With just over a quarter of the 2023 regular season now in the books, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:
1. McLain to make MLB debut:
Reds infield prospect Matt McLain is set to be promoted to the majors today, leaving him in line to make his MLB debut. A first round pick by the Reds in the 2021 draft, McClain is widely considered to be a top 10 prospect in the Reds’ farm system, and a borderline top 100 prospect in all of baseball. Transactions will be required before this evening’s game against the Rockies to clear both 40-man roster space and active roster space for McLain.
After a solid season in Double-A last year where McLain posted a .232/.363/.453 slash line that was good for a 116 wRC+, McLain has torn the cover off the ball in Triple-A so far this season. In 173 plate appearances, McLain is slashing a fantastic .348/.474/.710 with a whopping 193 wRC+. With 12 home runs and nearly as many walks (29) as strikeouts (34), McLain has showed total mastery of the Triple-A level, and now appears poised to become the regular shortstop in Cincinnati for the time being, displacing Jose Barrero and Kevin Newman.
2. Chisholm to visit specialist:
Marlins center fielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. is currently dealing with turf toe and is set to visit a specialist today to determine the extent of the injury. Missed time for Chisholm would be a considerable blow to a Marlins outfield that is already without Jesus Sanchez and Avisail Garcia. While Chisholm hasn’t quite lived up to expectations with his bat, with a wRC+ of just 92 in 159 plate appearances this season, he’s exceeded expectations with his glove in center field, posting +3 Outs Above Average so far this year, a figure that sits in the 92nd percentile of all regulars. If Chisholm misses time, the club figures to go with a combination of Garrett Hampson and Jon Berti in center field.
3. Diaz to undergo MRI:
Rays infielder Yandy Diaz left yesterday’s game against the Yankees in the first inning due to groin tightness. With Tampa’s off day today, Diaz is expected to undergo an MRI to determine the severity of the injury. Rays fans are surely hoping that Diaz’s MRI comes back clean, as the 31-year-old is slashing an incredible .321/.429/.593 that’s good for a 188 wRC+ while mostly playing first base for the Rays. Should Diaz miss time, the club could hand the keys to first base to Luke Raley or shuffle the infield to create more starts for Taylor Walls while the team’s current best hitter is on the shelf.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. dealing with being a 10% below league average hitter.
Still crazy that Peter Rose isn’t in the Hall of Fame. Newsflash: he only “bet” on his teams to win. Even more reason he should be inducted, if anything.
Vince McMahon inducted Pete Rose in the WWE Hall of Fame for taking a head-flattening “piledriver” from Kane at a Wrestlemania.
Kane, by the way, is now my mayor in in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Top THAT, Acie, baby!
He only “bet” on his teams to win.
I can picture someone going to the mayor’s office and Kane being dressed in demonic garb. Anyway…back to baseball.
so him not placing a bet on certain days doesn’t tell the bookies anything? he destroyed his bullpen on days he bet on them, leaving them depleted for days he did not.
Even some prisoners are pardoned for what they did.
It doesn’t matter if Rose is officially in the HOF or not. A guy who accomplished what he did, including being only the second player in bb history with 4,000+ hits along with the great Ty Cobb, is already recognized as a HOF’er. Next question: When is Shoeless Joe Jackson going to be inducted into the hall? He received a lifetime sentence. He died in the 1950’s. He’s done his sentence. Put him in the Hof already!
Pedophiles don’t deserve any accolades ever. It’s crazy that people advocate for this scum of the earth.
Which scum of the earth are you referring to?
Pete Rose the pedo….let’s just call him Pedo Rose going forward.
I honestly believe that not being allowed to be in the Hall of Fame has been a good thing for Pete Rose. It has kept him relevant to a much younger crowd who if he went into the HOF 30 years ago may not know who he is. He is the most talked about retired player today because of his ban.
People love to crusade for Pete because they watched his entire career and loved the way he played the game. They could care less what he did with gambling but unfortunately MLB does care. His fans take it more personal than he does because at the end of the day he’s still making mass cash and living his best life. Pete knows he will be inducted into the HOF one day but he also knows he won’t be alive to see that day so Pete is going to cash in as much as he can while he is still here.
I don’t hate Pete, in fact Pete was the guy who made me a baseball fan. I didn’t get to see his best days since I was born in 1978 but hearing stories from my Dad and my Grandpa made me aware of what a big deal he was when I went to my first ever Reds game in 1985. I was there to see Pete in all of his glory even if he was 45 at the time and barely hanging on. Unlike 90% of the people from the Greater Cincinnati area, I don’t show blind loyalty to Pete Rose. He deserves the punishment he was given. He knew the rules and he broke them because the only high that matched his playing days was gambling. It was his rush and his addiction and to this day still is.
Hopefully Matt McLain does indeed take over everyday SS duties. I hope they do not move him all over and give him a chance to settle in at Short. I feel like they have to send down either Newman or Barrero. I honestly don’t care which. Barrero can play CF (especially with Friedl out), but I don’t see them canning Newman since they’re paying him.
I hope so too fan85, I just took a flyer on him with my fantasy team.
If McClain can nail down the SS position, that will be the best thing to happen to the Reds in a while. SS has been a mix and match mish-mosh for years now. I just have to laugh every time I think of how they tried to move Suarez there full time a couple years ago.
Yippee-ki-yay
I assume Barrero is going down. Still inconsistent offensively and has bonehead lapses on the bases and on defense.
Curse of the video game cover boy.
Way to destroy Chisholm by trading for a 2B and moving him to CF
Trade Lopez and prospects for, ya know, something other than a 2B
Marlins are mostly 2Bs the way Cardinals are mostly outfielders. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I wouldn’t get too excited about McClain but you know how prospect worshippers are. They think every prospect is destined for superstardom
Must be terrible living in a type of wishful thinking like that
If only they could see logical reality they wouldn’t have that suffering in their lives
Considering the Reds shortstops have a combined OPS around .600 and are last in turning ground balls into outs McLain won’t have to be great to be an improvement. Average would be an improvement.
Yippie kayaa!!