander Kyle Hendricks. That score would hold as the final.

I won’t lie; my brain is scrambled right now. Between conference realignment and private equity investments in programs, I feel as though I’ve been hit in the head repeatedly, and I don’t know where the next blow is coming from. So, I need something to grab hold of to find my bearings.

I need a Principle.

That principle is fading Adam Wainwright and the St. Louis Cardinals as favorites. I don’t care that the Colorado Rockies stink just as badly, if not worse, than the Cardinals. It doesn’t matter. What matters is what’s right, and what’s right is not betting on Adam Wainwright and the Cardinals as favorites.

Wainwright is toast. He’s not in much better shape than the Pac-12 and enters the night with a 7.18 ERA. The Cardinals have gone 5-8 in his 13 starts, and Waino has allowed at least two runs in every game he’s pitched this season. In his last five starts, he has 10.89 ERA.

It’s bad.

Now, as I said, the Rockies aren’t what anybody would consider good. Their starter, Chris Flexen, is just about as bad as Wainwright. The primary difference is he strikes a few more hitters out and walks a bunch more but doesn’t allow nearly as much hard contact.

So, he’s not somebody you typically want to be betting on, but this is one of those cases where neither team deserves to be favored against anybody, so bet the underdog. The fact St. Louis is 26-36 when favored this year doesn’t hurt, either.

The San Diego Padres announced Friday that starting pitcher Joe Musgrove had an MRI on his right (pitching) shoulder that revealed inflammation in the capsule (via Dennis Lin). As a result, he’s been shut down from throwing for three weeks before the club makes a decision on how to proceed. Padres general manager A.J. Preller told reporters they hope Musgrove can make it back this season, but will move forward with his best interests (via Lin).

Given that there’s a mention about how the Padres “hope” Musgrove can come back, that means there’s a possibility that he’s done for the season. That’s a big blow to the Padres’ postseason hopes.

The Padres enter action Friday having won five of their last six to move to 54-55. That’s nine games out in the NL West, but it’s four out in the wild-card race. That’s within striking distance.

Musgrove, 30, started the season on the injured list and has made 17 starts since then, going 10-3 with a 3.05 ERA (132 ERA+), 1.14 WHIP and 97 strikeouts against 20 unintentional walks in 97 1/3 innings.

The rotation around Musgrove right now is Blake Snell, Yu Darvish, Seth Lugo and Rich Hill. Michael Wacha has been on the injured list since the start of July with a shoulder injury. Ryan Weathers has been traded and Adrián Morejón is on the injured list. Nick Martinez has made five starts this season, but has settled into a bullpen role. If he’s not moving back into the rotation, the Padres could dip into the minors. Starters Matt Waldron and Jay Groome are on the 40-man roster.

The Padres host the Dodgers Friday night to open a four-game series. It’s a huge series for the Padres as they look to remain in the playoff race. The Musgrove news puts a damper on that a bit, but the best way to change the vibes is to go win some games.