As MLB’s stretch run gets under way, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:
1. Steele scratched from scheduled start:
Cubs manager Craig Counsell told reporters (including ESPN’s Jesse Rogers) last night that ace southpaw Justin Steele had been scratched from his scheduled start today due to elbow soreness. No information is currently available regarding the severity of the issue or how much time the lefty is expected to miss. Rogers indicated that the club expects to know more about Steele’s situation today, while Steele’s teammate Jameson Taillon told reporters (including Rogers) after yesterday’s game that “From everything [he] heard, we’re hoping it’s just a quick thing.”
Regardless of if Steele only misses a start or two or is ticketed for a much longer absence, the news is a devastating blow to the Cubs as they struggle to remain relevant in the playoff picture. They currently sit 3.5 games back with just 3.7% odds at the playoffs per Fangraphs, and the loss of their ace could snuff out any remote hopes the club has of putting together a September surge. Steele missed time with a hamstring injury earlier this year, but in 22 starts, the 29-year-old has posted a 3.09 ERA with a 3.14 FIP in 128 innings. Those results are right in line with what Steele has done for three years running now, and his 3.10 ERA since the start of the 2022 season is fourth-lowest among pitchers with at least 400 innings, bested only by Justin Verlander, Max Fried, and Zack Wheeler.
2. Cole exits start due to cramping:
Steele wasn’t the only ace to have an injury scare yesterday, as Yankees right-hander Gerrit Cole exited his start last night with what the club termed (as noted by The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner) a right calf cramp. The right-hander, who will celebrate his 34th birthday later this week, is set to be evaluated further today but told reporters (including MLB.com’s Drew Davison) that he isn’t “super concerned” about the issue. Cole likened the issue to one he previously encountered against the Dodgers last season, when he avoided the injured list and simply made his next start on an extra day of rest before returning to his routine without further issues.
After missing almost the entire first half with injury, Cole returned in June but hasn’t looked quite like himself over his 69 innings of work this year. His 4.12 FIP is the worst figure of his career, and his 3.65 ERA is the highest its been since the 2017 season during his time with the Pirates. Still, even that diminished level of production is quite valuable, particularly for a Yankees club that has seen its other starters put up a lackluster 4.65 ERA since the start of July.
3. MLBTR Chat Today:
With the calendar now flipped to September, all eyes are on the push to the postseason, where the Mets, Cubs, Red Sox, and Mariners lurk on the periphery of the playoff bubble. Much of the intrigue is focused on the race to the top two seeds in each league, which earn byes through the playoffs and have little certainty headed into the seasons final month. If you’re wondering about your team’s hopes of a World Series championship this fall or how your club could approach the coming offseason, MLBTR’s Steve Adams is holding a live chat with readers at 1pm CT today. You can click here to ask a question in advance, join in live once the chat begins, or read the transcript once the chat is complete.
Well Steele having elbow problems isn’t going to help any. Especially if it means Hendricks takes his place.
Poor Uncle—-every single time this year Hendricks was to be taken out of the rotation something happened…..Wicks, Brown, Wesneski, etc…and now Steele. He certainly pitched himself into about the 8th or 9th starter the first month of the season, but nobody else was able to step up and take the ball.
I had a little hope, for you, that Hendricks would get one last, honorary start at Wrigley the last weekend of the year but looks like another four or five starts now.
And–if you have to scratch Steele, it’s OK to shut him down
Considering last time Hendricks took the mound against the Pirates he got absolutely smoked, I would be worried about him taking Steeles start as well. I’d honestly rather see a bullpen game today vs seeing Hendricks take the mound.
Since it usually takes him 70-80 pitches to get to the 4th inning, most of Hendricks’s starts turn into bullpen games anyway.
Tomato/Tomahto
Poor Uncle indeed. It doesn’t matter. Hoyer will give him a 2 year deal for 40 million with a full NMC. And then I’d have to strongly consider suicide by cop.
Uncle Mike,
I assume your “consider suicide by cop” comment was supposed to be a joke. I certainly hope so. Not funny, but better than it being serious.
Tough on the Cub’s slim playoff hopes to lose Steele.. Last night’s loss was tough as well.
4) Hats off to Jose Ramirez for having 34 home runs and 34 stolen bases with a month left in the season. It would be the quietest 40/40 on record.
He’s having an MVP-level season, but in a year when Judge and Witt are having historic seasons, and Henderson, Duran and Devers are also having great campaigns. I’d have him third on the list, but he might not finish top five in the voting. Continues to build a quiet HOF career.
I’m surprised he can steal 34 he looks like he lives his life a little bit large if you know what I mean
“A little bit large”…Looks can be deceiving. JRam doesn’t look like he has a great baseball body, but he clearly packs a wallop into that somewhat rotund body. And I’m not just referring to the Tim Anderson on-field knockout.
Somewhat reminiscent of Kirby Puckett.
Cole’s cramping.
scheduced time off ploy?
CYJ with the latest foolish implication that a player who worked his ass off for decades to get where he is is lazy.
Good lord, the grammer here.
Needs to eat more bananas. Monkey never craps.
Not really a Yanks fan, but I can tell you from experience, calf cramps suck.
The Yankees have both Schmidt and Gil returning this week, so they can easily be cautious with Cole, who has looked like his normal self the last six starts with a 1.85 ERA and 2.65 FIP.
Steele’s potential injury is more problematic. Hopefully just a minor elbow tweak.
The small caveat with Cole is that those last 6 games have been against mediocre offenses.
In order of play and looking at team OPS+
15th Toronto (100)
22nd Texas (95)
25th Detroit (92)
17th Cleveland (98)
20th Washington (96)
Texas again.
Toronto was the best offense he faced. The start before the Jays was the Mets (the 5th ranked offense by OPS+) and they lit him up for 6 runs on 3 homers.
Yankees have a scheduled off-day this week, thus Cole can get an extra day of rest until his next start.
If cole opts out of his contract would the Yankees put on that extra year? Or decline it and sign him to a new deal? Or let him walk?
They don’t have to sign him to a new deal if he opts out. The Yankees can void it and that would add an existing year to his current contract. With his injury concerns this year (mainly his elbow) I don’t think it’s a sure thing that Cashman would automatically void that opt-out clause. But who knows, he doesn’t exactly have a great track record with making the right decisions on star players in their 30s when it comes to money.
Steel, Coal and MLB Chat. Nice start to the day!