As the baseball season continues to move swiftly along, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on throughout the day today:
1. Dodd to make MLB debut:
Braves left-hander Dylan Dodd figures to be the latest pitcher to make his MLB debut today. Dodd, a third round pick in the 2021 draft, had a 3.36 ERA with a 26.0% strikeout rate and a walk rate of just 5.3% last year across three levels of the minor leagues, though he spent most of the year at High-A and made just one appearance at the Triple-A level. Now, Dodd figures to make his first start of the season for the big league Braves two months before his 25th birthday. Dodd will look to outdo the performance of fellow left-handed prospect Jared Shuster, who struggled in his MLB debut for the Braves on Monday en route to allowing four runs in 4.2 innings while walking five and striking out just one.
2. Cueto to undergo MRI:
Marlins manager Skip Schumaker told reporters yesterday, including Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald, that right-hander Johnny Cueto figures to undergo an MRI following his early exit from yesterday’s game due to as right bicep tightness. Cueto allowed three hits (including two home runs) and a walk in just one inning of work yesterday, ultimately surrendering four runs before he left the game in the second inning. The club has some rotation options in the minors that are on the 40-man roster should Cueto end up missing time, though Sixto Sanchez is on the injured list and Braxton Garrett recently optioned to the minors after a three-inning relief outing on the weekend.
3. MLBTR Chat today:
If the beginning of the regular season has spurred any questions in your mind about your favorite team or the league as a whole, you’re in luck, as MLBTR’s Anthony Franco is holding a live chat with readers later today. You can click here to ask a question in advance, join in live once the chat begins, or read the transcript once the chat is complete. You can tune in at 11am CT this morning for Anthony’s chat.
Braves SP depth getting tested very early.
Marlins suffering some Cuetos Interuptus too.
Yankees have it pretty rough right now too. In all fairness I think the entire baseball world sans Cashman expected Rodon to schedule his first visit to the Carl Pavano Memorial MRI Tube after the 2nd game of the season. Doubt anyone is shocked he didn’t even make it that long. Amazes me that Cashman would be all smiles and pat himself on the back while most Yankee fans groaned after the Rodon signing. Yet, when the Yankees were a true #1 starter away from being an actual contender a few years back they didn’t even invite Scherzer for coffee when he first hit FA. At least the Braves did it the right way and stocked all those prospect arms while they were rebuilding. Remember when they had Newcomb, Touki, Fried, Folty, Sims, Jenkins plus a ton more. I thought they were gonna have the best rotation in baseball because they had so many good prospects and just needed 3 to hit their ceiling. Wow did they have some bad luck with them. They really lucked out getting AA to run the team. I was really hoping Cashman would finally leave and he would take over the Yankees when Toronto let him walk. He seemed tailor made for them.
Dana Brown has been instrumental in the Braves being able to consistently identify and promote talent.
He was a major loss for Atlanta when he left for the Astros.
Hoping for the best for my buddy Cueto.
CUUEETOO! CUUEETOO! CUUEETOO!
I guess you had to be there.
Cueto looks much older than 37 to me. I wonder if he was part of that shave a few years off deal to get a team to sign him.
//Insert Carlos from Benchwarmers ‘I am 12’ meme//
Liked “…first visit to the Carl Pavano Memorial MRI Tube…”
Cueto seems like an odd signing. They finished 27th in scoring last year, and 12 in pitching & 8th in rotation ERA. Why sign the 37 year old Cueto for $8.5M, instead of spending the money on offense? Garrett had a 3.58 ERA, a 3.75 K/W, a former 1-7 draft pick. If you’re rich, sure, why not. I don’t know why you wouldn’t go with youth in these circumstances.