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MLB News & Moments You Should Know: 8/17/2024

Happy Players Weekend to all who celebrate!

Scott Appleman
MLB Morning News 8/17/2024

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

The race for the best record in baseball looks like it could be one of the best stories of the final 40 games of the season. The New York Yankees pushed ahead of the field with their 73rd win on Friday. The Cleveland Guardians, Baltimore Orioles, Philadelphia Phillies, and Los Angeles Dodgers all have 72 wins going into Saturday’s action. The Milwaukee Brewers got to 70 yesterday. The Arizona Diamondbacks, San Diego Padres, and Minnesota Twins could hit 70 today. FanGraphs projects all of those teams to finish between 90-95 (89.8 for Arizona to 95.4 for New York). We don’t have any super teams steamrolling to 100 wins this year. Instead, we get a frantic dash down the stretch that could end up with finish as close as the Olympic 100-meter final.

 

Today’s Headlines

 

Players’ Weekend Returns

This weekend, Major League diamonds will be more colorful thanks to custom gear players can use to celebrate what they enjoy and find meaningful. The league previously held Players’ Weekends from 2017-2019. This year’s edition won’t feature nicknames on jerseys. Instead, customization can be found on cleats, gloves, bats, and more. The idea behind the weekend is to let fans get to know players on a personal level.

“Giving a platform for these players to express themselves in a way that they just don’t get to do on a daily basis is fun for the fans,” MLB deputy commissioner Noah Garden said. If Players’ Weekend continues to be a hit, perhaps the league would open up to the possibility of allowing more personalized gear throughout the season. Check out the creativity and connection on display this weekend.

 

Backyard Bobby Joins Two Royals Greats

Bobby Witt Jr. hit his 25th home run of the year with a bat bearing the likeness of Pablo Sanchez from the Backyard Baseball series of video games. Witt’s season is shaping up to be worthy of the all-around virtual star Sanchez, and now his numbers put him in the same category as two Kansas City Royals greats. Witt joins Carlos Beltran and Bo Jackson as the only Royals to hit 25 home runs and steal 25 bases in consecutive seasons. Witt is already the only Royal to reach 30/30 (30 HR and 49 steals last season).

 

Pirates Win SEA Battle

Friday’s premier starting pitcher matchup featured Logan Gilbert and the Seattle Mariners versus Paul Skenes and the Pittsburgh Pirates. The pair put up nearly identical lines. Gilbert went 6.1 IP, struck out six, and gave up three runs on five hits and two walks. Skenes went 6.0 IP, struck out six, and gave up two runs on three hits and four walks. Each got tagged for a home run to the same area in right field. Gilbert threw the fastest pitch of his career at 100.2 mph. Skenes got his seventh win and the Pirates ended a 10-game losing streak. Seattle fell to 4.5 games out in the AL West.

 

Best Moments From Yesterday

 

Seiya Later

The theme for Players Weekend on Friday was Fun. The first game of the day — between a team that will finish last and a team falling out of wildcard contention — ended with a walk-off and celebratory hugs on the basepaths.

 

For Whom the Trea Turns

Trea Turner walked off his former team with a blast off the wall that would’ve gone for extra bases at any other point in the game. The Washington Nationals are building hope for their future, but their former championship shortstop walking it off for a division rival has to sting. And the Philadelphia Phillies have got to love seeing this after a tough post-All-Star break stretch.

 

Hide Your Scoreboards

When the Houston Astros hit, the ballpark maintenance crew better be ready to tend to the scoreboards, whether they’re digital (like the Jumbotron Yordan Alvarez hammered in Tampa Bay) or manual (like this Jose Altuve bullet that punched out the fourth inning for the Yankees).

Actually, the Astros might want to hide the scoreboard based on the results. The Chicago White Sox ended Houston’s eight-game winning streak with a 5-4 victory. The trade pieces that stayed on the South Side helped the White Sox get to 30 wins. Luis Robert Jr. hit two homers and Garrett Crochet struck out 9 in four innings.

 

Jackson, Jackson, and Jackson

There’s so much history in baseball, and we still get odd moments like all of the Jackson Three hitting a triple on the same day. According to EverythingBirthday.com, the name Jackson kept increasing in popularity for another decade after Jackson Holliday (2003), Jackson Merrill (2003), and Jackson Chourio (2004) were born. We could be in for a new era of Jackson-centric statistical firsts.

 

Going Over the Hill

Rich Hill, who signed a minor league deal with the Boston Red Sox for the eighth time on Friday, tried to name the clubs he’s pitched for in order. That’s 15 stops since 2005.

 

Injuries and Other Moves

 

⚾ Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman will not play this weekend to rest a sore elbow. Bregman said he slept on his elbow wrong and played through discomfort at the end of the series with the Tampa Bay Rays. An MRI revealed no structural damage. The Astros are calling up infielder Shay Whitcomb from Triple-A and released infielder Aledmys Díaz.

⚾ The Baltimore Orioles scratched catcher Adley Rutschman with lower back discomfort.

⚾ The Los Angeles Dodgers placed Tyler Glasnow on the IL with right elbow tendinitis.

⚾ Shortstop Oneil Cruz left the Pirates game after appearing to injure his leg rounding second base.

⚾ The Colorado Rockies released 2023 All-Star Game MVP Elias Díaz and called up catcher Drew Romo from Triple-A.

⚾ The Boston Red Sox reinstated first baseman Triston Casas from the 60-day IL and designated Dominic Smith for assignment.

⚾ The Detroit Tigers designated infielder Gio Urshela and left-handed pitcher Easton Lucas for assignment. They called up third baseman Jace Jung and shortstop Trey Sweeney. Outfielder Akil Baddoo has been optioned to Triple-A.

⚾ The Los Angeles Angels called up infielder Niko Kavadas and designated infielder Luis Guillorme for assignment.

 

Articles You Should Read

 

Here are the 12 biggest surprises of the season — Anthony Castrovince, MLB.com

A Pitcher List Conversation with Adam Ottavino — Renee Dechert, Pitcher List

 

Fantasy Baseball Coverage

 

Starting Pitcher Roundup

Hitter Performances

Reliever Ranks

Starting Pitcher Streamers

Scott Appleman

Scott Appleman is a utility infielder with a master's degree in sports journalism from St. Bonaventure, a JV MVP award and two career home runs. He writes Thrill Shot, a Substack newsletter about champions and contenders.

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