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The New York Yankees are considering trading catcher Brian McCann ahead of the trade deadline on Monday, though no deal is imminent.

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McCann Linked to Braves

Sunday, July 31

MLB.com’s Mark Bowman reported on Sunday that the “[Atlanta Braves] have discussed trading for [McCann]. It depends on how much money the Yankees are willing to eat.”

McCann previously played with the Braves from 2005 to 2013 before joining the Yankees. He’s in his third season with the Yankees after signing a five-year, $85 million deal in 2013.

McCann Expendable as Yankees Fail to Win

McCann, 32, is hitting .235/.334/.430 with 15 home runs and 41 runs batted in this season. 

The Yankees (52-51) are in fourth place in the AL East. They’re six games behind the Baltimore Orioles for the division lead and 4.5 out of the AL’s second wild-card spot.

McCann hasn’t made an All-Star team since his arrival, but he’s been a generally solid addition. He is on pace for his third straight 20-homer season in New York and could clinch another two-plus WAR (FanGraphs formula) with a good second half. The Yankees have essentially jettisoned him from the lineup against left-handed pitchers in favor of Austin Romine. 

“This year, we have not been getting what we expected,” general manager Brian Cashman said, per Andrew Marchand of ESPN.com. “He is better than this.”

Romine would stand to see a majority of the work if McCann was dealt. The Yankees also have 23-year-old top prospect Gary Sanchez waiting in the wings. Sanchez is hitting .286/.333/.478 with 10 home runs and 48 runs batted in for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this season.

Moving McCann now would clear Sanchez to split catching duties with Romine for the remainder of 2016 and perhaps set up a full-time job in 2017. The Yankees already have too many aging players who need time at the designated hitter spot, so McCann has essentially become expendable.

The biggest issue would be his contract, which teams would no doubt expect New York to pay part of. The Yankees are currently on the hook for at least $34 million in 2017 and 2018, and there is a vesting option for $15 million in 2019, should McCann hit certain playing-time barriers. He also has a full no-trade clause, so he would have to approve any trade.

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The St. Louis Cardinals placed reliever Trevor Rosenthal on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday with a right shoulder injury. 

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Struggling Rosenthal on DL with Shoulder Inflammation

Tuesday, July 26 

The team recalled Dean Kiekhefer from Triple-A Memphis as Rosenthal‘s replacement on the major league roster. Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com reported Rosenthal is dealing with inflammation in his rotator cuff.

Rosenthal, 26, is 2-4 with a 5.13 ERA and 2.04 WHIP in 40 appearances. An All-Star in 2015, Rosenthal has struggled all season and lost his closer job to Seung Hwan Oh in June.

“I’m not the first person this has happened to,” Rosenthal said, per Mark Saxon of ESPN.com. “I’m not going to be the last person, and all these guys know I work my butt off and I try every day. It’s all I can control.”

Rosenthal‘s performance hasn’t improved since being removed from ninth-inning duties. He was 0-1 with a blown save and a 5.68 ERA in the month of July and needed 32 pitches to get through one inning in his last appearance, a June 24 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Jonathan Broxton should see an increased workload with Rosenthal out, but this may put the Cardinals on the market for a late-inning reliever. Broxton (2-2, 3.89 ERA) has been shaky for most of the season; Oh’s been their only shutdown option overall. With another handful of days before the Aug. 1 deadline, don’t be surprised if St. Louis is working the phones.

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Major League Baseball released a response Thursday to a pending lawsuit by former minor league pitcher Neiman Nix, who said “tortious interference” from the league during its Biogenesis investigation irreparably harmed his anti-aging business.  

MLB called the lawsuit “frivolous” in a release provided to Mike Vorkunov of Vice Sports:

The lawsuit filed today by Neiman Nix against MLB repeats many of the same allegations he asserted in a Florida lawsuit that was dismissed in 2014. Mr. Nix’s new attorney, Vincent White, has in the past made outrageous claims about MLB. Mr. White’s purported source for this lawsuit is a disgruntled former MLB employee who was terminated for cause. Mr. White has been threatening to file this lawsuit for months in an attempt to coerce MLB into paying his client. MLB considers the allegations in this lawsuit, including the allegations relating to the hacking of DNA Sport Lab’s social media accounts, to be sanctionable under New York law. Other than noting that in Paragraph 40 of the Complaint Mr. Nix admits to selling products purportedly containing at least one banned performance-enhancing substance (IGF-1), MLB has no further comment on this frivolous lawsuit.

Nix filed a suit in 2014 making similar allegations, but it was ultimately thrown out of court. Vincent White, Nix’s new attorney handling the case, said he has uncovered new information that reveals MLB acted in a “mob-like” manner. 

“A detailed multiyear investigation has brought many items to light, including statements from former employees that have included the breaking of state and federal laws, invasion of privacy, computer hacking, extortion threats, and obstruction of justice,” Nix said in a press release, per Craig Calcaterra of NBC Sports.

Biogenesis was a Miami-based anti-aging clinic linked to providing performance-enhancing drugs to numerous athletes, including Alex Rodriguez, Ryan Braun and Nelson Cruz. MLB launched an extensive investigation into the clinic, later suspending Rodriguez for a record 162 games. It suspended fourteen players overall.

As Vorkunov noted, MLB was accused of paying for documents, coercing witnesses and helping founder Tony Bosch in his court case. MLB later fired some of the lead investigators in the case. Ed Dominguez, one of the men fired, will testify on Nix’s behalf, White said at a press conference Thursday:

He and other investigators to testify that Neil Boland initially headed the electronic investigations of the Department of Investigations. Then Neil Boland was tapped to work directly for commissioner Manfred. We expect Dominguez to testify that Boland set up a system for Major League Baseball by which they tracked player will-call tickets and analyzed the information of who was given tickets and cross-referenced it with persons of interest in their investigations. We believe that through this scheme is how they initially implicated Alex Rodriguez.

MLB has denied all allegations made by Nix and his attorneys throughout.

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The rosters for the 2016 Midsummer Classic are set, and Tuesday night (8 p.m. ET) we’ll see the American League and National League vie for World Series home-field advantage at Petco Park.

Or, rather, we’ll see the Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox go head-to-head with a few friends they brought along. The Cubs are responsible for four NL starters, making up the entire infield.

Anthony Rizzo will man first base, Ben Zobrist’s at second, Kris Bryant’s at third and Addison Russell is at short. It’s the second time in history a team has pulled off this feat. Center fielder Dexter Fowler was originally scheduled to start but was replaced on the roster by Carlos Gonzalez. It nonetheless feels a lot like the Cubs just picked up some pals for a pickup game.

Those pals include MVP winners Bryce Harper and Buster Posey, but still. Harper will be joined by Marcell Ozuna and Gonzalez in the starting outfield. 

“Organizationally, it speaks to what’s been done here the last several years,” Cubs manager Joe Maddon said, per ESPN.com. “I take zero credit for that. It’s great scouting and development on the part of the Cubs.”

Full rosters available at MLB.com.

Pitchers Jake Arrieta and Jon Lester were also selected to the roster, giving Chicago an MLB-high seven All-Stars.

“I’ve been through a lot,” Arrieta, the defending NL Cy Young winner and first-time All-Star, said. “A lot of hard work started to pay off and my career has started to move in a positive direction over the past couple years. It’s a byproduct of the hard work.”

The AL team is spearheaded by six Red Sox, including four in the starting lineup. Outfielders Jackie Bradley Jr. and Mookie Betts and shortstop Xander Bogaerts were selected for their first time, while David Ortiz earned an even 10th appearance in his final MLB season.

“There’s not going to be another time, so I’m just going to go out there, have fun and make sure I give the fans what they want who vote for David Ortiz and enjoy watching me,” Ortiz said, per Stephen Hewitt of the Boston Herald.

Reliever Craig Kimbrel and starter Steven Wright were also named to the team. Kimbrel will not play due to injury. 

The AL has by far the most experienced team. Between Miguel Cabrera (11), Ortiz (10), Carlos Beltran (nine) Robinson Cano (seven), Chris Sale (five) and Mike Trout (five) they have the six highest All-Star selection totals.

Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw was the only NL representative with more than four Midsummer Classics under his belt. However, Kershaw pulled out due to injury. No NL player actually on the roster has more than four appearances.

The NL does have perhaps the most notable story: Bartolo Colon’s surprise All-Star appearance. The 43-year-old, who is MLB’s oldest player, ranks among the most elderly to ever play in the Midsummer Classic. He would be the third-oldest pitcher ever if he gets a chance to play, behind only Mariano Rivera and Satchel Paige.

The NL will hope Colon and others end the AL’s three-game winning streak. The AL has walked away with 10 of the 13 All-Star Games since the fateful tie in 2002; 15 of the last 18 games with an actual finish have gone the AL’s way.

Last-minute tickets for the MLB All-Star Game can be found at ScoreBig.com.

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Washington Nationals pitcher Max Scherzer will replace teammate Stephen Strasburg on the 2016 National League All-Star roster, MLB announced on Friday.

Scherzer, 31, is 9-6 with a 3.21 ERA and 0.97 WHIP through his first 18 starts. He’s struck out 155 batters in 120.2 innings and will be making his fourth straight appearance in the Midsummer Classic.

Strasburg, 27, was considered a potential NL starter after going 11-0 with a 2.71 ERA and 1.03 WHIP in 15 starts. The game is also in Strasburg’s hometown of San Diego, so it’s a bit of a surprise that he won’t be making the trip.

But with the Cy Young Award contender due to pitch on Friday night against the New York Mets, Strasburg likely decided there wasn’t enough rest time.

Scherzer’s selection comes within hours of the Mets announcing that starter Bartolo Colon earned All-Star honors in place of Madison Bumgarner.

After struggling for the first two months—especially in regard to home runs allowed—Scherzer has been back in fine form in June and July. He went 4-1 with a 1.96 ERA and 58 strikeouts in 41.1 innings in June. Junior Guerra of the Milwaukee Brewers out-dueled him in a 1-0 battle on Independence Day, but Scherzer still gave up just four hits over six innings.

“I think he’s an All-Star, personally,” Nationals manager Dusty Baker said, per Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post. “Not because he’s on my team, which helps. But this guy, he can easily win 20. So don’t count him out.”

The right-handed flamethrower’s only issues this season have been with the long ball. His 21 homers allowed are tied for the second-most in Major League Baseball with Josh Tomlin, Ian Kennedy and Jered Weaver—none of whom are sniffing the All-Star Game (though Tomlin has been very good).

“I’m not going to sit here and just beat myself up over home runs,” Scherzer said, per Janes. “I’m gonna attack the zone. I know that, and I’m gonna give up some solo blasts. I’m okay with that.”

It speaks to how well Scherzer is pitching between those dingers that he’s been able to overcome them and make the roster.

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New York Mets ace Matt Harvey will undergo surgery to correct thoracic outlet syndrome in his right arm and will miss the remainder of the 2016 MLB season, his agent Scott Boras announced Friday.

Adam Rubin of ESPN.com reported the news, and Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball noted Harvey has been having trouble feeling his fingertips all season.

Boras commented on the surgery, per Rubin:

The doctors clearly recommended that he have this done, mainly so that he can be ready for ’17. The rehab on this is six months. Now, if there was a small window of a season, you might be able to take a shot. It’s actually Botox, which relaxes the muscles. That’s not a long-term solution.

The only way this is going to be treated appropriately — and obviously we don’t want to do anything to affect next year — is to get this surgically taken care of.

Harvey tweeted his disappointment about the diagnosis:

Harvey, 27, went 4-10 with a 4.86 ERA and 1.47 WHIP in 17 starts. He struck out just 76 batters in 92.2 innings and struggled with his command and velocity throughout much of the year.

The Mets placed him on the disabled list Wednesday after he complained of shoulder pain. Harvey left Monday’s start against the Miami Marlins, having given up six runs on 11 hits in 3.2 innings. It was the second straight game Harvey failed to make it out of the fourth inning.

Dr. Robert Thompson diagnosed Harvey with thoracic outlet syndrome Thursday, at which point he was presented with the option of surgery or taking a nerve blocker. Surgery offers a four-month time frame before Harvey could pitch again, while the injections could have brought him back to the rotation at some point this season.

“It’s unclear how effective that would be or for how long,” Mets general manager Sandy Alderson said, per Rubin. “… I do believe that surgery is probably inevitable and more a question of timing than anything else. So, obviously, to the extent that we’re backed up for a period of time, it begins potentially to encroach on 2017 as well.”

The Mets (47-38) are in second place in the NL East and are trying to build on a surprise World Series appearance last year. Harvey was one of the biggest reasons for New York’s ascent, earning NL Comeback Player of the Year honors after returning from Tommy John surgery.

Questions may now arise about Harvey’s usage during that 2015 campaign. As noted by ESPN Stats & Info, Harvey’s 216 innings (including postseason) were the most of any player in his first year back from Tommy John. Boras and the Mets had a disagreement behind the scenes last season about Harvey’s usage; there was concern about his going over a 180-inning limit set by Dr. James Andrews.

While the injuries are different, some will no doubt draw the line and conclude Boras was right to look out for the best interest of his client.

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St. Louis Cardinals catcher Brayan Pena announced his plans Tuesday to join the Army Reserve in the offseason. 

“I’m very proud to announce with the support of my wife and family that I will be joining the Army Reserve this offseason,” Pena said in a post on his Twitter account.

However, he was later told his MLB contract prohibits enlisting. According to ESPN.com’s Mark Saxon, Pena will instead serve as an ambassador for the troops.

Born in Havana, Cuba, Pena migrated to the United States in 1999. He made his MLB debut with the Atlanta Braves in 2005 and has been a steady presence for the last dozen years as a backup catcher. The 34-year-old signed a two-year contract with St. Louis last offseason to serve as Yadier Molina’s backup.

Pena made his season debut June 29 after knee surgery cost him the first three months, and he’s appeared in three games on the year to date.

Off the field, Pena has become increasingly involved with MLB’s international relations effort—particularly in Cuba. He was part of a contingent that traveled to the island nation this past winter as long-standing tension between Cuba and the United States eased. It was his first time home in more than 15 years.

“Listen, I am not a politician. I’m just a baseball player,” Pena wrote for the Players’ Tribune in January. “But I do believe in my heart that this trip was the start of something special. I know there’s a lot of issues to work out between the American and Cuban governments and MLB, but we should all come together to find a way.”

The Army Reserve is a branch of the military designed to have trained soldiers in place in case they’re needed during times of war. Pena would of had to undergo at least three months of active duty training after joining, which is likely why he is only able to join in an ambassador role.

Pena is under contract with the Cardinals through the 2017 season. 

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Toronto Blue Jays slugger Edwin Encarnacion has been suspended one game for bumping an umpire in the first inning of Friday’s game against the Cleveland Indians, MLB announced Sunday.

Encarnacion will continue to play while he appeals the suspension. The 33-year-old designated hitter/first baseman was ejected by home plate umpire Vic Carapazza after arguing a called third strike. Manager John Gibbons and catcher Russell Martin were also thrown out after expressing frustration with Carapazza‘s calls.

Encarnacion took a 3-2 pitch from Josh Tomlin that appeared off the plate outside and began walking to first base as Carapazza rung him up. Angered by the call, Encarnacion threw his bat to the ground and said something to the umpire’s face before being tossed. He then charged in Carapazza‘s direction, bumping him slightly from behind.

Per Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com, Martin said afterward:

It’s tough as a player when the umpire makes a mistake, you say your piece about it and then you get thrown out for being right. It’s tough. I think umpires just need to sometimes take a deep breath and not flip the switch too quick.

Eddy didn’t really need to get thrown out in that situation either. Hopefully he gets talked to and the veteran umpires kind of tell him that there’s a certain way to do things, but we’ll see. It’s over so, can’t do anything now.

Making contact with an umpire is a near-automatic suspension within the MLB purview. James Loney, Joey Votto and David Ortiz each got one-game bans last season for similar actions. Bryce Harper landed a one-game suspension this season in part for hurling an expletive at an ump after being thrown out.

It would then seem unlikely that Encarnacion‘s appeal is successful. With another game against red-hot Cleveland coming Sunday and a series against the defending champion Kansas City Royals following, it’s possible he’s appealing to not miss an important upcoming game. He could drop the appeal and plan to serve the ban on a planned rest day or hold out and keep playing until the league office hears his case.

Encarnacion currently leads MLB in runs batted in (73) and is tied for fourth in home runs (22). The Jays (44-39) are battling for a playoff spot, so having him in the lineup against Kansas City (43-37) and Cleveland (49-31) is vital in what’s shaping up to be a close race.

But given precedent and the clear video evidence of Encarnacion bumping Carapazza, he’ll likely serve a ban at some point.

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The Miami Marlins have reportedly signed veteran pitcher Jeremy Guthrie, who will report to Triple-A before joining the major league club. 

Ken Rosenthal and Jon Morosi of Fox Sports reported the news.

Guthrie, 37, last pitched for the Kansas City Royals in 2015. He previously signed minor league contracts with the Texas Rangers in spring training and the San Diego Padres in April.

The Padres released Guthrie on June 3. He had compiled a 3-6 record with a 6.60 ERA and 1.57 WHIP in 11 starts in the Triple-A Pacific Coast League. Those numbers fell in line with his miserable 2015 in Kansas City, which saw him go 8-8 with a 5.95 ERA and 1.55 WHIP. The Royals sent him to the bullpen late in the season, and he did not pitch in their World Series run.

Guthrie had been an MLB regular for the last nine years, working as a starter with the Baltimore Orioles and Colorado Rockies in addition to Kansas City. He began his career with the Cleveland Indians. The righty has a career 91-108 record and said reaching 100 wins was a career goal.

“That would be a huge accomplishment for me to have been able to win 100 games in the major leagues,” he said in April, per Carter Williams of the Deseret News. “So it’s certainly something that pushes me, I think. It would be a huge motivating factor to get back up there and try to pitch well and help a team win nine more games like that.”

The likelihood of Guthrie making the major league roster depends on how he performs in the minors. Miami starters Wei-Yin Chen (4-2, 5.00 ERA) and Justin Nicolino (2-4, 5.17 ERA) have struggled for most of the season; although the Marlins sit ninth in ERA overall, Jose Fernandez (2.28 ERA) accounts for a lot of that.

Guthrie is unlikely to anchor the rotation with Fernandez, but he could be the difference of one or two wins on the back end if he can return to form. The Marlins (41-35) are third in the National League East and have a real chance at a postseason berth if they can shore up their shortcomings over the next month. Guthrie represents an end-of-the-rotation flier they hope can help on the cheap.

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The Los Angeles Dodgers are among the teams reportedly interested in acquiring Cincinnati Reds outfielder Jay Bruce before the August 1 trade deadline. 

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Dodgers May Shore Up OF with Bruce

Sunday, June 26 

Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reported Bruce is a “consideration” for the Dodgers. Los Angeles is not one of the teams covered by Bruce’s limited no-trade clause.

The 29-year-old right fielder is hitting .280/.329/.575 with 16 home runs and 57 runs batted in so far this season. It’s been a surprising return to form that has Bruce on pace for his first 30-homer season since 2013 and just his second campaign ever with 100 RBI.

Bruce said, per Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer:

I’ve been OK at baseball before this. I’ve had some good years and I feel normal. I think that’s the biggest thing that I’m going to have to continue to show. I feel like Jay Bruce. Not 2014 and 15, those were miserable years. I was injured and I think some of that stuff carried over and had some bad habits that I got rid of.

Unfortunately, it’s been all part of a lost cause in Cincinnati. The Reds entered Sunday with a 28-47 record, sitting in last place in the competitive National League Central. With the Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals and Pittsburgh Pirates all light-years ahead on the competitive balance scale, it’s unsurprising the Reds would look to move Bruce while his value is high.

The Dodgers have a need in the outfield with Andre Ethier still yet to make his season debut because of a leg injury. They’ve also gotten next to zero production from Yasiel Puig, while youngsters Trayce Thompson and Joc Pederson have been only intermittently effective. Bruce would instantly slot in as their most productive offensive outfielder.

Los Angeles also has competition. The Reds are not going to lack for suitors who are looking to acquire a big bat, and they may be able to drum up a bidding war as we get closer to the deadline. 

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