As MLB’s 2023 regular season continues, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:
1. Hancock promotion inbound:
The Mariners are poised to promote right-hander Emerson Hancock to the big leagues today for tonight’s game against the Padres. Hancock, the club’s first-round pick in the 2020 draft, was a consensus top-50 prospect in the game as recently as 2021. That being said, his prospect shine has dimmed a bit since then, as he entered the 2023 campaign below right-handers Bryce Miller and Bryan Woo on both the organizational depth chart and prospect rankings over at FanGraphs.
Hancock, 24, has spent virtually all of his professional career at the Double-A level, and sports a career 3.99 ERA in 210 innings of work at the level since 2021. He sports a solid 24.1% strikeout rate and a 9.1% walk rate in that time. While his walk rate has stayed mostly consistent (9.2%) and his ERA has ticked up a bit (4.32) in 2023, Hancock is actually striking out the most batters of his career in 2023 with a 26% figure. That fact gives Seattle reason for optimism as Hancock makes his big league debut this evening and extend the team’s six-game winning streak. The club will have to clear space for him on the 40-man and active rosters before he takes the mound.
2. Martinez to undergo MRI on nagging injury:
Dodgers slugger J.D. Martinez flew back to Los Angeles last night to undergo an MRI with the hope of determining the root of a lingering lower-body issue, per The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya. Martinez, 35, is having a resurgent season at the plate with the Dodgers, hitting .260/.312/.558 with 25 home runs. However, he’s also been plagued throughout the season by what the club has termed “left groin/hamstring tightness” that has at points, per Ardaya, left Martinez “feel[ing] like he is unable to walk.”
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told the Dodgers beat that the issue dates back to Spring Training, and the hope is that Martinez can avoid a trip to the IL after receiving an injection. Should Martinez require a trip to the shelf, the club will likely turn to one of their previously-optioned youngsters, Michael Busch or Miguel Vargas, to fill the void at the big league level.
3. Will Severino make his start?
Right-hander Luis Severino’s spot in the Yankees’ rotation comes up against the White Sox this evening, but the club has been non-committal regarding whether or not Severino will actually take the mound. As noted by Greg Joyce of the New York Post, manager Aaron Boone said yesterday afternoon that Severino is set to make his start today “as of now” but, following the game, said the club still needed to discuss how to handle today’s game and that they are “considering everything.”
With right-hander Randy Vasquez expected to take the spot of left-hander Carlos Rodon in the rotation, the club’s options seem somewhat limited: they can either utilize Severino, skip his start and opt for a bullpen game, or call up a surprise youngster who has yet to make his MLB debut. Once one of the most promising young arms in the game, Severino has fallen off in a big way in 2023 with a brutal 7.74 ERA and 6.56 FIP in 13 starts. His struggles have been particularly pronounced as of late, with a stunning 11.22 ERA over his past six starts.
Severino is truly awful, but I don’t see a purpose in bringing up a new arm at this point. There’s seven weeks left to go, the Yankees have basically no real chance to go anywhere this year, and, given their luck (and poor FO choices) the chances of additional injuries, or just terrible performances that knock out starters early will surely require them to find innings from someone later. Let him start, If he’s decent, he will eat some innings. If not, I might still let him eat some innings. Even five might be helpful.
Actually it would be the perfect time to bring up someone like Beeter.
That’s not happening, he’d have to be added to the 25 man, so they’d have to DFA someone, so it will be Sevvy, Brito or Vasquez for tonight starting.
I didn’t mean Beeter specifically. Brito and Vasquez would be fine.
Sevy won’t be back next year so I don’t much care if he rebuilds value.
We’ve seen Sevvy go thur this before though. I would hate to see him dominate us in the AL East next season. Your Ok, with that? You would want a pitcher like Giolito instead? We know Ohtani most likely isn’t coming here.
I haven’t looked too deeply into the upcoming FA pitching market but just the simple fact that we have seen Sevy go through this (multiple times) is reason enough that I don’t want him back and I don’t think the Yankees will bring him back.
Watching Boone speak after last night’s game, he’s non-committal on tonight’s starter which makes me believe they’ll use an opener and have Sevy come in after two innings or so.
You actually want to sign Severino again because their is some 1/1000 chance that he comes back from being one of the worst pitchers in baseball and beats the Yankees at some point in the future? Well then we should have also kept Joey Gallo since he could possibly hit a game winning HR off Cole at some point in the future and cost us us a game. It’s time to say goodbye to Severino and wish him well.
I hear you. I was just asking you who’s really out there on the free agent market better then Sevvy? I just don’t think or feel Frankie Montas would be a better option then Sevvy, maybe Giolito could be that guy if he wants to leave La La Land? Doubt it though.
Anywhere but the Yankees for Gio. I hope he stays on the west coach, maybe pair up with Ohtani in the Dodger’s rotation.
@JPR- Sevvy has proven he can pitch in NY before though, unlike the likes of Sonny & Lynn. Gallo has proven he can’t hit in NY. He is doing really well in Minny hitting homeruns, and still striking out a ton, so comparing Gallo and Sevvy made ZERO sense, but thanks! Smh.
@YBC- An opener is definitely possible. I would either start Jhony Brito, or call up Randy Vasquez for tonight’s game. What’s an opener gonna give us 1 or 2 innings, then we’ll put Sevvy in there, just to keep him from pitching the lst inning? Lol.
@avenger65- I couldn’t agree with you more. I definitely think that will happen, unless Ohtani and Gio both throw a curveball and both go to the Padres instead. Don’t count out the Halo’s either, you never know. I think both are West Coast bound either way.
The purpose of the opener for Sevy is that the Sox’ lineup doesn’t get to see him twice and he doesn’t feel the need to have to mix things up to be less predictable with each batter for subsequent at-bats.
@Captain-Judge99… not sure why Gallo got brought into this, but he’s not doing well in Minnesota.
.174/.296/.430 OPS .726 wRC+ 100 on the season with a 43.0% K rate
.148/.252/.352 OPS .604 wRC+ 67 June-Aug with a 51.2% K rate
I don’t think it’s likely the Yankees would DFA Severino, but I also don’t know as DFA’ing him would impact whether or not the Yankees could bring him back next year. I don’t think NY would be interested. I’m not sure the Yankees have less faith in Severino than a guy like Beeter who just got shelled for 11 runs in 3.2 innings in AAA a couple starts ago, hah.
I stand corrected it will be an opener, tonight in the Windy City. Ian Hamilton will start for the Yankees tonight for an inning or so, they we will see our beloved Sevvy Dawg pitching!
Agreed, nothing to really play for, just let Sevvy have the start. Obviously this is a more mental problem then a physical one, since he’s done this before. Sevvy’s stuff is so great, so he’ll eventually figure it out again, it will likely be next season wherever he ends up.
Capt 99 I know a lot of talk in Boston is that Cora doesn’t survive after this year… what’s the pulse on Boone… man back in the day George I feel would’ve had him selling peanuts years ago…
The yanKees will hire someone and that person the next day will have fans clamoring for him to be fired! It’s a never ending vicious cycle in that part of NY! They’ll b*tch they’re coffee is 1 degree colder than it should be and become this dang Karen/Kevin
If you passively allow them to serve you coffee that’s one degree cooler, the next day it will be two.
He seems to be the Jason Garrett of baseball… honestly can’t believe he’s still there… I feel ownership hires these types of coaches that will never question/ discuss/ disagree with decisions from the owner to GM…
@LarryJ4- Hal has just said Boone and Trashman will be back in 2024, so no change there unfortunately. Smh
@olmtiant- you are 100% correct regarding your comments. Unfortunately Hal just said Boone and Trashman will be back in 2024. Not so sure why? Hopefully George is face down so he doesn’t have to watch this garbage. Too bad Hal can’t fire himself or just sell the team to a “real Yankees fan” that cares.
I don’t get all of the Cashman hate…. he’s the most accomplished GM in baseball- possibly in the top 10 all time. Out of all GMs in MLB he has the most championships, playoff appearances and 100W seasons. Sure, Stick had a huge hand in the early years but Cash has been in the role long enough to build his own resume. The problem is who would replace him? That’s a gamble and it could be a bigger moron than Cashman.
Boone is a problem- the guy fights with umps to fire up the fans but it’s pretty pathetic.
Hal is another problem but George had his own issues too though. Remember 1979-1995 (I know things were looking great in 95 but still was part of the drought)? George picked fights with Reggie, Winfield, Billy and any other GM and manager. George had to be pulled out of the organization for the team to win without him calliing the shots. Let’s not make George out to be more than he was. That said I miss his knack for holding these guys accountable.
Cashman is responsible for an unathletic, slow, three true outcome, right handed, injury prone lineup. He went completely overboard on analytics and analytics knows absolutely nothing about building a team. He certainly isn’t the worst GM out there but it is time for a new voice.
@Stark- then take em’!!! (Trashman) he’s all yours!!!
I remember how everyone hated, and I mean HATED, George for ignoring the luxury tax limits, by signing as many big names as he could, etc. I don’t know how Yankee fans felt about him, but it seems now that those were the good old days when his team were winning WS titles.
This is a helpful comment
@avenger65- excellent question! What’s weird about George, kinda love/hate thing. We always hated having the highest payroll in baseball, but nobody cared about winning more then him. Hal looks a lot like his Dad(Hank even looked more like him) but unfortunately they are the complete opposites really. With the highest payroll this season, nobody embarrassed themselves more then the Mets, but at least they have a owner that cares and will try again to compete in a few years.
It’s interesting–there are some times where even a World Series team the previous year collapses the following one. Injuries, “early aging”, simultaneous poorer performance from what had been solid regulars, and a drying out of the farm system can all just happen.
Mikenmn: The Braves are one team that has been able to remain at the top. They won it all in ’21, won 101 games last year, lost their SS in the off-season and are still the best.
Get well JD… as well as JT…. Both doing a solid for each club
They both played well at the same time, they both got injured at the same time, and i have never seen the two of them in the same room at the same time.
Are we sure they are two different people?
Doctor Boonedoggle with yet another concise communication. So precise, so informative, so decisive.
Little Nicky still doesn’t know how to use commas. They don’t come AFTER the word but because it breaks up the clause. Then you have a dangling modifier at the end of the previous clause.
“As noted by Greg Joyce of the New York Post, manager Aaron Boone said yesterday afternoon that Severino is set to make his start today “as of now” but, following the game, said the club still needed to discuss how to handle today’s game and that they are ‘considering everything.'”
Straight-up wrong. One unnecessary comma and another in the wrong place.
“As noted by Greg Joyce of the New York Post, manager Aaron Boone said yesterday afternoon that Severino is set to make his start today “as of now,” but following the game said the club still needed to discuss how to handle today’s game and that they are ‘considering everything.'”
This is correct.