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.
Good to see the Buccos are rearranging the deck on the Titanic with the arrival Billy McKinney.
Hold on, Ghost. If anyone has driven their Titanic of an organization into a very large iceberg more than anyone, it’s the reinsdorf-piloted White Sox.
He should of made club at start of season! Another stupid move! Should of kept him in cf and never signed Talor.
should have, should have, Taylor.
Can’t wait till 4th grade starts, eh?
And save the exclamation points (that’s what they call “!”).
Upon being called up McKinney remarked, “Jack Suwinski back in AAA after a lackluster showing in MLB this year? Hold my beer!”
It seems every year, the Dodgers have a lot of guys – mostly pitchers – on the IL. Still, they always manage to have a big lead over the NLW. Looks like all the injuries have caught up to them this season with both AZ and SD close behind. As much as I’d like to see a team like the Padres or the DBacks win the division strictly for the sake of someone new (and because I like both teams), it might actually be good for the Dodgers. Finishing first every year hasn’t gotten them a full-season ring. Maybe it will take some of the pressure off of them in the PO if they don’t finish first.
avenger
“Maybe it will take some of the pressure off of them in the PO if they don’t finish first.”
That’s ridiculous
Playing an extra round cuts your WS chances in about half.
@DodgersBro Three out of the last four World Series participants didn’t get that memo.
ISD
Yes, they did
They just understood it, unlike you.
@DodgersBro
Try not to be the typical insufferable Dodger fan. You understood my point.
Your point is valid too, although I doubt that percentage. Teams wouldn’t be questioning the wisdom of the time off for the top seeds if it were perceived as a bona fide advantage at this point.
ISB
I understood your point, yes
It just wasn’t a good one
“every matchup in playoff history where one team had a layoff of four or more days while their opponent had a layoff of two or fewer days
…
The team with more rest has gone 24-11”
blogs.fangraphs.com/layoffs-havent-hindered-playof…
You’ve just got to feel sorry for the team that spent like 2 billion dollars on players this off season having all these injury problems. Right? Don’t we? Do I? Hmmmm………I’m leaning No.
Um
Imagine being an uncle and acting like a nephew
Muted
I’m going to guess…
Ryan to the 60 and Ahmed DFA
Then Edman takes Ahmed’s spot and Muncy takes Freeman’s if he has to go to the IL or Pages to AAA
Agreed. The more interesting part comes with Freeman healthy and both Muncy & Edman back. You’re left with Kiermaier vs Heyward vs Pages for the last spot.
The team seems to really like Kiermaier, Pages has looked better the last few weeks, and then there’s Heyward. Assuming Freddie goes to IL, Heyward will get saved by the Sept roster expansion.
Makes sense. Forgot about Peterson.
I think Ahmed will be DFA, and Pages will go down.
Not 1 single other player from McCutchen’s rookie season is still playing for the Pirates. Almost unbelievable.
Wow you are really creative in trying to get attention. Come up with a new bit.
Same goes for your Mets with David Wright’s rookie season.
Didn’t want to point that out, but you forced the issue with the tone of your response.
You didn’t even make sense. Move on too something else.
At this stage, who HAVEN’T you muted?
Flanster—I can only guess who you are talking about, but if you mute the muter you never have to keep track again. There’s a very viable reason most sites have stopped comment sections altogether. This is one of the lone sites that allow the ability to keep things sane.
Puzzled why you find that “almost unbelievable”. Cutch is in his sixteenth season, not a high percentage of players make it that far let alone remain on the same team. It would be “almost unbelievable”, if there were any player from his rookie season still on the Pirates. This holds true for all teams.
You remind me of Bill (You can call me Ray) Saluga. Trying to be relevant based on one “joke”. Drop it, please.
I am also perplexed how Ross Ohlendorf isn’t fronting that rotation right now.
Dodgers will fight thru all the injuries, they seem to have every year, but the rotation definitely worries me! If Yamamoto comes back healthy I think they have a really good shot at the World Series with a top three of Glasnow, Flaherty and Yamamoto with Kershaw waiting in the shadows if needed. Stone seems to have hit a wall and fallen off and Buehler and Miller can go kick rocks!
Paul Maholm, where are you?
Ohtani is falling off during the later stages of this season and he is already 30. The contract is going to be a disaster.
He’s playing mvp caliber baseball and he isn’t even pitching this year. I’m sure years down the road it’ll be bad but they’ll probably get their money’s worth
Dodgers are so busy shuffling their deck, you’d think they’re playing poker, not baseball. All this fussin’ over who’s got a sore finger or who needs a scan—back in the day, you’d tape it up and get back in the game.
OY
“you’d tape it up and get back in the game.”
:shakes head:
Yes. A very smart comment
@DodgersBro
Well, I’m just callin’ it like I see it. Seems like today’s game is more about coddlin’ than playin’. Don’t get me wrong—keeping players healthy is important, but sometimes it feels like they’re more worried about paper cuts than pennants. Back then, grit was part of the game, and a little tape went a long way.
OY
“Well, I’m just callin’ it like I see it”
Of course. And that’s the problem.
OY
“I miss the days when a little dirt and determination got you through”
Seems the attitude of individuals like you are the reason that so many institutions are failing. “If I just try hard, I can do it. Who cares if I’m actually fit for the job or know what I’m doing”
Sorry that the world has passed you by. And your half a century old high school education isn’t enough any more
*your
@DodgersBro
You said a word salad without saying a thing. Another problem with our current society.
Funny, how less educated individuals were building America in the 1800 and 1900s and yet nowadays, we can’t build a single thing without taking decades to make a decision. It seems society has regressed since those days.
OY
piss off, old man
Off to mute land with you
Imagine that, that less educated individuals were building stuff 200 years ago when nobody knew [poop] about anything. And now, you have to actually know something.
@DodgersBro
So, less educated individuals built palaces and temples and now we can’t build anything close to that. All we know how to build are rectangular boxes in the sky. Hilarious! Talk about a society regressing.
Thanks to decades of populist governments we have the so-called most educated society in the world that can’t even come close to building like they used to. Amazing! The old days were much better than they are today.
OY
So dumb. Read a book old man
In the 1800’s you would have had to send this message on a damn horse. Now, you are sending it on a beam of light.
Get out of here
@DodgersBro
A beam of light? That’s what this generation thinks is the internet? Wow! My point exactly…
Old York has never heard of a fiber optic cable.
@Squeeze32
It’s more than a beam of light. My goodness If it was a beam of light, you wouldn’t need all the ridiculous infrastructure to go along with it. Clearly, it’s more than that.
Be careful Old York. He’s a tad touchy. Probably Feely too. Just a guess.
You probably think income inequality means something. Lol
@DodgersBro….
Old York is actually right. Maybe you’re just too young to remember those days.
WHY ON EARTH isn’t James Outman still on the major league roster and batting in the middle of the lineup.
@DJ LeDoneHieu
Is that a serious question? Or are you simply trying out new material for Open Mic Night?
One of the guys traded for flaherty has a 1200 ops since being traded. Oh, and he is very young for his level. They got owned
Tfag
Imagine knowing so little about baseball that you think a 1200 OPS in 64 minor league plate appearances means you “got owned”
What a pathetic website this is
Star
….and yet ,here you are!!
Where else should he express his opinions on the Dodgers on this site? On another stupid Aaron Rodgers saga?
@DodgersBro
You’ll have to admit it’s not nearly as bad as that loony bin they call Dodgers Nation on FB.
LF
“You’ll have to admit it’s not nearly as bad as that loony bin they call Dodgers Nation on FB.”
Never been there
So, no, I don’t have to admit it
Is “FB” Facebook? LOL.
Yes….and you’re better off for not ever going.
LF
On Facebook? Agreed
I quit like 5 years too late, but better late than never
My guess is Kiermaier goes. No one claims him and he goes down to AAA until September.
I like your guess! Little Tommy plays that position!
If Freeman is out for a 10 day stint, Muncy will cover him at 1st, which will likely mean Edman will see time in the infield…which means they’ll need Kiermaier to stick around a bit. I sure do like the guy’s mitt in center.
My money is Pages optioned, and Ahmed going down.
Good Luck Braves on Riley. if he is out, you guys are done! Sorry! You are running out of players!
0.153 that’s why.
Lazy opener today. MRIs and Pirates moves?