NEW YORK (AP) — Joey Votto homered for the seventh straight game, one shy of a major league record, and the Cincinnati Reds beat the New York Mets 6-2 on Friday night. Jonathan India went deep twice for the Reds, including a leadoff shot that came on Carlos Carrasco’s first pitch with the Mets. Acquired from Cleveland in January, the veteran right-hander finally made his New York debut after recovering from a hamstring injury. It was an up-and-down day for the Mets, who made a big deal to get Javier Báez from the Chicago Cubs before baseball’s trade deadline — and then revealed injured ace Jacob deGrom will be shut down for two more weeks because of inflammation in his pitching elbow, making it unlikely he’ll rejoin the NL East leaders before September. Báez was acquired from the Cubs along with right-hander Trevor Williams for outfield prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong, the Mets’ first-round pick in the 2020 amateur draft. Báez is expected to join the Mets on Saturday and will play shortstop... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Javier Báez got his wish: He's headed to New York to play with Francisco Lindor. But first, the Mets are counting on their big-name newcomer to replace his good buddy at shortstop for a while. With the trade deadline fast approaching Friday, the NL East leaders acquired Báez and pitcher Trevor Williams from the Chicago Cubs for outfield prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong. Báez, a two-time All-Star and 2020 Gold Glove winner, gives New York an immediate fill-in for Lindor. The star shortstop, obtained from Cleveland in a blockbuster deal last winter, is sidelined with a strained oblique and not expected back until at least mid-to-late August. “I’m super excited. I couldn’t be happier," Lindor said. "I can’t wait for him to come out here and put on a show for everybody.” The flashy Báez, who can become a free agent after the season, is batting .248 with 22 home runs and 65 RBIs. He has a .775 OPS and 13 stolen bases in 16 tries, but also leads the National League with 131 strikeouts.... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Joey Votto homered for the seventh straight game, one shy of a major league record, and the Cincinnati Reds beat the New York Mets 6-2 on Friday night. Jonathan India went deep twice for the Reds, including a leadoff shot that came on Carlos Carrasco’s first pitch with the Mets. Acquired from Cleveland in January, the veteran right-hander finally made his New York debut after recovering from a hamstring injury. It was an up-and-down day for the Mets, who made a big deal to get Javier Báez from the Chicago Cubs before baseball’s trade deadline — and then revealed injured ace Jacob deGrom will be shut down for two more weeks because of inflammation in his pitching elbow, making it unlikely he’ll rejoin the NL East leaders before September. Báez was acquired from the Cubs along with right-hander Trevor Williams for outfield prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong, the Mets’ first-round pick in the 2020 amateur draft. Báez is expected to join the Mets on Saturday and will play shortstop... [More]

Boston Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts scored two of Boston's three runs against the Tampa Bay Rays Friday, going 2-for-5 with two singles. Bogaerts has not enjoyed a very strong July, slashing just .227/.294/.373 with two home runs in 75 at-bats. His OPS has slipped to .884, the lowest it's been since April 13. In fact, the whole offense has sputtered of late, but fantasy managers should have confidence that Bogaerts is in excellent position to bounce back, and he remains a top option.

NEW YORK (AP) — Joey Votto homered for the seventh straight game, one shy of a major league record, and the Cincinnati Reds beat the New York Mets 6-2 on Friday night. Jonathan India went deep twice for the Reds, including a leadoff shot that came on Carlos Carrasco’s first pitch with the Mets. Acquired from Cleveland in January, the veteran right-hander finally made his New York debut after recovering from a hamstring injury. It was an up-and-down day for the Mets, who made a big deal to get Javier Báez from the Chicago Cubs before baseball’s trade deadline — and then revealed injured ace Jacob deGrom will be shut down for two more weeks because of inflammation in his pitching elbow, making it unlikely he’ll rejoin the NL East leaders before September. Báez was acquired from the Cubs along with right-hander Trevor Williams for outfield prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong, the Mets’ first-round pick in the 2020 amateur draft. Báez is expected to join the Mets on Saturday and will play shortstop... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Javier Báez got his wish: He's headed to New York to play with Francisco Lindor. But first, the Mets are counting on their big-name newcomer to replace his good buddy at shortstop for a while. With the trade deadline fast approaching Friday, the Mets acquired Báez and pitcher Trevor Williams from the Chicago Cubs for outfield prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong. Báez, a two-time All-Star and 2020 Gold Glove winner, gives New York an immediate fill-in for Lindor. The star shortstop, obtained from Cleveland in a blockbuster deal last winter, is sidelined with a strained oblique and not expected back until at least mid-to-late August. “I’m super excited. I couldn’t be happier," Lindor said. "I can’t wait for him to come out here and put on a show for everybody.” Báez, who can become a free agent after the season, is batting .248 with 22 home runs and 65 RBIs. He has a .775 OPS and 13 stolen bases in 16 tries, but also leads the National League with 131 strikeouts. He's made 18 errors... [More]

Chicago White Sox closer Liam Hendriks recorded his 26th save of the season versus the Cleveland Indians on Friday. Hendriks was coming off a blown save on Wednesday, but returned to form this evening with a 1-2-3 inning to secure a White Sox victory. Hendriks remains one of the best closers in the game and now owns a 2.53 ERA. The White Sox acquired closer Craig Kimbrel earlier in the day and Kimbrel has been one of the best closers in the league this year. Manager Tony La Russa said that he expects both Hendriks and Kimbrel to record saves and both should have plenty of value the rest of the season, especially in leagues that count holds.

Max Scherzer and Trea Turner wearing Dodger blue, Kris Bryant heading to the Golden Gate. Javier Báez joining the Mets, Craig Kimbrel crossing town to the White Sox, José Berríos moving north of the border. Now this truly was an All-Star trade deadline day. After a run-up that saw the likes of Nelson Cruz, Anthony Rizzo, Joey Gallo and Adam Frazier swapped, even more big names changed teams during a whirlwind Friday. From contenders boosting their roster to the also-ran Chicago Cubs and Washington Nationals gutting theirs, this was a monster day for moves. “They all feel busy, but today was nonstop,” said Cleveland president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti, who made three trades. “We executed a number of trades but there were probably at least another dozen other ones that we contemplated seriously at different points in time and exchanged different ideas,” he said. Several playoff chasers pursued arms, with Toronto landing Berríos, Philadelphia getting Kyle Gibson and Ian Kennedy,... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Joey Votto homered for the seventh straight game, one shy of a major league record, and the Cincinnati Reds beat the New York Mets 6-2 on Friday night. Jonathan India went deep twice for the Reds, including a leadoff shot that came on Carlos Carrasco’s first pitch with the Mets. Acquired from Cleveland in January, the veteran right-hander finally made his New York debut after recovering from a hamstring injury. It was an up-and-down day for the Mets, who made a big deal to get Javier Báez from the Chicago Cubs before baseball’s trade deadline — and then revealed injured ace Jacob deGrom will be shut down for two more weeks because of inflammation in his pitching elbow, making it unlikely he’ll rejoin the NL East leaders before September. Báez was acquired from the Cubs along with right-hander Trevor Williams for outfield prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong, the Mets’ first-round pick in the 2020 amateur draft. Báez is expected to join the Mets on Saturday and will play shortstop... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Joey Votto homered for the seventh straight game, one shy of a major league record, and the Cincinnati Reds beat the New York Mets 6-2 on Friday night. Jonathan India went deep twice for the Reds, including a leadoff shot that came on Carlos Carrasco’s first pitch with the Mets. Acquired from Cleveland in January, the veteran right-hander finally made his New York debut after recovering from a hamstring injury. It was an up-and-down day for the Mets, who made a big deal to get Javier Báez from the Chicago Cubs before baseball’s trade deadline — and then revealed injured ace Jacob deGrom will be shut down for two more weeks because of inflammation in his pitching elbow, making it unlikely he’ll rejoin the NL East leaders before September. Báez was acquired from the Cubs along with right-hander Trevor Williams for outfield prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong, the Mets’ first-round pick in the 2020 amateur draft. Báez is expected to join the Mets on Saturday and will play shortstop... [More]

A look at what’s happening around the majors Saturday: ___ EIGHT IS ENOUGH Joey Votto has homered in seven straight games and the Cincinnati Reds star can match a major league record by going deep against the New York Mets. Votto connected for a solo shot to center field off Mets reliever Drew Smith during Cincinnati's 6-2 victory Friday night at Citi Field. The six-time All-Star and 2010 NL MVP became the eighth player to homer in at least seven straight games and first since Kendrys Morales did it for the Toronto Blue Jays in August 2018. Dale Long (1956), Don Mattingly (1987) and Ken Griffey Jr. (1993) are the only players to go deep in eight consecutive games. Votto has nine homers and 15 RBIs during his streak, which began last Saturday and includes just one hit that wasn’t a home run — an infield single against the Chicago Cubs on Thursday. ___ REVISED ROSTERS Plenty of big-name players are in different uniforms this weekend after a whirlwind of activity before MLB's trade deadline... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — With a pair of new sluggers in place, the New York Yankees are ready to make their playoff drive. First baseman Anthony Rizzo homered in his Yankees debut Friday night and All-Star outfielder Joey Gallo also suited up with New York for the first time in the opener of a three-game series against the Miami Marlins. New York obtained Gallo and left-handed reliever Joely Rodríguez from the Texas Rangers for four minor league prospects Thursday. Rizzo’s nine-year tenure with the Chicago Cubs ended after he was sent to the Yankees for two prospects. Entering the weekend series at Miami, the Yankees were 8 1/2 games behind AL East leader Boston and 3 1/2 behind Oakland for the league's second wild card. “I’ve been hearing for some time that it was a possibility, that New York was in play for me,” Gallo said. “I grew up a huge Yankee fan. My family is from New York. It was pretty surreal they told me I was going to the Yankees. A great opportunity — it’s an amazing team to be a part... [More]

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Astros left-handed reliever Brooks Raley was suspended for three games and fined Friday by Major League Baseball for intentionally throwing at and hitting Seattle's J.P. Crawford on Monday night. Raley appealed the penalty announced by MLB on Friday, when Houston opened a weekend series at San Francisco — where Astros manager Dusty Baker was set to manage against his former club but sat out with a one-game suspension. The penalties were made public after the pregame media availability for Baker, who watched his team take batting practice behind the cage wearing dress clothes not his usual uniform. Raley plunked Crawford in the back on a 3-1 pitch after surrendering Dylan Moore's grand slam that helped the Mariners rally to an 11-8 comeback win. ___ More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Reid Detmers will make his Major League debut on Sunday to close out the series against the Athletics. With Shohei Ohtani (thumb) having his start moved because of a sore thumb, the 22-year-old will now get his chance after spending time in the minors. The southpaw owned a 3.50 ERA and a 97/18 K/BB throughout 12 starts (54 innings) for Double-A Rocket City. Fantasy managers looking to fill a void should grab him before it's too late, especially those looking for strikeouts in category formats.

MIAMI (AP) — The New York Yankees acquired Los Angeles Angels starter Andrew Heaney on Friday, adding a pitcher after making two big trades for sluggers. The Yankees got the 30-year-old lefty and cash for minor league right-handers Janson Junk and Elvis Peguero. New York began the day at 53-48, fourth in the AL wild-card race for two spots. As Friday's trade deadline approached, the Yankees got All-Star outfielder Joey Gallo from Texas and star first baseman Anthony Rizzo from the Chicago Cubs. Heaney was 6-7 with a 5.27 ERA in 18 starts for the Angels this year. He is 30-36 with a 4.57 ERA in eight seasons with Miami and Los Angeles — he posted his first big league win against the Yankees in 2015. Angels general manager Perry Minasian said one major reason for the move was the development of Reid Detmers, who will make his major-league debut on Saturday against Oakland. Detmers was the 10th overall pick in the 2020 draft, threw six shutout innings and struck out nine in his only start... [More]

Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani (thumb) will not start during the series against the Oakland Athletics, as initially expected. The 27-year-old is currently battling a sore thumb after being struck by a foul ball while in the dugout during Wednesday's matchup against the Colorado Rockies. However, he shouldn't have any issues retaining his usual role as the designated hitter. Nonetheless, Ohtani will likely be back on the hill during the upcoming trip to Texas to face the Rangers. In the meantime, Jaime Barria will now start on Saturday, and the debuting Reid Detmers will close things out against the A's on Sunday.

NEW YORK (AP) — Javier Báez got his wish: He's headed to New York to play with longtime pal Francisco Lindor. But first, the Mets are counting on their big-name newcomer to hold down the fort at shortstop for a while. With the trade deadline fast approaching Friday, the Mets acquired Báez and pitcher Trevor Williams from the Chicago Cubs for outfield prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong. Báez, a two-time All-Star and 2020 Gold Glove winner, gives New York an immediate fill-in for Lindor. The star shortstop, obtained from Cleveland in a blockbuster deal last winter, is sidelined with a strained oblique and not expected back until at least mid-to-late August. Báez, who can become a free agent after the season, is batting .248 with 22 home runs and 65 RBIs. He has a .775 OPS and 13 stolen bases in 16 tries, but also leads the National League with 131 strikeouts. He has made 18 errors in 88 games. “We think he adds a lot — brings a ton of energy to our team," Mets acting general manager Zack Scott... [More]

Colorado Rockies shortstop Trevor Story will not start on Friday evening against the Padres. Although the veteran's name was floating around as a potential trade target ahead of the deadline, the 28-year-old will remain in the Mile High City. It's uncertain why he's not in the lineup against San Diego, but Brendan Rodgers will slide over to cover short while Garrett Hampson will take over at the keystone.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Washington Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo wore his 2019 World Series ring Friday as a reminder of the annual goal for his franchise. There won't be another one this season, with only a handful of players still left from that championship won less than two years ago. The Nationals this week traded eight players, and among those dealt to contenders were Max Scherzer, a two-time NL Cy Young winner in Washington, and All-Star shortstop Trea Turner. “It’s a difficult decision to make, but oftentimes a decision is made for you,” said Rizzo, whose team is now near the bottom of the NL East standings. “This year it was, and we recognized where we were and what work we had in front of us. We decided to begin a building process that will allow us to compete at the highest level.” The complete teardown of that title team from baseball's last full 162-game season came even swifter than that of the Chicago Cubs. In their own selloff before Friday's deadline, the Cubs traded away... [More]

Max Scherzer and Trea Turner wearing Dodger blue, Kris Bryant heading to the Golden Gate. Javier Báez joining the Mets, Craig Kimbrel crossing town to the White Sox, José Berríos moving north of the border. Now this truly was an All-Star trade deadline day. After a run-up that saw the likes of Nelson Cruz, Anthony Rizzo, Joey Gallo and Adam Frazier swapped, even more big names changed teams during a whirlwind Friday. From contenders boosting their roster to the also-ran Chicago Cubs and Washington Nationals gutting theirs, this was a monster day for moves. “They all feel busy, but today was nonstop,” said Cleveland president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti, who made three trades. “We executed a number of trades but there were probably at least another dozen other ones that we contemplated seriously at different points in time and exchanged different ideas,” he said. Several playoff chasers pursued arms, with Toronto landing Berríos, Philadelphia getting Kyle Gibson and Ian Kennedy,... [More]