Earlier, Craig filled you in on Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander’s displeasure with Indians outfielder Marlon Byrd, who tested positive for a banned substance for a second time and received a 162-game suspension.
Verlander wasn’t the only one voicing his displeasure. Padres pitcher Jeremy Guthrie called Byrd “a joke” in a tweet sent today:
Marlon Byrd is a joke. All you cheaters are a joke. Do it the right way one time, accept your ups & downs.
— Jeremy Guthrie (@TheRealJGuts) June 1, 2016
A fan asked how Guthrie ensures he doesn’t make the same mistake as Byrd. Guthrie responded:
For what it’s worth, Guthrie has handled Byrd well in their 14 meetings. Byrd has only four singles and one RBI with no extra-base hits. Meanwhile, Byrd hit Verlander well, racking up six hits, including a home run, in 18 plate appearances for a 1.007 OPS.
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported on Wednesday that Guthrie plans to opt out of his minor league contract with the Padres in order to become a free agent. Guthrie’s overall numbers are ugly -- 6.60 ERA, 37/19 K/BB ratio in 60 innings -- but as Rosenthal notes, he has pitched better in recent outings. The veteran could reliably soak up six innings a night for a team in need of pitching help.