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MLB notebook: Brewers' Woodruff (side) likely out 6 week

[July 23, 2019] Milwaukee All-Star right-hander Brandon Woodruff is expected to miss six weeks after sustaining a left oblique strain during the Brewers' game Sunday against the Arizona Diamondbacks, manager Craig Counsell announced Monday.

That timetable would potentially leave the Brewers without their best starting pitcher until September. An MRI exam detected the seriousness of the injury, prompting the team to place Woodruff on the 10-day injured list.

Woodruff, 26, was injured in the fourth inning Sunday while throwing a pitch -- the second of the inning -- to Arizona's Tim Locastro.

Woodruff is 11-3 with a 3.75 ERA and 136 strikeouts in 20 starts this season. To replace him on the roster, Milwaukee recalled right-hander Burch Smith from Triple-A San Antonio. Smith, 29, was 0-1 with a 5.06 ERA in six relief appearances with the Brewers earlier this season.

--The Chicago Cubs reportedly are one of the teams interested in acquiring Detroit Tigers slugger Nicholas Castellanos before the July 31 trade deadline.

According to the Detroit News, the rumor "has some teeth," and the Cubs likely would move Jason Heyward to center field and slot Castellanos in right field. Castellanos, 27, is batting .284 with 11 homers and 36 RBIs in 93 games this season.

The right-handed hitter is batting .387 and slugging .694 against left-handers, which has been a weakness for the Cubs' lineup this season. Castellanos hit a walk-off home run Sunday -- the first of his career -- then said of Detroit's cavernous Comerica Park, "This park's a joke."

--Hoping to get Carl Edwards Jr. back on track again, the Cubs optioned the right-hander back to Triple-A Iowa, his second demotion of the season.

He gave up a run on a hit and a walk after a third of an inning Sunday against the San Diego Padres. The outing left him with a 5.87 ERA in 20 appearances this season. Edwards, 27, who has also dealt with a thoracic strain this season.

The Cubs recalled right-hander Rowan Wick. The former catcher and outfielder had a 3.86 ERA in five appearances with the Cubs earlier this season.

--The Texas Rangers put closer Shawn Kelley on the 10-day injured list due to a sore right biceps. The team called up right-hander Rafael Montero from Triple-A Nashville in a corresponding move and designated outfielder Carlos Tocci for assignment.

Kelly, 35, is 5-2 with a 3.00 ERA and 11 saves in 15 chances across 32 appearances this season. He left Texas' 5-3 loss in Houston on Sunday after throwing warmup pitches in the bottom of the eighth inning. An MRI that night revealed no acute injury, according to the team.

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Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Brandon Woodruff (53) throws during the first inning against the Arizona Diamondbackst: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

Kelley had not pitched since July 12. This is his second stint on the IL, as he was out from May 6-21 after surgery to remove two lumps from his throat.

--The Minnesota Twins placed first baseman C.J. Cron on the 10-day injured list due to right thumb inflammation.

Cron, 29, is batting .263 with 18 homers and 55 RBIs in 83 games this season. The move is retroactive to Sunday.

The Twins also optioned right-hander Zack Littell to Triple-A Rochester and called up left-hander Lewis Thorpe and right-hander Cody Stashak, both from Rochester.

--The Detroit Tigers signed veteran right-hander Edwin Jackson, who was released by the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday, to a minor league deal.

Jackson is set to join Triple-A Toledo, according to MLB.com.

Jackson, 35, has played with a major-league-record 14 teams, but he is making a return to the Tigers organization. He pitched for Detroit in 2009 when he went 13-9 with a 3.62 ERA and was named to his only All-Star team.

--The Pittsburgh Pirates suspended right-hander Keone Kela for two games due to an unspecified violation of his contract.

Manager Clint Hurdle was vague when asked about Kela prior to Monday's game, saying the team was evaluating his status. The team announced the suspension a short time later.

The Pirates activated Kela from the 60-day injured list before putting him on the suspended list. He last pitched for Pittsburgh on May 4 before going on the IL due to shoulder discomfort.

--The Cincinnati Reds placed right-hander Tyler Mahle on the 10-day injured list because of a strained left hamstring. The Reds recalled right-hander Sal Romano from Triple-A Louisville in a corresponding move.

Mahle sustained the injury Friday during his start against the St. Louis Cardinals.

--The New York Yankees recalled right-hander Jonathan Holder just short of a month after he was sent back to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Holder replaced left-hander Stephen Tarpley on the roster after the Yankees optioned the reliever following Sunday's game.

--Field Level Media

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