We're quickly approaching the All-Star break as the MLB season moves towards the midway point, but there are already a number of trade rumblings around the league. The biggest one involves Manny Machado, who the Baltimore Orioles are expected to move given their disastrous start to the season. Here are all the latest MLB news & rumors you need to know:
8 teams have inquired about trade for Manny Machado
As the struggling Orioles prepare to deal Manny Machado (a pending unrestricted free agent) before the trade deadline, eight teams have already expressed interest in making a deal for him, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.
The inquiries have begun. The Phillies, Cardinals, Braves, Dodgers, Brewers, Mets, Angels, and Mariners are all expected to dip their toes in the water to see what it would take. If the Orioles had a wish list, they'd probably want to do something with the Cardinals and extract a couple of pitching prospects.
Among the teams who haven't called about Machado is the New York Yankees, who are thought of as the favorite to sign him in free agency this winter.
Machado is batting .312 with 18 home runs and 50 RBIs in 64 games so far this season.
Yoenis Cespedes suffers setback in recovery
New York Mets outfield Yoenis Cespedes has been out since suffering a strained hip flexor on May 6, but his return to the majors has been delayed again after a setback in a minor league start, according to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com.
More than a month later, Cespedes is not close to a return. He suffered a setback during a Minor League game Saturday with Double-A Binghamton, and will now fly to Florida to reconnect with the Mets' rehabilitation staff. While manager Mickey Callaway said Cespedes is in a better place than he was a month ago, there are no longer any indications of when he might return.
"We had been excited about the prospect of getting him back in a few days," Callaway said. "But we can't let these injuries stop us from doing what we need to do. We have other Major League players who can step up and get the job done, and that's what we need to do."
Cespedes was batting .255 with eight home runs and 28 RBIs in 37 games before suffering the injury.
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Latest on Shohei Ohtani injury
Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani was placed on the DL last week with a UCL strain, and the team is now refuting reports that Ohtani will need Tommy John surgery.
“There have been no changes in Ohtani’s diagnosis and neither our physicians nor medical staff have recommended (Tommy John surgery) or said it’s likely,” general manager Billy Eppler said.
"I have not heard that," manager Mike Scioscia said about the prospect of Ohtani getting Tommy John surgery. "The doctors are obviously very confident that he's going to get back out there. We're going to be very conservative with Shohei. We'll see when, first and foremost, the elbow is sound enough to where he can swing a bat. I think that'll happen before he's going to be out on the mound pitching. But we're very hopeful that he's going to be pitching for us again this season."
Ohtani, who has starred both at the mound and at the plate for the Angels, is 4-1 with a 3.10 ERA in nine starts on the mound while batting .289 with six home runs and 20 RBIs in 114 at-bats.
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