Fear Machado in L.A.?  Cubs focused on own deadline pursuits  —  CHICAGO — The biggest domino of trade season fell last week when the Los Angeles Dodgers acquired All-Star Manny Machado from the Baltimore Orioles.  When the next big one falls, the playoff contenders set to meet at Wrigley Field …

How Alan Trammell became the Detroit Tigers' heartbeat for 20 seasons  —  ALAN TRAMMELL, A MEMBER OF THE 2018 BASEBALL HALL OF FAME CLASS, WON A WORLD SERIES WHILE SPENDING HIS ENTIRE CAREER WITH THE DETROIT TIGERS.  —  Alan Trammell sat in a plane, scribbling notes, working …

Rays Place Blake Snell On Disabled List  —  The Rays announced Monday that they've placed top starter Blake Snell on the disabled list due to left shoulder fatigue.  He's already undergone an MRI and been cleared of any structural damage, the team added.  Righty Chih-Wei Hu is up from Triple-A Durham to take his spot on the roster.

Brewers' Brent Suter Diagnosed With Torn UCL  —  3:40pm: The Brewers announced that Suter does indeed have a UCL tear.  He's been placed on the 10-day DL for now, and right-hander Jorge Lopez has been recalled from Triple-A Colorado Springs in his place.  —  3:15pm: Brewers left-hander Brent Suter …

Even worse news could be coming for Yoenis Cespedes  —  Mets outfielder Yoenis Cespedes spoke with reporters at his locker Friday night after appearing in his first major league game in nine weeks.  Cespedes had been on the disabled list recovering from a hip flexor strain …

MLB power rankings: Will Brewers' recent collapse push them out of NL Central contention?  —  The National League Central race has shifted.  —  The Milwaukee Brewers, who were in first place for much of the last two months, have lost eight of their last nine games and fallen six spots to 10th …

Olney: Why the Indians have an edge over AL contenders  —  Five American League teams have better won-lost records than the Cleveland Indians.  With almost two-thirds of the 2018 season completed, the Indians rank 29th of 30 teams in bullpen ERA.  Bradley Zimmer, who was supposed …

Projecting how the rest of the 2018 season will play out  —  With the All-Star Week behind us, it's now only a hop, skip and a jump from the trade deadline, which kicks off the homestretch of the baseball season.  By this point in the year, the Cinderellas and premature pumpkins are more or less determined.

Power Rankings: Cubs, Dodgers challenge the AL's power trio  —  With the resumption of action after All-Star Week, there's already some major movement in the Power Rankings.  But not among the elite of the game's top five teams, where the Astros and Red Sox are still splitting the first-place votes …

Daniel Poncedeleon, the Cardinals pitching prospect who was hit in head by Victor Caratini, will make his MLB debut tonight  —  Daniel Poncedeleon of the St Louis Cardinals pitching during spring training in 2017.  (Joel Auerbach/Getty Images)  —  Daniel Poncedeleon, hit in the head …

Indians prospect Richard Palacios, a Towson alumnus, earns quick promotion in minors  —  Former Towson ballplayer Richard Palacios hasn't slowed down.  Nothing less could be expected from the quick-footed shortstop with a slew of college stolen base records.

DRAFT MLB Strategy: Monday  —  Building a team on DRAFT's DFS platform is an excellent way to make the action even more exciting than just following your favorite team.  If you aren't familiar with DRAFT's DFS platform, it's an innovative daily fantasy game with a live draft feature …

Column: Theo Epstein puts himself on the spot to solve Cubs' top concern — pitching depth  —  Cubs President Theo Epstein discusses pitching upgrades and the plan for pitcher Drew Smyly's rehab on Sunday, July 22, 2018.  (Mark Gonzales/Chicago Tribune)  —  Chicago Tribune

Bryce Harper's Home Run Derby-winning ball auctioned  —  Major League Baseball is giving fans a shot to buy a collectible that had never been offered before: the actual ball hit to win the Home Run Derby.  —  The ball hit by Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper to win the contest …