Top News:
Jeff Passan / ESPN:
Andrew Benintendi, Whit Merrifield among 10 unvaccinated Kansas City Royals players out for Toronto Blue Jays series — MLB, Kansas City Royals, Toronto Blue Jays — Ten Kansas City Royals players, including four of their top hitters and their best two starting pitchers this season …
Discussion:
Sports Illustrated, Kansas City Star, Royals Review and baseballmusings.com
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Associated Press:
Toronto Blue Jays fire manager Charlie Montoyo amid recent struggles — TORONTO — The Blue Jays fired manager Charlie Montoyo on Wednesday and promoted bench coach John Schneider to interim manager for the remainder of the season. — Triple-A manager Casey Candaele was named interim bench coach.
Discussion:
MLB - The Athletic and baseballmusings.com
Jeff Passan / ESPN:
Atlanta Braves trade Drew Waters, Andrew Hoffmann, CJ Alexander to Kansas City Royals for 35th pick
Discussion:
FanGraphs Baseball and Battery Power
Meghan Montemurro / Chicago Tribune:
As the Chicago Cubs bullpen racks up innings, the heavy workload is testing the team's relievers — The All-Star break can't come soon enough for the Chicago Cubs bullpen. — A strength for most of the season, Cubs relievers have been taxed by a rotation marred by injuries and stretches of short outings.
Discussion:
Orange County Register and Bleacher Nation
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Bill Shaikin / Los Angeles Times:
Dodger Stadium concession workers threaten to strike MLB All-Star Game — Dodger Stadium concession workers could go on strike in advance of next week's All-Star Game, the union representing those workers said Monday. — Of the food and beverage workers at Dodger Stadium …
Discussion:
Mercury News, ESPN, MLB Baseball News …, Orange County Register and Sports Illustrated
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Katie Woo / The Athletic:
Cardinals' Albert Pujols will participate in Home Run Derby: Sources
Discussion:
True Blue LA, MLB Trade Rumors, Bleed Cubbie Blue, Battery Power, Amazin' Avenue, Bleacher Nation and Sports Illustrated
Ira Winderman / Sun-Sentinel:
Heat's Caleb Martin moves up on pay scale, now must scale challenge at power forward — LAS VEGAS — Caleb Martin is thinking big. It is an attitude that delivered his first significant contract. And it is an approach that potentially could make the Miami Heat better for his return.
Discussion:
Denver Post
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Alex Speier / The Boston Globe:
John Henry takes stock of the Red Sox' present and future — The Red Sox' present and future await definition. — In the present, the team is a contender but hardly a lock for the postseason. The Sox entered Wednesday with the third-best record in the American League East (47-41) …
Discussion:
Union-News and NBCSports.com
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Rob Bradford / Audacy:
J.D. Martinez knows why this trade deadline is ‘very weird’ — LISTEN TO J.D. MARTINEZ'S TAKE ON THE TRADE DEADLINE — Bradfo Sho on the Go: J.D. Martinez talks trade deadline — In 2017, the designated hitter was part of one of the biggest deals of that season's deadline, going from the Tigers to the Diamondbacks.
Discussion:
NBCSports.com
Bill Speros / Bookies.com:
The Worst Seat In Baseball: All 30 MLB Ballparks Ranked … The worst seat in baseball is the first seat in baseball. … “America's Most Beloved Ballpark” played host to its first major-league game on April 20, 1912, just five days after the Titanic sank to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.
Discussion:
NBCSports.com and Cubs Insider
LaMond Pope / Chicago Tribune:
Dylan Cease, left off the All-Star team, is focused on improving. 'There's still room to get better,' the Chicago White Sox starter says. — CLEVELAND — Dylan Cease ranks among the best in the American League in several pitching categories. — He led the league in strikeouts per nine innings …
Discussion:
FanGraphs Baseball and Covering the Corner
Tom Schad / USA Today:
Ex-Cowboys running back Marion Barber III's death caused by heat stroke, coroner says — The Collin County Medical Examiner's Office has ruled that former Dallas Cowboys running back Marion Barber III died of heat stroke, according to a copy of the autopsy report obtained by USA TODAY Sports on Monday.
Discussion:
MLive.com, ProFootballTalk, New York Post, Reading Eagle and Sports Illustrated
Andy Larsen / Salt Lake Tribune:
What's next for Donovan Mitchell and the Utah Jazz after the Rudy Gobert trade? — Jazz execs won't say the All-Star guard is “untouchable,” but for now he remains a critical piece of the team's plan going forward. — Las Vegas • Utah Jazz general manager Justin Zanik has already traded one All-Star.
Discussion:
The Ringer and Reading Eagle
Tim Healey / Newsday:
Mets downed by Atlanta's late homers, excellent bullpen — ATLANTA — For a second time in as many games Tuesday night, the Mets' depleted lineup managed to do what few other clubs have done lately, drive up the pitch count of one of Atlanta's highly effective starting pitchers …
Discussion:
New York Daily News
Charlie Goldsmith / Cincinnati.com:
How Reds center fielder Nick Senzel turned around his season over the last month — When the Cincinnati Reds' outfield got back to full strength last week, Reds manager David Bell didn't commit to naming a starting center fielder. — At the time, Bell left open the possibility that Nick Senzel …
Discussion:
Red Reporter
Andy Kostka / Baltimore Sun:
Orioles closer Jorge López named American League All-Star for first time as Baltimore's lone representative — Orioles closer Jorge López will represent the Baltimore Orioles in this season's MLB All-Star game at Dodger Stadium. (Baltimore Sun) — Brandon Hyde couldn't finish his thought.
Discussion:
Camden Chat
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