A look at what's happening around baseball Thursday:
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NL'S BEST
Francisco Lindor and the NL East-leading Mets are headed to California for four games against Mookie Betts and the NL West-leading Dodgers, a showdown of the National League's top two teams.
Coming off a 6-0 homestand against Philadelphia and Washington, New York is starting a much tougher 10-game trip against Los Angeles, the Padres and Angels. The Dodgers are coming off a disappointing series defeat to the Pirates.
Mets right-hander Taijuan Walker (3-0, 2.83) gets the ball against Dodgers righty Tony Gonsolin (5-0, 1.80) in the opener.
PLAY TWO
The Yankees and Angels will try to squeeze in two games amid an unfavorable forecast in the Bronx. The clubs were rained out Wednesday night, necessitating a day-night twin bill with Los Angeles not scheduled for any other trips to New York this season.
Two-way sensation Shohei Ohtani was slated to pitch Thursday night and is likely to be lined up for one of the doubleheader starts, with Reid Detmers taking the other. Nestor Cortes and Jameson Taillon are lined up for New York, their order to be determined.
Yankees star Josh Donaldson is nearing a return from a right shoulder injury, but he also said Wednesday he was hurt when teammates didn’t back him after he made a remark to White Sox star Tim Anderson about Jackie Robinson that Chicago manager Tony La Russa called racist.
Donaldson was suspended for one game by Major League Baseball for making multiple references to Robinson while talking to Anderson on May 21. Donaldson has appealed the discipline.
“I think that was tough to hear, for sure, just for the simple fact that I pride myself on being a good teammate, and everywhere I’ve went, every organization that I’ve been a part of, minus Oakland, has offered me extensions, has wanted me to stay back,” Donaldson said during batting practice Wednesday.
“They’ve showed that they wanted me a part of their team. Obviously it didn’t work out that way,” he said. “And that’s just the business end of it. And also everywhere I went, I’ve won. I think part of winning is having good team chemistry, and I’ve taken pride everywhere I’ve went I’ve always tried to help people try to get better.”
INJURY TO INSULT
As if things weren't dire enough for the Phillies, star Bryce Harper was scratched from the lineup Wednesday with right forearm soreness, and second baseman Jean Segura could miss three months with a fractured right index finger.
Philadelphia entered Wednesday 12 1/2 games behind the Mets in the NL East, with manager Joe Girardi's seat getting hotter by the day.
It's not clear how long they'll be without Harper, who has been the team’s designated hitter after being diagnosed with a small UCL tear in his right elbow. He hurt it on a throw from right field and hasn't played defense since April 16.
Segura will be out 10 to 12 weeks after injuring himself while attempting to bunt in the seventh inning of Tuesday’s 7-4 11-inning loss to the Giants. He will have surgery as early as Friday.
The Phillies have a day off before opening a series against Mike Trout and the Angels on Friday.
NO-GO ON TRADING SOTO
The last-place Nationals have no plans to trade star outfielder Juan Soto, according to Washington president of baseball operations and general manager Mike Rizzo
Rizzo told The Sports Junkies on 106.7 The Fan on Wednesday that Washington plans to build around the 23-year-old slugger, who can become a free agent following the 2024 season. Soto is batting .227 with nine home runs and an .808 OPS for the Nats, who are 18-34 and aready 17 games behind the first-place Mets.
KLUBER'S RETURN
Two-time AL Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber pitched only one inning during his only season for the Texas Rangers. The right-hander then threw a no-hitter against them last year in his only other appearance in their retractable-roof stadium.
Kluber (1-2, 4.03 ERA) is back at Globe Life Field for his third start there, this time for the Rays in the finale of a four-game series.
The pitcher who was a high school standout only a few miles from their ballpark was acquired by the Rangers in 2019 and threw a scoreless inning when finally took the mound July 26, 2020, in the season that was delayed and shortened by the pandemic. He tore a muscle in his right shoulder in the third regular-season game ever played in the stadium, and never threw another pitch for Texas.
After going to the Yankees in free agency, Kluber threw a no-hitter against the Rangers on May 19, 2021
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