Spencer Torkelson homers twice in blowout win

Bradford has missed all season following last year’s Tommy John surgery. He was able to throw three scoreless innings in Double-A last weekend, so he may only need two more rehab starts before he becomes an option for the Rangers’ rotation that will also be getting back Jordan Montgomery (elbow) and Jack Leiter (ankle) soon.

Santos has allowed two runs on two hits in two innings in his only appearance for Texas this season. The 24-year-old has a 7.16 ERA in 55 1/3 innings mostly as a starter in Triple-A.

This is a bummer for Junis, who has been great in Texas’ bullpen, posting a 2.70 ERA in 40 innings this season. There is no word yet on how long he will be out, but he had just missed two weeks with a hip impingement, so these injuries may be connected in some way.

This makes plenty of sense. The Phillies need another starter for the rotation and potentially another outfield bat as well. The Blue Jays could send any combination of Kevin Gausman, Shane Bieber, George Springer, and Daulton Varsho. The Phillies may also be interested in Jeff Hoffman for the bullpen. Would the Blue Jays want to take a chance that they can “fix” Andrew Painter? There is still time to go here and nothing imminent, but it seems like a pairing that makes sense.

Miles is a Rule 5 pick who has put together a solid season for the Blue Jays this year with a 3.26 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, and 66/19 K/BB ratio in 69 innings across 29 appearances (four starts). The Blue Jays have used him as a bulk reliever, but he has allowed 14 runs on 20 hits in 14 innings across four starts as a traditional starter. If another team sees Miles as a potential starting pitcher who has not yet even reached his arbitration years, a deal could come together.

Ramos has played in just 70 games this season due to injuries and is slashing .267/.304/.436 with nine home runs, 34 RBI, and two steals. He has hit at least 20 home runs in two straight seasons but has yet to truly put together a great full season. Still, he is just 26 years old and is under team control through arbitration for three more years, so he would likely bring back a recent return if the Giants do decide to move him.

I’m sure the baseball world would react favorably to this move, especially with owners using competitive imbalance to push for a salary cap. The Dodgers should get Blake Snell back in the next week or two, and Tyler Glasnow is set to begin a rehab assignment next week, but some health concerns are keeping Shohei Ohtani (knee/bicep) off the mound, Eric Lauer was acquired as a short-term fix, and about Roki Sasaki and Emmet Sheehan have had inconsistent seasons, so the Dodgers may not want to trust them in the postseason. The Dodgers have plenty of prospect hitters to deal to make this work, so another team is going to have to simply beat their offer.

Passan notes that the Brewers are involved in the bidding for Tarik Skubal and are certainly looking to add starting pitching depth, but they could pivot to add Miller and trust that young starters like Shane Drohan, Robert Gasser, and/or Brandon Sproat can pitch 4-5 innings before turning the game over to a dominant bullpen.

Peralta and Holmes are almost assuredly being dealt this week, and the Cubs are looking to add starting pitching. As Passan notes, the Cubs also have “plenty of bats available” that could interest the Mets, like Matt Shaw and Pedro Ramirez in the big leagues, or Owen Ayers and Jefferson Rojas in the minors. It remains to be seen if the teams can make anything work, but the pieces seem to be there.

Of course, Mead is sidelined for the next 6-8 weeks with a fractured wrist, so that plays a part in it. All of Trevor Story (sports hernia), Marcelo Mayer (forearm stress reaction), and Isiah Kiner-Falefa (forearm stress reaction) are on the injured list as well, so infield depth is a need. The Red Sox have been linked to Otto Lopez, which would require a sizable offer that “would have to start with” Boston’s second-ranked prospect RHP Anthony Eyanson.