National League notes
NL EAST Atlanta Braves
OF Nick Markakis has been one of the most durable players in the major leagues since his 2006 debut with the Baltimore Orioles, but a 91 mph fastball sent him to the injured list July 27 with a broken left wrist.
Markakis hadn’t missed a game since September 2017 and had played 740 games since the start of the 2015 season, the most in the major leagues.
The Braves expect Markakis to miss 6-8 weeks, which would mean a return for the final weeks of the pennant race.
Ronald Acuna Jr. can take Markakis’ place in right field,
with Ender Inciarte taking over in center field.
“Everybody goes through this,” manager Brian Snitker said.
❚ 2B Ozzie Albies is just 22, but he already has four grand slams. Albies became the second youngest player in major league history with four. Giancarlo Stanton of the New York Yankees is the youngest.
Miami Marlins
The Marlins’ rebuilding project continued when they shipped closer Sergio Romo to the Minnesota Twins on July 27.
Trading Romo and two minor leaguers netted the Marlins 22year-old 1B Lewin Diaz, who hit 19 home runs in 89 games for two Twins minor league teams this season.
“We’ve approached this trade deadline like we’re not sellers, we’re buyers,” president of baseball operations Michael
Hill said. “We’re trying to add as much talent as we can to this organization. That’s what our goal is – it’s to add and continue to add impactful talent to this organization.”
❚ The Marlins moved struggling RHP Trevor Richards to the bullpen and replaced him in the rotation with RHP Elieser Hernandez. Hernandez had a 4.05 ERA in five starts earlier this season.
New York Mets
RHP Marcus Stroman, who grew up on Long Island, was thrilled July 28 when the Mets acquired him from the Toronto Blue Jays for two of New York’s top pitching prospects, LHP Anthony Kay and RHP Simeon Woods Richardson.
“NEW YORK! Where I was born. Where my heart lies. Where my family resides,” Stroman wrote on Twitter. “Crazy excited for this part of my journey. Some things were meant to be!”
Stroman made the AL AllStar team for the first time this season and was 6-11 with a 2.96 ERA in 21 starts for Toronto.
Kay also is from Long Island and was promoted to Class AAA in June after compiling a 1.49 ERA in 12 Class AA starts.
❚ Dominic Smith, the former first-round draft pick who seemed to have finally found a home as the Mets’ left fielder, went on the injured list July 27 because of a stress reaction in his left foot. “I’m just very upset that this happened,” he said.
Philadelphia Phillies
LHP Jason Vargas isn’t the big-name starting pitcher the Phillies have been craving for their rotation, but he’s enough of an upgrade that they were willing to complete a deal with the rival New York Mets.
The price was C Austin Bossart, hitting only .195 this year in Class AA, and the Phillies also got cash to help pay what’s left of Vargas’ contract – $2.6 million remaining this year and an $8 million club option or a $2 million buyout for 2020.
Vargas, 36, is 6-5 with a 4.01 ERA this season and has given up three runs or fewer in 16 of his 19 starts. He made headlines in June when he threatened to hit a reporter and had to be restrained by teammates.
❚ RHP Tommy Hunter, whose two-year, $18 million contract is up at the end of the season, underwent surgery July 23 to repair the flexor tendon in his right arm.
Washington Nationals
RHP Max Scherzer’s back continues to be a major issue for the Nationals, nearly a month after it first caused the team’s ace to miss a start. Scherzer pitched five innings on July 25 in his first start in 19 days, but after experiencing more stiffness in his back he was returned to the injured list.
The injury is believed to be relatively minor, but the Nationals want to make sure Scherzer heals properly. He’s eligible to pitch again on Aug. 5.
❚ SS Trea Turner became just the 26th player in major league history to hit for the cycle more than once in a career. Both of his cycles have come against the Colorado Rockies, most recently July 23.
NL CENTRAL Chicago Cubs
The Cubs acquired LHP Derek Holland from the San Francisco Giants because he had held left-handed hitters to a .182 batting average with no home runs this season.
A day after the trade, Holland retired the only batter he faced, left-handed Christian Yelich of the Milwaukee Brewers.
❚ IF Addison Russell’s future with the Cubs seemingly was in doubt when he was optioned to Class AAA (Des Moines) Iowa after hitting .247 with six home runs in 55 games. He began the season on the suspended list for violating Major League Baseball’s domestic abuse policy.
Cincinnati Reds
Although 3B Eugenio Suarez was not selected for the AllStar Game this season, as he was last year, he is having another All-Star-caliber season.
Despite his .252 batting average through July 28, Suarez had 28 home runs and has been torrid in July. He had 11 homers in his first 21 games this month.
Suarez, who signed a sevenyear, $66 million contract last season, has become one of the franchise’s cornerstone players. He hit 34 home runs in 2018.
❚ LHP Alex Wood, sidelined by back spasms and subsequent setbacks since spring training, finally pitched for the Reds. He allowed two runs in 42⁄3 innings July 28 against the Colorado Rockies.