MLB news roundup
Welcome to Tuesday everyone!
Oakland finally broke camp and headed back to the Bay Area for their traditional preseason series with the cross bay rival Giants. Because of the potential move to Vegas there is a chance that this might be the final one where both teams are in the Bay Area.
And unfortunately for the team leaving, they came up on the losing end last night in an all-around rough game. Three home runs were all the Giants needed to take a special win away from the fans. They can try to get back at them today when they head across the bay for the final game. On top of that, a win today would give Oakland an even .500 record for the spring. Meaningless, yes, but take a win whenever you can get ‘em this season.
The club still hasn’t announced the exact roster that will be on the Opening Day club but we got one of the first big answers yesterday evening when we learned that rookie infielder Darell Hernaiz has made the roster. The young infielder has had a decent spring, slashing .306/.333/.327 but with no home runs and only one stolen base. It sounds as though he’s going to have a somewhat limited role in the early going though:
Kots said when it comes to Hernaiz’s role this season, he will get some opportunities at SS and 3B as well as pinch hit, come off the bench and run/be a defensive replacement.
— Jessica Kleinschmidt (@KleinschmidtJD) March 26, 2024
You can look at this in two separate ways. Hernaiz can get his feet wet in the majors without the burden and expectations of being a starter and get used to seeing what being a big leaguer is like day in and day out. If you’re of the most pessimistic variety then you’ll see Hernaiz just sitting on the bench without getting everyday reps down in Triple-A. Either way it’s clear the club is motivated to get this youth movement really rolling. While Hernaiz has officially made the team, he might not be the only one getting good news soon. Outfielder Lawrence Butler seems like a lock at this point but we still haven’t heard confirmation on that. He’s had a great spring and seems like he could bring a lot of energy to the club right out of the gate. Unlike Hernaiz, Butler has already made his big league debut so he’s already got those debut jitters out of the way. Keep an eye out today for the official roster announcement, likely after the game this evening. Exciting!
A’s Coverage:
- A’s fall to Giants 4-1
- Darell Hernaiz makes Opening Day roster
- Esteury Ruiz’s role uncertain heading into season
- Mason Miller ready to show ‘‘electric stuff” out of the bullpen
MLB News and Interest:
- Ohtani says he never bet on sports, blames interpreter
- Rockies extend Ezequiel Tovar
- Yankees to place DJ LeMahieu on IL
- Yankees, Mets remain interested in Jordan Montgomery
- Diamondbacks place close Paul Sewald on IL with oblique strain
- Cardinals outfield situation gets cloudier with Carlson injury
- Today in baseball history