Over a third of the way through the season, MLB teams are settling into the long season and are getting a sense of whether they will be contenders or pretenders this season. Even though the trade deadline isn’t until the beginning of August, murmurs have already started as to which players might be available.
While no major trades have gone down, there is still plenty of news circulating in Major League Baseball. Here are some of the biggest stories of the week.
Dodgers Lose One Ace, Bring Back Another
While the Los Angeles Dodgers have the second-best record in the National League, it does not mean they aren’t dealing with problems. Not only have they seen their NL West lead dwindle to just half a game, but they also just lost one of their best pitchers in Walker Buehler.
Buehler had to leave his game on Friday with elbow discomfort, and an MRI has shown that the righty is dealing with a flexor strain. According to manager Dave Roberts, Buehler will likely be out for at least six to eight weeks as he tries to recover.
There could obviously be concerns as to whether he could pitch again, but for now, Roberts is hoping to get Buehler back at some point this season.
In 12 games, Buehler is 6-3 with a 4.02 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, and has 58 strikeouts in 65 innings of work. While he isn’t nearly as dominant as he has been in past years, he is still one of the best on the Dodgers’ staff.
While Buehler is out for the foreseeable future, the Dodgers did get another ace back as they activated Clayton Kershaw from the injured list.
After over a month on the injured list due to an injured back, Kershaw took the ball on Saturday, where he allowed two earned runs in four innings in a loss to the San Francisco Giants.
On the season, Kershaw is 4-1 with a 2.12 ERA, 0.79 WHIP, and has 36 strikeouts in 34 innings through six games.
At -250, the Dodgers are still the favorites to win the NL West this season. They are also the favorites to win the World Series at +350.
Lynn Set To Return
Clayton Kershaw isn’t the only star pitcher returning from injury. According to White Sox manager Tony La Russa, Lance Lynn is set to return from knee surgery that has sidelined him throughout the early part of the season. Lynn is expected to start Tuesday’s game for Chicago.
Last year, in 28 games started for the White Sox, the 35-year-old went 11-6 with a 2.69 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, and had 176 strikeouts in 157 innings.
This year, the White Sox rank 21st in team earned run average at 4.13. These struggles on the mound have led to a 27-31 record thus far.
Chicago sits six games behind the Twins for first in the AL Central. Despite their struggles, the White Sox are still tied for the best odds to win the division at +110.
Several Injuries Affecting MLB Players This Week
In addition to Walker Buehler, there have been several other injuries that have affected MLB stars this week. Here are a handful of the biggest ones:
Minnesota Twins rookie Royce Lewis received devastating news this week as it was revealed that he has suffered a torn ACL in the same knee that he had surgery on last year. The expectation is that he will be out for at least a year with the injury.
While the Twins have relied on Carlos Correa at shortstop, the Twins have gotten some valuable at bats from Lewis this season. In 40 at bats, he was hitting .300/.317/.550 with two home runs, five runs batted in, and five runs scored.
Minnesota has taken the AL Central by storm. With a 35-27 record, they lead the division by three games over the Cleveland Guardians.
Elsewhere, the Detroit Tigers lost one of their young pitchers as manager A.J. Hinch announced that Casey Mize will have to have Tommy John surgery. Due to the timing of the surgery, Mize will miss the rest of this season and possibly all of next year.
Last season, Mize was excellent, going 7-9 with a 3.71 ERA. Limited to just two games this season due to injuries, Mize was just 0-1 with a 5.40 ERA. At 24-35, the Tigers are certainly not having the start they had hoped for this season, and this news just further dampens an already frustrating season.
Lastly, the Tampa Bay Rays announced that reliever Andrew Kittredge will also have to have Tommy John surgery and will be out the remainder of this season and much of next season.
Last season, Kittredge went 9-3 with a 1.88 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, and eight saves. In 17 games this season, he was 3-1 with a 3.15 ERA and five saves.
Even though they sit third in the AL East, the Rays are 35-25 and have the fourth-best record in the American League.
