A look at what's happening around the majors Wednesday:
KLUBOT POWERS BACK DOWN
Indians ace Corey Kluber has been shut down for two weeks with an abdominal strain, an injury he sustained during his comeback from a broken arm. Kluber was pulled from a minor league start for Triple-A Columbus at Charlotte on Sunday after one inning because of abdominal tightness. He returned to Cleveland and the team said imaging tests confirmed the strain. The Indians said the two-time Cy Young winner will not throw for two weeks before he's re-examined and a plan is formulated. The right-hander hopes to be part of Cleveland's playoff push.
QUEENS CRUNCH TIME
The Mets are back on a roll, and it's a well-timed one with a string of playoff contenders on the schedule. New York beat Cleveland 9-2 on Tuesday night for its fourth win in five games, and that pushed the club to 25-10 since the All-Star break. Marcus Stroman is slated to make his fourth start since being traded to the Mets prior to the trade deadline, and New York has won each of his first three outings. Adam Plutko is the scheduled starter for the Indians. After finishing this three-game series Thursday, the Mets will host the Braves and Cubs for three games each, then face the Phillies twice with the Nationals sandwiched in between.
TIGER TIME
Astros ace Justin Verlander is set to pitch against former teammate Miguel Cabrera for the first time in his career. The duo played together on the Tigers for parts of 10 seasons, but they've never squared off for a regular season at-bat. Verlander has faced Detroit three times since being traded away late in the 2017 season, but Cabrera was out of the lineup for all three meetings.
SURLY STARTS
Tensions are running high between the Marlins and Braves once again. Atlanta manager Brian Snitker was ejected for arguing with umpires after Miami starter Elieser Hernandez plunked Ronald Acuña Jr. with the first pitch of Tuesday's game. Acuña has been hit three times by the Marlins, most notably on Aug. 15, 2018 by José Ureña — also with the first pitch of a game. Both benches cleared after that incident.
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A look at what's happening around baseball Saturday:
CABRERA REIGNS
Miguel Cabrera should get to swing for his 3,000th career hit after his pursuit was delayed a day by a rainout.
The Tigers are set for a day-night doubleheader against Colorado at Comerica Park. The teams were washed out Friday.
Cabrera got to 2,999 hits on Wednesday night, then struck out in his final at-bat of the game. The 39-year-old went 0 for 3 with an intentional walk on Thursday.
Antonio Senzatela (0-1, 2.16 ERA) is ready to pitch the first game of the twinbill for Colorado. The Rockies right-hander and Cabrera are both from Venezuela.
“He’s going to go down as one of the best hitters of all time,” Hall of Famer and former Tigers shortstop Alan Trammell said Friday.
“He realizes that it’s getting toward the end, but he still has something left in the tank. When it’s all said and done this year, I think he’s going to have a heck of a year,” he said.
JAPANESE PERFECTION
The baseball world will be watching this weekend to see whether Roki Sasaki can do it again.
The 20-year-old Japanese pitcher with the 100 mph fastball and devastating splitter has thrown 17 straight perfect innings. He’ll start Sunday for the Chiba Lotte Marines against the Orix Buffaloes in Osaka.
Sasaki pitched a perfect game against Orix on April 10, the first in Japan in 28 years. He followed up with eight more perfect innings on April 17 before he was pulled by manager Tadahito Iguchi after 102 pitches. Sasaki struck out a combined 33 in those games.
Sasaki grew up in the northeastern Japanese prefecture of Iwate. His father was killed in the 2011 earthquake, tsunami and subsequent meltdown on three nuclear reactors that devastated that part of the country.
DOUBLE TROUBLE
White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson is appealing his second suspension this season after Major League Baseball banned him for one game Friday after he gave fans the middle finger two days earlier.
Anderson had three errors in the first two innings of Chicago’s 11-1 loss Wednesday in the opener of a doubleheader. The frustrated 28-year-old made the gesture toward a fan while out in the field. Anderson will remain with the White Sox until his appeal is heard.
Anderson also missed the firt two games of the season serving a two-game suspension for making contact with umpire Tim Timmons during the ninth inning of a game on Sept. 27. Anderson successfully appealed that suspension down from three games.
GIANT PAIN
San Francisco's injured list is getting crowded after right-hander Anthony DeSclafani and outfielder Steven Duggar hit the shelf Friday.
DeSclafani went on the 10-day IL with right ankle inflammation a day after allowing five runs in five innings during a loss to the Mets. Manager Gabe Kapler says DeSclafani will get an MRI on Monday.
Duggar was added to the 60-day IL with a left oblique strain. He was pulled from Thursday's loss in the second inning.
The pair joins starter Alex Cobb and hitters Evan Longoria, LaMonte Wade Jr. and Tommy La Stella on the IL.
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