Arsenal battled past a stuffy Aston Villa 1-0 and maintained its winning start to the Premier League on Monday. It was a hard-fought win for the reigning champion, for which Bukayo Saka’s 59th minute goal was decisive. The win kept Arsenal joint top of the table, one of four teams with six points from two games, and left Villa pointless and, more worryingly for coach Unai Emery, without a shot on target so far. More than half of the players who started Villa’s Europa Cup win in May have since left the club and Emery faces a daunting rebuild. Two of his new signings started against Arsenal, Nicolas Jackson taking the striker’s role and Zion Suzuki replacing goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez. Host Villa began busily with Emiliano Buendia cracking one long-range effort against the bar but Arsenal came into the game as the half wore on and ended the better of the two sides without really threatening Suzuki, who made history by becoming the first Japanese goalkeeper to play in the Premier League. That pattern continued in the second half and the visitor thought it had a penalty with nine minutes gone when Ian Maatsen felled Saka. The award was downgraded to a free kick after a video review but Saka was not to be stopped. With almost an hour gone, he bundled home from close range after neat interplay between Eberechi Eze and Riccardo Calafiori. Neither side managed to dominate the match and clearcut chances were few. Reporting by The Associated Press.
This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. MLB is heating up as the regular season enters its final stretch, and Polymarket gives you another way to trade on the biggest games. New users can deposit $10 this week and get a $50 trading bonus. Pete Crow-Armstrong, baseball’s hottest hitter, smashed five home runs in his last six games. Armstrong and the Cubs face one of the league’s best pitching staffs in the Brewers. Meanwhile, Boston looks to rebound from a brutal 16-1 loss to New York as it begins a new series against Seattle. The Yankees are rolling after taking three of four from the Red Sox. Now, New York faces an Angels team carrying MLB’s longest losing streak at seven games. Tampa Bay also brings plenty of momentum after a walk-off win over San Diego extended its winning streak to four games, with the Rays opening a new series against the Mets. Ready to trade on today’s action? Deposit $10 with Polymarket this week and get a $50 trading bonus using promo code FOX. For more information and full terms and conditions, visit our Polymarket promo code page. How to Claim the Polymarket Promo with Code FOX MLB: Brewers vs. Cubs *Probability is subject to change* Will PCA Hit Another Home Run Today? MLB: White Sox vs. Astros More markets available on Polymarket. The NL Central Battle at Wrigley: Defending the Crown in the AL Central: AL East Division Chase & Wildcard Turf Wars:
Lamine Yamal and Raphinha both scored a brace and English winger Anthony Gordon grabbed two assists as Barcelona beat Rayo Vallecano 5-2 to record its 21st consecutive home victory. Rayo was looking for its first win of the season and it took an unexpected lead in the 12th minute when Sergio Camello hammered home a cutback from Alvaro Garcia on the left. Barcelona, however, bounced back almost immediately and it was 2-1 up before the first period was even halfway over. Raphinha equalized with a well-taken goal in the 18th and Lamine Yamal put them ahead 90 seconds later with a characteristic move, cutting in from the right and unleashing a powerful left-foot shot into the roof of the net. Hansi Flick’s men got a third after halftime when Florian Lejeune turned Gordon’s cutback into his own net. Although the excellent Camello cut the deficit with a solid header, Raphinha soon made it 4-2 and Yamal rounded off the scoring with a low shot from just outside the box a minute from time. The win moved Barcelona above Real Madrid at the top of the league on goal difference. Rayo sat third from bottom. Reporting by The Associated Press.
Folarin Balogun is nearing a return to the Premier League. The United States men’s national team striker, who came up in Arsenal F.C.’s academy system and spent three years with the senior team, is in talks over a move to Everton F.C., according to a report from The Athletic on Monday. Everton and AS Monaco, Balogun’s current club, have reached an agreement on a $52.2 million transfer fee plus $5.8 million in add-ons for a total package worth roughly $58 million, according to the report. Monaco paid $32.5 million with add-ons that brought the overall deal to $43.4 million. Personal terms between Balogun and Everton are still being finalized, according to the report. If Balogun and Everton are able to reach personal terms, he will play in the Premier League for the first time since August 2021. Balogun, 25, has spent the last four seasons in France. He most notably finished the 2022-23 as the fourth-highest goalscorer in Ligue 1, behind Kylian Mbappé, Alexandre Lacazette and Jonathan David. Balogun’s breakout at the club level earned him a call-up to the United States men’s national team in 2023. He’s scored 12 goals in 31 appearances for the U.S., including three goals at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Carlos Correa’s recovery from surgery to repair a torn ankle tendon is progressing quicker than expected and on Saturday the Houston Astros’ star infielder didn’t rule out a return this season. Correa was expected to miss the entire season after undergoing on his left ankle on May 11. But he is already doing everything except hitting, sparking hope that he could be back on the field sooner than expected. “We’ll see,” he said when asked if he could play again this year. “I wouldn’t be doing all this work if I didn’t think there was a chance.” After Correa was injured while taking swings in the batting cage, a timeline of six to eight months was given for his recovery. Manager Joe Espada said Saturday that Correa is ahead of schedule but knows that he still has a long way to go before he can return to the lineup. “I’m just happy that he’s out here moving around and he actually looks really good,” Espada said. The 31-year-old Correa said he’s running at 80-90% and that he has a doctor’s appointment scheduled for Tuesday where he hopes to be cleared for hitting. “I’m in a really good spot, a really good spot,” he said. “I don’t feel it. I’ve been progressing to running and sprinting and everything feels great.” Houston has won nine of 10 games to vault into first place in the AL West and that has given Correa some extra juice as he eyes a return. “The way we’ve been playing lately definitely motivates me even more to go out there, put in the work to try to make it back,” he said. Correa isn’t surprised that he’s doing so well because of the plan he put together as soon as he was injured. “I got on this protocol and I started looking for all the information I could into how to speed up the process and the things that I needed to eat and how I needed to sleep, the type of treatment I needed” he said. “And we’ve been doing a great job with that, so we’re in a good spot.” Correa, who is back with the Astros after last summer’s blockbuster trade from the Twins, played third base for Houston last season with Jeremy Pena at shortstop. Before his injury this season he returned to shortstop while Peña was out with a hamstring injury. Correa has salaries of $31.5 million this season, $30.5 million in 2027 and $30 million in 2028. As part of the trade, the Twins will pay the Astros $10 million each Dec. 15 from this year through 2028. Correa was hitting .279 with three home runs and 16 RBIs this season. The No. 1 pick in the 2012 amateur draft, Correa spent his first seven seasons with the Astros before signing with the Twins where he spent 3 1/2 seasons before last summer’s trade. Reporting by The Associated Press.
U.S. District Judge Charlotte Sweeney granted a class-wide injunction, ruling that all high school class of 2022 athletes who exhausted their fourth season of college eligibility this spring are eligible for a fifth season this school year. The ruling from Sweeney, a Colorado-based judge, will be appealed by the NCAA, as it undercuts the Age-Based Eligibility Model, the so-called “five for five” rule, which was instated in June 2026 with the intention of starting with athletes who enroll in college in fall 2027. While the NCAA builds its appeal, the transfer portal will be opened in college basketball from August 3-10 for newly eligible athletes. Sweeney’s ruling also has the potential to wreak havoc on rosters across the country — for instance, opening the possibility that an undrafted player in an NFL training camp or NBA summer league team could decide to try to head back to college for a fifth year this upcoming season. In granting the preliminary injunction, Sweeney said the players “will suffer irreparable harm without” it. She did not sign onto the governing body’s argument that applying the new rule retroactively would create “roster chaos.” But NCAA President Charlie Baker said it would in responding to the rulings while referencing a bill in Congress designed to provide the NCAA antitrust protection on the eligibility issues. “Today’s rulings and the chaos they bring to college sports are exactly why it’s time to pass this bill,” Baker said. The Colorado ruling came hours after a Tennessee court granted Jalen Washington, who most recently played at Vanderbilt, and 18 other basketball players a fifth season of eligibility. In addition to Washington, athletes such as Donovan Dent, Cade Tyson, Xaivian Lee, and more, have entered the transfer portal with the hope this ruling sticks. In June, the NCAA approved its new eligibility model for Division I athletes that will allow five seasons of competition over a five-year period that begins with their full-time enrollment or the academic year following their 19th birthday, whichever occurs first. While the ruling in Tennessee applied to those 19 basketball players, the one in Colorado cast a wider net, granting the class certification the plaintiffs sought. It means the ruling applies to all Division I players who started their college careers in the 2022-23 season, not just a select list. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The 2026 MLB trade deadline is approaching, and there will be teams buying and selling – and plenty of rumors about both – before then. Here you’ll find the latest rumors, news and trades from around the league. Aug. 1 We know what this means. “Today, Jose Soriano will not make his scheduled start,” Los Angeles Angels baseball operations consultant John Mozeliak said in a statement prior to the team’s matchup against the Milwaukee Brewers. “With the Trade Deadline on Monday and the uncertainty of the next 48 hours, we decided to take a prudent approach and see where these next few days lead us.” The 27-year-old Soriano, who’s under team control through 2028, boasts a 3.29 ERA, a 1.25 WHIP, a 124 ERA+ and 2.7 wins above replacement this season, while totaling 127 strikeouts across 123.0 innings pitched (22 starts). Earlier this week, the Angels, who have the worst record in MLB at 42-68, traded reliever Chase Silseth and catcher Logan O’Hoppe to the Texas Rangers for infielder Angel Arredondo. Could the Seattle Mariners go from being one win away from the World Series to being all-out sellers at the trade deadline? The Mariners are listening to trade offers for outfielder Randy Arozarena and starting pitchers George Kirby, Emerson Hancock and Luis Castillo, according to ESPN and The Seattle Times. Arozarena is a free agent at the end of the season, while Kirby and Castillo are free agents after 2028 and Hancock is under team control through 2030. Arozarena, a three-time All-Star, has totaled 13 home runs, 48 RBIs, 20 stolen bases, a 137 OPS+ and 3.5 wins above replacement, while boasting a .280/.375/.447 slash line; Kirby sports a 3.98 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP over 20 starts; Hancock has a 3.26 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP over 20 starts; Castillo owns a 5.06 ERA and a 1.40 WHIP over 20 appearances/17 starts. The Mariners are 53-58, three games behind the Houston Astros for first place in the American League West and three games behind the Cleveland Guardians and Minnesota Twins for the third AL wild-card seed. A lot of MLB humans are involved in this one. The Cleveland Guardians and Milwaukee Brewers have agreed to a four-player trade that sends catcher Bo Naylor (.143/.200/.238 slash line over 84 at-bats) and right-handed reliever Codi Heuer (4.66 ERA and a 1.76 WHIP over 9 ⅔ innings pitched) to Milwaukee and right-handed reliever Craig Yoho (3.15 ERA and an 0.85 WHIP over 20.0 innings pitched) and outfielder Blake Perkins (.157/.250/.258 slash line over 89 at-bats) to Cleveland, according to The Athletic. The Guardians are the third AL wild-card seed at 56-55, while the Brewers are in first place in the National League Central at 68-41. July 31 The Minnesota Twins appear to be buyers. Just hours after acquiring reliever A.J. Minter from the New York Mets, Minnesota acquired Baltimore Orioles right-hander Dean Kremer, the two teams announced. Minnesota is sending 18-year-old outfield prospect Jhomnardo Reyes to Baltimore in the trade; Reyes is now ranked as the No. 20 prospect in Baltimore’s farm system, per MLB Pipeline. Over seven starts this season, Kremer, who sports a career 4.37 ERA, owns a 6.50 ERA, a 1.36 WHIP and a 65 ERA+ across 36.0 innings pitched. The Twins (56-55) have won seven of their last nine games and are now tied with the Cleveland Guardians for the third American League wild-card seed and three games behind the Chicago White Sox for first place in the AL Central. The Milwaukee Brewers appear to be putting their money where their mouth is. If Milwaukee were to acquire Detroit Tigers superstar left-hander Tarik Skubal, it would be willing to eat the remaining money on his 2026 salary, according to The Athletic. Skubal has roughly $9.8 million remaining on his salary for this season and is a free agent at year’s end. If Skubal lands in Milwaukee, he’d form a tantalizing, one-two rotation punch with Jacob Misiorowski and a Brewers starting staff that’s first in MLB in opponent batting average (.213) and second in ERA (3.38) and WHIP (1.08). The Brewers stand atop the National League Central at 67-41, good for the second-best record in the sport. AJ Minter may just be the first of many relievers on his way out of Queens. The Milwaukee Brewers and Pittsburgh Pirates are among the teams expressing interest in acquiring New York Mets reliever Luke Weaver, according to The Athletic. Weaver, who’s in the first season of a two-year, $22 million deal, boasts a 1.88 ERA, an 0.84 WHIP and a 222 ERA+ this season, while totaling 44 strikeouts and 1.9 wins above replacement over 43.0 innings pitched. The Mets’ big offseason splash could be on the move. The Chicago Cubs, Tampa Bay Rays, Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies are among the teams showing “strong interest” in acquiring Mets right-hander Freddy Peralta, per The Athletic. The report notes that the Mets are asking for a top-100 prospect, among other assets, in a trade. Peralta, who’s a free agent after this season, has a 4.99 ERA, a 1.48 WHIP and an 83 ERA+, which are each career worsts. That said, Peralta is a two-time All-Star who’s a year removed from posting a career-best 2.70 ERA and 5.5 wins above replacement. July 30 Cincinnati Reds star right-hander Hunter Greene is drawing “significant interest,” according to The Athletic. The report notes that the Reds aren’t necessarily looking to move Greene. Rather, if a team blows them away with a trade offer, a deal could then materialize. Greene, a 2024 All-Star, has made just four starts this season, as he recently returned from an elbow injury. Last season, across 19 starts, Greene posted a 2.76 ERA, an 0.94 WHIP and a 161 ERA+, while totaling 132 strikeouts and 4.2 wins above replacement. The 26-year-old Greene is under team control through 2029, with the Reds sitting in last place in the National League Central at 50-57. Detroit Tigers superstar left-hander and two-time American League Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal “is going to be traded,” according to ESPN. Skubal, who’s a free agent after this season, has a 2.79 ERA, an 0.91 WHIP and a 154 ERA+, while totaling 116 strikeouts and 3.1 wins above replacement over 96 ⅔ innings pitched (16 starts). The Milwaukee Brewers “would love” to acquire San Diego Padres star closer and two-time All-Star Mason Miller, according to ESPN. Miller, who’s under contract through 2029, is 28 for 28 in save situations, boasting an 0.79 ERA, an 0.79 WHIP and a 525 ERA+, while totaling 85 strikeouts and 2.7 wins above replacement over 45 ⅔ innings pitched. If Miller lands in Milwaukee, he’d join a Brewers bullpen that’s fifth in MLB in ERA (3.68). July 26 With his future uncertain, right-hander Freddy Peralta held the Los Angeles Dodgers to three runs (two earned) and six hits while throwing 93 pitches in four innings Sunday before New York rallied with three-run homers by Tyrone Taylor and Marcus Semien in an 8-3 victory. It could end up being Peralta’s last start for the Mets. “I can’t hide that,” Peralta said. “I know it probably is, but I have to focus and keep giving the best of myself and if it happens, it happens. I’m just thankful and grateful to be part of this organization. I know that so far I let them down. I haven’t (done) what I was supposed to do, but I’m grateful to be here.’ Peralta can become a free agent after the season. The two-time All-Star was acquired from Milwaukee in January for youngsters Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat as the Mets gave up a pair of players rated among the game’s top 100 prospects in the anticipation Peralta would be the frontline starter they needed. Instead, he is 5-9 with a 4.99 ERA in 22 starts and has failed to complete five innings in four of his past five outings. He was 5-5 with a 3.90 ERA after beating Atlanta 8-1 on June 14 but is 0-4 with a 7.93 ERA in his last seven starts, including a June 20 dud when he allowed 10 runs and 10 hits over 2 ⅔ innings at Philadelphia. July 25 Could the starting shortstop for the National League in the 2026 MLB All-Star Game be on the move? While they’re “not shopping” the two-time All-Star, the Washington Nationals will “listen” to trade offers for shortstop CJ Abrams, according to The Athletic. The report notes that the New York Yankees and Milwaukee Brewers are among the teams interested in acquiring Abrams. Abrams is under contract through 2028 and is in the midst of arguably the best season of his career. Through 100 games, Abrams has totaled 24 home runs, 76 RBIs, 16 stolen bases, a 148 OPS+ and 3.9 wins above replacement, while boasting a .288/.361/.544 slash line. Abrams leads MLB shortstops in home runs, RBIs, slugging percentage (.544) and OPS (.905). The Nationals are 52-52 and three games behind the Arizona Diamondbacks for the third NL wild-card seed. The Athletics got some pitching help. Dallas Keuchel has signed a minor-league deal with the A’s, according to ESPN. Keuchel, 38, will report to the team’s Triple-A affiliate. Keuchel, a two-time All-Star and five-time Gold Glover, last pitched in MLB in 2024 with the Milwaukee Brewers, making four starts. If the southpaw makes his way to the big-league club, the Athletics would be his eighth MLB team. Keuchel won the 2015 American League Cy Young Award with the Houston Astros, where he spent the first seven seasons of his MLB career (2012-18). The Athletics, who are 44-59, are 29th in MLB with a 5.22 rotation ERA, a 1.48 rotation WHIP and a .266 opponent batting average against their rotation. July 23 The Los Angeles Angels, who own the worst record in the American League (41-62), are “very open to trading controllable players if the right offers materialize,” according to ESPN. Those players reportedly include starting pitchers José Soriano and Reid Detmers — who are each under contract through 2028 — and shortstop Zach Neto, who’s under contract through 2029. Over 118.0 innings pitched (21 starts), Soriano has recorded a 3.43 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 122 strikeouts and a 122 ERA+; over 120.0 innings pitched (21 starts), Detmers has posted a 4.05 ERA, a 1.10 WHIP, 136 strikeouts and a 103 ERA+. Neto has totaled an AL-high 69 runs scored, 19 home runs, 46 RBIs and a 117 OPS+, while sporting a .238/.326/.446 slash line. Granted, he also leads the AL with 141 strikeouts. July 22 If the Padres make flame-throwing closer Mason Miller available before the trade deadline, then the Yankees will attempt to bring him to New York, per the New York Post. There is no indication yet that the Padres are putting Miller on the block, as whether they buy or sell has a lot to do with the team’s record as the deadline nears, but the Yankees wanting Miller makes a lot of sense given his dominance. Miller is also under team control through 2029, so he would not be a rental – which also means he would not be cheap. The Padres acquired Miller last deadline in a package that included one of the top prospects in baseball, Leo De Vries, and while that might not be what San Diego gets back with a year less of team control left, Miller isn’t exactly being dealt away at rental prices. New York has David Bednar closing for it already, but Miller has a 0.86 ERA with 78 strikeouts in 41 ⅔ innings. He’s one of the most dominant arms in the game, is still 27 years old and could anchor the Yankees’ bullpen for the rest of the decade without an extension. San Diego, though, is two games back of a wild-card spot, with its struggling star hitters no longer struggling, so dealing Miller now to reload for 2027 might not be appealing given that much of the current core will carry over into next season. It all depends on what the Padres decide to do, however, whether it’s to buy, sell or a combination of both. Trade two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal for a deadline haul, and start working on 2027 and beyond? Hold on to Skubal and attempt to win in 2026 while he’s still a Tiger? Those were the options under consideration. Per the Athletic, though, a third path is being discussed by Detroit, and that’s dealing Skubal – a pending free agent – now in a package that will give the Tigers both a present-day replacement for him in the rotation, as well as help for the future. The plan would be to bring back a pitcher under team control who, while not being the pitcher Skubal is – few are – would productively fill in his innings as well as give them one less pitcher to have to acquire over the offseason. There are obvious risks to this – the American League is weak, and the presence of Skubal means a short playoff series could go the Tigers’ way if they can simply get to October – but with just two months maximum of the defending AL Cy Young winner in Detroit, the risk could be worth it if it helps to secure a better future. Especially since, through July 21, the Tigers are five games out of a wild-card spot and 6.5 out of the AL Central lead. Neither are impossible deficits, but the Tigers are looking at seven teams ahead of them in the wild-card race and three in the division; they aren’t alone in trying to secure one of these playoff tickets. The Tampa Bay Rays have the best record in the American League, and that may spur an aggressive trade deadline. “I think the big surprise will be Tampa buying big,” one rival executive reportedly told The Athletic. “They’re everywhere scouting.” At 58-42, Tampa Bay, which hasn’t made the playoffs since 2023, holds a two-game lead on the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East and the best record in the AL. Even though he hasn’t pitched since May, Clay Holmes is attracting interest. There’s a “greater chance” the New York Mets would trade Holmes, rather than extend him, according to The Athletic. Coming off a 2025 campaign where Holmes posted a 3.53 ERA and a 116 ERA+ in what was his first season as a full-time MLB starting pitcher (Holmes was previously a two-time All-Star as a reliever), the right-hander boasts a 2.39 ERA and 175 ERA+ this season, but he hasn’t pitched since May due to a fractured fibula. Holmes is in the second season of a three-year, $38 million deal. The Mets are 43-59, good for last place in the National League East. Could one of the best free agent signings of the offseason be moved? Some teams feel it’s “inevitable” that the Washington Nationals trade left-hander Foster Griffin, according to The Athletic. Griffin, who signed a one-year, $5.5 million deal with the Nationals after not pitching in MLB since 2022 (he pitched in Japan from 2023-25), boasts a 2.68 ERA, a 1.03 WHIP, a 159 ERA+ and 3.7 wins above replacement across 117 ⅓ innings pitched (20 starts) this season, with him earning a spot on the NL All-Star roster. The Nationals are 51-51 and 1.5 games behind the Pittsburgh Pirates for the third NL wild-card seed. July 21 The Giants have had a rough 2026, but there are pieces on the team that could be moved to try to build a better 2027 and beyond. Per the San Francisco Chronicle, two such players are outfielder Heliot Ramos and infielder Casey Schmitt. The Chronicle reports that scouts from the Mariners and Phillies were in attendance to see the Giants face the Royals on Monday. What makes Ramos attractive to other teams is also why the Giants might want to hang onto him, though, so it’s unclear if he would actually be moved: Ramos is batting .276/.310/.469, which is even better than it looks owing to Oracle Park’s pro-pitcher dimensions, and the 26-year-old isn’t even arbitration-eligible for the first time until 2027 – Ramos would not be a free agent until before the 2030 season. As for Schmitt, he is playing third, first, second base and shortstop for the Giants in ‘26, while batting .275/.304/.482 with 19 homers. Like with Ramos, that line is even better than it looks – his 120 OPS+ has him very comfortably above the league-average production at any of the positions he’s played this season. Also like Ramos, Schmitt isn’t eligible for arbitration until this offseason – any teams looking to pry Ramos or Schmitt from the Giants will be paying for the privilege, but they will also be getting far more than just a rental for the price. The Giants might be willing to hear those offers, though, as San Francisco is 20.5 back in the NL West even with the likes of Ramos and Schmitt on the roster, and has the third-worst record in the NL, putting it ahead of just the Mets and Rockies in the NL wild-card race. July 20 The Los Angeles Angels have the worst record in the American League (40-61). Is the inevitable coming at the trade deadline? “We are going to have to be very open-minded,” general manager John Mozeliak, who was promoted to the role last month in the wake of Perry Minasian’s dismissal, said about the team’s trade deadline plans, according to MLB.com. “Obviously, we’re not having the year we hoped to. When you think about the trade deadline, you think about the offseason. There are certain times when you have the ability to get better, and so understanding the market and where that’s going, that’s first and foremost my biggest thing.” Angels shortstop Zach Neto (AL-best 69 runs scored), ace José Soriano (3.43 ERA in 21 starts) and left-hander Reid Detmers (4.16 ERA in 20 starts), among others, are theoretically candidates to be moved. “I’m not going to mention names, but what I am going to stick to is we know things have to change,” Mozeliak said. “And what that looks like, who that looks like, that’s to be determined. But not going into this with an open-minded approach, I think, would be a failure on my part.” The Detroit Tigers have a losing record and arguably the best pitcher in the sport, Tarik Skubal, is a prime trade candidate given his looming free agency. But will the Tigers go against the grain and aim to make a playoff push? “We’ve been playing Game 7 since May,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said before the team’s 8-6 win against the Chicago Cubs on July 20. “We know what’s ahead. We know what the conversation around our team is. Tarik is in the news every single day because someone has a dream trade to make up — yet we have a game to win that night. … We’re taking it [trade buzz] with open arms, that it’s part of our identity. We’ve got to block out all the news of what’s ahead the next few weeks and get to winning games.” While 47-53, the Tigers are just 3.5 games behind the Boston Red Sox for the third AL wild-card seed and 6.5 games behind the Chicago White Sox for first place in the AL Central. They’ve also won 12 of their last 16 games. Colorado Rockies general manager Josh Byrnes orchestrated a trade with his former team Monday, sending right-hander Seth Halvorsen to the Los Angeles Dodgers for two minor league players. Halvorsen is eligible to come off the 15-day injured list after being placed on it earlier this month with inflammation in his right shoulder. He is 0-1 with a 4.74 ERA across 21 appearances this season. As part of the deal, Colorado picked up right-handed pitcher Nick Frasso and outfielder Landyn Vidourek from the Dodgers. Byrnes knows the Los Angeles farm system after spending more than a decade in the front office with the team. He left in December to join forces with Paul DePodesta, the Rockies’ president of baseball operations, in an effort to turn around a franchise that’s trying to break a string of three straight 100-loss seasons. The 27-year-old Frasso was 1-0 with a 4.74 ERA with Triple-A Oklahoma City this season. He was picked up by the Dodgers as part of a deal with Toronto on Aug. 2, 2022. Frasso was ranked the 80th overall prospect in baseball before the 2024 season by MLB.com. He will report to Triple-A Albuquerque. Vidourek, a third-round pick out of the University of Cincinnati in 2025, is hitting .176 with eight home runs and 28 RBIs in the minors this season. He will report to Single-A Fresno. Colorado drafted Halvorsen in the seventh round out of Tennessee in 2023. The 26-year-old is 3-4 in 75 career games with the Rockies and has 13 saves. The Rockies entered the day 23 1/2 games behind Los Angeles in the NL West.
The Aug. 3 trade deadline is around the corner, but there is plenty to cover from around Major League Baseball. Here are the noteworthy transactions, injuries and more from the 2026 MLB season. Aug. 1 The Seattle Mariners placed outfielder Luke Raley on the 10-day injured list on Saturday due to a left forearm strain. Raley has been dealing with the forearm strain, which has led to elbow pain. While he tried to play through the pain, Raley’s struggles at the plate made it clear he needed a break. The move was retroactive to Friday. In his past 30 games, Raley hit .173 with one homer, four RBIs and 27 strikeouts. “He was really trying to grit it out as much as he could, but it gets to a point where it’s difficult, it’s painful, and felt like, you know, he wasn’t helping the team at that point,” manager Dan Wilson said. “Tough decisions all around.” The Mariners called up outfielder Stuart Fairchild from Triple-A Tacoma to fill Raley’s roster spot. Raley is the second key player the Mariners have placed on the IL in the past two days. Shortstop J.P. Crawford was lost Friday with a wrist injury. July 31 Yennier Cano is going nowhere! The Baltimore Orioles have signed the 2023 All-Star to a two-year contract extension with a 2029 club option. Cano gets $7.5MM across both seasons with the club option being worth $10MM. In more than 36 innings pitched, Yennier Cano has recorded a 2.21 ERA and 31 strikeouts. In 2023, he was selected as an American League All-Star while also making the Baseball America Major League All-Rookie Team. The Cubs have recalled left-hander Antoine Kelly to the roster for their weekend campaign against the New York Yankees. After Gavin Hollowell was sent to the injured list with shoulder inflammation, Antoine Kelly was added to the roster, getting his first shot at the MLB stage. Most recently, he has been playing for the Iowa Cubs, a minor league baseball team in the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. Across the 2026 minor league season, he has recorded a 4.02 ERA and 44 strikeouts across his 36 games pitched. July 30 The Minnesota Twins acquired left-handed reliever A.J. Minter from the New York Mets. In exchange, the Mets received two Twins prospects: third baseman Billy Amick, ranked 21st in Minnesota’s system, and infielder Bruin Agbayani, ranked 29th, Minter, 32, holds a 2.35 ERA and 1.00 WHIP across 23 appearances this season. The Baltimore Orioles have acquired Detroit Tigers catcher Jake Rogers, also sending minor league pitcher Zane Barnhart over to Detroit. Jake Rogers spent six major league seasons with the Detroit Tigers, being valued for his presence in the clubhouse and behind the plate. The 31-year-old has been batting a below-than-average at .161, with three home runs and 9 RBIs. With Rogers gone, rookie Eduardo Valencia is expected to get a look as the backup catcher behind Dillon Dingler for the Detroit Tigers. Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Shane McClanahan left Thursday’s game against the Texas Rangers in the fourth inning because of back tightness. McClanahan was pulled from the game two batters into the fourth inning and with the Rays leading 1-0. At the time, the left-hander had yet to allow a hit, but he did hit Ezequiel Duran with a pitch to start the fourth, followed by a walk to Brandon Nimmo. Following a brief discussion on the mound, McClanahan walked to the dugout accompanied by head athletic trainer Joseph Benge. He was replaced by Casey Legumina. McClanahan was making his 20th start of the season and entered the game with a 9-6 record and 3.06 ERA. He threw 49 pitches. The 29-year-old returned to the Tampa Bay rotation this year after missing the previous two-plus seasons because of injury. McClanahan underwent Tommy John surgery in August 2023 that kept him out for the entire 2024 season. Then, in spring training ahead of the 2025 campaign, he dealt with nerve irritation in his left triceps but never returned and eventually underwent surgery in August of last year. Rangers pitcher Jakob Junis has been placed on the 15-day injured list with a left adductor strain, a significant blow to the Texas Bullpen. The Rangers were already looking to add bullpen help before the August 3 trade deadline, and Junis’ injury only increases that need. They most recently signed Chase Silseth from the Angels. Righty reliever Winston Santos was recalled from Triple-A to take Junis’ place on the roster. Across 40 innings pitched, Junis recorded a 2.70 ERA with 30 strikeouts and a solid 1.07 WHIP. The future is now. The Detroit Tigers are calling up outfielder Max Clark from Triple-A Toledo, according to Baseball America. Detroit selected Clark, who’s ranked as the team’s No. 1 prospect and the No. 13 overall prospect in the sport by MLB Pipeline, with the No. 3 pick in the 2023 MLB Draft. Through 90 games in Triple A this season, Clark has totaled 11 home runs, 42 RBIs and 21 stolen bases, while sporting a .276/.368/.434 slash line. He has exclusively played center field throughout his four seasons in the Tigers’ system. July 29 The Texas Rangers are acquiring right-handed reliever Chase Silseth and catcher Logan O’Hoppe from the Los Angeles Angels in exchange for minor-league infielder Angel Arredondo. Silseth, 26, has been solid out of the bullpen for the Halos this season, carrying a 2.72 ERA and 48 strikeouts across 39.2 innings in 47 appearances. O’Hoppe provides catching depth for Texas, who moved catcher Danny Jansen to the 60-day injured list as part of a series of corresponding roster moves. Nationals starting pitcher Trevor Williams was activated from the 60-day injured list due to an elbow injury. Washington does not have an immediate rotation spot available, so he’ll move to the bullpen initially. He could return to the rotation, though, depending on how the Nationals function at the trade deadline. Before his time on the injured list, Williams kicked the season off shakily. His current record through 13 games is 3-10, recording an ERA of 6.21 and a WHIP of 1.54. July 28 Giants left-fielder, Casey Schmitt, has been placed on the 10-day injured list with a torn meniscus. On Monday night against the Brewers, he hit a successful pop-up hit to right field, rounding first base but hurting his knee in the process. He was seen to be limping after placing his feet on the bag. This was not his first injury, as he missed a large portion of last season due to three separate issues. He missed 27 games with a strained left oblique, 11 games with a left hand injury and then missed two games due to an elbow injury. Before the injury, Schmitt was enjoying the best season of his career, batting .271 with 21 home runs and 55 RBI. He has already surpassed many of last year’s numbers while playing nearly the same number of games, making this his most productive season to date. The Boston Red Sox’s new third baseman, Curtis Mead, has been placed on the 10-day injured list per multiple reports. Two days after a fresh trade to the Red Sox, he was not only hurt in his debut game, but also in his debut at-bat, by a 95 mph fastball to the wrist. The final injury consensus is a broken-left wrist. Prior to this incident, Curtis Mead was hitting .253, accumulating 48 RBIs and 17 home runs in 285 at-bats for the Washington Nationals. July 27 Athletics All-Star catcher Shea Langeliers and right-hander Mark Leiter Jr. will have season-ending surgeries on Tuesday. The A’s injury report on Monday indicated Langeliers will have surgery for a torn meniscus in his right knee and Leiter will have surgery to repair a right hip impingement. Langeliers was hitting .263 with 23 homers and 51 RBIs in 93 games before his injury. The 28-year-old became the first A’s catcher to start an All-Star Game since Terry Steinbach in 1989. Langeliers had been the subject of trade rumors as the A’s struggle through another disappointing season. Leiter went on the injured list with a hip impingement for the second time this season last week. The 35-year-old has not allowed a run in 17 of his last 18 games, compiling a 0.50 ERA during that stretch. He is 0-1 with a 4.28 ERA and four saves in 36 relief appearances overall this year. The Chicago Cubs have officially moved on from pitcher Jameson Taillon. The team announced on Monday afternoon that Taillon was designated for assignment, creating a roster spot to call up Andrew Wantz. Taillon spent four seasons with the Cubs after signing a four-year, $68 million deal in 2022. He’s struggled this season, posting a 2-5 record with a 5.92 ERA in 76 innings pitched this season. The Atlanta Braves activated outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. from the injured list on Monday after the 2023 National League MVP missed almost seven weeks with a left hamstring strain. Acuña is expected to be available for Monday night’s opener of a three-game series at the New York Mets. The five-time All-Star is hitting .251 with seven home runs, 22 RBIs and 15 steals. His season has been shortened by two hamstring injuries. He missed 15 games in May with the same injury. When Acuña was placed on the injured list on June 9, the Braves topped the majors with a 45-23 record and led the NL East by eight games over Philadelphia. Atlanta struggled in June without Acuña but has rebounded following the All-Star break and at 62-43 leads the second-place Phillies by 5.5 games. Acuña also has suffered two serious knee injuries in his career. He sustained a season-ending torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in May 2024 and tore his right ACL midway through the 2021 season. Though Acuña split time in his rehabilitation stint at designated hitter and in the outfield, Braves manager Walt Weiss recently said he expects Acuña will play primarily in right field, his normal position. The Braves optioned outfielder Brewer Hicklen to Triple-A Gwinnett to make room on the big-league roster for Acuña. The Cincinnati Reds have placed infielder/outfielder Spencer Steer on the 10-day injured list with right wrist pain. Steer exited Sunday’s game vs. the St. Louis Cardinals with apparent wrist pain after fouling a pitch off his bat. Now, the Reds have called up Ivan Johnson from Triple-A Louisville. Steer’s been one of Cincinnati’s most dynamic hitters, batting .238 with 40 RBIs and 16 home runs in 98 games. Steer has also appeared at every outfield position, as well as first, second and third base. The Reds are currently coming off a road series win at the Cardinals, and face the Cleveland Guardians on Monday for their first of three consecutive home series. July 26 The Chicago White Sox are trading for Pittsburgh Pirates reliever Jose Urquidy, per Robert Murray. The details of the deal are not yet known, but the White Sox are set to add another arm to the bullpen as they look to make a push at winning the American League Central. Urquidy has had a tough start since recently pitching for the Pirates. He’s thrown only 6.1 innings, where he’s recorded an 8.53 ERA and 2.68 WHIP in five appearances for the Pirates this season. Toronto veteran right-hander Max Scherzer will celebrate his 42nd birthday with a start, coming off the injured list and starting Monday’s series opener at Washington, Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “Max is going to pitch (Monday),” he said following their 6-1 series finale loss to the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on Sunday. “I think just talking to him and understanding where he was physically and how he has recovered from the rehab outing in (Triple-A) Buffalo,” Schneider said. “Maybe a little bit limited in pitch count, but I think he kind of checked all the boxes.” Scherzer (1-4 with a 10.23 ERA) was placed on the injured list in mid-June with back spasms, but has had various setbacks, including three cortisone shots in his thumb. He threw 56 pitches in five innings, striking out seven in a rehab start on Wednesday. He’s made only six starts this season for the Blue Jays, who have dropped seven of 10 since the All-Star break. Last season, after being left off the ALDS roster because of late-season struggles, Scherzer was included on the ALCS and World Series roster for the Blue Jays. Toronto lost the series in seven games to the Los Angeles Dodgers. He is 222-121 with a 3.27 ERA in 489 games over 19 seasons and seven different teams. He has two World Series rings, one coming with the Nationals, where he’ll start on Monday, in 2019. The other with Texas in 2023. The Athletics’ plans for the MLB Trade Deadline took a major hit Sunday after All-Star catcher Shea Langeliers suffered a torn meniscus in his right knee, per ESPN. The injury could sideline him for the remainder of the season and complicate the club’s Trade Deadline plans. The injury effectively removes Langeliers from the trade market, where he was expected to be one of the most sought-after players available ahead of the deadline. While it was never a given that the Athletics would trade Langeliers, the injury takes the decision out of their hands. Before the injury, Langeliers was putting together the best season of his career, batting .263 with 23 home runs, 51 RBIs and an .829 OPS in 93 games. The Athletics, who sit fourth in the AL West at 44-60, are widely expected to be sellers ahead of the Aug. 3 Trade Deadline. With Langeliers off the trade market, the front office will have no choice but to reevaluate which players they’re realistically willing to move. July 23 New York Mets slugger Juan Soto was placed on the 10-day injured list on Saturday because of a left calf strain. Soto walked twice against Los Angeles Dodgers starter Rōki Sasaki in Friday’s 4-2 loss before being replaced by Jorge Polanco in the sixth inning with the score tied at 1-all. He appeared to experience discomfort while running to second base on Bo Bichette’s double-play grounder in the second inning. Soto is hitting .293 with 21 homers and 52 RBIs in 84 games this season. He missed 15 games with the same injury from April 3–21, and the Mets went 3-12 without him. Soto sat out Wednesday’s 4-3 loss at the Milwaukee Brewers, but he was back in the lineup Friday after the Mets had a day off. The lone All-Star for the Mets this year, Soto exited the team’s first game after the break in the eighth inning on July 16 at the Philadelphia Phillies. New York was off the following day, and he returned to the lineup as the designated hitter on Saturday and Sunday against the Phillies. He played left field Monday in Milwaukee and was the DH on Tuesday. To replace Soto, the Mets called up infielder/outfielder Eric Wagaman from Triple-A Syracuse. Wagaman is hitting .162 with two homers and four RBIs in 21 games this season. Boston Red Sox All-Star left-hander Ranger Suárez is expected to come off the injured list and start Sunday’s series finale against the Toronto Blue Jays, interim Boston manager Chad Tracy said Saturday. The 30-year-old Suárez was placed on the injured list on July 9 with a strained left groin. He missed the All-Star game. “Ranger should be good to go for [Sunday],” Tracy said before the Red Sox faced the Blue Jays at Fenway Park on Saturday. “We have him scheduled to start the game.” Suárez was throwing on the field about 2 1/2 hours before Saturday’s game. Tracy said the club will push lefty Payton Tolle from Sunday to start Monday’s series opener in Sacramento against the Athletics. Suárez is 4-3 with a 3.15 ERA in 17 starts in his first season after signing a $130 million, five-year contract with the Red Sox in free agency. Earlier this week, the team was planning for Suárez to come off the IL and start Tuesday, but they pushed him back to possibly starting Wednesday’s second game of a split doubleheader after that game got rained out. Then, he was under the weather and still sore, so they used lefty Eduardo Rivera in the nightcap that snapped their club record-tying 15-game winning streak.
We’re grading the deals ahead of Monday’s MLB trade deadline. How do these moves impact the pennant chase and which ones are going to move the needle for the postseason contenders? Will there be potential deals for players like Tigers ace Tarik Skubal and Mets pitcher Freddy Peralta? Will teams like the two-time World Series champion Dodgers try to bolster its already potent squad? Let’s get into it: Pirates: C+Yankees: B-Who else is involved: The Yankees received two prospects, C Omar Alfonzo and OF Luis CruzPittsburgh needs relief arms arguably as much or more than any other contender, so this one’s hard to grade until we know how much more bullpen help it acquires over the next few days. As it stands, the Pirates are buying low, hoping they can extract the upside out of Doval that the Yankees couldn’t after New York traded for the hard-throwing Dominican right-hander at last year’s deadline. Doval was a below replacement level arm in the second half for the Yankees last year and is again through the first half this season, registering a 4.63 ERA during his time in the Bronx. Three years ago, Doval looked like one of the game’s most promising relievers. An All-Star at 25 years old with the Giants in 2023, he featured a cutter that averaged close to 100 mph and recorded an NL-best 39 saves. But he was unable to consistently replicate that form or maintain his control in the ensuing years and was recently relegated to lower leverage duties with the Yankees. He hasn’t walked as many batters this year, he still throws hard, he keeps the ball on the ground, and his expected ERA (3.61) is about a full run better than his actual ERA (4.54), but his strikeout rate continues to plummet, and he is allowing the highest hard-hit rate and average exit velocity of his career. There are clear tools here, though, so the “+” on the Pirates’ grade is in part because Doval is still under team control for another season. But the fact that the Yankees — who are also in need of bullpen help — were willing to just move on after Doval’s disappointing tenure is telling.That said, it wasn’t particularly surprising. Doval clearly wasn’t figuring it out with the Yankees, who at least turned him into a prospect at a position of need in Alfonzo, a left-handed-hitting catcher who was a top-20 Pirates prospect according to MLB’s rankings and has a .757 OPS at Double-A. Cruz is a dart throw, but the 18-year-old had an .856 OPS for the Pirates’ Dominican Summer League team. I’d expect the Yankees to look for another high-leverage arm, in addition to their offensive needs. — Kavner
The New York Yankees reportedly traded relief pitcher Camilo Doval to the Pittsburgh Pirates, per Jeff Passan. Doval has a 3-1 record, one save and a 4.54 ERA over 39.2 appearances for the Yankees in 2026. This is the second straight time Doval has been moved at MLB’s trade deadline, as the San Francisco Giants shipped him to the Yankees last July. The Pirates are sending minor league prospects Omar Alfonzo and Luis Cruz to New York in exchange for Doval. Both New York and Pittsburgh are vying for MLB playoff spots. The Yankees (62-48) sit atop the American League wild card race and 2.5 games back of Tampa Bay in the AL East. The Pirates (55-56 are 2.5 games back of the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL wild card race.
