The Opener

It’s already been an eventful morning with an early Braves DFA and a major shakeup in Chicago. Here are three more things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day:

1. deGrom to face hitters:

Two-time Cy Young winner Jacob deGrom made just six starts in a Rangers uniform last year before undergoing Tommy John surgery, but the 36-year-old hurler is poised to take in major step in his rehab today. Per Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News, deGrom is scheduled to throw a bullpen session before facing minor league hitters for a 20-pitch simulated inning of work. It’s his first time facing hitters since going under the knife, but Grant suggests that if today’s session goes well the veteran right-hander could begin a rehab assignment in fairly short order. Long regarded as perhaps the best pitcher in all of baseball when healthy enough to take the mound, deGrom has a phenomenal 2.08 ERA, 2.11 FIP, and 35.6% strikeout rate since the start of the 2018 season but has been limited to just 32 starts since the start of the 2021 campaign by a number of injuries.

2. Ryan exits with injury:

Twins right-hander Joe Ryan looked quite good through two innings of work against the Cubs yesterday, striking out two while allowing nothing outside of a solo home run to Chicago rookie Michael Busch. Unfortunately, those two innings would be his only work of the game as he uncorked a high splitter way out of the zone and called to the dugout, exiting shortly thereafter due to what the team later referred to as triceps tightness. After the game, manager Rocco Baldelli spoke to reporters (including Dan Hayes of The Athletic) regarding the issue but provided little in terms of concrete details regarding the injury.

Baldelli suggested that the club would know more about the severity of the issue in a few days, but it was likely that the right-hander would miss “at least some time.” Any absence of any significance would be a frustrating development for a Twins club that has already had its starting pitching depth tested by the losses of Anthony DeSclafani (before the season began) and Chris Paddack (who recently returned to the IL for a second time this season). Louie Varland appears to be the most likely candidate to a step into a rotation role in Ryan’s stead, though the 26-year-old has struggled at both the major and minor league levels this year and seems unlikely to provide production close to what Ryan has offered this year: a 3.60 ERA and 3.44 FIP in 23 starts.

3. Hays to undergo further evaluation:

Newly-acquired Phillies outfielder Austin Hays is just ten games into his tenure with the club but may be headed for the shelf after exiting yesterday’s game with what the club announced as hamstring tightness when he pulled up while running to first base in the third inning. Manager Rob Thomson told reporters (including Alex Coffey of The Philadelphia Inquirer) that the club was not yet sure how serious the issue is and that he’ll be evaluated further today.

The addition of Hays, who the club acquired from the Orioles ahead of the deadline in exchange for Seranthony Dominguez and Cristian Pache, added a right-handed bat to the club’s outfield corps who could mix and match with Brandon Marsh and Johan Rojas in left and center field. The 28-year-old is hitting a roughly league-average .256/.310/.395 in 73 games between Baltimore and Philadelphia this year, and if he misses time his absence will likely open the door for Weston Wilson to get additional playing time going forward.

Here are three things we’ll be watching around baseball today:

1. A’s to activate Mason Miller:

After missing a couple of weeks with a broken pinky finger in his non-pitching hand, Athletics closer Mason Miller will return to the club’s bullpen tonight. Manager Mark Kotsay shared the news with reporters yesterday (including Jessica Kleinschmidt). Kleinschmidt noted on Monday that Kotsay himself stepped in to face Miller in live batting practice, and the young hurler reportedly felt great.

The A’s have been playing surprisingly well as of late, but they’ll surely be glad to have their closer back in the fold. The team went 10-6 in July before Miller’s injury, and they have gone 7-6 since. Miller has been, arguably, the most dominant reliever in baseball this season, with a 2.21 ERA and 1.67 SIERA in 40 2/3 innings pitched.

2. Kyle Freeland exits with blister on pitching hand:

Rockies starter Kyle Freeland exited in the fifth inning of last night’s contest against the Mets. After the game, he explained to reporters that he developed a blister in the fourth, and it became a problem in the fifth, causing too much discomfort for him to throw his curveball properly. The southpaw was unable to say if he thinks the blister will affect his next start; he has dealt with blisters in the past, but “this one got pretty big on [him]” (video on X via Christian Saez of DNVR).

While a blister does not sound like a particularly serious injury, it’s not unheard of for a pitcher to require an IL stint while a blister heals. The Rockies, who already have one of the worst pitching staffs in baseball by almost every metric, will be in an even worse position if Freeland misses a few starts. Freeland has a 5.65 ERA but a career-best 4.24 SIERA in 12 outings this season.

3. Two doubleheaders on the docket:

Fans will get a little extra baseball today, with 17 games on the schedule. After a couple of rainouts on Tuesday, there will be two doubleheaders this afternoon and evening. The Guardians and Diamondbacks will kick things off at 12:10 PM CT, with Brandon Pfaadt set to take the mound for Arizona against Cleveland’s Ben Lively. In game two, Eduardo Rodriguez will make his 2024 (and his Diamondbacks) debut, while Carlos Carrasco will take the ball for the Guardians. The Guardians will look to slow down a red-hot D-backs team that has not lost a series since June. Meanwhile, with a pair of wins (and a Padres loss), the Diamondbacks could move into sole possession of the top NL Wild Card spot.

The Yankees and Angels will play the second doubleheader of the day, with game one starting at 3:05 PM CT. Luis Gil of the Yankees is lined up to face Davis Daniel of the Angels. In game two, New York will send Will Warren to the hill against L.A.’s Carson Fulmer. The Yankees are hoping to hold onto sole possession of first place in the AL East, which they reclaimed when the Orioles lost to the Blue Jays on Tuesday.

With a full slate of games on the schedule tonight, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around baseball:

1. Tyler Mahle to make his 2024 debut:

The Rangers are planning to activate Tyler Mahle from the 60-day IL to start tonight’s game against the Astros (per Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News). It will be Mahle’s first start of the 2024 season and his first start since signing a two-year, $22MM deal with Texas during the offseason. The right-hander underwent Tommy John surgery in May 2023, so the Rangers knew they wouldn’t have him for most of the 2024 season when they signed him this winter. Now, he is returning just in time to help the team attempt an unlikely comeback over the final two months of the season. The Rangers are five games back in the AL West and 8.5 games back in the Wild Card race, but with Mahle getting back on the mound (and Jacob deGrom soon to follow), this team is still hoping to contend.

Texas has an open spot in the rotation after placing Max Scherzer and Jon Gray on the IL last week and trading Michael Lorenzen ahead of the deadline. However, the club will need to make corresponding moves to open up space for Mahle on the 40 and 26-man rosters.

2. Gabriel Moreno suffers groin strain:

Diamondbacks catcher Gabriel Moreno exited yesterday’s game against the Guardians after hurting himself running out an infield single. The team later described the injury as a “strained left groin.” While the D-backs have not yet discussed the severity of the strain, it certainly didn’t look good on Monday, as Moreno fell to the ground in pain. He later got up with a trainer’s assistance and limped off the field. Presumably, Arizona will provide an update on his condition ahead of today’s game, which begins at 5:40 pm CT at Progressive Field.

The Diamondbacks have the best record in baseball since the beginning of July, and Moreno has played a big part in their recent success. In 97 plate appearances since coming back from a brief stint on the IL (sprained left thumb) on July 2, he is slashing .333/.412/.476 with a 152 wRC+, all while providing his consistently excellent defense behind the plate. If he misses time, backup Jose Herrera will most likely fill in as the regular catcher, and the D-backs will need to add another backstop to the 40-man roster – perhaps Ronaldo Hernández or Adrian Del Castillo – to take over as the backup.

3. Drew Rasmussen to join Rays bullpen:

Drew Rasmussen is expected to rejoin the Rays either today or tomorrow, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Although he had success as a starter with Tampa Bay from 2021-23, Rasmussen will work as a multi-inning relief pitcher upon his return. Needless to say, the Rays are planning to exercise caution with the 29-year-old, who has undergone three elbow surgeries since 2016. He had Tommy John surgery twice in college and underwent a hybrid internal brace procedure last summer. Very few pitchers have ever worked their way back from three major elbow procedures, but Rasmussen is looking to defy the odds. He will take his next step toward that goal when he returns to the Rays this week.

The Rays already have two open spots on their 40-man roster, so they will only need to clear a space on the active roster before they activate Rasmussen.

4. MLBTR chat today:

The trade deadline is squarely in the rearview mirror, and the post-deadline push for the 2024 postseason is underway. If you have questions about your favorite team’s deadline activity (or lack thereof), its offseason direction or anything else pertaining to the final third of the season, MLBTR’s Steve Adams is holding a live chat with readers at 1pm CT today. You can click here to ask a question in advance, join in live once the chat begins, or read the transcript once the chat is complete.

As MLB’s regular season continues, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. How low can the White Sox go?

The White Sox are in the midst of history—for all the wrong reasons. The Twins’ 13-7 victory over Chicago yesterday marked the 20th consecutive loss for the South Siders. You may know that there have been just seven streaks of 20 or more wins in a row in MLB history and, as MLB.com’s Sarah Langs noted yesterday, 20-game losing streaks are just as rare with the current streak by the White Sox being the seventh in MLB history. Four of the other six teams (the 1906 Boston Americans, the 1916 and 1943 Philadelphia Athletics, and the 1969 Montreal Expos) saw their losing streaks end at 20, meaning that if the club loses tonight’s game against the Athletics in Oakland the losing streak will jump from a five-way tie for third place into a two-way tie for second place, joining an Orioles club that rattled off 21 consecutive losses to kick off the 1988 season. The 1961 Philadelphia Phillies lost a record 23 consecutive games.

2. Diaz day-to-day:

There was a scary moment for Rays infielder Yandy Diaz in yesterday’s game against the Astros, when he was struck in the wrist area by a 110 mph grounder off the bat of Yordan Alvarez while attempting to field the ball. The 32-year-old was pulled from the game in obvious pain and replaced by youngster Curtis Mead at first base, though the Rays later announced (as relayed by Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times) that x-rays were negative and that Diaz had been diagnosed with a left wrist contusion. Diaz said after the game that he doesn’t expect to require a trip to the injured list but had not yet tried to grip a bat or put on a glove due to pain when closing his hand. He’s expected to get treatment for the ailment while the Rays are off today before a determination is made about his status for Tuesday’s series against the Cardinals.

3. Series Preview: Phillies @ Dodgers

Two of the National League’s best teams are set to face off this week in what could prove to be a preview of this year’s NLCS when the Phillies head to Chavez Ravine for a three-game set against the Dodgers. The series kicks off at 7:10pm local time this evening with a battle between Aaron Nola (3.43 ERA) and Tyler Glasnow (3.50 ERA). Tomorrow’s game will see breakout lefty Cristopher Sanchez (3.36 ERA) square off against veteran lefty Clayton Kershaw (5.87 ERA through two starts), and the series will wrap up with a pair of rookies on the mound as Tyler Phillips (4.39 ERA through five appearances) takes on Gavin Stone (3.63 ERA).

As the calendar flips to August, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Diamond Sports Group/Comcast deal goes into effect:

As noted by ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez earlier this week, Diamond Sports Group reached a carriage deal with Comcast that is set to go into effect today. The deal applies to each of Diamond’s regional sports networks, meaning that Angels, Braves, Brewers, Cardinals, Guardians, Marlins, Rangers, Rays, Reds, Royals, Tigers, and Twins games will be available on the Xfinity Ultimate TV package starting today. Comcast stopped carrying Diamond networks back in May amid negotiations between the sides. Going forward, Diamond networks will be carried as part of a more expensive subscription tier. Per Gonzalez, existing Xfinity customers who upgrade their package by August 30 will receive the upgrade free of charge for three months, meaning baseball fans can watch their team’s games for no extra charge though the end of the season.

2. Deadline to sign 2024 draftees:

The deadline to sign players selected in this year’s draft looms today at 5pm ET. The overwhelming majority of 2024 draftees have already signed with their new clubs, but there’s still a handful of names who’ve yet to put pen to paper. A pair of first-rounders remain unsigned at this moment: East Carolina righty Trey Yesavage, whom the Blue Jays selected at No. 20 overall, and North Carolina outfielder Vance Honeycutt, whom the Orioles selected two picks later.

Jim Callis of MLB.com runs through the remaining players from the top 10 rounds who’ve not yet signed, noting that prep lefty Tyler Bell (taken by the Rays 66th overall), prep shortstop Chris Levonas (No. 67 to the Brewers), Texas A&M lefty Ryan Prager (No. 81, Angels) and Houston righty Jaxon Jelkin (No. 263, Mets) have all yet to sign and are not expected to do so. Callis’ piece also looks at the tough signs in rounds 11-20 who could be pursued late deals with the money that likely will not be spent on those picks in the top 10 rounds.

3. Gregory Santos to undergo MRI:

Just six appearances into his Mariners career, right-hander Gregory Santos exited yesterday’s game against the Red Sox due to injury. Manager Scott Servais told reporters (including Daniel Kramer of MLB.com) following the game that Santos was dealing with a biceps injury and will undergo an MRI today following the club’s return to Seattle. Acquired from the White Sox in a trade this offseason, Santos’ debut with his new club was delayed until last month due to a lat strain. He finally returned to the mound in early July but hasn’t looked quite like himself, posting a 6.75 ERA in 5 1/3 innings of work while striking out just 20.8% of batters faced. Now, it appears he may be at risk of returning to the IL. The acquisition of Yimi Garcia had already pushed Santos out of the role of primary set-up man for closer Andres Munoz, but his absence could afford arms like Collin Snider and Tayler Saucedo additional late-inning opportunities.

4. Luis Rengifo dealing with “flare-up” in wrist:

Angels infielder Luis Rengifo spent three weeks last month on the IL due to inflammation in his right wrist, and Anaheim manager Ron  Washington told reporters (including Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register) yesterday that the injury hasn’t entirely gone away as Rengifo suffered a “flare-up” of the same injury. The club plans to re-evaluate Rengifo today before deciding on next steps, but an absence would be the latest in a long and frustrating line of injury news for the Halos. Rengifo has only been back in action for eight games. Since then, Mike Trout’s short-lived rehab assignment has been halted amid a setback in his return from meniscus surgery, and Anthony Rendon returned to the injured list due to back inflammation. If Rengifo also misses additional time, the Angels will likely use Luis Guillorme and Michael Stefanic at the hot corner alongside Brandon Drury at second base, and Zach Neto at shortstop.

With trade season officially in the past, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Post-Deadline Roster Moves:

While the trade deadline has come and gone, yesterday’s trades figure to continue impacting the rosters of clubs going forward. While clubs need to clear 40-man roster space for acquired players at the time of the deal, most active roster moves take longer to be completed. Some players arrive in town quickly enough to report to their new clubs the same day a trade takes place, as newly-minted Royals shortstop Paul DeJong did yesterday after switching dugouts to join the Royals after being dealt by the White Sox mid-series, but travel often takes a day or two. After a busy deadline day where upwards of 30 trades were hammered out, there figures to be plenty of roster maneuvering today both for buyers who need to make room for additions as well as for sellers who need to replace their departing players internally.

2. Cabrera to undergo imaging:

After a busy deadline day that saw the Marlins deal a long list of players that includes lefty Trevor Rogers and outfielder Bryan De La Cruz, the club is facing an injury scare regarding one of its rotation members who stayed in place. As noted by El Extrabase’s Daniel Alvarez-Montes, right-hander Edward Cabrera “tweaked” his left knee while covering first base during the sixth inning of yesterday’s 9-3 loss to the Rays and needed to be taken out of the game. Manager Skip Schumaker told reporters (including Alvarez-Montes) following the game that the Marlins plan to send Cabrera for imaging and further details about his injury will be available today.

It’s the latest frustrating setback for Cabrera, 26, who has been limited to just nine starts amid a variety of injury woes this year. When he is healthy enough to take the mound, he’s struggled badly with a 6.65 ERA and a 5.58 FIP in 43 1/3 innings of work that have seen him walk 13.6% of opponents. If Cabrera winds up missing additional time due to yesterday’s knee issue, the club could turn to right-hander Valente Bellozo to round out the rotation. The 24-year-old rookie made two starts for the club earlier this year, pitching to a 4.50 ERA and 3.06 FIP in ten innings of work.

3. Lynn dealing with knee issue:

Cabrera wasn’t the only NL starter to struggle with a knee issue yesterday. Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat relays that veteran right-hander Lance Lynn struggled with a “bark-y” right knee during his start for the Cardinals last night. The issue caused a dip in velocity, but Lynn still managed five innings of one-run ball against the Rangers before exiting. Lynn noted that he and the club will monitor the issue and see how he recovers today following last night’s start before determining a path forward. The Cardinals appear to be decently well-equipped to handle the loss of Lynn if the veteran, who sports a decent 4.04 ERA and 4.44 FIP in 106 1/3 innings of work this year, requires a trip to the injured list. The club just added right-hander Erick Fedde to their rotation mix on Monday in a three-team deal where they also acquired Tommy Pham and dealt Tommy Edman to the Dodgers.

Deadline day is upon us! Rather than the usual three “outs,” today’s opener is going three innings and previewing nine of the countless scenarios to keep an eye on between now and the 5pm CT trade deadline:

1. Will Crochet move? And what else is in store for the White Sox?

Few names have generated as much conversation as emergent White Sox ace Garrett Crochet in the month leading up to the trade deadline. It’s long seemed like a foregone conclusion that the Sox would trade him after extension talks failed to progress, but Crochet threw a wrench into those plans when his camp indicated he wanted to remain in the rotation and hoped to sign a long-term deal (just apparently not with the rebuilding White Sox) if a new club was to pitch him in October. Crochet has already thrown more innings in 2024 (114 1/3) than he had in his entire career prior to the current season, so it’s understandable that he’s concerned about how a midseason role change and/or pitching deep into October could impact his health. At the same time, his all-business approach has complicated his trade outlook for the White Sox and rubbed many fans — plus some in the industry — the wrong way.

Crochet isn’t the only name the Sox have left to market. They were leaning against moving center fielder Luis Robert Jr. as of last night, although it takes all of one text message or phone call to get that train rolling again. Other trade candidates include lefty Tanner Banks and shorter-term pickups like Paul DeJong, Chris Flexen, John Brebbia and Nicky Lopez.

2. Will the A’s trade Rooker? …Or… anyone?

Robert isn’t the only marquee outfielder whose rebuilding club is wary of moving him. Brent Rooker has emerged as one of the top power hitters in all of baseball over the past two seasons and has drawn considerable interest, but the A’s are signaling reluctance to move him with three years of club control remaining beyond the current season. Perhaps that’s a smokescreen, but there’s little to no urgency for Oakland to move him right now. Rooker would still command a haul this offseason, when a potentially even larger number of teams might more seriously consider placing a bid.

Rooker aside, the A’s are rather incredibly one of only two teams (more on that later) not to make a single trade yet during the 2024 deadline bonanza. That seems overwhelmingly likely to change today. Candidates beyond Rooker include outfielders Miguel Andujar and JJ Bleday (also a long shot); right-handers Paul Blackburn and Ross Stripling; and relievers Lucas Erceg (who’s drawing immense interest), Scott Alexander, Austin Adams and T.J. McFarland.

3. Who’s getting Flaherty, Scott, and the other obvious rentals?

The Tigers scratched Jack Flaherty from last night’s start to safeguard against an injury that tanks his value. A deal didn’t come together at the time, but he’s a virtual lock to change hands before 5pm CT today. Marlins closer Tanner Scott is even more certain to finish today under control of a new team. Both pitchers are free agents at season’s end.

Many of the market’s other obvious rental chips have already changed hands, but not all of them. Trevor Richards (Blue Jays), Luis Garcia (Angels), Kevin Pillar (Angels), Elias Diaz (Rockies), Jacob Stallings (Rockies), Dylan Floro (Nationals) and the aforementioned Flexen, McFarland and Stripling are just some of the impending free agents who could be on the move today.

4. How many more deals do the Rays have in them?

The Rays have owned the trade market this month, shipping out Aaron Civale, Phil Maton, Randy Arozarena, Zach Eflin, Isaac Paredes and Jason Adam for a dozen known players (Christopher Morel and 11 prospects) and a player to be named later (from the Mariners as part of the Arozarena deal).

Even with all those deals, the Rays could still have a few more trades up their sleeve. At least four teams (Rangers, Yankees, Astros, Pirates) remain in play for first baseman Yandy Diaz. Right-hander Zack Littell has one extra year of control and has emerged as both a viable rotation arm and trade candidate for Tampa Bay. Second baseman/outfielder Brandon Lowe is in the final guaranteed season of his contract but has a pair of club options ($10.5MM and $11.5MM) that the frugal Rays might prefer to trade for longer-term value. Relievers Pete Fairbanks, Colin Poche, Garrett Cleavinger and Kevin Kelly have all been discussed as well.

5. Will the Twins do, um… anything?

As noted, Oakland is one of two teams in the league to do exactly nothing thus far. The other is Minnesota. The Twins have spent much of the season in comfortable playoff position and are said to be working with payroll limitations (just as they were in the offseason), but their complete silence on the trade front is nevertheless surprising. Minnesota has been eyeing rental arms for the back of the rotation and could look for another outfield bat or reliever, but thus far the reigning AL Central champs have simply stood pat. They’re 5.5 games back of the division lead — a closeable gap in theory, but so far they’ve watched the Central-leading Guardians add Lane Thomas in a trade with the Nationals and the third-place Royals make multiple veteran acquisitions without doing anything to improve their own club.

6. Finnegan still in Washington…

The Nats wasted little time trading one of their two late-inning arms with a year-plus of club control remaining when they moved Hunter Harvey to the Royals before the All-Star break. But closer Kyle Finnegan remains with the team despite standing as one of the most obvious trade candidates around the game. Last night’s blown save certainly didn’t raise his stock any, but Finnegan has been prone to hard contact all season even while saving 28 games with a 3.48 ERA, 24.6% strikeout rate and 7.2% walk rate. Teams know an outing like yesterday’s five-run meltdown is potentially in the cards for someone with a 50.4% hard-hit rate, but Finnegan has generally been excellent this year prior to that shellacking.

The Nats could hang onto Finnegan, but they’ve already traded Harvey, Jesse Winker and the previously mentioned Thomas. A deal of Finnegan seems likelier than not.

7. How far will the Angels go?

The Angels traded closer Carlos Estevez for a nice return over the weekend and have a handful of rental names left to peddle. They’ve reportedly been hesitant to move players controlled beyond the current season, but lefty Tyler Anderson (signed for $13MM next year), righty Griffin Canning (controlled via arbitration through 2025), infielder Luis Rengifo (controlled through 2025) and outfielder Taylor Ward (controlled through 2026) have all drawn interest.

8. Same question, now for the Blue Jays!

The Blue Jays have also held onto their big-name players controlled beyond the current season (though they did move a controllable reliever in former top prospect Nate Pearson). They’ve already traded impending free agents Yusei Kikuchi, Danny Jansen and Justin Turner. A trade of reliever Trevor Richards seems highly plausible, given that he’ll reach free agency this winter as well. But all eyes will be on the Jays to see if they soften their stance and listen to offers for Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Chris Bassitt or — even more interestingly — allow themselves to be blown away by an offer for Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Given the limited number of impact bats available, one would imagine the Jays could command a king’s ransom for Guerrero. I argued in favor of why they should be open to just such a scenario in a piece for MLBTR Front Office subscribers last Friday.

9. Deadline surprises!

The trade deadline tends to bring a surprise name or two every year. At this point, all talk about the Tigers/Tarik Skubal the Jays/Guerrero and Bo Bichette has been that those players will stay put. It would register as a surprise if any of that bunch moved, but there’s likely to be a name or two that hasn’t been out there at all who’ll be on the move. MLBTR’s Anthony Franco already profiled 11 long-shot trade candidates in a piece for subscribers, and there are surely some other under-the-radar names being bandied about. Feel free to voice your own guesses in the comments below, and happy deadline day to all! Let the madness begin.

On the eve of this summer’s trade deadline, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Royals facing potential bullpen injuries:

Yesterday’s 7-3 loss to the Cubs was a particularly brutal one for the Royals, as relievers John Schreiber and Hunter Harvey both exited the game due to injury concerns, leaving a bullpen that is already an obvious weakness for Kansas City in an even more precarious position. After being acquired from the Red Sox over the offseason, Schreiber has posted a 4.14 ERA and an excellent 3.26 FIP in 37 innings of work. Harvey was acquired just before the All-Star break from the Nationals and sports a 4.15 ERA and 3.38 FIP in 47 2/3 innings this year.

As noted by MLB.com’s Injury Tracker, Schreiber “tweaked” his knee on a play and first base and limped off the field before being replaced by Harvey to start the next inning. Harvey then recorded two outs in the seventh before surrendering back-to-back walks and exiting due to back spasms. Per manager Matt Quatraro, Schreiber is set to undergo imaging and the club expects to know more about the status of both players today. The loss of either arm would surely exacerbate the Royals’ need for bullpen help, which has seen them connected to Angels righty Luis Garcia and Marlins lefty Tanner Scott in recent days.

2. Lopez to receive imaging results:

The Braves also received a major injury scare yesterday when right-hander Reynaldo Lopez exited yesterday’s game due to forearm tightness. Lopez has paired with veteran Chris Sale to help make up for the loss of ace hurler Spencer Strider this year as he’s posted a sterling 2.06 ERA with a 3.16 FIP through 19 starts. Lopez was set to undergo an MRI to determine the severity of the issue last night. A serious injury could force the Braves to jump into the market for starting pitching even as the club figures to prioritize adding to its beleaguered outfield. With as many as ten contenders already in the market for starting pitching help, the addition of Atlanta to that group could make the rush for rotation arms the talk of the league over the final day and a half before the deadline.

3. What’s next for the Cubs?

The Cubs entered deadline season looking like probable sellers this summer but have instead focused on this point on adding players with long-term team control. They picked up right-hander Nate Pearson (controlled through 2026) from the Blue Jays on Saturday before swinging the most surprising deal of the deadline so far yesterday to acquire third baseman Isaac Paredes (controlled through 2027) from the Rays.

Given those buy-side acquisitions, it would hardly be a surprise to see the Cubs attempt to accumulate more long-term assets at the big league level, and they’ve even been connected to shorter-term assets like Giants southpaw Blake Snell. On the other hand, right-hander Jameson Taillon has received plenty of interest on the trade market, and it remains possible he or a bullpen arm like Mark Leiter Jr. get shipped out by president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer and his staff as the deadline approaches.

On the heels of this summer’s first blockbuster coming together overnight, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world headed into the weekend:

1. The trade market is heating up:

After weeks of minimal movement on the trade market, the dam appeared to finally break last night when the Diamondbacks and Marlins got together on a deal that sent southpaw A.J. Puk to Arizona. That trade was promptly followed by a late night swap between the Mariners and Rays that shipped All-Star outfielder Randy Arozarena to Seattle. Both players’ overall numbers have been average this year, due to tough starts to the season, though both have heated up significantly recently. Puk has been utterly dominant since moving back to the bullpen this year, with a 2.08 ERA and a 2.42 FIP in 30 1/3 frames that should bolster Arizona’s late-inning mix alongside closer Paul Sewald. Meanwhile, Arozarena has hit .284/.397/.507 (161 wRC+) since the calendar flipped to June — a huge line that’s sure to provide a boost to Seattle’s beleaguered lineup.

With trades finally starting to trickle in, plenty of activity should be expected this weekend. Yesterday was a busy day on the rumor mill even aside from the trades, as breakout relief star Mason Miller now appears to be officially off the market after suffering a broken finger, while multiple teams have begun to show interest in Cubs right-hander Jameson Taillon after the club’s front office officially declared themselves sellers earlier this week.

2. Will these probable starters actually take the mound?

This weekend features a number of probable starters who could be making their final appearances for their current teams—at least, if they aren’t scratched from those starts as a trade looms over the horizon. Saturday’s slate of games figures to see Rays righty Zack Littell (4.46 ERA), Tigers ace Tarik Skubal (2.34 ERA), White Sox righty Erick Fedde (2.98 ERA), and Angels lefty Tyler Anderson (2.91 ERA) take the mound, while White Sox ace Garrett Crochet (3.07 ERA) is slated to take the bump on Sunday.

Each of these hurlers has found their name in the rumor mill fairly frequently this summer and appears within MLBTR’s list of the Top 50 Trade Candidates for the 2024 deadline, so it would hardly be a surprise if at least one of them were to be scratched from their weekend start to avoid an injury scuttling a trade their front office was closing in on putting together. In the event these hurlers do take the mound this weekend, the starts will provide their fanbases a chance to say what could be goodbye to a major piece of their club’s rotation this year.

3. What’s next for the Rays and Marlins?

While teams such as the White Sox, A’s, Angels, Cubs, and Nationals all figure to sell to some degree or other over the coming days, last night’s sellers have been perhaps the two most active sell-side clubs on the trade market this year. In addition to last night’s trade of Puk, the Marlins jumped the market all the way back in May to ship All-Star infielder Luis Arraez to San Diego in the season’s very first blockbuster, while the Rays already shipped out right-handers Aaron Civale and Phil Maton earlier this month. With all eyes on Florida in the days leading up to the deadline, both clubs have plenty more pieces to move.

Miami southpaw Tanner Scott, the club’s closer and a free agent after the 2024 campaign, has long appeared to be a virtual lock to be moved given his 1.21 ERA and the Marlins’ clear willingness to part ways with short-term pieces. A pair of longer-term pieces have gotten more recent buzz in the rumor mill lately, as both 2022 All-Star Jazz Chisholm Jr. and outfielder Bryan De La Cruz have come up in trade talks. The Pirates appear to be in on both players, as reports have indicated they’ve had “exploratory” talks regarding Chisholm and are also scouting De La Cruz. The Rays, by contrast, are less certain to auction off their assets, but right-hander Zach Eflin and third baseman Isaac Paredes have both reportedly drawn interest in recent days, with the Astros seemingly in on both players. Littell has also been a rumored trade candidate, and Tampa Bay could move at least one reliever from the ’pen.