MLP Mid-Season Tournament Player Changes: The Edward Jones Major League Pickleball Mid-Season Tournament resumed on Thursday at Belknap Park in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with several key players missing from the action. Teams across both Premier and Challenger levels were forced to make last-minute substitutions due to injuries or personal matters.
Big Names Sidelined Before Thursday’s Matches
As matches began, many fans noticed that some usual starters were absent from the lineups. A number of player changes had been reported earlier, including Quang Duong of the Los Angeles Mad Drops and Dekel Bar of the Brooklyn Pickleball Team. However, more replacements were announced Thursday morning.
Donald Young of the New York Hustlers was out due to injury and replaced by Stephen Madonia. Etta Tuionetoa of the Carolina Hogs also missed play due to injury and was replaced by Liz Truluck. Jay Devilliers of the Miami Pickleball Club stepped away for personal reasons and was subbed by Yuta Funemizu.
Other confirmed replacements included:
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Quang Duong (Los Angeles Mad Drops): replaced by Rafa Hewett
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Jack Sock (Phoenix Flames): replaced by Pesa Teoni
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Jaume Martinez Vich (Atlanta Bouncers): replaced by Eric Roddy
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Dekel Bar (Brooklyn Pickleball Team): replaced by AJ Koller
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Tyler Loong (Utah Black Diamonds): replaced by Yates Johnson
These absences added a new layer of uncertainty to Thursday’s games as teams adjusted their lineups on short notice.
Full Match Schedule for Thursday
The Premier Level saw the following matchups:
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New York Hustlers vs Dallas Flash
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Carolina Hogs vs Columbus Sliders
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Miami Pickleball Club vs Los Angeles Mad Drops
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SoCal Hard Eights vs St. Louis Shock
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Chicago Slice vs Texas Ranchers
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Phoenix Flames vs New Jersey 5s
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Atlanta Bouncers vs Brooklyn Pickleball Team
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Utah Black Diamonds vs Orlando Squeeze
Challenger Level teams also took to the courts with two matches:
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California Black Bears vs Florida Smash
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Bay Area Breakers vs D.C. Pickleball Team
With both levels in action, the day promised exciting matchups, despite the absence of several stars.
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The sudden player changes may affect team chemistry and strategies. Replacements like AJ Koller, Rafa Hewett, and Yates Johnson bring their own strengths, but teams will have to adjust quickly. Fans and analysts alike will be watching to see how these updates impact results as the tournament continues.
News in Brief: MLP Mid-Season Tournament Player Changes
The Edward Jones MLP Mid-Season Tournament continued Thursday in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with several top players out due to injury or personal reasons. Teams made quick substitutions, including Donald Young and Jay Devilliers. Despite the lineup changes, Premier and Challenger level matches went on as scheduled.
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