The Opener: Kiner-Falefa, Orioles, Mariners, MLBTR Chat

Because the early phases of the 2024 second half proceed, listed here are three issues we’ll be keeping track of across the baseball world all through the day right this moment:

1. IKF MRI:

Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. remained out of the lineup yesterday after being struck within the hand by a pitch over the weekend, and so they’re now coping with a second key damage within the lineup. Supervisor John Schneider instructed reporters (together with Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet) that infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa “felt one thing” in his knee throughout pregame exercises yesterday, inflicting the membership to scratch the 29-year-old from the lineup and ship him for an MRI. Outcomes and additional particulars are anticipated later right this moment.

Kiner-Falefa has, considerably surprisingly, been the Jays’ greatest hitter other than Guerrero this 12 months, with a powerful .292/.338/.420 slash line (117 wRC+). The infielder is hanging out simply 13.2% of the time, a career-low, and has proven a stunning quantity of pop. Kiner-Falefa has slugged seven residence runs in 281 journeys to the plate this 12 months, only one dinger shy of his career-best. That top-water mark got here through the 2021 season and took him a whopping 677 journeys to the plate, leaving him poised to shatter that non-public greatest with ease within the second half. This offensive uptick has come along side Kiner-Falefa’s typical regular glove throughout the infield, leaving him as one of many membership’s most dear gamers. Ernie Clement, Spencer Horwitz, and Davis Schneider are the highest choices to fill in across the infield with Kiner-Falefa and Guerrero ailing.

2. Collection Preview: Orioles @ Mariners:

Two AL golf equipment with considerably tenuous holds on the lead of their respective division races will meet right this moment for a three-game set that might shake up the standings forward of the commerce deadline. The 53-31 Orioles, mere share factors forward of the 54-32 Yankees, are set to move to the Pacific Northwest to tackle the 47-39 Mariners, who sit simply three video games forward of the surging Astros for management of the AL West. The sequence will kick off at 6:40pm native time with a duel between gifted younger right-handers George Kirby (3.35 ERA) and Grayson Rodriguez (3.72 ERA).

The Orioles haven’t introduced who they’ll ship to the mound reverse Logan Gilbert (2.72 ERA) in Sport 2 or Bryce Miller (3.88 ERA) within the sequence finale at this level, although ace Corbin Burnes (2.28 ERA) might return through the sequence after spending a couple of video games on the paternity record. It’s attainable that third begin might go to right-hander Dean Kremer (4.32 ERA), who has been on the IL since late Might with a triceps pressure however might make his subsequent begin within the majors, in keeping with MLB.com’s Injury Tracker. Kremer made his third rehab begin on the Triple-A stage on June 27.

3. MLBTR Chat Right this moment:

We’re now lower than a month away from the July 30 commerce deadline, and teams around the league have begun to tip their fingers concerning their plans for the summer time. If in case you have any questions concerning the upcoming deadline or your staff’s course with the All-Star break simply over the horizon, MLBTR’s Steve Adams will host a chat with readers at 1pm CT. You can click here to ask a query upfront, and that very same hyperlink will mean you can take part on the chat as soon as it begins or learn the transcript after it’s accomplished.