The Texas Rangers and Tampa Bay Rays have proven to be the two best teams in all of baseball to start the 2023 season.

Texas was busy over the winter and added some key pitchers to their staff, while the Rays also improved their pitching staff.

Tampa Bay has a record of 46-19, which is the best in all of baseball.

Led by Yandy Diaz, Shane McClanahan, Randy Arozarena, Isaac Paredes, Brandon Lowe, and Harold Ramirez, the Rays have been dominating every other team in the majors this year.

But Texas isn’t too far behind.

They own the second-best record in all of baseball at 40-21.

This weekend, the two American League powerhouses will match up in a three-game series.

On Twitter, MLB posted a graphic featuring stars from both sides to hype up this great matchup.

.@RaysBaseball: 46-19@Rangers: 40-21

The teams with the top two records in baseball start a weekend clash tonight. pic.twitter.com/YCRyPudNSG

— MLB (@MLB) June 9, 2023

This weekend’s series will take place at Tropicana Field.

The Rays are on a six-game winning streak and are coming off a series sweep against the AL Central-leading Minnesota Twins.

The Rangers lost their game on Wednesday to the St. Louis Cardinals, but won two out of three and have also won seven of their last 10 games.

Both teams are red-hot and looking to do some damage over the weekend in St. Petersburg.

The Rangers come in with stars such as Adolis Garcia, Corey Seager, Marcus Semien, Nathan Eovaldi, and others.

The Rays boast a lineup that features Yandy Diaz and Randy Arozarena and a pitching staff that is led by left-hander and ace Shane McClanahan.

The post MLB Hypes Up An Exciting Matchup appeared first on The Cold Wire.

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The Houston Astros lost 3-2 against the Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday and have dropped three games in a row.

They still have a good 36-27 record, but have fallen five games behind the Texas Rangers for the AL West lead.

They were without Jose Altuve for a large chunk of their season.

Now, their best hitter, Yordan Alvarez, got hurt and is likely looking at a stint on the injured list.

“Yordan Alvarez said he felt something in his oblique on a swing in the batting cages before the game. It felt bad on the two swings and misses in his first at-bat, which prompted him to leave the game,” Astros insider Chandler Rome tweeted.

Yordan Alvarez said he felt something in his oblique on a swing in the batting cages before the game. It felt bad on the two swings and misses in his first at-bat, which prompted him to leave the game.

— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) June 9, 2023

Oblique injuries are very, very tricky.

They have a rather high re-aggravation rate and when you think they are behind you, they re-appear.

Astros manager Dusty Baker indicated to reporters late Thursday that Alvarez is likely to miss time due to the injury to his right oblique.

There is nothing official yet, as the Astros are going to perform testing and imaging on the area to try to come up with an exact diagnosis.

Still, the most likely scenario has them placing the slugger on the IL sometime within the next couple of days.

Alvarez had been excellent to open the year, with a .272 batting average, 41 runs scored, 17 home runs, 55 RBI, and a .963 OPS.

He is not only the Astros’ best hitter, but one of the best in the American League.

He actually leads the league in RBI.

The Astros will miss him for as long as he is gone.

The post Astros Could Lose Their Best Hitter To The Injured List appeared first on The Cold Wire.

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After recovering from a 10-24 start to the 2023 season, the St. Louis Cardinals have stumbled back to 11 games below the .500 mark.

They are currently in last place in the NL Central at 26-37.

Their main issue has been their lack of starting pitching, but the offense has also been quite inconsistent.

They’ve made a few internal moves to promote players such as Juan Yepez, Luken Baker, and Jordan Walker, but it hasn’t helped them get back on track.

On Thursday, MLB Network insider and St. Louis native Greg Amsinger discussed what it might take for the Cardinals to get back into contention again.

Demotions and speeches aren't going to be enough, the #STLCards need to do something drastic.@MLBNetwork host Greg Amsinger joined #TheOpeningDrive to talk about why a drastic move from outside the club is necessary for the Cardinals.

Full Interview: https://t.co/h95FagDurO pic.twitter.com/3ZCVsBGIu4

— 101 ESPN St. Louis (@101espn) June 8, 2023

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Amsinger predicted that in order for the Cardinals to rebound from their struggles, a major shakeup is needed, and not one from within the organization.

The MLB Network host commented that internal fixes aren’t going to get the job done.

Instead, Amsinger believes the Cardinals are going to need to make a trade or two to shake up the team.

Unfortunately, that may include saying goodbye to some familiar faces, as it may be the only way for them to get what they need at the trade deadline, should they find their way back into contention.

Players such as Tommy Edman, Brendan Donovan, Paul DeJong, Dylan Carlson, and Tyler O’Neill are a few that could find themselves on the move if the Cardinals want a drastic change.

Amsinger likened the situation to the Josh Hader trade from a season ago, and that while it didn’t work out for the Milwaukee Brewers, a trade of that magnitude could be what St. Louis needs.

The post MLB Insider Discusses Cardinals Path To Contention appeared first on The Cold Wire.

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