It’s been a long offseason, but we finally made it to Opening Day; a day that saw every club get a chance to get their respective season started.
Well, almost everyone.
On a Thursday that saw 15 games scheduled, only 13 of those contests ended up being played. First came the cancellation of the opener between the Orioles and Red Sox. That game was bumped due to weather. The contest was postponed on Friday, with a 2:10 pm Eastern starting time.
But with all due respect to that contest, the biggest news from Thursday was that the game between the Nationals and Mets was being postponed, and unfortunately, this one has nothing to do with weather. The game was cancelled due to COVID-19 regulations, as Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo confirmed that two more players for Washington have tested positive for the virus. Rizzo also said that another player is “likely” positive; meaning that his test has come back inconclusive but remains in quarantine. Both positive tests were also revealed to be players. If there’s good news here, it’s that two of the players are asymptomatic, but one player does have a fever. [[ad:athena]]
Unfortunately, the question now is what this does for the rest of the series. Friday’s game has already been canceled as well, and it’s tough to imagine that the club will be ready to play on Saturday based on protocols, either. The most likely result is that the series is made up at some point later in the season with doubleheaders, and that both clubs don’t make their season debut next week.
It’s a sad reminder that while we are ahead of where we were at this point in the year -- we weren’t playing any baseball at all in April of 2020 -- this is still going to be something that happens in the 2021 season. Hopefully all parties involved are healthy and can contribute sooner than later. The former point is obviously a lot more important than the latter.
Rosenthal placed on injured list with shoulder inflammation
There were quite a few injuries on Thursday, unfortunately, but arguably the biggest injury news came before the games started in the afternoon. The Athletics placed right-hander Trevor Rosenthal on the 10-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation.
The injury comes as a surprise, as while Rosenthal didn’t see a ton of action in the Cactus League, there weren’t reports that suggest it was to do with a problem. Athletics manager Bob Melvin told reporters that the right-hander wasn’t bouncing back from outings during the Cactus League, and that the shoulder felt the worst it has over his last outing in Arizona. Signed a one-year deal worth $11 million in the offseason, the assumption was that the 30-year-old would be the closer for Oakland after he saved 11-of-12 games and registered an impressive 1.90 ERA for both the Royals and Padres -- the latter after a deadline deal between the two clubs -- over the summer. There’s no MRI scheduled as of yet, but it seems likely that with a shoulder problem, Rosenthal will miss more than the necessary 10 days.
As for a potential replacement for Rosenthal, the A’s do have some quality internal options. The player most likely to get save chances -- and Melvin confirmed as much on Thursday -- is Jake Diekman. Keep in mind that Diekman was named as the most likely closer by David Forst in December before Oakland swooped in and signed the free agent stopper. The veteran southpaw doesn’t have much closing experience with just seven career saves since 2012, but he’s certainly been effective as a set-up man, and he was dominant in 2020 with a sparkling 0.42 ERA and 31 strikeouts over 21 1/3 innings.
Sergio Romo also could see looks, but if you’re looking on the waiver wire for a potential Rosenthal replacement, it should be Diekman.
Glasnow dominant in opener against Marlins
There’s no question that Tyler Glasnow is now the ace of the Tampa Bay pitching staff, and he pitched like it on Thursday.
Glasnow didn’t get a decision, but he went six scoreless innings and allowed just one hit in Tampa Bay’s 1-0 win over the Marlins on Thursday. The right-hander didn’t issue a single walk, and he was able to throw 57-of-77 pitches for strikes before exiting the contest. The 27-year-old was humming, but the combination of a tight back -- Glasnow was ordered not to swing in a game without the benefit of the designated hitter -- and the Rays usual reluctance to have a pitcher face a lineup a third time around saw him leave after the brilliant start.
Even if Glasnow isn’t an innings-eater, his ability to miss bats and initiate weak contact with a good defense and solid lineup behind him make him a good bet to be an excellent fantasy option in 2021.
There were some other quality pitching performances on Thursday, which isn’t a surprise considering it was Opening Day and many teams were using their aces, but not as many as some might think. One of those was Glasnow’s opponent, as Sandy Alcantara also impressed with six scoreless innings and seven strikeouts for the Marlins. Shane Bieber gave up three runs, but fanned 12 in a loss to the Tigers. Gerrit Cole also had a no-decision, but fanned eight over 5 2/3 frames against the Blue Jays. The most disappointing start came from Yu Darvish, as in his Padres debut, he allowed four runs and couldn’t get out of the fifth inning while allowing eight hits against what looks like a lackluster Arizona lineup. Darvish will be fine, but fantasy managers likely would have preferred to see a little more crispness from the veteran ace.
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National League Quick Hits: Rockies signed RHP Jhoulys Chacin to a one-year contract. RHP Jairo Diaz was designated for assignment in a corresponding move. … Reds designated RHP Edgar Garcia for assignment. … Sixto Sanchez felt “slight discomfort” in his right shoulder while throwing at the Marlins’ alternate training site on Wednesday. … Cubs placed RHP Tyson Miller on the COVID-19 injured list. … Nick Senzel left Thursday’s game against the Cardinals with a left shoulder injury. He has a chance to return to the lineup over the weekend, according to Reds manager David Bell. … Austin Barnes left Thursday’s contest against the Rockies in the seventh inning with an apparent hand injury. He is considered day-to-day. … Starling Marte went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts on Thursday in a loss to the Rays. … Dylan Carlson belted a three-run home run in the first inning of the Cardinals’ victory over the Reds on Thursday. … Kwang-Hyun Kim (back) threw 51 pitches in a simulated game Thursday at the Cardinals’ spring training complex in Florida. … Padres placed RHP Dinelson Lamet on the 10-day injured list with a right elbow sprain.
American League Quick Hits: Angels signed David Fletcher to a five-year $26 million contract extension. The deal can pay Fletcher $41 million with two club options. … Tigers designated OF Christin Stewart for assignment. … Spencer Turnbull (COVID-19) has been cleared to resume workouts at the Tigers’ spring training facility in Lakeland, Florida. … Blue Jays designated C Reese McGuire for assignment. … Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Christian Vazquez (eye) is ready for Friday’s rescheduled opener. … Royals designated C Meibrys Viloria and RHP Scott Blewett for assignment. … Josh Donaldson left Thursday’s game against the Brewers with a tight right hamstring. The hope is that Donaldson can return on Saturday. … According to Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith, the Blue Jays have checked in on free agent left-hander Mike Montgomery. … Cole Irvin will start on Saturday against the Astros. … Byron Buxton homered, walked twice and stole a base Thursday versus the Brewers. … Frankie Montas (finger) is likely to start on Monday against the Dodgers. … Hunter Dozier left Thursday’s game against the Rangers with a right thumb contusion. He’s considered day-to-day with a chance to play on Saturday. … Brad Peacock will have a showcase for teams on Friday according to Connor Byrne of MLB Trade Rumors.
