The Opener: Rickwood Discipline, Abrams, Toro

Because the 2024 common season continues, listed here are three issues we’ll be maintaining a tally of across the baseball world all through the day right this moment:

1. MLB at Rickwood Discipline to Honor Willie Mays:

The Giants and Cardinals are set to face off this night in a sport at Rickwood Discipline in Birmingham, Alabama scheduled for six:15pm native time. The sport, which can be televised nationally on FOX, was initially scheduled as a tribute to the Negro Leagues and their storied historical past however has taken on extra that means after the recent passing of MLB legend Willie Mays earlier this week. Mays briefly performed an expert within the Negro Leagues through the 1948 season as a member of the Birmingham Black Barons, showing in 13 video games for the membership as a 17-year-old within the midst of a season the place the Black Barons went on to seize the NAL pennant earlier than dropping the ultimate Negro League World Collection to the Homestead Grays in 5 video games.

The Black Barons (and, by extension, Mays) known as Rickwood Discipline their residence ballpark. First established in 1910, it’s the oldest skilled ballpark within the US and two years older than Fenway Park in Boston. Greater than 75 years after the final Negro League sport was performed there, Main League play returns to Rickwood Discipline tonight as St. Louis and San Francisco face off with right-handed children Andre Pallante and Keaton Winn on the mound. Tonight’s sport will (as relayed by The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal) characteristic the primary totally black crew of umpires in AL/NL historical past and figures to rejoice not solely the storied historical past of the Negro Leagues, but in addition the life and profession of Mays.

2. Abrams to endure MRI:

Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams was scratched from yesterday’s lineup in opposition to the Diamondbacks attributable to what supervisor Davey Martinez instructed reporters (together with these at MLB.com) was being termed discomfort in his left wrist. Martinez went on so as to add that Abrams wasn’t certain what should be blamed for the discomfort, and that the membership deliberate to ship their younger star for an MRI to make sure all was nicely. The 23-year-old Abrams has loved a breakout season with the Nationals this 12 months as he’s slashed a formidable .261/.313/.478 with 10 stolen bases and 11 residence runs in 66 video games this 12 months. That robust slash line comes despite a tough month of Might the place Abrams hit simply .205/.216/.304 in 27 video games.

Abrams’s breakout marketing campaign has helped the Nationals to be surprisingly aggressive this season, because the membership is at the moment tied with the Cardinals for the second of three NL Wild Card spots regardless of a lackluster 36-37 document. A major stretch of time with out Abrams could be a brutal blow to the Nationals’ odds of holding onto that place, as his 1.2 fWAR leads the membership’s positional corps. Nasim Nunez took over for Abrams at shortstop yesterday and could possibly be the membership’s high choice to fill in if Abrams requires a visit to the injured checklist.

3. Toro battling shoulder soreness:

A’s infielder Abraham Toro is coping with a bout of shoulder soreness, as famous by MLB.com’s Martin Gallegos yesterday. The problem first cropped up throughout Oakland’s doubleheader in opposition to the Twins on Sunday and has induced him to overlook every of the previous two video games. As relayed by Gallegos, Toro was scheduled to fulfill with workforce medical doctors to debate deal with the harm however supervisor Mark Kotsay instructed reporters after the sport that he had no replace on Toro’s standing and that extra details about the infielder could be obtainable right this moment.

Toro, 27, has had a good season with the A’s this 12 months. He’s posted a roughly common slash line of .256/.298/381 in 71 video games for the membership this 12 months whereas splitting time between first base, second base, third base, and left area all year long. Within the aftermath of the membership’s determination to designate J.D. Davis for project earlier this week, it appeared possible that Toro could be handed the keys to 3rd base full time, though with Toro now probably injured, Oakland should discover a new answer on the sizzling nook. Infielder Tyler Nevin has dealt with third base duties to this point throughout Toro’s absence and could possibly be the membership’s long-term reply there if Toro misses additional time, though rookie third baseman Brett Harris can be on the 40-man roster after getting a 17-game cup of espresso within the majors earlier this 12 months.