The Toronto Blue Jays and Daniel Vogelbach reached agreement on a minor-league deal, an industry source said Friday, throwing the left-handed hitting slugger into competition for a spot on the club’s bench.
For the first time since 2016 and just the second time since the inception of the Stadium Series in 2014, the once-per-year event will treat hockey fans to two games over the weekend at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.
As if outdoor games didn’t bring enough of the hype, the games feature divisional and regional rivals with playoff implications as each team fights to secure their spot in the tight Metropolitan Division.
Saturday evening’s tilt features the Battle of the Turnpike between the New Jersey Devils and Philadelphia Flyers. Their rivalry dates back to the 1994-95 season, when the Devils defeated the Flyers in the Conference finals and grew in intensity as the teams would meet in the post-season four more times until their last appearance in 2012.
Though the Devils have star power with the likes of Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt and Jack and Luke Hughes, it’s the Flyers who currently have the upper hand with a 29-19-7 record under John Tortorella — a full seven points ahead of the Devils (27-22-4).