A look at what's happening around the majors Wednesday:
WELCOME BACK
Dinelson Lamet is set for his season debut with the Padres after working back from elbow discomfort that caused him to miss the end of the 2020 season, including the playoffs. The right-hander was a breakout ace for San Diego last season, finishing fourth in NL Cy Young Award voting. He’s returning to a revamped rotation that includes offseason pickups Yu Darvish, Blake Snell and Joe Musgrove.
He’s slated to start an afternoon game against Brewers right-hander Adrian Houser (1-2, 3.14).
DC BLUES
The 2019 World Series champion Nationals were dealt yet another setback Tuesday when outfielder Juan Soto went on the 10-day injured list with a strained left shoulder. Soto, the reigning NL batting champion, originally was listed in Washington’s starting lineup facing the St. Louis Cardinals, but less than an hour before the game’s scheduled first pitch, the Nationals tweeted the move.
Last-place Washington also has Stephen Strasburg on the IL with right shoulder inflammation, and Jon Lester began the season on the COVID-19 injured list and has yet to make his Nats debut. Max Scherzer (0-1, 2.37) is set to face the Cardinals.
APRIL FLURRIES
The Tigers and Pirates will try to play a doubleheader a day after snow prompted a postponement in Detroit. The first seven-inning game will begin at 2:10 p.m. EDT, and the second at 6:40 p.m.
Michael Fulmer (1-0) is set to pitch the opener for Detroit, with Spencer Turnbull making his season debut in the second game. Turnbull has been recovering from COVID-19. Tyler Anderson (1-2) is scheduled to start the opener for Pittsburgh, with the Game 2 starter to be determined.
WALKING AWAY
Infielder Neil Walker announced his retirement at age 35 after 12 major league seasons. Walker hit .231 with no homers and three RBIs in 18 games with Philadelphia this year.
“Officially retired,” he wrote on Twitter. “Thank you to everyone that helped me in my journey to live out my childhood dream of being a major leaguer. I loved & cherished every day.”
A Pittsburgh-area native drafted in the first round of the 2004 draft by the Pirates, Walker hit .267 with 149 homers and 609 RBIs for Pittsburgh, the New York Mets, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, Miami and the New York Yankees.
More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
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.
More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
