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Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton suffered an apparent right knee injury when he crashed into the center field wall while trying to make a leaping catch during Friday night’s game against the Texas Rangers.

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Latest on Buxton’s Playing Status

Saturday, July 9

According to MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger, Buxton suffered a bone bruise. His MRI didn’t reveal any other damage, so he “could be available soon.”

Buxton was initially diagnosed with a knee contusion and listed as day-to-day, Bollinger reported Friday.

Injuries Continue to Nag Buxton

Buxton suffered a bruised left hand when he was hit by a pitch during an April 14 loss to the Chicago White Sox, and while it wasn’t serious, it continued a trend.

The 22-year-old was limited to 31 games in the minors in 2014 prior to playing 13 games in the Arizona Fall League, and he was sidelined again last year with a sprained left thumb.

During the 2016 campaign—which has included a demotion to the minors—Buxton is batting .212 with one home run, 12 RBI, a .253 on-base percentage and six steals in 47 games.

Should Buxton miss more time, Danny Santana would likely fill in as Minnesota’s center fielder. Eddie Rosario or Max Kepler can also play center.

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New York Mets pitcher Matt Harvey was placed on the 15-day disabled list Wednesday with discomfort in his right shoulder. He will miss the rest of the season because of thoracic outlet syndrome. 

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Harvey Out for Season

Friday, July 8

Harvey’s agent, Scott Boras, said the pitcher would miss the rest of the season to undergo surgery on his thoracic outlet syndrome, per Adam Rubin of ESPN.com. 

Harvey Comments on Injury

Thursday, July 7

“My shoulder’s dead, my arm’s dead, there’s no energy there, I couldn’t feel the ball,” Harvey said after his last start, according to manager Terry Collins (per Wagner).

Harvey Placed on DL

Wednesday, July 6

The Mets announced Seth Lugo was recalled from Las Vegas to fill Harvey’s spot on the roster.

Harvey No Stranger to Injuries

The setback represents just another injury woe for the ace, who has struggled with consistency throughout the 2016 season.

Harvey dealt with a blood clot in his bladder in late March, but it didn’t prevent him from taking the mound on Opening Day. However, the 2015 National League Comeback Player of the Year didn’t look like himself over the first month of the season.

He went 1-3 over his first four starts with a 5.24 ERA, 14 strikeouts and eight walks. Some poor mechanics may have been to blame.

According to Newsday‘s Marc Carig, Mets pitching coach Dan Warthen said Harvey was “collapsing his back leg in the stretch,” which hindered his consistency.

All told, Harvey is 4-10 this season with a career-worst 4.86 ERA, 1.486 WHIP, 76 strikeouts and 25 walks.

Manager Terry Collins can take solace in the fact that he has one of the strongest rotations in baseball to help compensate for Harvey’s absence. Between Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard, Bartolo Colon and Steven Matz, the Mets have enough firepower to keep opposing batters at bay.

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Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Jung Ho Kang is the subject of an investigation regarding an alleged sexual assault that occurred in Chicago last month, a police spokesman confirmed Tuesday to the Chicago Tribune‘s Stacy St. Clair and David Heinzmann.   

Stephen J. Nesbitt of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette relayed an official statement from the Pirates regarding the investigation: 

“Our understanding is that police in Chicago are investigating this very serious matter,” Major League Baseball added in a statement, per St. Clair and Heinzmann. “Major League Baseball will monitor the progress of this investigation closely and will respond fully as additional facts emerge.”

Citing police, St. Clair and Heinzmann reported that Kang allegedly invited a 23-year-old woman he met through the online dating application Bumble to his hotel room in Chicago. The woman told police the alleged assault occurred after she blacked out following the consumption of an alcoholic beverage Kang offered her. 

Kang has not been formally charged, per St. Clair and Heinzmann, but he will not be in the Pirates’ starting lineup Tuesday evening against the St. Louis Cardinals, per the team’s official Twitter account. 

He was in the clubhouse before the game, according to Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune, who added the club had a team meeting.

In his second MLB season, the 29-year-old from South Korea is batting .250 with 11 home runs, 28 RBI, 38 strikeouts, 10 walks and a .326 on-base percentage. 

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Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig left Wednesday’s game against the Milwaukee Brewers after he collided with the right field fence and suffered a minor knee contusion, per MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick. However, he has been cleared to return.

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Puig Active vs. Brewers

Thursday, June 30

The Dodgers announced Puig will play against the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday.

Injuries Continue to Surface for Puig

Puig was scratched from the Dodgers lineup on May 31 with a sore left hamstring, and the injury raised some eyebrows since the slugger was limited to just 79 games during the 2015 season due to recurring right hamstring troubles.

Over the course of the truncated campaign, Puig batted just .255 with 11 home runs, 38 RBI, 66 strikeouts and 26 walks.

Entering Wednesday night’s clash, Puig was batting .248 with six home runs and 23 RBI over the course of 60 appearances.

Joc Pederson suffered a shoulder injury on Tuesday night after he collided with the outfield wall while making a spectacular catch, so Puig’s return is a welcomed sight for the Dodgers.

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New York Mets pitcher Noah Syndergaard suffered an elbow injury during his start Wednesday against the Kansas City Royals. He is expected to return on Monday against the Washington Nationals.

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Syndergaard Comments on Injury

Friday, June 24

“It was just a little thing I was feeling that wasn’t allowing me to finish my pitches and compete to the fullest ability that I’m able to compete at,” Syndergaard said, per Adam Rubin of ESPN.com. “So I just told them that, hey, something is bothering me a little bit. The MRI turned out to be perfect, just a little something that flared up. I’ll be ready to go on Monday, though.”

Latest on Syndergaard’s Recovery

Thursday, June 23

Anthony DiComo of the league’s official site reported Syndergaard will make his next scheduled start Monday against the Washington Nationals.

Syndergaard MRI Shows No Damage

Wednesday, June 22

Rubin reported Syndergaard’s availability to start on Monday is unclear after his MRI came back clean, though he has been cleared to resume his normal routine.

Syndergaard Emerging as One of MLB‘s Best Pitchers

The 23-year-old emerged as an integral piece of the team’s vaunted rotation as a rookie, and he rounded out his first year in the majors with a 9-7 record, 3.24 ERA and 1.047 WHIP. He also tallied the only win among Mets pitchers during the team’s 2015 World Series clash with the Kansas City Royals. 

“At the end of the season, this guy was a bona fide major league pitcher who commanded respect from his teammates because of the way he worked, the way he went about things,” manager Terry Collins said, per the New York Post‘s Ken Davidoff. “And commanded respect from the other side of the field. So he made huge strides, and I think we’re going to see the results of it.”

Before Wednesday, Syndergaard had notched a 7-2 record to go with a 1.91 ERA and 0.965 WHIP. 

Any sort of extended absence from the ace won’t bode well for the Mets’ chances, but Collins’ club has enough depth to withstand a missed start or two.

With Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom, Bartolo Colon and Steven Matz all integral pieces of New York’s rotation, the Mets can take solace in the fact a minor injury won’t squash their grand aspirations.

However, anything more would serve as a legitimate cause for concern. 

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com unless noted otherwise.   

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Hours after the Texas Rangers released Ike Davis from his minor league contract, the first baseman agreed to ink a major league contract with the New York Yankees, according to Today’s Knuckleball’s Jon Heyman. 

Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News confirmed the report.   

Following four seasons with the New York Mets, Davis was dealt to the Pittsburgh Pirates a few months into the 2014 season. While he was afforded the opportunity to shine over the course of 397 plate appearances, he floundered to the tune of a .235 batting average, 10 home runs and 46 RBI. 

The Oakland A’s acquired Davis in a trade with Pittsburgh the following November, but his struggles at the plate continued.

In 74 appearances, he batted just .229 with three homers and 20 RBI. The first baseman was also bothered by a left hip injury that sent him to the 60-day disabled list before he underwent season-ending surgery. 

The Yankees have been dogged by injuries to first basemen Mark Teixeira, Greg Bird, Dustin Ackley and Chris Parmelee already this year, so they’ll hope Davis can at least stay healthy as he tries to recapture some of the 2012 form that saw him blast a career-high 32 home runs. 

But even if Davis does turn back the clock, the Bronx Bombers can’t count on him to produce consistently at the plate. He is a career .239 hitter, and he’s tallied at least 100 strikeouts in three of the four seasons in which he played at least 100 games.

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New York Mets manager Terry Collins was reportedly not feeling well before the team’s game Sunday against the Milwaukee Brewers and was transported to the hospital, according to SNY’s Steve Gelbs. However, the manager has returned to the team.

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Collins Comments on Health

Tuesday, June 14

Collins told reporters he “feels great” and that he’s “really glad it’s nothing serious.” Collins added that he was “disoriented for a minute” and that the doctors could not find an explanation for his illness other than potential dehydration.

Timeline for Collins’ Return Established

Monday, June 13

Mike Puma of the New York Post reported Collins will return to the team to manage Tuesday’s game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Collins Taken to Hospital for Precautionary Tests

Sunday, June 12

ESPN.com’s Adam Rubin reported Collins was “alert,” according to Mets assistant general manager John Ricco. 

Puma reported Collins will be admitted to the hospital overnight for further testing.

“We’re just being cautious here,” Ricco said, per Newsday‘s Marc Carig.

Ricco told reporters Collins felt ill roughly 30 minutes before the start of the contest and was taken to the hospital to undergo tests, per Carig.

Carig added that bench coach Dick Scott would manage Sunday’s game in Collins’ absence.

In December, the Mets named Scott their new bench coach after Bob Geren bolted for the Los Angeles Dodgers. According to the New York Daily News‘ Kristie Ackert, Scott previously served as the Mets’ director of player development and field coordinator.

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The New York Yankees boast one of MLB‘s deepest bullpens, and teams are reportedly starting to do their homework on reliever Aroldis Chapman in advance of the July 31 trade deadline.

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Cubs Keeping Tabs on Chapman

Sunday, June 12

According to the New York Post‘s George A. King III, the Chicago Cubs sent scout Jason Parks to Yankee Stadium over the weekend to take a look at closer Aroldis Chapman as well as star relief arms Andrew Miller and Dellin Betances. 

King added the Yankees “likely will listen on Miller and Chapman. Meanwhile, “dealing Betances also isn’t out of the question” if the team isn’t in prime position to clinch a playoff spot when the trade deadline rolls around. 

The Chicago Sun-Times‘ Gordon Wittenmyer cited a source who said “the Cubs have made it known they’re prepared to strike early to add pitching.”

A four-time All-Star, Chapman has been solid for the Yankees since returning from a 30-game domestic violence-related suspension. Over the course of 15 appearances, he has tallied 11 saves, 21 strikeouts and just three walks while posting an ERA of 1.93. 

But despite the success Chapman has experienced in a small 14-inning sample, the Yankees could conceivably ship him to the Cubs or another interested party and get some return on their investment before he becomes a free agent this winter. 

According to King, “Chapman is making $11.325 million this year, is a free agent following the season and not likely to return to the Yankees.”

As for the Cubs, adding Chapman would bolster an already strong bullpen. Chicago’s relievers rank fourth in the National League with a 3.41 ERA, and their opponents’ batting average of .205 clocks in at No. 2 overall among all NL clubs. 

Reliever Hector Rondon has successfully carried out all 11 of his save opportunities this year while posting a 1.40 ERA, and adding Chapman would give the Cubs a left-handed fireballer to pair with their steady right-handed reliever. 

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The Baltimore Orioles selected Preston Palmeiro, the son of four-time MLB All-Star and 500-home run club member Rafael Palmeiro, in the seventh round of the MLB draft.   

Preston, 21, is a left-handed bat and right-handed glove who made a name for himself as a first baseman at North Carolina State. 

Baseball America‘s Michael Lananna provided a brief overview of Palmeiro’s skill set: 

As a junior at NC State, Palmeiro flashed one of the nation’s steadiest swings from the left side of the plate. According to D1Baseball.com, Palmeiro batted .337 with a .412 on-base percentage, 55 RBI and 20 doubles during the 2016 season. 

However, questions have lingered regarding the youngster’s power. This past season, Palmeiro jacked just nine home runs and slugged a rather average .539. 

But even though Palmeiro doesn’t possess power that conjures up memories of his father’s, he has superb vision at the plate. 

“He understands what the pitcher is going to throw,” NC State catcher Andrew Knizner said, per the News & Observer‘s Joe Giglio. “And he only swings at strikes. He just knows how to take the right pitches.”

Considering his father churned out 3,020 hits and boasted a .288 batting average over the course of a 20-year career, it’s not surprising Preston is so disciplined with the bat in his hands. 

Palmeiro will need to develop a bit more power if he hopes to one day make an impact on an every-day basis, but there’s no doubt his refined skill set lends itself to a prosperous career down the line. 

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The Toronto Blue Jays selected second baseman Bo Bichette, the son of four-time All-Star outfielder Dante Bichette, in the second round of Thursday night’s MLB draft at No. 66 overall. 

The 18-year-old is known for packing serious power and finished his senior year at Lakewood High School with a .569 batting average and 13 home runs, according to the Tampa Bay Times‘ Rodney Page. 

Like his father, who smashed 274 home runs over the course of a 14-year MLB career, Bichette uses tremendous power to stand out. However, he will need to refine his swing as his career continues if he wants to produce consistently at the plate.

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