Here is a look at what’s happening around the majors today:
HEADS UP
Phillies star Bryce Harper says he’s feeling fine after being hit in the face by a 96.9 mph fastball Wednesday. Harper was drilled in the left cheek by Cardinals left-hander Génesis Cabrera’s first pitch in the sixth inning of a 5-3 victory. The All-Star slugger picked himself up and walked off the field, blood dripping from a cut on the side of his nose.
“Everything feels good,” Harper said in an Instagram video. He said he got a CT scan and another testing, and “Everything came back good.”
Philadelphia is slated to wrap up a four-game series in St. Louis.
NATIONAL POWERS
The Dodgers and Brewers begin a four-game set between NL division leaders in Milwaukee. Reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Trevor Bauer (3-0, 2.53) will start the opener for the Dodgers against Eric Lauer, making his season debut for the NL Central leaders. Last year, NL West-leading Los Angeles swept the Brewers in a first-round postseason series en route to a World Series title and knocked out Milwaukee in the 2018 NL Championship Series.
.jpg "LEADING OFF: Harper healing after fastball to face 1")
WELCOME BACK
Rays left-hander Shane McClanahan is set for his first regular-season appearance after making his big league debut last year’s postseason. Among the top prospects in Tampa Bay’s loaded farm system, McClanahan will start against Oakland a day after his 24th birthday. He allowed four earned runs in 4 1/3 relief innings in the 2020 playoffs for the AL champions. Before that, he’d made just four starts above Class A.
TAKE TWO
The Tigers and White Sox are slated for a straight doubleheader after their game Wednesday night was postponed by rain. Detroit right-hander Casey Mize and Chicago left-hander Carlos Rodón were pushed back to pitch in Thursday’s first game, while left-hander Matthew Boyd and right-hander Dylan Cease will start in the second.
FRESH START
Martín Pérez tries to keep up an unexpected trend — dominant starting pitching from the Red Sox. Garrett Richards pitched seven one-run innings against the Mets on Tuesday, and Nick Pivetta followed with five scoreless to start against New York on Wednesday. Boston’s starting pitchers have a 4.09 ERA this season, way down from their 5.34 mark in 2020, which was third-worst in the AL.
Pérez (0-1, 5.71) is scheduled to face the Rangers — his old club — in the opener of a four-game series. Texas right-hander Kyle Gibson (2-0, 2.30) has allowed one earned run or fewer in his past four starts.
More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB
