After the grind of a 16-team playoff, the final two teams remain, as the Tampa Bay Rays will represent the American League against the National League’s Los Angeles Dodgers. This matchup of top-seeded teams will take place entirely at Globe Life Park in Arlington, Tex.
While the attention is on the World Series matchup, there has been plenty of other news around the league as well. Here are some of the biggest stories from the last week.
Bellinger Suffers Dislocated Shoulder
Cody Bellinger hit a towering shot in Game 7 of the NLCS that gave the Dodgers the lead for good over the Atlanta Braves, but it came at a price. Upon returning to his home plate, Bellinger’s celebrations with teammates led to a dislocated shoulder for the star outfielder.
Despite the dislocation, Bellinger continued to play and is not expected to miss any time for the World Series. This is not the first time Bellinger has dislocated the shoulder, but it does not appear that there is much concern about long-term effects (or at least for the rest of the playoffs).
In 12 games this postseason, Bellinger is hitting .250/.365/.545 with three home runs, ten runs batted in, five runs scored, and a stolen base.
Could Wander Franco Make Debut In World Series?
The short answer is probably not; however, social media was abuzz after Wander Franco posted a picture on Instagram featuring a jersey with a World Series patch.
While Franco is knocking on the door of the big club, it would be unprecedented for the Rays to debut him on MLB’s biggest stage. While it is fun to speculate, Rays’ fans will likely need to wait until next season to see Wander in action.
Astros Have Lots Of Decisions To Make
After falling short in the ALCS, Houston Astros and general manager James Click is looking at a busy offseason. The Astros are set to lose their entire starting outfield, including stars George Springer and Michael Brantley.
While Kyle Tucker is expected to pick up one of the positions, Click could have his work cut out for him to rebuild the outfield if Springer and Brantley leave, as there are no other clear replacements within the organization.
If extensions can’t be worked out, Springer should receive a qualifying offer, but Brantley is less likely to see an offer made. Earlier this week, Click acknowledged a desire to bring back the outfielders, but also understands that finances may be an impediment.
With the loss of these two plus Justin Verlander and Roberto Osuna being out next season due to injuries, Houston may have to get creative this offseason to put themselves in a position to contend for the AL West again next season.
Nationals Bring In Jim Hickey As Pitching Coach
After winning the World Series in 2019, the Washington Nationals disappointingly did not even make the postseason this year. After pitching coach Paul Menhart was celebrated in their 2019 run, he has been relieved of his role for next season.
It was not entirely unexpected, though, as there were expectations that manager Davey Martinez wanted to bring in Jim Hickey for the position. Having formerly coached with Hickey on the Rays’ staff, Martinez was excited to bring Hickey into the fold.
This season, the Nationals struggled on the mound. They ranked 26th in earned run average at 5.11 and 29th in home runs per nine at 1.68. In terms of overall defense, they ranked 21st overall, allowing 5.02 runs per game to opponents.
