Bases Covered is a daily roundup of the most interesting stories in baseball.
Youth movement
Dodgers pitching prospect Julio Urias is set to make his major-league debut on Friday versus the Mets. The 19-year-old lefty is 4-1 with a 1.10 ERA across 41 innings in triple-A this season, and he’ll be dethroning Blue Jays closer Roberto Osuna as MLB’s youngest pitcher.
Here’s why “Urias has a chance to be Los Angeles’s next superstar.”
“It was a fun ride”
Jackie Bradley Jr.’s 29-game hitting streak came to an end on Thursday, and the Red Sox lost to the Rockies, 8–2.
“I wouldn’t say I’m disappointed,” said Bradley of the end of his streak. “Obviously you want to get a hit, but the pitchers are really good in this league, and it’s tough getting a hit day in and day out. It was a pretty special run for me.”
Bradley’s teammate Xander Bogaerts currently holds a 19-game hitting streak, which is now the longest in the majors. He’ll be looking to keep that going as Boston faces the Blue Jays in Toronto starting Friday.
Uh-oh
Some devastating news for the Royals: It looks like the team will be losing Mike Moustakas for the rest of the season. Moustakas was placed on the 15-day disabled list Thursday; the 27-year-old third baseman has a torn ACL in his right knee.
One young Royals fan did not react so well to news that “Moose” is probably done for the year.
R.I.P., baseball
Bryce Harper has been on a bit of a slump of late, but he found his form on Thursday, murdering a baseball in the Nationals’ 2–1 victory over the Cardinals.
Harper’s home run travelled 437 feet—his longest of the season.
“Obviously I got a pitch I could handle tonight, and I’m gonna do some damage with it,” Harper commented after the win.
Beware Raymond
Marlins ace Jose Fernandez struck out 12 on Thursday in Miami’s 9–1 win over Tampa Bay. Fernandez earned his sixth straight win, and his first ever at Tropicana Field.
The win came after a weird incident in which the Rays’ mascot—a delightfully grotesque-looking guy they call “Raymond”—was messing with the pitcher during his warm-up. It got so bad that Fernandez actually plunked the furry fellow.
“He was all over my business, and I’m trying to concentrate,” said Fernandez. “This is a game, and I love to have fun. [But] he was too close. I’ve never seen that. I’m like, ‘Guy, I think you need to move.’”