2025 Season

[UVA_Guy81]

Since the start of the season is officially under way with Spring Training games starting yesterday, I figured this was a good time as any to start a season thread.

 

[UVA_Guy81]

The Orioles and Nationals are finally getting a MASN divorce

The decade-plus saga has come to an end, MLB announced on Monday morning.

www.camdenchat.com

 

[hattersgonnahate]

Okay, what's going on with all these preseason injuries?

• Gunnar Henderson with "right intercoastal strain" / Andrew Kittredge with "left knee soreness"
• Grayson Rodriguez with "triceps soreness"

Hopefully, it's not the worst-case scenario of "season already over before it even started"... but what's the short-term backup plan if any of them cannot return by Opening Day? As I see it:

• If Henderson is unavailable: One possibility is Holliday at SS / Westburg at 2B / Urías at 3B, with Liván Soto or Vimael Machín called up to be the backup infielder. (Coby Mayo is another possibility since calling him up would not require removing anyone from the 40-man roster, but he doesn't seem ready yet...)
  
  
• If Kittredge is unavailable: If we limit to the 40-man roster, the current choices are between Bryan Baker, Colin Selby, Kade Strowd, or Luis González. (It's probably not going to be Selby since he was already optioned on 3/2.)
  
  
• If Rodriguez is unavailable: Again limiting to the 40-man roster, the choices are Brandon Young, Cade Povich, and Roansy Contreras. (Of course, another possibility is to temporarily move Albert Suárez back to the #5 starter spot and call up a reliever instead-- but Suárez has struggled during this year'sSpring Training.)

 

[hattersgonnahate]

Okay, what's going on with all these preseason injuries?

For additional bad news:

• Confirmed: Rodriguez and Kittredge "will miss season's start"
• In addition to Henderson being injured, Tyler O'Neil was also "scratched from the lineup on March 6 as a precaution"

(Overreaction of the day: "Maybe this team should have started rebuilding at the trade deadline in 2024? Do the Orioles need to replace their strength and conditioning staff as well?" Or are we in "fire Elias yesterday" territory? Either way, Fangraphs is currently projecting Povich and Baker as the replacements for Rodriguez and Kittredge, while still expecting Henderson and O'Neil to recover in time for Opening Day.)