It was another action-packed week of baseball as we near the end of August. From surprising DFA to injuries, here are the top 10 stories in baseball this week.
NL East star sidelined for two months with injury
Austin Riley has been put on the injured list and is expected to miss six to eight weeks from a fractured hand. Reports are out that Riley will most likely miss the rest of the regular season, but the Braves still don't know if he will return for the playoffs. Riley injured his hand from a hit by a pitch by a 97 MPH fastball from Los Angeles Angels starter Jack Kochanowicz in the first inning of Atlanta's 3-1 victory. Riley has had a solid year thus far, hitting .256 with 19 home runs and a .783 OPS.
NL Central Gold Glover sidelines with lingering back issues
It is no secret that Ke'bryan Hayes has some back issues that are affecting his swing. After a torrid rookie year, the Pirates locked up Hayes by signing him to an eight-year, $70 million contract. It is safe to say that Hayes has not lived up to expectations thus far. After looking like he turned the corner the last two months of last season, Hayes has been very lackluster this season, and the back seems to be a real issue. Hayes is hitting .233 with four home runs and a .573 OPS. Hayes appears to be trying to hit the ball for average, whereas he has been more successful trying to hit for power. He has been added to the 10-day injured list, but this is the type of injury I see the Pirates try to take slowly and figure out what is wrong, especially with the team well out of playoff position.
NL West infielder heads to IL with injury
The San Diego Padres have placed Ha-Seong Kim on the 10-day IL with right shoulder inflammation. This is the first injury Kim has suffered in his extensive league career. Kim has had a lackluster season, hitting .233 with a .700 OPS. Kim was a crucial part of the Padre's playoff run in 2022 and could be a big top-of-the-lineup hitter if San Diego can make it into October. Kim is a vital part of San Diego's infield. The Padres are in a great spot to make the playoffs, being three games ahead of the third wild-card team and in sole possession of the second wild-card spot.
Sinking team fires manager in hopes to jump-start team
The Scott Servais era is officially over in Seattle. The Mariners had one of the better trade deadlines to end July, but a recent 8-12 skid has put them back around the .500 record. Currently, the Mariners are 7.5 GB, and barring a miracle, they look like they are going to miss the playoffs. The Mariners have a roster that can compete with the best in the AL. Hitting has been the big issue for Seattle this season. Recent deadline addition Randy Arozarena has been lackluster at the plate so far in his time in Seattle. Dan Wilson has been named the interim manager.
Dodgers DFA veteran outfielder
The Los Angeles Dodgers are having a roster size crunch. Long-time veteran outfielder Jason Heyward has officially been designated for assignment. With reinforcements coming and the defense Kevin Kiermaier is bringing to the table night in and night out, Heyward is not needed anymore in LA. Heyward has been with the Dodgers for two years but has struggled this season, only hitting a .208 average with six home runs and a .682 OPS. I don't expect Heyward to be on the market for long. He is the perfect player on a playoff team to be a bench player. Teams interested that I could see Heyward going to are the Braves, Yankees and the Padres.
Top prospect in baseball called up to big leagues
The Dylan Crews era is officially set to begin in Washington on Monday against the New York Yankees. The Nationals have brought up the former No. 2 overall pick to the big leagues after an up-and-down year in Triple A. The Nationals have been one of the worst teams in the league, but during that time, they have been building up the farm system. The time is now for Washington. Crews should come in and lock up centerfield for the rest of the season. The LSU product got off to a slow start this season but then was promoted to Triple A, where he hit .271 with a .807 OPS. With James Wood already up in Washington, the time is now for the Nationals to compete.
Ace pitcher taken off restricted list, but added to the injured list
Yu Darvish is back with the San Diego Padres. He was placed on the restricted list earlier in July but is back and being put on the injured list. Darvish was originally out with a personal matter involving family. With several weeks away from a possible return from the mound, the Padres placed Darvish on the 15-day IL to get him back to 100% before he pitches. When healthy, Darvish is still one of the best pitchers in all of baseball and would be a crucial part of the Padres to go on to a deep playoff run. This season, Darvish has a 3.20 ERA in 11 starts. The Padres rotation is starting to get healthy. With Joe Musgrove returning and still the reliable Dylan Cease pitching at a career-best, the Padres would be dangerous if they were to sneak into a playoff spot.
Face of the league already hits 40/40 in August
Shohei Ohtani is something else, isn't he? The self-proclaimed best player on the planet has thrived for the Los Angeles Dodgers this season. The stats Ohtani is putting up, a .292 average with 41 home runs and a .993 OPS, would be good enough for anyone in the league. But what if I told you he also runs the bases in an elite way? Ohtani has been outstanding on the base paths this season, tallying 40 stolen bases this season. To add to this, Ohtani is a Cy Young type of pitcher when he is healthy. He is coming back from Tommy John surgery and will look to pitch for the Dodgers next season. The highest-paid player in MLB history is currently proving why he is the face of baseball.
Face of the Yankees franchise can't stop hitting home runs
Aaron Judge cannot stop hitting home runs. He just surpassed 50 and is on pace for 63 home runs this season. When Judge was in the last year of the deal for the Yankees, he had the best year of his career, hitting 62 home runs in 2022. He is on pace to break his own regular season record. The face of the Yankees was rewarded for his career year, signing a nine-year, $360 million contract to stay in the pinstripes. He was also awarded the captain title for the Yankees, previously held by Derek Jeter. Judge has been the most consistent player in the league this season, hitting .333 with a 1.202 OPS, which ranks No. 1 in all of baseball. Judge is the clear-cut favorite to win the AL MVP, but the recent play of Bobby Witt Jr. could change that real quick.
Reinforcements coming for top NL team
Yoshinobu Yamamoto is beginning to begin rehab assignments in Triple A as early as this week. He is expected to pitch in a game this coming Wednesday after throwing a bullpen session on Monday. He is only expected to pitch two innings. If it goes well, he will likely start another rehab and join the Dodgers shortly after that. He was diagnosed with right triceps soreness and was transferred to the 60-day IL on July 13. Yamamoto has been outstanding this season for the Dodgers, pitching to a 6-2 record and a 2.92 ERA in just 14 starts. Reinforcements are officially on the way for the Dodgers.
Team of the Week
NL: Atlanta Braves
Going 5-1 this week, the Braves are thriving without some of their top guys in the lineup. With a series win over Philadelphia and a sweep of the Nationals, the Braves are keeping pace for the top wild-card spot in the NL.
AL: Texas Rangers
Going 4-2 this week with a series win over the Pirates, the Rangers have played some good baseball as of late. The Rangers are still well out of playoff contention, being 12.5 GB of the wild card.
Player of the Week
NL: Francisco Lindor
Francisco Lindor said that the MVP battle was won and lost in August and September. Could he have an MVP case in the NL? Lindor had an unbelievable week, hitting .375 with three home runs and a 1.340 OPS.
AL: Aaron Judge
When I said Aaron Judge can't stop hitting home runs, I wasn't lying. In his past 21 at-bats, he has hit seven home runs. Yes, seven. Judge wins the AL by a landslide, posting a .381 average with a 1.948 OPS. Oh, and just to add, a 1.429 slugging percentage if anyone was interested. Just a casual week for the leader of the pinstripes.
