The dog days of the MLB season are here. Teams are starting to separate, and contenders are beginning to jump into playoff spots. Here are the 10 most significant stories this week.
Recently recalled rookie scorching hot after stint in minors
Jackson Holliday is finally here and is making a name for himself. The rookie infielder for the Baltimore Orioles has been recalled and is off to a hot start. The Orioles top prospect is now the youngest player ever to homer in three straight games. After getting sent down to Triple-A after a short stint in the big leagues, Holliday has made a name for himself in the second go-around for the Orioles. In his last seven games, he is hitting .320 with an over 1.000 OPS.
Pirates ship sinking as the team goes through a slump to start August
On Aug. 1, the Pittsburgh Pirates were 55-53 and 2.5 GB of the wild card. Fast forward 10 days later, the Pirates are 56-61 and are in last place in the Central. It's a collapse that has the Pirates on the outside looking in as their playoff hopes start to diminish. The Pirates have gone 1-9 in their past 10 games and have struggled since they bought at the trade deadline. Acquisition Bryan De La Cruz has not found his form in Pittsburgh so far, where he has tallied just four hits in his first 35 plate appearances. The boat is now sinking for the Pirates. After losing two of three from the Diamondbacks, they were swept by both the Padres and the Dodgers. The playoff chances are sliding fast for the black and gold.
Dodgers pitcher ruled out for the season amid elbow injury
The pitching injuries continue to stack up for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Rookie River Ryan has been ruled out for the season with an elbow injury suffered in his start against the Pirates. Ryan has been a steady placeholder for the Dodgers, working through some pitching health issues, and has been solid so far. Through four games, Ryan has had a 1.33 ERA through 20.1 innings pitched. This comes at the wrong time for the Dodgers, as a flurry of injuries at the beginning of the season has added up to the rotation. Jack Flaherty has been an excellent addition to the team by the deadline, but the question is whether LA has enough pitching to win in October.
Dodgers first baseman returns from family matter
Freddie Freeman has returned from a rough couple of weeks dealing with a family matter at home. His three-year-old son, Max, was in the ICU after being diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome — a rare neurological condition where the body's immune system attacks nerves, causing muscle weakness. The 2020 NL MVP hasn't skipped a beat after returning to his team. He has stepped in right where he left off this season, slashing .289 with a .890 OPS. The fans at Dodger Stadium greeted Freeman with a standing ovation in his first at-bat.
AL's top team adds pitcher to injured list with a mild strain in right shoulder
The Baltimore Orioles have placed Grayson Rodriguez on the 15-day injured list with a strain in his throwing shoulder. Orioles general manager Mike Elias has shut down Rodriguez from throwing for the next 10 days but remains hopeful that he will return sometime in September. The former top prospect is tied for the most wins in the league this season, pitching to a 13-4 record with a 3.86 ERA. This comes as the Orioles are desperate for starting pitching with Kyle Bradish, John Means and Tyler Wells all ruled out for the season. Baltimore acquired Zach Eflin and Trevor Rogers at the deadline, but they will be without Rodriguez, at least for the next 15 games.
Veteran ruled out for the season for struggling AL West team
Luis Rengifo has been ruled out for the season after undergoing wrist surgery. Rengifo was rumored to be a trade candidate for the Angels but was not moved and is still on the Angels roster. Rengifo had a good season for LA, hitting .300 with a .764 OPS. Rengifo was added to the 10-day injured list on July 5 with wrist inflammation, but with the Angels well out of playoff position, they have decided to opt for surgery.
AL Central team fires manager amid historic losing streak
Good news: the Chicago White Sox have won a game. Bad news: Manager Pedro Grifol is now out of a job. The White Sox pulled the plug this Thursday, departing from the 89-190 record of Grifol amid a 21-game losing streak. With a losing streak of that many games, it was only a matter of time until a change was coming. It's a good move from the White Sox here, as they will now see what they have in Grady Sizemore as their new interim manager. The White Sox are struggling to stay the least, with a 28-91 record; they are on track for one of the worst records in league history. Grifol will now be able to enjoy the final month of summer and is getting paid not to work for the worst team in the league, which sounds like a win for me.
Dodgers star moving to outfield after return from IL stint
Dave Roberts announced that Mookie Betts will return to the starting lineup this Monday, but this time with a new position to his name. Betts has played most of his career in right field but has recently transitioned to shortstop for the Dodgers. Betts shouldn't be an issue out in right; he provides plus defense by being a six-time Gold Glove winner in the outfield. The Dodgers have reinforcements coming just in time for the season's final two months. Betts should add a top-of-the-lineup type bat who will provide both an offensive and defensive spark for LA.
Recent skid has AL Central leader looking for answers
The Cleveland Guardians have not been playing good baseball as of late. In their past 10 games, they have a 3-7 record with series losses to the Tigers, Orioles, Diamondbacks and Twins. The Guardians are still in the lead of the AL Central, with a 3.5-game lead over the Twins in the Central. The pitching ranks among one of the worst in the league, and the hitting has been inconsistent lately. The Guardians did not address many of their needs at the deadline, which shows the recent struggles to begin here in August.
NL West team is on fire as of late as the playoffs are approaching
Has any team had a better end to July and a better start to August than the Arizona Diamondbacks? After a slow start to the season, the Diamondbacks are playing their best baseball as of late, winning 21 of their past 27 games. With taking three out of four this weekend from the NL's top team, the Philadelphia Phillies, the Diamondbacks are not a team you will want to face in October. Their hitting is as good as anybody in the league, and with Corbin Carroll now looking to be his old self, the sky's the limit for this team. Recent acquisitions from the bullpen for Arizona will significantly help them in October as well. This team is as good as anybody in the league and is built for playoff baseball.
Team of the Week
AL: Houston Astros
I don't know how they do it, but amid all the injuries they are going through, the Houston Astros continue to win. Going 5-1 this week with series wins over Texas and Boston, the Astros continue to show why they are one of the premier teams in baseball.
NL: San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres have been on a hot streak lately. Going 5-1 this week, with series wins over Pittsburgh and Miami, the Padres have finally found a groove in early August. They are poised to make the playoffs as a wild card and will enter as a dangerous team that can win it all.
Player of the Week
AL: Yordan Alvarez
It was a casual week for Yordan, hitting .429 with five home runs and an OPS of 1.776. Alvarez has been critical to the success of Houston and is having a great season as well. Just looking at these numbers makes me wonder if guys like him think a week like this is normal for him.
NL: Jackson Merrill
The recent renewal of Jackson Merrill has caught the MLB by storm, and he is making a run for Paul Skenes and the Rookie of the Year. Merrill had an outstanding week, hitting .417 with four home runs and a 1.506 OPS. These are just some video game numbers from a guy who is in his rookie season on a Padres team poised to make a deep playoff run. He has been one of the best hitters on their team in the last month.
