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Getaway Day: Wild, wacky and weird week in MLB
Madison Bumgarner of the San Francisco Giants will miss significant time due to a dirt bike injury.  Jennifer Stewart/Getty Images

Getaway Day: Wild, wacky and weird week in MLB (and that's just the injuries)

The MLB season continues to get settled into its comfort zone, as the final week of the first month of the year is already upon us. It has largely been a balanced slate across the game as well: no team has more than a three game lead in any division and in multiple cases there is complete parity in the standings.

But the third week of the season brought some of the most shocking developments so far this year. First, Pirates star Starling Marte gets the gate for 80 games due to a failed drug test. Then, superhero pitcher Madison Bumgarner bites the dust (literally) and will be out of action for over two months due to a sprained AC joint in his pitching shoulder.  Back on the field, the Twins and Tigers staged an epic brawl, the St. Louis Cardinals came back to life, and the Baltimore Orioles continued to hold their place atop the toughest division in the game today.

It was a busy week across the game as a whole, so here's a little bit of everything on the week that was (as well as the week to come) across Major League Baseball to keep you caught up.

American League

Baltimore Orioles

The good times continue to roll for the O’s, who took two of three from both the Cincinnati Reds and Boston Red Sox, affirming their place atop the American League East. While many of the victories were far from a cakewalk (each victory coming by two runs or fewer), a win is a win and they enter the new week with breathing room over the second place Yankees. The week ahead will continue to be a divisional proving ground for the O’s as they’ll take on the up-and-down Rays before heading to the Bronx and a chance to create some substantial space in the standing with a three-game bout with the Yanks.

Boston Red Sox

It is safe to say that Chris Sale really, really likes the idea of being a part of a contender. The offseason’s biggest acquisition has continued to dominate at the front end of the BoSox rotation, having now notched three consecutive double digit strikeout games, good for an MLB-best 42 strikeouts. In the process, he has allowed only three runs over nearly 30 innings, and the Sox are 3-1 when he takes the bump. The issue remains that the majority of the Boston rotation is barely hanging on by a thread as the team awaits the return of David Price from the disabled list. Rick Porcello (5.32) and Steven Wright (8.66) can’t seem to get it in gear, and Drew Pomeranz and Eduardo Rodriguez have not fared much better. It will take more than just a great outing every fifth day and then hoping for the best if they are to stay in the AL East hunt.

Chicago White Sox

The mojo that carried them into the week evaporated this time around for the South Siders, as the Sox staggered through a week where they put up little fight while dropping two of three against the Yankees, and then taking it on the chin via a sweep at the hands of Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco and the Indians. The good news is that they’ll have a chance to get back on track when they face the equally stagnant Royals to start the week. Following KC they’ll get a Tigers team that is without Miguel Cabrera for the foreseeable future as well. If the Chicago bats can get going, they have a nice chance for a revival this week.


Cleveland Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis forces out Chicago White Sox center fielder Jacob May during the seventh inning at Guaranteed Rate Field on April 22, 2017. The Indians won 7-0.  David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

Cleveland Indians

With Jason Kipnis back in the lineup and Jose Ramirez remaining hot, the Indians woke up last week from a sluggish start. Corey Kluber turned in his first complete game on the year on Friday, the rest of the rotation made easy work of an opportunistic set of series against the Twins and White Sox as well. The Tribe has climbed back into the first place in the AL Central, but an immediate test of where they stand lies ahead, as they will open a three-game homestand with the American League-best Houston Astros on Tuesday. Terry Francona’s boys will get a chance to prove they are still the big dogs in the American League yard… or not.

Detroit Tigers

As a new week dawns in the D, one thing for certain is that this one cannot possibly be as bad as last week. The Tigers opened up the week by dropping all three games of their series in Tampa Bay, hamstrung by terrible defensive lapses and an offensive outage as well. And just when things seemed like they couldn’t get worse, Miguel Cabrera was forced on the disabled list, due to a groin injury suffered while making a defensive play. On the positive side, they did regain Justin Upton on Saturday, who had been out of action for the final two games of the Tampa Bay series with a wrist injury. He hit a home run on Saturday and will be more important than ever, as the Tigers will lean on him to be the main contributor in the heart of the lineup with upcoming series against the Mariners and White Sox. 

Houston Astros

The Astros remain a dominant force in the AL West, as they took three of four against the Angels to open the week. The recently hot Rays provided a tougher challenge over the weekend, but the Astros continue to look like a well-oiled, all-around machine. Carlos Correa returned to the lineup after missing a few games, and Dallas Keuchel and Lance McCullers Jr. continue to post dominant outings on the mound. The ‘Stros will be a part of the marquee matchup on the MLB schedule this week, as they will head to Cleveland for a three game series against the defending AL Central champs. It is tough to put too much stock in an April series in the big picture, but at the very least it will be a strong heat check between two teams that profile to be in it for the long haul this year.

Kansas City Royals

The highlight of the Royals week was finally exorcising the demon that is Madison Bumgarner, whom they beat 2-0 in a rematch of the 2015 World Series. But outside of that showing it was a horrible week in KC as they dropped the opener of that Giants two-game tilt before taking three straight Ls at the hands of the Rangers, a far cry from the four-game winning streak they entered the week on. There is hope for the Royals, as they will have ample opportunities to get back on track this week, heading to Chicago for the White Sox before returning home for a weekend series with the Twins. Jason Vargas enters the week leading the AL in ERA (0.44) and tied for the wins lead as well. He is in line to make two starts this week and the Royals desperately need him to stay hot.

Los Angeles Angels

Mike Trout did a lot of Mike Trout things this week. The best in the biz had a big week, posting four multi-hit games, along with three doubles, a stolen base and a pair of home runs. He picked his average up to .343 on the young season and his OPS is up over 1.000 again. But as is too often the case, he was the only gun smoking for the Halos. They dropped three of four to the Astros and then gave some life to the AL-worst Blue Jays over the weekend as well. The Mike Trout Show is a great watch, but it continues to end with losses far too often in Anaheim.

Minnesota Twins

The Twins put up little fight while proving a defibrillator shock in the chest of the previously uneven Indians, who swept them to start up the week. Brian Dozier (.192), Miguel Sano (.150) and Byron Buxton (.133) went MIA over the course the week, and Minnesota could barely hang on without them. They salvaged a couple of wins over the weekend against the regrouping Tigers. However, it was marred by the melee that ensued between the two clubs on Saturday, which could see Sano headed for a suspension. That is the last thing that the Twins need as they have a tough divisional slate ahead of them this week.


New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge (99) greets second baseman Starlin Castro (14) after Castro hit a three run home run against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the fifth inning at PNC Park on April 22, 2017. Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

New York Yankees

The Yanks brought their winning streak to nine games to start the week, before it was ended by the White Sox on Tuesday. However, they remained consistent throughout the week against Chicago and in Pittsburgh, and are still sitting just out of the driver’s seat in the AL East behind the Orioles. Starlin Castro and Chase Headley each are in the top three of hitting in the AL, while Aaron Judge hit three long balls on the week as well. What waits ahead is an all-important week for the Yanks, who will start the week in Boston for the first series of the year between baseball’s Hatfields and McCoys. The stakes are always high between the two, but especially important for Joe Girardi’s squad, as they will finish off the week at home against the East-leading Orioles. If things go right, the Yankees could be finishing out the next seven days in control of the division headed into May, while also having made a statement in the process.

Oakland Athletics

Until Sunday’s decimation at the hands of the Seattle Mariners, no team had a more pronounced turnaround this week than the A’s did. They won their first series of the year and strung together five consecutive wins while climbing up the AL West standings. Kendall Graveman, Jesse Hahn and (finally) Sean Manaea have come with strong performances to drive the club forward. Looking ahead, Oakland will continue its extended string of divisional games with a trip to Anaheim, before finishing up in Houston. We should be a very good idea of who the A’s are by the time the month turns over.

Seattle Mariners

The Mariners bats finally began to come to life early in the week, as they took two out of three from the Miami Marlins. Rookie Mitch Haniger continues to be a godsend for the M’s, as he leads the club in virtually every offensive category and saw his hitting streak reach 13 games before it was ended late in the week. However, Seattle is still way for behind the pace in the AL West because Haniger is the only source of dependable offense. While Nelson Cruz and Robinson Cano are coming along, hitting over .300 in the past week, they’ll have to continue to do even more to push the Mariners towards the type of run they’ll need to go on to get back into things.

Tampa Bay Rays

It was a roller coaster week in Tampa, as the Rays went from the high of a three-game sweep over the Tigers, to the letdown of the extra innings loss on Sunday at the hands of the Astros. Along the way, Kevin Kiermaier and Steven Souza Jr. made their marks on the year, driving the productivity for the Rays. They’ll have to keep up that pace, as they open the week facing the AL East leading Orioles.

Texas Rangers

The Rangers came back to life in a major way over the weekend, completing a four game sweep of the Royals. The exclamation point on the week was an eight-inning win for Yu Darvish, who retired 15 of 16 down the stretch and looked as strong and durable as he has since returning from Tommy John surgery last year. What is still concerning is the lackluster play of Jonathan Lucroy, who is hitting only .184 and is nearly splitting duty with Robinson Chirinos at this point. The Rangers need production from their starting catcher, who they paid a high price to obtain last year.

Toronto Blue Jays

Things are not looking any brighter in Toronto, so the news is ‘comparatively’ good. While the Jays are still yet to win consecutive games on the year, they finally broke their streak of consecutive losses, by mixing in a few wins between Ls this week. However, losses continue to pile up in more ways than one, as Troy Tulowitzki and J.A. Happ both headed to the disabled list this week. With Josh Donaldson and Aaron Sanchez both still on the mend as well and Jose Bautista continuing to be ice cold, salvation does not appear to be on the horizon.

National League


Arizona Diamondbacks Paul Goldschmidt (44), Jake Lamb (22), David Peralta (6) and A.J. Pollock (11) celebrate after defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers at Chase Field on April 22, 2017. The Arizona Diamondbacks won 11-5.  Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sports

Arizona Diamondbacks

The Arizona offense got back to firing on all cylinders this week, as the DBacks topped 10 runs on three different occasions. However, consistency was still hard to find, as they dropped a pair of games to the Padres, before winning a weekend series against the Dodgers. The wins against LA are exciting and necessary, however, if they cannot beat the lower tier clubs like the Padres, they will remain the middling club they are showing signs of moving on from being.

Atlanta Braves

It was a brutal turn of events over the week for the Braves, who are currently weathering a six-game losing streak on the heels of closing out a four game sweep to open up SunTrust Park. Matt Kemp made his return to the lineup this week, and hit his first homer since April 6th on Sunday. Meanwhile, Brandon Phillips has run his hitting streak up to 10 games. 

Chicago Cubs

Anthony Rizzo is doing the heavy lifting for the Cubbies right now, riding a 12-game hitting and three game home run streak. His bat lead the charge back into first place for the Cubs, who took over the division by winning two of three over the Reds in Cincinnati. On the encouraging side of events, Ben Zobrist made his return after missing a few games due to a back injury. However, the starting pitching efforts remains lackluster in certain parts, as Kyle Hendricks and John Lackey are still slow to find their form. They will get a chance to get back into gear this week, as they head to Pittsburgh before having an intriguing weekend stint against the Red Sox.

Cincinnati Reds

Home was not where the heart was for the Reds this week, as they went 3-7 at Great American Ballpark and fell out of first place in the NL Central. It was a daunting task, taking on two of the better teams in baseball in the Orioles and Cubs, and one that the young Reds were not up for quite yet. However, the terrain is balanced in the division, as only two games separates first and last place currently. The Reds will need to get back to their early form as they head to Milwaukee and return to St. Louis over the next week.

Colorado Rockies

The Rockies domination of the Giants continued over the weekend, as the NL West leaders completed a thorough sweep over San Francisco who are amid a steep slide down the standings. This came on the heels taking one of two games from the Dodgers, which has now pushed them to carrying the best record in baseball. The next week brings a substantial test in the form of the Washington Nationals, who have the type of firepower to put the Rockies’ potential to the test.


Los Angeles Dodgers' Justin Turner slides across home plate to score run against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the fifth inning of a baseball game Sunday, April 23, 2017, in Phoenix.  AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin

Los Angeles Dodgers

It was a rough week in LA, as they dropped four games to the Diamondbacks over the course of seven days. Only the sanctuary of a Clayton Kershaw outing, combined with a strong performance from Brandon McCarthy on Sunday saved them from a truly disastrous run. On a positive note, Justin Turner is riding a nine-game hitting streak and has upped his season average to .349. Historically, the Dodgers do better when he’s impacting the box score. A four game series with the Bumgarner-less Giants awaits, so LA has a chance to get things right immediately this week. 

Miami Marlins

Marlins healed the wounds of dropping two of three to the struggling Mariners by winning the weekend in San Diego. It was big week for the Miami outfield, who combined for seven home runs between Giancarlo Stanton, Christian Yelich and Marcell Ozuna. A trip to Philadelphia opens up the week for the Fish, who have a chance to define the middle class of the NL East. In the meantime, we can all wait and see who is the next Hall of Famer who gets in on the bidding for the ball club.

Milwaukee Brewers

It is too early to say if it will truly mean anything, but these Brewers can absolutely rake. Eric Thames is proving to be the real deal, launching an MLB-best eight home runs already on the year. Ryan Braun and Travis Shaw are in on the fun as well, making the middle of the Brewer lineup a gauntlet of sorts thus far. The issue is that they cannot stop anybody else from keeping pace with them. Despite scoring the third most runs in the National League, they are -1 in run differential on the year. That’s the type of issue that .500 records are made of.

New York Mets

The loss of Yoenis Cespedes to a hamstring injury is bad news for a Mets team that is showing some life. He is arguably the biggest catalyst for any contender in the game, and the Mets offense will have to make due while he is down. The Mets are amid a bad skid at the hands of their chief competition in the Washington Nationals, and will have to make due as is for the time being. On the bright side, the walking stimulus package that is the Atlanta Braves awaits to open the week, so the Mets bleeding is likely to be patched up for the time being.


Philadelphia Phillies center fielder Odubel Herrera tosses his bat after hitting a home run during the eighth inning against the Atlanta Braves at Citizens Bank Park on April 23, 2017. The Phillies won 5-2.  Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Philadelphia Phillies

The Odubel Herrera bat flip that sealed the Braves’ fate on Sunday is the type of thing that legends are made of. It was a fitting conclusion a weekend where the Phillies pulled themselves up to .500 ahead of a week where they will be put to the test by the Marlins and Dodgers. The Phils will continue to try to find themselves along the way, as they look very much to be a team that is close to find itself, but has to go through taking the punches along the way.

Pittsburgh Pirates

The suspension of Starling Marte was a knife in the side of a Pirates team that continues to miss its mark on the young season. The news came amid them suffering through a sweep at the hands of the Cardinals where they managed only three runs in as many days, and aided their fall into the bottom of the NL Central standings. However, this issue was slightly alleviated by them winning a surprising series over the red hot New York Yankees, which further shows signs of the up-and-down nature of this team.

San Diego Padres

San Diego continued to be one of the peskiest teams in the game this year, as they rebounded from an 11-2 drubbing at the hands of the Diamondbacks to steal a pair of games back. Yet with that momentum, they turned back downwards and lost a weekend home series to the Marlins. It’s looking like it is going to be that kind of year in SoCal.

San Francisco Giants

The freakishly stupid injury to Madison Bumgarner highlighted the worst week for a team in baseball. With Bumgarner out of action for at least two months with a separated shoulder suffered in a dirt bike accident, the Giants stumbled to a five loss week. They now have won only six games on the year and carry the worst record in the National League. On the bright side, Buster Posey made his return from the DL, and returns to lead a team in desperate need of a turnaround, as their chief rivals in LA are first up on the week’s docket.

St. Louis Cardinals

St. Louis decided enough was enough this week, as they responded to a brutal weekend sweep at the hands of the Yankees in a bold fashion. The Cardinals went 6-1 last week, which included sweeping the Pirates at home and taking three of four on the road from the Brewers. The Cardinal offense is still sputtering into shape, but got the type of unlikely booster shot that teams like this need, when Adam Wainwright drove in four runs on Friday, including a two-run bomb that got things started. A week ago at this time, they’d have taken anything offered offensively, so beggars truly cannot be choosers.


Washington Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper is on track to be Player of the Month.  Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Washington Nationals

Just insert everything that Bryce Harper did last week here and make it a Player of the Month resume, because he was that dominant. Harper launched five home runs on the week, while hitting over .550 in the process. He has carried the club through injuries to Trea Turner and Daniel Murphy, both of whom have rejoined the Nationals lineup. On the flip side, the soap opera which is defining the Nats ninth inning continues to evolve, as it highlights perhaps the most evident need any contender has in the game thus far this year.

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