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. 2023 Subway Series begins:
The annual clash between New York’s AL and NL teams begins today as the Yankees head to Citi Field to face the Mets. It’s been a difficult season for both teams so far. The Yankees are stuck in third place in the AL East, nine games back of the Rays for the division crown, despite a strong 38-29 record. In the NL, the Mets have sunk to fourth place with a 31-35 record that registers as a massive disappointment for the club that entered 2023 with an MLB-leading $359MM payroll, per RosterResource. What’s more, both teams are currently playing without superstar sluggers, as both Pete Alonso and Aaron Judge have hit the injured list in recent weeks.
The two-game set begins tonight at 6:10pm CT, with Luis Severino taking the mound for the Yankees while the Mets counter with Max Scherzer. The second game of the series features an even more intriguing pitching matchup, as former Astros teammates Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole will take the mound for the Mets and Yankees, respectively.
2. Gray scratched from today’s start:
Rangers starter Jon Gray has been scratched from today’s start against the Angels with a blister issue, manager Bruce Bochy told reporters (including Kennedi Landry of MLB.com). The starter for today’s game in lieu of Gray hasn’t yet been announced, though Landry noted that left-hander Cody Bradford, who has made two spot starts for the Rangers previously this season, was spotted in the Rangers’ clubhouse yesterday. Bradford has a 7.20 ERA with eight strikeouts and three walks in 10 innings of work for Texas this season. If Bradford were to start today’s game, an active roster move would need to be made to accommodate him.
Gray has posted an excellent 2.32 ERA in 12 starts this season (albeit with a less-encouraging 4.16 FIP). Gray has been especially dominant over the past month, as the veteran hurler has pitched to a sterling 0.84 ERA across his last six starts. That stretch was highlighted by his most recent start, a complete game in St. Louis where Gray struck out 12 Cardinals and allowed just one run. For now, it seems the decision to skip Gray’s start is being considered precautionary, and the Rangers don’t expect an IL stint to be necessary.
3. MLBTR Chat Today:
With just seven weeks to go until MLB’s trade deadline, the paths forward for many teams remain murky, even as some organizations set themselves apart from the pack.. If the events of the season so far have spurred any questions in your mind about your favorite team or the league as a whole, 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.