Ken Griffey Jr. will be on the cover of MLB The Show 17 - MLB

Sony San Diego announced on Thursday that Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. will grace the cover of its next baseball video game, MLB The Show 17. The game is scheduled to be released on March 28, 2017 for the PS4.

Considering that the baseball and video game fans with disposable income are the people who grew up watching Griffey play, the decision comes as no surprise. It’s just shocking that this hadn’t been done before. The Show has featured current stars on its cover including Josh Donaldson, Yasiel Puig, Miguel Cabrera, and Andrew McCutchen, but this will be the first time a retired player will be featured on the cover.

Griffey, of course, is no stranger to video game covers. He was the inspiration for Ken Griffey Jr. Presents Major League Baseball (Super Nintendo), Ken Griffey Jr.’s Winning Run (Super Nintendo), Major League Baseball Featuring Ken Griffey Jr (Nintendo 64), and Ken Griffey Jr.’s Slugfest (Nintendo 64, Game Boy Color).

Griffey, 46, was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame this past July along with Mike Piazza.

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NORTH PORT, Fla. — The Atlanta Braves will open the season with two rookie left-handers in their rotation while giving right-hander Kyle Wright more time to prepare for his first start.

Wright was told Sunday he would start the season on the 15-day injured list. He was the only 20-game winner in the majors last season but had a slow start this spring after getting a cortisone shot in January to address a shoulder issue.

Jared Shuster and Dylan Dodd, who each have impressed the team this spring while competing for what was believed to have been one spot in the rotation, were told Sunday they will open the season with the team. The Braves optioned Ian Anderson and Bryce Elder to Triple-A Gwinnett on March 14 to clear the path for Shuster and Dodd.

Shuster, 24, was Atlanta’s first-round draft pick in 2020. He is expected to start in the Braves’ third game at Washington on April 2.

Dodd is expected to take the No. 5 spot in the rotation and start on April 4 at St. Louis.

Both rookies have impressed the Braves with good control this spring.

Shuster has posted a 1.45 ERA in five spring training games. He has 18 strikeouts and only four walks in 18 2/3 innings.

Dodd, 24, has a 2.00 ERA in 18 innings this spring, with 20 strikeouts and four walks. He was a third-round draft pick in 2021.

Wright was 21-5 with a 3.19 ERA in his breakout 2022 season.