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Mariners Notes: Servais, Robles, Rodriguez, Crawford

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6:41pm: Crawford is beginning his rehab assignment earlier than expected, as Tacoma Rainiers broadcaster Mike Curto relayed this evening that the shortstop will be in the Rainier’s lineup this evening batting second and playing shortstop.

6:00pm: The Mariners parted ways with longtime manager Scott Servais earlier this week, and the now ex-manager spoke with reporters on the club’s beat (including MLB.com’s Daniel Kramer) yesterday regarding his time in Seattle and the club’s decision to part ways with him.

Servais indicated during his remarks that he had previously thought that if the club missed the playoffs this year, that could lead to the end of his nine-year tenure as the Mariners’ manager. Even, so Servais expressed surprise at the club’s decision to part ways with him midseason, noting (as relayed by Kramer) that his “expectation was that [he’d] get to finish out the year” while also adding that he first heard of his dismissal via news alert on his phone prior to his in-person meeting with Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto, an experience that Servais described as “alarming.”

The 57-year-old was first hired to lead the Mariners back in 2016. Servais had a 681-642 record during his time at the helm of the Mariners, good for a .515 winning percentage despite the fact that his teams made the postseason just once back in 2021 and never won the AL West under his guidance. Despite that relative lack of on-field success, Servais received votes for the AL Manager of the Year award three times during his tenure with the Mariners, including a third-place finish in 2022 and a second-place finish behind two-time winner Kevin Cash back in 2021.

Per Kramer, Servais indicated to reporters that he hopes his split with Seattle won’t mark the end of his managerial career. At least one job opportunity is set to be available this winter after the White Sox fired manager Pedro Grifol earlier this month. Grady Sizemore is currently acting as the club’s interim manager, although White Sox brass have already indicated that the club expects to look for a long-term solution outside of the organization. There’s also some level of uncertainty in the Rockies dugout as the club waits until after the season to discuss the future of manager Bud Black amid what officially became the club’s sixth consecutive losing season yesterday with their 0-3 loss to the Yankees.

More from around Seattle…

  • The club was dealt a bit of an injury scare earlier today when outfielder Victor Robles was struck by a pitch on his right hand during today’s game against the Giants. He exited the game after the incident, but the club fortunately announced shortly thereafter that x-rays had come back negative on the former top prospect’s hand and that he had been diagnosed with a right index finger contusion. The 27-year-old has impressed with a .280/.340/.413 slash line and a 14-0 record on the basepaths in 50 games with the Mariners since signing with them back in June, and while losing their leadoff hitter for any amount of time will surely be a blow, Seattle is a bit better equipped to handle an absence from Robles after young phenom Julio Rodriguez returned to center field yesterday. The 23-year-old has been back from a recent high ankle sprain for two weeks now but had been relegated to DH-only duties until yesterday, when he was finally cleared to return to the field. That kicked Robles over to right field, which now figures to be covered by some combination of Mitch Haniger, Dominic Canzone, and Luke Raley as he nurses his injured finger.
  • While it’s possible that today’s finger contusion could keep Robles out of the lineup for the time being, the Mariners did receive some refreshing injury news yesterday when reporters spoke to shortstop J.P. Crawford as relayed by MLB.com’s Injury Tracker. Crawford took batting practice on the field yesterday and, in conversation with reporters afterwards, indicated that he could begin a rehab assignment early in this next coming week. Crawford has been out for just over a month now while nursing a fractured pinkie finger. The 29-year-old was in the midst of a down season when bitten by the injury bug, with a .204/.299/.347 slash line in 77 games this year, and switch-hitting rookie Leo Rivas has impressed in 26 games while covering for the club’s regular shortstop. Still, Crawford’s return should improve the club’s overall infield mix by allowing Rivas to help carry the load at second and third base alongside Jorge Polanco and Josh Rojas.

Orioles Outright Bruce Zimmermann

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The Orioles announced this afternoon that left-hander Bruce Zimmermann has cleared waivers and been assigned outright to Triple-A. The 29-year-old was designated for assignment earlier this week amid a flurry of roster moves that saw recently-acquired southpaw Trevor Rogers optioned to the minor leagues.

Zimmermann was selected by the Braves in the fifth round of the 2017 draft but was traded to the Orioles during the summer of 2018 as part of the package that brought Kevin Gausman and Darren O’Day to Atlanta. The lefty reached the Triple-A level the following year after dominating to the tune of a 2.58 ERA in 101 1/3 innings of work at Double-A earlier in the year, and that stint at the highest level of the minors teed him up for his big league debut with Baltimore during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. That debut didn’t go quite as well as Zimmermann and the Orioles were surely hoping for, however, as he struggled badly with a 7.71 ERA in his seven-inning cup of coffee that year.

The lefty enjoyed a larger role with the Orioles over the next two seasons as he stepped into a rotation role with the club, though he was limited to about half of a full season’s workload in both years by injuries and occasional trips to Triple-A. Zimmermann’s results were about what you’d expect from a part-time starter for a club in the midst of a lengthy rebuild, as he struggled to a 5.54 ERA that was 25% worse than league average with a 5.74 FIP across a combined 138 innings of work in those years.

Zimmermann was removed from the rotation entering the 2023 campaign and spent most of the campaign at the Triple-A level, although he did make a brief appearance in the big leagues as a multi-inning reliever that summer. He performed passably in the new role, with a below-average 4.73 ERA in his 13 1/3 innings of work but a solid 23% strikeout rate that stood as a considerable step up from his lackluster 17.4% strikeout rate during his time as a starter. The lefty has not yet appeared in the big leagues in 2024 after undergoing core muscle surgery last October, although he has made it back to the minor leagues where he’s pitched to a middling 4.64 ERA in 66 innings of work at the Triple-A level with a somewhat concerning 8.5% walk rate that’s quite a bit higher than the 5.2% clip he’s posted in the big leagues to this point in his career.

Now that Zimmermann is off the 40-man roster, he figures to remain with with Orioles as non-roster depth through the end of the season, at which point he’ll have the opportunity to elect free agency if he hasn’t been added back to the 40-man by then. The lefty is currently in his final option year, meaning that Baltimore would have the opportunity to shuttle him between Triple-A and the majors as needed down the stretch if they were to add him back to the roster at some point.

Reds Select Casey Kelly

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The Reds have selected the contract of right-hander Casey Kelly, per a club announcement. Right-hander Alan Busenitz was designated for assignment to make room for Kelly on the club’s 40-man and active rosters.

Kelly, 34, was a first-round pick in the 2008 draft and a consensus top-100 prospect early in his pro career with the Red Sox. Kelly was packaged with Anthony Rizzo in the deal that brought Adrian Gonzalez to Boston from San Diego, and Kelly’s pedigree as a top pitching prospect helped him to reach the majors during just his second year in the Padres organization. That big league debut left much to be desired, as Kelly pitched to a lackluster 6.21 ERA in 29 innings of work across six starts with the Padres during the 2012 season. Tommy John surgery wiped out Kelly’s entire 2013 season, and he wouldn’t make it back to the majors until 2015 when he surrendered 13 runs (10 earned) in just 11 1/3 innings of work across three appearances.

That ended Kelly’s Padres tenure, and while he briefly found a role with the Braves as a multi-inning reliever during the 2016 season, he wouldn’t find success in the majors until 2018, six years after his big league debut. In San Francisco, Kelly did quite well while swinging between the rotation and bullpen, but even that success was short-lived as his 3.04 ERA spanned just seven appearances and 23 2/3 innings of work. Kelly’s brief stint with the Giants evidently earned him some attention overseas, however, as after parting ways with the Giants he went on to pitch in parts of six seasons for the Korea Baseball Organization’s LG Twins.

In Korea, Kelly was a rotation stalwart who made between 27 and 30 starts each year from 2019 to 2023 while never posting an ERA higher than 3.83. Kelly reportedly received some stateside interest this past offseason but chose to remain overseas, though his sixth season in the KBO did not go particularly well as he struggled to a 4.51 ERA in 19 starts before being cut loose last month. That led him back to affiliated ball, where he signed a minor league deal with the Reds and was assigned to Triple-A Louisville. Kelly was managed by his father, Pat Kelly, while pitching for Louisville and performed decently in two starts, with a 4.50 ERA despite a strikeout rate of just 5.6%. Recent injuries to Hunter Greene and Andrew Abbott have now opened the door for Kelly to make his first big league appearance since 2018, and the journeyman figures to provide Cincinnati with multi-inning relief depth out of the bullpen while the club utilizes a patchwork rotation featuring Julian Aguilar and Carson Spiers alongside Nick Lodolo and Nick Martinez.

Making way for Kelly on the 40-man and active rosters is Busenitz, who departs the club after making just one appearance in the majors this year. In a disastrous relief outing for the Reds yesterday, the right-hander surrendered four runs (three of which were earned) on four hits while failing to strike out a batter in his single inning of work. Busenitz also pitched for the Reds last year and did quite well in a limited role with a 2.57 ERA and 2.26 FIP across seven frames. Busenitz’s time with the Reds was his first taste of big league action in nearly half a decade, as he spent four seasons pitching for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball from 2019 to 2022. The majority of Busenitz’s limited big league experience came prior to his time overseas, when he pitched to a middling 4.58 ERA in 51 appearances across the 2017 and ’18 seasons in Minnesota.

The Opener: Mariners, Buxton, Yankees

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As the 2024 regular season continues, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Mariners under new management:

After struggling badly on offense throughout the season and a 1-8 road trip that allowed the Astros to overtake them in the AL West race, the Mariners took action yesterday by firing manager Scott Servais and installing Dan Wilson as the club’s new skipper. It’s the second midseason managerial change of the month, as it was just two weeks ago that the White Sox overhauled their coaching staff while replacing Pedro Grifol with Grady Sizemore in the manager’s chair.

The question for Wilson and the Mariners now is whether or not the changes in the dugout will help inject some life into a team that has seen its playoff odds sink to just 11.1% according to Fangraphs, or if the club will continue to flounder while the Astros pull further away in the AL West race. Chicago has gone just 3-8 since their swap was made, although given the 1-22 stretch the club had prior to Grifol’s firing, even that meager .272 winning percentage is arguably an improvement. Wilson’s first task will be winning tonight’s game against the Giants, which takes place in Seattle at 7:10pm local time with Luis Castillo (3.51 ERA) on the mound opposite Hayden Birdsong (5.01 ERA).

2. Buxton nearing return?

Uber-talented but oft-injured outfielder Byron Buxton has somewhat quietly put together a strong, healthy season with the Twins this year. His 90 games played this year are the third most of his MLB career to this point, and he’s made the most of them by slashing an excellent .275/.334/.528 (140 wRC+) while posting strong numbers in center field. It’s a huge step forward from a 2023 campaign that saw Buxton offer just 85 games worth of below-average offense while being limited to a DH-only role in a bid to keep the now 30-year-old former All-Star healthy.

Of course, Buxton is currently on the injured list with inflammation in his right hip. That’s surely a worrisome diagnosis for Twins fans given Buxton’s long injury history, but MLB.com’s Injury Tracker provides plenty of reason for optimism by noting that the outfielder has done hitting, fielding, and running in recent days and could be activated from the shelf as soon as today, the first game where he’s eligible to return to action. Minnesota has relied on youngster Austin Martin in center field while Buxton has been out of commission.

3. Yankees getting healthier:

Yankees fans got exciting news yesterday when it was reported that infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. is set to be activated from the injured list today. The news ought to provide a facelift for the club’s struggling infield mix, and more reinforcements are on the way with both Jon Berti and Anthony Rizzo set to begin rehab assignments amid lengthy stays on the injured list this year. Both Berti (87 wRC+ in 17 games this year) and Rizzo (80 wRC+ in 70 games) have struggled to produce at the plate this year, but those issues are par for the course in a Yankees infield that has seen Gleyber Torres, Oswaldo Cabrera, Ben Rice, and DJ LeMahieu all post lackluster numbers with Torres’s 90 wRC+ leading the pack. With New York clinging to a 1.5-game lead in the AL East over the Orioles, the impending returns of Chisholm, Rizzo, and Berti could help the club’s beleaguered infield to show signs of life down the stretch.

The Opener: Cole, Series Preview, deGrom

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As the 2024 regular season continues, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Cole chasing #150 amid struggles:

When veteran right-hander Gerrit Cole takes at Yankee Stadium this afternoon, he’ll do so in search of the 150th win of his career. Should he earn the win for tonight’s game, he’ll become just the fourth active big leaguer to reach the milestone, joining Clayton Kershaw, Justin Verlander, and Max Scherzer. He’s scheduled to take on the Guardians and youngster Gavin Williams (5.02 ERA) at 1:05pm local time this afternoon in his next bid to make that trio a quartet.

It would be a welcome source of positivity in the midst of what has been a very difficult season for Cole. The 33-year-old missed the first ten weeks of the season due to an elbow injury and hasn’t looked like the dominant ace who won the AL Cy Young award last season in ten starts since returning. Over 52 innings of work, Cole has a pedestrian 4.15 ERA with a 4.20 FIP to match. While his 26.8% remains excellent, the righty’s 7.1% walk rate is a tick higher than normal and he’s struggled badly in terms of keeping the ball in the park, with nine home runs allowed already this season.

2. Series Preview: Astros @ Orioles

In what could prove to be a preview of a playoff series, the Astros are set to visit the Orioles for a three-game set that starts today. The set begins amid what has been a difficult month of August in Baltimore, as the club has won just one series so far this month with a 9-10 record over that time. Those struggles have allowed the Yankees to reclaim a half-game lead in the AL East race, leaving the Orioles to enter the upcoming series with an eye toward regaining the momentum that previously propelled them to run down New York earlier this year.

Meanwhile, the Astros are on the upswing in recent weeks with a 12-6 record since the calendar flipped to August and a solid five-game lead over the Mariners in the AL West. A series win against Baltimore could not only help Houston pad its division lead but help them as they look to move further up the overall standings to secure a top-2 record in the AL and the accompanying bye through the Wild Card Series. The Astros will send right-hander Spencer Arrighetti (5.20 ERA) to the mound tonight opposite Baltimore ace Corbin Burnes (3.10 ERA), though the club has not yet announced who will take the ball opposite youngster Cade Povich (5.77 ERA) tomorrow or journeyman Albert Suarez (3.18 ERA) on Saturday.

3. deGrom to begin rehab assignment:

Jacob deGrom hasn’t pitched in an official game since last May, but that’s expected to change tonight with the start of his rehab assignment at Double-A. While Rangers manager Bruce Bochy didn’t commit to a specific day for deGrom’s rehab to begin, deGrom himself indicated that he expected to take the ball today. Whether he ultimately begins his rehab today or tomorrow, it’s surely a huge relief for the 36-year-old to be returning to the mound over a year after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

The Rangers’ postseason hopes are all but snuffed out at this late point in the schedule, but even so it will surely provide a huge boost to the club heading into 2025 if deGrom can return healthy and effective before season’s end. Often considered to be perhaps the best pitcher in the sport when healthy, the right-hander sports an incredible 2.08 ERA and 2.11 FIP dating all the way back to the 2018 season, when he won the first of two back-to-back NL Cy Young awards with the Mets. deGrom has struggled to stay on the field in recent years, with just 186 2/3 innings of work since the start of the 2021 season, but he’s been as dominant as ever in those limited innings with a 2.03 ERA and a mind-boggling 1.59 FIP in 32 starts.

The Opener: World Baseball Classic, Verlander, Robles

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As the 2024 regular season continues, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. World Baseball Classic first-round reveal:

Per a report from ESPN’s Enrique Rojas, organizers for the 2026 World Baseball Classic will announce the brackets for the first round of the tournament today. Sixteen of the 20 participants have already been determined, as the United States, Japan, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Puerto Rico, South Korea, Mexico, Venezuela, the Netherlands, Israel, Italy, Australia, Canada, Panama, Great Britain, and the Czech Republic all qualified automatically thanks to their performance in last year’s tournament. The final four spots in the tournament won’t be determined until next year’s qualifiers. The 2026 WBC will play out across four venues: Houston’s Minute Maid Park, Miami’s loanDepot Park, Japan’s Tokyo Dome, and Puerto Rico’s Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan.

2. Verlander to return to action:

One of the league’s most decorated pitchers is returning from the injured list today, as the Astros are poised to hand the ball to Justin Verlander for his first start since June. The future Hall of Famer is on the 15-day IL, meaning the club will only need to make a corresponding move that clears space on the active roster to accommodate his return. He’ll square off against Red Sox righty Cooper Criswell (4.56 ERA) in Houston.

In ten starts prior to the injury, Verlander had been solid but didn’t look quite like himself, with a 3.95 ERA and 4.99 FIP. The 41-year-old’s return to the Astros rotation should supply the club with some much-needed reinforcement, given each of J.P. France, Cristian Javier, Jose Urquidy, Luis Garcia, and Lance McCullers Jr. have all been lost for the season to injury.

3. Robles injured:

For all of their offensive struggles this year, the Mariners have been extremely pleased with the performance of midseason acquisition Victor Robles. The center fielder signed with Seattle back in June after being released by the Nationals, the only club he had previously known. The change of scenery has served the 27-year-old extremely well. In 50 games with the M’s, he has slashed .280/.340/.413 (120 wRC+) while delivering quality defense in the outfield. The former top prospect’s success impressed Mariners brass enough to earn him a two-year extension that runs through the end of the 2026 season with a club option for 2027.

Unfortunately, the struggling Mariners will be losing that spark at the top of their lineup — for at least the time being. As noted by Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times, Robles suffered a hip injury when he crashed into a wall during last night’s loss to the Dodgers and is expected to miss at least tonight’s game. The loss of Robles leaves Seattle in a bit of a pickle regarding center field, as almost all of the club’s innings in center have gone to Robles or Julio Rodriguez this season. Rodriguez only recently came off the injured list and has not played the field at all since his return. If Rodriguez is unable to return to center field duties, the club could turn to Luke Raley or Dominic Canzone in center, though neither has much experience there. Raley has just 341 career innings there to Canzone’s 231 (big leagues and minors combined).

Braves Sign Gio Urshela

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9:30am: The Braves formally announced the signing of Urshela. Riley has been placed on the 10-day IL to open a spot on the active roster, while lefty A.J. Minter — who underwent season-ending hip surgery recently — was moved to the 60-day IL to open a 40-man roster spot.

8:20am: The Braves and Urshela have agreed to a deal, tweets Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

7:50am: The Braves are nearing a major league deal with third baseman Gio Urshela, per a report from The New York Post’s Joel Sherman this morning. Urshela was recently designated for assignment and released by the Tigers, who’ll be on the hook for the remainder of his $1.5MM salary. The Braves will only owe Urshela the prorated league minimum for the time he spends on the big league roster or injured list. Urshela is a client of Rep 1 Baseball.

The news comes just one day after Braves third baseman Austin Riley was diagnosed with a hand fracture that is expected to sideline him for between six and eight weeks. If that timeline holds, it will leave him out of action for at least the remainder of the regular season and the early portions of the postseason, though it’s feasible he could return to the field if Atlanta makes a deep enough run into the playoffs.

With utilityman Whit Merrifield already covering for the injured Ozzie Albies at second base, that seemingly left the club to rely on top infield prospect Nacho Alvarez Jr. and depth infielder Luke Williams to handle the hot corner down the stretch. With Urshela now in the fold, the club will add a veteran third baseman into the fold who could help raise the floor on their production at the position in Riley’s absence.

For Urshela, the deal represents an opportunity to get regular at-bats with a playoff contender down the stretch while also attempting to re-establish himself as a regular option following a disappointing stint in Detroit this year. Following a 2023 season where he was limited to just 62 games by a season-ending pelvic fracture, Urshela hit free agency and signed a one-year deal worth just $1.5MM with the Tigers back in February. At the time, it seemed to be a bargain for a player who had been a steady regular at third base for several years. It quickly turned sour, however, as Urshela delivered his worst season since establishing himself as a regular with the Yankees back in 2019.

The 32-year-old hit just .243/.286/.333 (73 wRC+) in 325 trips to the plate with the Tigers while splitting time between the infield corners. Defensive metrics are extremely mixed on Urshela’s defense at third, as the veteran has accumulated -17 Outs Above Average at the position since becoming a regular back in 2019. Brutal as that figure may seem, Defensive Runs Saved actually has Urshela as a plus defender at the hot corner over that same timeframe with a +4 figure overall. Still, even the most favorable views of Urshela’s defense leave it difficult to justify him as an everyday option if his hitting numbers remain where they were in Detroit.

Fortunately, there’s some reasons for optimism regarding the veteran’s future. His track record over the past half decade speaks for itself, as he entered the 2024 season as a solid .291/.335/.452 (115 wRC+) hitter since his 2019 breakout with New York. That’s the 16th-best figure among all qualified third baseman over that time frame. What’s more, Urshela’s .271 BABIP is by far the lowest of his career; he entered the 2024 season with a career .319 BABIP that had jumped to .334 since his breakout in 2019.

A return to form in that regard could help Urshela put up numbers closer to league average offensively. His batted ball data also suggests he’s in line for some positive regression. The 32-year-old’s .271 wOBA is a far cry from his .305 xwOBA, a figure that (while still below average) would put him roughly in line with his more palatable 2021 and 2023 seasons, where his offensive output was around 3% and 8% worse than league average (by wRC+). Even that level of production would make Urshela a solid fill-in at the hot corner for Atlanta, particularly if the club doesn’t want to push Alvarez into an everyday big league role in the middle of a pennant race at just 21 years old.

The Opener: Devers, Phillies, Braves, MLBTR Chat

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The Braves already got Tuesday’s news cycle started, and here are some other things for MLBTR readers to keep an eye out for today:

1. Devers nearing milestone:

Red Sox star Rafael Devers is nearing a noteworthy milestone as he sits at 199 career home runs. His next homer will make him the 11th player in Red Sox history to hit 200 homers for the club, and his relative youth at just 27 years old also means that, assuming he hits the milestone before season’s end, he’ll be just the 27th player in MLB history to reach 200 home runs before his 28th birthday. Devers’ march toward 200 homers comes in the midst of a banner year. Through 111 games this season, he’s posted an excellent .298/.377/.591 slash line with 33 doubles, 27 homers, and a career-high five triples in just 488 trips to the plate. That slugging percentage would be the highest of Devers’ career if he can maintain it over the rest of the season.

2. Series Preview: Phillies @ Braves

Despite holding the top two positions in the NL East, it’s been a rough second half for both the Phillies and Braves. Philadelphia has gone just 11-17 since the All-Star break, thanks largely the NL’s worst bullpen performance and a lineup and rotation that have been roughly middle of the pack during that time. Meanwhile, only the Marlins, Rockies and Nationals have seen their rotations yield runs at a higher rate than the Braves in the second half. That shaky performance comes in spite of Chris Sale’s resurgent campaign, which has put him firmly into the conversation for the Cy Young Award.

With just percentage points separating Philadelphia, Milwaukee, and Los Angeles as they fight for the top two seeds in the NL (and the accompanying bye through the Wild Card Series) and the Braves clinging to a 1.5-game lead over the Mets for the final NL Wild Card spot, the Phillies are now headed to Atlanta for a three-game set. The series will kick off at 7:20pm local time this evening with a pitchers’ duel between Phillies ace Zack Wheeler (2.72 ERA) and breakout Braves righty Reynaldo Lopez (2.06 ERA), the latter of whom is making his first start in three weeks following an IL stint for forearm inflammation. Tomorrow will see Aaron Nola (3.45 ERA) square off against Max Fried (3.62 ERA) in a matchup between decorated hurlers. The series will conclude with Braves rookie Spencer Schwellenbach (4.04 ERA) on the mound against an as-of-yet unnamed Phillies starter.

3. MLBTR Chat today:

It’s been a busy few days around the league on the injury front, particularly in the NL where the Braves, Reds, and Diamondbacks have all lost key members of their respective cores to the injured list. If you have any questions about your favorite team’s playoff aspirations and/or their upcoming 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.

Freddie Freeman Playing Through Hairline Fracture In Finger

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August 19: Freeman was diagnosed with a hairline fracture, Roberts told reporters on Monday (X link via Fabian Ardaya of the Athletic). The former MVP will attempt to play through the injury and is in the lineup tonight against Seattle.

August 18: Star first baseman Freddie Freeman came out of the Dodgers’ game against the Cardinals yesterday due to what was at the time termed a jammed finger, but despite initial x-rays coming back negative, the situation has worsened overnight. As manager Dave Roberts told Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times and other reporters, Freeman isn’t able to grip a bat due to swelling. Freeman was out of today’s lineup and is still considered day-to-day, but is scheduled to undergo a CT scan on Monday.

The loss of Freeman would be devastating for a Dodgers club that has had its trio of superstar hitters back on the roster together for just six games since Mookie Betts returned from the injured list to rejoin Freeman and Shohei Ohtani at the top of the lineup last week. Even with Betts having recently returned, however, the loss of Freeman’s .292/.391/.488 slash line is sure to be a major blow to the Dodgers’ offense for however long he’s out of action. With the Padres and Diamondbacks rapidly gaining ground in the NL West title hunt, a lengthy absence for Freeman could mean that the Dodgers might have to go down to the wire in this pennant race without one of their best hitters.

Fortunately for the Dodgers, reinforcements for the lineup appear to be just around the corner. DiGiovanna notes that the club is expected to activate infielder Tommy Edman from the injured list tomorrow, and could do the same with Max Muncy.  Earlier reports suggested that Muncy wasn’t rejoining the roster until later in the week, but Roberts said (as per The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya) the infielder is flying into L.A. to make sure he’s available Monday if needed.

Edman, 29, won’t help the club’s situation at first base very much, but the versatile switch-hitter should improve the lineup in other areas. He’s previously been expected to play center field for the club on a regular basis, but it’s possible that he could see additional time on the infield given the small-sample success Kevin Kiermaier has had with the club since being acquired from the Blue Jays. If Edman, Miguel Rojas, and Enrique Hernández can cover the left side of the infield while Gavin Lux handles second base, that would allow Muncy to act as the club’s regular first baseman until Freeman is ready to return to the lineup.

The 33-year-old Muncy has been out of action since mid-May due to an oblique issue but was off to a strong start — a .223/.323/.475 slash line across 40 games that’s good for a wRC+ of 117, matching his 2023 performance. Edman, meanwhile, has not played in the majors this year due to a lengthy rehab from offseason wrist surgery, but the Dodgers still acquired him from from the Cardinals in a three-way trade with the White Sox prior to the deadline last month. Edman sports a lengthy track record as a roughly league average bat with excellent defense at multiple positions that will hopefully make him an asset to the Dodgers once healthy.

The Opener: Dodgers, MRIs, Pirates

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With just six weeks until the 2024 regular season comes to a close, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Dodgers roster shuffle incoming:

The Dodgers have plenty of questions that need to be answered before they take the field in L.A. opposite the Mariners at 7:10pm local time. Most pressing among those is the status of superstar first baseman Freddie Freeman, who is scheduled to undergo a CT scan today to evaluate a right middle finger injury that’s currently keeping him from gripping a bat. If the 145 wRC+ slugger ends up requiring a trip to the injured list, that could impact the club’s plans regarding Max Muncy. Muncy was originally expected to be activated from the 60-day injured list tomorrow, but Dodgers brass have indicated that the club could activate him a day early depending on the needs of the club in the aftermath of Freeman’s injury.

Activating Muncy would requiring the club to clear space on both the 40-man and active rosters to accommodate the 33-year-old’s return to action. One 40-man roster spot can easily be opened by transferring right-hander River Ryan to the 60-day IL ahead of his impending Tommy John surgery, but that spot on the 40-man is already expected to go to Tommy Edman, who the Dodgers plan to activate today regardless of the decisions made regarding Muncy and Freeman. Ryan is the club’s only obvious 60-day IL candidate as things stand, meaning the club will likely have to designate someone for assignment to bring both Edman and Muncy back into the fold.

2. Several players undergoing MRIs:

Yesterday saw a number of notable players suffer potentially serious injuries, with each expected to undergo an MRI today to determine the severity of their respective issues. Rays closer Pete Fairbanks is already expected to hit the shelf due to a lat strain, but today’s MRI could decide whether the hard-throwing righty returns to action this season. The Braves and third baseman Austin Riley are facing some uncertainty regarding the 27-year-old’s status after initial imaging following a hit-by-pitch to Riley’s right hand and wrist was inconclusive. The Braves are expected to use today’s day off to determine whether or not Riley will require a trip to the IL.

It seems likely that Padres shortstop Ha-Seong Kim will miss at least some time due to the jammed shoulder he suffered during yesterday afternoon’s game, though the Padres fortunately have a deep infield mix that features Manny Machado, Xander Bogaerts, Jake Cronenworth, Luis Arraez, Donovan Solano, and Tyler Wade, allowing them to handle the potential loss better than most clubs. It’s a similar situation in New York regarding outfielder Brandon Nimmo, who exited yesterday’s game due to shoulder soreness and is the fourth regular scheduled for an MRI today. Nimmo’s injury came the very same day that the Mets activated veteran outfielder Starling Marte, so even if Nimmo misses time they’ll have a fairly well-stocked outfield with Marte, Jesse Winker, and Harrison Bader as starting-caliber options.

3. Pirates roster move incoming:

The Pirates are expected to select the contract of outfielder Billy McKinney this evening. Pittsburgh’s outfield lost Joshua Palacios and Andrew McCutchen to the injured list, while Jack Suwinski has been optioned to the minors due to lackluster performance in the majors this year. McKinney, a veteran of parts of six big league seasons who put together a roughly league-average performance with the Yankees in a part-time role last year, has impressed at Triple-A and is currently slashing .295/.396/.450 through 40 games. The Pirates will need to make room for the 29-year-old on both the 40-man and active rosters. With no obvious 60-day IL candidates currently on the shelf for the Pirates, it seems likely the club will have to designate a player for assignment in order to bring McKinney into the fold.

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