LEADING OFF: Mets eye clear weather at last, Cubs HBP woes

By: The Associated Press Posted: 7:01 PM CDT Friday, Apr. 16, 2021 Last Modified: 1:58 AM CDT Saturday, Apr. 17, 2021

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 16/04/2021 (1669 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A look at what’s happening around the majors today:

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WELL RESTED

New York Mets starting pitcher Jacob deGrom (48) walks off the field after striking out Miami Marlins' Jesus Aguilar in the first inning of a baseball game, Saturday, April 10, 2021, in New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Jacob deGrom and the Mets hope to finally play some baseball. New York has had four games in six days either postponed or suspended due to weather, including a snow out Friday night for the opener of their series at Colorado. The club has had seven postponements this season, including all three games of its opening series against Washington, which was called off due to the Nationals’ COVID-19 outbreak.

Saturday’s forecast in Denver looks chilly but clear, making it likely deGrom (0-1, 0.64) will finally get back on the mound two days after he was initially supposed to take his turn. New York’s ace will start the opener of a doubleheader against Chi Chi Gonzalez (1-0, 3.60), and Mets lefty Joe Lucchesi (0-0, 0.00) will face Germán Márquez (0-1, 4.02) in the late game.

BEAT-UP BEARS

Willson Contreras and the Cubs are feeling understandably unsettled in the box. Chicago batters were plunked four times by Braves starter Kyle Wright on Friday and have been hit a major league-leading 13 times this season — the Cubs also led the bigs last year with 52 hit-by-pitches. Contreras was hit Friday for the third time in four games and fifth time overall this season.

The Cubs are frustrated by all the bruises, especially after reliever Ryan Tepera was suspended three games Thursday for throwing behind Brewers pitcher Brandon Woodruff. Manager David Ross and game-planning coach Mike Borzello were also suspended one game each, bans they served in Friday’s 5-2 loss to Atlanta.

ACES UP

The Dodgers and Padres continue their first series of the season with aces Clayton Kershaw (2-1, 2.89) and Yu Darvish (1-0, 3.06) on the mound. Kershaw has shaken off a difficult opening day start with consecutive gems, allowing one run over 13 innings in starts against Oakland and Washington. Darvish is having a similar season, struggling against Arizona on opening day before limiting San Francisco and Pittsburgh to a run each in his past two starts.

Grounds crew workers prepare to pull the tarpulin as a light rain descends on Coors Field Tuesday, April 6, 2021, before the Colorado Rockies host the Arizona Diamondbacks in a baseball game in Denver. Major League Baseball announced that Coors Field will be the venue for the 2021 All Star Game after the Midsummer Classic was moved out of Atlanta because of sweeping changes to voting rights established in the state of Georgia. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

EAST BEAST

Tyler Glasnow (1-0, 0.46) takes the mound as the Rays continue a series at Yankee Stadium. The 6-foot-8 right-hander has 29 strikeouts and just three walks in 19 2/3 innings this season, and he’s been outstanding in the Bronx in his career, going 1-0 with a 1.54 ERA in two outings. Left-hander Jordan Montgomery (1-0, 3.27) is up for New York after allowing four runs in five innings against the Rays on Sunday.

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