Here is some of the top news in Major League Baseball for Friday September 14, 2018:
David Wright To Start For Final Time
The New York Mets announced that third baseman David Wright will return to the team for their final homestand of 2018. The Mets plan to start Wright in their second to last home game of the season, and Wright believes that it will be his final start in the Major Leagues. He will be activated from the disabled list on September 25 and will make the start on September 29.
The 35-year-old Wright hasn’t played for the Mets since May 27, 2016 as he has battled neck, back, and shoulder issues. The Mets captain began his latest comeback attempt in August and played games with two different Minor League teams in the Mets organization. Wright still has two years remaining on his contract with the Mets, but the third baseman doesn’t believe that his body will allow him to play past this season.
Red Sox Reach 100 Wins
On Tuesday night the Boston Red Sox became the first team in the Major Leagues to clinch a playoff spot. On Wednesday night, the Red Sox reached the 100 win mark for the first time since 1946. This is just the fourth time in franchise history that the team has reached the 100 win mark. Boston became the fastest team to reach 100 wins since 2001, after doing so in game 146.
The Seattle Mariners were able to win their 100th game in game 140 in 2001. The Red Sox need to win just six of their final 16 games in order to break the franchise record for wins in a season. The 1912 Boston Red Sox won 105 games that season. The 2018 Red Sox have a huge lead over the New York Yankees in the American League East and will likely be the top seed in the American League Playoffs this season.
Joe Mauer To Consider Retirement
Minnesota Twins star Joe Mauer says that he will sit down and think about the possibility of retirement following the 2018 MLB season. Mauer has spent his entire 15-year career with the Twins, who are his hometown team. The 35-year old Mauer is in the final year of his contract that he signed in 2010. The Twins locked Mauer up with a historic eight-year $184 million that season. Mauer has made six All-Star game appearances for the Twins, but his numbers have declined significantly this season. He has a career batting average of .306 but is hitting just .272 this season. Mauer suffered a concussion earlier in the season, and that will likely play a factor in this decision.
Clay Buchholz Scratched From Start
The Arizona Diamondbacks were forced to scratch starter Clay Buchholz just minutes before his scheduled start on Thursday afternoon. The right-hander suffered tightness in his right elbow during warmups and was forced to miss his start against the Colorado Rockies. Buchholz has been the ace of the Diamondbacks staff since being activated in late May. He has a 2.01 earned run average through 16 starts for Arizona after a signing a Minor League deal with them on May 4. The Diamondbacks are still in the playoff hunt, but have some work to do if they are going to catch the Rockies in the National League West.
Anthony Rizzo Wears Uniform on Flight
Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo wore his full uniform on the flight from Chicago to Washington D.C. on Wednesday night. The Cubs had lost an important game against the Milwaukee Brewers that saw their division lead shrink to just one game in the National League Central. The Cubs were scheduled to return to Washington D.C. to play a makeup game against the Nationals after a rain-out last weekend.
The Cubs will then head back to Chicago to begin a three-game series with the Cincinnati Reds. The Cubs have been outspoken about not wanting to play in D.C. on Thursday afternoon due to the fact that they will now have a scheduled game on 30 consecutive days. Major League Baseball could have opted to wait until the end of the season to play this game, but instead sent the Cubs to Washington on Thursday.
