It took until the 162nd day of the season, but the MLB postseason field is set as the Wild Card games are set to get underway starting Tuesday with the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees set to do battle.
While all eyes shift to the postseason matchups, there is still plenty of news to sift through from the final week of the regular season. Let’s take a look at the biggest stories of the week.
Rash Of Injuries Affect Playoffs
Unfortunately, as the playoffs get underway, there are a few teams that will be short-handed as some major names suffered injuries in the final week. Here is a look at some of the teams losing significant pieces.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are probably the hardest hit as they are going to be without both Clayton Kershaw and Max Muncy.
For Kershaw, he was placed on the injured list with forearm discomfort in his pitching arm. According to manager Dave Roberts, the team is still undergoing more tests, but they don’t anticipate having him for the postseason.
While the Dodgers still have Max Scherzer, Walker Buehler, and Julio Urias, this is a huge blow to the Dodgers’ rotation. This season, Kershaw was 10-8 with a 3.55 ERA, 1.019 WHIP, and had 144 strikeouts in 121.2 innings.
Complicating things even worse is the fact that Los Angeles lost their best hitter this season in the first baseman Max Muncy. On Sunday, Muncy had to leave the game early due to a wrist injury suffered during a collision at first base.
Muncy will be out at least during the Wild Card game, but it could be longer. This season, he is hitting .250/.369/.528 with 36 home runs, 94 runs batted in, and 95 runs scored.
The Yankees also suffered a blow this week as DJ LeMahieu hit the injured list as he is suffering from a sports hernia. The earliest he can be back for the ALCS, meaning the Yankees will be without his .268/.349/.362 slash line that also includes ten home runs, 57 runs batted in, and 84 runs.
Lastly, the Boston Red Sox could be without their slugging designated hitter J.D. Martinez. Playing the field in the finale Sunday, Martinez suffered an ankle sprain as he tripped over second base, heading out to the field for defense.
Martinez has bounced back in a big way for the Red Sox this year as he is hitting .286/.349/.518 with 28 home runs, 99 runs batted in, and 92 runs scored. Not having him for the one game against the Yankees would be a huge loss for Boston.
Wainwright Signs Extension, Arenado To Stay
It has been a great week for the St. Louis Cardinals. Not only did they secure the second Wild Card spot in the National League, but they also have two of their biggest pieces coming back for the 2022 season.
First, veteran hurler, Adam Wainwright agreed to a one-year extension. While the exact terms haven’t been announced, he is expected to make almost double the $8 million he made this season.
Wainwright led the starting rotation to the tune of a 17-7 record in 32 starts. In that span, he had a 3.05 ERA, 1.057 WHIP, and he struck out 174 in 206.1 innings. The Cardinals are hoping that Wainwright can lead them past the Dodgers in the NL Wild Card game on Wednesday.
The Cardinals also got word that slugging third baseman Nolan Arenado will be back as he is not planning to utilize his opt-out. Instead, he will be back for $35 million next season with the Redbirds.
Acquired via trade from the Colorado Rockies the last offseason, Arenado hit .255/.312/.494 with 34 home runs, 105 runs batted in, and 81 runs scored.
Blackmon To Return To Rockies
Like Arenado, Charlie Blackmon plans to return to the Colorado Rockies next season. According to Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post, Blackmon will exercise the player options in his contract for the next two seasons.
Currently 35-years-old, Blackmon hit a disappointing .270/.351/.411 with just 13 home runs, 78 runs batted in, and 76 runs scored in 150 games.
Padres Will Go In Different Direction Next Year
There may not have been a team with higher hopes than the San Diego Padres this season, and an epic collapse at the end of the season has them on the outside looking in when it comes to the playoffs.
With the disappointing end of the season, it appears that they will look to a new manager next season. According to MLB Network’s Jon Heyman, the Padres will look to replace Jayce Tingler now that the season is over.
Orioles Get Top Pick
While ten teams prepare to play in the postseason this week, another team is celebrating for a far more dubious reason. The Baltimore Orioles, with their loss on Sunday, have “won” the rights to the top overall pick in next year’s draft.
At 52-110, the Orioles actually tied with the Arizona Diamondbacks for the worst record. Given they had the same record in the shortened season last year, the tiebreaker went back to 2019, where the Orioles had the worst record.
As a result, the Orioles will have the top pick while the Diamondbacks will pick second.
