Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:
1. Crews to debut:
Just a few months after Pirates right-hander and 2023 No. 1 overall pick Paul Skenes made his big league debut, he’s now set to be joined in the major leagues by his former LSU teammate and No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 draft: Nationals outfielder Dylan Crews. The 22-year-old Crews was a consensus top-10 prospect in the sport entering the year and has slashed .270/.342/.451 in 100 games between Double-A and Triple-A. Crews has swatted 13 home runs, posted an impressive 25-for-30 record on the basepaths, walked at an 8% rate and fanned in 20.5% of his plate appearances.
With regular right fielder Alex Call hitting the 10-day IL over the weekend, it seems likely that Crews will take the lion’s share of starts there alongside fellow top prospect James Wood in left and glove-first speedster Jacob Young in center. That will likely leave struggling veteran Joey Gallo relegated to a part time role as a first baseman and DH alongside Juan Yepez and Andres Chaparro. Crews’ first big league appearance is set to come at home in D.C. against the Yankees, who will be starting southpaw Nestor Cortes (4.00 ERA) in tonight’s game.
2. Moore being evaluated for elbow issue:
Veteran southpaw Matt Moore is dealing with an injury scare after exiting yesterday’s loss to the Blue Jays in the middle of an at-bat against infielder Ernie Clement. Moore’s departure was preceded by a two-run homer served up to Toronto catcher Alejandro Kirk, but Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register was among those to note after the game that the lefty’s exit was due to an elbow issue rather than his performance. Angels manager Ron Washington told reporters after the game that the club’s current plan is to re-evaluate Moore today after they travel to Detroit for tomorrow’s game, so it’s possible an update on the 35-year-old’s status won’t be available until then. It’s been a tough season for Moore, who was one of the best lefty relievers in baseball from 2022-23 but has seen his ERA balloon to 5.03 in 48 1/3 innings this year. His strikeout rate has dipped below 20% while his walk rate has crept up to a hefty 12.4%.
3. Taylor on waivers—with more to come?
Yesterday saw the Pirates place center fielder Michael A. Taylor on waivers, offering any of the league’s other 29 clubs the opportunity to claim the veteran for nothing other than the remainder of his contract. Taylor figures to be the first of several veterans waived in the coming days, as out-of-contention clubs hoping to shed a bit of salary while presenting veterans an opportunity to join a postseason push for the season’s final month.
Given the fact that players acquired after the calendar flips to September are not eligible for postseason rosters, players placed on waivers over the next few days are likely to have the best odds of being claimed. Just under a year ago, the Angels were the most proactive team in parting ways with players via the waiver wire when they allowed a handful of veterans headlined by Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez to hit the waiver wire.