Monday is a big night for the Los Angeles Dodgers as one-time ace Walker Buehler makes his return from Tommy John surgery against the awful Miami Marlins, who made news of their own over the weekend by shockingly trading reigning batting champion Luis Arraez to San Diego. Here’s a look at two intriguing matchups early this week.
Detroit Tigers vs. Cleveland Guardians
When: Monday, May 6th, 2024, 6:100 PM ET
Where: Progressive Field, Cleveland, OH
TV: BSDET, BSGL, FS1
Radio: WXYT-FM 97.1 (Tigers) // WTAM 1100 (Guardians)
Live Stream: MLB.tv
MLB Betting Odds: Tigers (+104) // Guardians (-119)
National TV game on Fox Sports 1. Will the Guardians have starting outfielder and leadoff hitter Steven Kwan available? He left Saturday’s game with a tight hamstring and didn’t play on Sunday. Kwan is off to a great start this season in batting .353. He leads the league in hits and already has seven three-hit games. He was to have an MRI on Sunday.
“I’ve had a history of hamstring issues before,” said Kwan. “We’re just trying to keep it safe.” Asked if he was concerned, “A hamstring (injury) is always concerning. Especially with my history. It’s not something to be optimistic about, but we’ll see.”
To lose him — hamstring injuries usually take between four and six weeks to heal — would be a blow to the AL Central leaders. If Kwan has to go on the injured list, the Guardians have some options to replace him. They could promote first base prospect Kyle Manzardo and use Gabriel Arias, Estevean Florial or Ramon Laureano in left field. Arias replaced Kwan when he left the game Saturday. Then Will Brennan came on as a defensive replacement.
Also monitor the status of Tigers infielder Wenceel Perez, a very pleasant surprise, batting .302 on the year. He was scratched from Sunday’s lineup against the Yankees due to an illness. Perez had two hits on Saturday, posting his fifth multi-hit game. Over his last 12 games, Pérez is batting .333/.417/.643 with two triples, three home runs and eight RBIs.
Monday marks the first meeting of the season between the AL Central rivals. Righty Triston McKenzie (2-2, 4.34) starts for Cleveland. McKenzie did not factor into the decision in a win over the Astros last Wednesday, allowing two runs on five hits and one walk over seven innings while striking out six. McKenzie was highly effective in striking out at least six batters for the third consecutive start, with five of those strikeouts coming on his curveball. He issued only one free pass in the contest, which marked a season best, while also going seven innings for the first time in the early campaign. McKenzie has not allowed more than two runs in any of his last three starts after surrendering a season-high five runs against the Yankees on April 13.
It’s Jack Flaherty (0-1, 4.00) for Detroit. Flaherty came away with a no-decision in the first game of last Tuesday’s doubleheader against the Cardinals, scattering two hits and a walk over 6.2 scoreless innings in a 2-1 loss. He struck out 14. Facing the team he spent the first six-plus seasons of his career with, the 28-year-old’s 14 strikeouts were a career high, topping the 13 he reached twice in 2018, and he tied Tyler Glasnow for the most in a start this season.
Flaherty also fanned the first seven batters he faced, tying the AL record most recently matched by Luis Castillo in 2022. Flaherty generated an eye-popping 24 swinging strikes among his 93 pitches, and he was in line for his first win of the season before Shelby Miller blew the save in the ninth. Flaherty is now second in the majors in strikeouts this season with 50.
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