With July just around the corner, here are three things to keep an eye on around baseball today:
1. Graceffo to join Cardinals’ bullpen:
The Cardinals are expected to promote Gordon Graceffo ahead of this evening’s matchup with the Reds. Although he has been a starter in the minors, the right-hander will be available out of the bullpen tonight. St. Louis can free up a spot for Graceffo on the 40-man roster by transferring Steven Matz to the 60-day IL. However, the team will need to make an additional corresponding move to open a spot on the active roster.
Graceffo, 24, is widely considered one of the better pitching prospects in the organization. He has made 14 starts this year for the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds, pitching to a 3.84 ERA with a 21.4% strikeout rate and an 8.9% walk rate. While his Triple-A numbers don’t jump off the page, they represent an improvement from his stats with the Redbirds last season; in 21 games (18 starts) at Triple-A in 2023, Graceffo posted a 4.92 ERA with a 20.9% strikeout rate and 11.6% walk rate.
2. Injury updates coming on Harper, Schwarber:
On the same day they lost Spencer Turnbull for the next six to eight weeks, the Phillies had two more injury scares, this time to a pair of their best hitters. Bryce Harper, who was recently named the starting first baseman for the NL All-Star team, limped his way back to the dugout after hurting his left hamstring on the final play of yesterday’s game against the Marlins. According to Alex Coffey of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Harper felt his hamstring “grab” as he ran to first base. He mentioned that he is unsure how worried he should be about the extent of the injury because he has never experienced this particular issue before.
Meanwhile, leadoff hitter Kyle Schwarber exited Thursday’s game early with what the team called “left groin tightness” (per Coffey). Schwarber is in the midst of another strong season with Philadelphia in his first year as a full-time DH, with 17 home runs and an .820 OPS. Coffey noted that the Phillies will provide updates on both sluggers today, perhaps during manager Rob Thomson’s media availability this afternoon at approximately 2:25 pm CT.
3. Giants to activate Wade:
Giants manager Bob Melvin told reporters (including Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic) that first baseman LaMonte Wade Jr. is set to rejoin the team today. That means he’ll be eligible for tonight’s contest against the Dodgers at Oracle Park. Presumably, he will slot back into the heart of the order against rookie right-hander Landon Knack. Wade rarely plays against left-handed pitchers, but he has been San Francisco’s most productive bat against right-handed pitching this season.
Indeed, Wade was one of the hottest hitters in MLB over the first two months of the 2024 campaign, slashing .333/.470/.426 (166 wRC+) across 52 games. However, he has been out since late May with a left hamstring strain. The Giants, who have gone 11-16 since Wade landed on the IL, will surely be pleased to have him back in the lineup. San Francisco will need to make a corresponding move to put Wade back on the active roster.
In other news, the Yankees scored 8 runs in the top of the 10th inning to defeat Toronto, 10 to 9 and stay in 1st place with the best record in all of Major League Baseball.
I think you’re on a little too much of that hayzee bud.
Are you saying the Blue Jays scored 7 runs in the bottom of the 10th to come up just short in an amazing comeback attempt? Otherwise, that situation is impossible, as they would’ve needed to be tied 2-2 after 9 innings to play the 10th inning in the first place.
Harper pulled a hamstring and it looked like it was a pretty severe pull. He stood straight up and couldn’t finish making a full stride, much less finishing through the bag. Him saying he felt it tug in his lower hamstring makes me think it could even be a tear. I’ve done it and it took forever to fully heal and it still bothers me 2 years later. Bregman is a good reference point on this as well. He’s been hampered with hamstring injuries over his career and he always was out longer than anticipated do to setbacks. Time will tell.
Schwarber will probably miss time, but I doubt it’s longer than 2-3 weeks.
Mike Schmidt had like an 0 – 51 slump once. He had a pulled hamstring and played through it. I remember him at Veterans stadium grounding out prolonging that slump and Schmidt ran out the ground ball and visibly limped back to the dugout booed thunderously by Phillies fans.
Harper can play through it as a first baseman or go sit down for eight weeks and kiss his MVP goodbye and perhaps watch the Braves roar back and take the division.
If he’s going to go through a huge slump trying to play through it like Schmidt did, it’s better that he not play and get fully healthy for the stretch run. He wouldn’t get MVP either way.
Schmidt did look like he was walking without a limp in the dugout. He’s always seemed to me to be strong mentally when he’s playing, so he might not want to show any weakness. After last year, when he came back much sooner than expected, I think he’ll do all he can not to have to sit out for very long.
Also, didn’t Schwarber play LF yesterday? I saw a fly ball bounce in front of the LF, who swatted at it like a little leaguer.
Schmidt was in the slump before the hamstring pull. The hamstring had nothing to do with it. Missing months with a hamstring pull when you play 1B – Schmidt played third and won ten gold gloves legitimately – is unforgivable. Ken Griffy Jr. does not belong in Cooperstown and Jimmy Rollins will never be inducted.
What does Ken Griffey Jr. have to do with this?
The Braves are 8 games back. If you think Bryce Harper provides 8 WAR in 8 weeks, then he is bar far the greatest player of all time.
Harper, Schwarber and Realmuto.
Considering you probably got your medical license from IASSUME University everything you propose in your diagnosis is complete nonsense until further notice. You are dismissed for malpractice.
Stros18: Where and when did you train and obtain your certification to make these diagnoses?
I was right. Lol
No, you were actually wrong. Harper’s injury is being reported as a low-grade strain, not a pull.
Mmm, pretty much the same thing Mr Baron.
No it isn’t, Mr Pseudo-Doctor.
Pretty much like the difference between Bryce you have testicular cancer and Bryce stop wearing your jock so tight.
Hoping for a speedy recovery for Harper and Kyle Schwarber.
Terrible news for the Phillies. Harper just can’t stay on the field anymore
Need to get some robotic version of these players so they can play every day. Might even see some catcher pop times like 0.4 seconds.
Old York: Don’t give Manfred any ideas. Harper seems to be on the field more than many other players would given the nature of his injuries.
You mean Harper is not tough enough to stay on the field. Mike Schmidt was and that’s why he went into Cooperstown on the first ballot. Pete Rose should have too and for the same reason.
Cardinals almost always start their pitching prospects out of the bullpen until they get adjusted to the big leagues.
Wonder why more teams don’t take that approach.
@This one belongs to the Reds
Sink or swim. If you need to be babied to the point you have to start out of the pen, you’re clearly not meant to be a starter.
Not all pitchers are top 100 prospects.
In fact, very few.
The love of the radar gun has a lot of pitchers with good arms coming to the big leagues without having good command or knowing how to pitch.
The exception seems to be the guy sitting at 93-94 mph. That’s why a guy like Skenes so impresses me, he sits at 99-100 and has impeccable command for a pitcher who just arrived.
@This one belongs to the Reds
Right, but it hasn’t really worked for the Cards in recent years.
This one…When I first saw Garrett Crochet pitch, I had a bad feeling he was heading for tjs, but he’s a lefty and for some reason they seem more prone to serious arm injuries. I ‘ve seen Skenes P 3x and he’s amazing. At the same time I also hold my breath that he doesn’t get hurt because he throws so hard.
Old York you are totally correct. Bums like Corbin Burnes, Chris Sale, Garret Crochet, Seth Lugo, Matt Waldron and Nestor Cortes are clearly not meant to be starting pitchers.
@Os1995
Agreed, most can’t get out of the 5th inning. I prefer my starters to go at least 9 innings like they used to.
Exactly, why do pitchers need off days either. Go out there and earn your salary. The younger generation just doesnt want to work these days.
@Os1995
Well, the younger generation is focused on throwing extra hard because the people with the money think hard throwers equal better, but then find out that they’re paying dead money to individuals as they sit on the shelf being injured and not contributing to the game. So, I don’t blame the players themselves, but the system as a whole. Pitchers actually knew how to pitch in the past but that changed with big money incentives. Now they just chuck the ball.
They throw extra hard because it helps them be more effective. Not many pitchers can play at the MLB level without giving it their all. Why would a fringe player not throw max effort? They make 40,000 in AAA but 750,000 on the IL.
Os1995: Where have you gone, Wilbur Wood?
Apparently Wilbur Wood didnt deserve to be a starter either because he started his career in the bullpen as well.
@Os1995
Throwing hard does not guarantee effectiveness.
Correct not all hard throwers are effective but if all other things (control, movement) are equal then throwing harder improves effectiveness.
Find any stats or studies that say otherwise.
@Os1995
Do you have some peer reviewed studies to reference? I can’t imagine that to be true.
Wilbur wood was so durable he could start both ends of a double header. Hoyt Wilhelm was not withstanding.
Both Pitchers List and Fangraphs have written multiple articles on the subject. Batting average on fastballs is almost 0.300 when the velo is 90 mph but the batting average decreases below 0.200 once the fastball goes above 100 mph.
blogs.fangraphs.com/faster-fastballs-produce-worse…
community.fangraphs.com/fastball-velocity-and-its-…
Os1995: But he went 106-89 (including 24-20 in 1973), pitched 1,682 innings, and AVERAGED almost 45 starts/year from 1971-75.
Throwing the knuckleball was everything.
@Os1995
First, none of those are peer reviewed studies and secondly, they’re completely void of context of the situation and speak nothing about effectiveness or control, as you claim above. And they’re completely our of context, going back to 2017, instead of 2023/4.
Blue Baron: I was making a snarky comment about Old Yorks stance that if you have to start your career in the bullpen then you dont deserve to start.
Those articles use league wide data to show higher velo is on average more effective. If you want it more controlled for location and movement I would suggest looking up pitching bot data.
It is well established that velocity makes pitchers more effective. The articles I linked dive into statistics and data (things you do not include in any of your claims)
Os1995: I got that. But Adam Wainwright comes immediately to mind as a very good pitcher who started in the bullpen.
They would have to do mid to late season in order to have the innings in for the year.
Tampa Bay has done this several times as well. I think it is smart. Get those guys acclimated in smaller stints.
The brewers do that a lot. They had Burnes start off in the bullpen. I would rather have a player prove he can MLB players out instead of finding out he cant by losing multiple games first. If you are in contention you almost need to ease them into the MLB through a bullpen role.
This one…Would you have started Skenes in the ‘pen?
No, but he’s a rare bird…or,rather pirate.
Worked with Jordan Hicks.
Harper is having himself an MVP type of season, very impressive numbers so far.
Not if Bryce sits down with a hamstring pull. Take the shot. Tape it up.
Pain
It’s crazy that Harper again won’t be in an All-Star game as a Philly, despite receiving the most votes.
I know Harper is a great player. I just cannot get over his attitude early in his career.
Misconception. There are hundreds of videos on YouTube you can watch to explain it, but it’s also your right to believe what you want.
Hmm. The tens of thousands of Nats fans who watched him play hundreds of games over 6 years are all wrong about Harper’s attitude as a Nat? The team that won the WS the year after he left? I saw his display during the home run derby at the 2018 All Star game. It was always all about Bryce. I think he has matured and I root for him and all the old Nats in Philly. But we don’t miss him in DC.
There are Nats fans? I never saw them in the seats. Also, Harper was beloved in Washington until he left.
I think there are Nats fans. Remember the Natititude crapola of bygone years?
I remember Mets and Phillies fans filling out their stadium.
With SF Giants activating LeMonte Wade Jr. then hopefully they will release Austin Slater.
Schwarber over Ozuna for NL DH? An appropriate appetizer for November.
Ozuna is a great bat, but justifiably not a fan favorite.
He was a fan favorite when he was #2 in NL DH voting since voting results were released, behind only Ohtani, until last week. Were fans reminded of his past indiscretions in the last week for Schwarbs to get over-the-top?