As the 2024 regular season continues, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world heading into the weekend:
1. Series Preview: Rangers @ Twins
A pair of AL contenders who have struggled a bit more than expected so far in the 2024 campaign are set to face off in a weekend series starting this evening as the Twins host the Rangers at Target Field for a three-game set. The Twins currently sit 6.5 games back of the Guardians for the AL Central crown with a 26-23 record despite having come into the season as the defending division champions, while the reigning World Series champions in Texas have fallen below .500 with a record of just 24-27 but are just three games back of the Mariners in what has turned out to be a surprisingly weak AL West division. Both teams have also faced particularly deep struggles recently as the Twins have lost seven of their last ten while the Rangers have lost eight.
The series is set to begin at 6:10pm local time this evening, when Twins righty Bailey Ober (4.40 ERA) takes on Rangers journeyman Jose Urena (3.29 ERA). Veteran Michael Lorenzen (3.61 ERA) is set to take on Twins right-hander Chris Paddack (4.47 ERA) tomorrow, while it’s unclear who will start for Texas on Sunday opposite Minnesota’s struggling staff ace Pablo Lopez (4.72 ERA). With Jon Gray, Nathan Eovaldi, and Cody Bradford all currently on the injured list, it’s possible the club will be forced to turn to a young arm such as Jack Leiter, Owen White, or Cole Winn to make a spot start.
2. Ramos nearing return:
The White Sox lost infielder Bryan Ramos to the injured list just over a week after calling him up to the majors due to a left quad strain, but it appears the 22-year-old youngster is nearing a return to action. As relayed by Scott Merkin of MLB.com, general manager Chris Getz told reporters yesterday that Ramos would be activated from the IL at some point this weekend. That’s great news for the club, as Ramos has experience at both second and third base and figures to offer a noticeable upgrade offensively over either Nicky Lopez (52 wRC+) or Danny Mendick (69 wRC+) upon his return. Ranked by Fangraphs as the #54 prospect in the sport, Ramos held his own with a decent .281/.294/.344 slash line in his first ten games, good for a wRC+ of 78. In 77 games at the Double-A level last year, Ramos slashed an impressive .271/.369/.457 with a wRC+ of 122.
3. Who’s starting for the Braves today?
The Braves have not yet decided their starter for today’s game against the Pirates, manager Brian Snitker told reporters (including Mark Bowman of MLB.com) last night. The club’s recent doubleheader against the Padres has left the rotation in need of a spot start, but the club’s recent decision to option right-hander Bryce Elder to the minor leagues means that their on-paper sixth starter won’t be available to take the ball unless he replaces an injured player on the roster. Assuming the club will look for another alternative in its minor league system, each of Huascar Ynoa, Allan Winans, and Dylan Dodd have been working out of the rotation at the Triple-A level for the club this year and have enough rest to be a potential option for today’s spot start.
Ynoa is the most accomplished of the three at the big league level after pitching in parts of four MLB seasons including a 107 ERA+ showing in 91 innings of work back in 2021. That being said, Ynoa has struggled to stay healthy in recent years and has been lit up for a 6.52 ERA in 9 2/3 innings of work at Triple-A so far this year. He’s also on the minor league IL and hasn’t pitched in an official game since the middle of April. That could lead the Braves to offer the start today to either Winans or Dodd, both of whom made their MLB debuts last year and have pitched to decent results at the Triple-A level this year. Dodd has not yet appeared in a big league game this season, while Winans surrendered seven runs (six earned) in five innings of work during a spot start earlier this year. All three arms are already on the 40-man roster, but the Braves would still need to clear space on the active roster in order to accommodate today’s starter.
Re: Braves, Darius Vines is on the active roster. Seems most likely although it is odd he wasn’t named already.
Waldrep’s next scheduled start is today…yes, he hasn’t pitched above AA, but the last month he’s been dominant. It’s at home vs. a not great offense…it could be a spot start/audition for later in the year, when the need will be greater.
Disable Austin Riley (hasnt played since May 12th) for a day and call up a spot starter. Then, bring Riley back tomorrow if they want.
You can only backdate an IL stint by three days. He’s have to stay on for at least 7 more days if they started it today retroactively
Good to know, there goes that plan. What a waste of a roster spot then.
Heck no. The Braves screwed up A J Smth-Shawver by moving him up too soon. He may never recover mentally and mechanically. So no way should the Braves screw up another top pitching prospect by rushing him to the majors too soon.
AJSS so screwed up yesterday (vs. CHC). Gimme a break. These snowflakes aren’t going to break after 1-2 bad starts. IF they did, you really want them taking the ball in the World Series, which isn’t that what we’re doing here?
I think we’ll see Waldrep either today or in the very near future…next month or 2. There’s no reason to let a guy like this waste away in the minors.
It’s not a home game for ATL, fwiw. My mistake.
@RunDMC
Waldrup actually pitched Tuesday making Sunday his next scheduled start.
Good catch. I looked at his Milb.com player card and it gave Mississippi’s next scheduled game, when I was thinking it was his next scheduled start. Thanks for the correction.
You would have to release of 60 day IL someone since Waldrep isn’t on the 40 man roster
I bet it’s David Fletcher.
I see what you did there.
Book it.
Braves already answered the question naming Ray Kerr tonights starter
Okurrr
Leiter just started Wednesday and Winn has been exclusively a reliever and was just optioned so he can’t be recalled. White is possible but he was sent down and not sure if Sunday will be the minimum days allowed before being recalled. Best guess assuming he’s not needed is Shaun Anderson who had been starting in AAA before getting called up.
Kerr already called up and named tonight started, he will replace AJSS in roster, who was placed on the 15 day IL with strained left oblique.
Insert Ramos at third and just leave him there.
The Twins became dramatically worse this off season. Definitely not a contender!
Twins are in the playoffs if the season ended today. That kinda makes them a contender.
KyleT: As long as fate is with the Twins and they avoid the Yankees this time. During the Mariners first couple of years as an expansion team, somehow they always beat the Yankees. I remember Lou Piniella, who was the Yankees manager, blowing up more than once during a series in Seattle. Great fun.
Twins may make the playoffs but unless they do something serious at the trade deadline they’ll be eliminated right away.
“struggling staff ace Pablo Lopez”
He got shelled his last start which raised his ERA by nearly a run. Otherwise he is performing about the same as last year.
His game logs are odd. Some of his best performances are against decent/great offenses (i.e. BOS, BAL — SEA not great offense, but still 1st place), but then terrible showings against: DET/CHW, wha…? He should be going crazy on those matchups.
True, but he has been much more inconsistent this year. Not allowed 4-5 runs in a couple games seems like an easy way to get back on track though.
Not sure why we’re highlighting two bad ball clubs playing a series against each other. It would make more sense to highlight the MIL-BOS series that pits a #3 ranked offense in MIL against the #2 ranked pitching. Should be a more exciting series than Twins-Rangers.
Old York: I remember last season when there was a big match up (I forgot which teams) towards the end of the season that had PO implications but MLBn decided to show the Yankees against Detroit.
Seems like an odd choice to highlight for sure. Not taking away from TX/MN, but yeah Brewers/Sox, SF/Mets, Cubs/Cardinals and Soto’s return to SD will be tops on my weekend viewing.
Yankees just split a home series against the Mariners and Padres are playing pretty good ball right now so should be an interesting series.
Sox/Brewers is definitely a match up of two teams out performing expectations.
Giants/Mets is the opposite, two teams not living up to expectations.
Cubs/Cardinals is always interesting but Cards lousy play this year seems to take some of the intrigue out of it
Ramos needs to be given as much rope as possible at third; the Sox have displayed a surprising amount of punch lately, so if he can catch up to an AL fastball & take some pitches he may drive in some runs.