Here are three things we’ll be paying attention to around baseball today:
1. Rangers await MRI results for Wyatt Langford:
Sophomore slugger Wyatt Langford exited last night’s game with tightness in his right side, the team revealed to reporters (including Kennedi Landry of MLB.com). According to Landry, Langford is optimistic the injury isn’t too serious, and he noted that it is not as painful as the left oblique strain he dealt with in spring training. Still, the 23-year-old will go for an MRI today, and the Rangers will know more about the severity of the issue after that. Langford is off to a strong start this season, with four home runs and an .894 OPS through his first 12 games. Losing his bat would be a tough blow to a Texas team that is already dealing with several injuries on the pitching front.
2. Pablo López exits with hamstring tightness:
Twins ace Pablo López left his start on Tuesday with what the team later told reporters (including Dan Hayes of The Athletic) was right hamstring tightness. Hayes reports that the right-hander will go for an MRI today. López’s description of the injury doesn’t exactly sound promising – his word of choice was “weird” – but he said he hopes to avoid the IL and make his next start as scheduled. However, he also mentioned that he has never experienced discomfort like this before. Thankfully for the Twins, they have some starting depth at Triple-A, should they need to call upon it. Former top prospect Zebby Matthews is pitching well and seems like the natural first choice for a call-up. Even so, there is no doubt that losing López for any amount of time would be a punch to the gut. Through 16 2/3 innings this season, he has pitched to a 1.62 ERA and 3.34 SIERA.
3. How will the Orioles replace Zach Eflin?
On Tuesday, Orioles manager Brandon Hyde confirmed that the team would briefly shut down Zach Eflin and place him on the 15-day IL. The right-hander is nursing a low-grade lat strain. Presumably, Baltimore will announce Eflin’s IL stint, and a corresponding active roster move, at some point before this afternoon’s rubber match with the Diamondbacks.
When it comes to replacing Eflin in the starting rotation, the O’s have a little more time to make their decision. As MLB.com’s Jake Rill explains, the Orioles can take advantage of two upcoming off days to put off choosing a fifth starter until April 19. At that time, however, they will have to make a difficult decision. Baltimore currently has an entire rotation’s worth of arms on the IL. Grayson Rodriguez, Trevor Rogers, Albert Suárez, and Chayce McDermott all suffered injuries before the season, while Kyle Bradish and Tyler Wells are recovering from elbow surgeries last June. The only other healthy starters on Baltimore’s 40-man roster are late-offseason signing Kyle Gibson, who has not stretched out enough to pitch in the majors; Cody Poteet, who has been pitching out of the bullpen in the minors this season; and Brandon Young, who has no major league experience. Thus, Young seems to be the most likely choice for the start on April 19. He has thrown 11 1/3 scoreless innings over his first two Triple-A starts this season, striking out 11.
It seems to me that the Yankees need to learn how to hit left-handed pitchers.
I don’t know whether the owners are cheaper than we thought or that Elias just doesn’t want to spend, but I don’t understand why the O’s didn’t do more in the offseason. This is their window to win! They should have gone out and stretched that budget and got themselves an ace. Maybe they tried, but this business is about results, not effort. I don’t get it.
Sounds like the O’s offered Burnes 4/$180 million, but he wanted to play in AZ where he has a home. It was an unsuccessful bid, but showed a willingness on the owners part to spend on an ace.
remember: You’re right about not getting enough pitching, but one think I do like that Elias did was to add veterans. This is just my take, but the last two seasons the O’s didn’t have enough veteran players. They relied on young players who hadn’t been to the PO before (2023, obviously). Adding veteran players like O’Neil, Morton and others like Sanchez and Laureano could be the kind of veterans to get them past the first round and hopefully further.
I think you are right that they needed more veteran influence. However, to this point none of the veterans you mentioned have made a positive impact, with the possible exception of O’Neil, though his defense and base running have certainly caused concerns. Granted it’s a small sample size, so let’s hope they can turn things around.
Like Angels/NLW said, they did try. This is just a friendly reminder that *players* actually choose where to play, not the other way around.
Interesting how so many players are suffering oblique strain and hamstring injuries this early in the season…Wonder if starting the season in March and playing in 30 degree weather has anything to do with it????? Probably not as the MLB is way too smart to let this happen to their high priced players 😉
Just like they wouldn’t open the season of the so-called America’s pasttime overseas.
If only they had a stocked minors full of position players to trade from, oh wait. They could have approached the Padres or Marlins in the offseason for a TOR starter. They have the trade assets, but it seems they value their prospects too highly.
@sillywabbit
Why would they approach the Padres or Marlins for one of Toronto’s starters?
Maybe, the Orioles can get fees for facilitating trades between them. 🙂
Yorkie, in this case –
TOR = Top Of Rotation
A.k.a. Ace (or a solid 2, maybe a 1.5)
@Gwynning
Don’t worry, I know. I was just having a bit of fun with the post.
I figured, just making sure! Cheers bub
The Orioles could have pursued Sandy Alcantara or Dylan Cease in the offseason. They need a TOR ace but don’t seem to have much interest in trading for one.
Takes two to tango, and while the Fish may have been available at market, I highly doubt Cease was ever moving for anything less than a giant overpay… which we can assume the O’s weren’t interested in meeting.
Cards have a matz for sale. Comes cheap. Does breakdown sometimes