Typically, The Opener (and MLBTR in general) focuses purely on baseball. Today, however, we’re making a rare pivot to the larger sports world as the NBA will hold its draft this evening at 7pm CT. Given that, unlike MLB, the NBA allows trading of draft picks, draft day often serves as the catalyst for a bevy of deals and rumors. Our sister site, Hoops Rumors, is set to provide the same type of coverage we at MLBTR offer during peak transactional periods in the baseball calendar, such as the trade deadline and the winter meetings. Yesterday, a three-team deal between the Celtics, Wizards, and Grizzlies saw Kristaps Porzingis, Marcus Smart, and Tyus Jones change teams. With more sure to come in advance of this evening’s draft, basketball fans who enjoy MLBTR’s content should check in at Hoops Rumors for up-to-the-minute coverage and analysis of the moves and rumors throughout the day.
As we approach the halfway point in the 2023 regular season, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:
1. Giants looking to tie Reds’ streak:
The Giants have won their past 10 games, catapulting them to second place in the NL West, just two and a half games behind the division-leading D-backs. Now in possession of the top Wild Card spot in the National League, they’ll look to extend their winning streak to 11 games, tying a Reds club that has Thursday off for the longest active streak in the Majors. In order to do so, San Francisco will need to topple red-hot Padres lefty Blake Snell, who’s allowed just two runs in his past five starts — a total of 30 innings that has seen the former AL Cy Young winner post a hearty 45-to-13 K/BB ratio. They’ll also likely do so without outfielder Mike Yastrzemski, who’s headed for an MRI on his ailing left hamstring today, per Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area (Twitter link).
2. Transactions loom in Boston:
The Red Sox are poised to have a busy day before this afternoon’s game against the Twins, as reports indicate that pitching prospect Brandon Walter will make his MLB debut in Minnesota today. That’s not the only expected movement on the club’s roster, however, as catcher Reese McGuire suffered a strained oblique during yesterday’s game, prompting reports that Boston plans to select catcher Caleb Hamilton to the roster today. A 40-man roster move will be necessary to make room for Hamilton, though only an active roster move will be required to clear space for Walter.
Hamilton made his MLB debut with the Twins last season, spending time at catcher, first base, and DH. He struggled in that brief call-up to the big leagues, slashing just .056/.227/.222 in 23 plate appearances. In the minors, the 28-year-old has fared better, though he still posts below-average offensive numbers with a slash line of .206/.316/.377 in 114 games at the Triple-A level. Hamilton figures to back up Connor Wong for the Red Sox while McGuire is on the shelf. As for Walter, the 26-year-old lefty dominated Double-A hitters last season with a 2.88 ERA in 50 innings, though he’s failed to do the same in Triple-A. In 69 1/3 innings at the minor leagues’ highest level, Walter has posted a worrisome 6.49 ERA, albeit with a slightly more palatable 4.74 FIP in 2023.
3. Calhoun headed to the IL:
Yankees outfielder Willie Calhoun is likely headed to the injured list today, as Calhoun himself told reporters (including MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch). While the team hasn’t made a timetable for his return official, Calhoun compared his current injury to one he’s had in the past, which he said required a PRP injection and 3-4 weeks on the shelf, a timeline which would leave Calhoun out past the All-Star break. Hoch speculates that infielder Oswaldo Cabrera could replace Calhoun on the active roster.
Calhoun’s been a roughly league average bat for the Yankees this season, slashing .239/.309/.403 with a 96 wRC+ in 149 plate appearances. Even with those mediocre numbers, however, New York still figures to miss Calhoun’s presence on an offense that’s already scuffling badly without team captain Aaron Judge. Only Anthony Rizzo, Gleyber Torres and Jake Bauers, have posted above average seasons by measure of wRC+ in at least 100 at-bats besides the injured Judge. Even that group has struggled recently, with only Bauers posting an OPS above .800 in June. The Yankees figure to try and right the ship against the Mariners this evening.
Get well quickly Yaz! As well as all of our other injured teammates! Can’t wait for Harrison! Extend Zaidi now! Let’s go Giants!!!!!!
I’d have preferred Murphy over Walter, but we can still go L-R-L in a semi-BP game.
Nice to get hot against the NL West. Padres are not good these days-dull and very expensive!
I think they need a new catcher. Has cost them big time this series. Also thankful the Giants went the way they did with that position.
Not an article topic, but I am pretty underwhelmed by the Pirates City Connect jerseys. I feel the last couple of CC jerseys have not been nearly as creative as they originally were.
When losing Willie Calhoun for a month is a big problem…..I
If that doesn’t set off every fire alarm in NYC, nothing will.
That’s a scary thought. I thought the Rangers got a beast in the Darvish trade. Hahahaha
It’s the Mariners who need to “right the ship” over the Yankees, as the Yanks have taken the first two games of this series. Even with a win today, there will be no “righting of any ship” against the Yankees today. I sense a keen & severe BIAS by MLBTR towards the Seattle Mariners if they indeed thought the Yankees were the ones who needed to “right their ship” today. (Not even counting the appropriate nautical theme in the metaphor being bandied about.)
Hoping for good news on Yaz. Hang tough Giants. The baseball Gods giveth and the baseball Gods taketh away. It’s an up and down ride.
Very thankful for the flexibility in the line up.
Finish it, Giants.
I wonder what the O’s asking price is for the guy filling in for Cedric Mullins since they won’t need him soon.
1. Giants have been beating up on weak teams, as they should do. They’ll have a bit of a challenge against the D-Backs but the rest of the schedule for the first half should be a cake walk. Garbage teams like the Blue Jays, Mets, Mariners, and Rockies.
2. A 6+ EAR in AAA? If the Twins weren’t such a terrible team, this would be concerning but I wouldn’t be surprised that he has a decent 5+ innings of 1 or 2 runs.
3. What a rollercoaster career for Willie Calhoun. Guy was considered a top prospect for the Dodgers when they traded him away and he’s struggling to be an average player.
the dodgers series was arguably one of the tougher series of the year and the giants swept it in this streak including putting 2 points on bobby miller’s ERA.who hadn’t given up a run in multiple starts.. in this padres series – they just beat the rays so they were on the upswing coming in.
@bag o ballz
True, I wasn’t trying to discount that series but a lot of players get up for rivalry games than they would against say the Nationals or A’s.
Every team gets their opportunities to beat up on underperforming or weak teams. However certain teams don’t get the same credit for it than others. It wouldn’t even be mentioned if a team that is expected to dominate does their job.
The Giants are historically underestimated and overlooked. Even when winning 3 World Series a decade ago, the chatter was that they got lucky, got hot at the right time, the other teams collapsed. 2021 was so completely inexplicable for many, so that was obviously just a fluke too. “It’s only May, it’s only June, it’s only…”
The media has even recently tried to switch the big story rivalry (which has been in place between the Dodgers and Giants since New York) to be Dodgers-Padres.
I think maybe the Giants aren’t as media friendly because there are no big time fancy superstars, but just a group of hard workers who perform well as a unit with a next man up mentality.
It’s okay though. Keep underestimating the Giants. The generalized bewilderment is just seasoning at the feast.
@York they just swept Dodgers and have taken first 3 against Padres. They swept Brewers and Phils last month along with taking 2 of 3 from Astros. They ve been beating alot more than just the weak teams.
As a frequent Farhan critic, I am happy to eat crow right now, but would point out that they are are succeeding not because of his typical dumpster-diving, but because he’s been able to do what many have wanted: bring up the kids to plug these holes and stop the plug-and-play from other rosters approach. They’ll still need to be active in the trade market for an innings-eating, end-of-contract high cost starting pitcher, and perhaps an RBI guy who fits the same profile, but it’s better to be cementing in a #2 or #3 WC slot than to just maintain a passable ML roster.
Biff. Well eaten. Good job. However, maybe the kids are ready now so he doesn’t have to hit the waiver wire. Isn’t that logical when taking into account the amount of time they have spent in the minors ?
The dumpster diving produced most of those young kids. JD Davis comes from the dumpster dive of Darin Ruf.
In addition, Thairo Estrada, Lamonte Wade, and Mike Yastrzemski are obvious examples of dumpster diving gone right.
Scott Alexander, Jakob junis, and Blake Sabol are all varying levels of dumpster diving as well.
Where are the fire Farhad people at now?