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Archives for September 2024

Red Sox Activate Trevor Story From 60-Day Injured List

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As expected, the Red Sox activated shortstop Trevor Story from the 60-day injured list, as the former two-time All-Star is set for his big league action since the first week of April.  In the corresponding 40-man roster move, right-hander Isaiah Campbell was called up from Triple-A and placed on the big league version of the 60-day IL, so Campbell’s season has officially been ended by right elbow inflammation.  As reported earlier today by NESN’s Jahmai Webster, catcher/infielder Mickey Gasper was optioned to Triple-A to make space for Story on the active roster.

While diving for a grounder in Boston’s game with the Angels back on April 5, Story suffered a severe shoulder injury that required what was thought at the time to be a season-ending surgery.  Story went through rehab and felt better than expected as he regained strength in his shoulder, and things have improved to the point that Story will make it back onto the field with a few weeks to spare in the 2024 campaign.

Since signing a six-year, $140MM free agent deal with the Red Sox prior to the 2022 season, Story has appeared in only 145 games, as his shoulder surgery was only the latest in a long string of injuries.  He was at least a league-average hitter with an even 100 wRC+ from his .238/.303/.434 slash line and 16 homers over 396 plate appearances in 2022, but he has an ugly .575 OPS in the 202 PA since even that debut season in Boston.

Story’s glovework has still remained solid even throughout his struggles at the plate, so at the very least, his return should improve what has been a dismal defensive showing by Boston’s middle infielders in his absence.  Ceddanne Rafaela and David Hamilton have shared most of the shortstop duties in Story’s absence this year, though Hamilton is on the IL himself with a finger fracture that threatens to end his season.

As Story resumes his old post at shortstop, the Red Sox will be moving Rafaela to second base, in the hopes that the rookie can both find more individual success at the new position and also help the Sox finally find an answer at the keystone.  Rafaela is one of an astounding 11 players who have seen time at second base for Boston this season, and the move to the other side of the infield should make Rafaela more of a defensive asset.

Campbell made his Major League debut with the Mariners in 2023, and had made a good first impression with a 2.83 ERA in 28 2/3 innings out of Seattle’s bullpen.  The Red Sox were intrigued enough to acquire Campbell for Luis Urias back in November, but between injuries and a lot of time in Triple-A, Campbell has managed only a 16.20 ERA in 6 2/3 innings for Boston at the big league level.  Due to his health issues, Campbell hasn’t pitched since he took the mound for Triple-A Worcester in the middle of July.

AL East Notes: Bichette, Kjerstad, Hendriks

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Bo Bichette is scheduled to begin a Triple-A rehab assignment beginning on Tuesday, the Blue Jays told reporters (including Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi and Arden Zwelling).  Bichette has been on the injured list since suffering a right calf strain on July 19, which was the third calf-related issue for Bichette within about a month’s time.  It wasn’t clear at the time of the placement if Bichette would be able to return before the season was over or if the Jays might just shut him down, but it looks like the shortstop should be able to make it back for at least a bit more action before the 2024 campaign wraps.

While the Jays are well out of contention, returning to the field should provide some peace of mind for Bichette about his health as he wraps up the worst season of his six-year career.  The two-time All-Star hit only .222/.275/.320 over 331 plate appearances, delivering a 69 wRC+ that was far below his previous career mark of 127.  Bichette’s turn from star to replacement-level player was one of many reasons behind the Jays’ rough season, and it has raised fresh speculation about Bichette’s long-term future in Toronto, or even if he’ll still be a Blue Jay by next Opening Day.  These questions obviously won’t be answered in the small sample size of however many MLB games Bichette is able to play in September, but returning to the Jays lineup and hitting like his old self would allow him to take something positive from an otherwise lost year.

Other updates from around the AL East…

  • The Orioles announced that Heston Kjerstad will start a rehab assignment at the team’s A-ball affiliate in Aberdeen beginning tomorrow.  Kjerstad has been on the concussion-related injury list since August 1, marking his second stint on the concussion-IL since he was hit in the head by a Clay Holmes pitch on July 12.  The good news is that Kjerstad has cleared concussion protocol and now looks ready to return to action.  Now in his second MLB season, the former top prospect has continued to show glimpses of his potential with a .261/.370/.420 slash line in 81 plate appearances with Baltimore this season, and a healthy Kjerstad could provide a nice boost for the O’s heading into the playoffs.
  • Liam Hendriks was slated to throw back-to-back outings as part of his ongoing minor rehab assignment, though the Red Sox and the reliever have pulled back on the idea since Hendriks is feeling some slight discomfort.  “There was a little bit of an issue [in the elbow], but nothing that can’t be worked out,” Hendriks told the Boston Globe’s Julian McWilliams and other reporters.  “I think I need to limit my own throwing….The muscle groups right there aren’t quite built up to withstand that just yet.  I need to kind of ease them in a little bit better.”  Hendriks and manager Alex Cora downplayed the setback, and the hope is that Hendriks will be able to make it back to the Red Sox roster before the season is over.  Hendriks hasn’t pitched in the majors since June 2023, as a Tommy John surgery in August of that year has put his career on hold.

Blue Jays Shut Down Jordan Romano For Remainder Of 2024 Season

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Jordan Romano’s 2024 season is officially over, as Blue Jays manager John Schneider told reporters (including Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi) Friday on that Romano won’t be activated from the 60-day injured list before the regular season is out.  The closer underwent an arthroscopic surgery on his right elbow in early July that came with a post-procedure shutdown of period of at least six weeks.  That initial timeline has now stretched into September, and while Romano has resumed throwing, “it just didn’t work out with the number of games we have left and what he is going to have to check off the list in order to get back,” Schneider said.

The news closes the book on an altogether disastrous season for the 31-year-old, who posted a 6.59 ERA over only 13 2/3 innings of Major League action.  Romano began the year on the 15-day IL due to some elbow inflammation that developed in Spring Training, and simply wasn’t very effective once he made his return to the mound in mid-April.  His last appearance of the season came on May 29, as he returned to the 15-day IL shortly thereafter and there was some concern that Romano had a more serious UCL-related injury before it was decided that the arthroscopic surgery was all that was required.

Schneider said that Romano will keep throwing and should be set for a normal offseason, so that at least represents some good news on the longer-term health front.  However, it naturally leaves Romano as one of the many question marks the Jays face for 2025 as they figure out how to rebound from a very disappointing campaign.  The Blue Jays will have to overhaul a bullpen that was one of the worst in baseball, and figuring out how to approach this overhaul is trickier since the club doesn’t exactly know what it is getting from its former closer.

Davidi suggests that the Blue Jays could even consider non-tendering Romano if the team is just too concerned about his health.  This would seem like a pretty aggressive move considering how well Romano pitched from 2020-23, and the right-hander isn’t overly expensive on paper — Romano is entering his final year of arbitration eligibility, and his lack of production in 2024 means that he’ll receive a pretty minimal raise over his current $7.75MM salary.  That said, the roughly $8MM Romano figures to land in 2025 salary could be put to better use on relievers who have fewer injury concerns hanging over them heading into another season.  Pursuing a trade (albeit a sell-low type of trade) or a non-tender might also be viable if Toronto doesn’t plan to retain Romano once he becomes eligible for free agency.

Yankees Reinstate Clarke Schmidt, Ian Hamilton; Designate Phil Bickford, Nick Burdi

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The Yankees announced that right-handers Clarke Schmidt and Ian Hamilton have both been reinstated from the 60-day injured list prior to today’s game with the Cubs, and Schmidt will take the ball as the game’s starting pitcher.  To create roster space, New York has designated right-hander Phil Bickford and Nick Burdi for assignment.

Schmidt was off to a tremendous start in 2024, as the former first-rounder and top-100 prospect had a 2.52 ERA over his first 60 2/3 innings of the season.  Unfortunately, that initial success was then cut short by a lat strain, and Schmidt hasn’t pitched in the majors since the end of May.  His work during a minor league rehab assignment (3.18 ERA and 18 strikeouts in 11 1/3 innings) hints that Schmidt has continued to stay in good form, but naturally the real test will come now that Schmidt is once again facing big league hitters.

With Schmidt returning today and Luis Gil throwing six shutout innings in his own return from the IL yesterday, the Yankees’ rotation is getting healthier for the stretch run.  The club’s plan is to move to a six-man rotation in order to both ease Schmidt and Gil back into action, and to give Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon, Marcus Stroman, and Nestor Cortes some extra rest.

In Cortes’ case, he will likely work behind Schmidt today in a piggyback capacity, and the next week or so could act as an unofficial competition between Cortes, Schmidt, and possibly Gil to see who retains a starting job once the Yankees return to a standard five-man pitching staff.  Obviously further injuries or under-performance from another starter might alter this plan for September and into the playoffs, but simply having more healthy arms available for now gives the Bronx Bombers some flexibility in figuring things out.

Hamilton’s recovery also impacts the bullpen picture, as the right-hander has been out since mid-June with a lat strain of his own.  Hamilton posted a 2.64 ERA over 58 innings in 2023 to seemingly cement himself as an important piece of the relief corps, but he ran into a few more stumbles with a 4.55 ERA across 29 2/3 frames this season.  It is worth noting that Hamilton allowed eight earned runs over his first 25 2/3 innings this year and then seven ER in his last four innings and four appearances before his IL placement, so it is fair to wonder if Hamilton was hampered by trying to pitch through injury.

Since Clay Holmes’ hold on the closer’s job is no longer stable, Hamilton could potentially get some high-leverage work if he returns in good form.  While Hamilton only has two career saves and it might be asking a lot for a pitcher to become a closer after such a long injury layoff, the Yankees figure to explore all options if Holmes can’t stabilize his performance.  Manager Aaron Boone also hinted that even Schmidt or Gil might get consideration as a late-inning reliever.

Burdi has also been through an injury-marred season, as recurring hip problems led to stints on both the 15-day and 60-day injured lists, limiting him to 9 2/3 MLB innings and 13 1/3 innings at Triple-A.  In essence, it has been more of the same for a hard-throwing pitcher whose career has been defined by a lot of strikeouts, inconsistent control, and unfortunately a lot of injuries — Burdi’s health record includes two Tommy John surgeries and a thoracic outlet syndrome surgery.

For Bickford, this is the second time New York has DFA’ed the veteran righty in the last three months, and he elected free agency after clearing waivers.  Bickford then re-signed with the Yankees on a new Major League contract and rejoined the active roster a couple of weeks ago.  One disastrous outing against the Blue Jays (five earned runs in two-thirds of an inning) on June 29 accounted for much of the 8.64 ERA Bickford has posted across 8 1/3 innings in the majors this year, and he has looked much sharper in the minors with a 3.00 ERA in 45 frames for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

If Burdi and Bickford each clear waivers, they have the ability to reject an outright assignment to Triple-A in favor of free agency, as both pitchers have previously been outrighted in their careers.  It wouldn’t be surprising to see either just re-sign with the Yankees on a new minor league contract, similar to how Bickford previously rejoined the club after his earlier DFA.

Giants Place Kyle Harrison On 15-Day Injured List, “Good Chance” Season Is Over

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Prior to yesterday’s game, the Giants placed left-hander Kyle Harrison on the 15-day injured list due to an impingement in his throwing shoulder.  The placement is retroactive to September 4.  Righty Austin Warren was called up from Triple-A to take Harrison’s spot on the active roster.

Given the timing of the injury and the fact that the Giants have fallen out of contention, there’s “probably a good chance” Harrison’s season is over, manager Bob Melvin told the San Francisco Chronicle’s John Shea and other reporters.  Harrison underwent an MRI on Thursday and will get more tests done this coming week, and even if everything comes back clean, it seems unlikely he’d build his arm strength back up just for a sake of a few meaningless innings at the end of September.  Melvin said Harrison had already been battling shoulder soreness for his last few starts.

If this is indeed it for Harrison’s 2024 campaign, the former star prospect will finish his first full MLB season with a 4.56 ERA over 124 1/3 innings.  That ERA was inflated by 11 earned runs in his last two starts and 7 1/3 innings when Harrison was trying to pitch through pain, though for the season, Harrison’s 22.2% strikeout rate was below the league average.  The southpaw also ranked only in the 12th percentile in both hard-hit ball rates and barrel rates, as opposing batters had a lot of success against everything but Harrison’s primary pitch, a 92.5mph fastball.

The 124 1/3 innings represents a new career high for Harrison, topping the 113 frames he threw in the minors in 2022.   Melvin suggested that Harrison’s winter will involve “identifying what he needs to do as far as building himself up, getting a little stronger maybe,” which is normal for a rookie pitcher who now knows the grind of a 162-game season.  Beyond this shoulder impingement, Harrison also spent about a month on the IL due to an ankle sprain earlier this summer.

All things considered, however, it was still a pretty decent rookie season for a pitcher who only just turned 23 last month.  Widely regarded as one of baseball’s best pitching prospects, Harrison did nothing to shake his status as a key piece of San Francisco’s future plans.  Harrison is the most highly-touted of a group of younger arms the Giants hope can continue to develop into rotation reinforcements behind ace Logan Webb, and other more experienced arms like Robbie Ray and (if he returns to starting pitching) Jordan Hicks.  It is safe to assume the Giants will still look into adding pitching this winter considering that Blake Snell will almost surely be opting out of his contract, though re-signing Snell remains a possibility.

Dodgers Place Gavin Stone On Injured List

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The Dodgers announced they have recalled right-hander Landon Knack and left-hander Justin Wrobleski. In corresponding moves, they have optioned righty Michael Petersen and placed righty Gavin Stone on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation.

At this point, it’s the path forward for Stone is fairly unclear. President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman says the young righty will be shut down for about ten days and the plan from there will depend on how he feels at that point, per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic on X. It’s likely to be a notable development regardless of how that plays out, both due to Stone’s strong performance this year and the other injuries in the club’s rotation.

Stone made his major league debut last year, making eight appearances, including four starts. He didn’t find immediate success, as he allowed 31 earned runs in his 31 innings last year, meaning he came into 2024 with his earned run average at an even 9.00.

But he has taken a significant step forward so far this year. He has made 25 starts for the Dodgers and logged 140 1/3 innings with a 3.53 ERA. His 20% strikeout rate, 6.4% walk rate and 44.2% ground ball rate are all fairly close to average for a starting pitcher this year.

Subtracting that kind of solid performance would be unwelcome for any club but it’s especially notable for the Dodgers, who have been suffering through a huge slate of rotation injuries this year and in the past as well.

Stone is actually the only pitcher on the club currently qualified for the ERA title, as he leads the team in both starts and innings pitched. That’s due to just about every other pitcher on the staff spending at least some time on the IL. Tyler Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Clayton Kershaw, Tony Gonsolin, Dustin May, River Ryan and Emmet Sheehan are all currently on the IL. Now that Stone is joining them, that gives the club eight viable starters currently on the shelf.

May, Ryan and Sheehan are done for the year due to major surgeries. Yamamoto is going to be reinstated next week but isn’t fully stretched out, having thrown 53 pitches in his most recent rehab outing. Glasnow is a few steps behind Yamamoto, as he’s playing catch but hasn’t yet taken the mound, per Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times (X link). Kershaw hit the IL a week ago due to a bone spur in his toe and has an uncertain timeline. Gonsolin is trying to come back from last year’s Tommy John surgery but will be limited to relief work, at best.

For now, the rotation consists of Jack Flaherty, Walker Buehler, Bobby Miller, Knack and Wrobleski. That group will be welcoming back Yamamoto soon but, as mentioned, he isn’t fully ramped up and might need a piggyback. Flaherty has some injury questions of his own, as he had back issues earlier this year with the Tigers, which reportedly scuttled a trade with the Yankees and led to him landing with the Dodgers instead. Buehler has a 5.67 ERA this year and Miller is at 7.79. Knack and Wrobleski each have less than 50 major league innings pitched.

It’s a less than ideal situation for a club that is still playing meaningful games. The club’s 84-56 record is tied with the Phillies for the best in baseball, but the Central-leading Brewers are just three games back, meaning a bye through the Wild Card round is no guarantee. The division isn’t totally sewn up either, as the Padres are just five games back of the Dodgers and the Diamondbacks 5.5.

Even if the Dodgers cruise into the postseason, having a banged-up rotation can cause trouble in a short playoff series, as the Dodgers know well. They won 100 games last year but their rotation was in shambles by the time the postseason rolled around, which led to them being quickly swept by the Diamondbacks.

At this point, it’s still technically possible that the Dodgers could have a postseason rotation consisting of Flaherty, Yamamoto, Glasnow, Stone and Kershaw, but there are question marks with each of them. That could perhaps lead to someone like Buehler, Miller or Knack sliding into the mix simply due to a lack of other options.

Blue Jays Outright Paolo Espino

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The Blue Jays have sent right-hander Paolo Espino outright to Triple-A Buffalo, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. He had been designated for assignment a few days ago when the club claimed righty Dillon Tate off waivers. Espino has the right to elect free agency but it’s not yet clear if he’s chosen to do so.

Espino, 37, signed a minor league deal with the Jays in the winter. He was added to the roster about a week into the season and made two long relief appearances at that time. The first one was pretty good, as he tossed two scoreless innings, but the second one saw him allow four earned runs in 2 2/3.

He was optioned to Buffalo after that and wasn’t recalled until months later. He made a spot start on July 31 just after the Jays had traded Yusei Kikuchi, Yimi García, Nate Pearson and Trevor Richards, leaving the pitching staff in a state of flux. Espino ate four innings in that spot start but also allowed four earned runs, increasing his season-long ERA to 8.31 before getting optioned back to Buffalo again.

The Jays have since bolstered their pitching staff by letting Bowden Francis take hold of a rotation spot and have filled their bullpen via various waiver claims and small trades. With expanded September rosters, the odds of them needing a spot starter such as Espino are a bit lower. They also have Jake Bloss, part of their Kikuchi return, in the Buffalo rotation now.

All those factors led to Espino getting nudged off the roster and it’s not too surprising that he didn’t get claimed by another club. He has been a solid innings eater in the past, throwing over 100 innings in both 2022 and 2023 while suiting up for the Nationals in a swing role. But given his age and 5.18 ERA in Triple-A this year, there wouldn’t be too much use for him right now. Clubs in contention will have set their sights higher while the others will be using the next few weeks to evaluate younger arms.

Judge Dismisses Legal Challenge To A’s Stadium Funding

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A Nevada judge has dismissed a legal challenge that was attempting to overturn a law that approved $380MM in public funding, per reporting from Tabitha Mueller and Howard Stutz of The Nevada Independent.

Back in February, it was reported that a political action committee backed by the Nevada State Education Association’s Strong Public Schools had filed suit against the state of Nevada and governor Joe Lombardo.

The suit was attempting to stop the stadium funding on the grounds that the law didn’t comply with the state constitution. One of their claims was that the proposal needed to be voted on by a two-thirds majority as opposed to a simple majority, as is the state’s constitutional requirement for bills creating or increasing public revenue.

Carson City District Court Judge Kristin Luis didn’t weigh in on those accusations. Rather, she dismissed the suit today on the grounds that the plaintiffs lacked standing and didn’t meet the standard of a “public importance exemption,” meaning that she therefore couldn’t make a “determination on the merit of the claims.”

The A’s are planning to build a new stadium on the Las Vegas strip, a project which has a price tag of roughly $1.5 billion, with the $380MM government funding being a notable chunk of that. Reporting from Mick Akers of the Las Vegas Review-Journal in July indicating that the club is planning to make up the difference through various means. That includes $300MM in debt refinancing and $850MM in equity from the family of team owner John Fisher. Fisher’s parents Doris and Don Fisher founded The Gap, the clothing chain. In December of 2020, Forbes estimated the family’s net worth at $8.9 billion. Per today’s report from the Independent, the public funding won’t be released until the private financing conditions are met, among other requirements.

The Las Vegas stadium isn’t expected to be ready until the 2028 season but the club’s lease at the Coliseum in Oakland runs out after 2024. The A’s are planning to play in Sacramento’s Sutter Health Park for the next three years, sharing it with the Sacramento River Cats, the Triple-A affiliate of the Giants. Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle published a story today wherein multiple people expressed their concerns about the Sacramento plan. The various fears include the artificial turf, the hitter-friendly nature of the park and the general logistics.

Yankees Outright Josh Maciejewski

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September 6: The Yankees announced that Maciejewski was outrighted to Triple-A, indicating he cleared waivers. He has the right to elect free agency by virtue of a previous career outright but it’s not yet clear if he’s chosen to do so.

September 1: The Yankees announced this morning that they have designated left-hander Josh Maciejewski for assignment. The move opens up a 40-man roster spot for Anthony Rizzo, whose activation from the 60-day IL was reported on yesterday. Rizzo takes one of four active roster spots created by yesterday’s demotions of Ben Rice and Will Warren as well as today’s expansion from 26 to 28 roster spots. Outfielder Duke Ellis was recalled to the majors alongside right-handers Scott Effross and Ron Marinaccio to fill the other three open spots.

Maciejewski, 29, was added to the Yankees’ 40-man roster back in June and has made four multi-inning relief appearances for the club in total. He has pitched well in that limited exposure in the majors, with a 2.57 ERA and a 25.9% strikeout rate in his seven innings of work at the big league level. Those strong results contrast sharply with his ugly performance in the minor leagues this year, however, as Maciejewski sports a 6.02 ERA in 46 1/3 innings of work at the Triple-A level with the Yankees this year. That’s not far off from his career numbers at the level, either, as in 40 career appearances at the highest level of the minors the lefty has struggled to a 5.61 ERA.

Given Maciejewski’s lackluster body of work in the minors, it’s not necessarily a shock that the club opted to part ways with the lefty despite his small sample success in the Bronx. The lefty’s departure makes room for the return of Rizzo, who figures to step into his previous role as the club’s everyday first baseman down the stretch now that he’s recovered from the forearm fracture that kept him sidelined since mid-June. The 35-year-old will look to return to the form he’s shown in previous seasons after struggling to a .223/.289/.341 slash line in 70 games prior to the injury.

He’ll be joined on the roster by Ellis, a 26-year-old rookie who made his big league debut with the White Sox earlier this year. Ellis has just four plate appearances in the big leagues under his belt and hasn’t hit much throughout his career in the minors, but he nonetheless figures to be a worthwhile addition to New York’s positional mix thanks to his blistering speed and solid defense in the outfield. Ellis has already stolen four bases without being caught in his limited time at the big league level, and he’s stolen at least 50 bags at the minor league level in each of the last three seasons.

As for the pitchers, Effross’s first appearance with the club this year will be his first time pitching on a major league mound since 2022, as he underwent Tommy John surgery shortly after being acquired from the Cubs at the 2022 trade deadline and then had his return to action further delayed by back surgery back in February. The sidearming righty has been very effective at the big league level when healthy enough to take the mound, with a 2.78 ERA and 2.63 FIP in 71 1/3 innings of work. He’ll join the bullpen alongside Marinaccio, who has a 2.53 ERA despite a 4.63 FIP in 21 1/3 innings of work this year.

Diamondbacks Reinstate Ketel Marte From Injured List

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The Diamondbacks that second baseman Ketel Marte has been reinstated from the 10-day injured list. Outfielder Jorge Barrosa has been optioned to Triple-A Reno as the corresponding move.

Marte was having an elite season prior to landing on the IL with a sprained left ankle. In 116 games this year, he has hit 30 home runs and drawn walks at a 10.4% clip. His .298/.370/.560 batting line translates to a wRC+ of 150, indicating he’s been 50% better than the league average hitter. He has also stolen six bases and been given strong grades for his second base defense, leading to a tally of 5.3 wins above replacement in 116 games, per FanGraphs.

The ankle injury put that on pause, but not for long. He landed on the IL August 19, so he’s now back after just a little more than a minimum IL stint. That’s a tremendous development for the Snakes, though it could lead to some challenging lineup decisions for manager Torey Lovullo.

It’s possible that Marte will need some time as the designated hitter before retaking his second base job on an everyday basis. If that’s the case, the DH slot could get a little crowded. Joc Pederson has been the regular in that spot, at least against righties, as he’s usually shielded from lefties. The club acquired first baseman Josh Bell while Christian Walker was on the IL but Walker is now back as well.

The Diamondbacks haven’t shown any inclination to put Pederson in the field this year, so he seems to be DH only. Bell nor Walker aren’t realistic options anywhere other than first base, so one of them needs to be the DH if both are in the lineup.

Perhaps that will simply allow the skipper to rotate some down time to those veteran players as the club pushes towards the stretch run, but the games they are playing are plenty meaningful. The Diamondbacks are 79-62, putting them in the second Wild Card position. They are only half a game behind the Padres, who have the top spot, though Atlanta and the Mets are just 2.5 games back of the Snakes. Luis Guillorme and Kevin Newman have been platooning at the keystone lately but figure to lose out on playing time whenever Marte takes over that position.

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