Triple Crown Watch

The latest on Miguel Cabrera’s chase for the Triple Crown:

Batting Leaders

1. Miguel Cabrera .329
2. Mike Trout .325
3. Joe Mauer .322
Home Run Leaders

1. Miguel Cabrera 44
2. Josh Hamilton 43
3. Edwin Encarnacion 42

RBI Leaders

1. Miguel Cabrera 137
2. Josh Hamilton 127

Among those leaders, the only player on a team with something left to play for is Hamilton, whose Rangers are trying to fend off the A’s for the AL West. In light of that, one question worth asking is whether Jim Leyland give Cabrera a day off either today or tomorrow?

If the Triple Crown wasn’t on the line it would seem like a no-brainer — rest the horse you rode to get here — but with such a slim lead in the home run chase and Hamilton’s ability to hit them in bunches, who knows? Of course a day off could theoretically help him in the batting average race. Though after a 4 for 5 day, he is kinda hot.

Oh well. Something to watch for if you don’t care about the A’s-Rangers or the Cardinals-Dodgers.

Padres outfielder Manuel Margot was pulled from Friday’s game after sustaining an injury on an attempted catch in the eighth inning. Margot laid out in center field to snare Cesar Hernandez‘s double, but appeared to injure his left wrist in the process. Little is known about the precise nature or severity of the injury so far, but Margot underwent an evaluation following the incident and should have a clearer picture of his recovery timetable soon.

It’s a disappointing turn of events for the 23-year-old outfielder, who finished the game batting .245/.312/.365 with 25 extra-base hits and a .677 OPS through 312 PA. This isn’t the first time he’s been sidelined with wrist issues this season; he hyperextended his left wrist on another diving catch back in mid-May, though he managed to successfully avoid the disabled list (and a lengthy setback) after taking a few days off. It’s not clear whether he’ll be that lucky a second time.

An unforeseen result of Margot’s departure in the eighth: The Padres were forced to insert catcher A.J. Ellis in left field for the first time, as they had already cycled through their remaining options on the bench. Ellis, whose last tryout in the outfield came during a two-inning stint in Double-A back in 2007, didn’t get the chance to show off his defensive chops, however, as Wil Myers gloved the inning-ending out several minutes after Margot was removed from the game. The Padres dropped their series opener to the Phillies, 11-5.