LEADING OFF: Angels stop at Wrigley, Bellinger gets off day
A look at what’s happening around the majors today:
TRAVELING ANGELS
The Angels took a circuitous route back to Los Angeles for the start of an eight-game homestand following Sunday’s victory over the Mariners in Seattle.
The Angels traveled first to Chicago to face the Cubs to make up a game that was snowed out in April. They arrived at the team hotel shortly after midnight.
“I think everyone got a good night’s sleep,” manager Brad Ausmus said. “With a 3 o’clock start, you don’t have to get up too, too early. It’s just a pain having to travel four hours and then 4½ hours back in a 24-hour period, but it’s better than getting in at 6 in the morning. It’s an inconvenience, but we’ll get over it.”
Los Angeles lost 8-1 to the Cubs and opens a three-game set against Oakland on Tuesday.
DAY OF REST
Major league batting leader Cody Bellinger was out of the starting lineup for the Los Angeles Dodgers’ series opener against the Diamondbacks in Arizona.
Bellinger, who’s batting .376 with 20 home runs, missed his third game of the season Monday to rest.
Bellinger has played in 58 of 60 games this season, having missed a game in April and May. Manager Dave Roberts said it was just a normal day off given Bellinger’s workload this season. He has a team-leading 210 at-bats and has played first base along with all three outfield positions.
Max Muncy was also held out for rest. Muncy’s 197 at-bats are third-most on the team.
DRAFTING
The Baltimore Orioles selected Oregon State switch-hitting catcher Adley Rutschman with the No. 1 pick in the draft.
The announcement at MLB Network studios marked the second time the Orioles have led off the draft, and first since they took LSU pitcher Ben McDonald in 1989.
The 21-year-old Rutschman had been the favorite to go first overall since he led Oregon State to the College World Series title last year and was selected as the most outstanding player. He followed that up with a dominant junior season at the plate — hitting .411 with a career-best 17 homers to go along with 58 RBIs and a school-record 76 walks — and behind it, throwing out 13 of 27 baserunners for the Beavers.
A native of Sherwood, Oregon, he is a finalist for the Golden Spikes Award given to the country’s top college player. He was also the Pac-12 player of the year and the conference’s co-defensive player of year.
Rounds 3-10 of the draft are scheduled for Tuesday, with rounds 11-40 on Wednesday. The second and third days of the draft will be held via conference calls with teams.
BACK IN THE BOOTH
Mets announcer Ron Darling is set to return to the team’s broadcast booth Tuesday night following surgery to treat thyroid cancer.
Darling said April 13 he was taking a medical leave. On May 6, he said a mass had been removed and he planned to be back at work in about a month.
The 58-year-old former pitcher said in a statement Monday his doctors tell him his cancer has been “stabilized for now” and he has been cleared to work. He adds that he will be monitored closely for the next several months.
Darling was 136-116 from 1983-95 and helped the Mets win the 1986 World Series.
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