MLB 2026 Buzz: Red Sox 1B Willson Contreras Returns To Lineup Against Dodgers
The Aug. 3 trade deadline is around the corner, but there is plenty to cover from around Major League Baseball.
Here are the noteworthy transactions, injuries and more from the 2026 MLB season.
Aug. 2
First baseman Willson Contreras was back in the lineup for the Boston Red Sox against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday night after clearing concussion protocol.
Contreras was struck by a fastball on the side of the helmet in the third inning of the Red Sox’s win over the Dodgers on Friday night. He was examined by team medical staff after being hit by Dodgers pitcher Will Klein and leaving the game.
Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy said Contreras passed the remaining steps needed to return to action after being held out of a 3-2 victory on Saturday night.
Contreras will bat cleanup in the finale of the three-game set. He is hitting .288 with 23 home runs and 67 RBIs and made his fourth All-Star team this season.
The Atlanta Braves placed right-hander Reynaldo López on the 15-day injured list with left knee inflammation on Sunday.
The Braves recalled right-hander JR Ritchie from Triple-A Gwinnett to start Sunday’s game against the Washington Nationals.
The move with López was expected after he was scratched before Saturday night’s scheduled start against the Nationals. López was warming up in the bullpen when he experienced discomfort in the knee.
Fill-in starter Martín Pérez held Washington hitless until the seventh inning of the Braves’ 8-3 win.
Ritchie is 1-2 with a 4.50 ERA in 13 games, including seven starts, with Atlanta.
The loss of López (3-1, 3.79) adds more urgency to the Braves’ expected search for rotation help before Monday’s trade deadline. López threw 5 2/3 scoreless innings in Atlanta’s 3-2 win in 10 innings at Baltimore on July 26 in his last start.
López made 11 starts while pitching in relief in 13 games this season. The move to the injured list was made retroactive to Thursday.
Aug. 1
The Seattle Mariners placed outfielder Luke Raley on the 10-day injured list on Saturday due to a left forearm strain.
Raley has been dealing with the forearm strain, which has led to elbow pain. While he tried to play through the pain, Raley's struggles at the plate made it clear he needed a break. The move was retroactive to Friday.
In his past 30 games, Raley hit .173 with one homer, four RBIs and 27 strikeouts.
"He was really trying to grit it out as much as he could, but it gets to a point where it’s difficult, it’s painful, and felt like, you know, he wasn’t helping the team at that point," manager Dan Wilson said. "Tough decisions all around."
The Mariners called up outfielder Stuart Fairchild from Triple-A Tacoma to fill Raley’s roster spot.
Raley is the second key player the Mariners have placed on the IL in the past two days. Shortstop J.P. Crawford was lost Friday with a wrist injury.
July 31
Yennier Cano is going nowhere!
The Baltimore Orioles have signed the 2023 All-Star to a two-year contract extension with a 2029 club option. Cano gets $7.5MM across both seasons with the club option being worth $10MM.
In more than 36 innings pitched, Yennier Cano has recorded a 2.21 ERA and 31 strikeouts. In 2023, he was selected as an American League All-Star while also making the Baseball America Major League All-Rookie Team.
The Cubs have recalled left-hander Antoine Kelly to the roster for their weekend campaign against the New York Yankees.
After Gavin Hollowell was sent to the injured list with shoulder inflammation, Antoine Kelly was added to the roster, getting his first shot at the MLB stage.
Most recently, he has been playing for the Iowa Cubs, a minor league baseball team in the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. Across the 2026 minor league season, he has recorded a 4.02 ERA and 44 strikeouts across his 36 games pitched.
July 30
The Minnesota Twins acquired left-handed reliever A.J. Minter from the New York Mets.
In exchange, the Mets received two Twins prospects: third baseman Billy Amick, ranked 21st in Minnesota's system, and infielder Bruin Agbayani, ranked 29th,
Minter, 32, holds a 2.35 ERA and 1.00 WHIP across 23 appearances this season.
The Baltimore Orioles have acquired Detroit Tigers catcher Jake Rogers, also sending minor league pitcher Zane Barnhart over to Detroit.
Jake Rogers spent six major league seasons with the Detroit Tigers, being valued for his presence in the clubhouse and behind the plate. The 31-year-old has been batting a below-than-average at .161, with three home runs and 9 RBIs.
With Rogers gone, rookie Eduardo Valencia is expected to get a look as the backup catcher behind Dillon Dingler for the Detroit Tigers.
Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Shane McClanahan left Thursday’s game against the Texas Rangers in the fourth inning because of back tightness.
McClanahan was pulled from the game two batters into the fourth inning and with the Rays leading 1-0. At the time, the left-hander had yet to allow a hit, but he did hit Ezequiel Duran with a pitch to start the fourth, followed by a walk to Brandon Nimmo.
Following a brief discussion on the mound, McClanahan walked to the dugout accompanied by head athletic trainer Joseph Benge. He was replaced by Casey Legumina.
McClanahan was making his 20th start of the season and entered the game with a 9-6 record and 3.06 ERA. He threw 49 pitches.
The 29-year-old returned to the Tampa Bay rotation this year after missing the previous two-plus seasons because of injury. McClanahan underwent Tommy John surgery in August 2023 that kept him out for the entire 2024 season. Then, in spring training ahead of the 2025 campaign, he dealt with nerve irritation in his left triceps but never returned and eventually underwent surgery in August of last year.
Rangers pitcher Jakob Junis has been placed on the 15-day injured list with a left adductor strain, a significant blow to the Texas Bullpen.
The Rangers were already looking to add bullpen help before the August 3 trade deadline, and Junis' injury only increases that need. They most recently signed Chase Silseth from the Angels. Righty reliever Winston Santos was recalled from Triple-A to take Junis' place on the roster.
Across 40 innings pitched, Junis recorded a 2.70 ERA with 30 strikeouts and a solid 1.07 WHIP.
The future is now.
The Detroit Tigers are calling up outfielder Max Clark from Triple-A Toledo, according to Baseball America. Detroit selected Clark, who's ranked as the team's No. 1 prospect and the No. 13 overall prospect in the sport by MLB Pipeline, with the No. 3 pick in the 2023 MLB Draft.
Through 90 games in Triple A this season, Clark has totaled 11 home runs, 42 RBIs and 21 stolen bases, while sporting a .276/.368/.434 slash line. He has exclusively played center field throughout his four seasons in the Tigers' system.
July 29
The Texas Rangers are acquiring right-handed reliever Chase Silseth and catcher Logan O’Hoppe from the Los Angeles Angels in exchange for minor-league infielder Angel Arredondo.
Silseth, 26, has been solid out of the bullpen for the Halos this season, carrying a 2.72 ERA and 48 strikeouts across 39.2 innings in 47 appearances.
O'Hoppe provides catching depth for Texas, who moved catcher Danny Jansen to the 60-day injured list as part of a series of corresponding roster moves.
Nationals starting pitcher Trevor Williams was activated from the 60-day injured list due to an elbow injury.
Washington does not have an immediate rotation spot available, so he'll move to the bullpen initially. He could return to the rotation, though, depending on how the Nationals function at the trade deadline.
Before his time on the injured list, Williams kicked the season off shakily. His current record through 13 games is 3-10, recording an ERA of 6.21 and a WHIP of 1.54.
July 28
Giants left-fielder, Casey Schmitt, has been placed on the 10-day injured list with a torn meniscus.
On Monday night against the Brewers, he hit a successful pop-up hit to right field, rounding first base but hurting his knee in the process. He was seen to be limping after placing his feet on the bag.
This was not his first injury, as he missed a large portion of last season due to three separate issues. He missed 27 games with a strained left oblique, 11 games with a left hand injury and then missed two games due to an elbow injury.
Before the injury, Schmitt was enjoying the best season of his career, batting .271 with 21 home runs and 55 RBI. He has already surpassed many of last year's numbers while playing nearly the same number of games, making this his most productive season to date.
The Boston Red Sox's new third baseman, Curtis Mead, has been placed on the 10-day injured list per multiple reports.
Two days after a fresh trade to the Red Sox, he was not only hurt in his debut game, but also in his debut at-bat, by a 95 mph fastball to the wrist. The final injury consensus is a broken-left wrist.
Prior to this incident, Curtis Mead was hitting .253, accumulating 48 RBIs and 17 home runs in 285 at-bats for the Washington Nationals.
July 27
Athletics All-Star catcher Shea Langeliers and right-hander Mark Leiter Jr. will have season-ending surgeries on Tuesday.
The A’s injury report on Monday indicated Langeliers will have surgery for a torn meniscus in his right knee and Leiter will have surgery to repair a right hip impingement.
Langeliers was hitting .263 with 23 homers and 51 RBIs in 93 games before his injury. The 28-year-old became the first A’s catcher to start an All-Star Game since Terry Steinbach in 1989.
Langeliers had been the subject of trade rumors as the A’s struggle through another disappointing season.
Leiter went on the injured list with a hip impingement for the second time this season last week. The 35-year-old has not allowed a run in 17 of his last 18 games, compiling a 0.50 ERA during that stretch. He is 0-1 with a 4.28 ERA and four saves in 36 relief appearances overall this year.
The Chicago Cubs have officially moved on from pitcher Jameson Taillon. The team announced on Monday afternoon that Taillon was designated for assignment, creating a roster spot to call up Andrew Wantz.
Taillon spent four seasons with the Cubs after signing a four-year, $68 million deal in 2022. He's struggled this season, posting a 2-5 record with a 5.92 ERA in 76 innings pitched this season.
The Atlanta Braves activated outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. from the injured list on Monday after the 2023 National League MVP missed almost seven weeks with a left hamstring strain. Acuña is expected to be available for Monday night's opener of a three-game series at the New York Mets.
The five-time All-Star is hitting .251 with seven home runs, 22 RBIs and 15 steals. His season has been shortened by two hamstring injuries. He missed 15 games in May with the same injury.
When Acuña was placed on the injured list on June 9, the Braves topped the majors with a 45-23 record and led the NL East by eight games over Philadelphia. Atlanta struggled in June without Acuña but has rebounded following the All-Star break and at 62-43 leads the second-place Phillies by 5.5 games.
Acuña also has suffered two serious knee injuries in his career. He sustained a season-ending torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in May 2024 and tore his right ACL midway through the 2021 season.
Though Acuña split time in his rehabilitation stint at designated hitter and in the outfield, Braves manager Walt Weiss recently said he expects Acuña will play primarily in right field, his normal position.
The Braves optioned outfielder Brewer Hicklen to Triple-A Gwinnett to make room on the big-league roster for Acuña.
The Cincinnati Reds have placed infielder/outfielder Spencer Steer on the 10-day injured list with right wrist pain. Steer exited Sunday's game vs. the St. Louis Cardinals with apparent wrist pain after fouling a pitch off his bat. Now, the Reds have called up Ivan Johnson from Triple-A Louisville.
Steer's been one of Cincinnati's most dynamic hitters, batting .238 with 40 RBIs and 16 home runs in 98 games. Steer has also appeared at every outfield position, as well as first, second and third base.
The Reds are currently coming off a road series win at the Cardinals, and face the Cleveland Guardians on Monday for their first of three consecutive home series.
July 26
The Chicago White Sox are trading for Pittsburgh Pirates reliever Jose Urquidy, per Robert Murray. The details of the deal are not yet known, but the White Sox are set to add another arm to the bullpen as they look to make a push at winning the American League Central.
Urquidy has had a tough start since recently pitching for the Pirates. He's thrown only 6.1 innings, where he's recorded an 8.53 ERA and 2.68 WHIP in five appearances for the Pirates this season.
Toronto veteran right-hander Max Scherzer will celebrate his 42nd birthday with a start, coming off the injured list and starting Monday’s series opener at Washington, Blue Jays manager John Schneider said.
"Max is going to pitch (Monday)," he said following their 6-1 series finale loss to the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on Sunday.
"I think just talking to him and understanding where he was physically and how he has recovered from the rehab outing in (Triple-A) Buffalo," Schneider said. "Maybe a little bit limited in pitch count, but I think he kind of checked all the boxes."
Scherzer (1-4 with a 10.23 ERA) was placed on the injured list in mid-June with back spasms, but has had various setbacks, including three cortisone shots in his thumb.
He threw 56 pitches in five innings, striking out seven in a rehab start on Wednesday.
He’s made only six starts this season for the Blue Jays, who have dropped seven of 10 since the All-Star break.
Last season, after being left off the ALDS roster because of late-season struggles, Scherzer was included on the ALCS and World Series roster for the Blue Jays. Toronto lost the series in seven games to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
He is 222-121 with a 3.27 ERA in 489 games over 19 seasons and seven different teams. He has two World Series rings, one coming with the Nationals, where he’ll start on Monday, in 2019. The other with Texas in 2023.
The Athletics' plans for the MLB Trade Deadline took a major hit Sunday after All-Star catcher Shea Langeliers suffered a torn meniscus in his right knee, per ESPN. The injury could sideline him for the remainder of the season and complicate the club's Trade Deadline plans.
The injury effectively removes Langeliers from the trade market, where he was expected to be one of the most sought-after players available ahead of the deadline. While it was never a given that the Athletics would trade Langeliers, the injury takes the decision out of their hands.
Before the injury, Langeliers was putting together the best season of his career, batting .263 with 23 home runs, 51 RBIs and an .829 OPS in 93 games.
The Athletics, who sit fourth in the AL West at 44-60, are widely expected to be sellers ahead of the Aug. 3 Trade Deadline. With Langeliers off the trade market, the front office will have no choice but to reevaluate which players they’re realistically willing to move.
July 23
New York Mets slugger Juan Soto was placed on the 10-day injured list on Saturday because of a left calf strain.
Soto walked twice against Los Angeles Dodgers starter Rōki Sasaki in Friday’s 4-2 loss before being replaced by Jorge Polanco in the sixth inning with the score tied at 1-all. He appeared to experience discomfort while running to second base on Bo Bichette’s double-play grounder in the second inning.
Soto is hitting .293 with 21 homers and 52 RBIs in 84 games this season. He missed 15 games with the same injury from April 3–21, and the Mets went 3-12 without him.
Soto sat out Wednesday’s 4-3 loss at the Milwaukee Brewers, but he was back in the lineup Friday after the Mets had a day off.
The lone All-Star for the Mets this year, Soto exited the team’s first game after the break in the eighth inning on July 16 at the Philadelphia Phillies. New York was off the following day, and he returned to the lineup as the designated hitter on Saturday and Sunday against the Phillies. He played left field Monday in Milwaukee and was the DH on Tuesday.
To replace Soto, the Mets called up infielder/outfielder Eric Wagaman from Triple-A Syracuse. Wagaman is hitting .162 with two homers and four RBIs in 21 games this season.
Boston Red Sox All-Star left-hander Ranger Suárez is expected to come off the injured list and start Sunday’s series finale against the Toronto Blue Jays, interim Boston manager Chad Tracy said Saturday.
The 30-year-old Suárez was placed on the injured list on July 9 with a strained left groin. He missed the All-Star game.
"Ranger should be good to go for [Sunday]," Tracy said before the Red Sox faced the Blue Jays at Fenway Park on Saturday. "We have him scheduled to start the game."
Suárez was throwing on the field about 2 1/2 hours before Saturday’s game. Tracy said the club will push lefty Payton Tolle from Sunday to start Monday’s series opener in Sacramento against the Athletics.
Suárez is 4-3 with a 3.15 ERA in 17 starts in his first season after signing a $130 million, five-year contract with the Red Sox in free agency.
Earlier this week, the team was planning for Suárez to come off the IL and start Tuesday, but they pushed him back to possibly starting Wednesday’s second game of a split doubleheader after that game got rained out. Then, he was under the weather and still sore, so they used lefty Eduardo Rivera in the nightcap that snapped their club record-tying 15-game winning streak.