Because 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 right this moment:
1. Final name for waiver exercise:
Final evening information broke that the Giants had positioned infielder Thairo Estrada in addition to lefties Taylor Rogers and Tyler Matzek on outright waivers, permitting any of the league’s different 29 golf equipment to say any of them for no value past the rest of the participant’s contract. The waiver course of lasts for 2 days, which means gamers placed on waivers right this moment determine to be claimed on August 31. That makes right this moment the final day to waive gamers and have them nonetheless be eligible for the postseason with their new membership, since gamers who be a part of a brand new group after the calendar flips to September are usually not eligible to take part within the postseason with their new membership.
One 12 months in the past right this moment, the Angels drew consideration to the waiver course of by placing numerous pending free brokers on waivers, together with key items like Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez that they had simply added on the commerce deadline. Groups have put loads of gamers by way of outright waivers to date this 12 months in an try to dump their wage, with Drew Smyly of the Cubs, and Michael A. Taylor of the Pirates among the many most up-to-date examples. Will every other veterans on golf equipment unlikely to make the postseason hit the waiver wire right this moment?
2. Astros 40-man transfer incoming:
The Astros just lately signed veteran outfielder Jason Heyward to a massive league deal following the Dodgers’ resolution to half methods with the 35-year-old final week. Heyward, who has hit .208/.289/.393 with a wRC+ of 90 in 197 journeys to the plate with L.A. this 12 months, was squeezed off the roster by Mookie Betts’s return to proper discipline after spending the primary half on the infield and the membership’s acquisition of Kevin Kiermaier simply earlier than the commerce deadline final month. Now Heyward figures to hitch the Houston bench combine as a left-handed complement to Mauricio Dubon in left and Jake Meyers in proper discipline.
Heyward reportedly took his bodily with the membership yesterday, and given the truth that the Astros have already introduced that outfielder Chas McCormick was optioned to Triple-A final evening it appears seemingly that the veteran will likely be lively earlier than right this moment’s recreation in opposition to the Royals. The membership might want to make room for Heyward on the 40-man roster earlier than he can be a part of the membership, and with none clear candidates for the 60-day IL obtainable that may seemingly imply designating a participant for project.
3. Sequence Preview: Braves @ Phillies
With simply over a month to go earlier than the common season involves an in depth, the highest two groups within the NL East are set to satisfy for a four-game set in Philadelphia that will likely be their final head-to-head matchup of the 12 months barring a conflict within the playoffs. The Braves took two of three from the Phillies of their assembly final week and have posted a 6-1 file since then, permitting them to achieve vital floor within the division. They now sit simply 5 video games again within the NL East, which means {that a} sweep of their prime rival would put them only one recreation again from claiming their seventh consecutive division crown.
In the meantime, a poor displaying from Atlanta may put them on the again foot within the Wild Card race, with the Mets and Cubs each nonetheless lurking on the periphery of the postseason image. A robust efficiency from the Phillies, alternatively, may put them within the drivers’ seat for a bye by way of the Wild Card sequence in a decent race for the highest two NL seeds between themselves, the Dodgers, and the Brewers. The sequence will kick off at 6:40pm native time this night with veteran righty Charlie Morton (4.24 ERA) taking over younger southpaw Cristopher Sanchez (3.51 ERA), and later video games within the sequence will pit Reynaldo Lopez (2.02 ERA) in opposition to Ranger Suarez (2.82 ERA), Max Fried (3.50 ERA) versus Zack Wheeler (2.74 ERA), and Spencer Schwellenbach (3.72 ERA) in opposition to Aaron Nola (3.30 ERA).