Mariners Moose Tracks, 3/17/23: Edwin Díaz, Cade Cavalli, and Jackson Jobe
It’s a tough time to be a pitcher.
Good morning one and all and happy Friday! Here’s the latest news from around baseball.
In Mariners news...
- I don’t know about you guys, but I’m ready for Hot Jarred April.
Jarred Kelenic rips a 97 mph single up the middle, then he proceeded to steal second base ... He's hitting .524/.565/1.000 (1.565 OPS) this spring. pic.twitter.com/lkkLj1xN7g
— Daniel Kramer (@DKramer_) March 16, 2023
Around the league...
- Edwin Díaz is expected to miss the entire 2023 MLB season with a torn patellar tendon. I really hope this freak accident doesn’t stop great players from participating in the World Baseball Classic in the future.
- For those asking: yes, the WBC is a big deal worldwide.
48.0% of Japanese households watched the Japan-Italy Quarterfinals game on TV last night, an all-time record for any WBC game.
— Yakyu Cosmopolitan (@yakyucosmo) March 17, 2023
This was the 5th consecutive game where over 40% of the country watched Samurai Japan play.https://t.co/Lj4Yi8wuEh
- Nationals top pitching prospect Cade Cavalli, who was expected to be a major part of the team’s MLB staff this year, was diagnosed with a UCL sprain and will undergo Tommy John surgery.
- Meanwhile, top Tigers pitching prospect Jackson Jobe will miss 3-6 months due to lumbar spine inflammation.
- Diamondbacks reliever Mark Melancon will be out of commission for several months while he heals from a shoulder strain.
- The Giants have agreed to a contract with longtime reliever Sergio Romo, allowing him to sail off into the sunset with the franchise he had the biggest impact with. Andrew Baggarly at The Athletic has the story. ($)
- The Royals signed lefty reliever Jake Brentz to a two-year contract.
- Jayson Stark at The Athletic reports that Major League Baseball plans to crack down on “sticky stuff” in baseball even further this season. ($)