Nick Pollack is a fun house guest:
When you let @PitcherList stay at your house, prepare for your whiteboard to be vandalized pic.twitter.com/qPoKcmIAOH
— Justin Mason (@JustinMasonFWFB) August 25, 2023
We now go live to the saddest person in baseball:
Perry Minasian provides injury updates on Trout and Ohtani@Angels | #GoHalos pic.twitter.com/S0mQguxGnQ
— Bally Sports West (@BallySportWest) August 24, 2023
I just want to know how much their social media person laughed ruefully while typing “#GoHalos”.
On the Agenda:
News and Notes
Aaron Judge went full triple-dong on Wednesday, in what’s known colloquially in fantasy as, “too little, too late”. But 27 HR, 55 R, and 54 RBI are still pretty decent for someone who has played only 72 games.
Ryan Pepiot will be recalled from Triple-A to start against the Guardians today after making his season debut last week (5 IP, 3 H, 1 BB, 1 ER, 5 K). Pepiot had a 3.47 ERA over nine starts in the majors last season and should get a chance to stick in the rotation for the rest of the year with Tony Gonsolin now unlikely to return to action.
Paul DeJong had himself a day in his first game as a Giant, going 3-for-5 with a two-run home run after going just 3-for-44 in his brief time as a Blue Jay. Expect him to last in the lineup right about until Brandon Crawford returns from the IL at the end of the month.
José Abreu (back) was activated from the 10-day IL yesterday, going 1-for-5 with an RBI. Barring a reaggravation of the injury, expect Abreu to continue being a massive fantasy disappointment for the rest of 2023.
Yordan Alvarez could return to the Astros lineup on Thursday, according to manager Dusty Baker, after missing the previous two games with a slammed (door) left index finger.
Joe Ryan (groin) is expected to return from the 15-day IL on Saturday for a start against the Rangers. After throwing 71 pitches in a rehab start last Friday, he shouldn’t have any workload concerns. The Rangers offense, on the other hand, remains concerning for most pitchers.
Oneil Cruz has had his running program shut down as he works to return from ankle surgery. Cruz could technically return prior to the end of the season but the Pirates director of sports medicine also said ominously that “we’re running out of days”. In other words, everyone who stashed him for a September push can go ahead and drop away.
In more positive Cruz newz*, Elly De La Cruz went bonkers in the first game of a doubleheader yesterday, going 2-for-5 with a home run, triple, and six RBI. In fewer than 300 PA, De La Cruz now has 11 HR, 59 R, 33 RBI, and 21 SB. The only question that remains is, just how high will he go in 2024 drafts?
*I’m sorry.
Bumps and Bruises
Shohei Ohtani will not pitch again this season after tearing the UCL in his right elbow, departing his start yesterday after throwing just 26 pitches. But because his full name is actually, “baseball demigod, Shohei Ohtani”, he talked himself into playing the second game of their doubleheader and hit his 44th home run of the season. Further plans are still unknown (will he be Harper or Story?) but at this point, Angels fans must feel like every season is just a neverending series of swift kicks to the nethers.
Speaking of nether kicks, Mike Trout will head back to the IL after playing in just one game following his return from a nearly two-month absence. Swinging in the game on Tuesday apparently resulted in too much soreness so Trout will now be shut down for 10 days in the hope of getting him back before the season ends.
In more world-class bummer news, Stone Garrett was badly injured trying to rob a home run last night, being carted off the field after remaining down for five-plus minutes. We, of course, won’t know until we know but this doesn’t look great for his rest-of-season prospects:
Heartbreaking scene as Stone Garrett is carted off with lower-leg injury after attempting to rob home run.#MLB pic.twitter.com/g9PJFzpKYx
— IAP Radio (@inapickpod) August 24, 2023
Kenley Jansen was pulled last night against the Astros with hamstring tightness. Consider him day-to-day.
Michael Kopech was pulled in the fifth inning of his start yesterday with leg cramps. Consider him day-to-day.
Streaming Pitchers
Streaming Pitcher for Today: None I’m confident recommending.
High Risk for Today: Ryan Pepiot, LAD @CLE – The matchup is fine, as is the talent but Pepiot’s ceiling is probably five innings and Cleveland rarely strikes out vs RHP (18.5% K%, 1st in MLB). That makes for walking a thin line to value if rolling with a stream.
Streaming Pitcher for Tomorrow: Griffin Canning, LAA @NYM
Flying towards the end of the season like:
Wow! Alek Thomas tracks it down! 👏
(via @Dbacks)pic.twitter.com/WuQ6BMsA7f
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) August 23, 2023
Pretty cool night for the Palacios Brothers:
A night the Palacios family will never forget. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/9Z8gzrdw65
— MLB (@MLB) August 22, 2023
Tag, you’re it:
On the Agenda:
Rays gonna Ray:
LUKE RALEY!
INSIDE THE PARK HOME RUN! #RAYSUP pic.twitter.com/M31QC3o23b
— Rays Radio (@RaysRadio) August 16, 2023
On the Agenda
80 Grade Baby Name
One of the coolest moments of ya boy’s entire career! Bro is a man of his word 😂👶🏼 #babymookie pic.twitter.com/rVIG4VWJVe
— Mookie Betts (@mookiebetts) August 15, 2023
Swoon:
Bot 9: @cedmull30 robs a home run.
Top 10: Mullins crushes a go-ahead dinger.
Cedric really is the Entertainer! pic.twitter.com/8M5MAyTzXd
— MLB (@MLB) August 13, 2023
Somewhere near San Francisco, there is a Mason with pants currently tighter than Robbie Ray.
First Cedric tooketh:
This angle of the Cedric Mullins robbery really shows how insane it was pic.twitter.com/O9ZpljQ64p
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) August 13, 2023
Then Cedric gaveth:
CEDRIC MULLINS ROBS A HOME RUN
CEDRIC MULLINS HITS A HOME RUN pic.twitter.com/p7eagyyyaj
— 𝙆am Brice (@kambrice1tv) August 13, 2023
On the Agenda
Just when you thought there weren’t any more ways for Fenway to resemble a carnival game:
The Baseball getting Stuck in the Light at Fenway.
Just when you think you've seen it all… 🤣 pic.twitter.com/Dxh8imRwpx
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 9, 2023
No word on whether Yoshida later pulled out a baseball, or $10K worth of chowda, Punch-A-Bunch style. Read the rest of this entry »