The Nationals are without a pair of star players, as both Juan Soto (shoulder strain) and Stephen Strasburg (shoulder inflammation) are on the injured list at the moment. General manager Mike Rizzo told reporters this week, however, that he doesn’t expect either to be a long-term issue (link via Ethan Cadeaux of NBC Sports Washington). “We nipped this in the bud early and before it came really bad, so that’s a good thing,” said Rizzo of Soto’s shoulder strain. Strasburg’s stay on the IL will extend beyond the 10-day minimum, as he’ll need a bit of time to ramp up after being shut down from throwing. The GM didn’t offer as much on Strasburg’s injury but noted that the pitcher himself isn’t concerned at this point.
A few more notes on Washington and a division rival…
- Nationals reliever Will Harris discussed the right hand inflammation that has delayed his season debut with Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post. The veteran righty tells Dougherty he’s still battling swelling in his fingers and forearm that progressively builds as he pitches, only to subside shortly after he’s completed his outing. Harris says he’s pain-free but the swelling has impacted his ability to command the ball and impart movement on his breaking pitches. As Harris and the organization search for ways to reduce its effect on the quality of his stuff, the 36-year-old continues to rehab and says he anticipates he’ll be ready for game action in a “few more weeks.” Dougherty’s interview with Harris is worth a full read for an examination of the rather bizarre situation.
- The Marlins have passed over former first-round pick Braxton Garrett a few times early in the season when they’ve had open spots in the rotation. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes that general manager Kim Ng wouldn’t tip her hand as to whether Garrett would be an option this time around, particularly now with the struggling Nick Neidert optioned back to the team’s alternate site. Manager Don Mattingly spoke highly of Garrett’s showing in Spring Training, noting that the lefty was “more physical” than in 2020 and emphasizing the importance of fastball command for Garrett. The 23-year-old Garrett yielded five earned runs in 7 2/3 frames during a pair of starts in last summer’s MLB debut, and he fired four shutout innings during Spring Training. He’s missed a season due to Tommy John surgery since being selected seventh overall in 2016, but with prospects Sixto Sánchez and Edward Cabrera sidelined due to injury at present, Garrett could factor into the mix at some point early this year.
- Sánchez and Cabrera aren’t the only Marlins starting pitchers currently sidelined by injury. Elieser Hernández has been on the shelf for most of the month after leaving his first start of the season with biceps inflammation. The righty is currently throwing from 90 feet without issue and is scheduled for a bullpen session next week, relays Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald (Twitter link). The 25-year-old Hernández earned a spot in the Marlins’ season-opening rotation with six very strong starts in 2020.
I’m a Cubs fan and appreciate that they swept the Mets yesterday. However, that extra innings rule change that places a runner in scoring position on second to start the extra inning just flat out stinks. It’s a ridiculous maladjustment that inappropriately changes the purity of the best game ever conceived by man. MLB should rethink what they’re doing to baseball.
That requires cleaning house at MLB headquarters. I don’t see that happening.
I’d be cool with the rule in the 12th or 13th inning, but starting it right away is ridiculous. That being said, I think I hate 7inning double headers more.
Yes…the 7 innings double header gets thumbs down for sure….and if MLB moves the mound back to 61’6″,…..oh no
Nobody really likes double headers or the extra inning rule either. But they seem to be necessary evils to get the season done right now. If a team misses like a week’s worth of games because of a positive COVID tests, one 15+ inning marathon game when you have to play multiple double headers days apart can really fatigue a team. I hope to god that the extra inning rule doesn’t stick around, but I doubt the 7 inning double headers is here to stay.
Both rules flat out suck. You want to make it better? Start by scraping these two rules immediately. Then move on to replacing Manfred with Joe Torre.
I honestly never thought I would hate a commissioner more than Selig, but here we are. It’s amazing how bad both have been for the game. But that’s what you get when you put sometime in the position who is firmly in the owner’s pockets.
Dead ball era, mound height changes, PEDs, altered baseballs, DH, reduction of playing field size (fair and foul), etc…where does the “purity” baseline start?
wherever someone darn wants to. using “things have changed before” as a manner of trying to undermine any purity argument is absurd. people that exsist right now wamt changes
*want changes to not be occuring right now. no one is campaining against the dead ball era because that’s old news.
@dark, my point was simply that the sport has had many changes in it’s history that have adversely affected it’s “purity”. Since that term appears to be wholly subjective, as you suggest, it doesn’t make for much of an argument unless you give it some definition. Am I reading your response(s) correctly?
I like the idea of going a couple if innings before employing the runner. The only thing of any real interest in a game beyond say 12 innings is the box score oddities it may produce. Today’s pitching staffs can’t handle it and how useful is it to playing ball at 1 am on a weeknight with 200 people in the stands and sparse tv audience. Limiting these drawn out contests makes sense on many levels.
Day games will fix that…!
With you all on all counts above. Raise the mound back up if that’s what you’re after. They have to be careful with this sport as it has a great deal of history, and part of that is the statistical history which allows us to compare and contrast the way the game evolves over time while keeping as many constants as possible.
That ship has sailed ages ago.
Those are little league. They would do it because you run out of daylight.
So you don’t think that putting a man on second base in the 10th inning is going to make viewership skyrocket? Maybe if they have a special man on second base ceremony and follow it up with three more ads for bundled insurance products? Or maybe a pre-extra inning musical performance followed up by five commercials for hygiene products? How is baseball ever going to survive?
Long extra inning games are a self-inflicted wound. What putting the runner on 2nd really does, at least to some degree, is limit the amount of guys at the plate swinging from their heels in order to be a hero; extra innings turns into Home Run Derby.
I’m not crazy about it (maybe, as suggested they start it in the 12th?) but I see its utility.
7-inning double headers? Here to stay. Much more profitable (especially if they’re separate admission) , easier on pitching staffs, etc. And actually more exciting.
how is less baseball more profitable?
Think about it this way, two fewer innings played means an hour less you have to pay your ballpark staff. Just like that, you have saved a couple thousand dollars or more (my favorite team plays where there is a $15 minimum wage so I’d imagine the number probably gets close to $10k by the time both double headers are done). In this environment, with the massively increased potential for double headers (last year had the highest proportion of games played in double headers in history) I think that you could quickly see the money being saved breaking six figures in fairly short order. Also, shorter games does make it more accessible for people with younger kids to bring their kids to the ballpark and be able to see the entire game rather than having to leave partway through.
It’s also less time to sell concessions and greatly reduced commercial revenue time. They lose at least three half innings of commercials for a 7 inning game.
I’m very surprised that the players’ union agreed to 7 inning games. Hitters lose at bats and pitchers lose innings.
By the way, has anyone else noticed a change in how strikes are being called? I don’t know if this has been on purpose or not, but the plate is obviously wider and the the knee high zones are higher.
Rip Van Twinkle wakes up in 20 years and turns on a baseball game. Does he even recognize the sport?
They should have kept the 28 man roster this year. It would be needed more in a 162 game season than in a 60 game season.
Pitching is passe with new hitter friendly rules.The next step will be to revert to rules of the 1800s and allow the batter to call the pitch and it’s location!