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Strop to act as Cubs' closer down the stretch

Pedro Strop will serve as the Cubs' closer for the remainder of the 2013 regular season.

Kevin Gregg will operate in a setup role. "It’s going to be an opportunity [for Strop]," manager Dale Sveum said Thursday. "We want to see what he does in that role. Kevin [Gregg] has been one of the better closers in all of baseball. God knows where we’d be without him."

Source: MLBlogs.com

Thu, Sep 19, 2013 01:13:00 PM

Jeter passes Yaz on hits list; Wagner next

Derek Jeter went 3-for-4 on Monday to pass Carl Yastrzemski for seventh place all-time on the hits list.

Jeter finished tonight's game with 3,420 hits, officially leaving him 10 shy of Honus Wagner in sixth place at 3,430 (Baseball-reference has Wagner at 3,420, which is probably more accurate, but MLB uses Elias for its stats). Jeter also walked and stole a base tonight, making this one of his best games of the season (especially since he was facing Yu Darvish). It's his fifth three-hit game of the year.

Jul 28 - 11:23 PM

Werth (ankle) expected to play on Tuesday

Jayson Werth (ankle) is expected back in the lineup on Tuesday.

Werth exited Monday's game after twisting his right ankle, but it appears that he'll be fine. The Nationals outfielder is sporting a .284/.376/.445 batting line with 12 homers and 58 RBI this season.

Source: James Wagner on Twitter

Jul 28 - 10:48 PM

Red Sox open to trading Lackey and Lester

FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal reports that the Red Sox are open to trading both John Lackey and Jon Lester for the right returns.

It had been clear that they were listening on Lester, but it appears they'd consider dealing Lackey, as well. While Lester is set to hit free agency after the season, the Red Sox have a $500,000 club option on Lackey for 2015 that's as a result of his 2012 Tommy John surgery. That obviously makes his value much higher. Lackey is also pitching very well for the second straight season, posting a 3.60 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 116/32 K/BB ratio over 137 1/3 innings.

Source: Ken Rosenthal on Twitter

Jul 28 - 10:39 PM

D'Backs would consider trading closer Reed

ESPN's Jayson Stark reports that the Diamondbacks are telling teams that "they'd talk" about trading Addison Reed.

It's not clear at this point whether they've had any real discussions with other teams, but it appears they're at least willing to entertain the possibility of a deal. Reed has had an up-and-down season for the D'Backs but his numbers overall (3.89 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 47/11 K/BB ratio over 41 2/3 innings) have been pretty good. He'll be eligible for arbitration for the first time this winter. Stark also notes that the D'Backs are listening on Aaron Hill, Oliver Perez and, "for the right offer," Martin Prado and Josh Collmenter. They're expected to hang on to Brad Ziegler.

Source: ESPN.com

Jul 28 - 8:36 PM

Red Sox not targeting Kemp at the moment

WEEI.com's Rob Bradford reports that the Red Sox are "not looking to trade for" Matt Kemp at the moment.

ESPN Boston's Gordon Edes reported Sunday that the Sox were considering a run at Kemp, possibly as part of a package that would send Jon Lester to the Dodgers. Bradford, though, is hearing otherwise. The Mariners are known to have interest in Kemp, but Yahoo! Sports' Jeff Passan said Sunday that he's more of a backup plan for them at this time. The Dodgers will have to eat a big portion of the $107 million Kemp is owed after this season in order to make a deal happen.

Source: WEEI.com

Jul 28 - 8:14 PM

Blue Jays pick up Valencia from Royals

Blue Jays acquired 3B Danny Valencia from the Royals in exchange for RHP Liam Hendriks and C Erik Kratz.

Valencia can play third base against left-handed pitching until Brett Lawrie (finger) is ready to return, and even then he might still get starts if Lawrie is used at second base. The 29-year-old has batted .282/.328/.382 with two homers over 36 games for the Royals this season and is a career .333/.369/.510 batter versus southpaws.

Jul 28 - 7:16 PM

Marlins interested in lefty Tommy Milone

Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald reports that the Marlins are "thought to be considering" a trade for Tommy Milone.

Milone requested a trade from the A's last week, as he became buried on their depth chart following the acquisition of Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel. As Spencer notes, the lefty is appealing to the Marlins because he won't reach free agency until 2018. Spencer also lists Wade Miley and Ian Kennedy as possible targets for the Marlins, with Kennedy being the unlikelier of the two. Miley might also be a long shot, as FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal reported earlier this month that the D'Backs have told teams the southpaw is unavailable.

Source: Miami Herald

Jul 28 - 7:11 PM

Brandon Belt passes concussion test Monday

Brandon Belt (concussion) passed a concussion test Monday.

He could resume baseball activities as soon as Monday. It's obviously great news for the Giants, as Belt should rejoin the lineup in short order now that his post-concussion symptoms appear to be behind him. The first baseman has been out of action since July 19.

Source: Alex Pavlovic on Twitter

Jul 28 - 7:06 PM

Aaron Hill (hand) expected back on Tuesday

Aaron Hill (hand) is expected back in the lineup on Tuesday.

Hill has missed the last two games after being hit on the right hand by a pitch Saturday, but he's feeling much better. The second baseman had heated up at the plate of late, batting .410/.442/.718 with a couple homers during a 10-game hit streak.

Source: Nick Piecoro on Twitter

Jul 28 - 6:55 PM

Coco Crisp undergoing MRI on ailing neck

Coco Crisp will undergo an MRI on his ailing neck Monday.

The A's expect to know the results of the exam on Tuesday. Oakland is in a bit of a bind in center field, as both Crisp and Craig Gentry (hand) are banged up. Yoenis Cespedes will play center against right-handers, with the recently promoted Billy Burns covering the position versus lefties.

Source: John Hickey on Twitter

Jul 28 - 6:27 PM

Craig Gentry placed on DL with broken hand

Athletics placed OF Craig Gentry on the 15-day disabled list with a broken right hand.

Ouch. Gentry presumably broke his hand on a bunt attempt Sunday. The A's have called up prospect outfielder Billy Burns to take his place on the active roster, but they are going to have to hope that Coco Crisp's neck issue isn't serious. Gentry is obviously going to be sidelined for a while.

Jul 28 - 5:04 PM