MLB News Today: Paul Skenes shines during Spring Breakout; Cardinals' Tommy Edman to open season on IL; Yankees Opening Day starter remains unknown
MLB's Opening Day series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres in Seoul, South Korea, is now under a week away. The anticipation for the upcoming season is at an all-time high.
With the season starting shortly, there has been no shortage of baseball news. Today, we go over Paul Skenes dominating, Tommy Edman starting the season on the IL, and the Yankees Opening Day starter mystery.
#3, Pirates prospect Paul Skenes strikes out MLB's top prospect Jackson Holliday in Spring Breakout
MLB introduced the Spring Breakout this year. It is a four-day event that showcases the brightest prospects in the game. On Thursday, the Pittsburgh Pirates took on the Baltimore Orioles.
The Orioles have the best prospect in the game, Jackson Holliday, according to MLB.com. He faced off against the Pirates' top prospect Paul Skenes, in which Skenes got the better of Holliday.
This is the second time Skenes has won this matchup. Earlier in Spring Training, Skenes got Holliday to ground out in their only matchup before this game.
#2, Tommy Edman to start the season on the IL
The St. Louis Cardinals confirmed on Thursday that Tommy Edman would start the season on the IL. He will be shut down from hitting for the next week as he is still trying to recover from his wrist injury.
With Edman down, the team could turn to Dylan Carlson. He is coming off a season where he appeared in 76 games for St. Louis, hitting .219/.318/.333 with five home runs and 27 RBIs.
#1, Yankees Opening Day starter still remains a mystery
Mystery surrounds who will get the ball for the New York Yankees on Opening Day. It will not be Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon, or Marcus Stroman. Cole will be out for the next two months with an elbow injury, while Rodon will start Game 2. For Stroman, he was offered the Opening Day starter job but turned it down.
This does not leave the Yanks much room to work with. Nestor Cortes Jr. can be an option alongside Clarke Schmidt. Both have been solid this spring and are in store for a big season.