With Garrett Richards out of the season, the Los Angeles Angels are
kicking the tires on multiple veteran pitchers ahead of the waiver trade
deadline Sunday.
Options include A.J. Burnett of the Philadelphia Phillies and
Bartolo Colon of the New York Mets.
Richards was having the best season of any starting pitcher in the
Angels' rotation. Jered Weaver, C.J. Wilson and Matt Shoemaker are
in line to lead the team's playoff rotation, but the team is thin
behind that threesome.
Colon, 12-10 with a 3.82 ERA, owns an $11 million salary for 2015 as
part of a two-year, $20 million contract he signed with the Mets
before the season, and Burnett can make $12 million in '15, but has
discussed retirement. However, after a 12-strikeout, one-hit
performance against Washington earlier in the week, Burnett sounded
like he would reconsider.
---The Seattle Mariners officially called up right-hander Erasmo
Ramirez. To make room for Ramirez, Seattle optioned left-hander
James Paxton to Triple-A Tacoma.
Paxton probably won't even throw a pitch in Tacoma, as his next
scheduled start with Seattle is on Sept. 2 -- one day after the
major league rosters expand.
---Baltimore Orioles third baseman Manny Machado underwent
successful surgery for the partially torn ligament in his right
knee.
Machado was injured earlier this month and placed on the disabled
list Aug. 12 with a sprained knee after he fell in the batter's box.
Before the injury, Machado was on a hot streak with five home runs
and 15 RBIs in 20 games in July and August. For the season, he
played in 82 games and had 12 homers and 32 RBIs with a .278 batting
average.
---Orioles left-hander Wei-Yin Chen was optioned to the Gulf Coast League
to make room for catcher Steve Clevenger, who was promoted from Triple-A
Norfolk.
---St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina (torn ligaments in right
thumb) was scheduled to start a rehab assignment Wednesday night with
Double-A Springfield and catch five innings against Arkansas in a Texas
League game.
---The Toronto Blue Jays recalled right-hander Chad Jenkins from
Triple-A Buffalo and designated for assignment right-hander Sergio
Santos.
Jenkins is 1-1 with a 2.56 earned-run average in 21 relief outings with
Toronto this season. Santos is 0-3 with five saves and an 8.57 ERA in 26
games with Toronto.
---The Chicago Cubs placed outfielders Justin Ruggiano (ankle) and Ryan
Sweeney (hamstring) on the 15-day disabled list and recalled infielder
Logan Watkins and Jorge Soler, who made his major league debut in right
field.
