Red Sox trade for Cashner

The Boston Red Sox have upgraded their starting rotation by obtaining righthander Andrew Cashner in a trade with the Baltimore Orioles.

The deal was announced Saturday after Baltimore beat Tampa Bay 21 in the first game of a daynight doubleheader. The Red Sox also got cash while sending a pair of 17yearold prospects, infielder Noelberth Romero and outfielder Elio Prado, to the Orioles.

Cashner is 93 with a 3.83 ERA in 17 starts for the team with the worst record in the majors. He has gone at least six innings in his past five starts and has a 1.41 ERA since the beginning of June.

Cashner, 32, goes from the rebuilding Orioles to the defending World Series champion Red Sox, who are striving to get back into the postseason after getting off to a poor start. Boston is far back of AL Eastleading New York but in the thick of the wildcard race.

Scherzer on IL: The Washington Nationals put Max Scherzer on the 10day injured list because the ace righthander has a midback strain.

An MRI on Scherzer’s back came back negative, and the threetime Cy Young Award winner was placed on the injured list retroactive to Wednesday after throwing a bullpen session before Saturday’s game.

Catcher Spencer Kieboom was recalled from DoubleA Harrisburg to take Scherzer’s roster spot.

Scherzer was 70 with a 0.84 ERA in his last nine starts before the AllStar break. He is 95 with a 2.30 ERA overall.

Kemp released: Threetime AllStar outfielder Matt Kemp has been released by the New York Mets.

Kemp signed a minorleague contract with the Mets on May 24 and played in eight games for TripleA Syracuse, hitting .235 with one home run and three RBIs.

Kemp, 34, made the NL AllStar team last season in his second stint with the Los Angeles Dodgers, finishing with a .290 batting average, 21 home runs and 85 RBIs.

He was traded to Cincinnati in the offseason as part of a deal with Yasiel Puig and appeared in 20 games for the Reds this season, hitting .200 with one home run and five RBIs before sustaining a broken rib after crashing into the outfield wall in an April 21 game in San Diego.