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MLB news and moments you should know: 08/16/2024

MLB news and moments you should know: 08/16/2024
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SStay up to date on all things baseball with our morning MLB News & Moments articles. We’ll keep you informed.

Hey, wow, it’s Friday, I usually see you all on Thursday! What’s up?! Thanks to Christian for filling in for me yesterday since I had to get up way too early to work this morning. So I’m returning the favor here so he can (hopefully) sleep in on Friday morning. I originally started writing for Pitcher List and covering Thursday games, so it’s nice to be back and reporting on a nice day with little travel.

Today’s headlines

Weston goes to four, to nine

OK, maybe I’m crazy. But whatever, Weston Wilson went 4-of-5 as the Phillies trounced the Nats 13-3, and that’s certainly worthy of a spot in the headlines.

Oh wait, no it’s not.

Fortunately, not only did Wilson hit 4 of 5, but those four hits came in order: a triple and a single in the fourth, a home run in the bottom of the seventh, and a double in the eighth. Hey, that’s a cycle!

Wilson has played a total of 16 games for Philadelphia this year and he is sure to make the most of it.

So this is the ninth Philly to achieve a cycle, but I would guess he might be the first to do so in fewer than 100 at-bats.

Yelich ready for 2024

Already on 24 July it was reported that Christian Yelich was with a spine specialist to discuss treatment options for his back and today he announced that in the worst case scenario, surgery had been recommended, which would mean the end of the season:

Depending on when you read this Friday, Yelich may already be recovering from surgery, but either way, he’ll be watching from the sidelines as the Brewers, who lead the NL Central (nine games ahead of the Reds and Cards!), try to go far in October this year. 2024 was shaping up to be a return to MVP form year for Yelich, as he posted a .315/.406/.504 average with 11 home runs and 21 stolen bases that year despite missing some time with an injury before being placed on the injured list in late July, where he has remained.

At this point, there aren’t many details on the exact procedure or timeline for Yelich’s recovery, but I would guess the team will share those in the next few days after the results of the surgery are announced.

A great day for McCray

Giants rookie Michael McKee played his first MLB game on Wednesday, going 0-for-4 with one strikeout. But on Thursday he finally had something good to report, starting with his first hit (even though it’s a bunt, I don’t hold it against him):

Hit, done. RBI, done.

But what if he could just do both at the same time? Well…

We love efficiency.

Ryno is cancer-free

In January 2024, Hall of Famer and Cubs star Ryne Sandberg announced that he had begun treatment for metastatic prostate cancer, a diagnosis that does not offer a rosy outlook in most cases.

I don’t have much to add except to the overflowing pile for Ryno my own congratulations and well wishes, incredible news.

The best moments of yesterday

The Masked Marauder

James McCann broke his nose on July 29, had surgery on August 5 to put everything back in place, and spent no time on the IL during the entire process. If anything, he just seems to have gotten stronger:

He is style, he is grace.

In Parker, Farmer

I would be very happy about this inside-the-park home run from Kyle Bauer:

And that’s because I thought it was a really rare flawless inside-the-parker. But then I noticed they were billing Texas CF Leody Taveras with one in the game, which just seems unfair. The ball bounced off the small outfield wall at an impossible angle, and his attempt to block the ball almost always results in a worse outcome. Oh well, it’s still fun, and considering the Twins ended up winning the game 3-2, it was a pretty momentous hit no matter how you want to write it in the books.

Felix Christmas

And we end the event with a fun anniversary of the Perfecto, hosted by Felix Hernandez:

King Felix held the title of “Most Recent Perfect Game Thrower” for over a decade. I feel like sometimes I forget how incredible he was for almost a full decade, even though I watched a lot of his games. Definitely one of my favorite bobbleheads in the collection.

Injuries and other movements

⚾ The twins placed Byron Buxton on the IL with hip inflammation, although they said he had “no structural damage.” Edouard Julien is called up to fill the place in the squad.

Articles you should read

What if no one played against the White Sox? – Davy Andrews, FanGraphs

Fantasy Baseball Coverage

Is it real?

Closing time

Starting Pitcher Streamers

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