Knew what was coming? The scheduled bullpen game? Perhaps they felt on Saturday that a bullpen game was their best chance to win Tuesday (especially with the ability to bring up re-enforcements with the extra roster spots). Or they're simply not confident that Seabold is ready for MLB action. Either way, the biggest change in the equation was using 8 pitchers on Saturday. That's not something they plan to happen. By then it was too late to stop Seabold's start if they'd wanted to, and like I said, they had Espinal already with the team and stretched out for starters innings. Then half the bullpen gets COVID and they need arms on Monday, so Espinal is activated and used then.I get it... but if they knew this was coming up (and they did) wouldn't the most obvious answer (if they're actually trying to, you know... win games) be to make Seabold's scheduled start- his turn to pitch- into a one inning side session with live bats and then be ready to throw 90 pitches yesterday. I didn't mean for it to sound like the FO is conspiring to keep a good man down... just think that the obvious response to the situation was giving Seabold a start.
I don't think it's as obvious a choice as you're making it out to be.