Bucs-Reds ready to renew bitter rivalry

A look at what’s happening around the majors on Thursday:

KEEP COOL

The Reds and Pirates renew what erupted into one of baseball’s most bitter rivalries last season, with one major change at the top. Long-simmering tensions between the Ohio River rivals over batters getting plunked escalated into a benchesclearing brawl at Great American Ball Park last summer and resulted in Pirates manager Clint Hurdle, Reds manager David Bell and six players suspended. Hurdle was fired after the season and replaced by Derek Shelton. The teams are now set to meet again in Cincinnati.

JUDGING BY THE LOOK

The Yankees will see how star Aaron Judge is progressing, a day after he was out of the lineup because of tightness in his lower body. It’s uncertain whether the oft-injured slugger will be back Friday for the start of a series against Boston.

Judge was leading the majors with nine home runs and tied at the top with 20 RBIs before he sat out.

A LITTLE LESS

Dodgers reliever Joe Kelly had gotten his suspension for throwing pitches near the heads of Houston hitters reduced to five games on appeal. Kelly was originally penalized eight games by Major League Baseball on July 29, a day after throwing a 96 mph fastball near the head of Houston’s Alex Bregman and two curveballs that brushed back Carlos Correa.

Kelly went on the 10-day injured list retroactive to last Sunday with right shoulder inflammation. He will serve his suspension when he returns.

CLOSING TIME Pittsburgh closer Keone Kela is set to rejoin the team after recovering from a positive COVID-19 test.

Kela will return to the injury-ravaged Pirates for a four-game series in Cincinnati. Six Pittsburgh pitchers are on the injured list.

The Associated Press