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The Milwaukee Brewers announced they have traded relief pitcher Neal Cotts to the Minnesota Twins.

In return, Milwaukee will be acquiring cash or a player to be named later.  

35-year-old Cotts has pitched 49.1 innings this season with 48 strikeouts and a 3.28 ERA. He’s been very effective against left-handed bats, allowing a .185 average and becoming a lefty specialist in Minnesota. 

But he has been experiencing problems keeping the ball in the park, giving up nine home runs this season. Any arm will help at this point though as the Twins bullpen situation was not looking good as of late, according to ESPN 1500’s Patrick Reusse:

Ranked 22nd in the majors, the Twins bullpen carried an ERA of 4.20 while ranking in the top-11 in games lost with 20. Injuries were also taking their toll as Minnesota has been without relievers Blaine Boyer and Ryan Pressly

Cotts‘ acquisition is not going to turn things around enough for Minnesota to overcome a 12.5 game hole they’ve created in the American League Central, but a steady left-handed arm in the bullpen that is capable of getting a big out is certainly a step in the right direction.

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com

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The San Francisco Giants announced via their Twitter account on Thursday that they acquired outfielder Marlon Byrd and cash from the Cincinnati Reds for Double-A pitcher Stephen Johnson. 

For the Giants, the deal for Byrd was a necessity, as their outfield was worn dangerously thin. The team had just placed Hunter Pence on the disabled list as he deals with an oblique strain, while Nori Aoki made his return from the seven-day concussion disabled list in a corresponding roster move, bolstering the depth at Bruce Bochy’s disposal.

“I’m excited to have Marlon,” Bochy said, via Alex Pavlovic of CSN Bay Area. “I really respect how he plays the game. He’s excited about coming here. It’s fair to say we could use some help and experience, and he supplies that.”

Prior to the trade and Aoki’s return, Gregor Blanco and Justin Maxwell were the only healthy and established outfielders available with Angel Pagan also shelved on the disabled list, according to MLB.com. 

They’ve recently relied on 28-year-old outfielder Juan Perez, who made his first appearance with the Giants this season on Aug. 13.     

Now, San Francisco adds an established outfielder who holds plenty of pop in his bat, as the 37-year-old has hit 19 home runs in 96 games with the Reds this season. In return Cincinnati gets a righty reliever in Johnson who is 3-0 with 68 strikeouts in 58.0 innings pitched in Double-A this season, according to MiLB.com.

FanGraphs.com’s Kiley McDaniel took a look at what the Reds are getting:

San Francisco currently sits 2.0 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers for the National League West Division lead and 3.0 games back of the Chicago Cubs for the final wild-card spot. To make a late-season push, the Giants will need Byrd to replace some of the power lost with Pence injured.

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.

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Boston Red Sox third baseman Pablo Sandoval suffered a bruised elbow as a result of getting hit by a pitch in Saturday’s game against the Seattle Mariners. X-rays were negative, but Sandoval is still missing game action.

Continue below for updates.

Sandoval Unable to Return to Lineup

Sunday, Aug. 16

The Red Sox announced Sandoval has been replaced by Brock Holt, who is batting second in the lineup, for Sunday’s game.

This isn’t the first time an errant pitch has put the Red Sox third baseman out of commission this season; he missed five games from May 19-25 after being hit by a pitch in the knee. 

Missing time is nothing new for Sandoval, who missed 99 games between the 2011 and 2012 seasons with the San Francisco Giants, as Bleacher Report’s Adam Wells notes. 

Sandoval is a legitimate power threat, but he has struggled to find his form in his debut season at Fenway Park. He’s hitting just .259 with 10 home runs and 39 RBI, as the Red Sox sit in the AL East cellar, 12.5 games back of the division-leading New York Yankees. 

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San Francisco Giants left fielder Norichika Aoki is battling concussion-like symptoms. 

Continue for updates.

Aoki Headed to DL

Thursday, August 13

According to USA Today‘s Jorge L. Ortiz, the Giants placed Aoki on the seven-day disabled list after he left Wednesday’s game against the Houston Astros with “lightheadedness.”

It was Aoki’s first start after being hit in the head by a 92 mph fastball from Chicago Cubs pitcher Jake Arrieta on Sunday, August 9, after which he left the field under his own power. 

Wednesday night was Aoki’s first game back. Giants manager Bruce Bochy told Oliver Macklin of MLB.com that his left fielder “got lightheaded, dizzy, so we had to take him out. We’re treating him at this time for a concussion. He showed symptoms.”      

Coming over from the Kansas City Roayls in the offseason, Aoki has appeared in 80 games in 2015, already making a stint on the DL after fracturing his fibula toward the end of June, according to FoxSports.com. But the 33-year-old has been a vital bat for the Giants, batting .302 with a .368 on-base percentage, making him a prime candidate for being their leadoff man. 

Justin Maxwell replaced Aoki on Wednesday night and will be his replacement moving forward, but he does not have the same capability of finding ways on base like Aoki does. In 86 games this season, Maxwell is batting just .220 with seven home runs and 25 RBI. 

Ortiz also reported Ryan Lollis was called up from Triple-A to add depth to the left field position, but he has appeared in just two games in the majors in 2015 and is hitless in five plate appearances. 

It’s a tough time for the Giants to be losing a run producer like Aoki, who uses his patience at the plate and speed on the basepaths to manufacture runs. San Francisco sits 3.5 games behind the National League West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers and 5.0 games back of the final NL wild-card spot.

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.

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Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Phil Hughes has run into lower back inflammation problems. 

Continue for updates.

Hughes’ Back Forces Him Out

Thursday, August 13

MLB Roster Moves announced on Thursday that Hughes will be placed on the 15-day disabled list because of lower back inflammation.       

Hughes has been struggling through a rough 2015 in which he’s had difficulty keeping the ball out of the stands. In 23 starts this season, Hughes has allowed 28 home runs and 172 hits, the highest respectively among all American League pitchers. 

He had a particularly bad outing on August 9, his last start before being sent to the DL, as he was rocked for seven runs on nine hits in three innings against the Cleveland Indians. 

The Twins are in need of help in their rotation, as Hughes led all starters with 10 wins. However, his 4.49 ERA is among the worst in Minnesota. No starter who has appeared in 14 games or more has an ERA under 3.76. 

According to the Associated Press (via ESPN.com), the Twins have moved Trevor May from the bullpen back to the starter’s group after they initially took him out of the rotation in early July. May is 8-7 with a 4.09 ERA and will start on Friday against the Indians.

Minnesota was not done there, though. It recalled Tyler Duffey, who gave up six runs in two innings against the Toronto Blue Jays in his lone major league start, from Triple-A to start on Saturday. It also activated 5-3 Tommy Milone from the disabled list to start on Sunday.

Making changes to the rotation on the fly is all the Twins could do. They have to figure out a way to cut down on their 4.45 runs allowed per game (sixth worst in the MLB) as they sit just 2.0 games behind the final American League wild-card spot. 

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.

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Pittsburgh Pirates left fielder Starling Marte left Wednesday’s game against the St. Louis Cardinals with an injury to his left hand 

Continue below for updates.

Marte has ‘Discomfort’ in Left Hand

Wednesday, August 12

Marte left Wednesday night’s game in the third inning after injuring his left hand, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette‘s Stephen J. Nesbitt.  

Shortly after his exit, Nesbitt reported the Pirates’ official word on Marte with no timetable issued:

Marte has appeared in 103 games for the Pirates this season, batting .287 with 13 home runs and 57 RBI. He’s already equaled his home run output from last season, when he hit 13 homers in 135 games. 

Pittsburgh will miss Marte’s speed on the basepaths as well. He swiped a career-high 41 bases in 2013, following that up with 30 the following season. He has 22 this year and has been an extremely important asset to their success, according to ESPN Stats & Info:

Marte was replaced by Sean Rodriguez on Wednesday, who is playing in his first season with the Pirates after coming over from the Tampa Bay Rays. There doesn’t seem to be a viable backup plan for the Pirates’ starting left fielder. Rodriguez is batting just .224 this season with three home runs and seven RBI in 93 games.

Another option moving forward could be Travis Ishikawa, who is listed on MLB.com as Marte’s backup. The Pirates acquired Ishikawa through waivers July 5 from the San Francisco Giants after he played just six games for them all season. Since coming to Pittsburgh, he has appeared in 25 games and has recorded just eight hits. 

The Pirates will have to try to keep pace with the National League Central-leading St. Louis Cardinals despite losing Marte. Pittsburgh trails the Cardinals by six games, but they do have a tight hold on the National League wild-card race, with a 2.5-game lead over the second-place Chicago Cubs.

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com

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Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Maikel Franco left Tuesday night’s game against the Arizona Diamondbacks with a wrist injury. 

Continue for updates.

Franco Has a Wrist Contusion

Tuesday, August 11

Franco left Tuesday night’s game against the Diamondbacks in the top of the first inning after being hit on the left wrist by a pitch from Arizona’s Jeremy Hellickson. 

MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki watched as Franco went down:

Shortly after his exit, CSNPhilly.com’s Jim Salisbury reported that X-rays on Franco came back negative and he was diagnosed with a left wrist contusion. There is no timetable for Franco’s return. 

In his rookie season, Franco has been one of the bright spots for a Phillies team that is on pace to have its worst season since 1972. Entering Tuesday night, the Phillies are 46-68 with a .398 winning percentage. That 1972 team had a .378 mark after going 59-97. 

Franco has shown he can thrive with a struggling team, as he ranks second among all Phillies with 13 home runs and 48 RBI, trailing only first baseman Ryan Howard. 

Zolecki even went as far on Monday to say that Franco is playing himself into contention for the National League Rookie of the Year award:

Franco is not getting the attention of NL rookies like Matt Duffy, Joc Pederson and Kris Bryant, but he is worthy of comparisons…Franco would have the highest OPS (.828) and slugging percentage (.490) among NL rookies, if he qualified. He also entered Monday second in doubles (21), fourth in home runs (12), third in RBIs (47) and tied for fourth in walks (25) and extra-base hits (34).

Andres Blanco replaced Franco on Tuesday night and will most likely be the starting third baseman while Philadelphia’s developing star recovers. Despite being a utility infielder, Blanco has shown he is capable of finding his way on base, sporting a .289 average with a .361 on-base percentage that is best on the team. 

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com 

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San Francisco Giants center fielder Angel Pagan has right patella tendinitis. 

Continue for updates.

Pagan To Miss Time Again

Tuesday, August 11

The Giants reported on Tuesday that Pagan has been placed on the 15-day disabled list with right patella tendinitis.    

It is the third consecutive season that Pagan will be missing a significant amount of time because of injury. He played in 71 games in 2013 as he battled hamstring problems and 96 in 2014 with a bad back. 

This has been a nagging injury for Pagan, though, as CSN Bay Area’s Alex Pavlovic reported:

Pagan has been unable to recapture the kind of play that made him such a dynamic piece of the Giants’ roster in the past few years. Usually a speedster who does well to find his way on base, the 34-year-old is batting just .258 with 26 RBI and six stolen bases in 102 games. 

San Francisco has recalled outfielder Juan Perez from Triple-A, who will most likely back up Gregor Blanco while Pagan makes his way back. Blanco has appeared in 86 games in 2015 and is enjoying one of his best seasons in the majors. 

Batting .286 with a .364 on-base percentage, Blanco is a solid replacement for a leadoff man to use while in a bind. 

The Giants can’t afford to let this Pagan injury affect them as they sit 2.5 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West and 3.5 games back of the Chicago Cubs for the last wild-card spot. 

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.

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San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Mike Leake has a strained hamstring. He was placed on the disabled list on August 7, per the team.

Continue for updates.

MRI Reveals Leake’s Strain

Thursday, Aug. 6

According to the Bay Area News Group’s Andrew Baggarly, Leake was scratched from his scheduled start against the Chicago Cubs on August 7 after an MRI revealed a “mild left hamstring strain.”

The Giants acquired Leake from the Cincinnati Reds before the trade deadline on July 31 for two minor leaguers in order to bolster their rotation, which was especially needed after a struggling Tim Hudson hit the 15-day disabled list a day after they made the deal.         

Looking to add support to Madison Bumgarner and Chris Heston in the rotation, Leake’s numbers leading up to his trade were too good to pass up for the Giants, per ESPN Stats & Info:

After losing his first start with the Giants in which he went 6.1 innings and allowed two runs on eight hits against the Texas Rangers, Leake is now 9-6 with a 3.52 ERA in 2015. 

The right-hander’s hot hand is needed for a Giants team that sits 2.5 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers for the National League West while leading those Cubs, the team that Leake will now miss, by half a game. 

Ryan Vogelsong will be the spot starter on Friday, according to Baggarly. The 38-year-old is 7-7 in 2015 with a 4.16 ERA and 15 home runs allowed; he’ll be up against a young Cubs team that is capable of plenty of pop on offense with young stars such as Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant. 

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.

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Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Aaron Sanchez and manager John Gibbons have been suspended by Major League Baseball for their involvement in a bench-clearing spat with the Kansas City Royals on Sunday. 

MLB announced the suspensions and their lengths on Tuesday afternoon:

The feud between the Royals and Blue Jays began in the first inning of Sunday’s game at the Rogers Centre when Kansas City’s Edinson Volquez hit Toronto’s Josh Donaldson. Volquez proceeded to throw high and inside to Donaldson in his next at-bat. 

Things escalated later in the game when reliever Ryan Madson hit new Blue Jay Troy Tulowitzki in the right forearm and then threw high and inside again to Donaldson, who stepped out and implored umpire Jim Wolf to eject the Royals pitcher. But Madson remained in the game. 

Sanchez entered the game in the top of the eighth inning and hit Kansas City’s Alcides Escobar in the leg, which led to his ejection by Wolf. Gibbons was then ejected for arguing with Wolf. 

For highlights of the events courtesy of Sporting News, click here.

According to the Toronto Star‘s Brendan Kennedy, Gibbons is the first Blue Jays manager suspended in quite some time:

Both benches and bullpens emptied, but things remained somewhat tame as the two rosters merely jawed at each other near the pitcher’s mound with some pushing and shoving.

Gibbons will miss the second game of the Blue Jays’ four-game series with the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday, while Sanchez is ineligible to play until Toronto begins its series with the New York Yankees on Friday.

Sanchez started the season as a starter and has since moved to the bullpen, where he has been the eighth-inning man for a Blue Jays team that acquired Tulowitzki early last week and pitcher David Price at the trade deadline in order to mount a charge for the American League East title. 

Toronto sits 5.5 games behind the division-leading Yankees and is hitting its stride, winning five of its last six games, including three of four from the Royals, the best team in the American League. 

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