With July just around the corner, here are three things to keep an eye on around baseball today:
1. Graceffo to join Cardinals’ bullpen:
The Cardinals are expected to promote Gordon Graceffo ahead of this evening’s matchup with the Reds. Although he has been a starter in the minors, the right-hander will be available out of the bullpen tonight. St. Louis can free up a spot for Graceffo on the 40-man roster by transferring Steven Matz to the 60-day IL. However, the team will need to make an additional corresponding move to open a spot on the active roster.
Graceffo, 24, is widely considered one of the better pitching prospects in the organization. He has made 14 starts this year for the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds, pitching to a 3.84 ERA with a 21.4% strikeout rate and an 8.9% walk rate. While his Triple-A numbers don’t jump off the page, they represent an improvement from his stats with the Redbirds last season; in 21 games (18 starts) at Triple-A in 2023, Graceffo posted a 4.92 ERA with a 20.9% strikeout rate and 11.6% walk rate.
2. Injury updates coming on Harper, Schwarber:
On the same day they lost Spencer Turnbull for the next six to eight weeks, the Phillies had two more injury scares, this time to a pair of their best hitters. Bryce Harper, who was recently named the starting first baseman for the NL All-Star team, limped his way back to the dugout after hurting his left hamstring on the final play of yesterday’s game against the Marlins. According to Alex Coffey of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Harper felt his hamstring “grab” as he ran to first base. He mentioned that is unsure how worried he should be about the extent of the injury because he has never experienced this particular issue before.
Meanwhile, leadoff hitter Kyle Schwarber exited Thursday’s game early with what the team called “left groin tightness” (per Coffey). Schwarber is in the midst of another strong season with Philadelphia in his first year as a full-time DH, with 17 home runs and an .820 OPS. Coffey noted that the Phillies will provide updates on both sluggers today, perhaps during manager Rob Thomson’s media availability this afternoon at approximately 2:25 pm CT.
3. Giants to activate Wade:
Giants manager Bob Melvin told reporters (including Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic) that first baseman LaMonte Wade Jr. is set to rejoin the team today. That means he’ll be eligible for tonight’s contest against the Dodgers at Oracle Park. Presumably, he will slot back into the heart of the order against rookie right-hander Landon Knack. Wade rarely plays against left-handed pitchers, but he has been San Francisco’s most productive bat against right-handed pitching this season.
Indeed, Wade was one of the hottest hitters in MLB over the first two months of the 2024 campaign, slashing .333/.470/.426 (166 wRC+) across 52 games. However, he has been out since late May with a left hamstring strain. The Giants, who have gone 11-16 since Wade landed on the IL, will surely be pleased to have him back in the lineup. San Francisco will need to make a corresponding move to put Wade back on the active roster.
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