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Say hey, baseball: Adam Wainwright injury leads to another DH debate
Monday’s baseball includes another heated baseball debate, more home runs for Alex Rodriguez, a rough start for the preseason favorites and injuries galore. Subscribe for your daily Say Hey!
Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
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If there’s one thing we’ve learned over the last couple of years, it’s that no pitcher is safe from injury. We typically think of these injuries as being arm related, with Tommy John surgery being the most common. Instances like Marcus Stroman blowing out his knee remind us it can happen anywhere in any possible way. We learned it again the hard way over the weekend with a couple more injuries to two of the best pitchers in all of baseball. Adam Wainwright suffered an Achilles injury, and will likely miss the entire season. Max Scherzer’s injury is significantly less serious, but he’s still likely to miss his next start.
Although the severity of their injuries were completely different, there is one common thread that sparked a large debate that will probably carry into next week. Both Wainwright and Scherzer play in the National League, and both of their injuries occurred because they were forced to bat. This, of course, started the NL designated hitter conversation again.
I’ve been an American League fan my entire life, and will always lean towards the pro-DH side of things. Watching pitchers hit is just not appealing to me. Understandably, people who have spent the majority of their lives watching National League baseball likely fall on the other side of this argument. Of course, eventually all the arguments will be futile, since the DH coming to the NL is inevitable. Until it happens, however, the arguments will continue. And if there’s one thing we’ve learned, it’s that people are even more stubborn than usual with this issue, and none of us will change anyone else’s mind.
- Now the Cardinals must figure out how to replace the head of their pitching staff.
- Wainwright and Scherzer weren’t the only injured pitchers this weekend, though, as Brandon McCarthy is feeling tightness in his elbow.
- Other injuries around the league may be leading to a robust Cole Hamels market soon. Ruben Amaro’s strategy of holding Hamels through the winter may not have been the worst in baseball history. Who knew?!
- We’re about to get a good old fashioned legal battle between Alex Rodriguez and the Yankees, as the former’s dinger last night brought him one away from tying Willie Mays on the all-time leaderboard.
- In more A-Rod news, he may be sporting a mustache soon. A Yankees roster full of mustaches is Exhibit A on why their facial hair policy is the worst.
- The Nationals were the consensus World Series favorites heading into the season, but they’ve gotten off to a rocky start. They may not be handling it super well.
- In addition to McCarthy, the Dodgers also lost star outfielder Yasiel Puig to the disabled list. This is what happens when you pressure a guy to stop flipping bats.
- The injury news never stops. Ben Zobrist will also be missing some significant time after undergoing knee surgery.
- In a surreal scene on Saturday, the Red Sox and Orioles played a game with massive Freddie Gray protests happening right outside the stadium.
- At this point, I think it’s safe to say the White Sox made the right call in giving Jose Abreu such a big contract with no major-league experience.
- Bryan Price made national headlines with an expletive-laden rant, but his problems may be running deeper than swearing at the media. He may be on his way to alienating the entire fan base.
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