R.J. Anderson

1 week ago | cbssports.com | R.J. Anderson |R. J. Anderson

The Houston Astros announced on Wednesday that right-handed starter Ronel Blanco will undergo season-ending elbow surgery next week. The Astros were not yet able to announce whether Blanco will require traditional Tommy John surgery or the installation of an internal brace. Either way, his stated return timetable is merely "during the 2026 season."It's worth noting that teams tend to give their pitchers around 14 months to return from Tommy John surgery.

1 week ago | cbssports.com | R.J. Anderson |R. J. Anderson

There's a certain rhythm to Major League Baseball's regular season. March is (increasingly) for Opening Day; July is for trades; September is for expanded rosters and playoff pushes; and so on. June, for its part, tends to be for big-league debuts. It used to be, anyway, that most of the game's top prospects would not arrive until the sixth month of the year because of service-time considerations.

1 week ago | cbssports.com | R.J. Anderson |R. J. Anderson

Here's a fun piece of trivia. Coming into Tuesday, the two-month mark of Major League Baseball's regular season, just two starting pitchers have recorded at least 10 appearances thus far in which they worked six or more innings. One of those was Philadelphia Phillies ace Zack Wheeler, who seems all but destined to record yet another high finish in National League Cy Young Award voting. The other pitcher? Bryan Woo, the unlikely ace of the first-place Seattle Mariners.

1 week ago | cbssports.com | R.J. Anderson |R. J. Anderson

If you've read any of Peter Gammons' old columns, you've likely stumbled across a sentiment he credited at times to both longtime Athletics executive Billy Beane and World Series-winning manager Chuck Tanner. It goes something like this: the first two months of the regular season are for figuring out what you have; the next two are for getting what you need; and the last two are for making a run. It's short, it's sweet, and, crucially, it's still true.

1 week ago | cbssports.com | R.J. Anderson |R. J. Anderson

Texas Rangers right-hander Jacob deGrom is no stranger to personal accomplishments, but he could've done without what he achieved on Monday against the Toronto Blue Jays. For the first time in his career, he finished his appearance without recording a single strikeout. Indeed, he surrendered two runs on five hits and two walks before departing in the sixth inning. "I actually didn't know that. I heard it when I walked inside, but they were aggressive early," deGrom told reporters.