As the 2024 regular season continues, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world this weekend:
1. Series Preview: Twins @ Guardians
A series that could have major implications in this year’s race for the AL Central crown is set to begin this evening, as the Twins are set to visit the Guardians in Cleveland for a three-game set. Tonight’s game will feature Minnesota youngster Simeon Woods Richardson (3.24 ERA) taking on right-hander Triston McKenzie (3.54 ERA). Cleveland has not yet announced who will take the ball tomorrow opposite Bailey Ober (3.77 ERA), but Tanner Bibee (4.34 ERA) will start opposite Chris Paddack (4.89 ERA) during the series finale on Sunday.
Minnesota was widely expected to be the team to beat in the AL Central this season, but the club fell toward the bottom of the standings after a brutal 7-13 start, while the Guardians were white hot out of the gate with a 18-7 start over their first 25 games. Since then, the Twins have heated up, going 17-6 during a stretch that included a 12-game win streak. The Guardians, meanwhile, have started to come back down to Earth with a 9-10 record over their past 19 games. Even so, they still lead the AL Central with a 1.5-game lead over the second-place Royals and a 2.5-game lead over the Twins, who sit in third place. Will this weekend’s series shake up the Central?
2. Heyward nearing return:
Dodgers outfielder Jason Heyward is done rehabbing from the low back issue that’s kept him out of action since late March, manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including Jack Harris of the L.A. Times) last night. While the veteran wasn’t active for yesterday’s game against the Reds, Roberts indicated that he would be activated from the injured list “soon,” setting up a potential move over the weekend. Heyward impressed with the club in 124 games last year, slashing a respectable .269/.340/.473 in a platoon role.
Heyward’s return raises the question of who the Dodgers will send out to make room for him on the roster. Veteran utilitymen Enrique Hernandez and especially Chris Taylor have struggled badly this season, but neither can be optioned and would thus have to be designated for assignment to move off of the roster. That would be a major decision with Taylor in particular, as he’s under contract for 2025 with a $13MM salary that would essentially become dead money. Another possibility would be to send either James Outman or Andy Pages to the minor leagues, as both youngsters do have options remaining. Of the two, Outman appears to be the more likely candidate given that he has slashed just .147/.250/.266 in 124 trips to the plate this year.
3. Walker under evaluation:
Phillies right-hander Taijuan Walker left last night’s game against the Mets in the fourth inning after taking a comebacker off his foot. As noted by Matt Gelb of The Athletic, the Phillies announced Walker’s injury as a left foot bruise. Gelb added that Walker had managed to avoid a broken toe but the club was unsure if the veteran would make his next start. The right-hander is expected to be evaluated further today to determine next steps. In the event that Walker does require some time off due to the injury, the Phillies are fortunate to have an excellent solution to that problem in the form of right-hander Spencer Turnbull. Turnbull started the season as a member of the club’s rotation while Walker was on the injured list and dominated in the role, with an excellent 1.67 ERA and 3.21 FIP in 32 1/3 innings of work across six starts.
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