As the 2024 MLB regular season continues, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:
1. Knack to debut:
The Dodgers are set to call up pitching prospect Landon Knack today, as manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya) last night. Knack, 26, was the club’s second-round pick in the 2020 draft and is expected to make his MLB debut tonight when he takes the ball for a start in Dodger Stadium opposite Jake Irvin and the Nationals. The right-hander enjoyed a breakout season last year as he impressed with a 2.51 ERA and a 24.1% strikeout rate in 22 starts split between the Double-A and Triple-A levels. Knack is already on the club’s 40-man roster, but the Dodgers will need an active roster move to accommodate him.
2. Red Sox facing injuries:
Yesterday’s game against the Guardians was a brutal one for the Red Sox, as Boston saw two key players exit the game due to injury. Right-hander Garrett Whitlock exited after the fourth inning due to tightness in his left oblique, while star third baseman Rafael Devers left after the seventh inning due to left knee discomfort. Per Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic, Whitlock indicated to reporters after the game that he wasn’t very concerned about his oblique, and manager Alex Cora suggested that the young righty will be evaluated further today. The 27-year-old has looked fantastic through four starts this season, pitching to a 1.96 ERA and 3.41 FIP in 18 1/3 innings of work while striking out 22.7% of batters faced.
Devers’ ailment, on the other hand, appears to be more concerning. Cora indicated to reporters after the game that the team is currently discussing whether or not to send the infielder for an MRI due to the sudden onset of the pain during a double play attempt. The club’s most reliable offensive force, Devers has slashed an excellent .280/.354/.517 in 462 games since the start of the 2021 season.
3. Guardians roster move incoming:
Reporting yesterday indicated that the Guardians are set to acquire right-hander Pedro Avila in a deal with the Padres, who designated him for assignment last week. The Guardians have a full 40-man roster, meaning they’ll need to make a corresponding move in order to officially acquire the righty.
The 27-year-old Avila has appeared in five seasons with the Padres since making his MLB debut back in 2019, but the 2023 campaign was Avila’s first with more than two appearances. Last year, the right-hander pitched in a swing role for San Diego with a 3.22 ERA and 3.67 FIP in 50 1/3 innings of work. That ability to provide solid results out of both the bullpen and rotation could make Avila a valuable piece for the Guardians, who are currently without key pieces of both their rotation (such as Shane Bieber and Gavin Williams) as well as their bullpen (such as Sam Hentges and Trevor Stephan).
What happens if a team just decides to ignore the 40-man rule and keep 41 men on it?
York – The team gets ghosted.
Really the only thing that makes the injuries “brutal” is the gross decision by the front office to not spend last offseason and to come into the season with virtually no depth. Everyone on the planet knew they needed starting pitching especially with the injury histories of Bello, Houck and Whitlock (not to mention Giolito too). The Pivetta injury was definitely unexpected.
As for Devers, how can the Red Sox rely on Dalbec as his backup? The guy is hitless in 33 consecutive AB’s and striking out at around a 67% clip! But hey, ownership didn’t even bother to attend Larry’s funeral so it’s not surprising they don’t care about the team this season.
This team is unwatchable if devers and O’Neill are out and dalbec is playing every day.
Tang – O’Neill is scheduled to be back tomorrow. Hopefully there will be no setbacks with regard to concussions.
Yes, but he’s always an injury risk and this could pop up again. Concussions are weird.
Tang – I agree 100%! Guys who are that jacked tend to have lots of muscle pulls etc.
I know he’s a streaky hitter, but the Sox are definitely better off with him in the lineup.
It’s gone beyone bad Fever. Dalbec has proven (again) he can’t hit MLB pitching. Kavadas, the 1b at AAA isn’t any kind of mlb potential hitter. Refsynder is going to help when his rehab is done soon.
just nothing (hitter) wise to look forward to from worcester, unless possibly some short term magic from a Westbrook/contreras type.
What has been getting me all season is obvious hanging on of joely rodriquez, who barely cracks 90mph now and throws up meatballs every pitch.
On a team that is getting 5ip (if lucky) every start? they need every reliever on the roster to be capable, not manager favorites.
Say it again. Just WHY are not either kelly/Booser on the roster?
Also, why are we not going out and signing cron again? Obviously he doesn’t have position versatility, but he has to be better than dalbec.
John – The 2022 version of Ref will help, not last year’s version …. remember he really sucked last year.
I still think back to last offseason with the Red Sox insisting they would get some SP help, some LHR help, and a RHB. They did NONE OF THAT.
How can they lose the 2023 offense of Turner & Duvall and not replace them? Other than Duran, Casas and Devers (and sometimes O’Neill) the offense is kinda pathetic. Even Yoshida, who I had thought would produce like he did most of last year, has become a concern.
And they really thought they could get by with just Bernardino for LHR?
Ownership flipped the bird to RSN this year, can’t wait to see where their revenue comes in at this season.
The roster wasn’t exactly ready to win big even with loads of depth, and it needed a good deal more in the lineup and pitching staff to win even if depth wasn’t needed. Too much for one offseason, especially with guys getting badly overpaid a la the early 2000s.
It’s a darn good thing the NEW front office was given the opportunity to choose to wait to add pieces it likes rather than spend for the sake of spending, as that extra spending would have been wasted (in terms of working towards a championship) anyway. If you’re not contending, there’s no point in chasing irrelevant 5, 10 win boosts from inefficient, flawed additions. Work to find good medium term additions and work to build up the foundation.
If you want to blame Bloom for leaving things where they were when he was fired, that makes sense, but let the new FO have the opportunity to do things right!
Firing squad
What happens if I drop a deuce in the middle of target?
Hotdog – It depends, while the store is open? Or in the middle of the night when it’s being looted?
Let’s see if Landon develops a Knack for getting hitters out.
Let’s see how many times DJs play “My Sharona” when he takes the mound.
Try to make this short. The Knack was playing UCSB in their day. My SS on HS team grew up with lead guitarist in the San Fernando valley. On way to their concert, we stopped to try to get someone to buy us beer. We saw them at liquor store, they bought us beer & we smoked a fatty in the back of my 1972 Chevy Nova!
At Dodger Stadium, that would be organist Dieter Ruehle. He comes up with all sorts of witty musical interludes. I remember years ago when Ty France stepped up to the plate he played “La Vie en Rose.” Hilarious. You could see the player thought that was pretty funny too. I’m sure Knack has been hearing My Sharona jokes all of his life. Ruehle can probably come up with something cleverer than that.
Pretty sure Red Sox fans weren’t expecting much out of this season after ownership decided to punt the season before it even began. White Sox are in the same boat, but I at least expected 100 losses minimum, now with all the injuries over 100 losses is a given.
We were doomed to start. No depth whatsoever. This team could compete if no one ever got hurt. Unfortunately, most of the team has an injury history. Karma is a B****
@I.M. Insane
That’s what you get for breaking the curse. Probably made a deal with the devil back in those successful years. Now you got to wait another 86 years in the year 2104.
Ignoring the other 3 titles in between I see.
@’Tang It
2018 was the last one right?
2018 + 86 = 2,104
Mommy! I did math!
Old York,
The baseball gods have spoken!
I just saw 04 and assumed 100 years. My bad
Why not just give Devers current avg of .205…..sugar coating negative news numbs just wrong.
BC
“Why not just give Devers current avg of .205…..”
1) it’s an extremely small sample of 54 PA
2) batting average isn’t a very useful stat and knowledgeable fans don’t use it anymore
3) his performance thus far this season isn’t really the story here
“knowledgeable fans don’t use it anymore“
For what? We’re fans, we don’t use anything. We spectate. Do some people watch games with their laptops so they can crunch the latest sexy stat? What’s his FLIBULFLOB? His GMATCHALGOBBL? His BUGGILLORP? Good grief.
whyhayzee
What did BadCo attempt to use it for above?
Do you think they may have accessed that info on their computer?
muted [idiot]
Most entertaining part of this year will be if Bobby D can break the Chris Davis hitless record!
Fenway – I’m rooting for him! Only 22 AB’s to go! If Devers is out for at least 10 days, I really think Dalbec has a good chance.
Knack up
Hurt down