On the heels of some early-morning news, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:
1. Scherzer to undergo MRI:
Future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer exited his start against the Blue Jays in the sixth inning due to a triceps spasm. As noted by Jeff Wilson of Rangers Today, manager Bruce Bochy told reporters yesterday that Scherzer will undergo an MRI today to determine the extent of the injury. An injury to Scherzer, who owns a 3.20 ERA and 3.46 FIP in eight starts since joining Texas at the trade deadline, would be a brutal blow to the Rangers late in the season. The club is in the thick of the playoff race, sitting one game behind the Astros for the AL West crown and up half a game on both the Mariners and Blue Jays for the second of three AL Wild Card spots.
The Rangers’ potential playoff rotation would stand to take a hit as well, of course. Lefty Jordan Montgomery (3.62 ERA) and righty Nathan Eovaldi (2.90 ERA) have both had strong seasons to this point, but replacing Scherzer with one of Dane Dunning (3.91 ERA), Jon Gray (3.96 ERA), or Andrew Heaney (4.10 ERA) would be a downgrade.
2. Bailey nearing a return:
Giants catcher Patrick Bailey is eligible to return from the 7-day concussion-related injured list today. Both manager Gabe Kapler (per MLB.com) and Bailey himself (per Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle) have indicated that he is likely to return as soon as he’s eligible, meaning he could be back in the lineup for this afternoon’s game against the Guardians. Bailey, 24, has solidified the catcher position for the Giants during his rookie season, pairing a decent .248/.304/.390 (91 wRC+) slash line with defense that has graded out as superb behind the plate. The Giants have been utilizing a tandem of Joey Bart and Blake Sabol behind the plate in Bailey’s absence. The return of San Francisco’s rookie catcher could provide a spark for a Giants club that sits just 1.5 games out of the final NL Wild Card spot but has gone just 4-7 since the start of September.
3. Canha to visit doctor:
After exiting yesterday’s game against the Marlins in the third inning, Brewers outfielder Mark Canha is set to have his ailing wrist evaluated, as noted by Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. In conversation with reporters, Canha noted that he’s dealt with wrist issues before and that cortisone injections have been helpful in the past, but his treatment plan and path forward this season won’t be clear until after today’s testing. The 34-year-old Canha has slashed an impressive .303/.394/.459 with a wRC+ of 133 in 142 plate appearances since joining the club at the trade deadline, so any missed time will sting for the Brewers. Joey Wiemer appears to be the likeliest candidate to take over for Canha in the outfield, if necessary.