Because the early levels of the 2024 second half proceed, listed below are three issues we’ll be keeping track of across the baseball world all through the day in the present day:
1. IKF MRI:
Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. remained out of the lineup yesterday after being struck within the hand by a pitch over the weekend, they usually’re now coping with a second key damage within the lineup. Supervisor John Schneider advised reporters (together with Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet) that infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa “felt one thing” in his knee throughout pregame exercises yesterday, inflicting the membership to scratch the 29-year-old from the lineup and ship him for an MRI. Outcomes and additional particulars are anticipated later in the present day.
Kiner-Falefa has, considerably surprisingly, been the Jays’ greatest hitter apart from Guerrero this 12 months, with a powerful .292/.338/.420 slash line (117 wRC+). The infielder is hanging out simply 13.2% of the time, a career-low, and has proven a stunning quantity of pop. Kiner-Falefa has slugged seven dwelling runs in 281 journeys to the plate this 12 months, only one dinger shy of his career-best. That top-water mark got here through the 2021 season and took him a whopping 677 journeys to the plate, leaving him poised to shatter that non-public greatest with ease within the second half. This offensive uptick has come along with Kiner-Falefa’s typical regular glove throughout the infield, leaving him as one of many membership’s most beneficial gamers. Ernie Clement, Spencer Horwitz, and Davis Schneider are the highest choices to fill in across the infield with Kiner-Falefa and Guerrero ailing.
2. Sequence Preview: Orioles @ Mariners:
Two AL golf equipment with considerably tenuous holds on the lead of their respective division races will meet in the present day for a three-game set that might shake up the standings forward of the commerce deadline. The 53-31 Orioles, mere proportion factors forward of the 54-32 Yankees, are set to go to the Pacific Northwest to tackle the 47-39 Mariners, who sit simply three video games forward of the surging Astros for management of the AL West. The collection will kick off at 6:40pm native time with a duel between proficient younger right-handers George Kirby (3.35 ERA) and Grayson Rodriguez (3.72 ERA).
The Orioles haven’t introduced who they’ll ship to the mound reverse Logan Gilbert (2.72 ERA) in Sport 2 or Bryce Miller (3.88 ERA) within the collection finale at this level, although ace Corbin Burnes (2.28 ERA) may return through the collection after spending a number of video games on the paternity listing. It’s doable that third begin may go to right-hander Dean Kremer (4.32 ERA), who has been on the IL since late Might with a triceps pressure however may make his subsequent begin within the majors, in line with MLB.com’s Damage Tracker. Kremer made his third rehab begin on the Triple-A degree on June 27.
3. MLBTR Chat At the moment:
We’re now lower than a month away from the July 30 commerce deadline, and groups across the league have begun to tip their fingers concerning their plans for the summer time. If in case you have any questions concerning the upcoming deadline or your crew’s path with the All-Star break simply over the horizon, MLBTR’s Steve Adams will host a chat with readers at 1pm CT. You possibly can click on right here to ask a query upfront, and that very same hyperlink will assist you to take part on the chat as soon as it begins or learn the transcript after it’s accomplished.
