The Opener: Arraez, Carpenter, Phillies, Mets

As the 2025 regular season continues, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world today:

1. Arraez collision aftermath:

A scary incident happened at last night’s game between the Astros and Padres, as Luis Arraez had to be carted off the field following a collision with Houston second baseman Mauricio Dubon. Arraez remained down on the field for several minutes, but the Padres thankfully announced that he was in stable condition after he was transported to a local hospital. He returned to the Padres’ clubhouse last night, and while he remained in Houston overnight for observation, it appears as though he’s avoided any severe injuries. Arraez is expected to join his teammates in Detroit for their series against the Tigers later today if he’s remained well overnight. The Padres can rely on a combination of Yuli Gurriel and Gavin Sheets at first base for any games Arraez misses.

2. Carpenter nursing hamstring issue:

Tigers slugger Kerry Carpenter exited last night’s game against the Royals due to soreness in his hamstring. Carpenter is set to be evaluated further today to determine his status, but if Carpenter is out of commission for more than a day or two that could be a major concern for his team. Manuel Margot, Parker Meadows, Matt Vierling, and Wenceel Perez are all already on the injured list, leaving the club’s outfield depth stretched significantly. Brewer Hicklen is the only player on the 40-man roster who could be called up to replace Carpenter, though Hicklen would likely serve in a bench role with Justyn-Henry Malloy getting more reps in the starting lineup. Non-roster options in Triple-A include Ben Gamel and Akil Baddoo, both of whom are hitting well.

3. Series Preview: Phillies @ Mets

The Phillies are headed to Queens for a clash between the NL East’s two best teams that’s scheduled to begin at 7:10pm local time. The only clubs with winning records in the division at the moment, Philadelphia (13-9) currently trails New York (15-7) by two games. Right-handed workhorse Aaron Nola is poised to take the mound for Philadelphia and will look to get his season on track after stumbling to a 6.65 ERA in his first four starts. Meanwhile, Mets righty Tylor Megill will look to build on his hot start (1.40 ERA). Southpaw Cristopher Sanchez (2.96 ERA) and righty Griffin Canning (3.43 ERA) are set to square off tomorrow, and the series will wrap on Wednesday with Phillies ace Zack Wheeler (3.73 ERA) and Mets southpaw David Peterson (3.27 ERA) on the mound.