As the 2023 regular season continues, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:
1. Harrison to make Giants debut:
The Giants are poised to promote left-handed pitching prospect Kyle Harrison today prior to his planned start against the Phillies on the road. Harrison, 22, was a third-round pick in the 2020 draft by the Giants and came into the 2023 campaign as a consensus top-40 prospect in baseball, pushing as high as the top-20 on some lists. While Harrison’s run-prevention numbers at Triple-A this year haven’t been anything to write home about (4.52 ERA in 67 2/3 innings of work), between the inflated offensive environment of the Pacific Coast League and Harrison’s fantastic 35.6% strikeout rate at the level, it’s easy to see why San Francisco thinks it’s time to give the youngster a shot. Harrison is not yet on the 40-man roster, meaning the club will have to make a corresponding move to clear space for him.
2. Houck to return:
Red Sox right-hander Tanner Houck is poised to return from the injured list for tonight’s game against the Astros in Houston, as noted by Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic. It will be Houck’s first return to a big league mound after being struck in the face by a comebacker, resulting in facial fractures that ultimately required surgery. Houck, 27, has had a difficult season to this point with a 5.05 ERA across 13 starts, though a 4.21 FIP, 4.16 SIERA, and 3.82 xFIP all could indicate better days on the horizon. Houck’s return likely spells the end of fellow righty Nick Pivetta’s return to the rotation, with the 30-year-old hurler presumably heading back into the relief role he dominated in earlier this summer.
3. MLBTR Chat Today:
September is fast approaching, and the league’s 30 clubs are all pushing full steam ahead into the stretch run. Although we’re nearly into the season’s final month, just over half the league still has 10% or better odds at a playoff spot, per Fangraphs. If you’re curious how your team will hold up over the season’s final months, what their plan for the future is, or have a question about one of the many deals that went down at the deadline last week, MLBTR’s Steve Adams is hosting a live chat with readers at 1pm CT today. You can click here to ask a question in advance, join in live once the chat begins, or read the transcript once the chat is complete.