See you in the playoffs, Alomar.
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Everyone will see everyone in the playoffs this yearComment -
The Dodgers got beat by an AAA team today.Comment -
Good call on the parlay.Comment -
Rays outfielder Austin Meadows has been cleared to resume training and is currently working out at the Rays’ minor league camp, manager Kevin Cash told Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times and other reporters. Meadows was placed on the injured list nine days ago due to a positive COVID-19 test and said he suffered some mild symptoms of the virus, though he has now passed league protocols that include a lack of symptoms and negative tests on consecutive days.
Meadows only worked out briefly at the start of the Rays’ Summer Camp, and Cash said he doesn’t know it will take the outfielder to get back up to speed following his weeks away from training. Topkin speculated that Meadows could potentially join the Rays on Wednesday for the start of a road trip, though that is likely the best-case scenario.
Meadows’ first full season in Tampa Bay was an unqualified success, as he hit .291/.364/.558 with 33 homers over 591 PA to help the Rays reach the postseason. The 25-year-old has gone from being a touted prospect in the Pirates’ farm system to one of the sport’s brightest young stars, and a huge cornerstone of a Rays team that is hoping to be in the World Series conversation as soon as this October.Comment -
JP?
Who's the Pads starter tomorrow?
I need to set my weekly lineup tonight.
I'll give Joey a chance and move him from the reserves if he gets the nod.Comment -
Blue Jays closer Ken Giles left today’s game with what the team described as right elbow soreness. Called in to preserve a 4-2 Toronto lead in the ninth inning, Giles retired the first two Rays batters he faced before allowing a Joey Wendle double and then two walks, and was then removed from the game. In a post-game chat with Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi and other reporters, Jays manager Charlie Montoyo said Giles would undergo an MRI to determine the severity of the problem.
Any elbow issue is a bad sign for a pitcher, of course, and Giles’ injury could be particularly troublesome given that he was bothered by that same elbow last season. Montoyo didn’t know whether Giles’ current problems were similar to his inflammation issues in 2019, which included an minimal IL stint in June and then a cortisone shot in late July that didn’t lead to a shutdown or another injured list placement, though the timing likely prevented Toronto from dealing Giles to a playoff contender.
Trade speculation continued to swirl around Giles heading into the offseason, and though that talk seemed to diminish once the Jays made some moves (i.e. the Hyun Jin Ryu signing) indicating a push towards contention in 2020, he certainly still stood out as a potential trade candidate if the club fell out of a postseason race. Of course, between the expanded playoff structure and the new August 31 trade deadline, it is hard to know if the Jays will consider themselves true sellers in any scenario besides a total collapse over the next few weeks of play.
A potential injury not only hurts Giles’ trade value and the Blue Jays’ chances of contending, but it also hurts his market value as the closer heads into free agency this winter. Despite his elbow concerns in 2019, Giles still enjoyed an outstanding season, posting a 1.87 ERA, 4.88 K/BB rate, and 14.1 K/9 rate over 53 innings in his first full season with Toronto.Comment -
Took a serious hit with Verlander going down but he said he won't be shut down for the season as originally reported. Still losing him for an extended period of time is a punch in the gut for my fantasy team since he was my first pick.Comment -
Bad luck for the Stros, Verlander is still nasty.Comment -
Fade the stros this year?Comment -
Giants get a split with the dodgers better than I was expecting...Darin Ruf could be fun to watch..Comment -
Huge Covid-19 outbreak on the Marlins, 8 more players and 2 staff members tested positive. MLB needed to play in a bubble like the NBA.
Update: Marlins home opener tonight has been cancelled.Last edited by BigSpoon; 07-27-20, 09:05 AM.Comment -
Tatis coming through with huge hitsComment -
Whit and the KC Royals put on their hittin' shoes last night.
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Seems like MLB will be toast. Maybe another week?Comment -
Nationals right-hander Stephen Strasburg missed his scheduled start Saturday on account of nerve irritation in his pitching hand, but he said at the time he wasn’t “extremely concerned” about it. Manager Dave Martinez issued another update on Strasburg on Monday, saying last year’s World Series MVP threw lightly, felt better and had less tingling in his hand, Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post tweets. It’s still unclear when Strasburg will debut this season, though. Having started 1-3 during a 60-game season, the Nats need him back sooner than later.
- In encouraging news for the Braves, left-handed closer Will Smith is no longer dealing with COVID-19 symptoms and hopes to be closing in on a return, Jon Heyman of MLB Network tweets. Smith has been down since July 4 because of the coronavirus; if he is able to pitch this year, the hope is that he’ll be a major part of Atlanta’s late-game setup. That’s what the team was banking on when it signed Smith to a three-year, $40MM contract in free agency last winter. Smith earned that payday on the heels of several strong seasons with the Royals, Brewers and Giants.
- Speaking of Atlanta, one of its former hurlers – Angels righty Julio Teheran – continues to progress toward a 2020 debut, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic relays. Teheran, who’s recovering from his own coronavirus diagnosis, is slated to throw three innings and 55 pitches in Long Beach, Calif., on Tuesday, per pitching coach Mickey Callaway. If all goes well then, Teheran could join the Angels’ rotation. The team signed Teheran, 29, to a one-year, $9MM guarantee over the winter after a successful run in Atlanta from 2011-19.
- The Tigers plan to use righty Michael Fulmer as an opener all year and are unlikely to let him go five to six innings in any of his appearances, pitching coach Rick Anderson revealed (via Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic). Fulmer’s a former AL Rookie of the Year winner who topped out at 164 2/3 frames in his second season in 2017, but it’s understandable that the Tigers are taking a cautious approach with him. After all, the 27-year-old is just returning from the Tommy John surgery he underwent in March 2019. He took the mound Monday for the first time since September 2018 and surrendered four earned runs on five hits in 2 2/3 innings during a blowout loss to the Royals.
- The coronavirus has deprived the Marlins of a slew of players, leaving them to scramble for replacements, but righty prospect Edward Cabrera is not a candidate for their roster as of now, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports. Cabrera is not dealing with the virus, fortunately, but “a minor arm issue” that has stopped him from throwing over the past week, Jackson writes. The 22-year-old was tremendous last season between High-A and Double-A, combining for a stingy 2.23 ERA with 10.8 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 in 96 2/3 innings, and is widely regarded as a top 100 prospect.
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Are the MLB players not being carefulComment