Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:
1. Pérez on a hot streak:
The Marlins suffered their first series loss in a month when they dropped two of three against the Astros this week, though they avoided a sweep with yesterday’s victory. They’ll send their best starting pitcher to the mound today in hopes of starting a new streak of series wins. Most think of Sandy Alcantara or Edward Cabrera when thinking of the Miami rotation, but it’s 22-year-old right-hander Eury Pérez who increasingly looks like the staff leader for the Fish. The towering 6’8″ righty was regarded as the top pitching prospect in baseball prior to his 2023 debut, and he’s picked up right where he left off after missing 2024 due to Tommy John surgery. Pérez has roared back with a 2.70 earned run average, 26% strikeout rate and 9.2% walk rate in 50 innings.
That’s impressive in and of itself, but it includes a handful of short and uninspiring performances as he eased back into the league. Over his past six turns, Pérez has been borderline untouchable. He’s pitched 34 innings and held opponents to four runs (1.06 ERA) on just 15 hits and eight walks with 37 strikeouts. Pérez squares off against an underperforming Braves lineup that has lost Austin Riley and Ronald Acuña Jr. to the injured list within the past ten days. A win today would get Miami back to .500, but the Marlins are still six back in the Wild Card chase.
2. Reds push for Wild Card:
The Reds took a step forward in the NL Wild Card this week when they took two of three from the Cubs at Wrigley Field. Chicago is the top Wild Card team, but that series win coincided with a four-game slide in Queens that leaves Cincinnati just three games behind the Mets entering play today. New York is off today, meaning that the Reds have an uncontested opportunity to make up ground as they push towards a potential spot in the postseason. In order to capitalize on that opportunity, however, they’ll need to take down the Pirates during a game started by superstar Paul Skenes. The righty has a 2.02 ERA and 2.41 FIP in 138 innings of work this year.
Despite his status as a frontrunner for the NL Cy Young award, Skenes enters today looking to bounce back from a rough start at Coors Field where he surrendered four runs in five innings of work against the Rockies. The Reds will counter with Brady Singer, who has a 4.36 ERA in 22 starts but is coming off back-to-back gems against Tampa Bay and Atlanta where he struck out 18 batters in 13 1/3 innings of one-run ball.
3. Encarnacion to undergo MRI:
It sounds as though Jerar Encarnacion’s stretch of poor injury luck is continuing. Giants manager Bob Melvin told reporters (including Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle) that the slugging outfielder will miss some time after suffering a hamstring injury in yesterday’s game. He’s scheduled to undergo an MRI today to determine the severity of the issue. Encarnacion has made it into just ten games this year due to a broken hand, an oblique strain and now this hamstring issue. The 27-year-old made an improbable return to the majors in 2024 after demolishing Mexican League pitching, signing with the Giants and going on a similar tear through Triple-A. He’s belted seven homers in 149 plate appearances since reaching the bigs late last year, though a lack of walks (3.4%) and plenty of strikeouts (27.5%) has left him with an overall .231/.255/.420 slash.
The Reds kids are playing their keister off despite their front office’s tepid help at the deadline.
Let’s hope they pull it off despite that, even though it will probably encourage more cheapassery in the future.
Jed Hoyer and Nick Krall could learn from Boston in how to extend your young superstars.
Even though I sound like a film critic, two thumbs up at that one.
De la Cruz is a Boras client so he’s not signing, and CES looks more like a one year wonder. Looks like they did the smart thing and traded India before he tanked. Steer they could try and expend but he looks more like a complimentary player than a franchise one. Also these Delirium beers are fing good yo
Only Stephenson, Abbott and Lodolo
With Trevino given an extension, doubt Stephenson will. Definitely Abbott.
It wasn’t the most impressive of deadlines, but I still don’t fault them. I think they were like 6 games back of a wild card at the deadline? I think they did a decent job of not selling to much of the future on the chances of just getting a wild card spot.
The Mets did their moves more on the hopes of getting the division, the padres I feel did theirs more to keep their wild card position. But both of those teams had obvious problems they needed to address, with the padres needing to do so in order to keep their playoff position. I’m rooting for the reds to grab a playoff spot, so I’m more just glad that they didn’t sell off like a couple of other fringe teams across the league.
I agree ! Def not impressed with their deadline. They didn’t give up much though and got some talent back that’s already performing ! Should be a fun finish to the season !
Encarnacion: Giants best cut their loss and trade him in the off season (for not much). With Devers on board, there really is no place for him.
Cut what loss? The Giants have little invested in him. They signed him less than 15 months ago, so they’ve invested very little in development.
I agree there’s probably limited playing time next season with Devers and Eldridge at 1B/DH, but he can also play the OF. I don’t think they should trade him, as you say, for very little. I’d keep him in Sac as depth for the inevitable injuries.
Everyone’s doing the fish. Yeah yeah yeah
Marlins are playing good ball and they owe it all to the pitching staff. If they actually invest in some offense next winter to go with the pitching they could be a playoff contender
Marlins really feel like they could be this year’s Tigers. If anything, they’re ahead of where the Tigers were last year. The Tigers didn’t stick to .500+ until August 24. The Marlins are a series win away from getting to .500.
It seems like the Marlins are always on the cusp of respectability, but then something catastrophic happens with their roster or front office that jeopardizes all their progress.
Why haven’t you posted anything about Jen Pawol being the first woman to umpire a major league game?
That’s not a lady..
And don’t forget to chastise all baseball viewers who are men that – “it’s about time” and “well overdue” if you do!
Eury Perez has given up two homers in 50 innings this year – until tonight – Braves hit back to back homers against him in the first inning.
EDLC, a Boras client as mentioned by others here, is likely to move on from Cincy. The question is whether that is 2026 trade deadline (highly likely there is a significant work stoppage/strike prior to the 2027!season). The Nationals received Wood/Abrams/Gore for Soto – hopefully that is a high-bar that the Reds can clear…
What kinda package of worthless prospects will the Fish get for Eury Perez?