Opening Day of Major League Baseball will be here in a matter of days. Now is a good time to look at each team’s prognosis heading into the 2021 season after the 60-game 2020 abbreviated season.

> GET THE BEST COLORADO ROCKIES TICKET DEALS HERE!

The Colorado Rockies made the postseason in 2017 and 2018. However, they missed the mark in 2019 and 2020 as they fell fourth in the National League West Division both years with a combined 97-125 record. Colorado has made it to the playoffs five times in the team’s 28-year history and has only gone to the World Series once in 2007 and got swept by the Boston Red Sox. In 2020, the Rockies finished with the second-worst ERA in baseball, coming in at 5.59 and ranked 22nd in homers with a total of 63 dingers. As their rebuild progresses, the Rockies could show some improvement in 2021.

Here are Colorado’s projected starters.

Colorado Rockies Projected Batting Order:

1. OF Raimel Tapia
2. SS Trevor Story
3. OF Charlie Blackmon
4. 1B C.J. Cron
5. 3B Brendan Rodgers 
6. 1B Ryan McMahon
7. C Dom Nunez
8. 2B Garrett Hampson
9. Pitcher

Colorado Rockies Projected Pitching Staff:

• SP1 German Marquez 
• SP2 Jon Gray
• SP3 Kyle Freeland
• SP4 Antonio Senzatela 
• SP5 Austin Gomber 
• CL Daniel Bard

Colorado Rockies Team Outlook:

The Colorado Rockies made moves over the course of the offseason that directly impacted the team looking towards 2021. For starters, Colorado gave away third baseman Nolan Arenado to the Cardinals. It received starter Austin Gomber, infielders Mateo Gil and Elehuris Montero, and relievers, Tony Locey and Jake Sommers. They also picked up over $50 million of Arenado’s contract.

The Rockies lost outfielders David Dahl and Matt Kemp, along with reliever Wade Davis via free-agency. Their only additions were those of reliever Robert Stephenson and the signing of first baseman C.J. Cron. Regarding their pitching, Colorado’s starting rotation looks the same as it has for the past few seasons, with all of the starters having ups and downs. While the bullpen has power from reliever Daniel Bard, they still lack star power and do not seem competitive.

Regarding Colorado’s offense, Trevor Story and Charlie Blackmon are the team’s superstars, while there is future upside from outfielder Sam Hillard and second baseman Brendan Rodgers. From the looks of it, the Rockies are in rebuild mode and will not likely make a trip to the postseason in 2021.

Colorado Rockies Schedule:

GET THE BEST COLORADO ROCKIES TICKET DEALS HERE!

Matt Kemp was thrown out of the Los Angeles Dodgers‘ 4-3 comeback victory over the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on Tuesday, the first game of a makeup split doubleheader.

Matt Kemp Ejected In Dodgers’ Win Vs. Cubs

The outfielder’s ejection was his third of the season, and came in the fifth inning after he started arguing strikes with umpire Tripp Gibson. Dodgers manager Dave Robert was tossed just moments after Kemp was.

“I just thought, it seemed to me, there were more pitches that went their way than our way,” said Roberts. “I thought [a ball to Turner] was off the plate. Matt’s ball was down, I could see it from the side. I want to protect the player and I just didn’t agree with those calls. He did what he’s supposed to do.”

SLIDESHOW: 30 Best Sports Instagrams!

Kemp has now been ejected 17 times in his career, according to MLB.com. Last week, he crashed into Texas Rangers catcher Robinson Chirinos while attempting to score a run and ignited an all-out brawl between the two teams.

“I shouldn’t have gotten kicked out in that situation right there, early in the game. My spot came up twice,” Kemp said after the game. “But if it wasn’t for me getting kicked out, [Kyle] Farmer wouldn’t have come up and hit that double, so everything worked out.”

Yasmani Grandal was also ejected in the ninth inning after the Dodgers catcher also began arguing strikes. Grandal had struck out four times by that point. The Cubs won the second game 2-1 on Tuesday.

The two teams will play again at Wrigley Field on Wednesday afternoon.

SLIDESHOW: 10 Highest-Paid Athletes

The Dodgers (38-34) are second in the NL West, 1.5 games behind the division-leading Arizona Diamondbacks. The Cubs (41-29) are second in the NL Central, half-a-game behind the Milwaukee Brewers.

Chris Taylor was hit on the helmet by a pitch at one point.

Farmer has been playing part of this season with the Dodgers (32 games thus far) and part of it with Triple-A Oklahoma City. The pinch-hitter hit a go-ahead two-run double in the ninth to lead the Dodgers to victory in the first of Tuesday’s two games.

Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp was ejected Wednesday night after he helped start an all-out brawl between his team and the Texas Rangers, and later admitted he doesn’t understand a new MLB rule related to the fight.

Matt Kemp, Robinson Chirinos Ejected After Dodgers-Rangers Fight

The brawl started in the third inning after Kemp tried to score from second base on Enrique Hernandez’s single to right field. The ball was tossed to home plate well before Kemp reached it but he still decided to dive for the score. He crashed hard into Rangers catcher Robinson Chirinos and knocked him over, even causing Chirinos’s helmet to come off.

SLIDESHOW: 30 Best Sports Instagrams!

Unsurprisingly, Chirinos became upset and a shoving match between him and Kemp ensued before both teams’ benches cleared at Dodger Stadium. The two players were ejected from the contest, which the Dodgers won 3-2 in 11 innings.

Rangers starting pitcher Cole Hamels even attempted to hold back Kemp as Chirinos tried to throw punches at him. Carlos Perez and Joc Pederson replaced Chirinos and Kemp, respectively.

After the game, Kemp dismissed the incident as simply “two guys shoving each other, and it’s over,” according to ESPN.

Kemp added he does not fully comprehend the league’s new rules regarding runners and catchers, and believes many other players are also confused by it. New rules say runners cannot crash into catchers, and that the latter need to give the former a clear lane to reach the plate. In this case, Chirino stepped directly into Kemp’s path to home base to make the catch.

“I think it’s unclear to everybody,” Kemp said about the newer rule. “He was blocking the plate. I don’t know the rule. I don’t even know how it works. I didn’t have a clear path to slide. All I could really think about when I saw him blocking the plate was Washington when I slid into home and messed up my ankle. I didn’t want to do that again.”

SLIDESHOW: 10 Highest-Paid Athletes

Crew chief Bill Welke reportedly stated following the game that the Dodgers outfielder didn’t break the rule.

No suspensions have as of yet been announced for Kemp, Chirinos or any other players involved in Wednesday’s brawl.

The Dodgers (35-32) are second in the NL West, two games behind Arizona. Los Angeles next hosts San Francisco on Friday at 10:10pm EST for the opener of a three-game series.

The Rangers (27-43) are fifth in the AL West.

San Diego Padres sent right fielder Matt Kemp to Atlanta plus $10.5 million in exchange for outfielder Hector Olivera and agreeing to cover $30 million left on Olivera’s contract. Injuries in the 2012 – 2013 seasons have decreased Kemp’s stock, but he’s been back up the last two seasons and has already tied his 23 home runs he scored last season.

Olivera will be returning to league play August 2, after he served an 82-game suspension for domestic violence. At that point he will reportedly be designated for assignment by the Padres. Olivera got into trouble on the first road game of the season after he was arrested for allegedly assaulting a woman at a hotel in Arlington, Virginia. He was charged with misdemeanor assault and battery and suspended, upon which the Braves reportedly began looking to replace him.

According to ESPN Braves GM John Coppolella is relieved to not have to worry about Olivera any more. He said it was a good trade in that Atlanta doesn’t lose any draft picks or minor league prospects. “So we were able to stick with the plan we had while still filling a major need for right handed power,” Coppolella said.

Kemp signed a $160 million contract before the 2012 season and he has $21.5 million left on his contract this year and the next three seasons. Olivera signed a $62.5 million six-year contract with the Dodgers before being traded to the Braves last July.

The Padres have taken advantage of mid-season trades and traded four starting pitchers, Drew Pomeranz to the Red Sox, James Shields to the White Sox, Andrew Cashner and Colin Rea to the Marlins. San Diego also traded closer Fernando Rodney to the Marlins and outfielder Melvin Upton Jr. to the Jays.

The Padres have outfielders Hunter Renfroe and Manuel Margot who both currently play for the Padres minor league association Class AAA El Paso Chihuahuas. Both ball players are likely to be called up in September. Margot had achilles surgery not too long ago, but is said to be in the clear as he was back in action last week. Renfroe is walking 3.9 percent and striking out less than 20 percent this season.