Tag: spring-training

It’s Spring Training and the Injuries are Piling Up

Has it really been three months since my last post? I mean the last time you heard from me was when Juan Soto signed with the New York Mets. The past 90 days have been extremely busy for me with work, coaching basketball and the distraction of other sports (St. John’s is ranked #6 in the country!). But I am back with the promise I won’t go an additional three months between entries. With the warm sunshine of Florida and Arizona invading our TV’s with Spring Training games, we are getting ready for our favorite pastime. Unfortunately, there are a number of big name players who will have their debuts in 2025 delayed by injuries.

Luis Gil is one of many players who will miss significant time in 2025. Photo from Yahoo Sports

Actually, I feel like this is an usually high number of players who will miss the start of the season because of IL stints.

Start with the two New York teams. Though it’s no surprise that Giancarlo Stanton is hurt, the timing is new. I feel like he is heading for surgery even though that has been described as a last resort. Luis Gil is out for three months. DJ LeMahieu will be out for who knows how long with a calf injury. On the Queens side, Frankie Montas (another shocker) will be out as long as Gil and Sean Manaea might return by the end of April. The Philadelphia Phillies have been relatively unscathed on the injury front. However, Caitlyn is already waffling between excitement and gloom after the Phillies’ staff was torched for 29 runs in two games earlier this week.

As far as the rest of the league goes, key players on playoff contending teams are dropping. MVP candidate Gunnar Henderson could miss the start of Baltimore’s season with an intercostal strain. In addition, the O’s will be minus starter Grayson Rodriguez to start the season with arm trouble and Andrew Kittredge for months after knee surgery. Sean Murphy of the Atlanta Braves will miss four to six weeks with a rib injury. Seattle’s George Kirby, arguably the team’s best pitcher, will start the season on the IL with shoulder inflammation. Dodgers reliever Michael Kopech is dealing with forearm tightness. Detroit’s Parker Meadows (nerve issue) and Matt Vierling (rotator cuff) are both expected to be placed on the IL. Other notable names due to miss significant time are Andrew Benintendi and Anthony Rendon.

Maybe it’s just me and this is a normal amount of injuries we see in Spring Training. Maybe it feels like this is an abnormal amount of hurt players because of the volume of Yankees and Mets that will miss time. It stinks that so many good players will miss Opening Day. I pray for the health of all players and that they return in time to play the majority of games in 2025.

MLB Spring Breakout: Showcasing the Next Generation

Starting on Thursday, March 14, MLB Network will be be broadcasting a series of games called MLB Spring Breakout. These games will feature two MLB teams playing against one another, with each team made up of the organization’s top prospects. This is the first time Major League Baseball has conducted such an event and hopefully we will get to see more of this in the future. The full list of games can be found by clicking here.

Paul Skenes will be a part of the first ever Spring Breakout. Photo from Yahoo Sports.

Spring Breakout is similar to the Arizona Fall League, which showcases six prospects per organization, making up six teams, and playing a six week season in October and November. This is another great way for MLB to showcase their future stars and get fans excited about the next generation of players. Guys from the NBA and the NFL are tracked long before they make their professional debuts thanks to the popularity of college basketball and college football. It also helps that these athletes play right away once they are drafted. That’s not the case in baseball where a high schooler could be taken in the first round but not debut until three years later. Events like the Arizona Fall League and now the Spring Breakout allow fans to not have to wait as long to see top prospects play meaningful games.

MLB is starting out strong on the first game of the series as the previous two #1 overall picks will face off against one another. Paul Skenes, last year’s top selection will have his Pittsburgh Pirates take on Jackson Holliday and the Baltimore Orioles. In order for this to be considered a success, both players must be featured for a large segment of the game. Skenes needs to pitch at least two innings while Holiday needs to bat at least twice. Every game will be shown on one platform or another with the Pirates-Orioles being broadcast on MLB Network at 7:05 PM EST.

I hope Spring Breakout becomes the Spring equivalent to the AFL. The more we see these future starts, the less we will want to wait to catch them during the course of the regular season.