Gamethread: Diamondbacks at White Sox

Happy Mango Cart Monday, Camelback ranch hands, and happy first coverage of the 2023 season(ish) to me. What a great opportunity to confess my seething jealousy of more heavily-televised teams due to the scant amount of Spring Training baseball we can watch.

Late offseason acquisition reliever Franklin Germán (eight strikeouts in seven innings pitched) is our starting pitcher today, facing off against Bryce Jarvis and the Diamondbacks for his first start. Jarvis (2.25 ERA), the D-backs’ greenie who’s boasting a win in one start this preseason, has a fastball in the mid-90s, and a pretty solid slider for his age.

I like to learn players’ nicknames, but I’ve come up short on Franklin Germán’s. He seems to have not earned one in Boston, but if I’m missing it somewhere, please let me know in the comments. If I’m right, and it doesn’t exist, I’m hoping to change that this season. You know the puns are coming, and I’m here to deliver.

There are 10 entire days left to wait for the official start of the 2023 season, and I’m feeling more cautiously optimistic these days. Today’s starting lineup is lackluster, but it’s no surprise with the World Baseball Classic heading towards its conclusion, and Spring Training fading off into the sunset.

Here are the White Sox starters for today:

Yoán Moncada’s absence from the lineup should be expected until he’s healed from last night’s collision in the outfield with Team Cuba. There are conflicting reports of a bruised rib, or a concussion, or both.

Luckily, whatever the injury is seems less serious. Hopefully the international pop superstar heals quickly.

And for the Bad Guys:

Today’s game is televised nowhere, and it doesn’t even exist yet on the official MLB website, so it’s possible I’m imagining this whole thing, and there is no game. Maybe I’m currently in a coma, and none of this exists. I guess we’ll find out.