AROUND THE HORN
■ Brewers: On the same date that he reached 10 years of major league service, the Brewers on Saturday designated for assignment two-time All-Star outfielder Lorenzo Cain. Cain, 36, hit .179 with one home run and nine RBIs over 43 games this season. “It just got to a point where it’s probably time,” Cain told a small group of Brewers’ beat writers. “I haven’t been performing like I would’ve liked, but the situation is what it is. I’ve had a great career. I can’t really be upset about anything, but, yeah, it’s time. I wish all my teammates the best, coaches, trainers, everybody that I’ve played with or met throughout my entire career, I wish them nothing but the best. It’s been a really fun ride for me for sure.” Cain is in the last year of a five-year, $80 million contract he signed in January 2018 as a free agent. The Brewers are responsible for the $10,897,121 remaining of this season’s $18 million salary. He is unlikely to be claimed off waivers because of his salary. If he is released, any team can sign him for a prorated share of the $700,000 minimum. Waiting until Saturday allowed Cain to be fully vested in the players’ pension fund.
■ Guardians: Guardians third baseman José Ramírez is out of the lineup for Saturday’s game against the Dodgers due to right thumb soreness. It is the first game he has missed this season. Manager Terry Francona said Ramírez jammed the thumb during a swing about 10 days ago and then aggravated it during the Guardians’ recent series in Colorado. Ramírez will have it checked out again Sunday before the Guardians travel to Minnesota to begin a three-game series on Tuesday. Ramírez — who has an eight-game hitting streak — leads the American League with 62 RBIs and is tied with the Red Sox’s Rafael Devers with 40 extrabase hits. Ramírez’s .305 batting average is eighth in the AL.
■ Dodgers: When Sandy Koufax joined the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1955, he was in awe of being on the same team with Jackie Robinson. Now 67 years later, the two are immortalized in bronze at the entrance to Dodger Stadium. Koufax’s statue was unveiled on Saturday in the Centerfield Plaza before the Dodgers faced the Guardians. It is the second sculpture the Dodgers have commissioned after Robinson’s in 2017.
■Yankees: Jameson Taillon and two relievers combined on a five-hitter, Aaron Hicks lined a threerun double and the Yankees extended their winning streak to nine by beating the Blue Jays 4-0 Saturday. Taillon (8-1) allowed four hits and struck out eight in 5 2-3 innings to win his eighth straight decision. Michael King worked two innings and Clay Holmes got the final four outs. The Yankees pitched their 11th shutout of the season and improved to a major league-best 49-16.
■ White Sox: Johnny Cueto and Reynaldo Lopez combined for a three-hitter and Luis Robert tied a career-high with four RBIs as the Chicago White Sox jumped on Justin Verlander early and cruised to a 7-0 win over the Houston Astros. Cueto allowed two hits and struck out five in a seasonhigh seven innings to get his first win since July 29 with San Francisco. Robert tied a season-best with three hits and Jose Abreu drove in two runs as the White Sox built a 7-0 lead after four innings to get their fourth win in five games.