As the final month of 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. When will Ohtani return?
Two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani was out of the lineup again last night, though after yesterday’s game Angels manager Phil Nevin indicated to reporters (including Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register and The Athletic’s Sam Blum) that Ohtani’s situation is day-to-day. Nevin added that while Ohtani was dealing with some inflammation in his oblique, he had avoided a strain. The frontrunner for the AL MVP award is expected to play again this season, and even wanted to return to the lineup yesterday. He’ll be evaluated before today’s game to determine if he needs further rest before returning to the field. Ohtani avoiding a more significant injury is surely a relief for Angels fans, as the pending free agent is putting together a historic campaign with a 178 wRC+ in the batter’s box and a 31.5% strikeout rate on the mound, though he’s been shut down from pitching for the rest of the season.
2. Marlins to recall Cabrera:
The Marlins are expected to recall right-hander Edward Cabrera to start this evening’s game against the Dodgers, as relayed by Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. 25-year-old Cabrera started the 2023 season as a member of the club’s rotation, but was then shelved by a shoulder impingement for a little over a month. Upon returning, Cabrera posted a 5.40 ERA and 6.06 FIP and struggled with stamina, pitching just ten innings across three starts. That led the club to option Cabrera to Triple-A, where he’s managed to build back up to 100-pitch outings while posting an impressive 2.22 ERA across five starts. If he’s able to continue his hot stretch in the major leagues, he could provide a spark for Miami, with the club just half a game back in the race for the final NL Wild Card spot.
3. Verlander and Scherzer face-off:
Future Hall of Famers Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer were teammates for the second time in their careers just over a month ago, at which point both were traded to the AL West by the Mets. Scherzer, who was shipped to the Rangers a few days before the trade deadline, has dominated with a 2.21 ERA and 2.47 FIP across six starts since joining the club. Verlander’s reunion with the Astros has gotten off to a more pedestrian start, with a 3.86 ERA and 4.69 FIP in six starts. Despite the disparity in recent numbers, the pitchers’ duel is sure to make the season series’s rubber match between the two clubs an interesting one. The Astros currently sit half a game ahead of the Rangers in the AL West standings after taking the first two games in this three-game set.