AROUND THE HORN
■ Mariners, Padres: The Mariners’ upcoming series against the Padres has been relocated to San Diego due to air quality concerns in the Seattle area. The Mariners will be the home team for all three games of the series that begins Friday night, meaning the Padres could be in position to clinch their first playoff berth since 2006 while playing as visitors in their home ballpark. With the move, the Mariners have three home game remaining on their schedule beginning next Monday against the Astros. The Mariners already had two games against the Giants moved from Seattle to San Francisco this week because of unhealthy air quality from numerous West Coast wildfires. The Mariners and A’s played a Monday doubleheader in the smoke in Seattle and players expressed concern. Five MLB games have now been moved due to wildfires. Forty-five games have been postponed due to COVID-19.
■ Mets: Two-time reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom is day to day after leaving his start Wednesday night with a right hamstring spasm. Manager Luis Rojas said deGrom played catch without pain Thursday and had “bounced back after yesterday’s scary moment.” He exited after a surprisingly rough two innings against the Phillies. The righthander was pulled after only 40 pitches and one strikeout. DeGrom, 32, allowed three earned runs in a game for the the first time this season, pushing his ERA back over 2.00 at 2.09. “Apparently we caught it early,” Rojas said.
■ Astros: Reigning AL Cy Young winner Justin Verlander threw to hitters Wednesday for the first time since he was injured in the team’s opener on July
24. Verlander, 37, who was out with a strained right forearm, threw 50 pitches in the bullpen before throwing about 25 pitches to hitters in two simulated innings. “He looked real good, especially for his first time out ... his control was good,” manager Dusty Baker said. Baker hopes the Astros can get Verlander back before the end of the regular season, but said they likely won’t know what’s next for him until Friday. “We’re just going to have to see how he comes out of this,” Baker said. “Probably won’t know for a couple of days (if ) he has any soreness or any discomfort or anything. So, we’ll just have to wait.”
■ Phillies: Former NL Cy Young winner Jake Arrieta will not pitch again in the regular season because of a strained right hamstring. Arrieta (4-4, 5.08 ERA) was injured against the Mets on Tuesday. Manager Joe Girardi said that Arrieta, 34, could return to if the Phillies make the playoffs.
■ Red Sox, Marlins: Nathan Eovaldi pitched five shutout innings and struck out seven, and the Marlins stumbled in their playoff run with a 5-3 loss to the visiting Red Sox. Rafael Devers had a three-run HR, Kevin Plawecki hit a tworun single and Alex Verdugo had three hits for the Red Sox. Seeking its first postseason appearance since winning the 2003 World Series, the Marlins fell three games behind the NL East-leading Braves.