Baseball is screwed, fun while it lasted.
-
Comment -
Mets right-hander Marcus Stroman hasn’t debuted this year because of a tear in his left calf muscle, but the club’s No. 2 starter continues to make progress in his recovery. Stroman got through a four-inning simulated game unscathed on Friday, Tim Healey of Newsday relays.
Manager Luis Rojas said Stroman had “a very productive day,” though it remains unclear when the 29-year-old will be able to rejoin the Mets’ rotation.
Without Stroman, who’s facing a key year as a high-profile pending free agent, the Mets have turned to left-hander David Peterson to fill the void in their starting staff. That has gone well so far, as Peterson turned in 5 2/3 innings of two-run ball in a win over the Red Sox on Tuesday. As for the rest of New York’s rotation, back-to-back NL Cy Young winner Jacob deGrom has been his usual self thus far, and Steven Matz and Michael Wacha have prevented runs with aplomb through a combined three starts. However, Rick Porcello took a beating at the hands of the Braves in his first Mets start last Sunday. Porcello’s back on the mound in Atlanta on Friday.
Elsewhere on the Mets’ roster, the club has placed catcher Rene Rivera on the 10-day injured list with a hyperextended left (non-throwing) elbow and recalled righty Franklyn Kilome, per Healey. Rivera has joined Tomas Nido in starting one game behind the plate for the Mets this season, but the lion’s share of work has unsurprisingly gone to Wilson Ramos.
Rivera’s injury means the 25-year-old Kilome may get a chance to make his major league debut after working back from October 2018 Tommy John surgery. Kilome, whom the Mets acquired from the Phillies for infielder Asdrubal Cabrera just a few months before he underwent surgery, logged a 4.03 ERA/3.17 FIP with 9.95 K/9 against 2.37 BB/9 over 38 innings in his first action with the New York organization two years ago.Comment -
Reds are screwed without Miley.Comment -
We'll see if Manfred pulls the plug after the weekend. It's not good that they had to cancel games for other teams besides the Marlins and Phillies but I think they will try to play as long as they possibly can before deciding to shut it down. Maybe I'm an eternal optimist but I can't see them only playing a week and a half before deciding to scrap the season.Comment -
Tatis ties it with 2 outs in the 9th on a solo shot and Pham hits a 3 run shot shortly thereafter...bullpen bad again, Yates almost blew it and Pomeranz gets the 1 out save.Comment -
Sounds like Cardinals hit up the casino before the series in Milwaukee. Nice work, red birds.Comment -
Looks like the same old Padres offense is back after today in Colorado.Comment -
The Cardinals and Brewers scheduled doubleheader for Sunday has been postponed, MLB announced in a statement. The Cardinals had 3 players and 1 staff member test positive for coronavirus this weekend with four pending tests still unresolved, tweets ESPN’s Jesse Rogers. The positive tests will affect the schedule for the next week as well. The Tigers and Cardinals were originally supposed to play a home-and-home pair of series this week in St. Louis and Detroit. Following the cases of coronavirus in St. Louis, however, all four games will be played in Detroit, including a doubleheader on Wednesday. The Brewers’ schedule will be unchanged, as they’ll head to Chicago to take on the White Sox.
- Contrary to earlier speculation, Casey Mize will not make his major league debut for the Tigers on Sunday, writes The Athletic’s Cody Stavenhagen. Without a minor league pipeline in which to develop, many young players have made their debuts already this season, including highly-touted pitching prospects like Brady Singer of the Royals and Nate Pearson of the Blue Jays. For the time being, however, the Tigers continue to play coy with the future of Mize. Despite the rampant speculation that Mize would earn his promotion to take part in Sunday’s doubleheader, the Tigers finally tabbed Daniel Norris and Rony Garcia instead. Norris will make his 2020 debut after previously testing positive for coronavirus. Garcia, a 22-year-old Rule 5 pick from the Yankees, made his debut on Tuesday getting against the Royals. Garcia went 3 innings, giving up 3 runs, 2 of which were earned.
- The Cubs are considering moving Craig Kimbrel out of the closer’s role as the veteran fireballer has continued to surrender the long ball at an alarming rate, per MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian and others. Cubs manager David Ross was noncommital when asked to comment on the situation. Jesse Rogers of ESPN noted that Kimbrel has given up a rather shocking 11 home runs in just 22 innings since joining the Cubs midseason last year. Kimbrel is arguably one of the most successful closers the era, but he has yet to figure it out in Chicago. With the bases loaded in the seventh inning today, Ross turned the ball over to Jeremy Jeffress, who would be a top contender to replace Kimbrel. Though he too is coming off a difficult 2019, Jeffress does have experience closing out games (45 career saves). If today’s game was any indication, however, Ross may choose to deploy Jeffress in high-leverage moments while distributing closing opportunities piecemeal to some combination of Rowan Wick, Kyle Ryan, Kimbrel, and Jeffress.
Comment -
Way to go cardinalsComment -
Commissioner seems steadfast in plowing through Covid.Comment -
Damn, Joey Votto on IL with corona virus symptoms.Comment -
The change up is the most important pitch in baseball.
If you can master it. You don't even have to throw hardComment -
The Cincinnati Reds placed veteran first baseman Joey Votto on the injured list Sunday before the opener of their doubleheader with the Detroit Tigers.
The Cincinnati Enquirer reported that Votto self-reported coronavirus symptoms Sunday morning but has not tested positive for COVID-19.
The Reds did not disclose a reason for the move but specifically announced that Votto is on the IL -- not the 10-day IL. There is no minimum or maximum number of days that Votto must remain on the IL.
Cincinnati made a similar move last month with Mike Moustakas after the infielder began experiencing coronavirus symptoms. The Enquirer reported that Moustakas tested negative for COVID-19.
Votto, 36, is batting .259 with two home runs in seven games this season.
The Reds replaced Votto on the active roster with right-hander Anthony DeSclafani, who was activated from the 10-day IL and will start the first game Sunday against the Tigers.
======================================== =======
IMO. The Reds resting Votto (who was 0-9, last 12 AB's). Using whats tools available to activate DeSclafani to pitch this morning.
Hell be fine & back in lineup soon.Comment -
Dusty Baker said Cristian Javier will "probably" start for the Astros on Tuesday against the DBacks. Madison Bumgarner is his scheduled opponent.Comment -
Two-way star Shohei Ohtani expressed discomfort in his right arm following today’s start against the Astros, per various reporters (including Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com). He’s been sent in for an MRI, the results of which have not yet come back.
There’s surely hope disaster will be avoided. But it’s tough not to be at least somewhat alarmed. Ohtani worked his way back to the mound this season following October 2018 Tommy John surgery. Yet he certainly hasn’t looked as dominant as he’d been.
Ohtani battled control problems throughout Summer Camp, and his two regular-season starts have been unmitigated disasters. He’s walked eight of sixteen batters faced, allowing seven runs in 1.2 innings along the way. Perhaps more worrisome, Ohtani’s velocity plummeted by the end of today’s outing, Bollinger points out (via Twitter). While he touched his customary 97 MPH at one point, his fastball was into the 89-90 MPH range before he departed, Bollinger notes. Of course, that could simply reflect fatigue at the end of a long, stressful inning or mere minor discomfort.
There’s little overstating the 26-year-old’s general importance in Anaheim. He’s proven an elite hitter since coming over from NPB. Even as he worked his way back to pitching from surgery, he didn’t miss a beat at the plate. He was similarly brilliant on the mound over his first 10 MLB starts (3.31 ERA/3.57 FIP in 51.2 innings), making him a key member of an uncertain Angels’ rotation. Surely, the hope remains his body will enable him to regain that remarkable form.Comment -
The key to the Reds season is to play all double-headers (7innings games).
To avoid the bull-pen from blowing it...
Comment -
The Giants on Sunday traded center fielder Billy Hamilton to the Mets for young right-handed prospect Jordan Humphreys.Comment -
Billy Hamilton has value as a base runner and defense replacement.Comment -
Yoenis Cespedes opts out of the season.Comment -
Jo Adell being called up by AngelsComment
