PIRATES
Harrison off DL
PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Pirates activated utility player Josh Harrison off the disabled list Friday after a nearly two-month stay following thumb surgery.
Harrison went out after sustaining ligament damage to his left thumb in early July. He was batting .279 with four home runs and 22 RBI at the time of the injury. Harrison, an All-Star in 2014, went 1 for 19 during a rehab stint with Class AAA Indianapolis.
The Pirates have added significant infield depth in Harrison's absence, acquiring third baseman Aramis Ramirez and first baseman Michael Morse before the non-waiver trade deadline.
To make room for Harrison the Pirates designated reliever Josh Wall -- called up Wednesday -- for assignment.
INDIANS
Rangers trade Choice
NEW YORK -- The Cleveland Indians have acquired outfielder Michael Choice from the Texas Rangers for cash.
The teams announced the deal Friday night. Choice was optioned by the Indians to Class AAA Columbus.
Choice, 25, had been designated for assignment by the Rangers on Tuesday after they acquired outfielder Will Venable in a trade with San Diego.
Choice struck out in June in his only major league at-bat this year. He was hitting .244 with 12 home runs and 60 RBI at Class AAA Round Rock.
A former first-round pick by Oakland, he made his big league debut in 2013 with the Athletics. He was traded to Texas after that season and hit .182 with nine home runs and 36 RBI in 86 games for the Rangers last year.
GIANTS
Heston gets break
PITTSBURGH -- The San Francisco Giants sent pitcher Chris Heston to Class AAA Sacramento on Friday, hoping to give him a small break before the stretch drive.
Heston, 27, is 11-7 with a 3.34 ERA this year and threw a no-hitter against the New York Mets on June 9. Heston, however, has had trouble going deep into games in recent weeks, making it past the fifth inning just once in four starts this month.
Manager Bruce Bochy said the team wanted to "back (Heston) off a bit" and added there were indications that fatigue may be an issue. Heston was scheduled to pitch for San Francisco today but instead will be given a few days off before taking the hill for Sacramento.
Heston will return to San Francisco when rosters expand on Sept. 1.
NATIONALS
Prospect to debut
WASHINGTON -- The Washington Nationals have called up shortstop Trea Turner from Class AAA Syracuse and placed first baseman/outfielder Tyler Moore on the 15-day disabled list with a left ankle sprain.
Turner, 22, a highly touted prospect, is batting .322 with eight home runs and 54 RBI in 116 games between Class AA and Class AAA this season. He'll be making his major league debut.
Turner was acquired from San Diego on June 14 to complete a three-team deal made in December that brought rookie right-hander Joe Ross to the Nationals and sent outfielder Steven Souza Jr. to Tampa Bay.
Nationals shortstop Ian Desmond is hitting .227 with 15 home runs and 45 RBI this season.
Moore goes on the DL retroactive to Wednesday. Right-handed reliever Aaron Barrett (right elbow sprain) was transferred to the 60-day DL to make room for Turner on the 40-man roster.
MLB
Violence policy done
NEW YORK -- Major League Baseball has unveiled its first comprehensive domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy.
The agreement announced jointly Friday by the commissioner's office and the players' union has been in the works since last year, following a series of high-profile domestic violence cases involving NFL players.
The policy covers treatment and intervention, education, investigation and discipline of players.
Commissioner Rob Manfred is given broad discretion for determining the length of punishment players for "just cause" -- there are no maximum or minimum penalties prescribed in the deal. He also is given the authority to suspend a player with pay while legal proceedings are ongoing.
Players can appeal any discipline to an arbitration panel comprised of a representative of each party and an independent arbitrator.
The policy also creates a joint policy board for the purpose of providing the player with the appropriate treatment, which could include mandatory counseling and psychological evaluation.
Sports on 08/22/2015