A look at what’s happening around the majors today:
THE REPLACEMENTS
José Berríos will fill in for fellow Minnesota right-hander Jake Odorizzi in the All-Star Game. Odorizzi left Tuesday’s game in Oakland with a blister on his right middle finger and was headed for the injured list. Hunter Pence was replaced by Boston’s Xander Bogaerts.
Pence has been out since June 16 with a right groin strain and was pulled off his rehab assignment Tuesday after aggravating the injury during a minor league game. Brandon Lowe was set to replace Tommy La Stella on the AL squad. But Lowe’s status also is questionable because of a right leg injury. Lowe also fouled a ball off his leg and left a game Tuesday night.
TRADITIONAL STARTERS
The AL East-leading New York Yankees and second-place Tampa Bay start a four-game series in Florida on Thursday night and neither team is scheduled to use an opener.
The Rays have done it 28 times, while Yankees right-hander Chad Green has filled the role seven times and left-hander Stephen Tarpley did it in the second of two games last weekend between New York and Boston in London.
The upcoming series has several intriguing matchups, including Masahiro Tanaka on Friday going against Rays’ two-way player Brendan McKay, who will be making his second big league start.
SIDELINED LA STELLA
Los Angeles Angels second baseman Tommy La Stella is expected to miss at least two months with a broken bone in his lower right leg, and outfielder Brian Goodwin also was placed on the 10-day injured list after getting hit by a pitch on his right wrist.
La Stella fouled a 97 mph fastball off his leg just below the knee and immediately went to the ground in pain in the sixth inning of Tuesday’s 9-4 win over the Texas Rangers. It was the first game for the Angels since the death a day earlier of 27-year-old pitcher Tyler Skaggs.
HOMER HAPPY
While the New York Yankees’ record-setting 31-game streak of homering ended on Tuesday night. Washington has connected in 17 consecutive games, the longest in a half-century franchise history that includes the team’s time in Montreal.
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