Because the 2024 common season continues, listed below are three issues we’ll be maintaining a tally of across the baseball world all through the day at present:
1. MLB at Rickwood Discipline to Honor Willie Mays:
The Giants and Cardinals are set to face off this night in a recreation at Rickwood Discipline in Birmingham, Alabama scheduled for six:15pm native time. The sport, which will probably be televised nationally on FOX, was initially scheduled as a tribute to the Negro Leagues and their storied historical past however has taken on further which means after the current passing of MLB legend Willie Mays earlier this week. Mays briefly performed knowledgeable within the Negro Leagues through the 1948 season as a member of the Birmingham Black Barons, showing in 13 video games for the membership as a 17-year-old within the midst of a season the place the Black Barons went on to seize the NAL pennant earlier than shedding the ultimate Negro League World Collection to the Homestead Grays in 5 video games.
The Black Barons (and, by extension, Mays) referred to as Rickwood Discipline their house ballpark. First established in 1910, it’s the oldest skilled ballpark within the US and two years older than Fenway Park in Boston. Greater than 75 years after the final Negro League recreation was performed there, Main League play returns to Rickwood Discipline tonight as St. Louis and San Francisco face off with right-handed kids Andre Pallante and Keaton Winn on the mound. Tonight’s recreation will (as relayed by The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal) characteristic the primary completely black crew of umpires in AL/NL historical past and figures to have fun not solely the storied historical past of the Negro Leagues, but additionally the life and profession of Mays.
2. Abrams to endure MRI:
Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams was scratched from yesterday’s lineup towards the Diamondbacks resulting from what supervisor Davey Martinez informed reporters (together with these at MLB.com) was being termed discomfort in his left wrist. Martinez went on so as to add that Abrams wasn’t positive what was the reason for the discomfort, and that the membership deliberate to ship their younger star for an MRI to make sure all was effectively. The 23-year-old Abrams has loved a breakout season with the Nationals this yr as he’s slashed a formidable .261/.313/.478 with 10 stolen bases and 11 house runs in 66 video games this yr. That sturdy slash line comes regardless of a tough month of Could the place Abrams hit simply .205/.216/.304 in 27 video games.
Abrams’s breakout marketing campaign has helped the Nationals to be surprisingly aggressive this season, because the membership is presently tied with the Cardinals for the second of three NL Wild Card spots regardless of a lackluster 36-37 file. A big stretch of time with out Abrams could be a brutal blow to the Nationals’ odds of holding onto that place, as his 1.2 fWAR leads the membership’s positional corps. Nasim Nunez took over for Abrams at shortstop yesterday and may very well be the membership’s prime choice to fill in if Abrams requires a visit to the injured record.
3. Toro battling shoulder soreness:
A’s infielder Abraham Toro is coping with a bout of shoulder soreness, as famous by MLB.com’s Martin Gallegos yesterday. The problem first cropped up throughout Oakland’s doubleheader towards the Twins on Sunday and has prompted him to overlook every of the previous two video games. As relayed by Gallegos, Toro was scheduled to fulfill with group docs to debate find out how to deal with the damage however supervisor Mark Kotsay informed reporters after the sport that he had no replace on Toro’s standing and that extra details about the infielder could be obtainable at present.
Toro, 27, has had a good season with the A’s this yr. He’s posted a roughly common slash line of .256/.298/381 in 71 video games for the membership this yr whereas splitting time between first base, second base, third base, and left area all year long. Within the aftermath of the membership’s choice to designate J.D. Davis for project earlier this week, it appeared probably that Toro could be handed the keys to 3rd base full time, though with Toro now presumably injured, Oakland must discover a new answer on the scorching nook. Infielder Tyler Nevin has dealt with third base duties up to now throughout Toro’s absence and may very well be the membership’s long-term reply there if Toro misses additional time, though rookie third baseman Brett Harris can be on the 40-man roster after getting a 17-game cup of espresso within the majors earlier this yr.