Here are a few items to track in the baseball world on Thursday:
1. Mets drop eighth straight, head to Chicago
The Mets were in a tight one on Wednesday night against the Dodgers until Dalton Rushing blasted a grand slam in the eighth inning to put the game away. The small silver lining for New York fans is that the Rushing homer meant the game was no longer a save situation, so the Mets avoided being on the other end of Edwin Diaz and his trumpet entrance. The Mets have been held to two runs or fewer in seven of eight games during this losing streak. Their next chance to get into the win column will come on Friday against the Cubs. New York will have to survive one more road series without Juan Soto before his potential return next week.
2. Pitcher-only Ohtani
Shohei Ohtani led the charge in the sweep of the Mets, tossing six innings of one-run ball with 10 strikeouts. He was not in the hitting lineup, though. The two-way superstar pitched but didn’t hit for the first time since 2021. Rushing’s grand slam actually came as the DH in Ohtani’s stead. Manager Dave Roberts said the decision was made after Ohtani was hit by a David Peterson sinker on Monday night. “This one game, it just makes the most sense to give us the best chance to manage the shoulder and back,” Roberts told reporters, including Katie Woo of The Athletic. Ohtani’s next chance to get back in the hitting lineup as a pitcher is slated for Wednesday against the Giants.
3. Fermin leaves after a foul tip to the mask
Padres catcher Freddy Fermin was removed in the third inning of Wednesday’s game against the Mariners after being struck by a foul ball. Manager Craig Stammen told reporters, including AJ Cassavell of MLB.com, that Fermin does not have a concussion following an initial round of testing but will be reevaluated today. Luis Campusano replaced Fermin and is the only other catcher on the 40-man roster. Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune noted that Triple-A catcher Rodolfo Duran was removed from last night’s game in the ninth inning after Fermin’s injury. He’d seem to be a logical replacement if Fermin is forced to the IL.
