MLB Monday (May 24-30, 2021)

May 31, 2021 (Monday)

Here are your MLB highlights for the week of May 24-30, 2021:

Mazel Tov

C Garrett Stubbs (Astros) was called up from Triple-A on May 28 after Houston C Jason Castro was placed on the injured list. Since a brief call-up earlier this season — he saw action only once, as a pinch runner — Stubbs has hit .333 (9-for-27) for the Sugar Land Skeeters (AAA), with 3 doubles, 7 RBIs, a stolen base, and a .471 on-base percentage.

Stats to share

P Richard Bleier (Orioles) is doing something special this season: through 19.2 innings of relief, he hasn’t walked a single batter. No other Major League player has come to close to recording that many walk-less frames in 2021. Meanwhile, Bleier has tallied 18 strikeouts.

Weekly overview

Jewish batters hit a combined .259 (14-for-54) last week, with 4 HRs, a triple, 2 walks, 10 RBIs, and a .385 on-base percentage. For the season, they are batting .262, versus the Major League average of .235.
Jewish pitchers went a combined 0-1 with an 8.82 ERA over 5 innings last week, fanning 6 batters and walking 3. The performance raised their collective ERA to 5.42, versus the Major League average of 3.99.

At the plate

1B Rowdy Tellez (Blue Jays) hit .455 (5-for-11) with a home run, triple, one RBI, and a .571 on-base percentage. The triple was Tellez’s first in more than 600 Major League at-bats, and while it might have been an inside-the-park home run opportunity for another player, the 6’4″, 255-pound Tellez looked surprisingly fleet.
OF Joc Pederson (Cubs) hit .273 (6-for-22) with 2 HRs, a double, 5 RBIs, and a .333 OBP. The highlight came on May 25, when Pederson homered twice and doubled to help Chicago erase a 3-0 deficit en route to a 4-3 win over Pittsburgh.
C Garrett Stubbs (Astros) drew a walk and successfully executed an RBI bunt in his return to the big leagues on May 29.
3B Alex Bregman (Astros) hit .158 (3-for-19) with a home run, double, 3 RBIs, and a .333 OBP.
CF Kevin Pillar (Mets), on the injured list since being struck in the face by a 95mph fastball on May 17, is recovering ahead of schedule and might be activated as early as today (May 31).

On the mound

Richard Bleier (Marlins) went 0-for-0 with a 0.00 ERA over 2 appearances, tossing a total of 1.1 perfect innings while striking out one. Bleier needed just 15 pitches to retire the four batters he faced.
Dean Kremer (Orioles) saw his 2021 record fall to 0-5 with a May 25 loss, yielding 5 earned runs over 4 innings on 6 hits, 3 walks, and 5 strikeouts. The sophomore starter was optioned to Baltimore’s Triple-A team the following day.
Max Fried (Braves) did not pitch. He was supposed to take the mound on May 30, but poor weather scrubbed the game.

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