The Opener: Lee, Wood, Pitchers’ Duel

With one-quarter of the 2024 season now in the books, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Lee undergoes MRI:

Giants center fielder and marquee free agent signing Jung Hoo Lee suffered a worrisome injury during last night’s game against the Reds when he leapt at the wall in an attempt to rob Jeimer Candelario of extra bases in the top of the first inning. The Giants later revealed that Lee had suffered a dislocated shoulder and that he would undergo an MRI to determine the severity of the issue, the results of which should be available today.

The 25-year-old is hitting .262/.310/.331 in his first 37 games of stateside action with quality defense in center field, and the already unfortunate prospect of losing his services for an extended period is further compounded for San Francisco by recent injuries to fellow outfielders Michael Conforto and Austin Slater. If Lee requires an absence of note, Mike Yastrzemski, Luis Matos, and Heliot Ramos figure to be the club’s primary outfield group.

2. Wood headed for the IL?

A’s manager Mark Kotsay told reporters (including Martin Gallegos of MLB.com) that veteran southpaw Alex Wood has been attempting to pitch through a shoulder injury that contributed to Wood’s lack of velocity in last night’s short start against the Mariners, where Wood allowed five runs (one earned) in just two innings of work. Kotsay implied that a trip to the injured list could be in the works for the lefty, saying that Wood “gave us everything he had” and that the club would “have more news” about the situation today.

If Wood has been plagued by a nagging shoulder issue, that could help to explain his difficult start to the 2024 campaign. Through nine starts, the left-hander has a 5.26 ERA and a nearly identical 5.27 FIP. He’s struck out just 17.7% of batters faced against an elevated 10.2% walk rate and has already surrendered a whopping six home runs in just 39 1/3 innings of work. Lefty Hogan Harris and righty Osvaldo Bido are among the possible candidates to take Wood’s spot in the rotation in the event he faces an extended absence.

3. Pitchers’ Duel in Atlanta:

For the second time during the young 2024 season, the best left-handed starter by ERA is poised to take on the best right-handed starter by ERA (min. 30 innings). Last time this happened, left-hander Shota Imanaga of the Cubs faced right-hander Kutter Crawford of the Red Sox at Fenway Park. Imanaga, who sports a 1.08 ERA and 2.37 FIP through seven starts, is once again on the bump for today’s match. This time, he’ll be pitching in Atlanta opposite Braves right-hander Reynaldo Lopez.

The 30-year-old righty hadn’t been a full-time member of a big league starting rotation since the 2020 season but has returned to the role with the Braves this year with fantastic results. In 35 1/3 innings of work across six starts, Lopez boasts a 1.53 ERA with a 3.02 FIP and a solid 25.5% strikeout rate. He’ll be challenged by a Cubs lineup that recently returned both Cody Bellinger and Seiya Suzuki from the injured list, while Imanaga will face a stacked Braves lineup featuring heavy hitters such as Ronald Acuna Jr., Austin Riley, and current NL home run leader Marcell Ozuna. The game is set to begin at 7:20pm local time.