The Toronto Blue Jays have claimed OF Jarrod Dyson off waivers from the Kansas City Royals.
Red Sox announce roster moves
BOSTON, MA – The Boston Red Sox today made the following roster moves:
Placed infielder/outfielder Kiké Hernández and infielder Christian Arroyo on the COVID-19 Related Injured List.
Recalled infielder Jonathan Araúz from Triple-A Worcester.
Selected infielder/outfielder Yairo Muñoz to the active major league roster from Worcester.
Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom made the announcement.
Hernández, 30, has hit .258 (108-for-419) with an .811 OPS, 30 doubles, three triples, and 17 home runs in 112 games for Boston this season. His .409 on-base percentage since June 27 leads the American League, as he has reached base in 49 of his last 52 games. Hernández has made 64 starts in center field, as well as 40 at second base and four at shortstop.
Arroyo, 26, is making his fourth appearance on the injured list this season, having missed 60 games due to a left hand contusion (May 7-24), a right knee contusion (June 21-July 4), and a left hamstring strain (July 19-August 22). He has batted .264 (42-for-159) with six home runs and a .776 OPS in 53 games for the Red Sox, making 42 starts at second base and one at first base.
Araúz, 23, has played in 16 games across three stints with Boston this season, making three starts at shortstop, three at second base, and one at third base. The switch hitter is batting .207 (6-for-29) with a .523 OPS in the majors this season. Araúz, who made his major league debut with Boston in 2020, has hit .238 (24-for-101) with a .610 OPS in 41 career games with the club.
Muñoz, 26, has hit .318 (107-for-336) with an .808 OPS in 83 games for Triple-A Worcester, including a 35-game hitting streak from July 1 to August 14. In 208 major league games between the St. Louis Cardinals (2018-19) and Red Sox (2020), Muñoz has hit .278 (142-for-510) with a .734 OPS while making 40 starts at shortstop, 26 at second base, 17 at third base, 11 in left field, 11 in right field, and seven in center field.
Twins return Byron Buxton from rehab assignment and reinstate from 10-day injured list
Mitch Garver placed on 10-day injured list
MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL, MN – The Minnesota Twins announced today that they have returned outfielder Byron Buxton from rehab assignment and reinstated him from the 10-day Injured List.
Buxton, who missed the Twins’ last 55 games with a left hand fracture, played in four games on rehab assignment for Triple-A St. Paul, going 4-for-13 (.308) with one double, one home run and two RBI. The American League Player of the Month for April was placed on the Injured List on June 22 after being hit by a pitch from Tyler Mahle on June 21 vs. the Cincinnati Reds. In 27 games for the Twins this season, he has hit .369 (38-for-103) with 11 doubles, 10 home runs, 19 RBI, 21 runs scored, five stolen bases, a .409 on-base percentage, a .767 slugging percentage and a 1.176 OPS.
To make room for Buxton on the 26-man roster, the Twins have placed catcher Mitch Garver on the 10-day Injured List with low back tightness (retroactive to August 25). Garver has played in 61 games for the Twins this season, hitting .242 (44-for-182) with 13 doubles, 13 home runs, 29 RBI, 27 runs scored, 29 walks, a .527 slugging percentage and an .880 OPS.
D-backs select Jake McCarthy from Triple-A Reno
The Arizona Diamondbacks made the following roster move:
Selected OF Jake McCarthy (No. 30) from Triple-A Reno.
Will be making his Major League debut.
Combined to hit .253 (83-for-328)/.832 OPS with 14 doubles, 11 triples, 15 home runs, 54 RBI and 29 stolen bases in 85 games with Double-A Amarillo and Reno in 2021.
Was leading all Minor Leaguers in triples at the time of his promotion.
Was teammates with Pavin Smith at the University of Virginia from 2016-17.
Born and raised in Scranton, Pa.
White Sox reinstate Yasmani Grandal from the injured list; option Zack Collins to Triple-A Charlotte
CHICAGO – Prior to tonight’s series opener vs. the Cubs, the Chicago White Sox reinstated catcher Yasmani Grandal from the 10-day injured list and optioned catcher Zack Collins to Class AAA Charlotte.
Grandal, 32, was placed on the injured list on July 6 with a torn left knee tendon suffered on July 5 at Minnesota. He appeared in 11 games with Class AA Birmingham and Charlotte on an injury rehabilitation assignment, hitting .303/.368/.424 (10-33) with one home run and three RBI.
Grandal is batting .188/.388/.436 (34-181) with 14 home runs, 38 RBI, 42 runs scored and 60 walks over 63 games this season, his second with the White Sox. Over his last 26 games, he is hitting .256/.392/.561 (21-82) with eight homers, 20 RBI and 20 runs scored.
Collins, 26, is hitting .202/.324/.331 (36-178) with 11 doubles, four home runs, 24 RBI and 23 runs scored over 72 games this season.
CFL Preview: Lions clash with RedBlacks in the Nation’s Capital
OTTAWA — Week 4 action will continue this Saturday night with the BC Lions travelling to TD Place to take on the Ottawa REDBLACKS.
Through two games so far into this young season, the story of the 2021 Ottawa REDBLACKS has been the performance of their defence.
After holding the Edmonton Elks to just 110 rushing yards and hauling in three interceptions, highlighted by the impressive performance of Abdul Kanneh, who had two of those picks, the team followed it up again against the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
Saskatchewan scored 23 points against Ottawa in Week 2, the most the undefeated Riders have been able to tally so far, but it did not reflect the challenge Ottawa’s defence imposed. One of the reasons why Ottawa was able to make things difficult for Saskatchewan was their ability to end drives, only allowing one scoring drive in 29 possessions.
While the REDBLACKS offence has yet to find peak efficiency so far this season, there have been areas of success, primarily their ability to keep teams guessing while they’re on offence.
After being held touchdown-less against the Elks, the REDBLACKS rushing attack found the end zone against a very formidable Roughriders defence with DeVonte Dedmon.
Of the REDBLACKS players’ ability to generate a big play, R.J. Harris was the sparkplug the REDBLACKS’ offence needed last week. Recording over 100 receiving yards on the night and hauling in an incredible catch, the Matt Nichols-R.J. Harris connection will pose a threat to the BC secondary. This is something Lions’ head coach, Rick Campbell has his eye on ahead of Saturday.
“We’ll game plan, but the focus really has to be on us and making sure we got all our ducks in a row, so to speak,” said Campbell.
BC’s defence has also made a name for themselves in their own right as in three games so far this season, the Lions have recorded an interception or more in every one of them. Sitting atop the CFL in takeaways with six on the campaign, including four alone against the Calgary Stampeders, BC’s ball-hawkers have come to play.
Saturday will also see Rick Campbell return to his old Ottawa stomping ground; the team his head coaching career started with.
“I think it won’t be a big deal,” said Campbell on the 1st and Now BC Lions podcast. “That was a big part of my life. That was my first time ever being a head coach, so I appreciate all that. I’m sure it’ll be an emotional thing when it happens, but honestly, I’m kind of on a one-track mind right now just finding a way to win a game.”
Campbell joined the REDBLACKS coaching staff as the first head coach in franchise history during the 2014 inaugural season. Prior to filling that role, Campbell spent time with Edmonton, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Calgary Stampeders. Having spent five years in the nation’s capital, Campbell is very familiar with the team’s touchdown tradition. With that in mind, it is something he wants to minimize this week.
“We’ll keep that touchdown chainsaw quiet this week,” said Campbell.
On the offensive side of the ball, Campbell is looking forward to what he believes will be a solid performance from his playmakers. Having been two types of games: a nail-biter and a shootout, Campbell knows his offence, led by Michael Reilly and the CFL’s leading receiver Lucky Whitehead, can run with any defence in the league.
“I think we have a lot of weapons, I think we’ve moved the ball really well at times, we haven’t cashed in on touchdowns as much as we’d like,” said Campbell. “We always want to be able to run the ball effectively that’s an important part of it.”
You can catch kickoff on Saturday night at 7:00 p.m. ET on TSN and ESPN+. You can also follow along with all the action on CFL.ca’s Game Tracker.
Columbus Crew provides Injury Update on Midfielder Kevin Molino
Crew midfielder suffered right knee injury in training on Tuesday
COLUMBUS – Columbus Crew today announced that midfielder Kevin Molino will undergo Anterior Cruciate Ligament reconstruction on his right knee in the near future and is expected to be sidelined for approximately nine to 12 months.
Molino signed with the Crew as a Free Agent on January 2, 2021. The 31-year-old appeared in 11 MLS matches for the Black & Gold this season and scored his first goal for the Club on August 4.
Up next, the Black & Gold host FC Cincinnati for a nationally televised “Hell is Real” matchup at Lower.com Field on Friday, August 27 [6:30 p.m. ET / ESPN, ESPN Deportes, WatchESPN / 97.1 The Fan and 971TheFan.com (English), ColumbusCrew.com (Spanish)].
PREVIEW: Orlando City Hosts Inter Miami CF in Heineken Rivalry Week Match
Lions look for sixth-consecutive result on Friday
ORLANDO, Fla. – Orlando City SC (9-4-7, 34 points) hosts intrastate foes Inter Miami CF (6-9-4, 22 points) as part of MLS Rivalry Week, presented by Heineken, on Friday, Aug. 27 at Exploria Stadium. Kickoff is set for 8:30 p.m. ET.
The match will be nationally broadcast on ESPN and ESPN Deportes, while being transmitted on 96.9 The Game in English and Acción 97.9FM, 810AM in Spanish. Tickets are available here or by calling (855) ORL-CITY.
“The boys have good energy preparing for the derby. We have played Miami already twice this year and they have improved results [recently]. They have some changes that we can see in the way they’re playing,” Head Coach Oscar Pareja said ahead of the match. “We have the opportunity now to fight for those three points that aside from it being a derby, are important for our position in the standings. That’s what we’re looking forward to now, trying to get a good game and get those points. That’s no doubt what we want”
City will look for its sixth-consecutive result on Friday, while looking to remain unbeaten against its neighbors to the south this season. The Lions battled to a come-from-behind victory on June 25 at DRV PNK Stadium before playing to a 1-1 draw with the Herons earlier this month at Exploria Stadium.
The Lions enter Friday’s fixture following a 1-0 victory over Chicago Fire FC this past Saturday in downtown Orlando. Benji Michel scored the eventual game-winner in the 51st minute of play, with goalkeeper Mason Stajduhar tallying five saves to earn the first clean sheet of his MLS career.
Nani leads City with nine goals this season, followed by Michel with four. Mauricio Pereyra holds the team-high in assists with eight, with Nani following right behind with six helpers of his own.
Inter Miami comes into the matchup following a 3-1 victory over Toronto FC this past weekend at DRV PNK Stadium. A brace from Rodolfo Pizarro and a finish from 2020 MLS SuperDraft selection Robbie Robinson propelled the home side to their fourth-consecutive victory in Fort Lauderdale.
Gonzalo Higuaín leads the Herons with eight finishes on the year, followed by Robinson with four. Higuaín also holds the team-high in assists, with five to his credit.
Following Friday’s fixture, the Lions will close out a three-game home stint on Saturday, Sept. 4 when they host the 2020 MLS Cup Champions Columbus Crew SC at Exploria Stadium.
Cristian Roldan and Raúl Ruidíaz called into International Duty
Two of Seattle’s 2021 MLS All-Stars have been called-up to play for their respective national teams in upcoming 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifying matches
SEATTLE, WASH. – Seattle Sounders FC players Cristian Roldan and Raúl Ruidíaz have been called into international duty and are set to join the United States and Peru, respectively, for upcoming 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifying matches.
Roldan, 26, has 25 career caps for the U.S. Men’s national team, including five during the squad’s Concacaf Gold Cup-winning run this year, assisting on two goals. This is the first time in his career he has been called-up for World Cup Qualifying matches, having previously competed in friendlies, Gold Cup and Nations League matches. The United States takes on El Salvador on September 2, Canada on September 5 and Honduras on September 8. Roldan has scored twice for the Rave Green in 2021 and has yet to lose any game he has appeared in this year in all competitions.
Ruidíaz, 31, has 47 career caps for Peru, 19 of which were starts, and has appeared in four matches so far for the country’s 2022 World Cup Qualifying campaign. Previously, Ruidíaz made 11 appearances during Peru’s 2018 World Cup Qualifiers and two appearances in the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. The Lima native looks to add to his tally of four career goals when La Blanquirroja takes on Uruguay on September 2, Venezuela on September 5 and Brazil on September 9. Ruidíaz has scored 14 goals for the Rave Green this year, the most in MLS.
Both Roldan and Ruidíaz started in last night’s 2021 MLS All-Star Game in Los Angeles, alongside their Seattle teammates Nouhou, João Paulo, Yeimar Gómez Andrade and Alex Roldan. The six Seattle starters matched the All-Star Game record for starters from one team against a foreign opponent, first set in 2006 when D.C. United had six players in the starting lineup vs. Chelsea.
After winning three road matches in seven days, Seattle returns to the Emerald City for a showdown against archrival Portland on Sunday, August 29 (7:30 p.m. PT / ESPN, 950 KJR AM, El Rey 1360 AM).
White Sox reinstate Carlos Rodón from injured list, option Danny Mendick to Triple-A Charlotte
TORONTO – Prior to today’s series finale at Toronto, the Chicago White Sox reinstated All-Star left-handed pitcher Carlos Rodón from the 10-day injured list and optioned infielder Danny Mendick to Class AAA Charlotte.
Rodón, 28, was placed on the injured list on August 11 (retroactive to August 8) with left shoulder fatigue. He has gone 9-5 with a 2.38 ERA (29 ER/109.2 IP), 160 strikeouts (13.13 per 9.0 IP) and a .189 (75-397) opponents average over 19 starts this season.
Among American League pitchers with at least 100.0 IP, Rodón ranks first in strikeouts per 9.0 IP, WHIP (0.96), opponents average and opponents OPS (.566) and second behind teammate Lance Lynn in ERA.
Mendick, 27, is batting .217 (33-152) with five doubles, two home runs, 20 RBI and 13 runs scored in 66 games over five stints with the White Sox in 2021.
