It’s hard to believe we’re already a month into the Major League Baseball season. Now that May is staring us in the face, we’re beginning to see how the league is shaping up—and the next week could give us a further understanding of the hierarchy of things.
Divisional Matchups – This next week will bring many interesting series between division rivals in both leagues. Among them are the Nationals/Braves, Red Sox/Blue Jays, Angels/Athletics, Pirates/Brewers, Reds/Cardinals, Giants/Diamondbacks, Rockies/Dodgers, Cardinals/Brewers, and Dodgers/Giants. A couple of those series will kickstart on Monday with pitching matchups featuring some of the game’s brightest young arms. The Mets’ Matt Harvey and Marlins’ Jose Fernandez will square off against each other in Miami, while Stephen Strasburg and Julio Teheran will face off when the Braves host the Nationals.
Stanton Surging – Much has been made about the early season struggles of one Giancarlo Stanton. The Marlins’ lone leftover star after November’s fire sale with the Blue Jays has struggled mightily early in the season, but he may be starting to break out. He’s now riding a 5-game hitting streak, has 11 hits in his last eight games, and has three home runs in the last two days. It seems as though Marlins fans may, again, have at least one thing to tune in for.
Hanley Returns – The Los Angeles Dodgers, desperate for scoring, could be getting a key offensive contributor back. Shortstop Hanley Ramirez hasn’t played yet for the Dodgers this season after having surgery on a torn ligament in his right thumb last month, but he has been rehabbing successfully with Class-A Rancho Cucamonga. In his two games there, he has gone 3-for-6 with three RBI and a run scored. He could rejoin the big league club on Tuesday and could provide a much-needed boost to a Dodgers team that has scored the second-fewest runs in the Major Leagues.
Motte Decision Time – St. Louis Cardinals’ closer Jason Motte has been shelved all season due to a strained right elbow. The Cardinals have been holding out to determine whether he would need surgery to repair a partially-torn ligament. The team set a deadline of May 1st to make a decision. Motte started throwing on Saturday and said he felt great and will continue to throw this week. The Cardinals could certainly use him back in the bullpen, as their relievers have struggled at the end of games, combining for just six saves in 12 opportunities. If Motte does avoid surgery, it will still be weeks before he would return to the team, but it would be quicker than if he has the surgery.
Shields Faces Rays – James Shields will get his first shot at facing his former team this week as the Royals’ ace will throw against the Rays on Tuesday. Shields was shipped to Kansas City in December as part of a seven-player deal. In his five starts as a Royal, Shields has been very good as KC has jumped out to the early AL Central lead. While his record is just 1-2, he has a 3.09 ERA, four quality starts, and 32 strikeouts. It’s also worth keeping an eye on whether there seems to be any tension between Shields and Evan Longoria, following the Rays’ third baseman’s comments about the pitcher’s commitment to winning.
