Baseball is truly a great game. On a nightly basis, we see many things of interest. To say that there are surprises would be an understatement. There’s never a shortage of excitement and things to note, so let’s take a look at some items that caught my attention.
This Time is Better for Shaw
The buzz was there for Matt Shaw after being drafted in the first round in 2023. Entering the season, the Chicago Cubs planned to start their top prospect at the hot corner. All Shaw did in Spring Training was earn the job and generate optimism. Instead, the third baseman scuffled as he illustrated how difficult it is to adjust to life in the big leagues.
Shaw hit just .172, striking out 18 times in 18 games before being sent back down to Triple-A. The good news is that the reset truly seemed to help Shaw as it ultimately proved to be a temporary stint in the minor leagues. Entering action on Sunday, we are seeing a different version of Shaw. He’s hitting .359 with six RBI in 11 games, with four RBI and four walks while striking out seven times.
Despite that success, there’s still more work to be done for Shaw. At least now, the performance is better, so he’ll be given more time to find his footing. Based on what Shaw has done, he’s also shown is capable of improving on his 2.8% barrel rate and 22.2% hard hit rate.
Yordan Goes the Other Way
From an injury perspective, things haven’t been going too well for the Houston Astros. The latest installment points us to Yordan Alvarez. Overall, it hasn’t been a good year for the slugger as he’s hitting just .210 with three home runs in 29 games; although he did drive in 18 runs.
Alvarez then went to the Injured List with a hand injury, and the assumption was that it wouldn’t be too lengthy an absence. Despite their offensive struggles, especially in April, the Astros are still in the AL West race.
The problem, though, is that the Alvarez now seems to be further away from returning. After batting practice on Friday, Houston took another image of Alvarez’s hand, and it showed a fracture that is just 60% healed. Now, Alvarez will be shut down until the fracture is healed. Based on the initial swelling and inflammation, the fracture had previously gone undetected.
While Alvarez’s return is now delayed further, the good news is that he’ll be healthy when he does return. As the Astros look for a left-handed bat, one of their top prospects (Jacob Melton) was promoted.
Things Are Getting Better in New York
While Jazz Chisholm was only hitting .181 before injuring his oblique, his loss was felt by the New York Yankees. In fairness to Chisholm, he had a BABIP of just .200, but he also had a strong .229 ISO.
In 30 games, Chisholm has seven home runs and six stolen bases to go along with 17 RBI and 17 runs scored. He has shown no ill effects of his injury while getting through his rehab without issue.
As soon as Tuesday, we should see Chisholm back in the lineup and starting at third base for the Yankees. It certainly will be an improvement to a lineup that’s already humming along.
What Happened in Tampa Bay?
I understand that prior to his injury, Jake Mangum was having some success. He’s continued that after his return, and overall, he’s hitting .316 in 84 plate appearances. Mangum hasn’t shown any power, .089 ISO, but he does have eight stolen bases and 10 runs scored. The problem, though, and nothing against Mangum, is that he’s not the future.
Chandler Simpson, though, is the future. In the 35 games he spent with the Rays, before being sent back to Triple-A, Simpson put that on full display. He hit .285 while striking out just 10.5% of the time. While no one is going to look towards Simpson for power, he stole 19 bases and scored 17 runs. That was not the performance of someone who should have been sent back to the minor leagues.
Ultimately, the Rays likely determined there wasn’t enough everyday playing time for Simpson in the major leagues, and that was better for his development. I’d expect to see him back soon.
Lugo Returns for Kansas City
The good news is that it was a brief absence for Seth Lugo with a finger injury. He returned to action this past weekend, but Lugo also showed rust against a Detroit Tigers team that has been stronger than expected.
Lugo made it through just 3.1 innings of work as he allowed four runs on five hits and two walks. Getting Lugo back is a good sign for Kansas City’s rotation and pitching depth. It has been an uneven start to the season for Lugo, who does have a 3.45 ERA but his 4.87 FIP doesn’t paint as optimistic a picture.
For a pitcher such as Lugo who only strikes out around seven or eight batters per nine innings, the margin of error is a lot smaller. He is averaging six innings per start and there’s value in that.
Miller’s Return Goes Quite Well
From a health perspective, it’s been a rough start to the season for the Seattle Mariners’ starting rotation. The good news is that things are at least trending in the right direction as Bryce Miller returned on Saturday.
Things went as expected for Miller as the Mariners eased him back into action. Miller gave up three runs in four innings of work with two strikeouts. Through nine starts, Miller’s ERA sits at 5.36, but his 4.23 FIP does point to better days coming. For that to happen, Miller does need to bump up strikeouts and decrease the walks. Overall, though, there is reason for optimism.
Will This Return Stick
It’s really unfortunate to say, but did we really think Mike Trout would last the season? The outfielder did return this weekend after being sidelined with a leg injury. Prior to getting a rest day on Sunday, Trout had four hits in nine at-bats with an RBI.
Trout is hitting just .207 on the season, but I wouldn’t let that detract from the success he’s truly having. His BABIP sits at only .211 with a .261 xBA. Through 32 games, Trout does have nine home runs and 19 RBI to go along with a .267 ISO and 15.2% barrel rate. There’s still something left in Trout’s bat when he’s healthy on the field.
Valdez Turns Back the Clock
Seeing Framber Valdez come through a strong start shouldn’t have come as a surprise. The left-hander generally pitches deep into games for the Houston Astros and he has success while doing so.
In his most recent start against the Tampa Bay Rays, Valdez really had the best of both worlds. The left-hander picked up his fifth victory of the season by throwing a complete game. What really caught my attention though, is that he did so by throwing just 83 pitches. Despite the low pitch count, Valdez still struck out nine while generating 14 outs on the ground.
Through 12 starts this season, he’s averaging over six innings per start while pitching to a 3.12 ERA (3.24 FIP). While not truly overpowering, Valdez is still striking out close to a batter per inning to go along with his 58.5% ground ball rate. That’s a recipe for success.
