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.
Relax -Aaron Rodgers
R E L A X, relax
Relax — Frankie Goes To Hollywood
Frankie Says — Phish
Frankie’s Gun — The Felice Brothers
Kimbrel has fallen from grace so fast. But in all fairness to him, these last two off seasons have not been normal ones for him. Maybe with a full, regular off season he rebounds. But who knows at this point.
That Cubs bullpen tho
The writing has been on the wall since the 2018 postseason. I consider myself a Kimbrel homer and wanted him to return to the Braves that offseason and into last summer. (Heck, I hated they dumped the best closer in baseball in a salary dump for what turned out to be a bust in Matt Wisler.) Maybe the lack of normalcy for him is it, but I dunno. In a normal year, he may benefit from a trip to Iowa to straighten himself out, but that’s obviously not a possibility.
At any rate, it’s a shame because he definitely had a chance to get into the Hall of Fame. Maybe this ends with a release and Kimbrel learning how to be a different kind of relief pitcher like other former closers. He’s got too much talent to not figure it out eventually, even if it’s not the absurd Kimbrel we’ve known him to be. Makes you appreciate someone like Mariano Rivera all the more often for being as elite as he was for as long as he did it.
Yea, this was a guy I thought was going to break Mo’s save record back in like 2015. He averaged 45 saves a season up through 2015, and had more than 200 up through that point as well.
I also thought that he might go back to the Braves last off season. It felt like a perfect fit considering they had a young core, but a bullpen lacking a real shutdown closer. But maybe they were turned off by his 2018 post season to really go all in for him.
turn out the lights at the Pfister Hotel — Cards and all MLB teams stay there in Milwaukee. Ooops. lets get this season together.
Thanks Manfred for being a forward thinker, and thanks to Cey and Halo for being great Aho[es.
Cardinals, Who, how and where did they get Covid?
The game obviously can’t withstand another outbreak like the one for the Marlins. Hopefully this will be a learning experience and we can get through this.
There are some rumors that some Card players were at the casinos and Marlin players were seen out and about while they were in Atlanta. Some teams have put protocols in place for off field activities. Either the Cards or Marlins haven’t or the players in question have no regard for those protocols.
Unsubstantiated rumors, speculation only so far.
Postponing too many games, and no time to make them up. Just cancel the season and chalk itup to the flu-19.
shut your mouth
…and put a mask on it.
Yeah. Who had the idea to give the cardinals 2 of their six days off in the first week of the season. And why can’t the tigers travel to St. Louis for 2 games? Start the double header at noon. Fly that night and play a night game the next day.
The point is probably to minimize travel for safety purposes over time purposes.
Lolz. Got em !
I am new to this site and hardly ever post – are ill-informed comments normal here?
A flu that has killed 150,000 + in the US alone.Complete ignorance like yours is the reason why the outbreak is still going
We get a flu that kills large numbers of people every year. When this one is gone, we’ll get another one in a year or two. The only thing different about this one is, the feds have succeeded in creating a panic to manipulate and control behavior. People just don’t realize it because no one has come out and said it.
The US hasn’t been hit this hard since 1918
I’m not young and have health issues and fortunate enough to have my father,we all know what will happen if either of us catch it
I realize you only care about yourself but you’re truly despicable
Help me to understand why the team is traveling to Detroit for 4 games when there is an outbreak amongst the St. Louis Cardinals? is it better to spread the virus to Detroit or to have Detroit come to St. Louis?
St. Louis should stay home and Detroit play some one else
Kimbrel might not even pass Mariano in saves at this point
Red, are you making a joke? Nobody, will catch Rivera, or Hoffman. Go look at the all time saves leader board.
He is 250-300 away, forget it.
Cubs should call Trevor Hoffman, if available, to work with Kimbrel for a week or two. Put him on the IL and have a former Hall of Fame closer who wasn’t overpowering to work with Kimbrel. Otherwise this could be yet another busted investment by the Cubs.
Everyone has to adjust to getting older. I agree that Hoffman and Maddox could help. Hoffman had the change up that could match the fastball. Maddox had the pin point command.
Ross and Kimbrel were teammates for three seasons on the Braves, and they’re both from the South. Hopefully Ross can ditch that loyalty and get Kimbrel out of the closer role.
No Mize?! Good for reds today. Bad for baseball
Kimbrel’s days were numbered his last season in Boston. He was a beast for the seven years in his prime though.
gotta love when an “insider” throws out a false story just for the clicks
what was false about the story, since you know everything?
If the Tigers win both games of the doubleheader, they will be 7-3. Might that change their tune regarding Mize? Fifty games remaining, eight playoff spots.