Edwin Encarnacion also enjoys a three-homer day on Wednesday

By May 2, 2018, 4:05 PM EDT
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Indians DH Edwin Encarnacion joined Mookie Betts of the Red Sox in the three-homer club on Wednesday. The slugger went 3-for-5 with six RBI in a 12-4 win over the Rangers, blasting his homers in the first (three-run), second (two-run), and eighth innings (solo).

Here was his first dinger:

Encarnacion is now batting .191/.264/.445 with nine home runs and 16 RBI in 122 plate appearances on the season. Only seven players in baseball have hit more homers: Betts (11) and Didi Gregorius, Mike Trout, A.J. Pollock, Mitch Haniger, Charlie Blackmon, and Joey Gallo with 10 each. Four other players are tied with Encarnacion at nine: Manny Machado, Ozzie Albies, Bryce Harper, and Matt Davidson.

We have already seen six three-homer games this season. Betts has two of them while Encarnacion, Pollock, Christian Villanueva, and Davidson have done it once. It’s already only the 43rd season in baseball history that has seen at least six three-homer games. With most teams at or around 30 games played, that puts us on pace for over 30 three-homer games, which would obliterate the record of 22 set in 2001. Last year saw 14 three-homer games and 2016 saw 19, the second-most in history.

MLB homer leader Pete Alonso to IL with bone bruise, sprain in wrist

Associated PressJun 9, 2023, 10:43 PM EDT
pete alonso
Dale Zanine/USA TODAY Sports
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PITTSBURGH — The New York Mets will have to dig out of an early-season hole without star first baseman Pete Alonso.

The leading home run hitter in the majors will miss three-to-four weeks with a bone bruise and a sprain in his left wrist.

The Mets placed Alonso on the 10-day injured list Friday, retroactive to June 8. Alonso was hit in the wrist by a 96 mph fastball from Charlie Morton in the first inning of a 7-5 loss to Atlanta on Wednesday.

Alonso traveled to New York for testing on Thursday. X-rays revealed no broken bones, but the Mets will be missing one of the premier power hitters in the game as they try to work their way back into contention in the NL East.

“We got better news than it could have been,” New York manager Buck Showalter said. “So we take that as a positive. It could have been worse.”

New York had lost six straight heading into a three-game series at Pittsburgh that began Friday. Mark Canha started at first for the Mets in the opener. Mark Vientos could also be an option, though Showalter said the coaching staff may have to use its “imagination” in thinking of ways to get by without Alonso.

“I’m not going to say someone has to step up and all that stuff,” Showalter said. “You’ve just got to be who you are.”

Even with Alonso in the lineup, the Mets have struggled to score consistently. New York is 16th in the majors in runs scored.

The team also said Friday that reliever Edwin Uceta had surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee. Uceta initially went on the IL in April with what the team called a sprained left ankle. He is expected to be out for at least an additional eight weeks.

New York recalled infielder Luis Guillorme and left-handed reliever Zach Muckenhirn from Triple-A Syracuse. The Mets sent catcher Tomás Nido to Triple-A and designated reliever Stephen Nogosek for assignment.

Nogosek is 0-1 with a 5.63 ERA in 13 games this season.