First Call: ESPN reports Allen Robinson passes physical with Steelers; Pirates look to stay hot; ex-Pens score in playoffs

Thursday’s “First Call” has an update on the Steelers trade for Allen Robinson. The Pirates hope to kick another opponent while they are down. A pair of WPIAL baseball stars faced off in Oakland.

And a pair of ex-Penguins scored for their team in the NHL playoffs, while another struggled between the pipes.

Let’s get physical

According to ESPN’s Dianna Russini, Allen Robinson II has passed his physical with the Steelers. That should be the biggest hurdle to clear before finalizing the team’s trade with the Los Angeles Rams to acquire the veteran wide receiver.

Allen Robinson has passed his physical in Pittsburgh, the trade with the Rams is now official. Allen Robinson is a Pittsburgh Steeler, per sources.

— Dianna Russini (@diannaESPN) April 19, 2023

The former Penn State Nittany Lion suffered a foot injury in late November and missed the rest of the season. He totaled 33 catches for 339 yards and three touchdowns before the injury.

Robinson has three 1,000-yard seasons under his belt, the most recent of which came for the Chicago Bears in 2020.

As part of the deal, the Steelers get Robinson and a seventh-round draft pick (No. 251) in exchange for their own seventh-round pick (No. 234). The Rams will pay $10.25 million of Robinson’s $15.25 million guaranteed salary for the 2023 season, and the Steelers will pay the remaining $5 million. That’s according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

The Rams get salary cap relief. The Steelers get a potential No. 3 wide receiver to run with George Pickens and Diontae Johnson. If truly healthy, Robinson could become a red zone threat. At 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds, Robinson put up a 14-touchdown season with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2015.

Pickens had four touchdowns in 2022. The only other Steelers wide receiver to catch a TD pass last year was Chase Claypool before he was traded to the Bears.

Seeing Red

At 12-7, the Pirates have gotten off to a surprisingly good start. Their opponent this weekend can’t say the same thing. The Cincinnati Reds visit PNC Park at 7-11 Thursday through Sunday. They are last in the NL Central and have lost three of four.

The Reds haven’t generated much power. They have just 15 home runs. Only the Washington Nationals have fewer homers in the National League. With 141 hits, the Reds are 25th in that category throughout baseball.

Pitching has been a problem as well. Cincy’s 5.44 team ERA is second worst in the NL, in front of only the Colorado Rockies at 5.82. Their opponents’ on base average of .292 is the highest in the NL, as is the team’s WHIP at 1.62.

Both teams were 62-100 last year. The Reds won two of three during the first series of the year.

Mixed bag for Mason

WPIAL product Mason Miller made his Major League Baseball debut for the Oakland A’s Wednesday. During his first start at home against the Chicago Cubs, the 24-year-old right-handed pitcher allowed two runs, four hits and one walk with five strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings.

The 6-foot-5 Bethel Park native was a third-round pick in the 2021 draft. Via ESPN.com, he reached 100 mph a total of 15 times Wednesday, averaging 99.3 mph with 53 fastballs. But the Cubs ended up winning 12-2.

One Cubs hitter that touched up Miller was another Western Pa. alum, Ian Happ. He doubled to center field in the fourth inning for an RBI.

Ian Happ has 7 RBI on the road trip! pic.twitter.com/RfwpFJAdIe

— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) April 19, 2023

Happ (Mt. Lebanon) is now hitting .323. The Cubs are now 11-6, tied with the Pirates two games back of the NL Central division-leading Milwaukee Brewers.

Meanwhile, Oakland is 3-16. That’s MLB’s worst record.

Postseason contributions

A pair of former Penguins got on the scoresheet for the Minnesota Wild Wednesday night during Game 2 of their series against the Dallas Stars.

Oskar Sundqvist scored Minnesota’s first goal of the game.

Swede, Swede Sunny ☀️#mnwild pic.twitter.com/u6TqL5wBR4

— x - Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) April 20, 2023

Also, Frederick Gaudreau had this beauty of a finish in the second period.

Freddy gets us back to within 1. #mnwild x #GritFirst pic.twitter.com/kdMDTk4TAJ

— x - Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) April 20, 2023

Gaudreau had 19 goals during the regular season. Think he could’ve helped on the Pens’ bottom six at all?

However, it was a rough night in net for another ex-Penguin, Marc-Andre Fleury. He gave up seven goals on 31 shots and the Stars won 7-3 to even that series at 1-1. The series shifts to Minnesota for Game 3 on Friday night.