With the regular season now 75% complete, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:
1. Meadows to be promoted:
Tigers outfield prospect Parker Meadows is set to be promoted today, as the Tigers themselves have announced. Meadows is the brother of fellow Tigers outfielder Austin Meadows, and has slashed .256/.337/.474 in 113 games with the club’s Triple-A affiliate this season while stealing 19 bases in 21 attempts. As a left-handed outfielder, Meadows adds to the club’s depth of lefty-hitting outfield options that already includes the elder Meadows (who has been out since April battling anxiety), Riley Greene, Kerry Carpenter, Akil Baddoo, Nick Maton, and Zach McKinstry, though the latter two also play the infield. While a 40-man roster move won’t be necessary after Meadows was selected last November, an active roster move will still be necessary prior to tonight’s game against the Cubs in Detroit. That move has yet to be announced, but Daren Tomhave of The Detroit News suggests that Maton is the most likely player to be sent down given his left-handed bat and lack of playing time in recent weeks.
2. Crawford nearing a return:
After sweeping the Astros in a three-game set over the weekend, the red-hot Mariners are headed to Chicago for a trio of games against the White Sox. There, they’ll be joined (according to Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times) by shortstop J.P. Crawford, who was in the midst of a career season at the plate prior to sustaining a concussion earlier this month. In 460 trips to the plate this season, Crawford has slashed .266/.379/.411 with a wRC+ of 129 and an elite 14.8% walk rate. With Crawford’s bat returning to a rejuvenated Mariners lineup as soon as this evening, the Mariners will look to continue the hot stretch of play that’s seen them go 14-4 in the month of August and climb within three games of the AL West division lead.
3. Estrada to undergo x-rays:
Giants infielder Thairo Estrada was struck in the hand by a pitch in the ninth inning of yesterday’s game against the Braves. While Estrada stayed in the game, manager Gabe Kapler indicated to reporters, including Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle, that he’ll undergo testing to determine the severity of the injury. The incident is of particular concern given the fact that Estrada missed a month earlier this summer with a fractured hand after being hit by a pitch at the beginning of July. Estrada also missed time with a wrist sprain earlier this season. If Estrada were to require a trip to the injured list, that could open up additional playing time for infielder Casey Schmitt, though the club could also call up Marco Luciano or Brett Wisely from the minors to fill the void.