RANGERS
Stocking up for run
MINNEAPOLIS -- The Texas Rangers traded minor league infielder Brallen Perez to Baltimore on Saturday for an additional $500,000 slot value in international bonus money as they continue to stock up on funds for a potential run at Japanese pitcher Shohei Otani.
Perez is the second minor-leaguer the Rangers have traded for bonus slot value this summer. They also sent Yeyson Yrizarri to the Chicago White Sox for an undisclosed amount of money. Yrizarri signed for $1.35 million in 2013. It's likely the Rangers received close to the value of his initial signing bonus.
The Rangers had about $1.6 million remaining from their original bonus pool and have likely added close to that amount with their two trades. The Rangers initially had a pool of $4.75 million and clubs are permitted to add up to 75 percent of their original pool through trades.
This money could be used on Otani, 23, if he decides to leave Japan this winter for the U.S. The Rangers have scouted the pitcher-designated hitter extensively. GM Jon Daniels led a delegation to Japan earlier this year to see an Otani workout.
The process for signing Japanese players has changed some since the Rangers paid more than $51 million in a "posting fee" for the right to negotiate with Yu Darvish in 2012. Now, the posting fees are capped at a maximum of $20 million and players under the age of 25 fall under the auspices of the international signing bonus pools. That means there will be less money initially invested in the player than has previously been the case.
ATHLETICS
Joyce suspended 2 games
Oakland Athletics outfielder Matt Joyce has received a two-game suspension without pay for directing a gay slur toward a fan in Anaheim and he will take part in a public outreach initiative with PFLAG, a family and ally organization supporting the LGBTQ community.
Major League Baseball in making the announcement said Joyce's penalty was set to begin Saturday, when he also apologized through the team. He said he is "beyond sorry," and the Athletics said his language was unacceptable and won't be tolerated.
The A's are donating more than $54,000 of Joyce's lost salary to PFLAG.
ROYALS
Perez strains chest
The results of an MRI done Friday night on Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez revealed he has a strained intercostal muscle on the right side of his chest. Royals Manager Ned Yost breathed a little sigh of relief, because he feared that it had been an oblique injury.
"Worst case scenario, it's half the time (missed of an oblique)," Yost said Saturday. "But we won't know anything for probably 48 hours to set a time line on it."
An oblique injury would have meant about an eight-week recovery period.
"Will he be able to play tomorrow? I doubt it," Yost said. "But you still can't go into a game with one catcher. But we'll see. We're just glad it's not an oblique."
Catcher Cam Gallagher, who is batting .294 at Class AAA Omaha, is with the team now and will be activated if Perez can't play.
Perez left Friday night's game after he struck out in the sixth inning.
ORIOLES
Tillman moves to bullpen
BALTIMORE -- The Baltimore Orioles have sent right-hander Chris Tillman to the bullpen, where they hope he can regain the form that enabled him to anchor the rotation since 2013.
Tillman began the season on the disabled list with a shoulder injury, won his first game on May 7, then went winless in his next 14 starts. He's 1-7 with an 8.10 ERA.
Manager Buck Showalter said he hopes the move to the bullpen will help Tillman in the same fashion as Orioles righty Ubaldo Jimenez.
"It's done good things for Ubaldo and some other people in the past," Showalter said.
Tillman insists he feels fine, so it's hard to explain his performance. His record was 16-7 in 2013, then 13-6 in 2014 and 11-11 in 2015. Last year, Tillman was 16-6 and started the AL wild card game.
"It's been frustrating for all of us, so we're trying to figure out a way to get him back," Showalter said.
YANKEES
Holliday headed to DL?
CLEVELAND -- Slumping New York Yankees slugger Matt Holliday could be headed to the disabled list with a sore lower back.
Holliday tweaked his back swinging during Friday's 7-2 loss to the Indians and was not in the lineup Saturday night. Holliday has had back issues before and Manager Joe Girardi said the club will evaluate the severity of his injury before making a move.
Holliday is batting just .136 (11 for 81) with 1 home run and 4 RBI since the All-Star break. Overall, he's hitting .229 with 16 home runs and 51 RBI in 88 games. He missed time earlier this season with a viral infection.
Girardi said sometimes it makes more sense to put players on the DL because it's now only 10 games instead of 15.
Also, Girardi said outfielder Aaron Hicks, who has been out since June 26 with a strained right oblique, is ready to return. Hicks is on a minor league rehab assignment.
Sports on 08/06/2017