Because the stretch run of the 2024 common season continues, listed here are three issues we’ll be maintaining a tally of across the baseball world all through the day immediately:
1. Darvish returns to the mound:
Veteran right-hander Yu Darvish is scheduled to make his first begin for the Padres since Could tonight in opposition to the Tigers. The 38-year-old missed time as a consequence of hamstring and elbow points earlier this summer season earlier than being positioned on the restricted record as a consequence of an undisclosed household matter again in July.
Previous to his prolonged absence, the veteran seemed to be rebounding from a reasonably pedestrian 2023 season. After posting a lackluster 4.56 ERA final 12 months, Darvish impressed with a 3.20 ERA and three.54 FIP in 11 begins this 12 months earlier than hitting the shelf. Since being traded to the Padres after a second-place end in NL Cy Younger award voting with the Cubs in 2020, Darvish has put collectively a 3.80 ERA with a 3.69 FIP and a 26.2% strikeout fee. With the Padres firmly within the playoff image, each Darvish and fellow veteran Joe Musgrove determine to issue into the membership’s postseason rotation alongside Dylan Stop and Michael King.
2. Yankees weighing late-inning choices?
As famous by The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner in a single day, Yankees supervisor Aaron Boone refused to reply a query concerning right-hander Clay Holmes’ standing because the membership’s nearer following yesterday’s heartbreaking loss the place Holmes surrendered a walk-off grand slam to Rangers rookie Wyatt Langford. Boone stated throughout his postgame presser the membership plans to “speak by it and do what we predict is the perfect factor” however didn’t wish to say extra whereas the group was nonetheless “uncooked and emotional” following the loss.
Holmes, who earned his second profession All-Star nod this season, sports activities a 3.27 ERA and a very good 2.91 FIP in 55 innings of labor. Regardless of these sturdy fee numbers, nonetheless, he hasn’t precisely been a shutdown ninth-inning possibility in his third 12 months because the membership’s nearer. He’s transformed simply 29 of his 40 save alternatives. These 11 blown saves lead the majors, properly forward of even different struggling closers like Craig Kimbrel and David Bednar, each of whom have blown six saves in 29 probabilities.
3. Twins roster transfer incoming:
As famous by Bobby Nightengale of The Minnesota Star Tribune yesterday, the Twins are anticipated to recall right-hander Louie Varland earlier than immediately’s sport in opposition to the Rays. Varland is poised to pitch in a multi-inning reduction position after scheduled starter Ronny Henriquez, who hasn’t thrown greater than two innings in an outing with the large league membership this 12 months. After immediately’s scheduled outing, it’s not clear if Varland will pitch for the membership in a bullpen position down the stretch or stay stretched out as a beginning possibility, however Nightengale means that the 26-year-old figures to stay with the membership going ahead somewhat than return to the minor leagues.
Varland entered the 12 months as a rotation candidate in Minnesota, with a profession 4.40 ERA (96 ERA+) in 94 innings as a swing possibility on the huge league degree. Sadly for the righty, he surrendered a disastrous 9.18 ERA in 4 begins again in April and was rapidly demoted to the minors. He’s regarded a lot better since, with a 3.60 ERA and 4.33 FIP in 20 innings of labor on the huge league degree whereas shuttling between the majors and minors, however he’s been leapfrogged by Simeon Woods Richardson, David Festa and Zebby Matthews on the Twins’ rotation depth chart. Minnesota might want to make a corresponding lively roster transfer previous to immediately’s sport to accommodate the addition of Varland.
