The Opener

On the heels of last night’s Home Run Derby, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. 2023 All-Star Game:

The 93rd MLB All-Star Game is set to take place in Seattle tonight. Phillies manager Rob Thomson will manage the NL squad against Astros manager Dusty Baker in the AL. Yankees ace Gerrit Cole will take the ball for the AL against Diamondbacks right-hander Zac Gallen at 7pm CT this evening. The American League will be looking to defend their nine-season winning streak in the Midsummer Classic in tonight’s game, though they’ll do so without fan-elected starters Aaron Judge and Mike Trout, who have been replaced by Adolis Garcia and Austin Hays in the starting lineup.

2. MLB Draft Day 3:

Yesterday saw all 30 organizations select a variety of potential future big leaguers in Rounds 3-10 of the MLB draft. The draft will conclude today with Rounds 11-20 starting at 1pm CT. At this point in the draft, most top-tier talents are prep players expected to honor their commitments to play collegiate ball. To have a realistic shot of signing any of them, a club would have to have saved up a considerable portion of their bonus pool from the first two days. Players like shortstop Roch Cholowsky (committed to UCLA), right-hander Joey Volchko (a Stanford commit) and southpaw Cameron Johnson (an LSU recruit) are all widely considered to be among the best 50 to 100 talents in this year’s overall draft class but could be tough signs at this point.

3. MLBTR Chat Today:

With MLB’s All-Star festivities fully underway and the 2023 draft reaching its final stage, the attention of MLB clubs will soon turn to the coming trade deadline on August 1. If you have any questions about your favorite team’s direction in the coming weeks or a trade idea you have in the back of your mind, 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.

On the heels of the beginning of the 2023 MLB draft last night, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. The 2023 Home Run Derby:

A staple of All-Star festivities, the Home Run Derby returns tonight with a group of eight sluggers set to battle it out for a $1MM prize. This year the participants, in order of seeding, are: Luis Robert Jr. of the White Sox, Pete Alonso of the Mets, Mookie Betts of the Dodgers, Adolis Garcia of the Rangers, Randy Arozarena of the Rays, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of the Blue Jays, Julio Rodriguez of the Mariners, and Adley Rutschman of the Orioles.

Robert, Betts, Garcia, Arozarena, and Rutschman are all first-time participants in the derby. Rodriguez participated in the derby last year, storming to the finals before losing by just one homer to reigning champion Juan Soto. With Soto not participating this season, the most recent derby winner in tonight’s field is Alonso, who won the contest in both 2021 and 2019, with his 2019 victory coming in a hard-fought final against Guerrero. This year’s Home Run Derby will take place at 7pm CT and air on ESPN.

2. Day 2 of the 2023 MLB draft:

Day 1 of the MLB draft began with the Pirates selecting LSU right-hander Paul Skenes with the first overall pick. By the end of the night, 70 picks had been made in total. The draft will kick back into gear for Day 2 at 1pm CT this afternoon, with rounds three through ten slated to take place today. While much of the top-tier talent was already selected on Day 1, a handful of top players remain on the board. Virginia Tech outfielder Jack Hurley (No. 36 in the class, per MLB Pipeline) and prep right-hander Travis Sykora (No. 40) represent the top college and high school players remaining, respectively, per MLB.com. The Athletic’s Keith Law lists prep shortstop Roch Cholowsky (No. 23) as the top high schooler available, while Vanderbilt lefty Hunter Owen (No. 38) is his top remaining college player.

3. Pham to undergo MRI:

Mets outfielder Tommy Pham departed yesterday’s loss to the Padres in the first inning due to right groin soreness. Per MLB.com, Pham will undergo an MRI today to determine the severity of the issue. With the Mets not scheduled to play until Friday due to the All Star break, it’s possible that Pham’s injury won’t end up requiring him to miss any time at all, though a more severe issue would be an unfortunate turn of events for both Pham and the Mets. Not only has Pham been an impactful bat for the Mets this season, with a .277/.350/.485 slash line in 234 plate appearances that’s good for a wRC+ of 130, but a significant injury at this point on the calendar would surely complicate the club’s ability to shop Pham ahead of the trade deadline on August 1. The 35-year-old veteran made the top 10 of MLBTR’s recent Top 50 Deadline Trade Candidates as the top outfielder listed.

As the baseball world gears up for the beginning of All-Star festivities this weekend, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on throughout the day today:

1. MLB Draft kicks off this weekend:

All-Star week festivities will begin with Day 1 of the 2023 MLB draft on Sunday. This year’s draft class is headlined by a pair of LSU standouts: right-hander Paul Skenes and outfielder Dylan Crews. The next tier of prospects is made up by a trio of outfielders, with the University of Florida’s Wyatt Langford standing alongside prep bats Max Clark and Walker Jenkins. The Pirates, Nationals, Tigers, Rangers, and Twins will make the first five picks of this year’s draft. Day 1 of the draft will consist of the first two rounds, with coverage beginning at 5pm CT on Sunday. For more information on how to watch draft coverage, click here.

2. Rodon to make season debut:

Left-hander Carlos Rodon is poised to make his regular season Yankees debut today after missing the first half of the season with a forearm strain and back tightness. Rodon will take the ball for tonight’s game against the Cubs, which starts at 6:05pm CT. Rodon is currently on the 60-day injured list, meaning the Yankees will need to make both a 40-man roster move and an active roster move to accommodate him prior to the game.

Rodon’s return comes as the Yankees seek their first series win in July. The ace lefty sports a 2.62 ERA and 2.42 FIP in 310 2/3 innings of work since the start of the 2021 season with a 33.9% strikeout rate during that time. He’ll join fellow ace Gerrit Cole atop the Yankees rotation, with right-handers Luis Severino, Domingo German, and Clarke Schmidt following up the duo. Even after Rodon’s return, the Yankees will still have two of their five planned rotation members for 2023 on the shelf in lefty Nestor Cortes and righty Frankie Montas.

3. Manoah to return:

Right-hander Alek Manoah is set to take the ball for the Blue Jays against the Tigers tonight at 5:40pm CT. It will be Manoah’s first big league appearance in just over a month, coming on the heels of Toronto optioning the 2022 AL Cy Young finalist to the lowest rung of the minors after he struggled to a 6.36 ERA and 6.53 FIP across 13 starts to open the season. That brutal stretch culminated in a six-run drubbing by the Astros where Manoah threw 38 pitches and recorded just one out.

The Blue Jays are surely hoping that Manoah’s figured something out during his time away, as the 25-year-old hurler looked like one of the most promising youngsters in all of baseball entering the 2023 campaign. During the first two seasons of his career, Manoah posted a phenomenal 2.60 ERA and solid 3.51 FIP across 51 starts. Upon Manoah’s return, Toronto’s Opening Day rotation that also featured Kevin Gausman, Chris Bassitt, Jose Berrios, and Yusei Kikuchi will once again be intact.

With the beginning of All-Star festivities just around the corner, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day:

1. Ruiz to undergo testing:

A’s outfielder Esteury Ruiz injured his throwing shoulder while diving back towards first base during yesterday’s win over the Tigers, manager Mark Kotsay told reporters, including Martin Gallegos of MLB.com. Ruiz will undergo x-rays and potentially an MRI today. The 24-year-old rookie, who was shipped to Milwaukee from the Padres in the Josh Hader trade at the deadline last year before joining Oakland in the three-team deal that sent Sean Murphy to Atlanta, has had an unusual season as the club’s starting center fielder. Ruiz owns a slash line of just .257/.310/.329 across 369 plate appearances this season, good for a wRC+ of just 85.

While that performance at the plate certainly leaves something to be desired, it’s been paired with solid defense in center field and a whopping 43 stolen bases, a figure that leads the majors. With fellow outfielder Ramon Laureano already on the injured list himself, outfielder JJ Bleday seems likely to slide over to center if Ruiz misses time, opening up more starts for Brent Rooker and Seth Brown in the outfield corners.

2. Dodgers to make IL decision on Graterol:

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic) that right-hander Brusdar Graterol has been dealing with an arm issue that’s caused him to be unavailable for the past two days. Trips to the injured list can be backdated a maximum of three days, so it’s hardly shocking that Roberts indicated a decision on whether Graterol will require an IL stint for the issue will be made prior to tonight’s game against the Pirates.

Graterol, 24, is among the few bright spots in the Dodgers’ bullpen this season. The hard-throwing righty sports an ERA of just 1.95 with a 3.10 FIP in 37 innings of work. Alongside closer Evan Phillips and left-hander Caleb Ferguson, Graterol creates the backbone of a Dodgers bullpen that has struggled outside of its core, resulting in collective 4.47 ERA that ranks seventh-worst in the majors. Should Graterol miss time, lefties Alex Vesia, Justin Bruihl, and Victor Gonzalez are all on the 40-man roster at the Triple-A level, as is righty Nick Robertson.

3. Series Preview: Astros vs. Mariners

A series to watch begins in Houston this evening, as the Astros take on the Mariners. The Astros haven’t looked like the same dominant team that stormed to their second World Series championship in six seasons last October, sporting a 49-38 record that puts them in second place in the AL West. Similarly, the Mariners have slipped since ending MLB’s longest active postseason drought last year, with a record of just 42-43 in 2023.

The four-game set, which kicks off 7:10pm CT this evening, could have significant implications for both clubs going forward. The Astros are just two games behind the Rangers for the division crown after going 8-2 over their last ten games. With Texas facing a 34-52 Nationals squad in their final series before the All-Star break, Houston will likely need a strong series to stay on their heels. Meanwhile, the Mariners are one of several preseason playoff contenders who have struggled to this point in the 2023 campaign. A particularly strong or weak showing during this series from Seattle could impact their front office’s decision-making ahead of the trade deadline on August 1.

The Mariners will send George Kirby, Luis Castillo, Bryan Woo and Logan Gilbert to the mound. Houston, meanwhile, has tonight’s starter listed as TBD, with a trio of Hunter Brown, Framber Valdez and Brandon Bielak to follow. Chandler Rome of The Athletic tweets that Cristian Javier will not start a game during the team’s final series before the break.

As the All Star break draws near, here are three things we’ll be keeping a eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Cowser to debut:

Orioles outfield prospect Colton Cowser is set to make his MLB debut during this evening’s game against the Yankees. Cowser, 23, is a consensus top-40 prospect in the sport who’s torn up Triple-A to the tune of a .330/.459/.537 slash line in 257 plate appearances at the level this season. A corresponding move will be necessary to clear space for Cowser on the club’s 40-man roster. MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko, who was the first to report the Cowser news, also indicated that the Orioles could make additional roster moves beyond the ones necessary to make way for Cowser. It’s possible those moves could add an additional arm to Baltimore’s bullpen, which is currently operating with just seven arms.

2. Rodriguez to return:

Tigers left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez is poised to return to big league action this evening as he takes the mound against the A’s. After managing just 91 innings of work in his first season with Detroit, Rodriguez has been dominant in 2023. The lefty posted a phenomenal 2.13 ERA and 3.18 FIP over 11 starts before going on the injured list with a ruptured pulley in his left index finger at the end of May. Rodriguez’s return was preceded by that of fellow lefty Tarik Skubal, who struck out six and allowed nothing but a hit by pitch across four scoreless innings against the A’s last night.

Despite the club’s record of 37-47, the Tigers are only 5.5 games out in an extraordinarily weak AL Central division. With the rotation finally getting healthy and the trade deadline less than a month away, Detroit will need to determine quickly whether or not to listen to offers on Rodriguez, who can opt out of the final three years and $49MM on his contract and return to the open market after the 2023 season comes to a close.

3. Rendon IL decision incoming:

Angels third baseman Anthony Rendon left yesterday’s game against the Padres after fouling a pitch off his shin and was seen using crutches after the game. Initial x-rays came back negative and Rendon expects to know whether or not he’ll require a trip to the IL today, though he admitted last night that “it doesn’t look good.” In 183 plate appearances this season, Rendon has hit .236/.361/.318 with a roughly league average wRC+ of 97. While Rendon’s plate discipline numbers have been fantastic (13.7% walk rate against a strikeout rate of just 14.8%), he’s had a lot of trouble generating power as evidenced by his .081 ISO, which would be a career low if maintained over the course of the full season.

Should Rendon require an IL stint, it will be yet another blow to an Angels position player group that has lost Mike Trout, Gio Urshela, Brandon Drury, and Zach Neto in recent weeks while also playing the majority of the season without either half of their primary catching tandem of Logan O’Hoppe and Max Stassi. Angels fans are also surely waiting to hear more about the status of Shohei Ohtani, who exited yesterday’s game with a blister issue and indicated uncertainty over how the issue would impact his hitting in the last few games before the All-Star break.

Here are three things worth monitoring today…

1. Fourth of July:

Since it is the Fourth of July, that means there’s a whole lot going on, including an entire day of baseball action. It gets started early with the Reds and Nationals kicking things off at 10:05am Central, and will go deep into the night with the Pirates and Dodgers starting at 8:10.

Naturally, there’s more than just the on-field action for fans to enjoy. There will be plenty of fireworks, food and festivities of all kinds as America celebrates its 247th birthday.

2. Trout wrist injury:

Angels outfielder Mike Trout departed last night’s game with an apparent injury. He later told reporters, including Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register, that he was getting X-rays on his left wrist. “I’m just praying the results come back clean,” Trout said. “It doesn’t feel great. Hopefully it’s just a sprained wrist.”

Needless to say, any kind of significant injury to Trout would be a serious blow to the Angels. With Shohei Ohtani set to hit free agency in a few months, the club is hoping to make the playoffs this year, both to break their own drought that dates back to 2014 and show Ohtani they can put a winning team around him in order to convince him to stay. Losing their other superstar for any amount of time would obviously hamper those efforts. Though if the issue is minor, the timing would be fairly fortunate since the upcoming All-Star break would allow Trout to take a few days off to recuperate.

3. Skubal back on the hill:

The Tigers are expected to send left-hander Tarik Skubal to the mound as their starter in today’s game. This would be his first time in a major league game in almost a full year, as his last appearance was August 1 of 2022. He posted a 3.52 ERA in 21 starts last season before requiring flexor tendon surgery that has kept him out of action until now.

The Tigers also recently welcomed back Matt Manning and have Eduardo Rodriguez potentially coming back tomorrow, making their starting rotation the healthiest it has been in quite a while. Those pitching injuries have contributed to a lackluster 37-46 record but that only puts them 4.5 games off the lead in the weak American League Central. If the stabilized rotation helps them win a few extra games, they could get right back in the race. Like the Angels, the Tigers haven’t made the playoffs since 2014, the longest active droughts in the league. Skubal is on the 60-day injured list and will require a corresponding 40-man move in order to be activated.

With the calendar now flipped to July, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Uncertainty surrounding Kershaw:

Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw has been dealing with elbow inflammation since his most recent start last week. The Dodgers have yet to decide whether the veteran lefty would require an IL stint, but with his next start scheduled for today, they’ll need to make a call within the next few hours. As noted by Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register, right-hander Michael Grove is poised to take the ball against the Pirates this evening if Kershaw isn’t ready to go.

Kershaw has been the Dodgers’ most reliable starting option this season, posting a 2.55 ERA and 3.54 FIP in 95 1/3 innings of work — including a sterling 1.09 ERA in five June starts. The club has gotten a worrisome 5.26 ERA from the rest of its starters this season thanks to rough first halves from Grove, Julio Urias, and Noah Syndergaard, a stat that highlights Kershaw’s importance to the team in the long-term. What’s more, Urias and right-hander Tony Gonsolin combined for just 6 2/3 innings of work when starting the club’s past two games, leaving the Dodgers with a taxed bullpen that would be unlikely to pick up the slack if Kershaw required an early exit.

2. Whitlock to undergo MRI:

Red Sox right-hander Garrett Whitlock is expected to undergo an MRI today on the heels of his exit from yesterday’s start against the Blue Jays after just one inning with elbow tightness. In the event Whitlock misses time, Boston will be left in a pickle regarding their rotation; the club sports just three active starters besides Whitlock in James Paxton, Brayan Bello, and Kutter Crawford. Chris Sale and Tanner Houck are on the injured list and don’t appear close to a return, right-hander Nick Pivetta was recently demoted to the bullpen, and both aforementioned issues apply to veteran hurler Corey Kluber.

While the club could place Pivetta back in the rotation going forward, Chad Jennings of The Athletic notes that Cora has expressed hesitance at the idea of moving him out of his current role. After two appearances where he struggled to adjust to his new role, Pivetta has dominated out of the bullpen with a 1.93 ERA and 3.23 FIP in his past 11 appearances.

3. Series Preview: Orioles @ Yankees

The Orioles head to Yankees Stadium for a four-game set in New York today. The series kicks off with right-hander Tyler Wells taking on Domingo German, who will be making his first start since throwing the first perfect game in more than a decade. Both clubs  scuffled in June. The Yankees posted an 11-14 record since June 1, and while the Orioles have fared better with a 14-12 record, Baltimore has won just one of its last five series. In a highly competitive AL East, a quality showing in this series will be key for both clubs. The third-place Yankees could tie the Orioles in the standings with a sweep, while the Orioles will need a strong showing to keep pace with the division-leading Rays, who lead Baltimore by 5.5 games in the division.

As we move into July this weekend, three stories to watch around the game:

1. NL East showdown:

The Marlins finished off a three-game sweep of the Red Sox yesterday, riding 6 1/3 scoreless innings from Jesús Luzardo to an eventual 2-0 victory. The Fish have taken five straight to move a season-high 14 games above .500. They remain in possession of the top Wild Card spot in the National League and four games clear of the Phillies, the closest non-playoff team.

Miami carries that strong form to Atlanta, where they’ll take on a Braves club riding a five-game win streak of their own. Atlanta is six games up on the Marlins and a strong favorite to take the NL East. Miami hasn’t shown any signs of fading yet, though, setting the stage for an interesting three-game set. Miami will turn to Bryan Hoeing in game one; Atlanta hasn’t yet announced a starter but is generally expected to recall Mike Soroka after optioning Jared Shuster to Triple-A.

2. Carroll day-to-day:

D-Backs outfielder Corbin Carroll left yesterday’s loss to the Rays due to soreness in his right shoulder. The NL Rookie of the Year frontrunner lost most of the 2021 minor league season after undergoing surgery on the same shoulder. Testing postgame fortunately did not reveal any structural or strength issues and Carroll is listed as day-to-day (link via Steve Gilbert of MLB.com). The first-time All-Star acknowledged the soreness initially “shook (him) up pretty good,” so the early results are certainly a relief. Carroll is already among the best players in the league, hitting .290/.366/.559 with 17 home runs as a 22-year-old.

3. Bryant to return?

The Rockies have been without Kris Bryant since May 30 due a left heel contusion. Plantar fasciitis in the same foot had wrecked the majority of his first season in Colorado. It seems he’s on the verge of a return, as manager Bud Black told reporters he was likely to be reinstated from the 10-day injured list for this weekend’s series against the Tigers (relayed by Patrick Lyons of DNVR). The former MVP only needed one rehab outing with Triple-A Albuquerque before feeling equipped to jump back into MLB action. He’s hitting .263/.346/.374 over 50 games on the year.

Yankees right-hander Domingo German is the talk of baseball after throwing just the 24th perfect game in Major League history last night. The right-hander set down all 27 Athletics hitters in a row, punching out nine along the way and finishing out the evening with a tidy 99 pitches. As fans buzz about that history-making performance, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye out for today…

1. Wainwright milestones approaching:

Cardinals righty Adam Wainwright will take the ball tonight and make the 400th start of his illustrious career. He’ll become just the 140th pitcher to ever make as many starts in his career, and a victory over the Astros would push him to 199 total victories in his career. The final season of Wainwright’s career hasn’t gone as he hoped either from a team or personal level. The Cardinals currently sit 13 games under .500 and nine games back in the NL Central, while Wainwright has struggled to a 6.56 ERA with a career-low 10.9% strikeout rate through his first nine starts and 46 innings on the season.

2. Sale headed for MRI:

Red Sox lefty Chris Sale, already on the 60-day injured list due to a stress reaction in his shoulder blade, is headed for an MRI to provide further clarity on his potential timetable to return, Alex Speier of the Boston Globe tweets. A specific return date for Sale hasn’t been clear to this point, though his placement on the injured list occurred on June 2, meaning he’ll be out until at least early August. The oft-injured Sale, 34, had a dismal start to the season but looked like the Sale of old in six starts prior to landing on the injured list, pitching to a 2.25 ERA with a 29.5% strikeout rate against just a 3.6% walk rate in 36 innings. With Sale, Corey Kluber and Tanner Houck all on the IL, the Red Sox have deployed James Paxton, Brayan Bello, Garrett Whitlock and Kutter Crawford in the rotation recently.

3. MLBTR Free Agent Power Rankings this afternoon:

It’s been a couple months since the last edition of MLBTR’s Free Agent Power Rankings was published. We’ll have an updated version of our forward-looking rundown of the top end of this year’s free agent market published later on this afternoon. It’s a pitching-heavy group, headlined of course by two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani. But, with some key free agents struggling and others thriving well beyond expectation, there are also some changes in the rankings further down the list. The Aug. 1 trade deadline is the clear focus for most baseball fans right now, but if you’re looking to peak ahead to the upcoming winter, check back this afternoon for a glimpse at what the market will have to bear.

As the 2023 regular season continues, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Cohen to hold press conference:

Mets owner Steve Cohen will be holding a press conference before the club’s game against the Brewers this evening, as Cohen himself announced on Twitter. Cohen’s presser comes as the Mets are in the midst of a brutal June that’s seen them go 7-16 and fall to 8.5 games out of a Wild Card spot. Their chances of an NL East title this season appear even more remote as they’ve fallen to fourth place in the division and sit a whopping 16 games back of the Braves.

With the odds of playoff baseball coming to Queens this season appearing remote, rumors have begun to percolate regarding the Mets as potential sellers, up to and including the idea of veteran ace Max Scherzer changing uniforms before the trade deadline on August 1. It’s not currently known what Cohen’s plans for the press conference are, though as perhaps the most unconventional and publicly active owner in the sport, the presser is sure to be worth keeping an eye on.

2. Central division races tightening:

While the Braves, Rangers, Rays, and Diamondbacks all have relatively healthy leads in their respective division races with Arizona’s 2.5 game lead on the Giants standing as the smallest margin, both the AL Central and the NL Central appear to be extremely competitive in the run up to the All Star break. Following a loss by the Twins to the Braves and a win over the Royals by the Guardians yesterday, Cleveland (38-40) has moved within half a game of the Twins in the AL Central (40-41). With six more games against the Royals prior to the break while the Twins stare down a pair of matchups against Baltimore, the Guardians have a clear path toward taking a lead in the division.

In the NL Central, meanwhile, the Pirates have begun to fall out of the race after going just 4-15 over their last 19 games. That leaves the top dogs in the division as the Reds, who have surged to the front of the division after rattling off 12 straight wins earlier in the month. Milwaukee lurks just half a game behind them, and the Brewers will have an excellent opportunity to separate themselves from the pack in the Central prior to the All-Star break. In their final seven games before the break, they’ll play four against the Cubs (in third place, three games back of the division lead) and three against Cincinnati.

3. Abrams to be re-evaluated:

Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams is set to be re-evaluated this morning following his departure from last night’s game against the Mariners, according to MASNsports.com’s Mark Zuckerman. The young shortstop was struck by a pitch in the right elbow during yesterday’s game, the second time he’s been hit in that spot this week. Abrams missing time would be an unfortunate turn for the Nationals as the 22-year-old looks to continue developing at the big league level in hopes of reaching the promise that made him a consensus top-10 prospect in baseball heading into the 2022 season and a cornerstone of the Juan Soto trade. Utility infielder Ildemaro Vargas took over for Abrams at shortstop last night and figures to fill in should Abrams miss time.