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MLB News & Moments You Should Know: 4/11/2024

Shohei updates and rookie news that is equally exciting

Asher Dratel
MLB Morning News 4/11/2024

Stay updated on everything baseball with our morning MLB News & Moments articles. We’ve got you covered to keep you in the know.

Unrelated to anything, but I got to see a lot of footage of people hammering those little cleat cleaning pads onto mounds last night. Not just in the “baseball zen” thing MLB.tv shows you during ad breaks, but just like, extemporaneously during broadcasts. I’m not complaining, it is fun to be reminded they literally nail them to the dirt with framing hammers.

 

Today’s Headlines

 

Ippei Pleading Guilty, Ohtani Cleared

So it seems like the Shohei Ohtani bookie saga is coming to an end quicker than we all may have imagined, as Tim Arango and Michael S. Schmidt report that the case is “rapidly nearing a conclusion.” The Times’ reporters spoke with three people with knowledge of the case, and they seem to confirm that Ohtani had no knowledge of the bets or payoffs:

In particular, the authorities think they have evidence that Mizuhara was able to change the settings on Ohtani’s bank account so Ohtani would not receive alerts and confirmations about transactions, the three people said.

In addition, it seems like Ippei also stole more than the originally reported $4.5 million from Ohtani’s account. It sounds more details will be coming fully to light soon.

Midweek Holliday

In maybe the most hotly anticipated move of the season (definitely the most anticipated so far,) Baltimore called up the game’s top prospect, Jackson Holliday.

In order to make room on the roster, Baltimore designated Tony Kemp for assignment, and his reaction was pretty darn magnanimous:

There are some shady service-time shenanigans seemingly at play in the timing here, but it’s also worth noting that Holliday will be eligible for the full year of time if he finishes in the top of Rookie Of The Year voting. Which, uh, one would have to assume he will.

He got his first offensive milestone out of the way in the sixth inning with a groundout RBI:

…although a potentially more obvious first will have to wait, as he finished the night hitless in 4 ABs as the O’s came back from a five-run deficit to beat the Red Sox 7-5.

Ceddanne Signs For Eight

Speaking of the Red Sox, they had their own prospect news on Wednesday:

Questions may remain about Ceddanne Rafaela’s bat at the big league level, but there’s no doubt that his top-end speed and glovework should see him notching highlight reel plays out in Fenway’s outfield.

 

Best Moments From Yesterday

 

Pasquatch Lives!

It’s been a slow start for Vinnie Pasquantino, coming back from last year’s season-ending shoulder surgery. Well, it had been a slow start until last night:

Vinnie contributed nearly half of the home team’s runs as the Royals took down the Astros by a score of 11-2, which makes it six wins in a row for KC.

In Dirt, Run(s)

The Angels/Rays game got off to a truly zany start yesterday, as this sequence happened in the top of the very first inning:

You do see runners score on wild pitches that don’t get to the backstop…sometimes. You very seldom see two runners scoring on them. But Yandy Díaz and Randy Arozarena did just that, with the latter absolutely blazing home from second base.

I Was Saying Boo-ne

I’m surprised it took nearly two weeks for the regular tradition to really begin, as Yankees skipper Aaron Boone got tossed in the seventh inning arguing balls and strikes.

While it was the first, it will no doubt be his last time getting run in 2024. Will we get another “Savages In The Box” moment? That is harder to predict.

I Call It The Spluckle

For my money, a perfectly executed 12-6 curveball is the prettiest pitch in baseball. But a hilariously low-spin version of anything is a close second, and a 542 RPM offering from Logan Gilbert definitely qualifies as hilarious on that scale.

Strand-up Ballplaying

It was a night to forget for the Reds as they fell 7-2 to the Brewers at home. But the score didn’t stop Christian Encarnacion-Strand from making this incredible catch in the top of the ninth:

Never Leave Yourself Hanging

And as we go into Friday Jr, an important reminder about self-care from Austin Slater:

As a man who has made some room-clearingly bad puns in his time (shocking, I know,) I can confirm that the ability to always pick yourself up is very important.

 

Injuries and Other Moves

 

⚾ In a brutal blow to an already depleted roster, Yoán Moncada is set to miss at least three months due to an adductor strain.

⚾ The Mets have moved Kodai Senga to the 60-day IL. There doesn’t seem to be any news of a setback or new injury, but this means his earliest return date is now May 27th.

⚾ Tampa’s Brandon Lowe is dealing with an oblique issue, and manager Kevin Cash says he’ll “miss some time” because of it.

⚾ Top Brewers catching prospect Jeferson Quero’s season is over, as he underwent shoulder surgery to repair a torn labrum.

⚾ In better news, Kyle Bradish is set to begin a rehab assignment with High-A Aberdeen shortly as he works his way back from a UCL injury.

⚾ In other rehab news, Robert Stephenson is also scheduled to start one of his own shortly, having been on the IL with a shoulder injury.

 

Articles You Should Read

 

Terrible MLB Teams Are Pretty Good at Baseball – Dan Szymborski, FanGraphs

The Grind is in the Mind – Russell A. Carleton, Baseball Prospectus (sub req’d)

MLB is Trying to Find Answers to the Pitching Injury Crisis. It’s Going to Take a While – Andy McCullough, The Athletic (sub req’d)

 

Fantasy Baseball Coverage

 

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Asher Dratel

Asher hails from Brooklyn, wears a 2008 Joba Chamberlain jersey to every Yankees game he attends, and pronounces BABIP funny. Appreciator of Beefy Lad dingers and beers. @asherd.bsky.social on Bluesky.

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