Monday Morning Hot Links

Sorry about yesterday's Hot Links, I just...didn't feel like doing it.

The Astros lost Sunday to the Mets, 3-1. Aledmys Diaz, Lorenzo Quintana, Alex De Goti, and Taylor Jones had doubles. Taylor Jones is legit. Justin Verlander left the game with sore triceps after 2IP, Cy Sneed threw 2IP, 2H/0ER, 0K:1BB, and Jose Urquidy had a rough one with 4IP, 6H/3ER, 3K:1BB.

The big news of the day was Verlander's sore triceps. He was scheduled to throw 4IP but left after 2IP. Verlander was not "available to the media." Dusty:
We got to take care of the big horse. Like I said, we sent him for precaution and observation, and hopefully it's not [worse]...We don't know if he is hurt. Like I said, it's precautionary. I was surprised his velocity was down a tick from the last time, but you know Verlander can dial it up when he gets ready. We didn't see anything. I was quite surprised when Strommy came over and told me he had to come out of the game. 

It's not ideal - Opening Day is less than three weeks away. Triceps Soreness cost Verlander two months on the IL (then DL) in 2015. Just gonna have to wait and see what the results show. Beyond the Box Score looked at Scott Kazmir's triceps injury back in 2014.

*Ryan Pressly is hoping to repeat his All-Star Performance from 2019, what with his reconstructed knee.

In that link we also find that Devenski's slider is coming back around, and that there's a new autograph policy in place for the Nationals and Astros based on recommendations from the CDC and MLB.

*This is fun: Joe Smith was asked questions about...Joe Smith. The level of detail that Smith remembers about games in which he has pitched is insane. I could not tell you what I wore yesterday.

*Hahahahaha here's a SUPER-CONCERNING ARTICLE about Forrest Whitley. Brent Strom:
Whitley was not ready to come into camp physically and compete for a position, for whatever reason, in my opinion. So we had to slow-walk him a little bit.

Whitley:
Impressing people right now isn't really what I'm trying to do. I'm just trying to get my work in, stay healthy and do everything I can to have a successful season.

This is the first official "Maybe don't get too excited about Forrest Whitley" article of 2020.

*The Oakland Athletics are ready to take on the Houston Astros for the 2020 season, according to Boob Nightengale. Something called a "Liam Hendriks:"
It's going to be very interesting to see how they handle the day-to-day lifestyle of everything. It's going to be a very long season for them. There are only two outcomes: either it overwhelms them, or they embrace it. I wouldn't want to be in their shoes. Just wait until they come to Oakland. We may not have the most fans in baseball, but we have the most passionate fans in baseball. They're going to be loud, they're going to be obnoxious. And they're going to be wearing guys out. They're going to have no recourse. If they start fighting back, it's going to snowball even more. 

*Yahoo's Tim Brown: For the Astros, forgiveness seems too far away.

This is the same Tim Brown who encouraged the Astros to go full heel, that the Astros didn't deserve to get to hire James Click to replace Jeff Luhnow, that the Astros were letting everyone else take the blame for 2017 (and part of 2018)

*Barry Bonds feels "like a ghost, a ghost in a big empty house, just rattling around."

*ESPN: The incredible history of the Silver Bullets.

*David J. Roth on The Infinite Scroll.

*BBC: The Spy With No Name.

*How to become an international gold smuggler.

*Alabama thinks Yoga is okay, but not them that there Yoga Words.

*Don't Panic: The Comprehensive Ars Technica Guide to the Coronavirus.

*Leeds United is 73% to win the Championship, and 98% to get promoted to the Premier League.

*A Musical Selection: