The Opener

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

1. How much time will Cruz miss?

The Pirates suffered a massive blow yesterday as their young star shortstop Oneil Cruz suffered a fractured ankle sliding into home plate against the White Sox. In 401 major league plate appearances since the start of the 2022 season, Cruz has slashed .234/.302/.444 with 18 home runs and 13 stolen bases. More details about the specifics of Cruz’s injury and timetable for return could be available later today, though it already seems all but certain Cruz will miss significant time. The Pirates figure to go with Rodolfo Castro at shortstop while Cruz is on the shelf, though it’s possible a call-up from the minors such as Tucupita Marcano or Chris Owings could factor in as well.

2. Potential injury updates ahead of Rays/Red Sox game:

A four-game set between the Red Sox and the Rays figures to begin this evening, with the possibility that both clubs will have injury updates available before the game on players who recently underwent imaging. Red Sox outfielder Adam Duvall injured his wrist on a diving play in center field yesterday, and though an X-ray was done on Duvall after he was removed from the game, no results have been announced to this point. Julian McWilliams of The Boston Globe notes that infielder Bobby Dalbec is expected to join the club in Tampa, meaning he could be the next man up in the event that Duvall requires a stint on the injured list. As for the Rays, shortstop Taylor Walls did not play over the weekend after suffering an elbow injury on Friday, and is set to undergo imaging today. Young infielder Jonathan Aranda is traveling with the team and figures to take Walls’s spot on the roster should he require an IL stint.

3. Adell tearing up the minors:

Former top prospect Jo Adell has long struggled to make the jump from the minor leagues to the majors, as shown by his career wRC+ of just 68 in 161 big league games. After getting an extended run of playing time in 2022, Adell finds himself somewhat buried on the Angels’ depth chart, as the club sports a trio of everyday outfielders in Mike Trout, Taylor Ward, and Hunter Renfroe. That hasn’t stopped Adell from making a case for himself to get another opportunity in the early going this season, however, as he has hit seven home runs over his past six games for the Salt Lake Bees, Anaheim’s Triple-A affiliate. According to the Bees, Adell’s streak of six consecutive games with a home run was a record for the franchise. It’s somewhat difficult to imagine Adell receiving everyday starts in Anaheim this season barring an injury in the outfield, but it’s possible he could work his way into the Angels’ outfield mix later in the season if his hot start continues. In the meantime, Adell will try to keep his homer streak alive for a seventh game on Tuesday in Las Vegas.

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

1. Brewers Vs Cardinals Today

A particularly noteworthy match-up is set to occur this evening, with the Cardinals headed to Milwaukee to take on the Brewers at 7:10pm CT tonight. The Cardinals have opened the season 2-4 despite being the preseason favorites for the NL Central, allowing the Brewers, the expected second-best team in the division, to pull ahead in the early going of the division race with a 5-1 record. Jack Flaherty is set to take the mound for the Cardinals against Brewers co-ace Brandon Woodruff. Flaherty, who’s attempting to make it through his first healthy season since 2019, struggled with his control in his first start of the season, walking seven Blue Jays and hitting a batter, but he nonetheless managed to walk away with the win after five no-hit innings of work.

While Flaherty’s performance will certainly be of interest, perhaps the biggest storyline of the game to keep an eye on is whether or not Cardinals outfielder Tyler O’Neill will play following the drama between him and manager Oli Marmol. Marmol benched O’Neill in Wednesday’s game against the Braves after he was thrown out at home plate by Ronald Acuna Jr. in Tuesday’s game, with Marmol indicating to the media that O’Neill’s perceived lack of hustle could preclude him from more playing time than just Wednesday’s game.

2. Florial DFA to come due this weekend:

Last week, the Yankees designated outfielder Estevan Florial for assignment in order to make room for righty Colten Brewer on the 40-man roster. While Florial has mostly struggled in brief cups of coffee in the big leagues since first coming up in 2020, posting a .579 OPS in that time, he’s only managed to get into 30 big league games in his career to this point. With a career .793 OPS in the minors and 125 stolen bases in 580 minor league games, Florial certainly seems likely to draw attention from the other 29 big league clubs, making a trade or waiver claim the most likely conclusion to his DFA. If he does manage to pass through waivers unclaimed, however, the Yankees can send Florial outright to Triple-A.

3. Will lingering free agents find a home?

Yesterday, MLBTR’s Anthony Franco took a look at the most notable free agents remaining on the board a week into the 2023 season. The list ranges from players who went unsigned all offseason, such as Miguel Sano and Mike Minor, to more recent additions to the pool, such as Leury Garcia and Darin Ruf. Two areas of free agency that could be worth keeping an eye on in particular are first base, where the Phillies may be without not only Rhys Hoskins but also his replacement, Darick Hall, for the time being, and starting pitching, where clubs are always looking for depth and teams such as the Yankees, Mets, and Braves have already seen multiple members of their rotations hit the injured list this season.

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

1. Four home openers postponed:

Four clubs have had their home openers, originally scheduled for today, postponed due to inclement weather. Fortunately, as is typically the case for northern teams, the clubs each had a scheduled off-day for tomorrow, when the games will be made up. The Mets will face the Marlins tomorrow at 12:10pm CT, the Phillies will face the Reds and the Orioles will face the Yankees tomorrow at 2:05pm CT, while the Twins will face the Astros at 3:10pm CT. All home opener pregame festivities will also be pushed back to tomorrow for each of the four clubs. If you’re a fan who had tickets to one of the postponed games, you can find your options with the Twins, Mets, Orioles, and Phillies at the links provided.

2. Phillies injury woes continue:

The Phillies have already struggled with injuries early in the season as Rhys Hoskins could miss the entire season with a torn ACL while the club’s starting depth has been tested to the point of Matt Strahm moving from the bullpen to the rotation. Those struggles continued yesterday, as the club announced that outfielder Brandon Marsh had been scratched from yesterday’s game and was day-to-day due to a left ankle sprain, while the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Alex Coffey noted that first baseman Darick Hall was removed from yesterday’s game due to a thumb sprain. While the Phillies described Marsh’s sprain as mild, the New York Post’s Jon Heyman indicates the same may not be the case for Hall, as the club is expected to call up utility player Kody Clemens in response to Hall’s injury. With today’s game postponed, the Phillies will have a little extra time to sort out their options and injuries ahead of the rescheduled game tomorrow afternoon.

3. Injuries to be re-evaluated in New York:

The Mets and Yankees each have an injured player whose status will be re-evaluated today. For the Mets, catcher Omar Narvaez is dealing with some discomfort in his left calf, while the Yankees pulled third baseman Josh Donaldson from yesterday’s game with right hamstring tightness, which MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch notes will be re-evaluated today. As both New York clubs have also seen their games today postponed, they too will have additional time to evaluate the health of their players and make a decision before their rescheduled games take place tomorrow afternoon.

If Narvaez requires a stint on the injured list, that could open the door for top prospect Francisco Alvarez to make his season debut, returning to the big leagues after a five-game stint with the Mets last season. As for Donaldson, any time he misses would likely stand to benefit the likes of Aaron Hicks and Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who have both been used somewhat sparingly to this point in the season while DJ LeMahieu and Oswaldo Cabrera have drawn more of the available starts.

As the baseball season continues to move swiftly along, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on throughout the day today:

1. Dodd to make MLB debut:

Braves left-hander Dylan Dodd figures to be the latest pitcher to make his MLB debut today. Dodd, a third round pick in the 2021 draft, had a 3.36 ERA with a 26.0% strikeout rate and a walk rate of just 5.3% last year across three levels of the minor leagues, though he spent most of the year at High-A and made just one appearance at the Triple-A level. Now, Dodd figures to make his first start of the season for the big league Braves two months before his 25th birthday. Dodd will look to outdo the performance of fellow left-handed prospect Jared Shuster, who struggled in his MLB debut for the Braves on Monday en route to allowing four runs in 4.2 innings while walking five and striking out just one.

2. Cueto to undergo MRI:

Marlins manager Skip Schumaker told reporters yesterday, including Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald, that right-hander Johnny Cueto figures to undergo an MRI following his early exit from yesterday’s game due to as right bicep tightness. Cueto allowed three hits (including two home runs) and a walk in just one inning of work yesterday, ultimately surrendering four runs before he left the game in the second inning. The club has some rotation options in the minors that are on the 40-man roster should Cueto end up missing time, though Sixto Sanchez is on the injured list and Braxton Garrett recently optioned to the minors after a three-inning relief outing on the weekend.

3. MLBTR Chat today:

If the beginning of the regular season has spurred any questions in your mind about your favorite team or the league as a whole, you’re in luck, as MLBTR’s Anthony Franco is holding a live chat with readers later 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. You can tune in at 11am CT this morning for Anthony’s chat.

With another Opening Day in the books, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on throughout the weekend:

1. Will Contreras miss time?

New Cardinals catcher Willson Contreras is suffering from a knee contusion after getting hit with a Jordan Hicks fastball. Contreras left the game afterwards, and Katie Woo of The Athletic notes that while x-rays came back negative, Contreras was set to undergo further imaging last night. We could have more information on his status as soon as today, though it’s also possible we won’t hear anything until tomorrow given today’s day off for the club. Should the Cardinals’ marquee free agent signing of the offseason miss time, Andrew Knizner figures to split time with either Ivan Herrera or Tres Barrera behind the plate.

2. Several MLB debuts this weekend.

After the likes of Anthony Volpe, Jordan Walker, Oscar Colas and Brice Turang made their MLB debuts in the first game of their club’s season yesterday, several talents on Opening Day rosters have still yet to make their MLB debut. Among them are A’s righty Shintaro Fujinami, who’s slated to start Saturday’s game against the Angels, plus a trio of hurlers who are slated for Sunday starts: Mets righty Kodai Senga, Braves lefty Jared Shuster and Yankees righty Jhony Brito. Senga’s start, in particular, figures to draw plenty of eyes, given the high-profile contract he inked this winter (five years, $75MM) and the pair of injuries the Mets are already facing in the rotation. Beyond that group of debuts, Tigers fans will get to welcome back right-hander Spencer Turnbull on Saturday, when he makes his first big league start since June 4, 2021. Turnbull underwent Tommy John surgery in July of 2021 and missed the entire 2022 season.

3. Offseason in Review

MLBTR’s Offseason in Review series continues today, with the Twins installment of the series set to release early today. A pair of live chats are planned for today as well: at noon CT, MLBTR’s Steve Adams will be hosting a Giants-centric live chat in conjunction with yesterday’s San Francisco installment of the series. You can click here to ask a question in advance, participate live when the chat begins, or read the transcript afterward. Additionally, a Twins-centric live chat is also planned for today at 2pm CT to go along with today’s post. Here’s a link to ask a question in advance, participate live and read the transcript after it’s complete.

Happy Opening Day from MLBTR! Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world as the 2023 season kicks off:

1. Opening Day is here!

As previously mentioned, the 2023 MLB season is set to begin today. Games kick off at 12:05pm CT today with the Giants visiting the Yankees and the Braves visiting the Nationals. All 30 clubs will play today, with Diamondbacks at Dodgers and Guardians at Mariners wrapping up the day at 9:10pm CT. While there’s exciting pitching matchups littered all throughout today’s games, two in particular stand out: Jacob deGrom is set to make his first start as a Ranger, taking on the Phillies and Aaron Nola at 3:05pm CT this afternoon, and reigning NL Cy Young winner Sandy Alcantara and his Marlins will take on future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer and the Mets at 3:10pm CT. Click here for more information on today’s games.

2. Will the Pirates get a Reynolds deal done?

The Pirates and Bryan Reynolds had reportedly made some progress toward an extension late last night, and today’s looming season opener is said to be a deadline for those talks. Hurdles apparently remain, however. Any deal would likely have to be the new largest in Pirates history, surpassing Ke’Bryan Hayes’s eight-year, $70MM extension that currently stands as the club’s record contract. With a matter of hours left until the agreed upon deadline for extension discussions, will the sides manage to reach an agreement?

3. Offseason In Review series continues

MLBTR’s Offseason in Review series continues today, with a Rockies-centric live chat by MLBTR’s Anthony Franco planned for this morning at 10am CT to go along with the latest installment of the series. You can click here to submit a question in advance, participate live when the chat begins, or read the transcript once it’s complete. In addition to Anthony’s chat, be sure to check back throughout the day for the Giants installment of the series, which should be available later today.

On the eve of Opening Day, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Last-minute roster maneuvering:

With Opening Day rosters due tomorrow morning, there’s sure to be a handful of last minute transactions and GMs around baseball prepare for the start of the season. Many teams have non-roster invitees who need to be added to the 40-man roster, whether they are veteran minor-league signings such as Raimel Tapia, who the Red Sox are set to select, or rookies such as Corey Julks and Cesar Salazar, who are set to be selected by the Astros. The Athletics are exploring trade scenarios involving out-of-options center fielder Cristian Pache. Minor trades to clear space on 40-man rosters are also possible, similar to Monday’s deal that sent utilityman Zack McKinstry from the Cubs to the Tigers.

2. Will the Guardians get more extensions done?

Yesterday, the Guardians agreed to a seven-year extension that will keep second baseman Andres Gimenez in Cleveland long term. Even after laying out nine figures to lock up Gimenez, reports indicate Cleveland may still not be done. The club already appears to be approaching an extension with reliever Trevor Stephan, who posted a sterling 2.69 ERA (143 ERA+) with an even better 2.19 FIP in 63 2/3 innings last season. The club also reportedly held some talks with outfielder Steven Kwan, right-hander Triston McKenzie, and shortstop Amed Rosario. Rosario is set to hit free agency after the 2023 campaign, while McKenzie is controllable through the end of the 2026 season and Kwan won’t hit free agency until the 2027-28 offseason.

3. MLBTR Chats today:

A pair of live chats with MLBTR readers are scheduled for today: MLBTR’s Darragh McDonald will be hosting a Yankees-centric chat today in conjunction with the Yankees installment of our Offseason in Review series. This link will allow you to submit a question in advance, participate live when the chat begins, or read the transcript after it’s completed. Later, MLBTR’s Anthony Franco will be hosting an evening chat with an MLB-wide focus. You can click here to submit a question in advance, participate live, or read the transcript.

With just two days until Opening Day, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Will Cleveland name a new fifth starter today?

With Guardians right-hander Triston McKenzie at risk of missing as much as two months to open the season, the club will need announce a replacement in the rotation, a move that could be made as soon as today. Left-hander Konnor Pilkington, who posted a 3.88 ERA in 58 innings of work in the majors last season, could be the most logical option. Righties Hunter Gaddis and Xzavion Curry both made a pair of starts for the club in 2022 and are on the 40-man roster as well. Others on the 40-man roster include Jason Bilous and Joey Cantillo, though both have limited experience above Double-A. Chris Archer and Anibal Sanchez are among the depth starters who might be available to the Guardians on a minor league deal, but it seems unlikely that Cleveland would add a free agent at this point, as that pitcher wouldn’t be ready for Opening Day anyhow. It’s always possible that another option could present itself via waivers or a veteran opt-out, but the Guardians are known for their ability to turn out quality pitching and already have several in-house options.

2. Will Hiura and Ruf find new teams?

Yesterday, both Keston Hiura and Darin Ruf were designated for assignment by their respective teams. The two are both right-handed hitting first baseman with experience at other spots (Ruf in the outfield corners, Hiura at second base and in left field) who were late cuts from their club’s Opening Day bench mix. Hiura, 26, has youth on his side and posted a 115 wRC+ in 266 plate appearances last year, albeit with a concerning 41.7% strikeout rate. Ruf, meanwhile, had a solid track record of success with the Giants before a disastrous 29-game stint with the Mets following last year’s trade deadline. Despite their warts, both could be bench options for a team short on right-handed pop.

3. MLBTR Chats

A pair of live chats with MLBTR readers are planned for today. At 10am CT, MLBTR’s Anthony Franco is set to host a Cardinals-centric chat with readers in conjunction with St. Louis’s installment of our Offseason in Review series. You can ask a question in advance using this link, and the same link will allow you to participate live or review the transcript once the chat is complete. Meanwhile, at 1pm CT, MLBTR’s Steve Adams will be hosting a live chat with an MLB-wide focus. Click here to ask a question in advance.