Rhys Hoskins blew out his knee without any contact today.

Tore his ACL, done for the year.

Really sad, especially as he is a free agent at the end of the year and almost certainly has played his last game as a Phillies player.

Only three other 1st basemen have played as many games (670) as him since 2019.

Another killer loss for the Phillies.

The WBC had nothing to do with this injury, last I checked.

Ehh. You're getting as obsessed with disproving WBC injuries as you are with disproving Renny about Journey.

Anyway, the reason I looked at this thread tonight ... do you guys remember last season I was complaining that the Mets' official website didn't have the standings on the front page like every other team? After one year and a bunch of e-mails, the standings have finally been restored. Hallelujah!

I've been disillusioned with baseball for a number of years now (various reasons, not the least of which is the owner of my team, the Reds) and really enjoyed the WBC. It's not the World Cup...but they kind of want it to be, and I can see the appeal for sure. Ohtani/Trout matchup to decide the championship was thrilling stuff.

It's a shame about any injuries, but like IP said, those could happen in spring training or on opening day just as easily. It's likely Diaz had some kind of issues with his leg that would have appeared early on in the season. Your tendons don't just tear jumping lightly up and down like that, something players do all the time.

In addition to the injuries to the Astros, they are also facing a bankruptcy with their tv network AT&T sports. The team is in the process of buying the network because they don't want to lose the revenue. It really is a shame that the regional sports model is all they feel like they can do to make money. I wish streaming and blackout lifting would be the new model. Surely they can make money that way too.

Streaming is the future, but I don't know how individual teams are going to be able to carve out anything near as lucrative as their local TV rights with League Pass / MLB Innings already out there. Unless they mandate blackouts on streaming services, which I'm pretty sure VPN would bypass anyway.

The Toronto teams don't really have this issue, since the broadcast rights holders are also the team owners, but I am sympathetic to the smaller market teams dependent on those regional sports networks for a lot of their money, and they're going away.

Uncle Steve continues to remake Citi Field into a legitimate Mets stadium, building over the ugly sub-Dodgers mess it was designed as by previous ownership.

A new scoreboard three times as large as the previous one -- the biggest in MLB at over 17,000 square feet. It is insanely big and sharp. The tawdry ads have been removed from the sides of both the main and side scoreboards.

Also -- championship pennants ringing the top of the stadium, the entire outfield fence now has ads in simple white rather than the garish potpourri of banners that were there before, the onsite Hall Of Fame has been expanded and upgraded, the rightfield fence has been moved in to make room for an uber-elite suite, more restaurants have been added, and live video is shown in all corridors so fans won't miss any action while they're getting food or stretching their legs.

Ballparks have turned into giant bars and restaurants with baseball going on.
Target Field in Minnesota has 2 restaurants and 8 bars, and none of them with decent Chardonnay if you ask my wife.

I’m going to Yankee Stadium April 13 with my sister. I’ll let you guys know how it is.

Okay, I'm ready. Let's play some baseball!
My guess is that the MN Twins win 84 games this year, which might be enough to take the AL Central.

I am still sad that instead of getting rid of inter-league play, MLB has doubled down and added more.

I am excited for you Marcus! Glad you get to go!

Thanks! They're playing Beachy's Twins and it's two days after we see Springsteen.

Have fun, Marcus!

Minor leaguers in the MLBPA have tentatively reached an agreement with MLB on pay increases:

In fields of green, where Boys of Summer shine,
And crowds of fans ring 'round the outfield walls,
Batters step up to plate from seated pine,
Their minds on stance, their eyes find seams on balls.

For in this game, clean swing is everything:
A graceful arc, a swish of ash will sound
A moment where the bat becomes a wing,
Sharp desire slaps the ball to distant ground.

The Zen of Swing is more than launch technique.
It's focus, calm, a perfect harmony
Of mind and body, rhythm and physique,
A sacred dance, a tribute to the tree:

The Northern White Ash surrenders limbs
for baseball, God's greatest outdoors sports thing.
Eternal bliss resounds in ball-park hymns
of joy we sing each spring in praise of swing.

Verlander to IL, may not pitch until May.

I understand why they did it, but I miss the tradition of the first game being at noon in Cincinnati. Not a Reds fan at all, but there was something official-feeling about that.

Megill was brought up to take his place in the rotation. He's no Verlander, but he's a decent fifth starter (and nearly made the team as fifth).

Having the #1 and #2 pitchers both pushing 40 greatly increases the odds of injury.

Might be time to give Matt Harvey another chance.

I always will be grateful for Justin Verlander and everything he brought to Houston, but I have long wondered how much he has in his tank left. I hope he bounces back soon.

Steve Cohen really had to sign him after losing Jacob deGrom. I don't think it was a bad move, even with the age-related risks.