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. Williamson to make MLB debut:
Reds left-hander Brandon Williamson is expected to make his big league debut today in Colorado, either starting the game or following an opener. Williamson is already on the 40-man roster, though a move will of course be necessary to make room for him on the active roster. A second-round pick by the Mariners in the 2019 draft, Williamson was a key piece of the return in the deal that sent Eugenio Suarez and Jesse Winker to Seattle ahead of the 2022 campaign. During his time with the Mariners, Williamson posted a 3.25 ERA in 113 2/3 innings spread across three levels of the minors, including a 3.48 ERA in 67 1/3 Double-A innings that was accompanied by a 33% strikeout rate.
Williamson has struggled since joining the Reds organization. In 2022, he posted an ERA of 4.11 between Double-A and Triple-A while seeing his strikeout rate dip to 24.8% at the Double-A level. That figure fell even further after his promotion to Triple-A, where he punched out just 19.1% of batters last year. This season, the 25-year-old lefty has posted a 6.62 ERA with a strikeout rate of just 16.4% in 34 innings in Triple-A. Despite Williamson’s struggles, he’ll get his first big league opportunity thanks to a calf injury that figures to keep Nick Lodolo sidelined for at least a month.
2. Miller to receive second opinion:
A’s righty Mason Miller will reportedly seek a second opinion today on the forearm tightness that’s kept him out of action recently. With few details on Miller’s injury available, it seems likely that his situation will be clearer after he’s examined further in Dallas today. A third-round pick by Oakland in the 2021 draft, Miller impressed in his first taste of big league action, posting a 3.38 ERA and 3.12 FIP in 21 2/3 innings of work across four starts. During that time, Miller posted a 25.9% strikeout rate and a walk rate of 8.2%.
Missed time for Miller is a blow for Oakland, as he is the club’s only starter with an ERA south of 5.00. In fact, Miller and lefty JP Sears are the only starters with an ERA south of 7.00. Behind Sears, the A’s are currently going with Ken Waldichuk, Kyle Muller, Drew Ruckinski, and Luis Medina while Miller is on the shelf.
3. MLBTR chat today:
With over 25% of the 2023 campaign now in the books, there’s still a handful of surprise teams in good positions in the standings, and many expected playoff contenders struggling. If the events of the season so far have spurred any questions in your mind about your favorite team or the league as a whole, MLBTR’s Steve Adams is holding 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.
