CLEVELAND (AP) — The Cleveland Indians made their second significant trade in two days, sending outfielder Eddie Rosario to the Atlanta Braves for infielder Pablo Sandoval on Friday. Rosario signed as a free agent this winter with the Indians, who essentially signaled surrender in the AL Central on Thursday by dealing second baseman Cesar Hernandez to the first-place White Sox for a minor league pitcher. Cleveland, which has been ravaged by injuries, trails Chicago by eight games entering a weekend series between the teams. Also, Indians manager Terry Francona has stepped down for the rest of this season to address some serious health issues. The 29-year-old Rosario has been on the injured list since July 6 with an oblique strain. He's batting .254 with seven homers and 46 RBIs in 78 games. Sandoval has been mainly used as a pinch-hitter by the Braves. The 34-year-old has four pinch-hit homers this season, and is batting .178 with 11 RBIs in 69 games. Sandoval was the World Series MVP in 2012 for San Francisco. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

CLEVELAND (AP) — The Cleveland Indians made their second significant trade in two days, sending outfielder Eddie Rosario to the Atlanta Braves for infielder Pablo Sandoval on Friday. Rosario signed as a free agent this winter with the Indians, who essentially signaled surrender in the AL Central on Thursday by dealing second baseman Cesar Hernandez to the first-place White Sox for a minor league pitcher. Cleveland, which has been ravaged by injuries, trails Chicago by eight games entering a weekend series between the teams. Also, Indians manager Terry Francona has stepped down for the rest of this season to address some serious health issues. The 29-year-old Rosario has been on the injured list since July 6 with an oblique strain. He's batting .254 with seven homers and 46 RBIs in 78 games. Sandoval has been mainly used as a pinch-hitter by the Braves. The 34-year-old has four pinch-hit homers this season, and is batting .178 with 11 RBIs in 69 games. Sandoval was the World Series MVP in 2012 for San Francisco. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

A look at what’s happening around the majors today: ___ CLOCK IS TICKING Ace Max Scherzer and star shortstop Trea Turner could be moving from the Washington Nationals to the Los Angeles Dodgers as the 4 p.m. EDT trade deadline approaches. The Dodgers and Nationals were close to deal late Thursday night after a day full of trades. Washington sent slugger Kyle Schwarber to Boston, closer Brad Hand to Toronto and reliever Daniel Hudson to San Diego. The New York Yankees acquired Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo after completing another trade to get All-Star slugger Joey Gallo from the Texas Rangers. Already with an eight-game lead over Cleveland in the AL Central, the Chicago White Sox acquired second baseman Cesar Hernandez from the Indians, and then got reliever Ryan Tepera from the Cubs. Left-hander Danny Duffy went from Kansas City to the Dodgers. Seattle got right-hander Diego Castillo from Tampa Bay Rays, and he likely will take over the closer role vacated when the Mariners... [More]

A look at what’s happening around the majors on Friday: ___ CLOCK IS TICKING Time is running out for playoff contenders to bolster their rosters through a trade, and there likely will be more players changing teams before the 4 p.m. EDT deadline. Three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer was among those still on the trading block. The right-hander made what might have been his last start for the Washington Nationals, allowing one run and three hits in six innings to win the the opener of a doubleheader Thursday. He then watched the second game against Philadelphia from the dugout. There was a lot of movement Thursday, with the selling Nationals sending closer Brad Hand to Toronto. Shortstop Trea Turner, currently out because of COVID-19 protocols, could also be headed out of Washington. The New York Yankees acquired Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo after completing another trade to get All-Star slugger Joey Gallo from the Texas Rangers. Already with an eight-game lead over Cleveland... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — Terry Francona pushed his battered body to its absolute limit, doing even more damage. He needs to give himself a break — and time to heal. Cleveland's popular manager is stepping down for the remainder of this season to address some lingering health issues, which have put his future leading a team and Hall of Fame career in jeopardy. “I’ve got to get healthy or I can’t do this job,” Francona said Thursday. The 62-year-old Francona has been wearing a boot on his right foot all season after undergoing toe surgery for a staph infection in February. The toe issue has exasperated his hip problem, which will require surgery. Francona, who was only able to manage 14 games last season because of health reasons, will have his left hip replaced Monday at the Cleveland Clinic, and once he recovers from that procedure, he’ll have a rod inserted into his foot. He’s agonized for weeks over his inability to manage the way he wants, and Francona said the decision to step down was difficult.... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — Indians manager Terry Francona is stepping down for the remainder of this season to address some lingering health issues. The 62-year-old Francona has been wearing a boot on his right foot all season after undergoing toe surgery for a staph infection in February. He's also dealing with a hip problem, which will require surgery. This is the second year in a row Francona, a two-time World Series champion manager with the Boston Red Sox, has been sidelined due to his health. He managed just 14 games in 2020 due to a serious gastrointestinal issue that landed him in the Cleveland Clinic for weeks. While hospitalized, Francona had blood clotting issues and he was placed in intensive care. Bench coach DeMarlo Hale will take over on an interim basis for the rest of this season while Francona focuses on his health. Third base coach Mike Sarbaugh will take Hale's spot and assistant coach Kyle Hudson will move to third. First base coach and former Indians All-Star catcher Sandy Alomar... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Reliable reliever Ryan Tepera is heading from the North Side to the South Side. The struggling Chicago Cubs traded the 33-year-old right-hander to the crosstown White Sox on Thursday for minor league lefty Bailey Horn, giving the AL Central-leading White Sox some bullpen help for the rest of the season and maybe the playoffs, too. “It’s kind of a unique thing for a trade to happen between crosstown rivals. I’m excited,” Tepera said. “Obviously going to a first-place team, playoff contention, I’m looking forward to it.” It was the second trade of the day for the White Sox, who also acquired slugging second baseman Cesar Hernandez from the Cleveland Indians. Tepera is 0-2 with a 2.91 ERA and 50 strikeouts in 43 1/3 innings this season and has allowed just one home run over his last 36 appearances. Over his seven-year major league career with Toronto and the Cubs, he's 12-14 with a 3.54 ERA in 279 1/3 innings. “Ryan has been an extremely reliable bullpen arm this season and... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Reliable reliever Ryan Tepera is heading from the North Side to the South Side. The struggling Chicago Cubs traded the 33-year-old right-hander to the crosstown White Sox on Thursday for minor league lefty Bailey Horn, giving the AL Central-leading White Sox some bullpen help for the rest of the season and maybe the playoffs, too. It was the second trade of the day for the White Sox, who also acquired slugging second baseman Cesar Hernandez from the Cleveland Indians. Tepera is 0-2 with a 2.91 ERA and 50 strikeouts in 43 1/3 innings this season and has allowed just one home run over his last 36 appearances. Over his seven-year major league career with Toronto and the Cubs, he's 12-14 with a 3.54 ERA in 279 1/3 innings. “Ryan has been an extremely reliable bullpen arm this season and throughout his career,” White Sox general manager Rick Hahn said in a statement. “We are very pleased to add him to our talented and versatile group of relievers. Across his career with the Blue Jays and Cubs, Ryan has succeeded in a variety of situations and has the ability to get both lefties and righties out at very high rates.” Horn is a combined 2-3 with a 5.63 ERA in 14 appearances for Low-A Kannapolis and High-A Winston-Salem. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

CLEVELAND (AP) — The Indians probably can't catch the Chicago White Sox, so they're helping their AL Central rival. Cleveland traded second baseman Cesar Hernandez to the first-place White Sox on Thursday for minor league pitcher Konnor Pilkington — a move that signals the Indians are conceding the division. “We made the trade that we felt made the most sense for us and this is the direction we went,” Indians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti said. "Just as we tried to be realistic in assessing where we are, we’re going to continue to do our best to win as many games as possible. “But the reality is the White Sox are a number of games in front of us and we’re intent on improving. If they didn’t acquire Cesar, we were pretty confident they were going to acquire another talented player from another team.” The White Sox, who lead the Indians by 8 1/2 games and open a series with them Friday, have been in the market for a second baseman since starter Nick Madrigal suffered a... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — The Indians probably can't catch the Chicago White Sox, so they're helping their AL Central rival. Cleveland traded second baseman Cesar Hernandez to the first-place White Sox on Thursday for minor league pitcher Konnor Pilkington — a move that signals the Indians are conceding the division. “We made the trade that we felt made the most sense for us and this is the direction we went,” Indians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti said. "Just as we tried to be realistic in assessing where we are, we’re going to continue to do our best to win as many games as possible. “But the reality is the White Sox are a number of games in front of us and we’re intent on improving. If they didn’t acquire Cesar, we were pretty confident they were going to acquire another talented player from another team.” The White Sox, who lead the Indians by 8 1/2 games and open a series with them Friday, have been in the market for a second baseman since starter Nick Madrigal suffered a... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — The Indians probably can't catch the Chicago White Sox, so they're helping their AL Central rival. Cleveland traded second baseman Cesar Hernandez to the first-place White Sox on Thursday for minor league pitcher Konnor Pilkington. The White Sox, who lead the Indians by 8 1/2 games and open a series with them Friday, have been in the market for a second baseman since starter Nick Madrigal suffered a season-ending hamstring tear June 10. In Hernandez, Chicago is getting a Gold Glove defender who can bat leadoff and drive in runs for manager Tony La Russa. The 31-year-old Hernandez is hitting .231 in his second season with the Indians with eight home runs and 47 RBIs in 96 games. "Cesar Hernández provides our club with a valuable combination of a power bat in the middle infield and Gold-Glove quality defense,” Chicago general manager Rick Hahn said. “Adding a player like Cesar gives Tony a strong and proven option at second base for the stretch run of the season and hopefully... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — The Indians probably can't catch the Chicago White Sox, so they're helping their AL Central rival. Cleveland traded second baseman Cesar Hernandez to the first-place White Sox on Thursday in return for minor league pitcher Konnor Pilkington. The White Sox, who lead the Indians by 8 1/2 games and open a series with them on Friday, have been in the market for a second baseman since starter Nick Madrigal suffered a season-ending hamstring tear on June 10. In Hernandez, Chicago is getting a Gold Glove defender who can bat leadoff and drive in runs. The 31-year-old Hernandez is hitting .231 in his second season with the Indians with eight home runs and 47 RBIs in 96 games. Hernandez has always been viewed as the player most likely to be dealt before Friday's deadline because of the Indians' depth with middle infielders. Andrés Giménez, who was acquired from the Mets in the offseason as part of the Francisco Lindor deal, is ready at Triple-A and Owen Miller, Tyler Freeman and... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — The Cleveland Indians are finalizing a trade that will send second baseman Cesar Hernandez to the AL Central-leading Chicago White Sox, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press on Thursday. The Indians are getting minor league pitcher Konnor Pilkington from the White Sox, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the teams are still working through details. The left-hander has pitched in Double-A this season. ESPN was first to report the agreement. The trading deadline is Friday, when Cleveland opens a three-game series in Chicago. The decision to deal the 31-year-old Hernandez to their division rival signals a concession by the Indians, who have managed to stay around .500 despite a slew of injuries. They're currently without reigning Cy Young winner Shane Bieber because of a shoulder issue and starter Aaron Civale, who was leading the league in wins earlier this season before hurting his finger in a start against the Cubs. Hernandez... [More]

The Chicago White Sox have acquired second baseman Cesar Hernandez from the Cleveland Indians in exchange for Double-A left-handed pitcher Konnor Pilkington. The White Sox were rumored to be involved in trade talks for infielders Adam Frazier and Eduardo Escobar, but were outbid by the Padres and Brewers during the process. Hernandez is hitting .231 on the year with 18 home runs and 47 RBI and should be a regular at the second base position for the Pale Hose. Depending where he is slotted in the lineup, Hernandez should be able to score more runs with his new offense. Pilkington has a 3.48 ERA in Double-A this season and is a long-term option for the Indians moving forward. The White Sox don't appear to be done making moves and it has been rumored that they are looking for bullpen help with Richard Rodriguez, Ryan Tepera and Paul Fry being amongst the names they have checked in on.

Cleveland Indians second baseman Cesar Hernandez went 2-for-3 with a two-run home run and three RBI in Wednesday's 7-2 win over the St. Louis Cardinals. Hernandez continues to tack on to his career-high total for home runs as he now has 18 on the season to go along with 47 RBI and 60 runs scored. Fantasy managers could do a lot worse than Hernandez as a reserve second baseman.

Marcus Stroman pitched one-hit ball for eight innings, Dominic Smith launched a grand slam and the New York Mets cruised to a 7-0 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday. Stroman (7-8) gave up a leadoff single to Aristides Aquino in the third inning and little else. He struck out seven and walked one while giving New York’s beleaguered bullpen precious rest going into Thursday’s day off. Jeurys Familia struck out three in a hitless ninth. Luis Guillorme hit his first homer of the season and Jonathan Villar also connected for the NL East leaders. Mets manager Luis Rojas returned to the dugout after serving a two-game suspension for excessive arguing on Sunday. Jeff Hoffman (3-5) came off the 10-day injured list to make his first start since May 26 and lasted four innings, allowing seven hits — including Smith's slam — and five runs with three walks. GIANTS 4, DODGERS 2 LOS ANGELS (AP) — Wilmer Flores hit a go-ahead, two-run homer off closer Kenley Jansen in the ninth inning and San Francisco... [More]

Marcus Stroman pitched one-hit ball for eight innings, Dominic Smith launched a grand slam and the New York Mets cruised to a 7-0 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday. Stroman (7-8) gave up a leadoff single to Aristides Aquino in the third inning and little else. He struck out seven and walked one while giving New York’s beleaguered bullpen precious rest going into Thursday’s day off. Jeurys Familia struck out three in a hitless ninth. Luis Guillorme hit his first homer of the season and Jonathan Villar also connected for the NL East leaders. Mets manager Luis Rojas returned to the dugout after serving a two-game suspension for excessive arguing on Sunday. Jeff Hoffman (3-5) came off the 10-day injured list to make his first start since May 26 and lasted four innings, allowing seven hits — including Smith's slam — and five runs with three walks. RED SOX 7, BLUE JAYS 4 BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — J.D. Martinez and Hunter Renfroe connected back-to-back as Boston won a home run derby in Toronto’s... [More]

Marcus Stroman pitched one-hit ball for eight innings, Dominic Smith launched a grand slam and the New York Mets cruised to a 7-0 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday. Stroman (7-8) gave up a leadoff single to Aristides Aquino in the third inning and little else. He struck out seven and walked one while giving New York’s beleaguered bullpen precious rest going into Thursday’s day off. Jeurys Familia struck out three in a hitless ninth. Luis Guillorme hit his first homer of the season and Jonathan Villar also connected for the NL East leaders. Mets manager Luis Rojas returned to the dugout after serving a two-game suspension for excessive arguing on Sunday. Jeff Hoffman (3-5) came off the 10-day injured list to make his first start since May 26 and lasted four innings, allowing seven hits — including Smith's slam — and five runs with three walks. RED SOX 7, BLUE JAYS 4 BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — J.D. Martinez and Hunter Renfroe connected back-to-back as Boston won a home run derby in Toronto’s... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — Freddie Freeman homered off Yu Darvish in the sixth inning, Touki Toussaint allowed one run and three hits in his season debut, and the Atlanta Braves beat the San Diego Padres 2-1 on Tuesday night. Toussaint, who missed the first 3½ months rehabbing a right shoulder strain, retired the first seven batters he faced before walking Victor Caratini in the third. He didn’t allow a hit until Manny Machado doubled with one out in the fourth. The Padres tied it 1-all in the fourth when Jake Cronenworth was hit by a pitch, advanced to third on Machado’s double and scored on Tommy Pham’s sacrifice fly. Freeman made it 2-1 by taking Darvish deep over the wall in left field with an opposite-field shot, his 22nd homer. Toussaint (1-0) walked two and struck out five in 6 2/3 innings. Darvish (7-4) was making his first start since July 8 after a stint on the injured list due to left hip inflammation. He allowed four hits and two runs with two walks and three strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings.... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — Freddie Freeman homered off Yu Darvish in the sixth inning, Touki Toussaint allowed one run and three hits in his season debut, and the Atlanta Braves beat the San Diego Padres 2-1 on Tuesday night. Toussaint, who missed the first 3½ months rehabbing a right shoulder strain, retired the first seven batters he faced before walking Victor Caratini in the third. He didn’t allow a hit until Manny Machado doubled with one out in the fourth. The Padres tied it 1-all in the fourth when Jake Cronenworth was hit by a pitch, advanced to third on Machado’s double and scored on Tommy Pham’s sacrifice fly. Freeman made it 2-1 by taking Darvish deep over the wall in left field with an opposite-field shot, his 22nd homer. Toussaint (1-0) walked two and struck out five in 6 2/3 innings. Darvish (7-4) was making his first start since July 8 after a stint on the injured list due to left hip inflammation. He allowed four hits and two runs with two walks and three strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings.... [More]