USC Professional Athletes

Lars Nootbaar had the kind of week USC fans have been waiting for, capping a productive stretch with a standout Saturday performance that served as the exclamation point on a solid August run for the Trojans' most visible MLB representative.

Nootbaar's Big Saturday

The Diamondbacks left fielder — playing as the designated hitter — delivered his best game of the week on August 29 against the Giants, going 3-for-his-at-bats with a home run and 1 RBI while also scoring 2 runs. Arizona won the series game 9–5, and Nootbaar's bat was a driving force.

It capped what was, by any measure, a quality week at the plate. On Sunday, August 23, Nootbaar collected 2 hits and drove in a run against Cincinnati in an 11–5 Arizona loss — a productive outing despite the result. He added a walk and a run scored in Wednesday's Cubs game before logging another hit Friday against San Francisco. The Friday contest went the wrong way (Arizona fell 1–6), but Nootbaar put something on the board.

Over the week, his average climbed from .221 to .231 — modest movement, but in the right direction for a player working to establish himself in a loaded Arizona lineup alongside Corbin Carroll and a strong supporting cast.

The Bigger Picture

Nootbaar's week illustrates both his ceiling and the challenge ahead. The power is real — his August 29 home run showed what he's capable of when he gets into a groove. But a .231 average tells the story of a player who's still searching for consistency at the dish. At 27, with a full-time role as a corner outfielder and DH option for a competitive Arizona club, the opportunities are there. Weeks like this one are how he'll cement them.

No other USC alumni made a statistical dent in the brief's coverage window. Garrett Stubbs, the former Trojans catcher now with Philadelphia, appeared in the Phillies' August 26 loss to the Mariners but did not record a hit, with his average sitting at .149 — a number that raises its own questions about his role heading into September.

For USC, the MLB story this week begins and ends with Nootbaar. If the Diamondbacks are going to make a postseason push, his ability to produce games like August 29 on a more regular basis will matter. The tools are there. The question is frequency.

USC alumni left fingerprints across MLB this week — from a Dodgers bullpen shake-up to a clutch long ball in Arizona and a turbulent roster move in Boston.

Hurt Steps Up as Wrobleski Steps Back in LA

The Dodgers' pitching depth got a Trojan infusion this week when the club recalled Kyle Hurt from Triple-A Oklahoma City to replace fellow USC alum Justin Wrobleski, who was placed on the injured list. The move brought an all-USC flavor to an already taxed Los Angeles bullpen.

Hurt made the most of his return. On Sunday, Aug. 16 — the day of his callup — he tossed 1.1 innings against Milwaukee, striking out three without surrendering a run. He followed that with a clean 1.0-inning, two-strikeout outing Thursday against Colorado as the Dodgers won 6-4. Saturday was rougher: Hurt allowed two earned runs in just one-third of an inning against Pittsburgh, pushing his ERA to 4.61. Still, across three appearances this week, he struck out six batters and provided exactly the fresh arm Los Angeles needed while its bullpen recovered from heavy usage.

Wrobleski's absence is the quieter subplot. The lefty had been a key piece of the Dodgers' pitching plans this season, and his injury opens the door wider for Hurt to prove he belongs at the highest level.

Nootbaar Delivers When It Counts for Arizona

Across the desert, Lars Nootbaar gave the Arizona Diamondbacks a timely offensive jolt. In Wednesday's game against the Boston Red Sox, Nootbaar went 1-for-4 with a two-run homer in the 10th inning to help Arizona win 7-6. The blast drove in two and pushed his batting average to .221 on the season. He had appeared in Monday's series opener as well, though without a hit (.218 at that point), making Wednesday's performance a well-timed bounce-back.

The Diamondbacks needed every run they could get in a tight, back-and-forth series with Boston, and Nootbaar's power stroke in the 10th inning proved decisive.

Mayer Traded, Then Hurt Again

It was a week to forget for Marcelo Mayer. The former Red Sox infielder — listed among USC's active MLB alumni — was dealt to the San Francisco Giants near the trade deadline, a move that drew emotional reactions from Boston teammates including close friend Roman Anthony. Then, barely settled into his new situation, Mayer was hit with another injury setback: foot soreness following a recent bout of forearm issues. The double blow underscores what has been a frustrating, injury-interrupted stretch for the 22-year-old infielder.

Anthony, still in Boston, told reporters he was "excited for him" despite the circumstances — but Mayer's path in San Francisco is already complicated before he's played a game there.

Quick Hits

Garrett Stubbs continued to see action behind the plate for the Phillies, going 2-for-his-appearances with an RBI in Wednesday's win over Miami — a bright spot for a catcher hitting just .159 on the year.

It's a wide Trojan footprint across the league this week — and with Hurt establishing himself in Los Angeles and Nootbaar producing in the desert, USC's MLB contingent has reasons for cautious optimism heading into the final stretch of the regular season.

USC produced one of the more notable deadline weeks of any single school in MLB this summer, with two alumni — outfielder Lars Nootbaar and pitcher Kyle Hurt — landing on playoff-contending rosters within days of each other. Add a third Trojan, Marcelo Mayer, who changed addresses of his own, and it was a busy stretch for the Cardinal and Gold in the big leagues.

Nootbaar Heads to the Desert

The headliner was Nootbaar's trade from the St. Louis Cardinals to the Arizona Diamondbacks, a deal that closed with roughly ten minutes to spare before the deadline. The D-backs, chasing a wild-card spot, surrendered three players — including Daniel Eagan and Sando Santana, plus a player to be named — to land the 28-year-old left-handed outfielder, who remains under team control through 2027.

Arizona is getting a proven postseason presence — Nootbaar has World Baseball Classic pedigree with Japan — and a versatile defender who can cover multiple outfield spots. CBS Sports graded the move favorably for both sides, calling it a sensible fit for a D-backs club that needed a left-handed bat for the stretch run.

He wasted little time making himself comfortable. Nootbaar collected hits in three of his first four games as a Diamondback (Aug. 6–8), including a multi-walk outing against the Padres on Aug. 5. He hit safely in both games of the team's weekend series against the Dodgers, sitting at .234 on the week. The former Trojan was in Arizona's lineup at DH in that Dodgers matchup — sharing a ballpark with another USC alum on the opposing side.

Hurt Gets the Call in L.A.

That would be Kyle Hurt, who received his Dodgers callup on Saturday, Aug. 2, when the club designated Cole Irvin for assignment to make room on the roster. The right-handed reliever made his presence felt immediately: in his first outing of the week (Aug. 2 vs. Red Sox), he tossed 2.0 innings, struck out four, and allowed just one earned run. Three days later against the Cubs (Aug. 5), he worked 1.1 innings with two more strikeouts, though he surrendered another earned run, leaving him with a 4.66 ERA for the season.

Hurt's strikeout rate in those two appearances — six punchouts in 3.1 innings — is exactly the kind of profile the defending World Series favorites want in their bullpen as October approaches.

Mayer Moves On

The week's third transaction involving a USC alum was less celebratory. Infielder Marcelo Mayer, once the most-hyped prospect in Red Sox history according to multiple Boston outlets, was dealt to the San Francisco Giants for reliever Erik Miller just before the deadline. Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow was quick to dismiss any rumors of off-field issues, calling such speculation "nonsense," and framed the move as part of a broader roster reshaping that also brought catcher Adley Rutschman to Boston.

Mayer, who never fully established himself at the MLB level with the Sox, figures to get a fresh start in the Bay Area. He did not appear in game stats during the Aug. 2–8 window, likely in transition between organizations.

Three roster moves, two contending teams, one trade deadline. For USC, it was a week that served as a reminder that the Trojans' MLB pipeline runs deep — even if the directions vary.