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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. Valdez to be evaluated:
Astros southpaw Framber Valdez was scratched from his start yesterday due to elbow soreness, becoming the latest player of note in the league to suffer an elbow-related injury scare. Per Matt Kawahara of The Houston Chronicle, the lefty has departed the team’s road trip and is set to return to Houston today for further evaluation. Kawahara adds that both manager Joe Espada and GM Dana Brown downplayed the seriousness of Valdez’s injury, with Espada emphasizing that Valdez has not yet been placed on the injured list. If Valdez misses time, he’d join Justin Verlander, Jose Urquidy, Luis Garcia Jr., and Lance McCullers Jr. as Astros starters on the injured list, though Verlander could be nearing a return later this month.
Right-hander Blair Henley was called up to take the mound in place of Valdez yesterday, but he allowed five runs while recording just one out against the Rangers. Fellow righty Spencer Arrighetti could be an alternative option to take the ball next time Valdez’s spot in the rotation comes up if he’s not cleared to take the ball and Houston decides not to stick with Henley.
2. Gray to make Cardinals debut:
The Cardinals are expected to activate right-hander Sonny Gray from the injured list today to make his club debut in St. Louis against the Phillies. The 34-year-old signed with the club on a three-year, $75MM deal this offseason on the heels of a dominant 2023 campaign with the Twins where he led the majors with a 2.83 FIP and finished second to Gerrit Cole in AL Cy Young voting. He’ll get a tough assignment in his Cards debut, taking the mound opposite Phillies ace Zack Wheeler. St. Louis is surely hoping that Gray can help the club turn its rotation around. The group’s collective 4.85 ERA ranks 20th in MLB, and their 5.48 FIP ranks 29th, ahead of only the Blue Jays, through the young 2024 season’s first 11 games.
3. MLBTR Chat today:
The 2024 season is now in full swing, and some clubs have gotten off to surprisingly strong starts while plenty of expected contenders have struggled to open the year. If you have questions regarding your favorite club’s start to the campaign, MLBTR’s Steve Adams will host a live chat with readers this afternoon at 1pm CT. You can click here to ask a question in advance, and that same link will allow you to join in on the chat once it begins or read the transcript after it is completed.
After watching Verlander’s outting against the Aviators…the man has 1 solid pitch left, his silder. He was HAMMERED in that game and left at 66 or so pitches with 5 runs scored on somehwere between 8-11 hits. It was BAD to watch. He CONSTANTLY was rolling his shoulder, hitching it forward, stretching elbow out, after every pitch.
I am unsure if his recovery is just THAT far behind, or he is not really able to pitch any more as if an R and R was enough
Not to mention how incredibly overrated his wife is. Perhaps that decision is weighing heavily on his mind as he sees her more frequently without makeup and evening gowns.
Just immense incel vibes
Yeah just come out and say you’re an incel as the other poster stated.
Randor,
Disagree. His wife is still out there on the wire in all but the deepest leagues. Agree with the others that it’s a weird comment tho.
I don’t date women so it’s a pretty strong chance I’d turn her down if she asked me out.
Fastball was sitting 93-96 though from what I read so I wouldn’t be too worried yet considering the rust. I believe this was only 4th time he has thrown since he was cleared.
Timing is everything in life. If only Framber saw this first he could’ve already been signed up for factor and he would’ve been healthier and ready to deal with the rigors of the season.
If he knew he wasn’t right physically, he should pushed for an extension so he could collect big paychecks while sitting on his fat ass eating Cheetos.
The writers when reporting on the Cardinals off-season repeatedly stated that the Cardinals somehow “bolstered” their rotation by bringing in both Kyle Gibson and Lance Lynn in addition to Sonny Gray. Nothing could have been further from the truth as is evidenced by what we have seen and will see going forward.
Gray was a lateral move from Montgomery so nothing was changed or bolstered there.
Lynn no longer belongs in the major leagues and Gibson is a 5th starter innings eater. The club had pitchers who didn’t belong in the majors last season as well as innings eaters.
This team has every likelihood to be worse than the product put on the field in 2023.
Sonny Gray has been overperforming the past two seasons. It will be interesting if he keeps the juggling act going or if reality hits. His FRA should be around 4.26 in 2023 and an xERA of 3.66, so I’m definitely expecting some regression. Just depends how much of a regression.
Given that the Twins defense (RA9Def) actually saved him about 3 runs (0.16 RA9Def), his ERA (a team evaluator) should have been 2.93. Last year, the Cardinals RA9Def was -0.02, which would have not helped Gray. They would have cost him about half an earned run.
Should be interesting how this plays out. I wouldn’t be surprised that he defies reality and throws a sub 2 ERA this year, just to spite what I said.
Cherry-picking stats, to somehow support your misguided opinions is pretty meaningless.
How is that cherry picking? Those are the facts. Do you prefer feelings?
so spud what your saying a better defense doesnt make a pitcher look better than he is? Next your going to tell me that pitching games in a massive stadium doesnt help pitchers as well.
He just put actual numbers to quantify it rather than just say it.
I don’t like the ERA but I’m using the RA9Def to point out that MIN made a few more plays for their pitcher. And Busch Stadium is currently slightly more offensive prone than average and spacious Kauffman Stadium, which is often considered a pitchers park, is the #2 offense stadium in 2024. Target Field is average.
baseballsavant.mlb.com/leaderboard/statcast-park-f…
I agree about Gray. It really doesn’t matter if he performs well or not. It’s going to be a long year for the Red Birds. They are due a serious rebuild.
No mention of the legendary Bryan Reynolds joining the 100 HR club?
Just told my son last night how lucky he is to witness the 663 remaining HR in Reynolds quest for baseball immortality.
He’s a wrap star.