Cubs sign two- time All- Star Lucroy

Two days after learning All- Star catcher Willson Contreras will be lost for four weeks because of a hamstring strain, the Chicago Cubs gained valuable insurance Wednesday by agreeing to terms with two- time AllStar Jonathan Lucroy.

Lucroy, 33, cleared waivers Monday after the Los Angeles Angels designated him for assignment last week, allowing him to sign with any team. He’s batting .242 with 7 home runs and 30 RBIs and has thrown out 15 baserunners in 57 steal attempts.

The 10- year veteran is expected to join switchhitter Victor Caratini. Lucroy earned National League All- Star honors with the Brewers in 2014 and 2016.

Twins

Minnesota turned its second triple play with Martin Perez on the mound in a span of less than three weeks. With three runs already in for Atlanta in the third inning and the bases loaded, Miguel Sano, Jonathan Schoop and C. J. Cron turned three in plenty of time to beat Tyler Flowers after his sharp grounder. Perez also was pitching July 22 against the New York Yankees, when Edwin Encarnacion grounded into a 5- 4- 3 triple play in that game.

Diamondbacks

Relief pitcher Greg Holland, a three- time AllStar who led the NL in saves in 2017 with 41, was designated for assignment by Arizona. Holland, in his ninth season and first with the Diamondbacks, is 1- 2 with a 4.54 ERA in 40 games. He has 17 saves in 22 chances, but saw his ERA climb from 2.33 at the end of June to its current number.

Elsewhere

Illinois’ two senators have urged Major League Baseball to be more transparent about fans who are injured by foul balls, saying the lack of data is creating confusion about the extent of the problem. Democrats. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth said in a letter to baseball commissioner Rob Manfred that MLB should “collect and report data about fan injuries.”