A look at what’s happening around the majors today:
DEBUT DAY
Wander Franco, a 20-year-old infielder considered the best prospect in the minor leagues, was set to make his major league debut for the Tampa Bay Rays against the visiting Boston Red Sox on Tuesday night.
New York Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole (45) reacts heading to the dugout after allowing a two-run home run to Tampa Bay Rays designated hitter Austin Meadows in the fourth inning of a baseball game, Thursday, June 3, 2021, at Yankee Stadium in New York. (AP PhotoKathy Willens)
Franco hit .315 with seven homers and 35 RBIs in 39 games this season at Triple-A Durham. He was 5 for 17 with a long home run in seven spring training games for Tampa Bay this year.
Tampa Bay has lost six straight, dropping behind a half-game back of the first-place Red Sox in the AL East.
STICKY STUFF FOCUS
Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks winds up during the fifth inning of the team's baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Thursday, June 17, 2021, in New York. (AP PhotoKathy Willens)
Yankees ace Gerrit Cole (8-3, 2.31 ERA) makes his first start since Major League Baseball started mandatory checks by umpires on all pitchers for banned grip-enhancing substances. The right-hander will be pitching on five days' rest when he faces the visiting Kansas City Royals.
SLOW BALL
Right-hander Kyle Hendricks (9-4, 4.13) has won a career-best seven straight starts for the Chicago Cubs going into an outing Tuesday night against the visiting Cleveland Indians, who send Eli Morgan (0-1, 12.79) to the mound. Hendricks' is succeeding despite an average four-seam fastball velocity of 87.1 mph, 183rd among 184 qualified pitchers. Only Minnesota's Tyler Rogers, with his submarine delivery, trails, at 82.3 mph.
Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw throws to the plate during the first inning of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies Wednesday, June 16, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP PhotoMark J. Terrill)
FAMILIAR FACE
Left-hander Clayton Kershaw will be facing San Diego for the third time this season when the Los Angeles Dodgers play at the Padres on Tuesday night. Kershaw (8-6, 3.36) is 1-1 with a 2.08 ERA against the Padres this season and 22-8 with a 2.04 versus San Diego in 42 career starts.
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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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