The Opener

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

1. DeJong to join the Giants:

The Giants inked shortstop Paul DeJong to a big league deal yesterday, and MLB.com notes that DeJong’s deal with the club is expected to be made official today, at which point he will formally join the club’s roster. The Giants will need to open a spot on their 40-man and active rosters to accommodate DeJong. The 30-year-old infielder spent his entire professional career with the Cardinals until this year’s trade deadline, when he was flipped to the Blue Jays in the midst of an injury scare for Toronto shortstop Bo Bichette. When Bichette was ready to return after just a couple of weeks on the injured list, the Jays opted to designate DeJong for assignment after he went 3-for-44 at the plate with no walks or extra base hits during his time with the club.

While his numbers in Toronto were brutal, they came in a small sample of less than 50 plate appearances and followed a mostly successful bounceback stint in St. Louis earlier this year. In 306 trips to the plate with the Cardinals this year, DeJong slashed .233/.297/.412. That offensive performance was right around league average by measure of wRC+ (95). Combined with DeJong’s strong glove up the middle, that made him a generally a productive player for the Cardinals this year. If DeJong can regain that form, he should be an asset to a Giants club that’s currently relying on Casey Schmitt and Johan Camargo at shortstop with Brandon Crawford on the injured list.

2. Garcia exits with hamstring strain:

Marlins outfielder Avisail Garcia exited yesterday’s win over the Padres with a left hamstring strain, as noted by MLB.com. While Garcia is expected to undergo an MRI today to determine the severity of the issue, a trip to the injured list seems likely for the 32-year-old veteran, who has dealt with multiple hamstring injuries throughout his career. It’s been a second consecutive miserable season for Garcia, who has slashed a combined .215/.260/.316 in 498 trips to the plate as a member of the Marlins. In addition to that weak performance, Garcia has struggled to stay on the field, as he’s appeared in just 37 games this season thanks to a back injury earlier in the season. With Garcia likely headed to the shelf, a bench spot in Miami could be available for a player such as Garrett Hampson, Xavier Edwards, or Dane Myers.

3. Reds @ Angels Doubleheader:

The Reds and Angels are set to partake in a doubleheader this evening after Monday’s series opener was postponed. The pair of games comes on the heels of a 4-3 win by the Reds last night in Mike Trout’s first game back from the injured list. Game 1, which is scheduled to begin at 3:07pm CT, is slated to feature a pitchers’ duel between left-handed rookie Andrew Abbott (2.99 ERA) and two-way sensation Shohei Ohtani (3.17 ERA). Cincinnati has not announced who will take the ball in game two opposite Angels lefty Reid Detmers (4.93 ERA). Fans who had tickets to Monday’s game can use them to attend tonight’s second game, which is slated to begin at 8:38pm CT. More details can be found here.

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

1. Harrison to make Giants debut:

The Giants are poised to promote left-handed pitching prospect Kyle Harrison today prior to his planned start against the Phillies on the road. Harrison, 22, was a third-round pick in the 2020 draft by the Giants and came into the 2023 campaign as a consensus top-40 prospect in baseball, pushing as high as the top-20 on some lists. While Harrison’s run-prevention numbers at Triple-A this year haven’t been anything to write home about (4.52 ERA in 67 2/3 innings of work), between the inflated offensive environment of the Pacific Coast League and Harrison’s fantastic 35.6% strikeout rate at the level, it’s easy to see why San Francisco thinks it’s time to give the youngster a shot. Harrison is not yet on the 40-man roster, meaning the club will have to make a corresponding move to clear space for him.

2. Houck to return:

Red Sox right-hander Tanner Houck is poised to return from the injured list for tonight’s game against the Astros in Houston, as noted by Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic. It will be Houck’s first return to a big league mound after being struck in the face by a comebacker, resulting in facial fractures that ultimately required surgery. Houck, 27, has had a difficult season to this point with a 5.05 ERA across 13 starts, though a 4.21 FIP, 4.16 SIERA, and 3.82 xFIP all could indicate better days on the horizon. Houck’s return likely spells the end of fellow righty Nick Pivetta’s return to the rotation, with the 30-year-old hurler presumably heading back into the relief role he dominated in earlier this summer.

3. MLBTR Chat Today:

September is fast approaching, and the league’s 30 clubs are all pushing full steam ahead into the stretch run. Although we’re nearly into the season’s final month, just over half the league still has 10% or better odds at a playoff spot, per Fangraphs. If you’re curious how your team will hold up over the season’s final months, what their plan for the future is, or have a question about one of the many deals that went down at the deadline last week, 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.

With the regular season now 75% complete, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Meadows to be promoted:

Tigers outfield prospect Parker Meadows is set to be promoted today, as the Tigers themselves have announced. Meadows is the brother of fellow Tigers outfielder Austin Meadows, and has slashed .256/.337/.474 in 113 games with the club’s Triple-A affiliate this season while stealing 19 bases in 21 attempts. As a left-handed outfielder, Meadows adds to the club’s depth of lefty-hitting outfield options that already includes the elder Meadows (who has been out since April battling anxiety), Riley Greene, Kerry Carpenter, Akil Baddoo, Nick Maton, and Zach McKinstry, though the latter two also play the infield. While a 40-man roster move won’t be necessary after Meadows was selected last November, an active roster move will still be necessary prior to tonight’s game against the Cubs in Detroit. That move has yet to be announced, but Daren Tomhave of The Detroit News suggests that Maton is the most likely player to be sent down given his left-handed bat and lack of playing time in recent weeks.

2. Crawford nearing a return:

After sweeping the Astros in a three-game set over the weekend, the red-hot Mariners are headed to Chicago for a trio of games against the White Sox. There, they’ll be joined (according to Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times) by shortstop J.P. Crawford, who was in the midst of a career season at the plate prior to sustaining a concussion earlier this month. In 460 trips to the plate this season, Crawford has slashed .266/.379/.411 with a wRC+ of 129 and an elite 14.8% walk rate. With Crawford’s bat returning to a rejuvenated Mariners lineup as soon as this evening, the Mariners will look to continue the hot stretch of play that’s seen them go 14-4 in the month of August and climb within three games of the AL West division lead.

3. Estrada to undergo x-rays:

Giants infielder Thairo Estrada was struck in the hand by a pitch in the ninth inning of yesterday’s game against the Braves. While Estrada stayed in the game, manager Gabe Kapler indicated to reporters, including Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle, that he’ll undergo testing to determine the severity of the injury. The incident is of particular concern given the fact that Estrada missed a month earlier this summer with a fractured hand after being hit by a pitch at the beginning of July. Estrada also missed time with a wrist sprain earlier this season. If Estrada were to require a trip to the injured list, that could open up additional playing time for infielder Casey Schmitt, though the club could also call up Marco Luciano or Brett Wisely from the minors to fill the void.

As we gear up for the weekend, here are three things to watch around baseball…

1. Winn set for big league debut:

The Cardinals selected the contract of infielder Masyn Winn last night, and he’ll make his big league debut today against Joey Lucchesi and the Mets. Selected with the No. 54 overall pick in the 2020 draft, the 21-year-old Winn is widely regarded as one of the sport’s most promising prospects, ranking No. 30 overall at Baseball America, No. 32 at MLB.com and No. 47 at FanGraphs. A sensational athlete and former two-way player, Winn focused solely on his development as an infielder in 2021. He’s soared through the minors, spending the entire season to date in Triple-A despite just turning 21 at the end of spring training. He’s more than five years younger than the average player in a .288/.359/.474 batting line with 18 home runs, 15 doubles, seven triples and 17 stolen bases in 498 plate appearances. Scouting reports tout his above-average hit tool, plus speed and 80-grade arm at shortstop. And, given that he’s still somewhat recently honed in on the position-playing side of his game, there’s still a chance for him to grow into some more power as well.

2. Bichette return:

Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette has now played in a pair of minor league rehab games, serving as the designated hitter for Triple-A Buffalo on Wednesday before playing shortstop in the Bisons’ game yesterday. Bichette’s previously ailing knee doesn’t appear to be bothering him, as he pounded an opposite-field two-run homer in his first plate appearance Thursday and potentially finished up a brief two-game rehab stint with a 4-for-5 showing. The Jays haven’t formally reinstated Bichette just yet, though they’d previously informed beat writers that the hope was for him to play one rehab game as a designated hitter and one as a shortstop before evaluating him for a possible return this weekend. Even if Bichette heads back to Buffalo for another game or two, it seems likely he’ll be back this weekend — with a return in tonight’s series opener against the Reds a distinct possibility.

3. McCutchen, Altuve approaching notable milestones:

Multi-time All-Stars Andrew McCutchen and Jose Altuve are both closing in on key milestones, with the latter standing a particularly good chance at reaching an impressive round number this weekend. Altuve is sitting at 1,997 career hits and will look to become just the 297th player to ever tally 2,000 hits in his big league career. He’ll look to do so in a road series against the Mariners, squaring off against Bryce Miller, Logan Gilbert and Emerson Hancock along the way. Meanwhile, another former MVP who also collected his 2,000th hit this season, Andrew McCutchen, is three long balls shy of becoming just the 158th player in MLB history to swat 300 homers. The 36-year-old will face off against Twins starters Pablo Lopez, Sonny Gray and Dallas Keuchel this weekend in Minnesota. Reaching 300 this weekend after connecting on only 10 homers all season to date seems unlikely, but Cutch could still chip away at the milestone and seems likely to get there at some point in the near future.

Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around baseball today…

1. Cardinals, Cardinals, Cardinals:

There’s no shortage of intrigue around the Cardinals right now — albeit not for reasons the St. Louis faithful would prefer. Lars Nootbaar and Tommy Edman both left last night’s game after injuring themselves on foul balls — Edman fouling one into his leg and Nootbaar fouling one into his groin. The latter was taken to a “non-emergency medical facility” for further exams, per Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The Cards will have updates on both today, but with that pair ailing and Nolan Gorman now having missed three games due to ongoing back discomfort, the Cards could be shorthanded and forced into some kind of roster move.

Elsewhere on the roster, tonight will be a crucial night for struggling franchise icon Adam Wainwright, who has limped to an 8.78 ERA in 66 2/3 innings during what will be the final season of his big league career. Wainwright is two wins away from becoming just the 122nd player to ever reach 200 wins … but he’s allowed 38 runs in 23 innings since his last victory, exactly two months ago to the day. Wainwright tells Benjamin Hochman of the Post-Dispatch that he has no plans to quit and plans to see the season through. Manager Oli Marmol acknowledged Wainwright’s struggles, telling Hochman that in the event of another non-competitive outing, “we’ll sit down and we’ll have another honest conversation as to what does this really looks like moving forward and what’s best.”

2. Kittredge set to return to Rays:

When the Rays next take the field on Friday, they’ll likely do so with right-hander Andrew Kittredge in their bullpen for the first time since June 8, 2022. Kittredge, who underwent Tommy John surgery last summer, has wrapped up his rehab process and is expected to be activated from the 60-day injured list prior to tomorrow’s game, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times writes. Righty Hector Perez, who was selected to the big league roster yesterday and subsequently allowed four of the five batters he faced to reach base, seems to be a likely corresponding move.

Getting Kittredge back is nothing short of a boon to a Tampa Bay pitching staff that has been ravaged by injuries. While he’s not going to step into the rotation to help offset the crushing losses of Shane McClanahan, Drew Rasmussen and Jeffrey Springs, Kittredge was a quietly elite bullpen option from 2020-22 before his injury. In his past 99 2/3 big league frames, he’s notched a 2.17 ERA with a 24.2% strikeout rate, 4.9% walk rate and 51.9% ground-ball rate.

3. More veterans hit the market:

As August has worn on, we’ve seen several notable names jettisoned from Major League rosters by way of DFA. With no trades of Major League players allowed, any player designated for assignment at this point can only be placed on outright or release waivers, instantly making him available to all 29 other teams. Yesterday’s DFAs of Ryan Thompson (Rays) and Luke Weaver (Reds) add another pair of potential depth options for teams, joining earlier DFA casualties like Mychal Givens and the since-released Carson Kelly and Chasen Shreve. (Givens, as of this morning, had not yet passed through waivers but will likely clear, given his $5MM salary and injury-plagued season.) Both Thompson and Weaver are affordable enough — earning $1MM and $2MM this season, respectively — that it’s not completely out of the question that a team would claim them, though that appears unlikely in the latter’s case, given the extent of his struggles. Even if Givens, Thompson and Weaver all become free agents, they’ll stand out as immediate depth options for teams dealing with injuries in the bullpen or (in Weaver’s case) the rotation.

There are also a handful of notable veterans who’ve been released from minor league deals recently, including catcher Kevin Plawecki, lefty Fernando Abad, right-hander Dan Altavilla and designated hitter/outfielder Franmil Reyes. Royals righty Nick Wittgren, meanwhile, is likely to elect free agency today.

Here are three things around the baseball world we’ll be tracking today…

1. Bichette return looming?

Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette was slated to begin a minor league rehab assignment with Triple-A Buffalo last night, slotting in as the designated hitter, but that contest was rained out. TSN’s Scott Mitchell tweets that the plan had been for Bichette to DH on Tuesday and play shortstop Wednesday, with a Friday return in Cincinnati possible. The Jays are off tomorrow, while their Triple-A club now has games scheduled both today and tomorrow. Bichette could still DH today, play shortstop tomorrow, and technically return as soon as Friday. The Jays will evaluate Bichette following today’s DH appearance but still hope to get him into a game at shortstop before reinstating him, per Mitchell. The 25-year-old Bichette is enjoying an excellent season at the plate, hitting .321/.352/.494 with 17 home runs, but he’s been out since July 31 due to patellar tendinitis in his right knee.

2. Anderson’s suspension appeal:

White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson is facing a six-game suspension following the benches-clearing brawl that began when Anderson and Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez got into a fist fight following the latter’s slide into second base. Jim Bowden of The Athletic tweets that Anderson’s appeal is scheduled for tomorrow, barring a settlement at some point today. Within the next day then, we should know whether Anderson will serve that full six-game ban or perhaps a reduced punishment. The two-time All-Star and 2019 AL batting champion is having the worst season of his career at the plate (.240/.285/.286), although in 103 plate appearances since the All-Star break he’s posted a .290/.359/.355 batting line.

3. Dodgers going for 10 in a row:

Earlier this season, it looked as though the Dodgers might be dethroned in the NL West, but their recent play has once again made them a commanding favorite to win their 10th division title 11 years. They’ll send Clayton Kershaw to the mound tonight against the Brewers as they seek their 10th straight victory — the longest active win streak in Major League Baseball at the moment. Kershaw, 35, will be making just his second start since returning from a six-week stay on the injured list. He’s been his usual dominant self when healthy, pitching to a 2.51 ERA with a 27.5% strikeout rate and 6% walk rate in 100 1/3 innings this season. Kershaw currently ranks fourth among active pitchers in strikeouts with 2916 in his career. He trails only Max Scherzer (3340), Justin Verlander (3290) and Zack Greinke (2955) in that regard. Depending on how long Greinke’s recent placement on the IL lasts, Kershaw could move into third place on that esteemed ranking by season’s end.

Here are three things to keep an eye out for today…

1. Contreras update:

Cardinals catcher Willson Contreras exited last night’s game due to tightness in his right hip. The 31-year-old knocked in a run with an RBI single in the third inning but appeared to tweak something when tagging up on a fly-ball. He initially remained in the game, but after being doubled off on the bases, Contreras was “clearly limping off the field,” tweets Katie Woo of The Athletic. It’s been a miserable season for the Cardinals in general, but Contreras has flipped his own narrative with a blistering summer at the plate. Over the past two months, he’s been one of the best hitters on the planet, slashing .378/.427/.630 dating back to June 15. On the whole, Contreras is hitting .261/.357/.446 — numbers that fall right in line with his career marks. The Cardinals should have an update on his status before tonight’s game against the A’s. If Contreras requires a trip to the injured list, Andrew Knizner and Ivan Herrera would likely share catching duties in his absence.

2. Milestone watch for Altuve:

Jose Altuve’s three-hit showing in last night’s game pushed him within four hits of joining the 2,000-hit club. It’s at least feasible, albeit unlikely, that the Houston second baseman could reach that milestone tonight against Johnny Cueto and the Marlins. Altuve has already picked up a pair of four-hit games on the season, with his second coming just five days ago. The 33-year-old is in the midst of a torrid stretch at the dish, hitting safely in 15 of his past 16 games and slashing a preposterous .446/.532/.692 during that span of 77 plate appearances. Even if it’s not tonight, Altuve seems certain to become the 296th player in Major League history to cross the 2,000-hit threshold within the next few days.

3. MLBTR Chat today

It’s Tuesday, which means I’ll be hosting my weekly chat this afternoon at 1pm CT. You can click here to submit a question in advance and use that same link to follow along live or read the transcript after it’s concluded!

Just under seven weeks remain on the regular season schedule. Some injury and transaction news to monitor…

1. Does Diaz have time to return?

Mets closer Edwin Diaz, who suffered a torn patellar tendon during the World Baseball Classic, has been throwing off the base of the mound and is about a week out from his next wave of tests, per Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. He could be cleared for full mound work early next week, which at least creates the possibility that he’d return to the mound before season’s end. The Mets won’t rush him but will allow him to take the hill if he’s up to full strength, despite the fact that 2023 has become a lost season.

Diaz alone couldn’t have salvaged the 2023 campaign, but losing him for the majority (if not all) of the season was still crushing news back in March. The 29-year-old Diaz signed the largest contract for any relief pitcher in history this winter (five years, $102MM with two opt-out opportunities) after pitching to a 1.31 ERA with a staggering 50.2% strikeout rate in 62 innings last year.

2. Albies exits with hamstring issue:

Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies exited last night’s game after experiencing cramping in his left hamstring, per the team. The Braves dubbed the move “precautionary” in nature and figure to have an update on Albies’ status today. It doesn’t sound particularly concerning at the moment, but Albies has been one of the key cogs in a juggernaut Atlanta lineup this year, batting .267/.327/.514 with 28 home runs, 21 doubles, four triples and an 11-for-11 showing in stolen bases. Given Albies’ importance to the lineup and the Braves’ massive 11-game lead in the NL East, it’s understandable to see the team play things safe. If Albies requires a few days off or even a trip to the 10-day IL, the Braves would likely turn to deadline acquisition Nicky Lopez, who replaced Albies in last night’s game and would provide standout glovework at the position in his stead.

3. Recent DFAs back on the market?

A handful of veterans have been designated for assignment over the past few days, any of whom could be of interest to contending clubs seeking depth ahead of the Sept. 1 deadline for postseason eligibility. Tigers lefty Chasen Shreve is on release waivers, for instance, and could bulk up a team’s left-handed depth in the bullpen. His 4.79 ERA isn’t much to look at, but the 33-year-old Shreve has a solid 23.3% strikeout rate, a terrific 6.7% walk rate and an above-average 46.8% ground-ball rate in 41 1/3 innings. Catcher Carson Kelly hasn’t yet passed through waivers after being designated for assignment by the Diamondbacks, but his $4.275MM salary should make him a good bet to clear. He has enough service to reject an outright assignment and retain the remainder of that salary. Kelly hasn’t hit well in 92 plate appearances this year, but he’s a career .257/.346/.471 hitter against lefties, and he has roughly average framing marks with plus blocking grades from Statcast in his career.

Orioles righty Mychal Givens has missed the bulk of the season due to knee and shoulder injuries, and Baltimore designated him yesterday. His $5MM salary should allow him to clear, at which point the veteran will surely become a free agent. He pitched to a 6.60 ERA in 15 rehab frames and has allowed five runs in his four MLB innings this year, but Givens has a lengthy track record and would be available on a minor league deal. Once he clears waivers and is released, a new team would only owe him the prorated league minimum for any MLB time. It’ll also be worth keeping an eye on Red Sox righty Dinelson Lamet, who cleared waivers and was assigned outright to Triple-A. Like Kelly and Givens, Lamet has enough service time to reject that outright assignment and retain his entire salary, if he chooses.

With another weekend of baseball set to kick off, here are some things we’ll be keeping our eye on around the league…

1. Harper dealing with back spasm

Phillies superstar Bryce Harper was removed from last night’s game due to a mid-back spasm and will undergo further evaluation, with Todd Zolecki of MLB.com among those to relay the info. It’s unclear at this point how serious the issue is, though it would obviously be an unwelcome development if Harper had to miss any time. Manager Rob Thomson described Harper as day-to-day, per Matt Gelb of The Athletic. Harper already missed over a month of the season due to last year’s Tommy John surgery and has also been limited defensively since being activated in early May.

He has been able to hit but hasn’t quite been himself. His .294/.380/.429 batting line amounts to a wRC+ of 120, still well above average but that would be his lowest rate of production since 2016. He’s seemingly been getting better as the year has gone along, however, slashing .303/.386/.438 in July and .324/.350/.622 in August. Having to put a pause on his season after building so much momentum would be unfortunate for the Phils, though they will surely hope the issue is mild and passes quickly.

2. Will Chang finally clear waivers?

Infielder Yu Chang hasn’t hit too much in the majors but his defensive acumen clearly has appeal. Last year, he began the season with the Guardians but had exhausted his option years and bounced around quite a bit. After getting designated for assignment by the Guards in May, he went to the Pirates in a cash deal before bouncing to the Rays and Red Sox on waiver claims.

The Sox non-tendered Chang in November but later re-signed him on a major league deal when Trevor Story required elbow surgery. Chang missed over two months due to a hamate fracture and has now been nudged off the roster by the return of Story, getting designated for assignment on Tuesday. He’s hit just .204/.265/.359 in his career but is above-average at all four infield spots and can be controlled for two seasons beyond the current campaign. With the trade deadline having passed, he will be on the waiver wire again and could appeal to a club that seeks infield depth.

3. The return of Sale?

The Red Sox haven’t listed a starter for tonight’s game against the Tigers but it seems likely to be Chris Sale. The lefty has been on the injured list for over two months due to shoulder inflammation but has been on a rehab assignment of late and manager Alex Cora recently hinted that Sale could be back in the big leagues by Friday, with Christopher Smith of MassLive among those to relay the info.

Injuries have been a huge issue for the southpaw in recent years, as he hasn’t thrown 60 innings in a season since 2019. Prior to landing on the IL, he tossed 59 innings this year with a 4.58 ERA. The Sox would surely love to get him back to his previous ace level, but results similar to earlier this year would also be welcome. They have frequently been deploying openers and bullpen games to cover for the absences of Sale, Garrett Whitlock and Tanner Houck. Both Whitlock and Houck are currently on rehab assignments and could return to the club soon as well.

As second-half postseason pushes (or, in some cases, collapses) are in full swing, here are three things the baseball world is looking at today…

1. Lorenzen’s historic night:

Michael Lorenzen is the talk of baseball after one-upping his gem of a Phillies debut (eight innings of two-run ball in Miami) with a no-hitter in his Citizens Bank Park debut last night. Lorenzen was wild early on but settled in and blanked the Nationals on 124 pitches — with his family in attendance (video link). Following the game, an emotional Lorenzen discussed the highlight of his career, noting how special it was to achieve that goal after years of questions about whether he can start and to do so in front of a ravenous new fan base that kept him going.

The Phillies have been rolling, with seven wins in their past ten games, moving into the top Wild Card spot in the National League. They’re still a massive 10.5 games back in the division and unlikely to close that gap in the remaining time on the schedule, but the manner in which Lorenzen has reinforced the rotation only further tightens Philadelphia’s grip on a postseason spot. FanGraphs gives the Phillies an 86% chance of reaching the postseason, while Baseball-Reference has them at 89.8%.

2. Crawford tested for concussion symptoms:

Mariners shortstop J.P. Crawford is undergoing testing for a possible concussion, manager Scott Servais announced last night (Twitter link via Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times). Crawford and third baseman Eugenio Suarez both charged a slow grounder off the bat of Xander Bogaerts in the fourth inning of last night’s game, which resulted in Crawford colliding sharply with Suarez’s shoulder as the latter fielded the grounder and managed to throw out Bogaerts in a close play (video link). Crawford was slow to his feet but remained in the game, but he wasn’t feeling well in the later innings, per Servais.

Crawford, 28, is enjoying the finest offensive season of his career, batting .266/.379/.411 with a personal best 10 home runs on the season already. His 14.8% walk rate is the seventh-best mark in all off baseball among qualified hitters, while that .379 OBP ranks 13th. Were Crawford to miss time, the Mariners would likely turn to rookie Jose Caballero or utilityman Dylan Moore for the majority of reps at shortstop. Seattle is currently riding MLB’s longest active win streak at eight games, and the M’s certainly don’t want any sort of extended absence for one of MLB’s top table-setters.

3. Will someone take a chance on Garcia?

Yankees righty Deivi Garcia, once one of the sport’s top-ranked pitching prospects, was designated for assignment earlier this week after years of struggles both in Triple-A (6.52 ERA in 214 innings) and the Majors (4.84 ERA in 48 1/3 innings). The 24-year-old Garcia ranked among the game’s top 100 prospects heading into both the 2020 and 2021 seasons, having dominated in the lower minors all the way up through Double-A. Questions about the 5’9″ righty’s ability to maintain a starter’s workload were always present, even as scouts continued to be impressed by the quality of his arsenal. It’s been a steep fall for Garcia over the past few seasons, however, and he’ll now be available to all 29 other clubs.

Technically, teams have five days to place a player on waivers following a DFA, but with trades no longer allowed for any player who’s been on a Major League roster, the majority of August DFAs have been resolved within a matter of days. There’s a good chance we’ll find out today or tomorrow whether any team wants to take a chance on the formerly lauded prospect. Garcia is in his final option year, so he can be freely sent to the minors for the remainder of the current season but will need to crack a new team’s Opening Day roster in 2024 or else be designated for assignment.