The Opener

As the 2024 regular season continues, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Mariners under new management:

After struggling badly on offense throughout the season and a 1-8 road trip that allowed the Astros to overtake them in the AL West race, the Mariners took action yesterday by firing manager Scott Servais and installing Dan Wilson as the club’s new skipper. It’s the second midseason managerial change of the month, as it was just two weeks ago that the White Sox overhauled their coaching staff while replacing Pedro Grifol with Grady Sizemore in the manager’s chair.

The question for Wilson and the Mariners now is whether or not the changes in the dugout will help inject some life into a team that has seen its playoff odds sink to just 11.1% according to Fangraphs, or if the club will continue to flounder while the Astros pull further away in the AL West race. Chicago has gone just 3-8 since their swap was made, although given the 1-22 stretch the club had prior to Grifol’s firing, even that meager .272 winning percentage is arguably an improvement. Wilson’s first task will be winning tonight’s game against the Giants, which takes place in Seattle at 7:10pm local time with Luis Castillo (3.51 ERA) on the mound opposite Hayden Birdsong (5.01 ERA).

2. Buxton nearing return?

Uber-talented but oft-injured outfielder Byron Buxton has somewhat quietly put together a strong, healthy season with the Twins this year. His 90 games played this year are the third most of his MLB career to this point, and he’s made the most of them by slashing an excellent .275/.334/.528 (140 wRC+) while posting strong numbers in center field. It’s a huge step forward from a 2023 campaign that saw Buxton offer just 85 games worth of below-average offense while being limited to a DH-only role in a bid to keep the now 30-year-old former All-Star healthy.

Of course, Buxton is currently on the injured list with inflammation in his right hip. That’s surely a worrisome diagnosis for Twins fans given Buxton’s long injury history, but MLB.com’s Injury Tracker provides plenty of reason for optimism by noting that the outfielder has done hitting, fielding, and running in recent days and could be activated from the shelf as soon as today, the first game where he’s eligible to return to action. Minnesota has relied on youngster Austin Martin in center field while Buxton has been out of commission.

3. Yankees getting healthier:

Yankees fans got exciting news yesterday when it was reported that infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. is set to be activated from the injured list today. The news ought to provide a facelift for the club’s struggling infield mix, and more reinforcements are on the way with both Jon Berti and Anthony Rizzo set to begin rehab assignments amid lengthy stays on the injured list this year. Both Berti (87 wRC+ in 17 games this year) and Rizzo (80 wRC+ in 70 games) have struggled to produce at the plate this year, but those issues are par for the course in a Yankees infield that has seen Gleyber Torres, Oswaldo Cabrera, Ben Rice, and DJ LeMahieu all post lackluster numbers with Torres’s 90 wRC+ leading the pack. With New York clinging to a 1.5-game lead in the AL East over the Orioles, the impending returns of Chisholm, Rizzo, and Berti could help the club’s beleaguered infield to show signs of life down the stretch.

As the 2024 regular season continues, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Cole chasing #150 amid struggles:

When veteran right-hander Gerrit Cole takes at Yankee Stadium this afternoon, he’ll do so in search of the 150th win of his career. Should he earn the win for tonight’s game, he’ll become just the fourth active big leaguer to reach the milestone, joining Clayton Kershaw, Justin Verlander, and Max Scherzer. He’s scheduled to take on the Guardians and youngster Gavin Williams (5.02 ERA) at 1:05pm local time this afternoon in his next bid to make that trio a quartet.

It would be a welcome source of positivity in the midst of what has been a very difficult season for Cole. The 33-year-old missed the first ten weeks of the season due to an elbow injury and hasn’t looked like the dominant ace who won the AL Cy Young award last season in ten starts since returning. Over 52 innings of work, Cole has a pedestrian 4.15 ERA with a 4.20 FIP to match. While his 26.8% remains excellent, the righty’s 7.1% walk rate is a tick higher than normal and he’s struggled badly in terms of keeping the ball in the park, with nine home runs allowed already this season.

2. Series Preview: Astros @ Orioles

In what could prove to be a preview of a playoff series, the Astros are set to visit the Orioles for a three-game set that starts today. The set begins amid what has been a difficult month of August in Baltimore, as the club has won just one series so far this month with a 9-10 record over that time. Those struggles have allowed the Yankees to reclaim a half-game lead in the AL East race, leaving the Orioles to enter the upcoming series with an eye toward regaining the momentum that previously propelled them to run down New York earlier this year.

Meanwhile, the Astros are on the upswing in recent weeks with a 12-6 record since the calendar flipped to August and a solid five-game lead over the Mariners in the AL West. A series win against Baltimore could not only help Houston pad its division lead but help them as they look to move further up the overall standings to secure a top-2 record in the AL and the accompanying bye through the Wild Card Series. The Astros will send right-hander Spencer Arrighetti (5.20 ERA) to the mound tonight opposite Baltimore ace Corbin Burnes (3.10 ERA), though the club has not yet announced who will take the ball opposite youngster Cade Povich (5.77 ERA) tomorrow or journeyman Albert Suarez (3.18 ERA) on Saturday.

3. deGrom to begin rehab assignment:

Jacob deGrom hasn’t pitched in an official game since last May, but that’s expected to change tonight with the start of his rehab assignment at Double-A. While Rangers manager Bruce Bochy didn’t commit to a specific day for deGrom’s rehab to begin, deGrom himself indicated that he expected to take the ball today. Whether he ultimately begins his rehab today or tomorrow, it’s surely a huge relief for the 36-year-old to be returning to the mound over a year after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

The Rangers’ postseason hopes are all but snuffed out at this late point in the schedule, but even so it will surely provide a huge boost to the club heading into 2025 if deGrom can return healthy and effective before season’s end. Often considered to be perhaps the best pitcher in the sport when healthy, the right-hander sports an incredible 2.08 ERA and 2.11 FIP dating all the way back to the 2018 season, when he won the first of two back-to-back NL Cy Young awards with the Mets. deGrom has struggled to stay on the field in recent years, with just 186 2/3 innings of work since the start of the 2021 season, but he’s been as dominant as ever in those limited innings with a 2.03 ERA and a mind-boggling 1.59 FIP in 32 starts.

As the 2024 regular season continues, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. World Baseball Classic first-round reveal:

Per a report from ESPN’s Enrique Rojas, organizers for the 2026 World Baseball Classic will announce the brackets for the first round of the tournament today. Sixteen of the 20 participants have already been determined, as the United States, Japan, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Puerto Rico, South Korea, Mexico, Venezuela, the Netherlands, Israel, Italy, Australia, Canada, Panama, Great Britain, and the Czech Republic all qualified automatically thanks to their performance in last year’s tournament. The final four spots in the tournament won’t be determined until next year’s qualifiers. The 2026 WBC will play out across four venues: Houston’s Minute Maid Park, Miami’s loanDepot Park, Japan’s Tokyo Dome, and Puerto Rico’s Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan.

2. Verlander to return to action:

One of the league’s most decorated pitchers is returning from the injured list today, as the Astros are poised to hand the ball to Justin Verlander for his first start since June. The future Hall of Famer is on the 15-day IL, meaning the club will only need to make a corresponding move that clears space on the active roster to accommodate his return. He’ll square off against Red Sox righty Cooper Criswell (4.56 ERA) in Houston.

In ten starts prior to the injury, Verlander had been solid but didn’t look quite like himself, with a 3.95 ERA and 4.99 FIP. The 41-year-old’s return to the Astros rotation should supply the club with some much-needed reinforcement, given each of J.P. France, Cristian Javier, Jose Urquidy, Luis Garcia, and Lance McCullers Jr. have all been lost for the season to injury.

3. Robles injured:

For all of their offensive struggles this year, the Mariners have been extremely pleased with the performance of midseason acquisition Victor Robles. The center fielder signed with Seattle back in June after being released by the Nationals, the only club he had previously known. The change of scenery has served the 27-year-old extremely well. In 50 games with the M’s, he has slashed .280/.340/.413 (120 wRC+) while delivering quality defense in the outfield. The former top prospect’s success impressed Mariners brass enough to earn him a two-year extension that runs through the end of the 2026 season with a club option for 2027.

Unfortunately, the struggling Mariners will be losing that spark at the top of their lineup — for at least the time being. As noted by Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times, Robles suffered a hip injury when he crashed into a wall during last night’s loss to the Dodgers and is expected to miss at least tonight’s game. The loss of Robles leaves Seattle in a bit of a pickle regarding center field, as almost all of the club’s innings in center have gone to Robles or Julio Rodriguez this season. Rodriguez only recently came off the injured list and has not played the field at all since his return. If Rodriguez is unable to return to center field duties, the club could turn to Luke Raley or Dominic Canzone in center, though neither has much experience there. Raley has just 341 career innings there to Canzone’s 231 (big leagues and minors combined).

The Braves already got Tuesday’s news cycle started, and here are some other things for MLBTR readers to keep an eye out for today:

1. Devers nearing milestone:

Red Sox star Rafael Devers is nearing a noteworthy milestone as he sits at 199 career home runs. His next homer will make him the 11th player in Red Sox history to hit 200 homers for the club, and his relative youth at just 27 years old also means that, assuming he hits the milestone before season’s end, he’ll be just the 27th player in MLB history to reach 200 home runs before his 28th birthday. Devers’ march toward 200 homers comes in the midst of a banner year. Through 111 games this season, he’s posted an excellent .298/.377/.591 slash line with 33 doubles, 27 homers, and a career-high five triples in just 488 trips to the plate. That slugging percentage would be the highest of Devers’ career if he can maintain it over the rest of the season.

2. Series Preview: Phillies @ Braves

Despite holding the top two positions in the NL East, it’s been a rough second half for both the Phillies and Braves. Philadelphia has gone just 11-17 since the All-Star break, thanks largely the NL’s worst bullpen performance and a lineup and rotation that have been roughly middle of the pack during that time. Meanwhile, only the Marlins, Rockies and Nationals have seen their rotations yield runs at a higher rate than the Braves in the second half. That shaky performance comes in spite of Chris Sale’s resurgent campaign, which has put him firmly into the conversation for the Cy Young Award.

With just percentage points separating Philadelphia, Milwaukee, and Los Angeles as they fight for the top two seeds in the NL (and the accompanying bye through the Wild Card Series) and the Braves clinging to a 1.5-game lead over the Mets for the final NL Wild Card spot, the Phillies are now headed to Atlanta for a three-game set. The series will kick off at 7:20pm local time this evening with a pitchers’ duel between Phillies ace Zack Wheeler (2.72 ERA) and breakout Braves righty Reynaldo Lopez (2.06 ERA), the latter of whom is making his first start in three weeks following an IL stint for forearm inflammation. Tomorrow will see Aaron Nola (3.45 ERA) square off against Max Fried (3.62 ERA) in a matchup between decorated hurlers. The series will conclude with Braves rookie Spencer Schwellenbach (4.04 ERA) on the mound against an as-of-yet unnamed Phillies starter.

3. MLBTR Chat today:

It’s been a busy few days around the league on the injury front, particularly in the NL where the Braves, Reds, and Diamondbacks have all lost key members of their respective cores to the injured list. If you have any questions about your favorite team’s playoff aspirations and/or their upcoming offseason, MLBTR’s Steve Adams is holding a live chat with readers at 1pm CT today. You can click here to ask a question in advance, join in live once the chat begins, or read the transcript once the chat is complete.

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.

Here are a few things we’ll be watching around baseball heading into the weekend:

1. MLB debuts for Tigers prospects:

The Tigers are set to add two potential infielders of the future — Jace Jung and Trey Sweeney — to their big league roster. Jung, the No. 12 pick in the 2022 draft, is widely ranked among the sport’s top 100 prospects and has slashed .257/.377/.454 with 14 homers, 23 doubles, a triple, two steals and a massive 16.1% walk rate in 91 Triple-A games this season. He’s split his time between third base and second base, with an emphasis on the former, and could slot in as the Tigers’ long-term option at the hot corner. If he can manage to do so, he’ll join his brother — the Rangers’ Josh Jung — as a cornerstone third baseman for an American League team.

Sweeney, twice traded in the past seven months, has gone from the Yankees to the Dodgers to Detroit — most recently as one of two players in the Jack Flaherty trade. Sweeney, 24, was the No. 20 overall pick in 2021. Considered a surefire shortstop defender with a more questionable offensive profile, Sweeney’s bat has erupted since joining the Tigers organization. He’s appeared in 11 games, taken 47 plate appearances and turned in an outrageous .381/.447/.667 slash with a pair of homers, six doubles and four steals. He’s now hitting .267/.345/.450 with 15 home runs and 20 steals on the season. Javier Baez is only halfway through a six-year contract, but he’s hit .222/.264/.349 in more than 1400 plate appearances with Detroit and shouldn’t stand in the way of Sweeney in the long-term if the younger shortstop option proves capable of handling big league pitching.

2. Will Elias Díaz still be a Rockie tonight?

The Rockies placed Elias Diaz on waivers Wednesday, a move that could trim $1.45MM off their payroll and position a respected veteran to join a contending club. The 2023 All-Star Game MVP, Diaz isn’t hitting for as much power as he did in ’23 but sports a .270/.315/.378 slash (80 wRC+) that could at the very least be an upgrade over several teams’ backup options behind the plate. Waivers are a 48-hour process, so it’ll become clear today whether Diaz was claimed or whether he’ll stick with the Rockies for now.

Even if he goes unclaimed, the Rox could put him back on waivers again later this month. Trying a second or even third time could work out differently; Diaz will be owed less money the closer we get to the Aug. 31 postseason eligibility deadline, and it’s always possible that a contending club could incur an injury behind the dish between now and the end of the month, which would alter their interest level.

3. Other waiver outcomes to watch:

Diaz isn’t the only notable veteran on waiver watch this weekend. The Dodgers designated Amed Rosario for assignment on Monday, and the Yankees designated veteran reliever Enyel De Los Santos for assignment on Wednesday. Neither has been claimed or cleared waivers yet. Both teams have up to five days to place their respective players on waivers, and waiting those maximum five days trims the amount of money a new team would need to commit in making a claim. There should be a resolution on Rosario this weekend, and it’s possible we’ll find out what’s next for De Los Santos as well.

Rosario is playing on an affordable one-year, $1.5MM deal and was hitting .305/.331/.415 in 287 plate appearances (with particularly stout numbers against lefties), but the Dodgers opted for superior defenders when making room for Mookie Betts’ return from the IL earlier this week. Rosario has $363K remaining on his salary as of this writing and has a good chance to be claimed. De  Los Santos was rocked for 10 runs in 6 1/3 innings with the Yankees after being acquired at the trade deadline, but he has a solid big league track record and is still averaging better than 95 mph on his heater. With $278K remaining on this year’s $1.15MM salary and two additional seasons of club control remaining, he could be viewed as a worthwhile flier —  even from someone who’s not an immediate contender. In 159 innings from Opening Day 2022 through the day he was traded to the Yankees last month, De Los Santos posted a 3.50 ERA with a 26.4% strikeout rate and 8.5% walk rate.

Here are a few things we’ll be watching around Major League Baseball today:

1. Another Braves outfielder exits with hamstring trouble:

On the same day that Braves center fielder Michael Harris II returned from a two-month stay on the IL with a hamstring strain, left fielder Jorge Soler exited due to hamstring soreness after running out a ground ball in the top of the fourth.

According to David O’Brien of The Athletic, manager Brian Snitker described the injury as “tightness” rather than a more worrisome strain, while Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution notes that Snitker “didn’t sound too concerned.” However, Soler’s own post-game comments seemed a little more ominous. When asked if he was worried about a stint on the IL, the outfielder told reporters, “To be honest, I don’t know” (per Toscano). Ultimately, no one will know the severity of Soler’s injury until he gets an MRI, which he is set to undergo today (per Toscano). That said, the Braves wouldn’t be sending him for a scan if they didn’t have any concerns. After all, it was only a few days ago that Yankees third baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. downplayed the severity of an injury, only for an MRI to reveal a left elbow sprain and land him on the 10-day IL.

Soler has four home runs, 11 RBI, and a .978 OPS in 13 games since joining the Braves ahead of the trade deadline. His hot hitting has been reminiscent of the last time he came to Atlanta in a midseason trade; he hit 14 home runs with an .882 OPS down the stretch in 2021, before helping the Braves to a World Series title and winning World Series MVP honors.

2. Riley Greene to begin rehab assignment:

In more hamstring-related injury news, Tigers All-Star outfielder Riley Greene will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Toledo today. He is working his way back from a hamstring strain he suffered in late July (per the Tigers, via Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic). The Tigers are hoping to have him back before the end of the month (per Chris McCosky of The Detroit News).

The 23-year-old enjoyed a tremendous first half with Detroit, slashing .272/.364/.503 with 17 home runs and 50 RBI through the All-Star break. He’ll look to pick up where he left off over the final weeks of the season. Meanwhile, the Tigers will be pleased to have their star hitter back in the lineup, even as they continue to slip further out of contention in the AL Wild Card race. They have gone 7-10 since Greene last took the field.

3. Dominic Leone exits with elbow soreness:

White Sox reliever Dominic Leone exited yesterday’s game with right elbow soreness, the team told reporters (including James Fegan of Sox Machine). He is set to undergo further testing today, after which the team will presumably provide an update on his status. As Fegan points out, Leone has already missed significant time with elbow trouble this season. Previously, he missed the end of the 2022 campaign with inflammation in his pitching elbow. The 32-year-old journeyman has a 6.63 ERA and 5.09 SIERA in 19 innings of work in 2024.

Here are three things to keep an eye on around baseball today:

1. Braves to reinstate Michael Harris II:

Braves manager Brian Snitker told reporters (including Mark Bowman of MLB.com) that Michael Harris II will be activated from the 60-day injured list today. He will join the Braves in San Francisco as they attempt to secure a series victory over the Giants. The center fielder has been out since mid-June with a hamstring strain.

Harris tore things up at Triple-A over six rehab games, batting .435 with a 1.065 OPS. The Braves will hope he stays hot in the majors; before his injury, he was hitting just .250 with a disappointing .653 OPS in 67 games. Atlanta will need to make an additional transaction or two to clear space for Harris on the 26 and 40-man rosters. Bowman implies the Braves could DFA Adam Duvall as a corresponding move. Duvall is in the midst of a dreadful season (.178/.240/.315, -1.1 FanGraphs WAR), and as Bowman points out, the righty-batting Duvall did not get the start last night even with a left-handed pitcher on the mound.

2. Aaron Judge going for home run No. 300:

Yankees outfielder and AL MVP frontrunner Aaron Judge has been sitting on 299 career home runs since Sunday, when he took Rangers southpaw Andrew Chafin deep for his MLB-leading 42nd homer of the season. With his next long ball, Judge will become the 162nd player in MLB history to join the 300-homer club. He will also, almost surely, become the fastest player to hit 300 home runs. That honor currently belongs to Ralph Kiner, who hit his 300th home run in his 1,087th career game. Judge has played just 954 games since his debut in 2016. In other words, Judge will become the fastest player to reach the 300-homer mark whether he hits his next bomb today, next week, or next month. However, he’ll have a pretty good shot tonight, as the Yankees play their final game of the season against the hapless White Sox. White Sox pitchers have given up the third-most home runs in MLB this season (157).

3. Little League World Series starts today:

The Little League World Series kicks off this afternoon in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Ten teams from around the United States and another ten from around the world will compete to be crowned LLWS champions. The tournament, which airs on ESPN, runs through August 25. Meanwhile, the Yankees and Tigers will take the field in Williamsport for the Little League Classic on August 18.

Here are three things to watch for around baseball this Tuesday:

1. Rays to recall Junior Caminero:

The Rays plan to promote top prospect Junior Caminero before tonight’s game against the Astros. Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times was the first to report the news.

Caminero, 21, is a consensus top-five prospect in the game. He made his MLB debut last September, going 8-for-34 with a .631 OPS in a seven-game cup of coffee. The promising young infielder returned to the minor leagues in 2024, and he has settled in quite nicely during his first stint at Triple-A. He has 13 home runs, an .828 OPS, and a 109 wRC+ in 53 games. What’s more, he has not skipped a beat since returning from his most recent stint on the IL due to quad trouble. The righty batter is hitting .304 with an .857 OPS and a 114 wRC+ in his last 19 games. That’s not overwhelming production, especially coming out of Triple-A, but Caminero has been playing well enough that it’s not hard to see why the Rays decided to give him another shot in the bigs.

Caminero will likely spend most of his time at third base and DH, and Tampa Bay will hope he can provide a boost to a struggling lineup. The Rays have lost six of their last 10 games, and their offense ranks 27th in the majors in runs scored since the trade deadline, averaging just 3.33 runs per contest.

2. Zebby Matthews to debut for Twins:

In more prospect news, the Twins plan to select one of their top pitching prospects to make his MLB debut tonight: Zebby Matthews will get the start against the Royals (per ESPN’s Jeff Passan). Matthews, 24, will join fellow rookies Simeon Woods Richardson and David Festa in the Twins’ rotation. Minnesota’s starting rotation was supposed to be one of the team’s biggest strengths entering the season, but injuries to Anthony DeSclafani, Chris Paddack, and, most recently, Joe Ryan – plus a poor performance from former top prospect Louie Varland – have forced the Twins to rely more heavily on their rookies than they expected to.

Matthews started the season at High-A and made his way up to Triple-A by mid-July. He’s sporting a 2.60 ERA in 97 innings and has demonstrated excellent strikeout skills and phenomenal control at every step along the way (30.5% strikeout rate, 1.8% walk rate). Minnesota might have preferred to give him a little more time at Triple-A – he has a 5.68 ERA over his first four starts with the St. Paul Saints – but Ryan’s injury forced the team’s hand. The Twins will need to make a corresponding move to open up a spot for Matthews on the 40-man roster.

3. MRIs scheduled for Jazz Chisholm Jr., Ketel Marte:

Yankees third baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. exited yesterday’s contest with a left elbow injury after diving awkwardly into home plate (per Greg Joyce of the New York Post). X-rays were negative, and Chisholm told reporters he wasn’t “super concerned” about the injury, but he will undergo an MRI today just in case (per Joyce). Chisholm has been a key player for New York over the past couple of weeks, batting .316 with a 1.062 OPS in 14 games. He has hit seven home runs and scored 13 times for the Bronx Bombers, and the Yankees have gone 9-5 since he joined the team.

Over in the NL, another star infielder will go for an MRI. Ketel Marte aggravated a prior injury in his left ankle last night and exited the game in the second inning (per Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports). Marte sat out on Monday due to his ankle, but he and the team presumed he would be ready to return after a day off. The D-backs have not provided much more information about the potential severity, but manager Torey Lovullo suggested today’s MRI was a precautionary measure (per Weiner). Marte is a dark-horse NL MVP candidate this season, so needless to say, he has been critical to Arizona’s success. He is batting .298 with 30 home runs, a .930 OPS, and a 152 wRC+. His 5.4 FanGraphs WAR ranks third in the National League.

Here are three things we’ll be watching around Major League Baseball today:

1. James Paxton goes for MRI, Red Sox roster moves incoming:

Red Sox starter James Paxton exited his start yesterday in the first inning with a right calf strain. The left-hander will go for an MRI today, after which the team will have a better understanding of his injury. However, it seems all but certain the veteran will be placed on the 15-day IL before tonight’s game against the Rangers. He exited the field in significant pain on Sunday and used crutches to walk around the dugout after the contest.

According to manager Alex Cora (as reported by Chris Cotillo of MassLive), Boston plans to make several additional roster moves today. For one, right-hander Brayan Bello will return from the paternity list to start tonight. In addition, lefty Brennan Bernardino has already been optioned to Triple-A (per Cotillo), although the team has yet to formally announce the transaction. Bernardino gave up four earned runs in 1 1/3 innings of work yesterday.

2. Joe Musgrove returns to the Padres:

All-Star right-hander Joe Musgrove will be reinstated from the 60-day IL to start tonight against the Pirates. Before he is activated, the Padres will need to open a spot for him on the 40-man roster. They could do so by transferring Fernando Tatis Jr. from the 10-day IL to the 60-day IL, considering the superstar is unlikely to return until September.

Musgrove has not played for San Diego since the end of May, nursing inflammation in his throwing elbow. He got off to a rough start this year, pitching to an uncharacteristic 5.66 ERA over his first 10 starts. However, his 4.23 SIERA is a little more promising, and his track record is that of a front-line starting pitcher. Over his first three seasons with San Diego from 2021-23, Musgrove put up a 3.05 ERA and 3.61 SIERA in 78 starts. The Padres will hope to have that version of Musgrove back in their rotation. While they have played exceptionally well as of late (8-2 in their last 10 games, 20-10 in their last 30), they have been relying on Randy Vásquez (4.63 ERA, 4.88 SIERA) as a fifth starter. Musgrove could provide a huge boost as the Padres battle for the NL West down the stretch.

3. Mookie Betts back in right field for the Dodgers:

Mookie Betts will be back in the Dodgers lineup today, batting second and playing right field – not leading off or playing shortstop. Manager Dave Roberts relayed the news to reporters (including Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic) last week. The team is going to stick with Shohei Ohtani in the leadoff spot, while second baseman Gavin Lux and shortstop Miguel Rojas will play the middle infield. Betts will split up Ohtani and Freddie Freeman at the top of the lineup and return to the position where he has won six Gold Gloves.

The eight-time All-Star has been out since mid-June with a fractured hand. While his long absence has dashed his chances of winning the NL MVP, Betts will return in plenty of time to help as the Dodgers attempt to secure what would be their 11th NL West title in the past 12 years. L.A. currently holds a 3.5-game lead over Arizona and San Diego.