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We all have bad days. 

Weeks.

Months.

Years.

It happens. 

Nothing to do but peel yourself off the pillow next morning and try again. 

Just this week, my last day of classes for the year was a total shitshow. We had to squeeze in the last few speeches from the last few stragglers and foot-draggers. Didn’t even have time to say goodbye. Just four life-draining speeches then welp, that’s our time, see you around, maybe. So it goes. I’ll try to do something to prevent that next year. Live and learn. Then get Luvs. In case you keep shitting yourself in the clutch the way today’s featured players have been so far in 2023. 

Sitting next to me on the struggle bus is Giants LHP Kyle Harrison, who owns a 1.98 WHIP through six Triple-A starts. He’s walked 21 batters in 15.2 innings. Get this man some Dramamine. He seems dizzy from motion sickness. 

Rays 1B Curtis Mead is slashing .221/.286/.360 in 22 games. He hasn’t played since April 29. Something’s up. A cursory giggle search revealed nothing. Please let us know in the comments if you have an angle on it. 

Blue Jays 2B Addison Barger hasn’t played since April 28. He’s slashing .237/.333/.329 and striking out 31 percent of the time through 20 games. Can’t shove anyone off their spot that way.

Royals OF Tyler Gentry just pulled off the Interstate, hitting .208 but showing passable plate skills and compiling a .331 OBP. 

Diamondbacks SS Jordan Lawlar has a 32 percent strikeout rate and a .185 batting average through 100 plate appearances. I’ve been comparatively low on him his whole career, and I can’t imagine that changes any time soon. People tend to group Lawlar with Brewers OF Jackson Chourio, but I’d play this one like the Offspring and keep ’em separated. Hitting is the easy part for Chourio, who’s batting .333 over the past week and has eight steals in eight attempts across 25 games. He doesn’t really belong in the struggle bus conversation today, but I had him in the pool of names to keep checking on as he adapts to Double-A. 

Guardians 1B Jhonkensy Noel has been playing some right field, but he’s also hitting .192 with a 29.7 percent strikeout rate. He’s 21 in Triple-A, so he’s got some time to figure this out, but I’m not especially confident in his chances. 

Slashing .165/.276/.211 in 28 Triple-A games, Marlins 3B Jordan Groshans remains droppable in all formats. I’m not sure if this should be in the “struggle bus” section or begin a new section called the “trouble bus.” Groshans isn’t just struggling. He’s in trouble. Might get phased out if he can’t flip the script. 

This next one pains me a bit, but Cubs OF Brennen Davis might belong on the trouble bus, slashing .193/.320/.289 in 23 games. We’ve gotta offer some extra leeway for any player returning from injury, but the scary part with Davis is that he’ll never be the same guy he was before the back problems. 

Blue Jays SS Orelvis Martinez would be on the trouble bus for continuing his downward trend, slashing .101/.169/.304 in 19 games at Double-A. 

Yankees OF Jasson Dominguez is hitting .159 in 21 Double-A games. He’s his own bus. Not in his own bus. Dude is large, is all I’m saying. 

Are you ready for some member berries? Angels 3B Kevin Maitan is slashing .135/.247/.162 with 34 strikeouts in 21 Double-A games.  

Rays OF Mason Auer hasn’t taken well to Double-A. He’s slashing .176/.299/.257. Probably safe to drop him for now  in most leagues. 

Rockies OF Zac Veen is slashing .175/.277.298, so maybe not the cure for Colorado’s outfield issues anytime soon. 

Diamondbacks 3B Deyvison De Los Santos has a long way to go. He’s slugging .313 with a 65 wRC+. Struggles are to be expected from a 19 year old in Double-A, but he struck out 32.5 percent of the time in 38 High-A games last year and just might not be ready for the level. 

Oh and there’s a couple injuries I should mention. 

Diamondbacks OF Druw Jones hasn’t played since April 19 with a quad issue. Was hitting .175 in his first 40 professional PAs. 

Reds SS Leonardo Balcazar tore his ACL this week. 

Thanks for reading.