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Today’s Headlines
Happy Paul Skenes Day!
We all knew it was coming, but it bears repeating: Paul Skenes will make his Major League debut on Saturday. Here’s the hype video, in case you somehow missed it earlier this week:
5.11.24 pic.twitter.com/fPh1beCkwn
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) May 8, 2024
We’ve seen Skenes draw comparisons to the likes of Stephen Strasburg and Mark Prior in terms of impact debuts. The Pirates are in a bit of a different spot at this point, as they sit in desperate need of a spark. His 100 mph average fastball will meet the Chicago Cubs & their ace, Justin Steele, on Saturday. PNC Park has an outstanding reputation. That place should be absolutely rocking this evening.
Contreras Likely Out 10 Weeks
Another development that occurred earlier this week was the injury to St. Louis Cardinals backstop Willson Contreras, who took a swing from J.D. Martinez to his glove-side arm and ended up with a fractured forearm. Now we have a firmer timeline for his absence:
Willson Contreras Expected To Miss About 10 Weeks https://t.co/ZzHe12FXHb pic.twitter.com/uoQl0sAPdA
— MLB Trade Rumors (@mlbtraderumors) May 10, 2024
Regardless of any discourse surrounding his mechanics, it sounds like Contreras is aiming to be back around the All-Star break. Given how crucial he’s been for a St. Louis lineup that has struggled to generate anything offensively, it’ll be interesting to watch Iván Herrera handle the load and if the rest of the group can keep up the slack.
Sean Burroughs dies at 43
Ending the headlines off with sad news this morning:
Former MLB Infielder Sean Burroughs, the former first-round draft pick who played parts of seven MLB seasons, collapsed and died Thursday while coaching his son’s Little League team. He was just 44.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) May 10, 2024
Burroughs gained notoriety from an extremely early age, as he threw consecutive no-hitters in the 1993 Little League World Series. Five years later, he was a Top 10 pick in the MLB draft going ninth overall to the San Diego Padres. He was a .282 hitter in parts of four seasons with the Padres before landing in Tampa Bay via trade ahead of the 2006 season. He was designated for assignment after eight games with the Rays.
In the subsequent years, Burroughs battled addiction to a fairly intense extent (as profiled at MLBTR). He was able to overcome that struggle and found himself back at the top level in 2011. He signed on with the Arizona Diamondbacks & turned in a solid performance across 78 games for a playoff squad. Burroughs signed on with the Minnesota Twins in 2012, but was DFA’d early on. From there, he bounced around independent ball and the Venezuelan & Mexican leagues before retiring after 2017.
It’s a deeply tragic outcome for a player who had to overcome so much throughout his professional career, but reflecting on his story at least gives us the chance to highlight his ability to persevere from intense depths.
We at Pitcher List offer our sincere condolences to his loved ones.
Best Moments From Yesterday
Stuart FaHRchild
Every time I’ve done this column thus far, Elly De La Cruz has done something incredible. Tonight, it was somebody else’s turn in the Cincinnati lineup:
This. Is. Electric.
Stuart Fairchild races arounds the bases for an inside-the-park home run! pic.twitter.com/Yec26IxvDs
— MLB (@MLB) May 11, 2024
I’ll put it on the record: I don’t care what the players are doing in the field that allows for it to happen. Inside-the-park home runs are always incredible to watch. Stuart Fairchild was moving. It was the team’s first pinch-hit inside-the-park homer since 1977. And the Reds won 2-1, which they desperately needed.
Arraez Arrives
It’s been a week since the San Diego Padres acquired Luis Arraez. But Friday marked his first home game as a member of the Padres. Talk about immediate impact:
WELCOME TO SAN DIEGO, LUIS ARRAEZ! #WALKOFF pic.twitter.com/RtLAB3iOfC
— MLB (@MLB) May 11, 2024
This is why you acquire someone like Arraez. Put the ball in play and good things happen. It’s even better when such things happen against a division rival that rules said division. And you’re wearing your elite City Connect uniforms on a Friday night in San Diego. I’m not sure that the Padres view hanging with Los Angeles as a reality, but games like this certainly help build momentum.
As an additional note: Being a Cubs fan, I’ve grown up with some pretty elite broadcasting. I’m not sure there’s anyone better in the booth right now than Don Orsillo & Mark Grant. Orsillo’s call there really elevated an already stellar moment.
Versatility in Action
A cool moment out of MiLB action on Friday, as Tacoma Rainiers pitcher Jhonathan Díaz did a thing you don’t see particularly often:
Two hands up for Jhonathan Díaz 🙌
The left-handed pitcher fields and throws with his right hand, showing off his versatility for @RainiersLand: pic.twitter.com/xJWDbhd70S
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) May 11, 2024
The most recent comparison I can think of is when Vince Velasquez did this a handful of years ago while with the Philadelphia Phillies. He took a liner off his throwing arm and made the out with his off hand. The circumstances here didn’t seem so dire, which just makes it a neat thing without any of the consequences.
Injuries and Other Moves
⚾ Astros claimed RP Alex Speas off waivers from Oakland & designated OF Corey Julks for assignment.
⚾ Pirates acquired P Daulton Jefferies from Giants in exchange for OF Rodolfo Nolasco.
⚾ Cardinals claimed P Kolton Ingram off waivers from Texas & transferred P Riley O’Brien to the 60-day IL.
⚾ Brewers acquired P Mitch White from San Francisco in exchange for cash considerations & designated P Corbin Martin for assignment.
⚾ Mariners activated P Bryan Woo from IL & designated P Tyson Miller for assignment.
⚾ Cubs placed SS Dansby Swanson on 10-day IL & activated OF Seiya Suzuki.
⚾ Cubs signed P Kyle McGowin to a minor league deal.
⚾ Rangers signed Ps Chasen Shreve & Peter Solomon to minor league deals.
Articles You Should Read
Shohei Ohtani Can Win a Triple Crown – Dan Szymborski (FanGraphs)
Paul Skenes, and the Paul Skenes Cinematic Universe – Matthew Trueblood (Baseball Prospectus)
Everything you need to know for Paul Skenes’ debut – Alex Stumpf (MLB.com)
Fantasy Baseball Coverage
Really well written, especially the blurb about Burroughs. Rest in peace.