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There was a lot happening Friday, so let’s not accrue a pitch-clock violation and get right to things.
Today’s Headlines
Marlins’ Pérez Solid In MLB Debut
Not every MLB debut is created equal. Some star prospects dazzle, others flop. Unknowns do the same thing, too. Count Eury Pérez somewhere in between.
In his much-anticipated MLB debut Friday, the 20-year-old Miami Marlins right-hander went four and two-thirds innings, allowing four hits and two runs (both solo homers), while walking two and striking out seven against the Cincinnati Reds. He showed the dazzling repertoire that has made him the Marlins’ top prospect and the No. 5 in MLB by Baseball America and No. 9 by MLB Pipeline. Pérez, who had been at Double-A and skipped Triple-A, threw 88 pitches with his fastball reaching 99.1 mph and getting 16 swings-and-misses.
He left after surrendering a blast to Jake Fraley that put the Reds up 2-1. The Marlins coughed up two runs in the seventh inning and three in the ninth to lose 7-4, but Pérez did not factor into the decision. To make room for Pérez, the Marlins designated right-hander Chi Chi González for assignment.
.@eury_perez9 got called up to The Show and brought his filth with him. pic.twitter.com/lq7CxACK3j
— MLB (@MLB) May 12, 2023
Rizzo Finds The Way
A player’s bobblehead night is supposed to bring a little extra luck. So what if that bobblehead is on a “Star Wars” theme night? New York Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo was the model for a “Mandalorian” bobblehead. So he used the Force to hit two homers, including a go-ahead two-run shot in the eighth inning, as the last-place Yankees slowed down the MLB-leading Tampa Bay Rays with a 6-5 victory.
I’m sure Grogu approves.
This is the way. #TeamRizzo pic.twitter.com/94Nvf3QyJm
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) May 13, 2023
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) May 13, 2023
Rays’ Rasmussen Has Flexor Strain
The Rays suffered another blow to their pitching staff as right-handed starter Drew Rasmussen was placed on the 60-day injured list with a flexor strain. The Rays, the first team in MLB this season to reach 30 wins, are already down starters Tyler Glasnow (left oblique strain), Shane Baz (Tommy John surgery), and Jeffrey Springs (Tommy John surgery). Only Shane McClanahan has been a constant in the Rays’ rotation this season.
Right-handed reliever Chris Muller was called up from Triple-A Durham. The Rays will not need a rotation replacement until Wednesday.
Rasmussen (4-2, 2.62 ERA) hopes to avoid Tommy John surgery and will not throw for eight weeks. He pitched seven shutout innings vs. the New York Yankees on Thursday, allowing two hits with no walks and seven strikeouts, and didn’t appear to show any injury issues. The Rays also claimed right-handed reliever Zack Littell off waivers from the Boston Red Sox and transferred pitcher Garrett Cleavinger (season-ending knee injury) to the 60-day IL.
Bassitt Blanks Atlanta
A pitcher notching a complete game is rare. A shutout is even more rare. So is Chris Bassitt a unicorn? No, but it certainly seemed like he had something else working for him as the Toronto Blue Jays right-hander tossed a two-hit shutout in a 3-0 victory over Atlanta.
Bassitt walked two and struck out seven while turning in the Jays’ first nine-inning complete game since Marcus Stroman in 2017 (two in April) and first shutout since Mark Buehrle on June 3, 2015. It was the type of start the Jays needed for a 10-game homestand against Atlanta, the Yankees and the Baltimore Orioles, followed by four games at the Rays and three more at the Minnesota Twins, all without a day off.
The finishing touches on a complete-game GEM 💎 @C_Bass419 pic.twitter.com/ohCxcXIOUy
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) May 13, 2023
Rooker Becoming King Of Oakland
At least one good story is coming out of the Oakland A’s season. Left fielder Brent Rooker continued his storybook season with his first career walk-off, a line-drive, three-run homer in the bottom of the 10th inning to shock the Texas Rangers 9-7.
It was Rooker’s 11th home run of the season and raised his batting average to .319 and OPS to 1.101. Not bad for an offseason waiver claim who is now with his fourth franchise and had 270 MLB at-bats before this season.
https://twitter.com/Athletics/status/1657253823117922305
Scherzer Set To Start Sunday
New York Mets right-hander Max Scherzer threw a 35-pitch bullpen session and is on schedule to return to the rotation and start Sunday against the Washington Nationals. Scherzer was scratched from his Tuesday start due to neck spasms.
Altuve Begins Rehab Assignment
Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve, who broke a thumb when he was hit by a pitch during the World Baseball Classic, started a rehab assignment with Triple-A Sugar Land. His comeback appears a little ahead of schedule. Altuve went 0-for-4 in his first game, including a loud, 389-foot out on the second pitch of his first at-bat.
Longtime Ump Denkinger Dies
Don Denkinger, a respected umpire who worked four World Series but will be remembered for a pivotal blown call, died at age 86.
An MLB ump from 1969-1998, Denkinger was the first-base umpire in Game 6 of the 1985 World Series when he called Kansas City Royals pinch-hitter Jorge Orta safe at first base despite St. Louis Cardinals reliever Todd Worrell having received a flip from first baseman Jack Clark and touching first base before Orta did. The call came leading off the bottom of the ninth inning with the Royals trailing 1-0. Two batters later, Dane Iorg hit a two-run walk-off single to force Game 7, which the Royals won 11-0 in the infamous Joaquin Andujar game with Denkinger behind the plate.
Years later, Denkinger said he could not hear the ball smack into Worrell’s glove due to crowd noise and that when he looked down at the base, Orta was stepping on the back of Worrell’s foot.
Best Moments From Yesterday
Splish, Splash: Mullins Hits For Cycle
It is pretty simple. The Orioles are young and fun. If you don’t like it, too bad. The latest example was on display as Cedric Mullins cranked a three-run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning to complete a cycle. It also broke open a tight game against the Pittsburgh Pirates as the Orioles won 6-3.
Oh, and in case you were wondering, all of the water being spewed by players and fans is something catchy called the Bird Bath. More, please!
CEDDY FOR THE CYCLE!!! pic.twitter.com/JEbA8WQ8u9
— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) May 13, 2023
He Saw The Sign
A lot of fans bring a sign to the ballpark with the hope that they might get a moment on TV or that their favorite player might somehow acknowledge them. But every once in a while, a player goes that extra step and makes a dream come true.
Enter Seattle Mariners outfielder Teoscar Hernández, who fulfilled the dream of Lexie and Leylah before Friday’s road game against the Detroit Tigers.
https://twitter.com/hgomez27/status/1657149046207700992?s=20
More De La Cruz Magic
Think Reds fans are salivating over shortstop Elly De La Cruz? The team’s No. 1 prospect, who this week had three hits with an exit velocity of 116 mph or better, showed off his speed for the Triple-A Louisville Bats against the Columbus Clippers.
https://t.co/ftucgrvMYM pic.twitter.com/jXxDwGpVr1
— Joel Luckhaupt (@jluckhaupt) May 13, 2023
In The Cards For Gorman
Nolan Gorman has been the odd man out for the St. Louis Cardinals in the weeklong odd situation with catcher-turned-DH Willson Contreras. All he can do, however, is control his performance and he certainly made a push for more playing time with a pinch-hit, two-run, tiebreaking homer in the top of the ninth inning of an 8-6 win over the Boston Red Sox. The Cardinals scored three times in the ninth after the Red Sox pushed across two in the bottom of the eighth.
LONG GONE for Gorman! #STLCards pic.twitter.com/n2IPv7VU5J
— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) May 13, 2023
He Really Guac’d It
Arizona Diamondbacks rookie Dominic Fletcher hit his first career home run and then the buffet, all at the same time. Confused? Well, follow the bouncing ball on his second-inning shot that tied the game 3-3:
Hitting the buffet. pic.twitter.com/hArgJ4ZjRI
— MLB (@MLB) May 13, 2023
And A Basketball Game Broke Out
Following their 4-2 victory over the San Diego Padres, the Los Angeles Dodgers allowed fans to come onto the field and get a better view of the scoreboard during the final minutes of the Los Angeles Lakers’ playoff game against the Golden State Warriors in which the Lakers won 122-101 to advance to the Western Conference finals. Oh, yeah, there were postgame fireworks, too. Pretty good day in L.A.
Dodger fans got to come onto the field to cheer for the Lakers advancing into the Western Conference Finals. pic.twitter.com/etIMvtzcpm
— Alden González (@Alden_Gonzalez) May 13, 2023
Injuries and Other Moves
Houston Astros outfielder Michael Brantley, who hasn’t played in the majors since June 26, has been shut down indefinitely due to inflammation in his surgically repaired right shoulder. He had been on a rehab assignment at Triple-A, but he returned to the team this week for further evaluation.
Chicago White Sox infielder Yoán Moncada (sore back) was activated from the 10-day IL. Right-handed reliever Alex Colomé has cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A, an assignment he can refuse.
Padres catcher Luis Campusano, on the 10-day IL since April 17, underwent surgery on his left thumb, which has not healed as expected. He will be sidelined for another two months.
Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner was placed on the 10-day IL with a strained left hamstring.
The Dodgers activated designated hitter J.D. Martinez (lower-back tightness, 10-day IL) and left-hander Caleb Ferguson (paternity list) and optioned right-hander Wander Suero and infielder Michael Busch to Triple-A.
Colorado Rockies right-hander Antonio Senzatela has a sprained right elbow and will be shut down for at least three weeks. He will be placed on the 15-day IL and no surgery is being planned at the moment.
The Boston Red Sox acquired infielder Pablo Reyes from the Oakland A’s for cash considerations.
Outfielder Mickey Moniak, the No. 1 overall pick by the Philadelphia Phillies in 2016, was called up from Triple-A by the Los Angeles Angels. Moniak has played in 66 MLB games across the previous three seasons. He replaces third baseman Jake Lamb, who was optioned to Triple-A.
Colorado Rockies right-handed starter Germán Márquez had Tommy John surgery. He is expected to be out until the second half of the 2024 season.
Right-handed pitcher Chase Anderson was claimed off waivers by the Rockies. Anderson had been DFA’d by the Rays.
Left-hander Justus Sheffield, once a top prospect, who turns 27 on Saturday, signed a minor-league contract with Atlanta. This will be the fourth organization for Sheffield, who was drafted by Cleveland in 2014, then traded to the Yankees in 2016 and dealt to the Seattle Mariners in 2018. The Mariners released Sheffield on April 27th.
Articles You Should Read
How some in MLB are bringing mental health into focus — Brittany Ghiroli, The Athletic
Max Scherzer is just one pain in the neck for skidding Mets — Jay Jaffe, FanGraphs
Is probable No. 1 pick Dylan Crews already a top-10 MLB prospect? — Geoff Pontes, Baseball America
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