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Some of the best to ever play the game joined the festivities for the 86th Major League Baseball All-Star Game on Tuesday at Cincinnati’s Great American Ball Park. 

Before the game, MLB revealed its “Franchise Four,” naming the four greatest players in each organization’s history as well as the league’s best.

The four players below were honored as the greatest living players to take the field: 

Fox Sports showed their introduction to the capacity crowd before the All-Star Game:

MLB.com also provided a list of each franchise’s Franchise Four.

Johnny Bench headlined the legends as the hometown favorite adorned the Cincinnati field one more time. One of the greatest catchers in the history of the game, Bench was a 14-time All-Star, recording 389 home runs. 

Sandy Koufax’s early retirement had the baseball world wondering, “What if?” From 1963 to 1966, he was the definition of dominant with the Los Angeles Dodgers. In that four-year span, he thrice won 25 games or more and posted an ERA of 1.88 or lower three times. 

One of the greatest all-around players the game has ever seen, Willie Mays recorded 3,283 hits and 660 home runs with the New York and San Francisco Giants and New York Mets. Patrolling center field better than most, Mays was the perfect combination of power, speed and skill. 

Lastly, former home run king Hank Aaron rounded out the group as one of the greatest living players. His record of 755 career home runs stood until Barry Bonds hit No. 756 in 2007. While known for his home run prowess, Aaron was also a hitting machine, notching 3,771 knocks during a career in which he made 21 consecutive All-Star appearances. 

There was also a Negro Leagues category, which included Cool Papa Bell, Josh Gibson, Buck O’Neil and Satchel Paige, to go along with a pioneers category highlighting some of the game’s earliest stars, like Walter Johnson, Nap Lajoie, Christy Mathewson and Cy Young. 

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.

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Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game is giving its players some much-deserved rest, but the trade market is starting to heat up, as some of the game’s best could be on the move in the coming weeks. 

Those available sit on each end of the spectrum from All-Stars to vital role players. Continue below for some of the latest buzz surrounding the most recent trade rumors: 

Johnny Cueto

Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Johnny Cueto is not seeing the kind of success that made him one of the National League’s best last season. After a 20-9 year with a 2.25 ERA in 2014, Cueto is just 6-6, but he still holds an impressive 2.73 ERA this year. 

He is an ace on a struggling Reds team that has entered the All-Star break with a 39-47 record, 15.5 games behind the National League Central leading St. Louis Cardinals. Their play has Cueto on the trading block, as USA Today‘s Bob Nightengale reports that there are a few teams interested in the right-hander:

The Houston Astros are in need of a second arm that could help put them over the top of the American League West, as they trail the Los Angeles Angels by one-half game. At this point, however, they just need some healthy ones. They currently have just three starters active on their depth chart, as Scott Feldman and Brett Oberholtzer are on the disabled list. 

They do have the American League All-Star team’s starting pitcher, though. Dallas Keuchel is 11-4 with a 2.23 ERA, and adding the likes of Cueto could create one of the best one-two punches in the American League. 

Over in the American League East, the Toronto Blue Jays’ reported interest in Cueto shows that they are very much looking to be buyers, despite trailing the New York Yankees by 4.5 games in the division. 

Their offense is not the problem. With the likes of Josh Donaldson, Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion, the Blue Jays can score runs. Unfortunately for them, their pitching is giving up just as many. 

Four of their five starters this season hold an ERA of 3.50 or higher, including Drew Hutchison’s 5.33 mark. Former Cy Young Award winner R.A. Dickey is having a dreadful season with a 3-10 record to go along with a 4.87 ERA. 

While Cueto would be acquired by the first two sides listed in order to help turn around, even save their seasons, the Kansas City Royals could be World Series favorites if they nab their target.

Kansas City is 52-34, 4.5 games ahead of the Minnesota Twins for the American League Central lead. Cueto could bolster a rotation that could use a bona fide ace in their pursuit of their first World Series title since 1985. 

Without Jason Vargas, who is on the DL with a left flexor strain, the Royals have put their faith in 26-year-old Danny Duffy. Duffy is one of three Royals pitchers with an ERA over 4.60, and Cueto could help bring that number down. In doing so, he could also help take some pressure off of Kansas City’s offense, which is capable of putting up big numbers on any given night. But attaining postseason success relying on big-time offensive production could be a dangerous game to play.

Jay Bruce

A teammate of Cueto‘s, Reds outfielder Jay Bruce is also on the block, ESPN’s Buster Olney reported on Sunday, July 12:

Bruce is a two-time All-Star, experiencing his best seasons from 2011-13 when he hit 30 or more home runs in each of those years. He experienced his worst season in 2014 as his average dropped to .217 with 18 home runs. 

He looks to be back on track this year with 13 long balls and 42 RBI through 84 games, but his improved play is not resulting in wins for the Reds. 

There should be teams that are interested in making a deal for Bruce, especially teams that desperately need an offensive boost. 

One team that comes to mind that could make a move for Bruce would be the New York Mets. The Mets have had problems scoring runs this season, including a four-game stretch from June 30 to July 2 where they scored just three times. They’ve been shutout 10 times this season.

Michael Cuddyer has been underperforming this season, as a player that usually sees his average over .300 is batting just .244. At 36 years old, a younger option in Bruce could make Cuddyer a dangerous bench player. It could also make Bruce a bat that could help ignite the Mets offense. 

The 28-year-old is signed through 2017, according to Spotrac.com and would not just be a rental for a team that is looking for a long-term fix in the outfield.

Ben Revere

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Ben Revere could be on the way out of the City of Brotherly Love, according to the Boston Globe‘s Nick Cafardo:

The Mariners have been a disaster this season, one of the more disappointing teams to date, along with the Red Sox and Padres. They added some power in the form of Mark Trumbo in a deal with the Diamondbacks, but are now in need of a leadoff hitter. Revere, who had been eyed by the Angels a couple of weeks ago, is one of the players they’re considering, according to a major league source.

Revere has been one of the bright spots on a struggling Phillies franchise the past two seasons. He saw career highs in 2014 in at-bats (601), average (.306) and hits (184) which led the National League.

He’s doing it again this season in a contract year. He holds a .297 batting average while playing a defensively solid center field on a Phillies team that is an MLB-worst 29-62.

The Mariners, while faring better than the Phillies, are 7.5 games behind the American League West leading Angels with a 41-48 record, despite a roster that includes stars like Nelson Cruz and the underperforming Robinson Cano. 

They’ve received little contribution from the center field position as well. Austin Jackson is batting just .251 with four home runs and 19 RBI with a .295 on-base percentage. Revere could provide a true leadoff hitting talent for the Mariners with a .337 on-base percentage and six triples, which leads the league this season. 

His 21 stolen bases would add a lot of speed to a Mariners roster that has just 35 as a team in 2015. Seattle would have to try and lock him up long-term if they do acquire Revere as his small ball talents would help rejuvenate a Mariners team that is desperately looking for a spark.

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com

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Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Clay Buchholz left his start against the New York Yankees on July 10 with an elbow injury and is headed to the disabled list.

Continue for updates.

Buchholz MRI Reveals No UCL Damage

Saturday, July 11

Rob Bradford of WEEI reported Buchholz will has been added to the disabled list after undergoing an MRI, though the test revealed no ligament damage. Buchholz’s UCL is in good shape, but he’ll take a week off of throwing, according to Tim Britton of the Providence Journal.

The official diagnosis is a flexor strain, according to Ian Browne of MLB.com. When asked whether or not Buchholz will pitch again this season, manager John Farrell said, “at this point, it’s not a question,” via Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald.

Gordan Edes of ESPN noted Nationals pitcher Doug Fister had the same injury and missed a little over a month before he returned. 

Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal noted Buchholz has never experienced elbow issues before, though he has battled shoulder and knee problems in recent years.

The Red Sox pitcher had given up one run on six hits against the Yankees before he was forced to leave the game with one out in the fourth inning, as Baseball Tonight announced:

MacPherson reported he went “straight into the clubhouse” upon leaving the field with a trainer and was replaced by Robbie Ross Jr.

Buchholz has struggled since the Red Sox won the World Series in 2013. In that season, he went 12-1 in 16 starts with a 1.74 ERA, earning the second All-Star appearance of his career. His ERA ballooned to 5.34 in 2014, as he went 8-11 in 28 starts.

Buchholz has steadied the ship this season, going 7-6 with a 3.26 ERA and 107 strikeouts before the elbow injury. He has just 25 fewer punch-outs than he did last season despite pitching in almost 60 fewer innings this year. 

Boston does not need any additional problems with its pitching staff, as it’s already thin with Buchholz as the Red Sox ace. Sitting at the bottom of the American League East, Boston has been surging toward a challenge for the division, winning 10 of its last 14 games. The Red Sox sit only 5.5 games behind the division-leading Yankees despite being in last place.

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com

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New York Yankees outfielder Carlos Beltran is on his way to the disabled list with an oblique injury. 

Continue below for updates:

Beltran placed on 15-Day DL

Friday, July 3

The Yankees announced Friday that Beltran will be placed on the 15-day DL with a strained left oblique. 

Beltran is in his 18th season in the major leagues, his second with the Yankees. The 38-year-old is no stranger to missing time. He has played in 140 games or more in just three of the past seven seasons, playing an entire 162-game season just once in his career—in 2002 while he was with the Kansas City Royals. 

This season, Beltran is batting .260 with seven home runs and 30 RBI in 66 games. He is an eight-time All-Star, making appearances as a member of the Royals, New York Mets and St. Louis Cardinals. 

Of the 66 games this season, Beltran has started in right field for 58 of them as the Yankees have made moves to find his replacement:

Ramon Flores has appeared in 10 games this season, his first in the majors, while infielder Gregorio Petit is a journeyman. He has had four separate stints totaling 80 games with three different teams since 2008.

Meanwhile, Garrett Jones will likely see a spike in playing time in right field. The 34-year-old is batting .231 with five home runs and 14 RBI in 108 at-bats. 

The Yankees are currently tied with the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the American League East with a 42-37 record.

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com

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The Philadelphia Phillies have announced on their Twitter that Pete Mackanin will remain the club’s interim manager for the rest of the 2015 season. 

Mackanin, formerly the team’s third base coach, was appointed interim manager after Ryne Sandberg resigned on Friday, June 26, with the Phillies starting the season 26-48. Sandberg was 119-159 from 2013-2015 in Philadelphia.  

A former infielder for the Texas Rangers, Phillies, Montreal Expos and Minnesota Twins, Mackanin played nine seasons in the major leagues. According to Rob Maaddi of the Associated Press (via ABC News), he managed parts of two seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2005 and the Cincinnati Reds in 2007. He is 53-53 in those stints. 

Entering Tuesday night, the Phillies are 27-51, 16.0 games behind the National League East-leading Washington Nationals. They have three more games at home against the Milwaukee Brewers before embarking on a 10-game road trip before the All-Star break.    

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Seattle Mariners second baseman Robinson Cano was forced to leave Saturday’s game against the Los Angeles Angels after being struck in the head by an errant throw that made its way into the dugout prior to the seventh inning. 

After an evaluation, the Mariners determined he didn’t have a concussion, but suffered a head contusion, according to MLB on Fox. He is expected to play on Sunday.

Continue below for updates.  

Cano Hit in Head by Ball While in Dugout

Saturday, June 27

Jon Morosi of Fox Sports reported Cano left Saturday’s game. Fox Sports: MLB was able to catch a glimpse of Cano’s head after being hit:

Greg Johns of MLB.com reported the swelling on Cano’s forehead went away after icing.

“From what we’ve been told, he should be fine tomorrow,” Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon said, according to Bob Dutton of The Tacoma News Tribune.

“Thank God, I didn’t lose consciousness. It just hurts right on that spot. Other than that, everything is good,” Cano said, via Dutton. “Hopefully, I can play tomorrow. I feel good right now. I can walk, and I’ve been able to remember everything,” he continued.

Morosi reported Willie Bloomquist replaced Cano at second base for the Mariners. Bloomquist is 37 years old and batting .167 in 33 games this season. 

Cano has been struggling in his second season in Seattle. In 71 games this season, he is batting .246 with four home runs and 24 RBI. Cano is a career .307 hitter and has not seen his average dip this low since 2008 when he batted .271. He began his career with the New York Yankees, where he spent nine seasons. Cano is a six-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove winner. 

The Mariners are fourth in the American League West with a 34-41 record, eight games behind the division-leading Houston Astros. With Seattle down, but certainly not out of the race for the division, every game is going to be valuable. Fortunately, it doesn’t sound like Cano will be out of the lineup for long.

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.

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Seattle Mariners slugging outfielder/DH Nelson Cruz left June 22’s game against the Kansas City Royals due to a pelvic injury. He would return to the lineup the following day, the team announced.

Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon described the injury following Monday’s game, via Andrew Erickson of MLB.com, “I’m not sure how to describe it, but his pelvic bone kind of popped out of place and he had some discomfort.” 

Dustin Ackley replaced Cruz in the seventh inning of Monday’s game. Cruz went 0-for-2 before exiting with what was initially thought to be a hamstring injury prior to McClendon’s clarification.

He recently suffered back spasms that forced him to leave a June 9 game and miss the following tilt against the Cleveland Indians.

Cruz has been atop the American League home run chart for much of the 2015 season, enjoying a successful first year with the Mariners, which are struggling in the AL West. He is currently second in the AL with 19 home runs. For the season, Cruz is hitting .313 and has driven in 44 runs. 

Last season, in his only year with the Baltimore Orioles, Cruz led the league with 40 home runs and was fourth with 108 RBI. The big year helped him pen a four-year, $57 million deal with the Mariners in December 2014.

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Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Evan Longoria has returned to the lineup after leaving a June 15 contest against the Washington Nationals.

Mark Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times confirmed Longoria’s return, as the Rays star is playing third base and batting third. 

The Rays confirmed that Longoria exited Monday night’s game after being hit by a pitch on his left wrist. Nick Franklin went in as his replacement. The team later announced the injury was a wrist contusion and that he was day-to-day. 

Longoria recently missed three games from June 6-9 with a sore left wrist. 

His numbers have been down this season, though his average is right around his career average. The Rays’ franchise leader in home runs, RBI and doubles is not in the top five of third baseman candidates in the 2015 All-Star Game voting, according to MLB Communications. 

He is currently batting .269 with six home runs and 29 RBI. 

In his eighth season, Longoria is a three-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove winner. 

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The Cleveland Indians have called up top prospect Francisco Lindor, according to the team’s official Twitter account:

According to Baseball America, he was the top prospect in the Indians system in 2014 and the No. 9 overall prospect in the country. 

The shortstop has been playing for Cleveland’s Triple-A affiliate Columbus Clippers for the past two seasons. In 57 games this season, Lindor is batting .279 with two home runs and 22 RBI, per Baseball America. The Indians selected him eighth overall in the 2011 draft. 

According to Jim Massie of the Columbus Dispatch, Lindor was overjoyed upon hearing of his promotion:

The 21-year-old’s call-up comes at the perfect time for the Indians. With an offense that ranks 14th in runs scored and 19th in home runs, according to ESPN.com, the team is hoping that its top prospect can help give the offense a much-needed jolt at the plate. 

Bill Baer of Hardball Talk detailed how badly the team could use an infusion of talent at shortstop: “The last-place Indians could badly use some help at shortstop. The combination of Jose Ramirez and Mike Aviles wasn’t working out, as the Indians’ aggregate .527 OPS out of the shortstop position ranked second-worst in the American League.”

Lindor will be competing for playing time at shortstop with Mike Aviles, who is batting .277 with three home runs and eight RBI.

Ultimately, Lindor will hope that his skills will help him join fellow top prospects Kris Bryant and Joey Gallo in getting off to hot starts in their rookie season, while he figures to give the Indians the kind of talent infusion they’ve desperately needed at shortstop. 

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The Washington Nationals are playing the New York Yankees on Tuesday night. So it was fitting that they selected Mariano Rivera Jr., son of legendary closer Yankees Mariano Rivera, out of Iona College in the fourth round of the 2015 MLB draft on Tuesday.

The right-handed hurler earned pitcher of the year honors in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) with a 5-7 record and team-leading 2.65 ERA. His last name wasn’t the only reason he attracted professional attention, as Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Passan noted:

It seems the Nationals are embarking upon a trend of taking the offspring of MLB greats. Rivera Jr. is not their only son of a legend, as CSN’s Chase Hughes pointed out:

That, of course, has Twitter users starting to make projections about what might happen to the young Rivera. Jesse Spector of Sporting News sees some big playoff moments in his future:

Though it’s asking a lot, many are hoping he turns out to have stuff like his father. That’s something ESPN and Yahoo Sports radio host Tim Murray would love to see:

For the sake of a storybook ending, it would have been perfect if Rivera Jr. went to the Yankees, who originally drafted him in the 29th round in 2014. However, it wasn’t to be during this second go-round. Yahoo Sports’ Mike Oz offered his sincere condolences to New York fans:

Ultimately, baseball fans have to realize that time is moving a bit faster than expected, as former Texas Rangers writer Patrick DeSpain suggested:

The Nationals did not have a pick in the first round, but they took a pair of outfielders, Andrew Stevenson and Blake Perkins, in the second.    

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