The Opener: Means, Seager, MLBTR Chat

As the 2023 MLB regular season continues, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Means to return:

Left-hander John Means is set to return to the Orioles for their home game against the Cardinals today. The 30-year-old southpaw will be starting opposite veteran righty Adam Wainwright (8.19 ERA) this evening for his first time on a big league mound since April 2022. Means is on the 60-day IL, but will not require a corresponding 40-man move as Baltimore’s roster currently stands at 39. While Means has been on the shelf rehabbing Tommy John surgery, the Orioles have transformed from a 100-loss team to a surefire playoff contender. After going 82-74 the rest of 2022 following Means’s injury, the club has posted a 91-52 record while surging to the top seed in the AL’s postseason bracket.

Means sports a 3.72 ERA in 353 1/3 innings of work since the start of the 2019 season, good for an ERA+ of 124. Though his FIP is a less impressive 4.59 ERA during that time, a healthy and effective return from Means could transform the complexion of Baltimore’s postseason rotation, joining Kyle Bradish and Grayson Rodriguez while perhaps taking pressure off the likes of Kyle Gibson and Dean Kremer. Means posted a 3.74 ERA in 21 2/3 rehab innings and built his pitch count as high as 86 in a recent Triple-A outing.

2. Seager approaching milestone:

Rangers shortstop Corey Seager is in the midst of a career year, slashing an incredible .337/.398/.651 (177 wRC+) with 5.7 fWAR in just 100 games this season. He’s also on the cusp of a personal milestone, sitting just one hit away from his 1000th knock in the majors. The milestone puts Seager, still in the midst of his age 29-season, at 62nd on the career hits leaderboard among active players, and eighth among players who debuted in 2015 or later. It’s possible that hit No. 1000 for Seager proves to be a pivotal one for the Rangers this year, as the club is in the thick of the AL Wild Card race. They hold control of the final spot over the Mariners by half a game while sitting half a game behind the Blue Jays for the second spot.’

3. MLBTR Chat Today:

The end of the season is fast approaching, and the league’s 30 clubs are all pushing full steam ahead into the stretch run. While some are already looking ahead to 2024, many are focused on the current pennant chase, with more than half the league either occupying a playoff spot or within two games of doing so. If you’re curious how your team will hold up over the season’s final weeks or what their plan for the future is, MLBTR’s Steve Adams is hosting a live chat with readers at 1pm CT 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.