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The Opener: Grichuk, MiLB Appearances, Home Openers

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As the weekend fast approaches, here are three things to keep an eye on around Major League Baseball:

1. Randal Grichuk to make D-backs debut:

Outfielder Randal Grichuk is expected to join the Diamondbacks today in Atlanta, according to John Gambadoro of 98.7FM Phoenix. The veteran outfielder signed a one-year, $2MM deal with Arizona this winter but missed spring training after undergoing ankle surgery in January. The D-backs, who recently lost center fielder Alek Thomas to the 10-day IL with a strained hamstring, could certainly use the help in the outfield. Grichuk plays all three outfield positions.

2. MiLB appearances for Edward Cabrera, Justin Verlander, J.D. Martinez:

After making his first rehab appearance for Triple-A Jacksonville last week, Marlins starter Edward Cabrera is set to make his second start for the Jumbo Shrimp this evening (per Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald). He is expected to throw four innings today; he went three in his first appearance.

Meanwhile, Justin Verlander is headed for a minor league rehab assignment, according to the transaction log at MLB.com. He is scheduled to make his first appearance at Triple-A on Sunday (per Brian McTaggart of MLB.com), but he was officially sent to join the Sugar Land Space Cowboys this morning.

Finally, Mets DH J.D. Martinez could make his first minor league appearance of the season today, according to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. Martinez agreed to be optioned after signing his one-year, $12MM deal with the Mets, so this would not be a rehab assignment. However, it would essentially serve the same purpose, giving Martinez a chance to ramp up before getting back to big league action.

3. Home openers on the schedule:

After the Cardinals and Twins played their home openers on Thursday, a whole slate of teams will begin their first series at home today. That includes the Yankees, Tigers, and Angels in the American League, and the Braves, Giants, Pirates, and Rockies in the National League. Meanwhile, the Blue Jays, Red Sox, and Guardians will have to wait until next week before finally kicking things off at their home stadiums.

Nationals Place Victor Robles On Injured List

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April 4: The Nationals announced Thursday that Robles has been placed on the 10-day injured list with a left hamstring strain. They’ve recalled Young from Triple-A Rochester to take his spot on the active roster.

April 3: Nationals center fielder Victor Robles injured his left hamstring during Wednesday night’s game against the Pirates. He suffered the injury running from first to third on a single in the bottom of the second inning. The former top prospect was making just his second start of the 2024 campaign. After the game, manager Dave Martinez told reporters (including Mark Zuckerman of MASN) that Robles would go for an MRI on Thursday.

For what it’s worth, Robles, 26, has suffered hamstring injuries in the past, few of which kept him off the field for long. He dealt with hamstring tightness this spring (per Andrew Golden of the Washington Post), a left hamstring cramp last summer (h/t Zuckerman), left hamstring tightness in May 2021 (h/t Zuckerman), a mild right hamstring strain in October 2019 (h/t Zuckerman), and “hamstring trouble” in April 2017 (per Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post). Only the two earliest instances kept him off the field for more than a game or two.

That said, the Nationals might want to play it safe with Robles, who missed most of the 2023 season with back trouble. What’s more, his speed and outfield range are some of his strongest tools, and surely Washington wants to keep his legs as healthy as possible. Martinez didn’t offer much optimism after the game, telling reporters “I don’t want to assume anything, but [Robles] said he felt it pretty good” (per Nusbaum).

If Robles misses the time, the Nationals can bring up one of Alex Call or Jacob Young, both of whom are on the 40-man roster. Call, 29, has more big league experience, including his 77 starts in center field last season for Washington. Young, 24, started only 32 games in center during his rookie season in 2023, but he took the starting job from Call down the stretch, hitting slightly better and providing extra value on the bases with his 98th-percentile sprint speed. However, Call is coming off a much stronger spring. He posted a 1.099 OPS in 21 games, while Young produced a meager .673 OPS in 20 contests.

The Opener: Lorenzen, Robles, Doubleheader

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A week into the 2024 season, here are three things to follow around Major League Baseball today:

1. Michael Lorenzen makes another rehab start:

This evening, Michael Lorenzen will make his second rehab start for the Round Rock Express, the Triple-A affiliate of the Rangers (per Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News). He threw 50 pitches in his first rehab appearance and could throw 65-70 today. If all goes well, Grant notes that Lorenzen could be activated next week; the earliest he can return from the 15-day IL is Tuesday. When Lorenzen rejoins the rotation, he is likely to push out Cody Bradford, who earned the No. 5 job this spring.

2. MRI results for Victor Robles:

After injuring his hamstring on Wednesday, Victor Robles is set to undergo an MRI today. Pending the results of the scan, it’s possible the center fielder will need at least a short stint on the injured list; both Mark Zuckerman of MASN and Spencer Nusbaum of The Washington Post speculated as much last night.

If Robles does indeed hit the IL, expect an announcement from the Nationals sooner rather than later. The team will take on the Pirates this afternoon at 3:05 pm CT, while manager Dave Martinez will host a pregame press conference at noon. What’s more, the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings play today at 12:05 pm CT, and as TalkNats points out, their lineup announcement could suggest who (if anyone) is headed to Washington to replace Robles on the active roster.

3. Mets, Tigers face off in doubleheader:

There are only six games on the docket in Major League Baseball today, and the Mets and Tigers will face off in two of them. After getting rained out on Tuesday and Wednesday, the two teams will play a doubleheader beginning this afternoon at 11:10 am CT. The second game will begin approximately 30 minutes after the first one wraps up. The Mets (0-4) have now been sitting on a winless record for several days, while the Tigers (4-0) are the only team left standing with a perfect record. Adrian Houser of the Mets and Casey Mize of the Tigers will take the mound in game one, while Detroit will bring up Matt Manning and New York will bring up José Buttó (per Mike Puma of the New York Post) as the 27th men to start game two.

NL Central Notes: Candelario, Donovan, Taillon

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Reds third baseman Jeimer Candelario took an early exit from Wednesday night’s contest with the Phillies. He appeared to hurt himself on a swing in his final at-bat, and while he smacked a double on the very next pitch, he continued to grimace from second base. After the game, manager David Bell said that “hopefully” it was nothing more than “hyperextension of the elbow” (per Bally Sports Cincinnati). He said the team does not believe the injury is serious, but they will reevaluate Candelario on Friday before their series opener against the Mets.

Not so long ago, the Reds appeared to have a playing time crunch in the infield. However, Noelvi Marte’s 80-game suspension and Matt McLain’s shoulder surgery cleared up the logjam. If Candelario requires an IL stint, Cincinnati’s infield depth will suddenly be tested. Spencer Steer and Christian Encarnacion-Strand can play third base, but they’re already playing regular roles in left field and at first base, respectively. Santiago Espinal, acquired in a trade with the Blue Jays late this spring, is another option to fill in at the hot corner.

In other injury news from around the NL Central…

  • Brendan Donovan was also removed mid-game on Wednesday. Leading off for the Cardinals, he was hit by a pitch in the very first plate appearance of the game. Several innings later, he was hit again, and this time, he did not return to left field in the bottom half of the frame. The second pitch hit him on his throwing elbow (per John Denton of MLB.com). Donovan, a versatile utility player, has played six of his seven games in left field this season. The Cardinals already have three outfielders on the IL – Tommy Edman, Lars Nootbaar, and Dylan Carlson – and can hardly afford to lose another.
  • In more positive injury news, Jameson Taillon is progressing well as he recovers from a stiff lower back. According to Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times, the righty’s live batting practice session went well on Tuesday. He is set to make a rehab start on Sunday. If all goes well in his rehab appearance, he could still be on track to rejoin the Cubs in mid-April; two weeks ago, manager Craig Counsell suggested mid-April was the earliest Taillon could return (per Lee).

Padres Tried To Trade For Luis Arraez, Jesus Luzardo

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A year after spending north of $400MM in free agency, the Padres spent a total of $50MM on free agents this offseason, adding just $9.35MM to the 2024 payroll. Indeed, in an effort to slash the budget, president of baseball operations A. J. Preller made most of his biggest acquisitions on the trade market. The Padres added Michael King, Jhony Brito, Kyle Higashioka, Randy Vásquez, and Drew Thorpe from the Yankees in exchange for Juan Soto and Trent Grisham, and several months later, they used Thorpe as one of the headlining pieces in a trade for White Sox starter Dylan Cease. They also brought in Enyel De Los Santos from the Guardians in exchange for Scott Barlow.

However, those weren’t the only notable trades Preller pursued. Throughout the offseason, the Padres were reported to have shown interest in dealing for ace pitcher Corbin Burnes and outfielders Sal Frelick and Jarren Duran. Now, you can add Luis Arraez and Jesús Luzardo to that list of targets. According to Ken Rosenthal and Dennis Lin of The Athletic, the Padres made “a strong offer” for Arraez this spring, and they might have been even more interested in Luzardo – at least until they dealt for Cease in mid-March. 

While it never seemed all that likely the Marlins would part with Luzardo this offseason, he was the subject of significant trade interest. The Yankees, Dodgers, and Orioles were all reported to have checked in on the southpaw. Like all three of those clubs, the Padres were seeking starting pitching this winter, so it hardly comes as a shock that they had their on eye Luzardo. The 26-year-old made 32 starts last year with a 3.58 ERA and 208 strikeouts. His 3.69 SIERA would have led the Padres rotation, while many of his other numbers would have ranked second behind the now-departed Blake Snell. With a $5.5MM salary for 2024 and three full seasons of team control remaining, he was an ideal trade candidate, especially for a team looking to reduce payroll while still fielding a competitive roster.

That the Padres were so interested in Arraez is much more surprising. Like Luzardo, he is a young but proven player with a salary well below his value on the open market. However, he was not the subject of any substantive trade rumors over the winter. Moreover, he plays the infield, arguably the only area San Diego didn’t need to upgrade. While the Padres were linked to several outfielders on the free agent and trade markets, the Padres seemed set with Jake Cronenworth at first base, Xander Bogaerts at second, Ha-Seong Kim at shortstop, and, eventually, Manny Machado at third. That doesn’t leave much room for another All-Star infielder.

As Rosenthal and Lin suggest, the Padres might have hoped to trade Cronenworth and play Arraez at first. However, Cronenworth’s seven-year, $80MM contract that began this season simultaneously makes him inexpensive (in terms of annual salary) yet still rather difficult to trade. Alternatively, the Friars might have been more worried about Machado’s ability to play third base this year than they let on. They could have been planning to move Bogaerts back to shortstop, slide Kim over to third, and plug Arraez in at second. When Machado was healthy enough to return, Arraez could have taken over primary DH duties. Finally, it’s possible Preller simply saw an opportunity to add a star talent on a low salary and chose to make an offer and figure the rest out later. Too much talent is hardly a bad problem to have, and the Padres seem to like stockpiling infielders.

Rosenthal and Lin do not suggest Miami was actively shopping Arraez. However, their report implies that Preller’s offer was enough to tempt Marlins president of baseball operations Peter Bendix. Needless to say, Bendix didn’t pull the trigger, but according to Rosenthal and Lin, that was largely because he “feared [the Marlins] could not adequately replace Arraez.” The report does not address how close the Padres might have come to landing Luzardo before ultimately acquiring Cease; it’s not clear if Bendix ever seriously considered sending Luzardo to San Diego.

The Fish aren’t off to a good start if they’re hoping to contend in 2024. Still, they’re under no immediate pressure to trade either Arraez or Luzardo, arguably their two best (healthy) players. Arraez has another year of arbitration eligibility remaining in 2025, while Luzardo will be eligible for arbitration through the 2026 campaign.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports

The Opener: Heyward, Perfect Records, Winless Teams

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It’s the first Wednesday of the 2024 regular season, and here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around baseball today:

1. Jason Heyward to the injured list?

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic) that outfielder Jason Heyward’s recent scans came back negative, but the team has not yet decided if he’ll require a stint on the injured list. That decision will come at some point today, presumably ahead of this evening’s series finale with the Giants. Heyward has been dealing with back stiffness and has not played since Saturday.

The Dodgers re-signed Heyward on a one-year, $9MM deal this winter following his bounce-back season in 2023. It was his first healthy campaign since 2020. While Heyward and the Dodgers are surely hoping he can skip the IL, his quick return could be bad news for Taylor Trammell, whom the Dodgers claimed off of waivers from the Mariners on Monday. Ardaya notes that Trammell was acquired specifically as a backup option in case Heyward misses time.

2. Tigers, Pirates, and Brewers looking to maintain perfect records

With nearly a week of regular-season play in the books, three clubs have yet to lose a game: the Tigers (4-0), Pirates (5-0), and Brewers (4-0). After sweeping the White Sox in their opening series, the Tigers took game one against the Mets on Monday night before rain canceled their matchup on Tuesday. Casey Mize will take the hill for Detroit this evening, looking to keep the win streak alive. Meanwhile, the Pirates and Brewers sit atop the NL Central. Pittsburgh will send its ace, Mitch Keller, to the mound tonight in Washington to take on Trevor Williams of the Nationals. Milwaukee will start Joe Ross against Chris Paddack of the Twins in what will be Ross’ first MLB appearance since August 2021. The Brewers are hoping to sweep their second consecutive series.

3. Mets, Marlins still seeking first wins

While things are rolling for the Tigers, Pirates, and Brewers, the same cannot be said of the Mets (0-4) and Marlins (0-6), both of whom are still seeking their first wins of the season. New York is hoping to rain on Detroit’s parade tonight, sending Adrian Houser to face off against Mize in his Mets debut. The actual rain, however, might have other ideas; the Mets and Tigers are at risk of getting rained out for the second day in a row. Meanwhile, in Miami, A.J. Puk will hope his second career MLB start goes better than his first as the Marlins try to avoid getting swept for the second series in a row.

The Opener: Jung, Pitching Matchups, MLBTR Chat

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With the 2024 regular season now in full swing, here are three things to watch around baseball today:

1. An IL stint is imminent for Josh Jung:

The Rangers have not yet placed Josh Jung on the injured list, but they will surely do so sometime before this evening’s contest with the Rays. The third baseman suffered a fracture on Monday after he was hit on the wrist while swinging at an offering from Phil Maton. The Rangers were unable to offer a timeline for his return last night, but he will undoubtedly be gone long enough to require an IL stint. Expect an announcement and a corresponding roster move from the team later today.

2. Pitching matchups to watch:

By the end of this evening, all 30 teams will have begun their second (or third) series of the season. That means plenty of interesting starting pitchers and pitching matchups to follow.

Several aces will be back on the bump for their second turn in the rotation, including Logan Webb, Zac Gallen, and Luis Castillo. Perhaps the most compelling matchup to watch will be between Astros Opening Day starter Framber Valdez and Blue Jays Opening Day starter José Berríos. Valdez will be looking to rebound from a mediocre first outing against the Yankees, while Berríos hopes to get his team back on track after last night’s no-hitter.

One more pitcher to keep an eye on is Tigers starter Casey Mize. As long the Tigers and Mets aren’t rained out (a mounting possibility), Mize will make his first start since April 2022. The former top prospect and No. 1 overall pick is returning from Tommy John and back surgery.

3. MLBTR Chat today:

It’s the first chat of the 2024 season! With no shortage of topics to discuss, including injuries, rumors, a recent free agent signing, and a no-hitter, MLBTR’s Steve Adams will host a live chat with readers this afternoon at 1pm CT. You can click here to ask a question in advance, and that same link will allow you to join in on the chat once it begins or read the transcript after it is completed.

NL West Notes: Heyward, Graterol, Treinen, Snell, Montgomery

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Dodgers right fielder Jason Heyward has not played since Saturday. According to Bill Plunkett of The Orange Country Register, Heyward wasn’t even at the stadium on Monday night, as the Dodgers welcomed the Giants for the first matchup of a three-game set. Heyward, 34, has been dealing with a stiff back for about a week. On Monday, he went to get his back checked out, and manager Dave Roberts said he would “probably get some imaging” (as relayed by Plunkett). Presumably, the Dodgers will know more about the severity of his injury later tonight or tomorrow.

If Heyward needs a stint on the injured list, the Dodgers will likely recall Miguel Vargas from Triple-A. Formerly a top infield prospect, Vargas began taking some reps in left field in 2022 and has continued to work in the outfield. A right-handed hitter and inexperienced outfielder, Vargas cannot play the same role as the lefty-batting, Gold Glove-winning Heyward. Still, he can provide the Dodgers with an extra body for the outfield, likely splitting time with Chris Taylor and Enrique Hernández.

In more positive news for the Dodgers, Plunkett reports that right-handed relievers Brusdar Graterol and Blake Treinen are making progress as they recover from a shoulder injury and a bruised lung and ribs, respectively. Graterol is getting ready to throw off a mound tomorrow, while Treinen “might throw lightly off a mound” sometime before Thursday.

In other news from around the NL West…

  • Reigning NL Cy Young and new Giants ace Blake Snell will make his first start of the season on Monday, manager Bob Melvin told reporters (including Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area). He has already begun facing minor league hitters, and he will pitch in a simulated game against his own teammates on Wednesday before taking on the Nationals next week. The southpaw joins a Giants rotation that already features last year’s Cy Young runner-up Logan Webb, highly-touted rookie Kyle Harrison, and flame-throwing reliever-turned-starter Jordan Hicks.
  • Speaking of star free agents who signed too late to pitch in spring training, Jordan Montgomery was unable to throw a proper simulated game this afternoon due to poor weather, but he still got in 50 pitches over three up-downs, reports Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports. Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic adds that Montgomery is scheduled to make his first start for Triple-A Reno on Sunday. The Diamondbacks have not said how many starts the lefty needs before he is MLB-ready, but during his introductory press conference, Montgomery himself said he was eyeing April 19 as the date for his return (per Weiner). Indeed, Robert Murray of FanSided reports that the 2023 World Series champion has a clause in his contract that requires him to be in the majors by April 19. However, Montgomery will presumably stay in the minors a little longer if it is what’s best for his long-term health and performance.

AL West Notes: Verlander, García, Santos, Brash, Sasaki

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A pair of Astros starting pitchers are making progress on their way back from injuries. Justin Verlander spoke to reporters (including Chandler Rome of The Athletic) after a successful batting practice session against live hitters on Monday. He believes his next step will be a minor league rehab assignment. Manager Joe Espada provided a similar update, telling Brian McTaggart of MLB.com that his ace “should be ready to go out on a rehab assignment” as long as he “comes back tomorrow feeling well.” Espada suggested Verlander would need more than one rehab appearance before he can return to the Astros, but the skipper did not provide an exact timeline for the three-time Cy Young winner’s return. Verlander has recovered from the shoulder injury that kept him on the sidelines this spring. Still, he needs more time to build up his arm strength before pitching in an MLB game.

Meanwhile, Luis García has begun to throw off a mound, and Espada says the righty is “ahead of schedule” in his recovery from a UCL injury (per Rome). The 27-year-old underwent Tommy John surgery last May. While he still has plenty of work to put in before he can return to the majors, the Astros are hopeful he can rejoin the rotation by July if all goes well (per Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle). Over 64 games (62 starts) from 2021-23, García pitched to a 3.63 ERA and 3.86 SIERA.

More news from around the AL West…

  • The Mariners received some good news today when reliever Gregory Santos’ MRI came back clean (per Adam Jude of the Seattle Times). He had been dealing with a flareup of inflammation in the strained lat that kept him out for all of spring training. According to Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times, Santos needed the MRI to come back clean in order to resume his throwing program; the hard-throwing right-hander has now begun “light baseball activities” (per Jude). The Mariners have not yet provided a timeline for his return, but they are surely hoping to get him back sooner rather than later. Santos pitched to a 3.39 ERA and 3.32 SIERA in 60 games for the White Sox last season.
  • In other Mariners bullpen news, Matt Brash is making progress as he recovers from right elbow inflammation. While Mariners GM Justin Hollander would not provide an exact timeline for any of his injured arms, he suggested that Brash is the furthest along in his rehab (per Jude). Like Santos, Brash is a hard-throwing right-hander coming off a breakout year. In 78 games last season, he posted a 3.06 ERA and 2.86 SIERA, winning nine games and collecting 24 holds.
  • Eight teams recently sent representatives to watch NPB ace Roki Sasaki pitch in Japan. The Dodgers, Cardinals, Mets, and Yankees were previously reported to be four of those clubs, and now Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reveals that a scout from the Rangers was also in attendance. That leaves three remaining mystery teams present at Sasaki’s latest starts for the Chiba Lotte Marines.

Josh Jung Diagnosed With Fractured Wrist

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Rangers third baseman Josh Jung has been diagnosed with a fractured right wrist, the team told reporters (including Kennedi Landry of MLB.com). Jung was removed from this evening’s game against the Rays in the ninth inning after he was hit on the wrist while swinging at a pitch. Inevitably, he will be placed on the injured list, but how much time he misses depends on the severity of the injury. Jeff Wilson of Rangers Today suggests Jung could actually return sooner if he undergoes surgery. However, Wilson also notes that manager Bruce Bochy could not provide a timeline for the third baseman’s return.

Although this particular incident was largely unavoidable, Jung has begun to develop a reputation as an injury-prone player. He came into spring training in 2021 with a stress fracture in his foot, while he suffered a torn labrum during the spring of 2022. He stayed healthy through most of his rookie season in 2023, until a scorching liner off the bat of Jorge Soler broke his thumb in August. Most recently, the 26-year-old missed time this spring with a calf strain. While some of his injuries have been freak accidents, it’s hard not to see a pattern emerging.

Jung was off to a hot start in 2024, with seven hits (including two home runs) in 19 plate appearances. Although four games is a minuscule sample size, he was working hard to dispel any concerns about the dreaded sophomore slump. He will have to hope his wrist injury does not sap him of any strength upon his return; power is his most important tool.

Thankfully for the Rangers, they have a pair of capable third basemen on the bench in Ezequiel Duran and Josh Smith. While neither is a threat at the plate like Jung, Duran is coming off a respectable breakout season (.768 OPS, 107 wRC+ in 122 games), and Smith has put up impressive defensive numbers over 61 MLB games at the hot corner (12 DRS, 3 OAA). Smith has struggled at the plate thus far in his big league career, but his .233 career batting average on balls in play and his .321 xwOBA last season (compared to a .287 wOBA) suggest that his luck is due to change.

To replace Jung on the active roster, the Rangers could recall either Justin Foscue or Jonathan Ornelas from Triple-A. Ornelas, 23, played eight games for Texas last season, while Foscue, 25, has yet to play in the major leagues. Alternatively, the Rangers could select an infielder from off of the 40-man roster. Veteran Matt Duffy recently signed a new minor league deal with the club, while Jeff Wilson suggests 26-year-old minor league Davis Wendzel as an option after his strong spring.

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