8:00 AM ET It has been slow going on the trade front so far, but the past few years have shown us activity increasingly happens in the final hours before the July 31 deadline hits at 4 p.m. ET. The fact that so many teams in the National League are still in the playoff race
MLB
1:49 AM ET MINNEAPOLIS — Nearly two hours before the first pitch Wednesday night, New York Yankees infielders Gleyber Torres and Gio Urshela were sitting in front of their neighboring Target Field lockers, busting out in random, brief bursts of laughter. At the time, Urshela was holding a cardboard box, delivered to the ballpark from
3:02 AM ET Associated Press LOS ANGELES — Kole Calhoun believes the death of Tyler Skaggs presented the Los Angeles Angels with a stark public challenge to go along with their private grief. Skaggs’ hurting teammates had to decide whether they would get worn down by the baseball schedule’s daily grind or channel an element
11:40 PM ET ESPN News Services TORONTO — If Wednesday night was Marcus Stroman‘s final start at Rogers Center as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays, he left the home fans with something to remember him by. Stroman allowed one run and five hits in seven innings in a 4-0 loss to the Cleveland
7:55 PM ET Associated Press MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Twins have made more changes to their ravaged bullpen, designating right-hander Blake Parker for assignment. Before their game Wednesday against the New York Yankees, the AL Central leaders sent right-hander Kohl Stewart to Triple-A Rochester and promoted left-hander Devin Smeltzer and right-hander Carlos Torres from the
6:57 PM ET Associated Press PITTSBURGH — Pirates reliever Keone Kela has returned from a two-game suspension for an unspecified violation of his contract and was cagey when asked about what led to the ban. Yahoo Sports reported that Kela was suspended due to an altercation with Hector Morales, the team’s director of cultural readiness
4:30 PM ET ESPN News Services Confusion reigned in the Red Sox–Rays game Wednesday when a series of defensive changes prompted Boston manager Alex Cora to protest the game due to the placement of subs into Tampa Bay’s lineup after the designated hitter was removed. The eighth-inning lineup switch appeared to leave the umpires bewildered
2:11 PM ET The Chicago Cubs sent struggling second baseman Addison Russell to the minors on Wednesday and also saw All-Star third baseman Kris Bryant exit with a knee injury at the San Francisco Giants. Bryant homered in the top of the third but left with right knee soreness in the fifth inning of the
1:45 PM ET Associated Press DETROIT — The Philadelphia Phillies have put Brad Miller on the 10-day injured list, less than 24 hours after he made a game-saving throw from left field against Detroit. The Phillies said Wednesday that Miller has a right hip flexor strain. They activated Sean Rodriguez from the injured list. Philadelphia
8:00 AM ET SAN FRANCISCO — “A wide net.” That’s how one executive described the first-place Chicago Cubs‘ search for help with the trade deadline just a week away. In past years, the team’s July needs were very specific — think closer Aroldis Chapman in 2016 — but this time around, there are a few