As Spring Training continues, here are three things worth keeping an eye on for MLBTR readers around the baseball world throughout the day today:
1. Nootbaar awaiting test results:
Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar has been sidelined in recent days by soreness in his torso, with Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch adding that Nootbaar underwent a CT scan yesterday, with the club expecting to have a better idea of a timetable for his return sometime today. Nootbaar, 26, has slashed a strong .247/.356/.430 with a wRC+ of 120 over the past two seasons but was limited to just 117 games last year by back and abdomen issues. If Nootbaar were to face a notable absence, he’d run the risk of joining both staff ace Sonny Gray and center fielder Tommy Edman on the shelf to open the season. With both Edman and Nootbaar at risk of missing time, the club would likely turn to Dylan Carlson in center field with the likes of Alec Burleson and Brendan Donovan among the options to take over for Nootbaar in left.
2. Peraza sent for imaging:
Nootbaar wasn’t the only young position player to undergo imaging yesterday, as MLB.com notes that Yankees infielder Oswald Peraza has done the same after battling shoulder issues in recent weeks. The 23-year-old youngster was a consensus top-50 prospect in the game last year but struggled in 52 games in the Bronx last year, hitting a paltry .191/.267/.272 in 191 trips to the plate. Despite those struggles, Peraza still figures to be key future piece for the Yankees alongside Anthony Volpe in the club’s infield, though the likes of DJ LeMahieu and Gleyber Torres leave him blocked from regular starts in the majors for the time being. Headed into the 2024 season, Peraza figures to compete with the likes of Jorbit Vivas and Jahmai Jones for the final spot on the club’s bench alongside Jose Trevino, Oswaldo Cabrera, and Trent Grisham, though his shot at a bench role in the majors could be complicated by an absence of note with less than three weeks until Spring Training.
3. Offseason in Review series begins:
MLBTR’s annual Offseason in Review series began yesterday, with MLBTR’s Anthony Franco discussing the offseason of the reigning NL champion Arizona Diamondbacks as well as the Atlanta Braves, who had the league’s best record last year. Both clubs added a veteran southpaw to the middle of their rotation this winter while also making notable additions in the lineup. MLBTR readers have generally regarded both clubs as having done a solid job this winter, with around three-quarters of respondents grading both offseasons as a “B” or higher. The series, which will cover all 30 clubs in the coming weeks, will continue today with MLBTR’s Darragh McDonald’s discussion of what has been a relatively quiet offseason for the New York Mets.
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