With just over two weeks remaining in the regular season, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world today:
1. Lopez to undergo MRI:
Braves right-hander Reynaldo Lopez was pulled from his start against the Nationals yesterday due to what the club referred to as shoulder tightness. As noted by The Athletic’s David O’Brien, the right-hander’s velocity was down more than 3 mph from his season average during the abbreviated outing. Manager Brian Snitker told reporters following the game that Lopez is set to undergo an MRI.
A converted reliever who surprisingly was signed with the intent of joining Atlanta’s rotation, Lopez has been dominant since joining the Braves. He sports a 2.03 ERA and 3.08 FIP in 128 2/3 innings of work with a 26.3% strikeout rate. The thought of losing a player who has produced results that strong is always worrisome, but it’s especially so for a Braves club that’s currently tied with the Mets for the final NL Wild Card spot and will need to pull away from them to even get the chance to make a deep run this October. Bryce Elder, AJ Smith-Shawver, and Ian Anderson are among the arms at Triple-A who could be called upon in Lopez’s stead down the stretch.
2. Schwarber dealing with elbow issue:
Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber broke the single-season MLB record for leadoff home runs with his 14th such dinger last night, but the celebratory air surrounding his accomplishment didn’t last long as he left the game during the fourth inning after suffering what manager Rob Thomson referred to (per MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki) as a bruised elbow that suffered from “a little bit” of hyperextension from diving back to first base on a pickoff attempt earlier in the game.
While Thomson said he plans to pencil Schwarber into the club’s lineup against the Rays today, The Athletic’s Matt Gelb notes that they won’t make a final decision on his availability until they see how the slugger is feeling today. The loss of Schwarber’s presence would be a tough blow for the Phillies, as he’s in the midst of one of the best seasons of his career with a .251/.372/.496 slash line with 35 homers and an NL-best 98 walks in 134 games.
3. Breakout arms square off in the Bronx:
The Yankees and Royals are scheduled to wrap up a three-game set, and they’ll do so with a pair of exciting young hurlers on the mound. Kansas City will deploy left-hander Cole Ragans, who enjoyed a breakout with the Royals down the stretch last year after being acquired from the Rangers and has continued that production over a full season in 2024. In 167 1/3 innings of work this year, the 26-year-old has pitched to a 3.33 ERA (128 ERA+) with a 2.94 FIP and an eye-popping 29.6% strikeout rate that’s second to only Tarik Skubal among AL starters.
Fellow 26-year-old Luis Gil missed the entire 2023 season due to injury and entered 2024 with just 33 1/3 big league innings on his resume. He got an opportunity in the rotation due to an injury that sidelined reigning AL Cy Young award winner Gerrit Cole, however, and Gil has made the most of it with a 3.24 ERA (128 ERA+) and a 3.78 FIP in 130 2/3 innings. The only starters who are 26 or younger with a lower ERA in at least 130 innings are Hunter Greene of the Reds, Javier Assad of the Cubs, and Bryce Miller of the Mariners.
Interesting year for baseball. Just one .600 team (Phillies, exactly .600) and some underperformance from the powerhouses. We could get a dark horse WS winner.
@Mikenmn
We had 4 teams way above.600 last year and none made it out of the first round (or WC round).
Might see more competitive games in the playoffs this year… or maybe not.
Is there any dark horse in a field of mediocrity?
I dont think anyone is really a dark horse. Just a bunch of sick horses limping to the finish line. This year, the horses that get players back from IL may have the advantage.
I’ve been on that for about a month now. Philly is back to winning, but some the frontrunners have been flat for at least a month.
Mike – I’m hoping for a dark horse winner because of some wagers my interpreter made back in April, but I pray Schwarber is healthy because he’s a sensational player who is a joy to watch.
Bloom letting Kyle leave was a horrific mistake and one that likely cost Bloom his job.
Imagine how Cub fans feel…
There would be even more parity in the AL if the White Sox weren’t so bad.
“Bruised elbow” is an odd choice of description for a hyperextension. Bruising usually results from hitting it on something, while hyperextended implies a stretched muscle/ligament.
bruised can also colloquially mean “banged up*. not an actual bruise.
use a little nuance, literal Larry.
rtc
You ever really stretched a muscle/ligament?
Did it bruise?
I mean here’s the photo for a sprained ankle on Wikipedia
upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1b/…
so you’ve never stretched a muscle before?
bruising happens when you hyper extend….meaning there was most likely blood that released from it considering its extending beyond its power.
go look it up. you bruise when you hyper extend.
Cole Ragans: SIERA 3.41
Luis Gil: SIERA 4.17
Ragans is 20% better at pitching than Gil.
+20% chance Royals win. Let’s Go, Royals!
“Let’s Go, Royals”…I watch about 7-9 teams regularly, so I only watch the Royals 2, sometimes 3 times per week. But that Bobby Witt is just SENSATIONAL(electric)and I’d pay full price just to see him run. The current Yankees vs Royals series has been completely awesome. Go Royals!!
Over/under 9 IP for Ragans and Gil combined for that game.
I’ll take the under
@Yanks4life22
Both perfect games past the 9th inning.
“one of the best seasons of his career with a .251/.372/.496 slash line”
If only there were a way we could quantify that
2024 140 wRC+
2021 145 wRC+
is there a player you could compare to him??
I feel like kyle schwarber (even tho most players have comparisons) is his own player, and isn’t really similar to any other.
FSF
Adam Dunn?
BA+
Dunn 89
Schwarber 91
OBP+
Dunn 109
Schwarber 106
ISO+
Dunn 160
Schwarber 158
wRC+
Dunn 123
Schwarber 123
WAR/600
Dunn 1.8
Schwarber 2.2
Nearly identical hitters (Schwarber, of course, hasn’t fully hit his decline phase). Schwarber a bit better defensively.
that’s what I was thinking as well, Also what website do you use to get your stats? I use baseball savant, and baseball reference.
FanGraphs is my main go to
I’ll have to check that out.
Some interesting things to watch the last couple of weeks.
If Arraez wins the batting title, it will be three in a row with three different teams.
The White Sox need to go 10-6 to avoid the all-time loss record. 8-8 and they’re the worst ever.
Judge’s home runs, can he get to 60 again?
Can Ohtani get to 50-50?
There are always interesting side stories in a baseball season.
Judge hasn’t hit a HR in his past 14 games/62 PA. He’s going to have to hit 9 over the next 17 games. Ohtani is at 46-47 so I think he can do it. The Sox are going to break the record.
BPax
“If Arraez wins the batting title”
So weird that the “batting title” doesn’t go to the best batter.
Who should it go to
WtW
The player who had the best hitting season
Which could be Arraez again, what am I missing?
WtW
You think Arraez is the best hitter in the NL?
Better than Ohtani?
Assad is 27 years old, making Gil’s accomplishments slightly more impressive.
When the Royals got Ragans from Rangers, I sure hope they knew what they were getting or if they just consider themselves extremely lucky that he is becoming one of the best starters in AL.
Owie