As the regular season continues, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:
1. Four home openers postponed:
Four clubs have had their home openers, originally scheduled for today, postponed due to inclement weather. Fortunately, as is typically the case for northern teams, the clubs each had a scheduled off-day for tomorrow, when the games will be made up. The Mets will face the Marlins tomorrow at 12:10pm CT, the Phillies will face the Reds and the Orioles will face the Yankees tomorrow at 2:05pm CT, while the Twins will face the Astros at 3:10pm CT. All home opener pregame festivities will also be pushed back to tomorrow for each of the four clubs. If you’re a fan who had tickets to one of the postponed games, you can find your options with the Twins, Mets, Orioles, and Phillies at the links provided.
2. Phillies injury woes continue:
The Phillies have already struggled with injuries early in the season as Rhys Hoskins could miss the entire season with a torn ACL while the club’s starting depth has been tested to the point of Matt Strahm moving from the bullpen to the rotation. Those struggles continued yesterday, as the club announced that outfielder Brandon Marsh had been scratched from yesterday’s game and was day-to-day due to a left ankle sprain, while the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Alex Coffey noted that first baseman Darick Hall was removed from yesterday’s game due to a thumb sprain. While the Phillies described Marsh’s sprain as mild, the New York Post’s Jon Heyman indicates the same may not be the case for Hall, as the club is expected to call up utility player Kody Clemens in response to Hall’s injury. With today’s game postponed, the Phillies will have a little extra time to sort out their options and injuries ahead of the rescheduled game tomorrow afternoon.
3. Injuries to be re-evaluated in New York:
The Mets and Yankees each have an injured player whose status will be re-evaluated today. For the Mets, catcher Omar Narvaez is dealing with some discomfort in his left calf, while the Yankees pulled third baseman Josh Donaldson from yesterday’s game with right hamstring tightness, which MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch notes will be re-evaluated today. As both New York clubs have also seen their games today postponed, they too will have additional time to evaluate the health of their players and make a decision before their rescheduled games take place tomorrow afternoon.
If Narvaez requires a stint on the injured list, that could open the door for top prospect Francisco Alvarez to make his season debut, returning to the big leagues after a five-game stint with the Mets last season. As for Donaldson, any time he misses would likely stand to benefit the likes of Aaron Hicks and Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who have both been used somewhat sparingly to this point in the season while DJ LeMahieu and Oswaldo Cabrera have drawn more of the available starts.
The only positive news for the Phillies is better now than later I guess. But in a tough division, they’re falling out fast.
Silver lining: Harper looks ahead of schedule.
Which makes me nervous. He gives his all every game. I appreciate the hustle, but I’d rather him closer to 100% than showing up earlier than expected.
Harper might show up mid season and get over 200 walks. Lineup has some holes in it.
Actually the lineup has been doing rather well. High OPS for most. They just aren’t getting the big hits, but that’ll come.
It’s too early to be concerned about anything. But Philly is tied for #23-28 in HRs, #23/24 in most strikeouts, and 28/29 in fewest walks. The HRs should come, but the 2nd worse K/W is going to impede any long rallies.
Cristian Apache is a one man rally killer. They fell in love with his ‘potential’ but he’s totally lost at the plate. I’d rather have Kingery or Guthrie.
Damn spellcheck
FWIW, I think they could’ve done okay without Harper or okay without Hoskins, but losing both leaves too big a hole.
That said, however, Philly has a huge gap between ERA and xFIP. Their ERA is #30, but their xFIP is a more respectable #21. And you did open at @ TX and @NY. That’s a bit of a tough road to hoe.
On the bright side they’re undefeated against NL teams, but only because they haven’t played any yet.
Hd was meant to be a defensive replacement only, and to be fair he’s a great one, but with all the injuries Pache had to bat, and that’s not a good thing.
@VonPurpleHayes: I like your screen name. As a life long Cleveland fan (it’s my Dad’s fault) I remember his trade from Cleveland to Philadelphia. Pete Rose used to derisively call him Old Five for One.
Some dude in Philly stole 50 Von Hayes from me. He offered me 4 Murray rookies for 50 VH rookies. Hayes never amounted to much, so he didn’t score, but I’d have sure liked to have those Murray rookies.
@VPH- Nah they’ll be fine no worries. But I love the backwards Psychology though. Lol.
It’s a 162-game season. A slow stretch can be quickly exceeded by a hot stretch. Too much weight is put on slumps and hot streaks at the start of a season. For example, even as a Yankee fan, I’m quite sure Gleyber Torres will not be challenging Rickey Henderson’s single-season SB record!
Get closed roofs then! It’s the city’s money anyways.
Oh, no! Half an inch of rain in New York, better shut everything down.
Josh Donaldson should rest that sore hamstring on the bench while watching every game with Aaron Hicks tbh.
Thats 27-28 mil combined to ride the pine.
The equivalent of eating a prime cut dry aged steak that you let expire tbh
Better waste the money then get negative value out of it.
Donaldson’s injury is a blessing in disguise. I’d immediately put him on the 60-day IL and free up the roster spot for a player that can contribute. 3B production will be better now whether they use DJ, IKF or Cabrera there.
%100
Top jimmy droppin facts fr
Rhys Hoskins to Darrick Hall to Kody Clemens being the starting 1st baseman. Yikes.
Yeah. Bummer. Injuries suck.
Sounds like the 49ers NFC Championship against the Eagles. Ugly,ugly and more ugly.
Was today’s Mets game supposed to be an afternoon game? Because all I see sunny skies and 71 degrees.
Night game since they’re traveling from Milwaukee. To be fair, I’m in the Queens area and storms are expected around 6pm EST.
The Mets’ home opener was scheduled as a day game. thus the getaway game in Milwaukee had to be a day game. MLB will not schedule a getaway game for night if one of the teams has a day game in another city the next day.
Haha actually it was originally a day game and it was a beautiful day all day. Ridiculous.
OTOH, it is a solid 53 degrees right now. Who wants to go to a game in a scorching 71 when you can play in a gorgeous 54 degrees.