LEADING OFF: All-Star pitchers, Schwarber sidelined
Jul 3, 2021, 11:28 AM | Updated: 11:53 pm
A look at what’s happening around the majors today:
PRIMED FOR PITCHERS
Mets ace Jacob deGrom, Milwaukee’s Brandon Woodruff, Texas’ Kyle Gibson and the Yankees’ Gerrit Cole are among those likely to picked as All-Stars when pitchers and reserves are announced at 5:30 p.m. EDT.
Each roster will have 32 players for the July 13 game at Denver’s Coors Field.
Of course, one pitcher was picked with the starting lineups — Los Angeles Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani, the Babe Ruth-like phenomenon who leads the majors in home runs AND is 3-1 with a 3.60 ERA in 12 starts with 83 strikeouts in 60 innings.
Ohtani was elected by fans as the American League’s designated hitter, and Angels manager Joe Maddon is in favor of Ohtani pitching in addition to hitting.
HOBBLED HULK
Big-hitting Kyle Schwarber is expected to be out of Washington’s lineup for a while with a significant hamstring strain.
The Nationals put Schwarber on the 10-day injured list after he hurt himself running out a hit Friday night. There is no timetable for his return.
“It’s not the best, but not the worst,” Schwarber said. “Just got to take it for what it is.”
Schwarber hit a franchise-record 16 home runs in June, seven of them leading off games. His slugging boosted the Nationals to a 19-9 record in the month, turning around their season.
Schwarber said he does not need a procedure to repair damage to his right hamstring. Instead, he will use compression treatment to reduce swelling. Rest and strengthening exercises will follow.
STREAKING AND SAGGING
Omar Narváez and the Brewers have won 11 straight games, their best streak since winning a franchise-record 13 in a row to start the 1987 season.
Narváez got five hits as the Brewers beat Pittsburgh 11-2 on Saturday. The NL Central leaders have outscored opponents 84-28 during the string.
Freddy Peralta (7-2, 2.17 ERA) starts next for the Brewers at PNC Park. He has allowed just 39 hits in 87 innings over 16 games this season while striking out 122.
The Cubs and Rays are going in the opposite direction.
Chicago has lost eight in a row, beaten by Cincinnati 3-2 on Saturday. The Cubs haven’t won since throwing a combined no-hitter at Dodger Stadium to open the current 10-game road trip on June 24.
Kyle Hendricks (10-4, 3.98 ERA) tries to end the streak when he starts for Chicago at Great American Ball Park.
Tampa Bay has dropped five straight overall and 10 in a row on the road after losing 6-3 to Toronto on Saturday. Rays lefty Ryan Yarbrough (4-3, 4.48 ERA) starts the series finale in Buffalo.
TIMELY CATCH
Two-time Gold Glove catcher Roberto Pérez is expected to return to the starting lineup for Cleveland in the series finale against Houston.
Pérez was reinstated from the injured list on Saturday. He’d been out since having surgery on his right index finger in May.
Pérez was hitting just .131 in 61 at-bats when he was sidelined. But the 32-year-old is invaluable defensively and in handling Cleveland’s staff.
Cleveland is still missing its top three pitchers — Shane Bieber (shoulder), Aaron Civale (finger strain) and Zach Plesac (broken thumb). Indians slugger Franmil Reyes returned to the lineup Friday after being out six weeks with a strained oblique. Also, third baseman José Ramírez has missed time with a sore elbow.
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