Snake Bytes: 05/02 - 105.5 miles to go

Diamondbacks News

[MLB Trade Rumors] Diamondbacks Designate Matt Davidson For Assignment

The D-Backs announced they’ve designated corner infielder Matt Davidson for assignment. Coupled with the optioning of right-hander Taylor Widener to Triple-A Reno, the Snakes have gotten their active roster down from 28 to 26 players. Davidson’s DFA also clears a 40-man roster spot; Arizona’s tally now sits at 38, although they’ll eventually need to reinstate relievers Mark Melancon and J.B. Wendelken from the COVID-19 injured list.

Davidson’s latest stay in the majors lasted a little under two weeks. Arizona selected him to the big leagues in late April, and he ultimately appeared in five games. The 31-year-old collected one hit (a homer off Josh Rogers) while drawing three walks in 13 plate appearances. That marked Davidson’s first MLB action since he suited up in 22 games for the Reds two seasons ago.

[AZSnakePit] Hopeful Early, Exciting Middle, Quiet Late

TXdback (via James Attwood) was Sunday’s guest recapper saw the Diamondbacks missing an opportunity to take home a series win. But unfortunate errors were paid dearly in the final innings of the game.

[AZ Central] Bader, Arenado homer as Cardinals beat Diamondbacks

Marte, who played primarily center field last year, continues to struggle in his transition back to second base. The [game changing, DBE] error was his fourth already this season, and there have been several other balls he could not make plays on — balls that were scored hits — that have turned out to be costly for the Diamondbacks.

[AZ Central] Diamondbacks’ Zac Gallen set to face Marlins for first time since trade

“It’s like any other team,” Gallen said. “It’s another game of baseball. I’ll go out and pitch and do my job and keep us in the game as long as I can.”

[Arizona Sports] D-backs OF Jordan Luplow homers twice in loss to Cardinals

“We had a game where we felt like we should have won,” Ahmed said. “We’ve run into some good arms and we’re not performing against those guys.”

[dbacks.com] D-backs’ 4 HRs don’t make up for errors, short bullpen

“The key point in the game for me was the potential double-play ball on the comebacker,” Lovullo said. “A couple of things happen there. It should have gotten us out of the inning. It cost us a couple of runs and it cost him about 12-15 pitches. A couple of miscues today cost him [Davies, DBE] some pitches.”

“We made some mistakes from that point forward on the mound,” Lovullo said of what happened after Davies exited. “We just didn’t execute the right way, call the right pitches, whatever, however you want to look at it. We stumbled and we paid for it.”

[CBS Sports] Bader, Arenado homer to lead Cardinals beat Diamondbacks 7-5

St. Louis catcher Andrew Knizner had to take a peak at the scoreboard. He couldn’t believe his eyes after a catching a 103.1 mile-per hour fastball from reliever Ryan Helsley in the eighth inning of the Cardinals’ 7-5 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday.

Around The MLB

[CBS Sports] Mets’ Robinson Canó designated for assignment with nearly two years left on massive contract

The Mets still owe Canó $20.25 million this season and next. Canó, 39, is 8 for 41 (.195) with one home run in 12 games this season. He missed the entire 2021 season while serving a 162-game performance-enhancing drug suspension, the second PED suspension of his career.

[CBS Sports] Reds complete one of the worst Aprils in MLB history with three wins in 21 games

The Reds went 3-18 in April and only two teams in history were definitely worse (and the Diamondbacks aren’t one of them).

[CBS Sports] Clayton Kershaw breaks Dodgers record for career strikeouts

Kershaw passed Don Sutton for the most strikeouts in (FT)Dodger history.

[Yahoo Sports] Jackie Robinson bat fetches more than $1M, falls just short of record price

Robinson’s widow Rachel Robinson verified the bat’s authenticity in a statement to Goldin.

“The bat has been in the Robinson family archives since the day it was first used by Jackie and I guarantee that is 100% authentic,” she wrote in a letter, per Goldin.

While pricy, Robinson’s bat falls short of the record paid for a bat. The bat that Babe Ruth used to slug the first home run ever hit at Yankee Stadium, sold to a private East Coast collector for $1.26 million. That was in 2004. Imagine what it would sell for in today’s market.

[USA Today] How bad is it for MLB hitters? Baseball has its worst batting average in history (via Yahoo Sports)

Hitters across Major League Baseball can take heart: They were, in fact, getting robbed of hits and extra bases all throughout April.

The anecdotal factors at hand – a deadened baseball, the use of humidors in every major league stadium, expanded pitching staffs to mitigate a 99-day lockout – conspired to send batting average to its lowest level (.233) in history and runs scored to its second-lowest total (4.08 per team game) in 41 years.

Other American baseball leagues

[Knoxville News] Ben Joyce throws 105.5 mph fastball for Tennessee baseball vs. Auburn

The 6-foot-5, 225-pound Joyce has struck out 38 in 21 innings in 19 appearances. Opponents are hitting .125 against Joyce.

[CBS Sports] Maryland’s Ryan Ramsey throws 34th perfect game in NCAA history vs. Northwestern

Ramsey’s perfecto is just the 34th in NCAA history, and the first since former Duke pitcher Bryce Jarvis delivered one against Cornell in February 2020. Ramsey required 118 pitches to strike out 10 batters. Ramsey’s perfect game is the first for a Terrapin pitcher since Dick Reitz’s in 1959, according to the Baltimore Sun. Reitz threw his on April 10 against John Hopkins.

Ramsey, who was drafted by the now-Cleveland Guardians in the 36th round out of high school in 2019, entered the night having made 10 previous starts this season. In those appearances, he had compiled a 2.77 ERA and a 2.27 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Ramsey will be eligible for the draft again this summer.

[WBSC] Kelsie Whitmore first woman to start a game in MLB’s partner Atlantic League of Professional Baseball

USA’s Kelsie Whitmore became the first woman to start a game in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. Whitmore, 24, played left field and batted ninth for the Staten Island FerryHawks against the Gastonia HoneyHunters.

“It’s a great feeling,” Whitmore told Rick Farlow of the Charleston Gazette-Mail. “Any time on a ball field, it’s the best feeling ever, and being surrounded by guys that have played at very high levels, major league level, minor league level, it’s great to be surrounded by them, be a part of them.”

Although she already made history, Whitmore isn’t done with professional baseball yet. “The goal is to get past this,” she commented. “To keep going, to get to affiliated ball as far as I possibly can.”