MLB The Show podcast Charlie O: Cubs Suzuki to miss opening day; Met’s pitcher Manaea to the bullpen; plus more news

Team Japan’s Seiya Suzuki (right) comes off the field after going in a little too hard after a slide in the first inning of the World Baseball Classic against Venezuela on Sat Mar 14, 2026. Suzuki will miss opening day due to a ligament sprain in his right knee. (AP News photo)

MLB The Show podcast Charlie O:

#1 Seiya Suzuki will not make the season opener due to a minor ligament strain in his right knee he suffered during the World Baseball Classic according Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell. Counsell is waiting to see if the club will put Suzuki on the IL. Suzuki also will miss opening day.

#2 Former Oakland A’s pitcher and New York Mets left hand pitcher Sean Manaea will start the season in the bullpen according to Mets manager Carlos Mendoza. Manaea’s role will be he will follow the starting pitcher pitching mulitiple innings. The Mets announced their starting rotation from one to five, Freddy Peralta, David Peterson, Nolan McLean, Clay Holmes, and Kodai Senga.

#3 The Pittsburgh Pirates continue to find talented players, shortstop 19 year old Konnor Griffin is one of them although he will have to wait according Bucs manager Don Kelly who said the decision to leave Griffin off the opening day roster was extremely difficult. Griffin is the No.1 prospect but will sent down to triple A to start the season.

#4 Charlie wanted to get your take of the announcement that the Sacramento A’s will start Luis Severino opening day against the Toronto Blue Jays on Fri Mar 27th. Severino is 1-0 with a 1.29 ERA this spring. In two games Severino has pitched seven innings, surrendered three hits, one run, and struck out ten hitters. How do you like Severino’s chances this upcoming season?

#5 Talk about Rafael Devers a guy that the San Francisco Giants will be depending on for runs, hits and home run. In spring Devers is hitting .172, with five hits, a homerun, and five RBIs. Also talk about him getting some looks at first base this season.

Charlie O does the MLB The Show podcasts each Sunday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

MLB podcast with Bruce Macgowan: Manfred says torpedo bat good for baseball; Dodgers Snell on 15 day IL shoulder inflammation; plus more MLB news

Dodgers starting pitcher Blake Snell, who struggled at times against the Atlanta Braves on April 2 at Dodger Stadium, has been placed on the injured list. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

MLB podcast with Bruce Macgowan:

#1 Major League Commissioner Rob Manfred said that the torpedo bat is “absolutely good for baseball.” After all the attention that the torpedo bat has created Manfred addressed it’s legitmacy saying, “I believe that issues like the torpedo bat and the debate around it demonstrate the fact that baseball still occupies a unique place in our culture,”

#2 Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell has been placed on the 15 day IL suffering from left shoulder inflammation. Snell now 1-0 ERA 2.00 in two starts this season. Snell signed with the Dodgers for five years for $182 million.

#3 Due to weather issues the times have changed for the New York Yankees vs. Detroit Tigers times have been moved up. Wind chills have been forecasted for Monday and Tuesday to be in the 20s. The game that was scheduled from Monday has been moved up from 6:40pm to 3:10 and for Tuesday and Wednesday now at 1:10pm.

#4 Milwaukee Brewers left hand pitcher Nestor Cortes has been placed on the 15 day IL with a flexor strain in his left elbow. The Brewers pitching staff is depleted of their starting pitcher. With Cortes on the shelf the Brewers have Freddy Peralta as their only healthy starting pitcher in the starting rotation.

#5  Los Angeles Dodgers Shohei Ohtani threw a 26 pitch session on Saturday before the Dodgers played the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday. Ohtani making a step closer to returning as a starter for the Dodgers. Ohtani has been out of the pitching rotation since Sep 19, 2023 this was his second bullpen session.

Bruce Magowan is a podcast contributor at http://www.sportsradioservice.com