Yo Salt – Don’t cha know I wanna bloop? Bloop ba-doop:

Jesús Sánchez ends this ballgame in the 12th. #MakeItMiami pic.twitter.com/njuV1S29kp

— Miami Marlins (@Marlins) August 3, 2023

On the Agenda

1. News and Notes
2. Bumps and Bruises
3. Comeback Trails
4. Streaming Pitchers

News and Notes

Marcus Stroman was placed on the 15-day yesterday with right hip inflammation but Cubs manager David Ross seems confident that he’ll be ready to return when first eligible on August 16, with team off days making it such that he’ll effectively only miss one turn in the rotation.

After spraining his knee on Monday, Bo Bichette was officially placed on the 15-day IL yesterday with patellar tendinitis and currently has no timetable for his return. Newest Blue Jay, Paul DeJong, made his Toronto debut on Wednesday, batting eighth, and is expected to get the lion’s share of time at shortstop until Bichette’s return.

Sigh. Liam Hendriks had his season officially ended after undergoing Tommy John surgery on Wednesday. We thought Hendriks was progressing fine from elbow inflammation so this latest news is obviously a worst-case scenario that won’t see him likely return until 2025. Luckily, Hendriks was already double-tough due to his general Australianness and recently defeated freaking cancer, so I suspect his mental toughness will continue to serve him well.

Domingo Germán will miss the rest of the 2023 season, being placed on the restricted list after entering inpatient treatment for alcohol abuse. Nestor Cortes was scheduled for one more rehab start but will now cut it short to return to the rotation this weekend against the Astros. Cortes pitched four scoreless innings in his last appearance in Double-A, allowing two hits while striking out five.

Luis Garcia was demoted to Triple-A following Washington’s win over the Brewers yesterday. After a solid first three months to the season, Garcia has been brutal since the start of July, slashing just .205/.237/.284 over 93 PA, with a 34 wRC+. Expect Michael Chavis/Ildemaro Vargas to fill in at second base for the time being.

Bumps and Bruises

Shane McClanahan got blown up yesterday, allowing 5 ER over 4 IP, the second time in three starts he’s finished with such a line. But the real news is the forearm tightness he felt before departing – Dun. Dun. DUHHHHN.

McClanahan’s four-seamer averaged 98.1 mph, his highest in any game this season, but the zip was missing in his final inning:

1st: 98.2 mph
2nd: 97.9 mph
3rd: 97.1 mph
4th: 95.8 mph

McClanahan will head back to Tampa Bay today to be evaluated by the team doctor. I’m sure everything is fine and Tampa Bay will certainly keep us 100% informed.

J.D. Martinez missed another game on Wednesday after injuring his hamstring over the weekend. Martinez claimed on Tuesday he thought he’d be able to avoid going on the IL but that chance will shrink with every additional game missed.

Brandon Nimmo missed another game on Wednesday after being scratched on Tuesday with quad tightness. It still isn’t expected to be serious and Nimmo could return as soon as this afternoon’s game. Counterpoint: this is the Mets so he might also be out for the season.

Byron Buxton was a scratch on Wednesday after tweaking his hamstring on the bases during Tuesday’s game. Consider him day-to-day but it’s also Byron Buxton, so-ooo…

Comeback Trails

Max Fried (forearm) will return to the Atlanta rotation on Friday for a start against the Cubs. Fried has a 2.08 ERA (3.04 FIP) and 1.08 WHIP over the five starts prior to his injury and posted a 3.75 ERA over four rehab starts, striking out 13 in 12 IP.

It looks like Trevor Story (elbow) won’t be activated on Friday, wanting to instead get some more rehab in at Triple-A. This doesn’t appear to be any sort of setback and Story will still likely make his return sometime next week. Over 10 games at Double-A and Triple-A, Story is slashing .241/.371/.621, with 3 HR.

Cardinals closer, Ryan Helsley, faced live hitting in batting practice before yesterday’s game. Given no setbacks, the next step would be a rehab assignment, with Helsley eligible to return from the 60-day IL on August 12. With Jordan Hicks moved to Toronto, Helsley would likely slot back into his 9th-inning role but the real question is, how many wins will the Cardinals actually get over the next two months?

Jordan Romano (back) threw for the first time off of flat ground since going on the 15-day IL and is expected to start mound work this weekend. If all goes well, Romano could return when first eligible on August 13. Erik Swanson got (and converted) the Blue Jays only Save opportunity since Romano hit the list last Saturday.

J.T. Realmuto missed the past two games with a cut on his hand but will return to the starting lineup today against the Marlins.

Streaming Pitchers

Streaming Pitcher for Today: Brandon Pfaadt, ARI @SFG – Pfaadt has yet to pour on the whiffs like he’s shown in the minors but will face a struggling San Francisco lineup that has the third-worst wOBA and wRC+ vs RHP since the start of July, after being in the top-10 in the three months prior.

High Risk for Today: Adrian Houser, MIL vs PIT

Streaming Pitcher for Tomorrow: Graham Ashcraft, CIN vs WSN, Colin Rea, MIL vs PIT

We now go live to the New York Mets front office:

On the Agenda

1. Making Moves
2. Bumps and Bruises
3. Comeback Trail
4. Streaming Pitchers

Making Moves

The weekend started with the Dodgers moving to shore up their oft-injured pitching staff, acquiring Lance Lynn and Joe Kelly from the White Sox for Trayce Thompson, Jordan Leasure, and Nick Nastrini. Lynn will make his debut in style on Tuesday with a prime matchup against Oakland; or, at least it would be prime given a previous (good) version of Lynn, who has a 6.47 ERA (5.22 FIP) and 1.46 WHIP over 21 starts in 2023. “Dodgers fix pitchers” will need to do a lot of work for a guy who has most recently allowed a total of 13 ER in his previous two starts.

If their performance on the field wasn’t a big enough clue, the Mets officially raised their white flag with a trade of David Robertson to the Marlins for two Rookie-level prospects. Robertson picked up his first Save on Sunday and is a key addition for the Marlins to continue their playoff push, while the Mets can now dream of their new-and-improved 2028 competitive window.

In other Mets domino news, it turns out that the famously competitive (and known grade-A red-ass) Max Scherzer didn’t actually come to the Mets to be a part of a rebuild and was reportedly none too pleased about the “new” direction New York is taking. One talk with the “brass” later and Mad Max is now a Ranger, waiving his no-trade clause to join a team with actual championship aspirations. Scherzer traveled to Texas along with (I presume) a suitcase stuffed with $36 million, with the Rangers sending infield prospect (and Ronald brother) Luisangel Acuña to New York. Scherzer is expected to make his debut on Thursday against a White Sox roster that might somehow be even worse post-deadline.

For anyone not fluent in Scherzer red-assery revenge-mode, this almost certainly ends with Chicago getting hit by a truck.

But what about Justin Verlander? The rumors are swirling that he could be next to abandon the ol’ apple but the Mets also reportedly value Verlander much higher than Scherzer and currently aren’t willing to ship him out with the same sack of cash. I mean, why would they trade him? After all, GM Billy Epler just said New York isn’t punting on 2024 and all they’re doing is improving their farm system. Bah-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha. Aren’t you proud of me for making it through that whole sentence without laughing? Please, Billy, tell me more about your 2024 aspirations…We’re all dying to hear them.

Third in the AL West and sixth in Wildcard, the Angels continue to “go for it”, ruining the fantasy value of C.J. Cron and Randal Grichuk in the process. Cron and Grichuk head out of the thin air of Colorado in exchange for a pair of LA’s top-20 prospects in RHP Jake Madden (#7) and LHP Mason Albright (#18). Cron will slide into his normal spot at first, mercifully displacing the ghost of Mike Moustakas, while Grichuk will shore up an outfield that has recently been utilizing a Cabbage.

The St. Louis fire sale is in full swing:

Jordan Montgomery joins a Rangers rotation that just refuses to stop expanding, going to Texas (with Chris Stratton in the sidecar) in exchange for an addition to St. Louis’s quickly increasing collection of prospect quarters, getting Tekoah Roby, Thomas Saggese, and John King. The funniest thing about this return might be the classic STL thirst trap that Eric Logenhagen just laid out in his latest analysis on the trade:

Saggese has a very old school baseball vibe about him: no batting gloves; a simple, wristy swing that sprays fastballs the other way; and sound infield defense reliant on effort and feel more than athleticism.

Nothing, and I mean nothing, is a surer way of getting the Cardinals all hot and bothered than hearing about a combination of no batting gloves with more effort than athleticism. Noth. Ing.

Jordan Hicks leaves behind the 100-degree heatwave St. Louis was stuck in for a week, heading now to the Great White North of Canada and the greener grasses of Toronto. Hicks and his 5.2 BB/9 will likely join a committee of closers for the Blue Jays for the time being, as incumbent Jordan Romano (lower back) was recently placed on the IL. But once Romano comes back, Hicks the setup guy should be yet another solid gear in Toronto’s excellent bullpen.

(Probably still) Coming Soon to a Team Near You: Jack Flaherty, Giovanny Gallegos, Tyler O’Neill, Dylan Carlson.

All you Cardinals haters might be laughing now but just you’s wait until St. Louis is right back to doing what they do best in the Mozeliak Era – winning upwards of 90 games and being very competitive in the NL Central race. Just. You’s. Wait.

Bumps and Bruises

Taylor Ward, unfortunately, took a baseball to the face over the weekend and could miss the rest of the season after being placed on the 60-day IL.

Ha-Seong Kim 김하성 had to leave Sunday’s game after injuring his shoulder while sliding into home. Consider him day-to-day but manager Bob Melvin has already announced he’s likely to miss today’s opener at Colorado.

J.D. Martinez is set to undergo an MRI after his hamstring forced him out of Sunday’s lineup. No timetable will be known until after the imaging but it’s probably not a good sign that manager Dave Roberts said Martinez was unable to run or swing a bat.

Will Smith left Sunday’s game after getting hit on the elbow in the first inning but the X-rays fortunately came back negative. Consider him day-to-day.

Mookie Betts (ankle) missed his second game in a row with soreness but will get an extra day of healing with the Dodgers having an off-day on Monday.

Anthony DeSclafani (flexor strain) was placed on the 15-day IL and will be shut down from throwing for at least a few weeks. IE. Goodbye, remaining fantasy usefulness in 2023.

Alex Kirilloff gets hot, Alex Kirilloff gets hurt. This is how things go. Kirilloff came out of the ASB blazing, hitting 4 HR in a six-game stretch but will now head to the IL with a right shoulder strain. The good news is, it’s not his wrist?

Comeback Trail

Brandon Woodruff will make his third (and possibly final) rehab start on Tuesday at Triple-A (Nashville), reaching 52 pitches in his most recent appearance for High-A (Wisconsin). If all goes well, this would line up Woodruff for a return to the Milwaukee rotation for a deadline-enhanced, spicy, little two-step next week, getting an ever-depleted Colorado team away from Coors before going on the road to face the White Sox.

Nestor Cortes (shoulder) will also make his third (and possibly final) rehab start this week and could rejoin the Yankees rotation early next week for their series with the White Sox.

Clayton Kershaw came out of a three-inning sim game on Saturday but will need at least one more outing on Thursday before he’ll be able to rejoin the Dodgers rotation. If all remains well, we could see him return sometime next week, possibly in Arizona.

Nathan Eovaldi (forearm) is expected to return after only a minimum stay on the IL, with manager Bruce Bochy saying on Sunday he expects Eovaldi back when first eligible on August 11 to face the Giants. Once Eovaldi returns, rotation decisions will be forced; he and Scherzer are locks but there are only three more spots for Jon Gray, Martín Pérez, Dane Dunning, Andrew Heaney, and Jordan Montgomery.

Jonathan India (plantar fasciitis) and the Reds are hopeful he’ll only require a minimum IL stint after joining the list on Sunday. He’ll be first eligible on August 8. In his absence, Christian Encarnanician-Strand should continue to see regular at-bats.

Streaming Pitchers

Streaming Pitcher for Today: What is, none? Correct! The answer was, who should you stream between Jake Irvin (vs MIL), Noah Syndergaard (@HOU), and Austin Gomber (vs SDP)?

High-Risk Streamer for Today: See above.

Streamer for Tomorrow: Ben Lively 라이블리, LAA @CHC

Save your weak “Hall of Very Good” takes that only tell me you weren’t paying close enough attention for long enough – he’s 100% deserving:

Hall of Famer, Scott Rolen 👏 pic.twitter.com/SWiZ663RUa

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) July 23, 2023

On the Agenda:

1. News and Notes
2. Bumps and Bruises
3. Comeback Trails
4. Streaming Pitchers

News and Notes

Adam Wainwright (old-man arm) will return to the St. Louis rotation for a two-start week, first going to Arizona tonight before returning home for a tilt against the Cubs. In his three starts before hitting the IL, Wainwright posted a 19.13 ERA after allowing a total of 17 ER in 8 IP. IE. Don’t you dare try hit a seven by rolling with Waino because he’s getting two starts.

Alex Verdugo had a date with Mr. Pine on Sunday due to the monster slump he’s been as of late, slashing just .127/.222/.255 in July, with a .218 wOBA and 27 wRC+. Adam Duvall got the start in right field in his place but this is just a mental break and we should expect Verdugo back in the lineup for Boston’s series against the Braves starting on Tuesday.

Jon Gray took an 112 mph heater off his shin last week but will still make his scheduled start against the Astros tonight. Gray has only posted a 20% K% but has a 3.31 ERA (4.47 FIP) and 1.19 WHIP over 18 starts and 103 IP, collecting six wins along the way.

Nathan Eovaldi is coming off picking up a win against the Rays, going six scoreless innings, but will have his next start skipped. Eovaldi’s strikeout rate has plummeted lately, with his walk-rate going the opposite way, as he’s run just a 16% K% and 14% BB% over his last four starts after posting a 25% K% and 5% BB% in his first 15 starts.

Don’t worry – I’m sure this has nothing to do with it:

Bumps and Bruises

J.D. Martinez (hamstring) was a late scratch on Sunday and manager Dave Roberts says he’ll also be held out on Monday. But considering the Dodgers didn’t even deem this worth an MRI, a return on Tuesday seems likely.

Lars Nootbaar left Sunday’s gam e in the seventh inning with a sore right heel. Consider him day-to-day.

Gleyber Torres went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run on Sunday but was removed late due to hip tightness. Consider him day-to-day but the issue doesn’t seem too serious and Torres will get an extra day of rest with the Yankees having Monday off.

Comeback Trails

Max Fried (forearm) will need another rehab assignment on Wednesday before rejoining the Braves rotation. After going scoreless in his first two rehab starts, Fried got knocked around in his most recent one at Triple-A, allowing three runs in 3.1 IP on six hits and two home runs. If he stays on track, this schedule will line up Fried to face the Angels at home next Tuesday – Los Angeles is fifth in wRC+ and sixth in wOBA vs LHP but with a bottom-10 K%.

Aaron Judge (toe) had two simulated at-bats on Sunday and manager Aaron Boone said he’s scheduled to take more coming up as he moves toward full batting practice. The toe has been good enough for him to also run the bases but the Yankees remain mum on what his actual timetable is, as well as whether or not he’ll need a rehab assignment.

Clayton Kershaw went from having a scheduled simulated game on Monday, to it turning into bullpen, before getting completely pushed out of it. But don’t worry! Manager Dave Roberts says nothing to see here because Kershaw hasn’t suffered a setback. Which we should, of course, totally take at face value. Baa-ha-ha; baa-ha, ha-ha.

Charlie Blackmon (fractured hand) took dry swings on Sunday but we won’t have a clear timetable until he’s able to take real batting practice. A best-case ballpark seems to take us at least a week into August until he makes his return.

Andrew Vaughn (foot) hasn’t played since July 18 and while the White Sox remain hopeful he’ll be able to return to the lineup on Tuesday, they also won’t rule out the possibility he’ll need an IL stint. Keep your lineup heads on a swivel.

Streaming Pitchers

Streaming Pitcher For Today: Patrick Corbin, WSN vs COL – I know, I know; it’s Patrick Corbin, he of the 4.89 ERA (4.88 FIP) and 1.54 WHIP, as well as a contract that should come wrapped in a ski mask. But those numbers also show how much of a man of extremes he’s been, with his starts consisting of a mix of blowups and gems, with a healthy dose of mediocrity. In Corbin’s 20 starts, he’s allowed six or more runs four times and two or fewer runs nine times. Colorado has managed to win five of eight games since the All-Star break but remains a mediocre offense that tends to struggle on the road.

High Risk Pitcher For Today: Graham Ashcraft, CIN @MIL – After a strong April (2.10 ERA over five starts) Ashcraft got positively lit up, with a May/June stretch that saw him post an 11.08 ERA, though his opponents (ATL, LAD, @COL) certainly didn’t do him any favors. Since getting thumped by Atlanta on June 24, Ashcraft has a 1.82 ERA over four starts and 24 IP but a 4.54 FIP doesn’t exactly scream future success. Luckily, the Brewers offense has been mostly brutal – since the start of June, Milwaukee’s .293 wOBA vs RHP is the fifth-lowest in baseball.

Streaming Pitcher For Tomorrow: Ken Waldichuk @SFG? Rich Hill @SDP? No thank you and no streams for you!

“Dad! Dad! Hey, Dad!” Feed it to me with a spoon, now and forever:

Nick Castellanos' son is his No. 1 fan. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/hr9HG5eF7L

— MLB (@MLB) July 20, 2023

On the Agenda:

1. News and Notes
2. Bumps and Bruises
3. Streaming Pitchers

Read the rest of this entry »

You’re not going to believe this but the same guy also has 139 K in 105 IP this season…The EXACT same guy!

Shohei Ohtani launches his 34th homer of the year. pic.twitter.com/LjFNDHIe9E

— MLB (@MLB) July 17, 2023

On the Agenda

1. News and Notes
2. Bumps and Bruises
3. Chugga-Chugga Call-Up Train
4. Streaming Pitchers

Read the rest of this entry »

‘Til all Skenes-Skenes, melon farmers:

With the first pick in the #MLBDraft, the @Pirates select RHP Paul Skenes from LSU. pic.twitter.com/IDaDmdV5Eq

— MLB (@MLB) July 9, 2023

If the stuff ends up half as good as the stache, we’re clearly looking at baseball’s next big thing – I mean, just imagine the package the Pirates will get for him in four years! Read the rest of this entry »

Elly De La Cruz – electronic cheater:

111.6 MPH
455 FEET

ELLY DE LA CRUZ IS GOOD AT BASEBALL pic.twitter.com/OV9D3jzccx

— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) July 6, 2023

Removing the tongue that generally stays cheek-planted, Elly De La Cruz didn’t cheat at anything. The murder of a baseball? Yes. But the electronic swing tracker attached to his bat that briefly caused some controversy doesn’t have anything to do with how EDLC is positively lighting the baseball world on fire. After going 3-for-6 last night with two doubles, a steal, and the above homicide, De La Cruz is now slashing .318/.356/.536 over his first 118 PA, with 4 HR, 25 R, 14 RBI, and 11 SB. Again, in just 28 games and at 21 years old.

Baseball is fun and only getting funner with the latest generation of players…And somewhere Brian McCann slowly continues to seethe into an ungodly rage. Read the rest of this entry »

On this hallowed day of pre-4th, I humbly ask that we officially stop mentioning Shohei Ohtani in the same sentence as that hot-dog-eating bum who struck out a bunch of longshoremen and probably would’ve wet his giant knickers upon seeing a slider.

These things are not the same: Read the rest of this entry »

I was busy – did anything cool happen last night?

27 up. 27 down.

The 24th perfect game in AL/NL history belongs to Domingo Germán. pic.twitter.com/SyUJb0cKm6

— MLB (@MLB) June 29, 2023

Domingo Germán had that sticky-icky stuff on Wednesday but instead of leaving it on his fingers, this time he used it to roll up the A’s and smoke ‘em in a primo outing. A perfect outing, one might even say. Germán struck out nine batters over the 24th perfect game in MLB history and I’m sure his fantasy owners were all totally starting him – he did, after all, allow a total of 15 ER in his previous two starts. No word on whether the perfecto will eventually be stricken from the record via Goo Gone. Read the rest of this entry »

Just some light Monday morning trolling for all of our totally rational east coast friends:

The New York Mets are a scientific experiment to see just how much one team can torture their fanbase pic.twitter.com/OFnAqpQB0N

— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) June 25, 2023

On the Agenda:

1. News and Notes
2. Bumps and Bruises
3. Betrayal Across the Pond
4. Streaming Pitchers

Read the rest of this entry »