BRAVES PLACE OF RONALD ACUNA JR. ON 10-DAY IL
The Atlanta Braves placed All-Star Ronald Acuna Jr. on the 10-day injured list Wednesday and recalled fellow outfielder Jarred Kelenic from Triple-A Gwinnett.
Acuna exited the Braves’ 9-6 road loss to the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday with inflammation in his right Achilles.
After looking uncomfortable at the plate while getting retired in the third and fifth innings, Acuna unsuccessfully chased Vinnie Pasquantino’s sixth-inning drive that ended up becoming a ground-rule double.
Braves manager Brian Snitker then sent Eli White onto the field to replace Acuna.
Acuna said the injury occurred Monday when he scored from first base on Austin Riley’s eighth-inning double.
The 2023 National League MVP, Acuna was selected to the NL All-Star Team for the fifth time this year.
A torn left anterior cruciate ligament ended Acuna’s 2024 season in late May, and that injury kept him out the first eight weeks of the 2025 season. He tore his right ACL in July 2021.
Acuna, 27, is batting .306 with a .429 on-base percentage, .577 slugging percentage, 14 home runs and 26 RBIs in 55 games this season.
In eight major league seasons, all with Atlanta, Acuna has a .290/.383/.528 slash line with 179 homers, 443 RBIs and 200 stolen bases.
Kelenic, 26, struggled earlier this season with the Braves, batting .167 with two homers and two RBIs in 23 games. He has batted .211 with 49 homers and 156 RBIs in 406 career games with the Seattle Mariners and Braves.
REPORTS: MARINERS ACQUIRE 3B EUGENIO SUAREZ FROM D-BACKS
The Seattle Mariners made a big splash the night before the trade deadline, acquiring slugging third baseman Eugenio Suarez from the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday, according to multiple media reports.
Arizona reportedly got back three minor-leaguers: first baseman Tyler Locklear and right-handers Hunter Cranton and Juan Burgos.
Suarez was the biggest bat rumored to be on the move before the Thursday 6 p.m. ET deadline, and he will now return to the team that traded him to Arizona in November 2023.
Suarez, 34, has 36 home runs and 87 RBIs (tied for the major league lead) this season while batting .248 in 105 games. The veteran made his second All-Star team this year and is the first player in big-league history to be traded midseason after hitting at least 35 home runs.
Suarez played two seasons with the Mariners, 2022 and 2023, producing a combined 53 home runs and 183 RBIs. The Venezuelan slugger played with the Detroit Tigers in 2014 and spent seven seasons with the Cincinnati Reds before being acquired by Seattle.
He figures to provide the Mariners with a major power upgrade at third base over Ben Williamson, who is hitting .253 with one homer and 21 RBIs in 85 games.
Locklear, 24, was the Mariners’ ninth-rated prospect, per MLB Pipeline. In 98 games for Triple-A Tacoma this year, he batted .316/.401/.542 with 19 home runs, 82 RBIs and 18 stolen bases.
Cranton, 24, was rated No. 16 in the Seattle organization by MLB Pipeline. While playing for teams at the rookie level and Class-A this season, he went 2-0 with three saves and a 0.90 ERA in 10 games (10 innings).
Burgos, 25, was considered the Mariners’ No. 17 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline. Between Double-A and Triple-A this year, he went 3-1 with three saves and a 0.87 ERA in 25 relief outings (31 innings).
Burgos also appeared in four games for the Mariners this season, posting a 4.05 ERA and eight strikeouts across 6 2/3 innings.
RED SOX PICK UP LHP STEVEN MATZ FROM CARDINALS
The Boston Red Sox beefed up their pitching staff Wednesday night by acquiring left-hander Steven Matz from the St. Louis Cardinals.
The Cardinals acquired minor league infielder Blaze Jordan in exchange for Matz, a 34-year-old veteran who has experience both as a starter and a reliever.
In 2025, Matz has made 30 of his 32 appearances out of the bullpen, and he has posted a 5-2 record with a 3.44 ERA across 55 innings.
Matz was selected in the second round of the 2009 draft by the Mets and spent the first six seasons of his major league career in New York. After one season with the Toronto Blue Jays, Matz signed with the Cardinals ahead of the 2022 season and has played the past four seasons in St. Louis.
In 225 career games (172 starts), Matz owns a 60-62 mark with a 4.24 ERA.
Jordan, 22, was a third-round pick of the Red Sox in 2020. He batted .304/.377/.495 with 12 homers and 62 RBIs in 88 games with Double-A Portland and Triple-A Worcester this season.
REDS ADD RHP ZACK LITTELL FROM REDS IN 3-TEAM DEAL
The Cincinnati Reds continued their aggressive approach to the trade deadline by acquiring right-hander Zack Littell from the Tampa Bay Rays as part of a three-team trade on Wednesday.
The Rays confirmed receiving two minor league pitchers, right-hander Brian Van Belle and left-hander Adam Serwinowski, from Cincinnati in exchange for Littell.
Per multiple media reports, Tampa Bay then sent Serwinowski, right-hander Paul Gervase and catcher Ben Rortvedt to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Catcher Hunter Feduccia went from the Dodgers to the Rays.
Littell, 29, was 8-8 for the Rays this season with a 3.58 ERA across 22 starts after throwing five shutout innings in a no-decision against the New York Yankees on Wednesday. He has given up a major-league-leading 26 home runs.
“Just part of the game,” Littell said postgame regarding the trade. He added, “I didn’t find out much before everyone else. … The opportunity I got here (with Tampa Bay) has and will continue to change my life, so I’m extremely thankful.”
Littell has been a mainstay of the Rays’ rotation for the past 2 1/2 seasons after pitching largely out of the bullpen for the Minnesota Twins, San Francisco Giants and Boston Red Sox from 2018 to 2023.
Van Belle, 28, has pitched for two Triple-A teams this year, going a combined 6-5 with a 3.40 ERA in 19 games (15 starts).
Serwinowski, 21, had a 1-7 mark with a 4.84 ERA in 18 games (17 starts) for high Class-A Dayton this season.
Gervase, 25, made his major league debut with Tampa Bay this year, registering no decisions and a 4.26 ERA in five relief outings. He was 2-3 with four saves and a 3.12 ERA for Triple-A Durham.
Rortvedt, 27, has major league experience with the Twins, New York Yankees and Tampa Bay. He went 6-for-63 (.095) with no homers and six RBIs in 26 games for the Rays in 2025.
The deal came after a trade earlier in the day that saw the Reds acquire third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes from the Pirates.
The trade deadline is 6 p.m. ET on Thursday.
REPORTS: CUBS ACQUIRE RHP MICHAEL SOROKA FROM NATIONALS
The Chicago Cubs bolstered their pitching staff ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline by acquiring right-hander Michael Soroka from the Washington Nationals on Wednesday night, according to multiple reports.
The Cubs are sending two prospects to Washington in return for Soroka: Triple-A outfielder Christian Franklin and 18-year-old Arizona Complex League infielder Ronny Cruz. Franklin and Cruz were Chicago’s 14th and 13th-ranked prospects, according to MLB Pipeline.
Soroka, 27, has started 16 games for the Nationals this season, posting a 3-8 record with a 4.87 ERA.
An All-Star in 2019 with the Braves, Soroka missed the 2021 and 2022 seasons with Achilles injuries and was moved to the bullpen last season with the White Sox.
The Cubs have dealt with several injuries to their pitching staff this season and could look to add more arms before the 6 p.m. ET trade deadline on Thursday.
TIGERS ACQUIRE RELIEVER RAFAEL MONTERO FROM BRAVES FOR MINOR LEAGUER
The Detroit Tigers acquired right-handed reliever Rafael Montero from the Atlanta Braves in exchange for minor league infielder Jim Jarvis on Wednesday.
Montero, 34, is in his 11th year in the majors, having made 360 career regular season appearances (30 starts) for the Mets (2014-17), Rangers (2019-20), Mariners (2021), Astros (2021-25) and Braves (2025). He also has made 15 playoff appearances, posting a 2.51 ERA across 14 1/3 innings for the World Series-winning 2022 Astros and the 2023 Astros.
Combined between the Astros and Braves this season, Montero is 0-1 with a 5.40 ERA in 39 relief appearances, with 39 strikeouts. He has held opposing hitters to a .211 batting average and .657 OPS.
Montero began the season with the Astros, making three appearances before being traded to Atlanta on April 8. With the Braves, Montero had one 13-game stretch from June 8-July 19 in which he posted a 1.93 ERA (3 earned runs in 14 innings).
Jarvis, 24, was an 11th-round pick of the Tigers in the 2023 draft out of the University of Alabama. He has been playing second base, third base and shortstop at Double-A Erie, where he is batting 242 with two homers and 29 RBIs in 77 games this season. At the time of his trade, he was not listed among the top 30 Tigers prospects by MLB Pipeline.
REPORT: METS ACQUIRE RIGHTY RELIEVER RYAN HELSLEY FROM CARDINALS
The New York Mets continued their aggressive trade deadline push Wednesday, acquiring All-Star closer Ryan Helsley from the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for three prospects, according to ESPN. The deal sends highly touted shortstop prospect Jesus Baez along with right-handed pitchers Nate Dohm and Frank Elissalt to St. Louis.
Helsley, 31, is in the final year of his contract and has recorded 21 saves with a 3.00 ERA over 36 innings this season. A two-time All-Star, he led Major League Baseball with 49 saves in 2024 and posted a 1.83 ERA from 2022 to 2024.
The Mets’ bullpen has lost multiple relievers to season-ending injuries, including A.J. Minter and Dedniel Nunez, and has been among the league’s worst since early June, ranking 25th in ERA. Helsley is the second major bullpen acquisition of the day for New York, which also traded for Giants reliever Tyler Rogers in a separate deal earlier Wednesday.
Helsley is expected to serve in a setup role behind Mets closer Edwin Diaz, giving New York a formidable late-inning combination as it pushes for a playoff berth.
REPORTS: PHILLIES PAY TWO TOP 100 PROSPECTS FOR TWINS’ JHOAN DURAN
The Philadelphia Phillies secured the services of the most dominant closer on the market Wednesday night by sending Top 100 prospects Eduardo Tait and Mick Abel to the Minnesota Twins for Jhoan Duran, according to reports.
The 27-year-old Duran, who attacks hitters with a 100-mph four-seam fastball, a 97-mph split-finger and a spicy knuckle-curve, posted a 6-4 record with 16 saves and a 2.01 ERA in 49 games for the Twins this season. He has allowed just five extra-base hits — four doubles and one homer — in 202 batters faced.
The right-hander from the Dominican Republic has been one of the best relievers in the big leagues since making his debut in 2022 — forging a 2.47 ERA with 292 strikeouts and 74 walks over 233 2/3 innings. Opponents have hit just .216 against him.
The Phillies, who entered Wednesday’s play a half-game behind the New York Mets in the National League East race, paid a stout price to firm up the back of their bullpen.
Tait is an 18-year-old catcher regarded by MLB Pipeline as the Phillies’ No. 4 prospect and the No. 56 prospect overall. He has spent most of this season with Single-A Clearwater and produced a .251 average with 11 homers and 51 RBIs despite being three years younger than the average player.
The Panama native was promoted to Single-A Jersey Shore in the Sally League on July 22 and fashioned a .296 average with three doubles and six RBIs in seven games.
Abel, 23, made a splashy major league debut with the Phillies on May 18 when he fired six shutout innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates — striking out nine without a walk. He posted a 2-2 record with a 5.04 ERA in six starts for the Phillies before returning to Triple-A Lehigh Valley, where he went 7-2 with a 2.31 ERA and 81 strikeouts over 74 innings.
Abel ranked as the Phillies’ No. 6 prospect and No. 92 across baseball.
MARINERS TRADE FOR LHP CALEB FERGUSON, BRING UP SLUGGER TYLER LOCKLEAR
The Seattle Mariners bolstered their bullpen by acquiring veteran left-hander Caleb Ferguson from the Pittsburgh Pirates in one of several roster moves on Wednesday.
The Pirates received minor league right-hander Jeter Martinez, rated a top-30 prospect in the Seattle organization by MLB Pipeline (No. 13) and Baseball America (No. 22).
The Mariners made room on the roster for Ferguson, 29, by reinstating right-hander Collin Snider from the 15-day injured list and designating him for assignment.
Ferguson is 2-2 with a 3.74 ERA, 14 walks and 34 strikeouts in 43 1/3 innings over 45 relief appearances this season. He has a career record of 21-15 with six saves, a 3.69 ERA, 121 walks and 348 strikeouts in 305 innings over 308 games (14 starts) with the Los Angeles Dodgers (2018-20, 2022-23), New York Yankees (2024), Houston Astros (2024) and Pirates.
“We are excited to add Caleb and fortify our bullpen down the stretch,” said Justin Hollander, the Mariners’ executive vice president and general manager of baseball operations. “He’s been one of the most reliable left-handed relievers in the game and adds postseason experience to our group.”
Seattle also placed outfielder Luke Raley on the 10-day IL, retroactive to Sunday, due to back spasms. The team recalled slugging first baseman Tyler Locklear, its No. 9 prospect per MLB Pipeline, from Triple-A Tacoma.
Raley last played on July 24 in a 4-2 win at the Los Angeles Angels. He is batting .220 with four home runs and 18 RBIs in only 49 games while dealing with injuries.
He is a career .235 hitter with 48 homers and 133 RBIs in 359 games for the Los Angeles Dodgers (2021), Tampa Bay Rays (2022-23) and Mariners (2024-present).
The Mariners selected Locklear in the second round of the 2022 MLB Draft out of VCU. The rookie made his major league debut in 2024, when he batted .156 (7-for-45) with two home runs and three RBIs in 16 games.
This season, Locklear, 24, is batting .316 at Tacoma with 19 homers, 82 RBIs, a .401 on-base percentage and .542 slugging percentage in 98 games.
The reigning Pacific Coast League Player of the Year was pulled in the fifth inning of Tacoma’s game against Sugar Land on Tuesday, leading to incorrect speculation that Locklear was in the process of being traded. Instead, he was being promoted.
Martinez, 19, is 2-6 with a 6.18 ERA, 38 walks and 60 strikeouts in 62 2/3 innings over 16 starts for Single-A Modesto.
Snider, 29, was 2-1 with a 5.47 ERA, six walks and 24 strikeouts in 26 1/3 innings over 24 relief appearances before he was placed on the injured list on June 4. He is a career 9-7 with one save, a 4.48 ERA, 47 walks and 104 strikeouts in 122 2/3 innings over 128 games (one start) for the Kansas City Royals (2022-23) and Mariners (2024-25).
REPORTS: REDS OBTAIN 3B KE’BRYAN HAYES FROM PIRATES
The Cincinnati Reds acquired third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes from the Pittsburgh Pirates for left-hander Taylor Rogers and a minor leaguer, according to reports on Wednesday.
Hayes, 28, is a strong defensive player who batted .254 with 39 homers and 212 RBIs in 576 games with the Pirates over parts of six seasons. He won the National League Gold Glove for third basemen in 2023.
This season, he is hitting .236 with two homers and 36 RBIs in 100 games.
Hayes is in the midst of an eight-year, $70 million extension that runs through 2030.
Rogers, 34, is 2-2 with a 2.45 ERA in 40 relief appearances this season. He is set to become a free agent following the season.
Rogers was an All-Star for the Minnesota Twins in 2021 and twice has recorded 30 saves in a season. He is 30-36 with a 3.28 ERA in 549 career relief appearances with the Twins (2016-21), San Diego Padres (2022), Milwaukee Brewers (2022), San Francisco Giants (2023-24) and Reds.
Pittsburgh also received minor league shortstop Sammy Stafura from the Reds. He was a second-round choice in the 2023 draft and is rated as Cincinnati’s No. 9 prospect by MLB Pipeline.
Stafura, 20, is batting .262 with four homers and 48 RBIs in 88 games at Single-A Daytona Beach.
MLB ROUNDUP: 9 ROYALS PITCHERS BLANK BRAVES
Salvador Perez lashed a walk-off single in the 10th inning, and nine Kansas City pitchers combined on a five-hit shutout as the Royals blanked the visiting Atlanta Braves 1-0 on Wednesday.
In a bullpen game, Royals reliever Angel Zerpa served as the opener and tossed one-plus inning, allowing just a single. The bullpen finished with 10 strikeouts and a walk in the club’s ninth shutout.
Sam Long (1-2) escaped a first-and-third, no-out jam in the 10th with two strikeouts and a lineout.
Braves starter Joey Wentz, a Kansas City-area native, allowed only a leadoff single to Maikel Garcia in 6 2/3 innings. Daysbel Hernandez (4-2) permitted Perez’s winning hit.
Blue Jays 9, Orioles 8
A pinch-hit, three-run homer from Nathan Lukes helped visiting Toronto snap a four-game losing streak as the Blue Jays put away Baltimore.
Lukes’ long ball capped a five-run seventh inning for Toronto, which trailed 5-4 heading into the frame. Myles Straw had three hits, including a two-run home run, and Joey Loperfido also added three hits.
Ryan O’Hearn and Jordan Westburg each belted two-run homers for the Orioles, while Cedric Mullins, Jackson Holliday and Gunnar Henderson each contributed two hits.
Tigers 7, Diamondbacks 2
Two days after joining Detroit in a trade, Chris Paddack shut down visiting Arizona for six innings while helping the Tigers complete a three-game sweep.
Paddack (4-9) gave up one run on three hits. Kerry Carpenter tripled, homered and drove in three runs for Detroit. Colt Keith added three hits and an RBI, and Jake Rogers smacked a two-run homer.
Geraldo Perdomo homered as part of a three-hit day for the Diamondbacks, who have recorded just five runs during a five-game losing streak. Ryne Nelson (6-3) struck out eight while permitting four runs, one earned, in 5 1/3 innings.
Red Sox 13, Twins 1
Jarren Duran finished a triple shy of the cycle and drove in four runs as Boston raced by Minnesota in Minneapolis.
Masataka Yoshida, Romy Gonzalez and Trevor Story also homered as the Red Sox won for the fourth time in five games. Roman Anthony and Connor Wong contributed two hits and two runs apiece, and Brayan Bello (7-5) tossed seven innings of one-run ball.
Matt Wallner had a home run to account for the lone run for the Twins, who have lost four of their past five. Zebby Matthews (2-3) was tagged for five runs in 4 1/3 innings.
Astros 9, Nationals 1
Jose Altuve went 4-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs to lead Houston to a home win over Washington.
Altuve extended his franchise record of four-hit games to 41 in the victory while Cooper Hummel and Yainer Diaz added homers for the Astros, who have won two straight after dropping five in a row. Ryan Gusto (7-4) limited the Nationals to one run in six innings.
Josh Bell paced Washington with two hits. MacKenzie Gore (4-11) yielded six runs on eight hits in 5 1/3 innings.
Cubs 10, Brewers 3
Pete Crow-Armstrong doubled twice, singled and scored two runs as visiting Chicago avoided a three-game sweep at the hands of Milwaukee.
Michael Busch and Ian Happ each homered for the Cubs, who logged eight extra-base hits. Shota Imanaga (8-4) fanned eight while allowing three runs in five innings.
William Contreras had two home runs for the Brewers, while Blake Perkins doubled and singled. Freddy Peralta (12-5) was pounded for five runs on five hits in four innings.
Pirates 2, Giants 1 (10 innings)
Oneil Cruz scored on a comebacker to the pitcher and Pittsburgh held off host San Francisco in the 10th inning as the Pirates completed a three-game sweep of the Giants.
Spencer Horwitz doubled, singled and drove in a run for Pittsburgh, which has won five straight and eight of the last nine. Starter Mike Burrows tossed six innings of one-run ball, and Carmen Mlodzinski and Isaac Mattson (3-1) each threw two innings of shutout relief.
Dominic Smith had two hits and drove in the lone run for San Francisco, which has lost six straight. Ryan Walker (2-4) took the defeat.
White Sox 9, Phillies 3
Lenyn Sosa’s seventh-inning single put Chicago up for good as the hosts’ seven-run outburst in that frame led to a runaway victory over visiting Philadelphia.
Sosa’s hit off Max Lazar (1-1) was one of seven to start the inning and eight overall in the decisive frame. Miguel Vargas and Edgar Quero followed with three-run homers to help Chicago take the rubber match of the three-game series. Kyle Teel and Colson Montgomery hit solo shots for the White Sox.
Chicago reliever Mike Vasil (5-3) fired four shutout innings. Brandon Marsh led the Phillies with a pair of hits, including a solo homer.
Padres 5, Mets 0
Gavin Sheets belted a two-run homer and Yu Darvish hurled seven scoreless innings as San Diego completed a three-game sweep of visiting New York.
Darvish (1-3), who entered the day with a 9.18 ERA, permitted only two hits and walked none while whiffing seven, mowing down 13 consecutive hitters at one point. Jason Adam and Robert Suarez completed the Padres’ 15th shutout this season.
Clay Holmes (9-6) lasted only 3 2/3 innings for the Mets, allowing eight hits and four runs (two earned). New York played without right fielder Juan Soto (foot contusion).
Guardians 5, Rockies 0
David Fry hit a two-run homer and scored two runs, Carlos Santana had an RBI double, and six pitchers combined for a three-hitter as Cleveland shut out visiting Colorado.
Fry went deep in the first inning against Kyle Freeland (2-11). Ramirez and Santana were the only players on either team with multiple hits, both singling and doubling.
Kolby Allard made his second spot start for the Guardians, working 3 1/3 innings and allowing one baserunner, a single. Jakob Junis (3-1) was awarded the win with two innings of relief. Freeland permitted two runs in three innings.
