The Athletic | Spencer Nusbaum and Will Sammon: The Nationals’ CJ Abrams is in the midst of a 24 home run, 144 wRC+ season at just 25 years old, which has made him an attractive target for teams at this trade deadline. The Yankees are one of the teams who have at least checked in on the Washington shortstop. It’s unclear whether the Nats would actually pull the trigger on a deal, as Abrams still has three years until free agency following this season, but at they very least, they’re listening.
MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: Cody Bellinger had two hits and drove in a run during the Yankees’ 3-1 victory over the Phillies last night, but he’s now facing questions about whether or not he will need to go on the injured list. He felt something in his hamstring while rounding first base on the second hit, and though he tried to stay in, he was soon replaced on defense by Max Schuemann. The All-Star will undergo more testing today as the Yankees get a better read on the severity of the injury and if an IL stint is needed. (Spencer Jones could return to the Yanks from Triple-A if that’s the case.) Even with Bellinger in a bit of a power outage, any extended absence would be a blow to an already-scuffling Yankees lineup.
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New York Daily News | Gary Phillips: George Lombard Jr.’s season and the Yankees infield issues have heightened the idea that the team’s top prospect could be in the big leagues sooner rather than later. With the trade deadline coming up, there are some days afterwards that could point to a timeline for a possible call-up.
USA Today | John Leuzzi: Aaron Judge’s injury has obviously had an impact on the Yankees’ season, but manager Aaron Boone doesn’t think it’ll necessarily have an impact on the team’s Trade Deadline activity. Under the belief that Judge will be back, Boone doesn’t believe that the injury will necessarily make the Yankees more aggressive or more complacent than they otherwise would be.
ESPN | Jeff Passan: The Trade Deadline is a week from tomorrow, and we’re sure to see some notable moves all around the majors as we get closer. One of the first big ones dropped late last night, as Passan reported the Red Sox were trading lefty starter Connelly Early to the Nationals for righty-hitting infielder Curtis Mead, seemingly confirming that Boston will be buyers after their 15-game winning streak jolted their season back to life.
Once a big Rays prospect, Mead’s career had stalled before posting a 135 OPS+ in 87 games this year upon joining the Nats in an offseason trade. The Red Sox are betting that his offensive tweaks are legitimate, and it’s no small cost to give up Early, who was a preseason Top 100 prospect and started Game 3 of the AL Wild Card Series against the Yankees last year. The 24-year-old had a 3.44 ERA in 17 starts before going on the IL with elbow inflammation, though no structural damage has yet been found.
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