NL East Links: Marlins, Kelley, Adams, Braves

There have been reports that the Marlins could consider dealing such major names as Christian Yelich, Marcell Ozuna or J.T. Realmuto at the deadline, though Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes that the Fish thus far “haven’t shown an inclination” to make a big roster shakeup.  A source tells Jackson that the Marlins are still a couple of weeks away before deciding on trading some players, including closer AJ Ramos.  Much is still in flux due to the potential sale of the team, of course, as Jackson notes that the front office would need to talk to both the new ownership group and Major League Baseball before exploring a big-ticket trade involving Giancarlo Stanton.

Here’s more from around the division…

• The Nationals placed righty Shawn Kelley on the 10-day DL with a right trapezius strain.  The placement is retroactive to June 17 and A.J. Cole has been called up from Triple-A in a corresponding move.  This is Kelley’s second DL stint of the year, as he also missed some time with a lower back strain.  Kelley’s struggles have been a big contributor to Washington’s bullpen problems this season, as the veteran right-hander has a 7.00 ERA and a whopping nine homers allowed over 18 innings.
• The Braves will go to a six-man rotation when Bartolo Colon returns from the disabled list next week, David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes.  The Braves want a longer look at rookie Sean Newcomb while they’re also not ready to release the struggling Colon, who is owed a little over $7MM for the rest of the season.  It remains to be seen how long Atlanta will deploy the six-man rotation, though things could return to normal if a starter (such as Jaime Garcia) is dealt at the trade deadline.
• Matt Adams has done nothing but mash since joining the Braves, though the first baseman knows he could be on the move again once Freddie Freeman returns from the DL, Adams tells Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.  While he enjoys playing in Atlanta, “whenever Freddie comes back, wherever the next spot may be…I either finish out the season with Atlanta or go somewhere else,” Adams said.  “I’m open to anything right now. I’m taking it day by day.”  The interview is well worth a full read, as Adams discusses his time with the Cardinals and his reaction to being dealt last month.  Adams has a whopping 1.013 OPS and nine homers over just 114 plate appearances in a Braves uniform, making him a very attractive potential trade chip if Atlanta indeed does look to swap him again at the deadline.