Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on headed into the weekend:
1. Lewis sidelined:
Twins third baseman Royce Lewis has been through the wringer over the years when it comes to injuries, and he’s now dealing with another scare. As noted by Dan Hayes of The Athletic, Lewis was scratched from yesterday’s lineup due to side tightness he suffered while running the bases prior to the game. Hayes added that the Twins view Lewis’s removal from the lineup as purely precautionary, but for a player who participated in a career-high number of games last year at just 106, any sign of returning injury woes is concerning. Lewis will be looking not only for better health in 2026, but also more effectiveness at the plate. He hit a paltry .237/.283/.388 in 403 trips to the plate for Minnesota last year. Ryan Kreidler, Kody Clemens, Tristan Gray and Eric Wagaman are all on the 40-man roster and have experience at third base, and the Twins also have veteran Gio Urshela back in camp on a minor league deal.
2. Hoglund to meet with doctors:
A’s right-hander Gunnar Hoglund is headed for testing due to a knee issue that’s been bothering him throughout camp, per Martin Gallegos of MLB.com. The former first-round pick, acquired in the Matt Chapman trade with Toronto, made his MLB debut last year. His six-start cup of coffee didn’t go especially well, but the 26-year-old entered camp hopeful of earning another look in the rotation or at least in the bullpen. Injuries have been a persistent issue for Hoglund, who missed the second half last season due to hip surgery and underwent Tommy John surgery in 2021 just prior to being drafted. More details about should be available in the coming days, but if he’s unable to pitch the A’s have a deep group of young arms to work with in the rotation that includes Jack Perkins, Braden Nett, Henry Baez, Joey Estes, and Luis Morales.
3. Offseason additions making team debuts:
As the first weeks of Spring Training continue, impact players around the league are making their first game appearances for their new ball clubs. Three such players are set to start for their clubs today: Orioles right-hander Shane Baz, who will face off against Mitch Keller of the Pirates at 1:05pm local time in Florida; Mets right-hander Freddy Peralta, who will pitch opposite Cardinals southpaw Quinn Mathews at that same time; and Cubs righty Edward Cabrera, who is scheduled to pitch opposite Guardians southpaw Logan Allen at 1:05pm local time in Arizona later in the day. All three hurlers will slot in towards the front of their new rotations.
I’m more looking forward to today’s matchup in North Port where Chris Sale and the 4-2 Braves take on Brayan Bello and the 4-2 Red Sox.
World Series preview? Hey now is the time to be optimistic!
If it’s a Red Sox/Braves world series and somehow Bello is the one lining up against Sale something either went very right or very wrong with the rest of our pitching xD
It could also just be how the previous series played out for each team.
Meow – The Red Sox swept the Jays in the ALCS, but the Braves needed 7 games to beat the Dodgers in the NLCS ;o)
Fever,
I see your profile picture as Devers, that’s an interesting choice considering how that went down lol
I miss Sale too, dude was a beast for the White Sox. Now he’s flourishing again with the Braves.
Acoss – I used it because his facial expression is so funny, and the hatred some people here have for him makes me laugh. It’s my first ever profile pic too! I’m thinking of switching it to the pic of Bregman and Raffy showing each other love last week, what do you think …. should I?
Yeah Sale is just one of many Red Sox HOF’ers pushed out …. it’s been going on since I was a kid, Fisk and Boggs and Clemens and now Mookie, Raffy and Sale. Although Sale should definitely go into the HOF wearing a White Sox hat.
And Mayer finally gets on the field today… against Sale. Ouch. Maybe the toughest left on left match up there is.
It’s like the universe is trying to tell the Twins to give it up and enter rebuild mode.
“If thou shalt not enter a rebuild by thine own design, so shall I do it for you!”
Feel bad for Minnesota fans and hope that Lewis’s injury isn’t serious.
Lewis was scratched from yesterday’s lineup due to side tightness he suffered while running the bases prior to the game.
That’s why I am proposing a new rule for baseball. In odd innings, baserunners circle the bases counterclockwise. In even innings, baserunners circle the bases clockwise. This will help to reduce the overuse injuries that result from running bases in the same direction all of the time.
Initial federal government estimates are that baserunning injuries will be reduced by 700%.
Man, gotta feel for Lewis, he’s got all the right tools, but that injury bug keeps biting him. Frustrating.
Should be interesting who wins the Golden Grapefruit.