MLB REPORT
MARINERS GET GONZALES
The Mariners acquired 25-year-old LHP Marco Gonzales from the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday in exchange for top outfield prospect Tyler O’Neill.
While Seattle will have Gonzales under club control through the 2023 season, he may not be the impact arm to help the Mariners in this year’s chase for a wild-card spot in the American League. Gonzales has pitched once in the majors this season as he continues to recover from the Tommy John surgery that sidelined him for the entire 2016 season.
Seattle is expected to have Gonzales begin at Class AAA Tacoma.
“Marco is a quality athlete with high character and a strong pitching pedigree who we feel fits our roster well in both the near and long term,” Seattle general manager Jerry Dipoto said.
Gonzales was 6-4 with a 2.90 ERA in 11 starts at Class AAA Memphis this season, and since June 18 was 5-1. His one start in the majors didn’t go well. He gave up five earned runs in 31⁄3 innings in a loss to Milwaukee.
O’Neill, a third-round pick in the 2013 draft, hit .244 with 19 homers and 56 RBIs in 93 games with Class AAA Tacoma. He will report to Memphis.
ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS
David Peralta, A.J. Pollock and Jake Lamb hit back-to-back-to-back home runs to start the first inning against Washington starter Max Scherzer on Friday night, marking the first time the team has started a game with three straight homers.
The feat was the first in the majors since Baltimore did it against Texas in the bottom of the first on May 10, 2012. Arizona last hit three straight homers on Aug. 11, 2010, when they had four in a row at Milwaukee.
CHICAGO CUBS
RHP Kyle Hendricks (right hand tendinitis) is on track to return to the rotation early next week, but manager Joe Maddon wasn’t ready to provide an exact day just yet. “He’s there. He’s ready to rock and roll,” Maddon said.
CLEVELAND INDIANS
RHP Corey Kluber is expected to start Sunday against Toronto after his scheduled outing on Friday was pushed back because of a stiff neck.
OAKLAND ATHLETICS
The team signed freeagent slugger Chris Carter to a minor league deal and promoted RHP Frankie Montas and 1B/OF Matt Olson to the majors.
Carter was recently cut by the New York Yankees after hitting .201 with eight home runs and 26 RBIs. He tied for the NL lead with 41 homers for Milwaukee last year but struggled as a first baseman and designated hitter for the Yankees.
Carter was assigned to Class AAA Nashville. He played for Oakland in 2010-12 and hit 19 homers.
Montas was 1-1 with a 6.91 ERA in 21 relief appearances for the club before being sent down on June 11.
Olson is joining the team for the fifth time this season. He hit .184 with four homers and nine RBIs in his previous four stints.