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    Yankees re-sign Justin Topa to minors contract

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    NYY Relief Pitcher #56
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    Yankees re-signed RHP Justin Topa to a minor league contract.

    Topa will stick around with the Yankees as emergency relief depth after making a pair of appearances in August.
Devers' season ends early with core muscle injury
Rafael Devers was placed on the 60-day injured list with a core muscle injury, ending the Giants slugger's season early in the middle of an offensive tear.

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  • FA Relief Pitcher #56
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    Topa passed through waivers unclaimed after being jettisoned from New York’s relief mix over the weekend. The 35-year-old journeyman made just a pair of appearances for the Yankees during a brief stint with the club. He should be able to latch on somewhere for the final month of the season.
  • NYY Relief Pitcher #56
    The Yankees needed to clear a spot on their active roster for the return of Max Fried on Saturday and unfortunately for Topa he drew the short straw this time around. The 35-year-old hurler made just two appearances during his time with the Yankees, logging three scoreless frames with a 3/1 K/BB ratio. It’s possible that another club comes calling on waivers.
  • NYY Relief Pitcher #48
    Brendan Beck was sent down last night to open up a spot. Topa, who has pitched for the Brewers, Mariners and Twins over parts of seven big-league seasons, will be making his Yankees debut. He had an 8.05 ERA in 19 innings for Minnesota earlier this year. He has a career 4.27 ERA in 168 2/3 innings.
  • NYY Relief Pitcher #48
    Topa had signed a minor league deal with the Royals in early July but he exercised an opt-out clause earlier this week and has now latched on with the Yankees. The 35-year-old hurler holds an 8.05 ERA, 2.00 WHIP and a 12/11 K/BB ratio over 19 innings at the big league level this season.
  • KC Relief Pitcher #48
    Topa latches on with the division-rival Royals after struggling to an inflated 8.05 ERA across 19 innings for the Twins earlier this season. The well-traveled 35-year-old will function as organizational relief depth at Triple-A Omaha.
  • FA Relief Pitcher #48
    Topa was designated for assignment, and now the 35-year-old will be free to find a new team. How much interest other clubs will have is up for debate, as he forged an ugly 8.05 ERA in his 19 innings this year. Topa will likely be looking at a “prove it” minor league deal at this stage of his career.
  • MIN Relief Pitcher #48
    The Twins needed to clear space on the 40-man roster for Orlando Arcia, so Topa will be the one who goes. The 35-year-old at one point seemed like a good bet to be part of the Twins’ closer committee, but he has pitched to an 8.05 ERA in 19 innings for them this season. However, he did have a 3.90 ERA in 60 innings out of the bullpen for Minnesota last season, so there’s a chance that some team puts in a claim to grab him off waivers.
  • MIN Relief Pitcher #48
    Topa came on with a comfortable 4-1 lead to protect in the ninth, but things tightened up quickly as Kazuma Okamoto crushed a one-out, two-run homer to make it a one-run game. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Jesus Sanchez then followed with singles to put the tying run in scoring position before Lenyn Sosa bounced into a game-ending double play. Trying to speculate on save chances in the Twins’ bullpen is a fool’s errand.
  • MIN Relief Pitcher #44
    There were no hard-hit balls against Sands; a groundball single, a sac bunt and then an outfield flare were enough to produce the decisive run. This one shouldn’t alter his status in the closing mix in Minnesota. It especially doesn’t hurt because Justin Topa gave up a run in the seventh, and Eric Orze took a blown save by allowing a run in the eighth.
  • MIN Relief Pitcher #48
    Topa came in to get the final two outs after Eric Orze struggled to get through the ninth. It’s the first save for Topa, and while it’s possible he could get a few chances as the season continues, there’s not going to be enough opportunities to suggest he’s worth rostering.

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    Kazuma Okamoto went 1-for-3 with a three-run home run against the Tigers on Monday.

    Okamoto’s home run was his 33rd of the year. He hit a three-run shot off Tigers reliever Kyle Finnegan, that briefly gave the Blue Jays a 5-4 lead. Okamoto has hit five home runs in his last seven games. He’s hitting .236 with a .779 OPS and 88 RBI this season.
  • TOR Starting Pitcher #40
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    José Soriano allowed four runs in 6 1/3 innings and got a no-decision against the Tigers on Monday.

    Soriano gave up five hits, walked one and struck out five. He had a no-hitter through six innings, but ran into trouble in the seventh with five Tigers hits leading to four runs. Soriano is 3-1 with a 4.27 ERA and 32 strikeouts in 46 1/3 innings over eight starts since joining the Blue Jays. He’s lined up to face the Rangers on the road on Sunday.
  • DET Relief Pitcher #74
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    Kenley Jansen tossed a scoreless ninth inning and picked up the save against the Blue Jays.

    Protecting a one-run lead, Jansen walked George Springer to start the ninth inning before striking out Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and getting Alejandro Kirk to hit into a game-ending double play. It was his 20th save of the season and 496th of his career. Jansen has a 3.43 ERA this year, though he’s blown six save opportunities.
  • DET Starting Pitcher #52
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    Troy Melton allowed two runs in 2 2/3 innings and got a no-decision in the Tigers’ 6-5 win over the Blue Jays on Monday.

    Melton gave up five hits, walked four and struck out three. It was the shortest outing of his MLB career so far. Melton threw 76 pitches and was removed with the bases-loaded and two outs in the third inning. He has a 7.24 ERA in three starts in September after posting a 1.86 ERA in his first 16 starts this year. Melton is lined up to face the White Sox on the road this weekend.
  • CLE Left Fielder #1
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    Angel Martínez was removed from Monday’s game against the White Sox with right side inflammation.

    Martínez was lifted for a defensive replacement in the eighth inning after striking out in the previous frame. It doesn’t appear to be a significant concern, but it wouldn’t be shocking to see him get a couple days off out of an abundance of caution.
  • CWS 3rd Baseman #20
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    Miguel Vargas went 2-for-2 with a two-run homer and also stole a base, leading the White Sox to a 7-3 win over the Guardians on Monday.

    Vargas put the finishing touches on an unexpected six-run outburst by taking Cleveland reliever Daniel Espino deep in the sixth inning. It was his 31st round-tripper of the year. He also picked up his 19th stolen base of the year as Chicago extended their AL Central division lead to 1.5 games with the victory. The 26-year-old former top prospect has emerged as a certifiable fantasy force this season, hitting .249/.357/.475 with 98 runs scored, 31 homers, 81 RBI and 19 steals across 653 plate appearances.
  • CLE 3rd Baseman #11
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    José Ramírez singled and stole two bases in Monday’s loss to the White Sox.

    Ramírez hasn’t delivered his usual first-round fantasy production this season, mostly due to the lingering impact of a mid-June hamate fracture. However, he’s still managed to reach the lofty 30-steal plateau for the third consecutive season.
  • CWS Starting Pitcher #82
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    Hagen Smith recorded three strikeouts over two scoreless innings against the Guardians on Monday.

    Smith was universally regarded as one of the top pitching prospects in baseball, but he’s outperformed even the most lofty expectations, posting a microscopic 0.41 ERA and 32/10 K/BB ratio across 22 innings since being called up in mid-August. The 23-year-old southpaw continues to excel in relief and has looked like a true late-inning weapon for the upstart White Sox.
  • CWS Starting Pitcher #59
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    Sean Burke was charged with one run — zero earned — over five innings in a win over the Guardians on Monday.

    Burke delivered for Chicago in one of their most important games of the season, working into the late innings as a bulk reliever after Sean Newcomb worked a scoreless opening frame. He struck out four and only issued two walks. It was a much-needed bounce-back effort after getting tagged for seven runs over 1 1/3 innings by the Pirates his last time out. He’ll get the ball against the division-rival Tigers on Saturday.
  • CLE Starting Pitcher #32
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    Gavin Williams was charged with two runs — zero earned — over five innings in a loss to the White Sox on Monday.

    Making his first start in eight days, Williams wriggled out of multiple jams, carrying an improbable shutout into the sixth inning before the White Sox finally broke through following his departure after a season-high 113 pitches. He finished with seven strikeouts, issued three walks and also hit a pair of batters. He’ll wrap up a two-start week with a favorable home outing against the Athletics on Sunday.