MLB RUMORS AND NEWS

ESPN "Astros shortstop Carlos Correa will begin a rehab assignment Thursday at Triple-A Fresno. The All-Star has been out since July 17 because of a thumb injury that required surgery. "Really excited obviously to go out there and play and be one step closer to rejoining my teammates and being..." August 23

Sporting News "If the Cardinals are going to overtake the Brewers and Cubs in the National League Central, they'll have to do it without their hard-throwing closer. Trevor Rosenthal was placed on the 60-day disabled list on Wednesday and will need Tommy John surgery to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in..." August 23

CBS Sports "Over the last several years, the opt-out clause has become a major factor on the free agent market. Want to sign a big free agent? Okay, but you're not only going to have to pay him handsomely, you're also going to have to give him an opt-out clause so he could potentially land an even bigger..." August 23

Chicago Tribune "Arriving on the grounds of the Sundance Center in Scottsdale, Ariz., Nicky Delmonico knew taking the first step through the rehabilitation facility's doors was the reality he had to face if he ever hoped to fulfill his dream. Delmonico was a 22-year-old addicted to Adderall, the..." August 23

Tacoma News Tribune "The Mariners bolstered their bullpen by rolling the dice on outfielder Leonys Martin prior to their series finale against the Braves in Atlanta. Right-handed reliever David Phelps returned to the active roster Wednesday after missing 16 days because of an impingement in his elbow. The..." August 23

Sportress of Blogitude "Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander recently made the case in a tweet that baseballs are juiced. While Verlander’s claim has its supporters and critics, the pitcher can at least rely on fiancée Kate Upton’s support. The supermodel on Tuesday took to social media to tweet at MLB commissioner..." August 23

ESPN "MLB commissioner Rob Manfred thinks computer umpires accurately calling balls and strikes will be available to major league baseball sooner than later. At that point, the people who run baseball will have to discuss if they want to eliminate a human element from the game. "As a technological..." August 23

Toronto Sun "Weekend in Chicago: Amazing atmosphere, stunning sights and sounds and three close losses against the World Series champion Cubs. Tuesday night in St. Pete: Dullsville, the polar opposite to Wrigley Field and a late comeback falling just short for yet another Blue Jays loss. Not that there..." August 23

ESPN "Detroit Tigers manager Brad Ausmus isn't happy with the inconsistency shown by Matthew Boyd and the rest of the team's pitching staff, and he made that known Tuesday night. Boyd allowed seven runs and seven hits in 2⅓ innings of a 13-4 loss to the New York Yankees on Tuesday night. "The..." August 23

CBS Sports "Tuesday night in Anaheim, the Angels routed the Rangers (LAA 10, TEX 1) as they look to remain in the AL Wild Card race. The Halos are 1/2 game back of the Twins for the second Wild Card spot, though five other teams are within 4 1/2 games of that spot as well. It's a very tight race. Should be..." August 23

SI "Election Day was exhausting. At campaign headquarters in Los Angeles, two dozen volunteers rubbed their eyes as they collected votes right up to the deadline. Hourly dance breaks had kept them energized, as had a steady stream of celebrities stopping by to thank them. Fried chicken from Howlin’..." August 23

New York Daily News "Joe says he didn’t know. Apparently, his stat-laden binder doesn’t have a section with strikeout streaks. In the seventh inning of the Yankees’ 13-4 victory over the Tigers on Tuesday night, Joe Girardi pinch-hit for Aaron Judge, meaning the 25-year-old rookie’s MLB-record strikeout streak..." August 23

Los Angeles Times "After keeping rookie star Cody Bellinger out of the lineup the last three games, the Dodgers put him on the disabled list Tuesday because of a sprained right ankle he suffered Saturday. “The cost of trying to get him through it versus the upside, I just think it’s smart to be on the cautious..." August 23

New York Post "Greg Bird and Starlin Castro need playing time to get back to the Yankees, so their rain-shortened game with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre wasn’t especially helpful. Before the Yankees beat the Tigers 13-4 at Comerica Park, manager Joe Girardi said Bird was “swinging great,” but declined to..." August 23

CBS Sports "The Cubs got quite the scare with one of their stars on Tuesday, but the news didn't turn out to be awful. Plus, they got some funny history out of the situation. Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo has been used in quirky ways this season, namely switching out gloves and playing "second base"..." August 23

Cincinnati Enquirer "On Tuesday, veteran Cincinnati Reds right-hander Scott Feldman underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee, officially ending the 34-year-old’s season. Feldman twice previously spent time on the disabled list with the knee issue this year. “It was something that was going to have to happen..." August 23

Arizona Republic "Jeff Mathis has an avulsion fracture in his right hand after being struck by a foul tip in Monday night’s game, and the Diamondbacks catcher was placed on the 10-day disabled list. How much time he’ll miss remains to be seen. It’s possible Mathis is done for the year. It’s also possible it’s an..." August 23

Lucky Sports Fan "Effective next season, Major League Baseball intends to implement a universal code of conduct for fans who attend games. The issue, which arose after a May 1 incident in which Baltimore Orioles center fielder Adam Jones was berated by racial taunts at Fenway Park in Boston, was discussed at the..." August 22

New York Daily News "David Wright will begin his rehab Tuesday night in a Class-A game with St. Lucie. The third baseman — who hasn't played in a major league game since May 27, 2016 — will be the designated hitter in a game at Port Charlotte. He's suffered a herniated disc in his neck and spinal stenosis. Mets..." August 22

CBS Sports "Although his pace has slowed down the last few days, Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton has been an epic home run tear these last few weeks. He's crushed 19 home runs in 34 second half games and 24 home runs in his last 39 games overall. Stanton leads MLB with 45 home runs in 2017. Only one other..." August 22

Phillies Nation "As if the news below wasn’t enough, Jon Heyman just reported the Phillies have signed pitcher Henderson Alvarez to a minor league contract. The 27-year-old Venezuelan, who found success with the Marlins from 2013-14, was pitching for the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League (Independent)...." August 22

ESPN "Hall of Fame radio broadcaster Rafael "Felo" Ramirez, the signature voice for millions of Spanish-speaking sports fans over three decades, died Monday at age 94, the Miami Marlins announced. "The entire Marlins organization is deeply saddened by the loss of a great friend, Hall-of-Fame..." August 22

MLB Trade Rumors "Diamondbacks righty Shelby Miller has hired Roc Nation Sports and agent Kyle Thousand to represent him, Liz Mullen of the Sports Business Journal reports on Twitter. Miller, who’s still just 26 years of age, underwent Tommy John surgery in mid-May. So long as his recovery goes well, he ought to..." August 22

MLB.com "Clayton Kershaw will make a rehab start for Triple-A Oklahoma City on Saturday before returning to the Dodgers' starting rotation, manager Dave Roberts said after Kershaw's successful four-inning simulated game on Monday. "He's getting close," Roberts said after Kershaw threw 55 pitches to test..." August 21

12 Up "The New York Mets have had a devastating season in 2017. Constant injuries had riddled the Mets, who many predicted to be a shoe in to make the playoffs for their third straight season. Now on the outside looking in, Mets' fans thought it would be impossible for their season to get any..." August 21

CSN Bay Area "The Giants have taken flyers on plenty of veterans this season. A player they once hoped would help fill the outfield void won't finish the season with the organization. Melvin Upton Jr. opted out of his minor league deal, according to Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports. Per Heyman, Upton Jr. is..." August 21

CBS Sports "Sunday afternoon, during his team's loss to the Red Sox (BOS 5, NYY 1), Yankees rookie slugger Aaron Judge went 0 for 4 with a strikeout to drop his overall season batting line down to .282/.413/.593, which is still excellent, obviously. Only six qualified hitters have a 1.000 OPS this season and..." August 21

Sportsnaut "How does Justin Verlander celebrate throwing a gem against baseball’s best team? By heavily implying that baseball’s are juiced. What else? ESPN’s Buster Olney took to Twitter to note that 75 MLB players have 20 home runs in 2017, while only 57 topped that mark in 2014. It’s one of many stats..." August 21

Larry Brown Sports "Major League Baseball’s umpires dropped a protest over player behavior after just one day, but it turns out they had more than one reason for doing it. The white wristband protests ended quickly after commissioner Rob Manfred promised to meet with representatives from the umpires’ union to..." August 21

Hardball Talk "As Bill wrote last night, the Twins have placed third baseman Miguel Sano on the 10-day disabled list with a stress reaction in his left shin. He sustained the injury Friday after he fouled a ball off of his leg, attempted to play through it, and left the game on Saturday when the pain became too..." August 21

Sportsnet "Detroit Tigers second baseman Ian Kinsler was fined $10,000 for his recent comments about umpire Angel Hernandez, reports ESPN’s Buster Olney. Kinsler told media on Friday that he was fined, but didn’t disclose details. He did stand behind his comments, though, saying, “I just speak the truth..." August 21

Sports Day "The Rangers could open a series at the Los Angeles Angels without slugger Joey Gallo and reliever Matt Bush. They came out of the game on Sunday after a hard collision while chasing a pop-up in the infield during the eighth inning of a 3-2 loss to the Chicago White Sox at Globe Life Park. The..." August 21

TSN "The Los Angeles Dodgers appear to have significant interest in Japanese standout Shohei Otani. Otani, who is both a pitcher and right fielder, may make a move to North America this winter and according to Japan's Sponichi Annex, the Dodgers sent eight representatives including president of..." August 21

TSN "Josh Donaldson made his first career start at shortstop on Sunday and, according to manager John Gibbons, it may not be his last. Donaldson shifted to shortstop as Jose Bautista took over at third base. Ezequiel Carrera started in right field, Bautista's usual spot, and Ryan Goins started at..." August 21

MLB.com "Justin Upton had a split second to think about his path as he rounded second base on his third-inning home run Friday night. He wasn't thinking about his future as a Tiger, or his contract opt-out at the end of the season. He was thinking about whether he had touched first base. "I knew I'd hit..." August 21

Arizona Republic "The Dodgers and Brewers made acquisitions this past week, adding outfielder Curtis Granderson and second baseman Neil Walker, respectively. For those contending clubs, the waiver deals should bolster their lineups. The Diamondbacks, however, do not seem likely to make a similar acquisition,..." August 21

MLB.com "Permitted to add a 26th man to the roster for Sunday's Little League Classic because of the unique mid-series travel involved, the Cardinals summoned outfielder Stephen Piscotty back from Triple-A Memphis. The roster move assured Piscotty only of a one-day stay, but president of baseball..." August 21

Bleacher Report "The Minnesota Twins' 12-5 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks in Sunday's matchup was more than just another regular-season game in the dog days of summer; it was history for Bartolo Colon. According to Jonah Birenbaum of The Score, the 44-year-old became just the 18th pitcher to notch a..." August 21

Bleacher Report "Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said ace Clayton Kershaw is expected to make a rehabilitation start with either Tulsa or Oklahoma City next weekend, according to Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times. He is also scheduled to throw three innings of a simulated game in Pittsburgh on..." August 20

New York Daily News "Despite increasing calls to use technology to determine balls and strikes, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred isn’t in favor of such a change, according to MLB.com’s Anthony Castrovince. “The fact of the matter is they (umpires) get them right well over 90 percent of the time,” Manfred said, adding..." August 20

MLB Trade Rumors "Blue Jays right-hander Marco Estrada is scheduled to become a free agent in the offseason, but a trip to the open market isn’t a certainty. A member of the Toronto organization informed FanRag’s Robert Murray that there’s mutual interest in keeping Estrada in a Blue Jays uniform beyond this..." August 20

Boston Herald "For the fifth day in a row, David Price will not play catch today. At this point, his rehab from left elbow inflammation is not so much a march toward recovery as it is a race against the clock. The Red Sox have 39 games left to play in the final six weeks of the regular season. Price hasn’t..." August 20

Boston Globe "Bill Nowlin’s biography of Thomas Yawkey comes out in February. In light of Red Sox principal owner and Boston Globe publisher John Henry’s recent comments that he would lead the way in trying to have Yawkey Way renamed given Yawkey’s racist past, Nowlin makes a case that Yawkey may not have been..." August 20

Chicago Tribune "You don’t have to be a big star to get a warm welcome upon your return to Wrigley Field. After being traded to the Nationals in 2013, outfielder and current CSN analyst David DeJesus got a standing ovation in his first at-bat back, despite spending less than two seasons on the Cubs and hitting..." August 20

Larry Brown Sports "Jeffrey Loria is in the process of selling the Miami Marlins, the team he has owned for the last 15 years. As Loria prepares to turn his team over to a group led by Derek Jeter, he says he has no sadness over losing his team. Though Loria did not give reasons for why he is selling the team,..." August 20

Fanrag Sports "There have been few negatives to this magical 2017 Los Angeles Dodgers season. Most players are having huge years and playing key roles in the team being within striking distance of the all-time MLB record for wins. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said about fan favorite and third-year slugger..." August 20

Sportsnet "The Toronto Blue Jays added another experienced arm to their pitching mix by acquiring right-hander Tom Koehler from the Miami Marlins in exchange for low-A Lansing righty Osman Gutierrez. Koehler, a 31-year-old earning $5.75 million mostly covered by the Marlins, has posted a 7.92 ERA and a..." August 20

CBS Detroit "An incident between Detroit Tigers second baseman Ian Kinsler and MLB umpire Angel Hernandez has sparked an unified protest among umpires, and manger Brad Ausmus doesn’t like it. Some umpires across the league wore white arm bands on Saturday to indicate they were not happy Kinsler was not..." August 20

New York Post "Aaron Judge’s nightmarish second half isn’t going to get him bumped down in the lineup — yet. After Judge went 0-for-4 with three more strikeouts in the Yankees’ 4-3 win over the Red Sox on Saturday, leaving four more runners on base, manager Joe Girardi said he wasn’t considering sliding him..." August 20

Yardbarker "Noah Syndergaard is pouring one out on social media for his fallen comrades. The New York Mets right-hander took to Twitter on Friday to post a tribute to his now-former teammates Curtis Granderson, Lucas Duda, Jay Bruce, and Neil Walker, all of whom were traded away in the last few weeks...." August 20