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NL Notes: Teheran, Ellis, Cubs, Beede, Nationals

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The Braves aren’t likely to trade righty Julio Teheran at the deadline, tweets Jon Heyman of FanRag. A report earlier this month suggested the Braves were open to dealing Teheran, but there haven’t been many specific details about potential Teheran deals since. Teheran is in the midst of an underwhelming season (5.09 ERA, 6.8 K/9, 3.5 BB/9 over 120 1/3 innings), is only 26, and is controllable at reasonable prices through 2020, so it wouldn’t be at all surprising if the Braves opted to keep him for now. Here are more quick notes from the NL.

  • The Cubs remain interested in Marlins catcher A.J. Ellis, writes Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times. A report earlier this week from MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro connected the Cubs to Ellis, who would provide Chicago with a veteran backup to Willson Contreras. (Frisaro tweets that two other teams are interested in Ellis as well and that the Cubs might not ultimately land him.) The Cubs also continue to look for a reliever. “That’s what you would be looking for — that high-leverage, later-inning guy that you’re really comfortable with — so you can spread the work out a little bit more evenly,” says Cubs manager Joe Maddon, who adds that his guess is that the team will make another move of some sort before the deadline.
  • Top Giants pitching prospect Tyler Beede will likely miss the rest of the season with a groin strain, as Alex Pavlovic of CSNBayArea.com notes. Beede is expected to miss four weeks, taking him to around the end of the minor-league season. The injury could wind up costing him a chance at a big-league call-up once rosters expand in September as well. He could, however, pitch in the Arizona Fall League. After a strong season with Double-A Richmond in 2016, the former first-round pick struggled in Triple-A Sacramento in 2017, posting a 4.79 ERA, 6.9 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9 over 109 innings.
  • The Nationals need catching help, FanGraphs’ Travis Sawchik writes. Matt Wieters has not hit or framed pitches well, batting .248/.297/.381 over 310 plate appearances while rating -10.8 runs in framing, via Statcorner. Sawchik suggests Atlanta’s Tyler Flowers (a much better receiver) and Detroit’s Alex Avila as good targets for the Nats to pursue.

Nationals Acquire Howie Kendrick

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9:33pm: The teams have announced the trade. Philadelphia is sending Kendrick and cash to the Nats in exchange for Mills and additional international bonus money.

9:23pm: The Nationals have struck a deal to acquire infielder/outfielder Howie Kendrick from the Phillies in exchange for minor league left-hander McKenzie Mills, reports PhillyVoice.com’s Ryan Lawrence (Twitter links). Ken Rosenthal of MLB Network first reported that the Nats were working on a deal to land Kendrick (on Twitter).

Howie Kendrick | Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

The 34-year-old Kendrick hasn’t had his healthiest season, but he’s been extremely productive when on the field. Through 156 plate appearances, he’s posted a brilliant .340/.397/.454 batting line with a pair of homers, eight doubles, a triple and eight steals (in 11 attempts). Once a pure second baseman, Kendrick took on more of a super utility role with the Dodgers in 2016 and has played corner outfield with the Phillies in 2017. Over the past two seasons, he’s spent time at second base, third base, first base and in left field.

Kendrick is earning $10MM this season, though $5MM of that is deferred until 2019, per Cot’s Contracts. The Phillies are paying Kendrick’s contract down to the pro-rated league minimum, tweets Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post, so the Nats are only taking on the hook for about $187K for Kendrick, who will hit free agency following the 2017 season.

The Nationals are banged up at the moment, with left fielder Jayson Werth, Michael Taylor, Ryan Raburn and Chris Heisey all on the disabled list. That’s pushed Brian Goodwin into center field and Adam Lind into left field, so Kendrick will provide the club with an option in left as well as some veteran bench depth — and a postseason upgrade over the likes of Raburn and Heisey — once everyone is healthy down the stretch. Kendrick is currently dealing with a bruised left hand after getting hit by a pitch, though clearly Washington isn’t concerned that the injury will have any long-term effects.

Mills, 21, ranked as the Nationals’ 18th-best prospect on the recently released midseason top 30 list of Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo at MLB.com. He’s pitched to a 3.01 ERA with a ridiculous 118-to-22 K/BB ratio (10.1 K/9, 1.9 BB/9) through 104 2/3 innings for Class-A Hagerstown this season. Callis and Mayo peg him for an above-average fastball and curveball with an average changeup. Their report gives him a back-of-the-rotation ceiling but also noted that some in the Nats organization felt there was more upside than that with Mills.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Nationals To Sign Neil Ramirez

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The Nationals have agreed to terms on a minor-league deal with righty Neil Ramirez, according to multiple reports. Eric Garment of NumbersMLB appears to have first tweeted the news.

Ramirez, 28, seems destined to provided some depth to the organization’s top affiliate as it continues to work out its MLB relief unit. He had just been released by the Mets after failing to hold down a job in New York.

Though he continues to show an ability to miss bats, Ramirez has struggled through his 31 1/3 major league innings this year. He owns a 7.18 ERA with 12.6 K/9 and 6.0 BB/9; in addition to the free passes, Ramirez has been hurt by permitting six home runs.

Position Player Market Notes: Granderson, Rays, Nats, Cards, Iglesias, Melky, Solarte

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Here’s the latest on the market for position players:

  • The Brewers have indicated some interest in veteran Mets outfielder Curtis Granderson, according to Ken Rosenthal of MLB Network (Twitter link). At this point, though, the sides don’t seem to have made any real progress toward a deal. The left-handed-hitting Granderson would add a new dimension to the lineup, which features a variety of right-handed outfield options.
  • As they continue to work on upgrading their roster, the Rays are willing to take trade offers for infielders Tim Beckham and Brad Miller, per ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick (Twitter links). With the recent additions of Adeiny Hechavarria and now Lucas Duda, the Rays are perhaps a bit overstocked in infielders. Still, Tampa Bay is more interested in listening to potential offers than in shopping the pair around, Crasnick notes.
  • The Nationals have scouted Cardinals outfielder Tommy Pham along with reliever Trevor Rosenthal, according to Jon Morosi of MLB.com (via Twitter). As ever, it’s hard to read too much into this sort of report, but it does seem notable that the Nats would be putting any thought into an outfielder at this point. While the team has dealt with injuries — highlighted by Adam Eaton but also including Jayson Werth, Michael Taylor, and others — indications of late have been that outfield additions wouldn’t be pursued in earnest.
  • In other news on infielders, there’s some belief around the game that the Tigers could find a trade partner for shortstop Jose Iglesias, per ESPN.com’s Buster Olney (Twitter link). That’s a bit surprising to hear, given the lack of demand among contenders, though Iglesias is a controllable player who’d be of possible interest to a variety of organizations even if a run at the postseason this year isn’t likely.
  • The White Sox have gotten “a little” interest in left fielder/designated hitter Melky Cabrera, Jon Heyman of Fan Rag tweets, though he also notes that the ChiSox would clearly need to pay down some of the remaining $5.4MM on Cabrera’s $15MM salary. CSN Chicago’s Chuck Garfien tweeted earlier today that GM Rick Hahn is willing to do just that, however, so perhaps a modest market could develop for the veteran switch-hitter’s services. After this morning’s Dan Jennings trade, Cabrera is one of the few plausible trade assets that remaining on a gutted White Sox roster. Struggling pitchers James Shields, Derek Holland, Mike Pelfrey, Miguel Gonzalez and Tyler Clippard all figure to be plenty available as well, though none carries much (if any) trade value.
  • Though it’s been more than a month since Padres infielder Yangervis Solarte suited up for a game, Rosenthal tweets not to rule out a trade. Solarte is embarking on a minor league rehab assignment this weekend and has drawn interest from other clubs, per Rosenthal. Solarte, 30, was San Diego’s hottest hitter in mid-June (.337/.427/.589, seven homers in 26 games/110 PAs) before incurring an oblique strain from which he has not yet returned. The switch-hitting Solarte can handle both second base and third base, and may even spend some time at short during his rehab, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune tweets. That versatility at the plate and in the field both looked highly marketable prior to his injury — as did his contract. Solarte is earning just $2.625MM this season with a $4.125MM salary in 2018 plus a pair of club options for 2019 ($5.5MM) and 2020 ($8MM).
  • Recent indications are that Mets infielder Asdrubal Cabrera will be dealt, and he’s still drawing interest from at least a trio of rivals, per Mike Puma of the New York Post (via Twitter). The odds that he’ll be targeted perhaps also increased with an injury suffered on Wednesday by Phillies infielder/outfielder Howie Kendrick. As MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki writes, Kendrick did not suffer a fracture when he was hit by a pitch on the hand. But it’s not yet known if he’ll miss time. Given that he has already missed two extended stretches with other health issues, Kendrick will perhaps need to reenter the lineup and show he’s at full speed to factor into the deadline shopping spree. (Even if he doesn’t, he’d be a candidate to move in August.)

Sonny Gray Trade Rumors: Thursday

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11:03pm: Gray’s market is still in flux, with Jon Heyman of Fan Rag reporting that the Yankees are balking at the A’s requests for a package centered around Clint Frazier or Gleyber Torres. Even if Oakland checks down to some of the Yanks’ next tier of prospects, such as Estevan Florial, it seems that New York will remain reluctant to pull the trigger on Gray — though the club has seemingly focused on him to this point.

In his own look at the market for Gray, Ken Rosenthal of MLB Network says the Astros and Brewers are “not significantly involved” at present. He notes, too, that the Padres’ interest may be more serious than has previously been thought.

9:33am: Rosenthal now tweets that the Nationals are not, in fact, in on either Gray or Rangers ace Yu Darvish. Rather, the team might simply elect to pursue another reliever to further boost the back of the bullpen.

12:00am: Earlier tonight, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported that rival clubs believe that most teams have informed the Athletics which centerpieces they’re willing to part with in a potential trade for right-hander with Sonny Gray, adding that the Yankees are believed to be the front-runners. According to Sherman, many expect that the A’s will deal Gray before this Sunday’s scheduled start against the Twins.

Though the Yankees are the perceived front-runner, Jon Morosi of MLB.com tweets that both the Nationals and Mariners have some interest in Gray, though the extent of that interest isn’t clear. MLB Network’s Ken Rosenthal writes that the Mariners and A’s haven’t touched base on Gray in about a week, though multiple rivals from around the game believe that ever-active GM Jerry Dipoto will find a way to make a competitive bid despite a thin farm system.

Rosenthal outlines a speculative scenario in which the M’s could pair a big league outfielder with top prospect Kyle Lewis (among other pieces), then pivot to acquire a new corner outfielder in what is currently a buyers’ market for short-term corner bats. (Rosenthal’s column has multiple quotes on Dipoto’s whirlwind style of trading, including one unnamed exec opining: “I don’t think he’s burning [the farm system] to the ground. I think he knows it’s already on fire and is trying to do what he can with the assets he has.” It’s well worth a full look.)

As for the Nats, Rosenthal reports that a deal could hinge on whether the Nats would part with prized prospect Victor Robles in a deal (Twitter links). Some in the Nationals’ organization now value fellow outfield prospect Juan Soto over Robles, though that hardly suggests that Washington has soured on Robles or given up on him in any way.

Sherman suggests that one factor working in favor of the Yankees is that some believe the Astros to be the team most willing to roll the dice on Orioles’ closer Zach Britton, which could take some of their focus off Gray. Sherman notes that the Astros do still have some trepidation about the various red flags surrounding Britton this year (injuries, lack of appearances on consecutive days, etc.). Houston GM Jeff Luhnow again emphasized to ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick today, however, that he doesn’t feel obligated to overpay for any addition given the team’s significant lead in the American League West. “We have a pretty good team, and if we can improve it without giving up too much of our future, we will,” said Luhnow.

Justin Wilson Trade Rumors: Thursday

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Justin Wilson has been among the most talked-about assets on the trade market, and the sheer volume of updates on the expansive market for his services is enough to warrant its own dedicated post with the deadline looming. Here’s the latest on the Tigers southpaw, who currently boasts a 2.75 ERA with 12.6 K/9, 3.7 BB/9 and a 36.1 percent ground-ball rate…

  • It seems the list of possible suitors isn’t getting any shorter just yet. To the contrary, the Indians have also asked about Wilson’s price tag, according to ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick (via Twitter). Cleveland is down a lefty after losing Boone Logan.

Earlier Updates

  • The Yankees have joined the pursuit of Tigers lefty Justin Wilson, reports Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press. It was New York that traded Wilson to the Tigers in the first place (for righties Chad Green and Luis Cessa), and while the Yanks have already beefed up their ’pen with the additions of David Robertson and Tommy Kahnle, they appear further interested in adding a shutdown lefty. The Tigers, though, are aiming extremely high in talks for Wilson, with Fenech suggesting that they’re seeking an Aroldis Chapman -esque return for Wilson. While the 29-year-old Wilson is earning a bargain $2.7MM salary and can be controlled through 2018 via arbitration, that’s still a sky-high ask. The Cubs sent Gleyber Torres, Billy McKinney, Adam Warren and Rashad Crawford to New York in exchange for Chapman last summer.
  • The Astros could be the most focused team on Tigers southpaw Justin Wilson, reports ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick (via Twitter). Wilson has leapfrogged Orioles closer Zach Britton on the Astros’ list of targets, though all indications are that the ask on Wilson is extremely high. Houston is hardly alone in its pursuit of Wilson and has yet to definitively separate itself from the pack, however, per Crasnick (Twitter links). There are at least six teams still in on Wilson, with the Nationals “strongly” in the mix. Lastly, Crasnick tweets that the odds of a package deal sending Wilson and Justin Verlander to a team “are not good” due to the complex nature of such negotiations.
  • FanRag’s Jon Heyman writes that the Brewers, Astros and Red Sox were recently considered to be the leaders in the Wilson sweepstakes, though others are in on him as well. Heyman lists the Cubs, Rockies, D-backs, Dodgers and Nationals as other potential landing spots in a trade.

Nationals To Promote Erick Fedde, Place Stephen Strasburg On DL

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July 27: The Nationals are officially terming Strasburg’s injury as a nerve impingement in his right elbow, per this morning’s announcement of Strasburg’s DL placement. Left-hander Sammy Solis has been recalled to give the bullpen some extra depth for the time being, while Fedde is slated to start in place of Strasburg on Saturday.

July 26, 9:36pm: Manager Dusty Baker confirmed after the game that Fedde is coming up and that Strasburg will be placed on the 10-day disabled list (Twitter link via Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post). The skipper was “adamant” that Strasburg will only miss one start, Janes adds.

8:05pm: The Nationals are calling up top pitching prospect Erick Fedde, reports Joel Sherman of the New York Post (on Twitter). The former first-round pick, who ranked 70th on Baseball America’s midseason list of the game’s top 100 prospects, will likely start in place of Stephen Strasburg, Sherman adds.

Erick Fedde

Fedde, 24, was Washington’s first-round selection in the 2014 draft. The Nats made him the No. 18 overall pick that season despite the fact that he had Tommy John surgery not long before the draft. He’s spent most of his career in the minors as a starter but was briefly moved to a relief role in part to limit his innings but also given the potential for a midseason promotion to help a struggling Nationals relief corps.

The Nationals recently moved Fedde back to a rotation role, and while he was torched for six runs without recording an out in his initial return to the rotation, he’s allowed just three runs on 10 hits and no walks with eight strikeouts in his past 11 2/3 frames. Overall, he’s worked to a 3.72 ERA with 8.0 K/9 against 2.4 BB/9 with well above-average ground-ball tendencies in 77 1/3 innings between Double-A Harrisburg and Triple-A Syracuse this season.

Fedde dropped out of the top 100 on MLB.com’s midseason rankings, but Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo still rank him third among Washington farmhands. Their report notes that he sits 91-94 mph with his fastball and can run his velocity a bit higher when needed. He pairs that with a plus slider, average changeup and above-average control, giving him a third starter’s ceiling, per Callis and Mayo.

While this seems like it could very well be a spot start for Strasburg, whose injury isn’t believed to be serious, there’s an obvious opening at the back of the Washington rotation as well. Joe Ross underwent Tommy John surgery earlier this month, and the Nats have since relied on veteran Edwin Jackson to make a pair of starts. Jackson has been serviceable in those two outings, but Jackson struggled with the Orioles earlier this season and hasn’t enjoyed big league success as a starting pitcher since 2012 (his last run with the Nationals).

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Jeff Samardzija Unlikely To Waive No-Trade Clause

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Jeff Samardzija’s name has come up frequently in recent trade rumors, but the 32-year-old right-hander’s five-year, $90MM contract allows him to block trades to all but eight teams. Moreover, Samardzija tells Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News that if approached by the Giants about a trade to one of the teams over which he has veto power, he wouldn’t be interested in waiving the clause.

“I love being here,” said Samardzija shortly after praising the Giants’ core players and suggesting that the team fully believes it can turn the tide next season. Samardzija smiled yesterday when telling Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle that he “[doesn’t] remember” the eight teams to which he can be traded without his approval (Twitter link), but Baggarly now reports the full list in a separate column.

According to Baggarly, Samardzija can be traded to the Red Sox, Cubs, Mets, Yankees, Angels, Dodgers, Athletics and Nationals without his consent. All other teams — including the Astros, who have been the team most frequently connected to Samardzija on the rumor circuit — require Samardzija’s consent, and it doesn’t sound like he’s interested in green-lighting any proposals.

Samardzija is owed $18MM annually and has struggled in the estimation of traditional metrics this season. He’s sporting a 5-11 record with a 4.85 ERA, but most other statistical means of evaluation are rather bullish on the righty. He’s averaging 9.7 K/9 against 1.1 BB/9, both of which would be the best marks of his career, and leading the Majors in K/BB ratio. His 43.3 percent ground-ball rate is only a tick below average, and he’s inducing more swings at pitches out of the strike zone than he ever has before. Samardzija’s fastball velocity has also held strong at an average of just over 94 mph, and he’s averaging nearly 6 2/3 innings per start. Metrics like FIP (3.49), xFIP (3.13) and SIERA (3.28 prior to today’s strong outing) all view him much more favorably than earned run average.

Samardzija has struggled with men on base, in part due to the fact that he’s one of many pitchers throughout the league that has seen his HR/9 rate and HR/FB ratio spike as balls are leaving the yard at a higher rate than ever before in MLB history. And while his durability and K/BB numbers are impressive, some teams will no doubt express some skepticism that Samardzija would be able to better keep the ball in the yard by vacating the spacious AT&T Park as his home stadium. The remaining money on his contract also figures to be a concern to come clubs, as he represents a fairly sizable commitment to those that are near the luxury tax threshold.

All of that sounds to be mostly a moot point anyhow. Among the teams to which Samardzija can be moved, the Red Sox don’t seem likely to pursue a starter, while the Mets and A’s aren’t contending. The Angels are a fringe contender at best and have luxury tax concerns, while the Nationals are said to be more focused on relievers and may shy away from the money remaining on his deal. It’s at least possible that one of the other teams listed shows some interest, but the Yankees are presently focused on Sonny Gray, while the Cubs have already added Jose Quintana and the Dodgers have been most heavily linked to Yu Darvish (to say nothing of the longstanding Dodgers/Giants division rivalry).

NL Deadline Chatter: Nats, Hand, Cards, Cozart, Cubs, Mets

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The Nationals are “scouring [the] market” for a starter, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today (via Twitter). We have heard varying suggestions on this front, as the Nats deal with the loss of Joe Ross and newfound uncertainty regarding Stephen Strasburg. While the latest signs on Stras are positive, Barry Svrluga of the Washington Post argues that the club ought to going after a front-line starter regardless. Beyond the possibility of augmenting the club’s staff for an anticipated postseason appearance this year, the possibility of adding an arm for 2018 and perhaps beyond would seem to hold appeal, perhaps adding to the justification for making a move.

Here’s more deadline chatter from the National League:

  • Padres chairman Ron Fowler suggested today in a radio appearance on The Mighty 1090 that he doesn’t really expect the team to end up dealing lefty Brad Hand (h/t Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune). “Other things being equal right now, I don’t see us moving him, because we value him more than what’s being offered and we think he could be part of the team for the foreseeable future,” Fowler stated. That said, he acknowledged the team remains open to working out a deal, calling it “a very fluid situation.”
  • Though it’s still unclear just what course the Cardinals will take at the deadline, the club is now “expected to listen to offers” on outfielders Tommy Pham and Randal Grichuk, according to MLB.com’s Jon Morosi. While the Cards do now have quite a few options in the corner outfield, both of these players seem to fall in a curious spot in the potential market. There just isn’t much deadline demand in the corner outfield to drive up prices, and the Cards would surely be valuing their lengthy control rights in exploring potential deals. While there’d surely be interest, neither really looks to be a likely deadline mover from the outside. Of course, St. Louis also has some shorter-term assets that might be of interest — Lance Lynn, Seung-hwan Oh, and Trevor Rosenthal chief among them — and Morosi does note that the Dodgers and Nationals had scouts at the club’s latest game last night. Whether the Cardinals will really punt on the present season when the division is still in reach, though, is hardly clear at this point.
  • The Reds held shortstop Zack Cozart out of the lineup today as he continues to deal with quad issues, as MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon writes. It seems the hope is that this is more a rest day than the precursor to a DL stint, but it’s not the best news regardless. Cozart has been great this year, but the quad problem further dents his value in a market that doesn’t seem to have much appetite for shortstops.
  • Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein says there’s nothing close to completion at this point for his team, as Jim Bowden of MLB Network Radio of Sirius XM tweets. The team is unsurprisingly still looking at pitching, with the rotation and relief corps both being susceptible of improvement.
  • The Cubs are among the teams to have asked the Mets about righty Seth Lugo, per ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick (via Twitter). But there’s simply no indication at present that New York will seriously entertain offers on Lugo, as Crasnick and Newsday’s Marc Carig (Twitter link) note. That makes sense given the multitude of pitching injuries the organization has experienced as well as its intentions of competing again in 2018.
  • Some interest has begun to develop in Mets outfielder Curtis Granderson, according to Jon Heyman of Fan Rag (via Twitter). The veteran obviously is very much available, and would conceivably fit quite a few teams as a lefty-hitting outfielder who can still handle some time in center field. On the other hand, he has been hurt and cold at the plate of late, and is playing on a hefty $15MM salary this year.

Injury News: Strasburg, Kershaw, Bour, Yankees, Kipnis

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The Nationals announced today that right-hander Stephen Strasburg, who exited with a potential injury in his most recent start, had “some nerve impingement that has been alleviated,” as Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post tweets. Earlier in the day, skipper Dusty Baker had told MASNsports.com’s Dan Kolko that Strasburg is feeling better and may actually take the hill for his next scheduled start (Twitter link). Chelsea Janes of the Post, meanwhile, tweets that Strasburg kept in line with typical between-starts routine by playing catch today as well. Janes further adds that Strasburg did not undergo an MRI but did have an ultrasound procedure, which compared favorably to previous exams. It’s been reported that a more serious Strasburg injury may well have impacted the Nats’ deadline plans, but it seems that they’ve avoided that scenario. Janes reported yesterday that in such a case, the bullpen would continue to be a larger priority.

Some more relevant injury news with the deadline less than a week away…

  • While Clayton Kershaw’s injury is obviously a blow to the Dodgers, Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times offers a bit more encouraging detail on the situation. While the team was initially fearful that Kershaw had again injured the disk that he herniated last season, manager Dave Roberts told reporters that a scan confirmed that this injury does not involve last year’s herniated disk. That was the Dodgers’ greatest concern, according to Roberts, who called it a “safe bet” that Kershaw would make it back to the team later during the regular season. Shaikin notes that even the back end of the projected four to six week timeline would have Kershaw back in the rotation in early September. Regarding the potential that Kershaw’s injury pushes the Dodgers to make a run at Rangers right-hander Yu Darvish, Roberts simply stated that every team in baseball would love to have Darvish, but stressed that he has no plans to try to persuade the front office into action: “I can’t put the pressure on. I’m not going to put the pressure on.”
  • The Marlins announced today that first baseman Justin Bour and shortstop JT Riddle have been placed on the 10-day DL due to a right oblique strain and left biceps tendinitis, respectively. There was no timetable given for the return of either player, but oblique strains typically cost a player at least a month. Bour didn’t seem especially likely to be moved anyhow, but the fact that he looks to be facing an absence of a few weeks further limits the chance of any trade involving the 29-year-old slugger.
  • While both Aaron Hicks and Tyler Austin are progressing in their rehab from their respective oblique and hamstring strains, it doesn’t sound as if either is on the verge of a minor league rehab assignment just yet. MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch tweets that both are hitting off a tee and playing soft toss, per Yankees manager Joe Girardi. Each has been out since late June, and Girardi told reporters that they’re both at about the same spot in their recovery process, though he declined a specific timetable for either player’s return.
  • Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer tweets that Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis ran the bases on Tuesday, and manager Terry Francona said he could play in rehab games as soon as this coming weekend. That would seem to represent an accelerated timeline, as Francona suggested back on Friday that Kipnis was still “weeks, not days” away from returning to the team.
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