Snake Bytes: 4/6 - Baseball Eve (for most)

Diamondbacks News

Arizona Sets Rotation, Weaver to Bullpen
Arizona’s rotation to open the season will be Madison Bumgarner, Merrill Kelly, Zach Davies, Caleb Smith, and Zac Gallen. Luke Weaver will look for an uptick in performance by pitching from the bullpen. Injuries and performance volatility will no doubt throw all this in chaos before May.

Varsho to Focus on CF
Couched by the team as a move to get Varsho’s bat into the lineup with everyday regularity while also helping to keep him fresh, Daulton Varsho is being penciled in as the team’s primary center fielder. The athletic Varsho still expects to do the work of catching prep, to catch bullpen sessions, and possibly still start behind the plate once every week or two. He’ll also be fighting to make a strong enough impact to prevent the ascendant Alek Thomas from displacing him. Jose Herrera will serve as the team’s primary backup catcher behind Carson Kelly.

Other Baseball News

Mariners-Twins Opening Day Postponed to Friday
Forecasts for a mix of rain and snow with freezing temperatures have force the Minnesota Twins to push back their Opening Day to Friday.

Red Sox-Yankees Series Postponed
Inclement weather is also pushing back the start of the season for the Red Sox and Yankees. While the two teams are currently expected to open their seasons on Friday instead, Mother Nature is apparently still debating whether or not she approves of that plan.

2022 Milestone Watch
Miguel Cabrera needs just 13 hits to join the 3,000 hit club. Clayton Kershaw needs only 27 strikeouts to pass Don Sutton for the most strikeouts in a Dodger uniform. Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina are 21 starts together away from setting a new record for most starts by a battery in the history of the game. Three are plenty of other special moments that should likely be watched for as well.

Pitchers and Catchers to Use Anti-Sign Stealing Tech in 2022
MLB sent a memo Tuesday advising teams about the approved usage of devices referred to within the industry as PitchCom. Using a pad with buttons on the wrist of the gloved hand, a catcher can signal pitches — pitch type and location — directly to the pitcher through a listening device.

Bobby Miller Strikes Out Ohtani, Nearly Blacks Out
Celebrating his 23rd birthday on Tuesday night, Miller wasted no time making an impression in his start against the Angels, a 5-0 victory in the preseason finale at Dodger Stadium. He did so by striking out the very first batter he faced: none other than the reigning American League MVP, Shohei Ohtani.