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THIS DAY IN REDS HISTORY 1981-Post-strike, the Reds begin a six-day conditioning session at the University of Michigan. MLB.COM First start back from surgery a win for Bailey By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | @m_sheldon | July 31st, 2016

SAN DIEGO - isn't the sentimental type, which didn't change during Sunday's long-awaited 2016 debut. But the Reds veteran starting certainly appreciated what it meant to return from Tommy John surgery on his elbow and 15 months of rehabilitation.

Bailey earned the win with his solid performance in Cincinnati's 3-2 victory over the Padres. He threw 5 2/3 , allowing two earned runs, four hits, three walks and had six while throwing 89 pitches.

"It was great to be back with your teammates when you've been watching them for about a year-and-a-half and wanting to be out there. To see those guys, I know how they've always had my back," Bailey said after his first big league start since April 23, 2015.

Bailey's first wasn't a clean one with three hits, but none were very hard contact - two groundballs and a soft liner. Following Jabari Blash's two-out in the first, Bailey essentially had his way with San Diego while retiring the next 14 batters in a row. "For the next four innings, he was really locked in," Reds manager said.

That included a nine- third inning and striking out the side in the fourth. On numerous occasions during the day, including two of the pitches in the fourth, Bailey topped out at 95 mph.

"He was sharper, maybe, than I thought he would be," Reds said. "When Homer's elevating and getting swings-and-misses on up, he's at his best. It just opens up his split and his breaking balls even more. We didn't do it there early because we wanted to get into the flow of the game, but as the game progressed we started to elevate some more and it worked out."

Bailey also showed some skills in the field, nimbly covering first base for a groundout to get the speedy Travis Jankowski in the third inning, and covering home plate and tagging out Alexi Amarista after a pitch got away from Barnhart in the sixth.

It was in the sixth when things went awry for Bailey, who walked three-straight batters while clinging to a 3-1 lead. He said he had trouble feeling his right hand after being jammed on a pitch in the top of the sixth.

"But I thought his command was outstanding," Price said. "He might have gotten a little fine in the sixth trying to prevent them from maybe tying the game or taking the lead."

After he walked Blash -- his third walk of the sixth -- Bailey turned his back from the plate and runner at third base. Myers alertly stole home to make it a one- game.

"I don't know if it was much of a lapse on my part as much as it was heads-up baserunning on his part," Bailey said. "I turned my back for a second and I think he caught everybody off guard."

The miscue didn't take away from a strong debut that leaves optimism going forward.

"Our goal was to go six innings and have him go out there and compete. He did that," Price said. "He went 5 2/3 innings and we got him up to 89 pitches. Good first start, for sure."

Reds reportedly set to deal Bruce to NL club Mets, Giants, Dodgers said to be among teams in discussions By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | 8:11 AM ET The Reds will trade three-time All-Star Jay Bruce to a National League club -- which won't be the Dodgers -- prior to today's 4 p.m. ET non-waiver Trade Deadline, according to a report by USA Today's Bob Nightengale. The Reds have not commented on or confirmed the report.

Bruce, 29, has spent all nine of his Major League seasons with the Reds and is a three-time National League All-Star. That included this season as he is batting .265/.316/.559 with 25 home runs and 80 RBIs -- numbers that have him on pace to set career highs.

With the Reds in rebuilding mode, they have been seeking to trade Bruce for over a year to shed his contact. Although it's not a prohibitive payroll-eater, he is making $12.5 million in 2016 with a $13 million club option for '17 that has a $1 million buyout.

Not long after reports on Sunday said the Mets were out on Bruce, others indicated that New York was back in on the lefty-hitting . ESPN.com's reported that the Reds were not asking for "elite prospects" in return, but rather for two or three good players a notch below elite status.

The Dodgers also remained in discussions with the Reds about a possible deal, according to MLB.com's Jon Paul Morosi. MLB Network insider Jon Heyman confirmed the Dodgers' interest, while FoxSports.com's Ken Rosenthal reported that the Giants were among the teams in the mix for Bruce.

Late Sunday evening, John Shea of The San Francisco Chronicle corroborated Rosenthal's report, noting that with several of the top relievers off the trade market, the Giants were making a "late and strong push" for Bruce.

As he endured down years in 2014 and '15, Bruce was nearly moved by the Reds at last year's Deadline. Then a potential trade to Toronto was called off in February because of a medical red flag with a player in the return.

But Bruce's value has increased with him having a resurgent season.

The Reds' first-round Draft pick in 2005, Bruce's 233 career home runs are seventh-most in franchise history. He was scratched from Sunday's lineup as manager Bryan Price gave him a day off for a mental break. Bruce has been enduring several days of speculation that he would be dealt ahead of the Deadline.

Peraza, Bailey clinch win over Padres By AJ Cassavell and Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | July 31st, 2016

SAN DIEGO -- Reds rookie left fielder Jose Peraza did his best to make Homer Bailey's return to the mound a winning one. Peraza's first career homer put the Reds on top early, and they'd hold on late for a tense 3-2 victory over the Padres on Sunday at . It was Cincinnati's fifth consecutive series win.

Bailey -- who underwent Tommy John surgery last April -- struck out six over 5 2/3 frames, allowing just two runs on four hits. His only blunder was a mental one, coming when his momentary lapse in judgment allowed Wil Myers to steal home in the sixth, cutting the lead to one. But the Reds' held San Diego in check from there.

"Probably early on it took me a few to get my rhythm. The second through the fifth were pretty sharp," Bailey said of his 89-pitch performance overall.

Padres starter Paul Clemens was removed in the top of the fifth with lower-back tightness, after 4 1/3 solid innings. He allowed only the two-run shot to Peraza and had retired nine straight at the time of the injury.

Clemens said the injury was minor and that he doesn't expect to miss any time as a result. In fact, he said he could've gotten five more outs if the Padres needed, but manager Andy Green wasn't taking any chances.

"I think he's going to be fine," Green said. "Just had some lower back tightness, he was unable to shake it. He felt it in the fourth inning, first time, then he felt it again when we went out and got him. When he kept stretching out there, at that point in time, I guess I thought better about him being in the game."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

That's a keeper: When Peraza took Clemens deep to the second deck of the Western Metal Supply Co. building in left field, it was good for his first Major League . According to ™, the ball traveled 429 feet and exited the bat at 103 mph. The Reds were able to retrieve the ball as a keepsake for Peraza, who was a late addition to the starting lineup in left field when right fielder Jay Bruce was scratched.

"In batting practice I was pulling the ball. I was feeling really, really good," Peraza said via translator Julio Morillo. "Really strong today. In the moment in the game, I tried to put a good swing on the ball. Thank God, the ball went out."

Home theft: Myers caught Bailey napping in the bottom of the sixth, stealing home when Bailey sauntered to the area behind the mound between pitches. Bailey noticed Myers' daring dash a second too late, and Myers scored without a throw. It marked the second steal of home for the Padres this season, as Melvin Upton Jr. also did so against the Rockies on June 3.

"I said, 'If he lobs it back or turns his back right here I'm going to try to take it,'" Myers said. "Just lucky enough that it was just the right timing."

Better fundamentals just before that: Before Myers scored, a Bailey pitch to Ryan Schimpf got away from Tucker Barnhart. Alexi Amarista tried to score but Barnhart retrieved the ball quickly and threw to a running Bailey covering the plate. Bailey applied the tag just in time for the out that saved a run.

"We practice that once or twice a week in for usually just about one of those a year," Barnhart said. "Thankfully this time it worked out. It's a tough play, especially hitting a guy on the run and him getting the tag down in a perfect spot. If you look at the video, he put the tag down directly on the corner of the base where the runner was. He had to go there."

Thrown for a curve: The Padres asked Clemens to throw his more frequently, and his third inning Sunday made it easy to see why. Clemens breezed through the middle of the Reds' order, using his hook to retire all three hitters. He froze with a bender for the first out, got Adam Duvall flailing for out No. 2 and finished the frame by getting Brandon Phillips to a slow chopper off the end of the bat.

"The curveball came along later in the game," Clemens said, before shifting focus to his pitch to Peraza. "That home run was tough, because I was still thinking about the at-bat prior when I made that pitch. You've got to find a way to clear that at-bat before it and focus back in, instead of just kind of laying something in there."

QUOTABLE

"Today was optional batting practice on the field. He hit some balls way out to left field. I don't even remember seeing that in Cincinnati, a better park to hit in. When he hit that ball, I couldn't believe it was Peraza because I haven't seen him other than today at batting practice driving the ball with that type of power to left field. I guess he got a pitch he could handle and he barreled it." -- Reds manager Bryan Price on Peraza's homer

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

The Reds finished their road trip with a 4-2 record, their first winning road trip since July 31-Aug. 5, 2014. They also completed their first winning month of the 2016 season by going 13-11 in July.

UPON FURTHER REVIEW

In the sixth inning when Duvall grounded to the shortstop, he was called out at first base by umpire Mike Estabrook. The Reds challenged and the call was overturned. Duvall was credited with an single.

WHAT'S NEXT

Reds: Following Monday's off day and the Trade Deadline, the Reds open a brief three-game home stand vs. the Cardinals at 7:10 p.m. ET Tuesday. Dan Straily, who worked a career-high 7 2/3 innings for a 2-1 win over the Giants on Wednesday, will try to continue his strong stretch of outings. Straily is 2-1 with a 2.41 ERA over his last five starts.

Padres: Jarred Cosart is set to make his Padres debut Monday night when the Brewers come to town for the first of three. First pitch is slated for 7:10 p.m. PT. Cosart -- who was one of the four players acquired in the trade that sent and to Miami -- looked sharp in his last time out, tossing five scoreless frames Monday against Philadelphia.

Bruce out of lineup prior to Trade Deadline Rumors continue to swirl around Reds' veteran outfielder By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | @m_sheldon | 8:33 AM ET

SAN DIEGO -- If Sunday was in fact right fielder Jay Bruce's last game with the Reds before Monday's 4 p.m. ET non-waiver Trade Deadline, he spent it out of the starting lineup. After initially penciling Bruce in the order, manager Bryan Price decided to scratch him against the Padres.

According to Price, no deal was imminent for Bruce. However, USA Today's Bob Nightengale reported on Monday morning that the Reds had reached an agreement to deal the three-time All-Star to a National League club not expected to be the Dodgers. The Reds have not commented on or confirmed the report.

"Nothing has happened, but I'm just giving him the day off today. It's a little bit of a mental blow," Price said on Sunday. "This kid has been through the ringer with this for a couple of years. And it's tough, because he loves it here. It doesn't mean anything is going to happen. We might be playing Tuesday with Jay in right field. You can only imagine what it's like to be out there, not knowing exactly what your future looks like.

"I'm not doing anything based on a request by him or anyone else."

The Reds have a scheduled day off on Monday. With Bruce out, Adam Duvall shifted to right field and Jose Peraza was given the start in left.

Bruce, who saw his five-game streak with a home run end on Friday, has largely been able to block out the distraction of trade rumors. But he said it has been weighing on him as the Deadline gets and the rumors intensify.

"Obviously, I like to play every day. Obviously with everything going on, they just wanted to kind of give me a breather," Bruce said. "It's been tough. This has been the most crazy situation I've ever dealt with in baseball. I'm an employee. I'm following what they tell me. I respect their decision."

Bruce, who was nearly dealt at the Deadline last season and again before the start of Spring Training this year, has been glued to his phone and checking the internet for trade rumors. He did not think sitting out could give him too much time on his hands to worry.

"I think regardless of the time being idle or not idle, I think about it pretty much 100 percent of the day at this point," Bruce said. "I think that's just the nature of it. I really pride myself on dealing with this stuff professionally, respecting everyone else. The thing I did not want to happen that has happened a little bit, it's kind of consumed the clubhouse. I don't ever want to be a distraction."

Bruce has been linked in rumors to the Mets and Dodgers the past couple of days, but teams such as the Orioles, Giants and Blue Jays also could use a left-handed power-hitting outfielder. He is making $12.5 million this season, with a $13 million club option for 2017 that has a $1 million buyout.

Overnight Saturday and early Sunday, a proposed trade that would have sent All-Star Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy to the Indians for prospects was called off when he would not waive his limited no-trade clause. That put the Mets back into play in pursuing Lucroy, and that could also have ramifications for Bruce if the Reds and Brewers are pursuing similar returns.

"It's starting to come to a bit of a head," Bruce said of the Deadline. "It's just the nature of the time of the year. It's everywhere. I can't imagine what Milwaukee's clubhouse is like right now."

Cotham to miss rest of season with torn meniscus cartilage Reliever set to have surgery on Tuesday By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | @m_sheldon | July 31st, 2016

SAN DIEGO -- Reds reliever will miss the rest of the season because of torn meniscus cartilage in his right knee, manager Bryan Price said on Sunday. Cotham will have surgery to repair his knee on Tuesday, with team medical director Dr. Tim Kremchek performing the procedure.

Already on the disabled list since May 31 because of right shoulder inflammation, Cotham was 0-3 with a 7.40 ERA in 23 appearances this season. Cotham went out on a rehab assignment and pitched on June 30 for -A Pensacola. He faced four batters before he felt soreness in his knee. Following a break, he pitched one inning for Pensacola on July 16 and hasn't played since.

The Reds acquired Cotham and three other players in the December trade that sent closer Aroldis Chapman to the Yankees.

In other injury news, Reds pitcher Alfredo Simon (strained right trapezius) threw a bullpen session without issue on Friday and was scheduled to throw another 40-pitch session on Sunday. Simon has been out since last pitching on June 15.

Reliever A.J. Morris (right shoulder inflammation) was also scheduled to throw a 40-pitch bullpen session on Sunday.

Straily looks to carry hot July vs. Cards By Jenifer Langosch / MLB.com | @LangoschMLB | July 31st, 2016

There may be great familiarity between the Cardinals and Reds, but both clubs could have a different look to them on Tuesday when they meet for the start of a three-game series at .

The Cardinals anticipate making a bevy of roster moves ahead of the series . They'll be joined by left-handed reliever Zach Duke, acquired from the White Sox ahead of Monday's non-waiver Trade Deadline, and will create space in the bullpen by unplugging someone else. The club will have to make two other transactions, as well, to activate Brandon Moss and Jhonny Peralta from the disabled list.

All of those moves could be accompanied by another depending upon what the Cardinals learn about the severity of a right hand injury to All-Star rookie shortstop Aledmys Diaz. Diaz exited Sunday's game after being hit on the hand by a 95-mph and is scheduled to undergo follow-up exams on Monday.

The Reds, on the other hand, may or may not still have Jay Bruce and Zack Cozart in the lineup. Both players were drawing interest leading up to Monday's 4 p.m. ET Deadline, and the rebuilding Reds are open to parting with either for the right return. Cardinals starter Adam Wainwright wouldn't mind facing a Cincinnati lineup sans Bruce, as he has hit .290/.370/.488 and driven in 10 in 41 career at-bats against Wainwright.

Three things to know about this game

• Both Wainwright and Reds starter Dan Straily will be looking to roll their terrific months of July into August. Strailey threw a career-high 7 2/3 innings in his last start and posted a 2.41 ERA over five July starts. The Reds won four of them. The Cardinals won all five of Wainwright's July outings as he put up a 1.77 ERA.

• Reds Joey Votto and Cardinals catcher will enter the series with career-high 15-game hitting streaks. Molina has also doubled in seven consecutive contests.

• Tuesday's game will be the first of 13 between these two rivals over the final two months of the season. The Cardinals have won four out of the first six season meetings.

CINCINNATI ENQUIRER BAR: Why it's time to trade Jay Bruce C. Trent Rosecrans, [email protected] 8:59 a.m. EDT August 1, 2016

One of the more popular questions these days is why trade Jay Bruce at all?

As I write this, Bruce hasn’t been traded. But it’s coming. It’ll happen before 4 p.m. Monday.

We’ll start where every answer starts — follow the money. Bruce is making $12.5 million this year and has a $13 million option for 2017, with a $1 million buyout. We’ll start there. If he’s traded, the Reds will around $4 million this year and $13 million next year — a total of $17 million, no small number.

But, you say, that’s not that much relatively, especially for a guy who is on pace to hit nearly 40 home runs and drive in more than 100 runs this year. And you’d be right — for a contending team. For a rebuilding team? That’s a luxury, and $17 million that could be spent elsewhere (even if it’s not in players, but with amateur signings, scouting, infrastructure and also squirreling away that money to use when the team does get good, much like the Cubs went on a spending spree this last summer, I wrote about a lot of this earlier this year when discussing ‘The Plan.’)

The Reds, if you haven’t noticed, are in a rebuilding phase and nobody expects them to contend in 2017 and only the most optimistic see 2018 as a possibility. That’s why keeping Bruce for next year seems a bit much, and extending him?

Bruce will be 31 at the start of the 2018 season, not over-the-hill yet, but an age in this drug-testing age that is not what it once was in terms of viability. At that point, Bruce would be earning more than ever as he aged. The decline phase of a player’s career is not when you want to have them locked up to their highest paydays. That will happen with Joey Votto, who was locked up early in his career, so many of those payments late in his career are for performance early in his career. It’s also what you see with Brandon Phillips, who has a negative bWAR this season and is making $13 million this season and $14 million next season. The Reds gave him his extension for his 31-year-old season and beyond, and since then has not topped the 4.7 bWAR he put up in 2011, seeing it drop from 4.0 in 2012 to 1.8 to 1.7 before bouncing back to 3.5 last season and then down to -0.3 so far this year.

The Reds nearly traded Bruce a year ago, and then had an agreement in place this spring before it fell through. For a team that made two trades this offseason at inopportune times, waiting for this offseason could hurt the potential return (and don’t expect anyone in this deal to come in and crack the Reds’ top 6 or so in the prospects list). Bruce’s value, with great production and an affordable (to a contending team) salary and an affordable option make it necessary to actually complete this trade.

Bruce also has an eight-team no-trade list — the Yankees, Red Sox, Athletics, Rays, Marlins, Twins, Indians and Diamondbacks. Unlike Jonathan Lucroy, Bruce is ready and willing to waive a deal to a contender, such as the Indians or Red Sox. Bruce wants to win and wants to be on a winning team.

Now’s the time, and I don’t say that lightly. I’ve bemoaned that Bruce not being around won’t make my job any easier. Since the day I met Bruce as a minor-leaguer in spring training of 2007 until today, he’s been nothing but professional and available. Those are admirable qualities and ones that are particularly useful to someone in my situation. I wish him well, but I don’t expect to see him when the clubhouse opens at 3:40 p.m. on Tuesday.

MINOR LEAGUE ROUNDUP

Triple-A: Durham 6, Louisville 3: SS Carlos Triunfel was 3 for 4 and 3B Seth Mejias-Brean hit his fifth homer of the season. RHP Daniel Wright gave up six runs on 10 hits in four innings, with all six runs coming in the fourth.

Double-A: Mississippi 8, Pensacola 3: RHP gave up three runs, but only one earned on six hits in six innings. He struck out six, walked one. Reliever Jacob Ehret suffered the loss, giving up three runs in 2/3 innings. SS Zach Vincej was 3 for 3 and 3B Taylor Sparks hit his sixth homer of the season.

High-A: Daytona 11, Bradenton 8: RF Reydel Medina was 4 for 5 with two triples. C Chad Tromp hit his eighth homer of the season and LF Angelo Gumbs hit his 11th.

Low-A: Bowling Green 6, Dayton 0: LF Daniel Sweet was 2 for 3 for the Dragons, who managed just five hits overall.

Rookie: Great Falls 5, Billings 2: DH John Sansone had two of the Mustangs’ three hits, one of them a double. SS Gabriel Ovalle tripled for the other hit.

Homer Bailey shines in season debut in Reds' 3-2 win Zach Buchanan, [email protected] 10:04 p.m. EDT July 31, 2016

SAN DIEGO – For returning from Tommy John surgery, immediate performance on the mound is far from guaranteed. Cincinnati Reds reliever Blake Wood had the procedure in 2012 and said it took him a year and a half to feel like himself again.

Sunday, it took Homer Bailey about an inning. The 30-year-old right-hander may have had his rehabilitation slowed down after a setback earlier in the year, but he sped right through the process of rounding back into form in his post-surgery debut.

Bailey allowed two runs over 5 2/3 innings, helping the Reds to a 3-2 win over the at Petco Park. With the victory, the Reds have now won five consecutive series and finished the month of July with a 13-11 record.

Bailey struck out six against three walks, and ran his fastball up to 95.8 mph. He threw 89 pitches.

“It was just great to see him back out there,” catcher Tucker Barnhart said. “He’s been through a hell of a lot.”

The start was Bailey’s first in the major leagues in 15 months, and the veteran eased into things in the first inning. He gave up a leadoff hit to Travis Jankowski on a grounder into left, and allowed a run when Jankowski stole second and advanced on two groundouts. Bailey gave up two more singles – both softly hit – before escaping the inning.

Then he locked in. Between the final out of the first and the first out of the sixth, Bailey retired 14 batters in a row. He threw 10 pitches in the second and just nine in the third, and struck out the side in the fourth. Only one ball escaped the infield between the second and fifth innings.

“He was sharper than I thought he would be,” Barnhart said. “When Homer’s elevating and getting swings-and-misses on fastballs up, he’s at his best. It just opens up his split and his breaking balls even more.”

Bailey was sitting at an efficient 66 pitches through five innings, and took his turn at the plate in the top of the sixth. He got jammed as he grounded out to first, and he said it caused some problems early in the next inning.

That was only part of the reason his final frame was so eventful. Bailey began the frame with a 3-1 lead and got an early out, but gave up a single to Alexi Amarista for his first baserunner since the first inning. Amarista moved to second on a walk to Wil Myers, and both runners advanced on a double steal.

Bailey issued another walk to Ryan Schimpf, but ball four scooted by Barnhart to the backstop. Bailey sprinted to the plate just in time to receive the feed from his catcher and swiped at Amarista before he crossed the plate.

“That’s a really hard play,” manager Bryan Price said. “We practice it in spring training and it never, ever in Spring Training fielding practice does it look like a real game.”

As alert as Bailey was there, he was the complete opposite a batter later. After missing on a close pitch to Jabari Blash for his third consecutive walk of the inning, Bailey knew he’d faced his last batter. He took a short cool-down stroll behind the mound, expecting Price to walk out of the .

Before that could happen, Wil Myers darted home from third to cut the lead to 3-2. Myers crossed the plate before Bailey even realized what was happening. After the game, Bailey said it was good baserunning more than a mental lapse on his part.

“I knew it was my last hitter,” he said. “I turned my back for a second and I think he caught everybody off guard.”

Bailey was then replaced by Wood, who escaped the inning with the lead intact.

Bailey isn’t much for sentimentality, and after the game he offered no deep thoughts about his journey back from the injury. A San Diego-based reporter’s question about whether Bailey had any doubts about reaching this point was met with a “nope” before the question was finished.

But he did find comfort in his teammates, ones who ironically wouldn’t have been around to see him back on the mound if the team’s rebuild had gone to plan over the winter.

“It was great to be back out with your teammates when you’ve been watching them for about a year and a half and wanting to be out there,” Bailey said. “To see those guys, I know how they’ve always had my back.”

Jay Bruce on lineup scratch: 'I respect their decision' Zach Buchanan, [email protected] 7:31 a.m. EDT August 1, 2016

SAN DIEGO – Cincinnati Reds outfielder Jay Bruce was scratched from the lineup before Sunday's 3-2 win against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park, with manager Bryan Price saying the 29-year-old just needed a mental break with all the trade rumors swirling around him.

The scratch likely had more to do with the more and more imminent likelihood that Bruce is traded in the next 24 hours. It’s common for teams to rest players on the trade block to prevent any deal-killing injuries.

But Bruce will take the mental rest, too.

“With everything that’s going on in general, they want to give me a breather,” Bruce said. “It’s been tough, man. This has been the most crazy situation I’ve ever dealt with in baseball. I’m an employee, man. They tell me and I do it. I respect their decision.”

Adam Duvall shifted to right in Bruce’s place, with Jose Peraza entering the lineup in left.

Taking the mental break does not mean Bruce will lock himself in a sensory deprivation chamber until the trade deadline. That would just make him go stir-crazier.

“Not having information a lot of times doesn’t suit me very well. Ignorance is not bliss for me,” Bruce said. “I like to put at least all the pieces of the puzzle I can together.”

Bruce was still on the team when the game ended.

Peraza goes yard

It took 114 plate appearances in the majors before Jose Peraza ran into a home run, but his go-ahead shot against the Padres on Sunday was well worth the wait. Peraza ambushed a first-pitch fastball from San Diego starter Paul Clemens – one that may have been off the plate inside – for a monster home run to give the Reds a 2-1 lead in the second inning.

The ball landed in the second deck of the Western Metal Supply Co. building beyond left field. Statcast estimated the ball traveled 429 feet and left the bat at 103 mph. Price said the infielder had been peppering that area of the field with long balls in pre-game batting practice.

“I don’t even remember seeing that in Cincinnati, a better park to hit in,” Price said. “When he hit that ball, I couldn’t believe it was Peraza because I haven’t seen him other than today at batting practice driving the ball with that type of power to left field.”

The ball was sitting in Peraza’s locker after the game, although he might want to thank Padres fans for that. The spectator who caught it tossed it back onto the field before the next at-bat.

Duvall in right

If Bruce does wind up on a different team before the Reds play again Tuesday, it’s likely that Duvall would be his replacement in right field. The 27-year-old has played a strong left field, but profiles better for right more than waiting in the minors like and Scott Schebler.

Duvall played the position some in spring training, and has made four starts in right this season including Sunday.

“He’s played really a great left field,” Price said. “If there was any reason or vacancy, I think he could handle it quite well. I hate to say it’s an easy transition because I know left field and right field are completely different positions. But I think he could do it.”

FOX SPORTS MLB Players and teams to watch before the MLB non-waiver deadline By Ken Rosenthal Jul 31, 2016 at 10:51p ET

The players and teams to watch in the final hours leading to the non-waiver deadline at 4 p.m. ET Monday:

Los Angeles Dodgers

Many in the industry expect president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman to make at least one major move, and probably more than one.

Jay Bruce? Chris Archer? Something unforeseen and stunning?

Considering that the Dodgers struck out on Cole Hamels last season and then last off-season, the best guess might be, “All of the above.”

Jay Bruce

Hector Olivera got traded while serving a domestic-violence suspension. got traded despite his onerous contract and shoddy defense.

Granted, those two were moved for each other, but if they can be dealt, surely Bruce can be, too — particularly after a full year of waiting.

Among the clubs interested in the Reds right fielder, according to major-league sources: Dodgers, Mets, Giants, Rangers, Blue Jays.

Jonathan Lucroy

Oh, he will be traded, most likely to the Rangers, a team that can acquire him without his permission. Any deal with the Brewers could be expanded as well, with the Rangers getting pitching as well as Lucroy.

Joey Gallo could be part of the package going to the Brewers, according to MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan. Right-hander Luis Ortiz and/or lefty Yohander Mendez also could be included, according to Fox’s and MLB Network’s Jon Paul Morosi.

Don’t rule out the Rangers making a separate deal for a starting pitcher – perhaps one from the Rays’ collection.

San Francisco Giants

General manager Bobby Evans told reporters Sunday that he considers the asking prices for relievers to be so high, he might try to acquire a starter and/or hitter instead.

One target, according to major-league sources: Rays left-hander . It is unclear, however, whether the Giants have the prospects to satisfy the Rays in such a deal.

New York Yankees

Clearly they’re not done.

Carlos Beltran likely will be the next to go, with the Rangers, Indians, Astros and Red Sox among the possibilities, as first reported by ESPN’s Buster Olney.

The Yankees also could entertain offers for catcher Brian McCann (full no-trade clause), left fielder Brett Gardner and a number of their starting pitchers. Multiple deals possible.

Chris Sale

Almost no one in the industry expects the White Sox to trade Sale -- who, like the Rays’ starting pitchers, also will have significant value in the off-season.

Only a few contenders are deep enough in prospects to mount a legitimate bid for Sale or Jose Quintana. Among them: The Dodgers, Red Sox, Rangers, Nationals and Astros.

Among American League clubs, perhaps only the Rangers are under more pressure to improve.

The Jays need a starter (Rich Hill? Francisco Liriano? Jeremy Hellickson?) so they can eventually move Aaron Sanchez to the bullpen.

They also could use a left-handed hitter, and remain a possibility for Bruce.

Rich Hill/Josh Reddick

Will the Athletics trade them or not?

The Dodgers and Blue Jays are among the clubs that tried to acquire both potential free agents in one deal, but it’s possible that the A’s might not move either. The team is even talking to Hill about an extension, major-league sources say.

Billy Beane, the team’s executive vice-president, has told clubs, “I don’t have to make the best deal possible. I’m only going to make a good deal.”

By that, Beane means that he is under no financial pressure to move Hill and Reddick, and that he is willing to extend qualifying offers to both.

DAYTON DAILY NEWS Report: Cincinnati Reds close to trading Jay Bruce By David Jablonski Staff Writer

CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Reds have found a match in their quest to trade right fielder Jay Bruce, according to a report. Bob Nightengale, of USA Today, wrote on Twitter early Monday morning the Reds will trade Bruce to a National League team, but not the , one of the teams rumored to be interested in Bruce.

The trade deadline is 4 p.m. Monday. Bruce didn’t play Sunday in a 3-2 road victory over the San Diego Padres. The Reds don’t play Monday and return to action at home against the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday night.

Nothing official has been announced by the Reds regarding a trade involving Bruce. The Indians, Mets and Giants are other teams that have been mentioned in trade talks.

Bruce is hitting .265. He’s tied for fourth in the National League with 25 home runs and leads the league with 80 RBIs.

Bruce, 29, has played his entire career with the Reds. He debuted in 2008. He ranks seventh in Reds history with 233 career home runs and is the all-time leader in home runs (135) at Great American Ball Park.

Price deserves credit for bullpen resurgence By: Hal McCoy Posted: 2:45 pm Sunday, July 31st, 2016

For the first half of this season, Cincinnati Reds manager Bryan Price took more criticism than Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton combined.

Saddled with a mediocre roster and a pitching staff that wore bandages more often than a , the Reds lost a lot of games.

And it was expected. Fans were warned that the team is being torn down and rebuilt a brick or three at a time. Nevertheless, Price was deemed a major part of the problem.

SO WHEN THINGS GO right doesn’t Price deserve some credit, even a little bit? Yes, he should.

Price professes to be an old-schooler, liked the game better without the DH and interleague and challenge/replay.

And the team’s success since the All-Star break is in large part due to Price going old-school with his bullpen, back to the days when managers used relief pitchers more than one inning instead of specialists going one inning at a time.

WHEN RAISEL IGLESIAS and returned from the disabled list for the second half, Price broomed the one- inning modus operandi of present-day managers out the back door.

Why not? The bullpen was like a zoo, only smellier. They kept giving up home runs that landed in next year, balls that Glacier National Park couldn’t hold. The bullpen’s statistics were uglier than a discolored toe-nail. It was insufferable to watch and it appeared all one needed to be a member of the Reds bullpen was a valid driver’s license.

So why not try something different? And Price is doing that. He is using Iglesias for two and three innings. The same with Lorenzen. Suddenly, the bullpen is prettier than a flower bed.

IT IS ONLY TOO BAD that the light bulb didn’t go on over Price’s head when he had Aroldis Chapman and used him only in the ninth inning. And games kept getting away in the seventh and eighth innings.

Iglesias, pitching two and three innings, is on a streak of 22 consecutive innings without giving up an .

Price brought him into Saturday night’s game in the seventh inning of a 1-1 tie. Iglesias went three innings and gave up no runs and one hit and struck out five. It was a retreat back to the days when used Pedro Borbon and Clay Carroll for two, three and four innings.

Unfortunately for the Reds, Price didn’t permit Iglesias to go back out for a fourth inning, the 10th inning. Instead he brought in Jumbo Diaz and suddenly he was April, May and June again. Diaz gave up a game-winning walk-off home run to the first batter he faced, No. 8 hitter Adam Rosales and the San Diego Padres won it, 2-1.

Amazingly, it was the 20th time this season that a member of the Reds bullpen came into a game and gave up a home run to the first batter he faced.

A LOT OF FANS ARE trying to give all the credit to the emergence of Ted Power to the coaching staff. Indeed, that was a good move. Power has languished as pitching at -A Louisville, playing the good solider, never complaining about the lack of of a promotion.

When the Reds fired just before the All-Star break, they named Mack Jenkins as pitching coach and promoted Power to Cincinnati as assistant pitching coach/bullpen coach.

It did seem more than curious that pitchers would do well at Louisville, then come to Cincinnati and flop and flail. They’d be sent back to Louisville and Power would ‘fix’ them. They’d come back and flop again.

Don’t forget, though, Triple-A is not the majors. Moving from Triple-A to the majors is the biggest and toughest step a player makes.

But, as good as Power is, and he is very good — as is Mack Jenkins, another baseball-lifer in the Cincinnati system — one must be fair to Riggins.

He didn’t have Iglesias and he didn’t have Lorenzen and those are the two that have stabilized the bullpen.

How fun is it watching Iglesias, a bubbly personality who exudes confidence on the mound? He reminds some of with his full portfolio of pitches that he delivers with about four different arm angles. Iglesias, though, throws about 10 miles an hour harder.

And fair fans, whether they like Price or not, have to give him at least polite applause for the way he is using his two newest operatives out of the bullpen. It has made more than a significant difference.

USA TODAY 2016 MLB trade deadline: 10 best trade candidates Jorge L. Ortiz, USA TODAY Sports 9:19 a.m. EDT August 1, 2016

The days leading up to today’s 4 p.m. ET non-waiver trade deadline have seen a run on All-Star-caliber relievers – Aroldis Chapman, Andrew Miller and were all dealt – and another major swap scuttled by catcher Jonathan Lucroy’s veto of a move to Cleveland.

The last few hours before the deadline tend to be the time when asking prices come down and agreements get easier to reach, and there are still plenty of difference-makers on the market. Here’s a look at some of them and their possible landing spots:

Jay Bruce, Reds: The Reds scratched the All-Star outfielder from the lineup Sunday, probably to shield him from injury with the growing likelihood that they’ll find a new home for him. In the midst of a bounce-back season, Bruce totaled 15 home runs between June and July, and his 80 RBI lead the National League. The Dodgers, Giants, Rangers and Mets are among the numerous teams that have inquired about him, with the Giants reportedly making a strong late push.

Jonathan Lucroy, Brewers: Lucroy’s situation seems more a case of where he’ll get traded, not whether. The Brewers were due to receive a healthy return from the Indians, including highly regarded catching prospect Francisco Mejia. Now it’s a matter of whether Lucroy’s other suitors, namely the Mets and Rangers, will come up with an offer of similar value. The Brewers retain lots of leverage, both because more than multiple teams are in pursuit, and also because he has a team-friendly contract for next season.

Chris Archer, Rays: A high-end commodity despite his subpar season, Archer seems less likely to get moved than fellow Rays pitchers Matt Moore, and Erasmo Ramirez. The Dodgers, run by former Rays executive Andrew Friedman, are a natural fit for at least one of them, and their need for rotation help just increased with Bud Norris leaving his start Sunday early because of an upper-back injury. The Dodgers also have a wealth of prospects to pique Tampa Bay’s interest, as well as the deep pockets to absorb unwanted contracts. They’re not alone in coveting the Rays’ arms, though, with the Rangers and Giants also knocking on the door.

Chris Sale, White Sox: The furor over his jersey-shredding tantrum has abated, and so have the rumors surrounding the candidate. The White Sox are still listening, but much like his fellow lefty Jose Quintana, the asking price is prohibitive, so chances are they will both stay put despite drawing widespread interest.

Jeremy Hellickson, Phillies: One interested suitor, the Miami Marlins, appeared to have addressed their rotation needs by picking up Andrew Cashner and Colin Rea from the San Diego Padres, but Rea got injured in his first outing with Miami and has landed on the disabled list. That might rekindle the Marlins’ desire to pursue Hellickson, who has also been linked to the and .

Carlos Beltran, Yankees: At 39, Beltran has been the Yankees’ most consistently productive hitter all year, and moving him would confirm the notion they’re fully into “sell’’ mode. Beltran is better suited for the DH role at this point and has mostly drawn interest from American League teams, among them the Rangers, , Indians and, according to recent reports, the Red Sox.

Derek Norris, Padres: Considering the housecleaning in San Diego and the need for catching help among some contenders, it would be shocking to see Norris spend the rest of the season with the Padres. Chances are the losing team in the Lucroy sweepstakes – featuring the already rejected Indians, Mets and Rangers – will take a look at a catcher who, despite struggling offensively this season, has reached double digits in home runs three years in a row and is under team control for two more years after this one.

Rich Hill, : The blister issue that has sidelined Hill for the last two weeks has diminished some of his value, but the A’s should still be able to get decent return for a lefty who registered a 1.67 ERA over his last five starts until the blister tore open in a five-pitch outing July 17. Recent reports indicate Hill and the A’s were discussing an extension, but Oakland’s m.o. has been to extract whatever return it can from players about to become free agents, and contenders like the Rangers, Dodgers, Astros and Blue Jays have the kind of prospects that figure to convince the A’s to part with him.

Josh Reddick, A’s: Like Hill, Reddick had extension talks with the A’s, though much earlier in the year. At this point it seems simply a matter of the club finding the best value for the lefty-swinging outfielder before he walks at the end of the season. Reddick, 29, is sporting a career-high .816 OPS and may be an option for teams that fail to land Bruce, including the Dodgers and Rangers.

Yasiel Puig, Dodgers: No clear-cut fit has emerged for Puig, but the Dodgers’ interest in right fielders like Bruce and Reddick may be an indication they’re ready to get rid of their problem child. Puig has actually avoided off-field issues this year, but he’s nowhere near the offensive force he was as a rookie, when he put up a .925 OPS and hit 19 home runs. Those figures have dwindled every year since, to .706 and seven this season. Puig is still only 25, so his youth, bursts of brilliance and abundant talent may tempt some takers.

SPORTS ILLUSTRATED What to watch for as MLB trade deadline approaches By: Jay Jaffe Monday August 1st, 2016

The fact that the this year’s nonwaiver trade deadline was bumped from July 31 to August 1 so that it wouldn't fall during afternoon games didn't stop a handful of teams—headlined by the Indians and Yankees, who teamed up for the Andrew Miller swap—from getting deals done on Sunday. As Monday's 4 p.m. ET cutoff approaches, here are five things to watch for:

A Jonathan Lucroy trade

As of late Saturday night, it appeared that Lucroy was headed to the Indians for a four-player package headlined by hot-hitting High A catcher Francisco Mejia, but on Sunday morning, the 30-year-old backstop scuttled the deal by invoking his partial no-trade clause, which allows him to block deals to eight teams (the Tigers, Twins, Angels, Athletics, Padres, Mariners and Nationals as well as the Indians). A strong hitter (.300/.360/.484 with 13 homers coming into Sunday) and a good defender, he's only making $4.25 million this year with a no-brainer $5.25 million club option for next year.

The Indians and Brewers have moved on from that deal's collapse, with Milwaukee reportedly re-engaging both the Mets and Rangers, but New York is said to be no longer in the mix. A Sunday afternoon tweet from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram's Jeff Wilson said that the Rangers and Brewers were discussing Lucroy plus a reliever, with slugging third baseman involved "but nothing imminent." If the two sides can work out a trade, Lucroy wouldn't be able to block it. If they can't, look for the Dodgers to try to incorporate him into whatever else they're doing, as they were said to be interested in him as "part of a bigger deal involving more teams," according to FanRag Sports' Jon Heyman. More on that topic below.

Big Bats Beltran and Bruce

With the Yankees trading Miller and Aroldis Chapman, and thus showing their commitment to selling at this deadline, Carlos Beltran, their best hitter this year (.304/.344/.546 with 22 homers) but a pending free agent, is likely the next piece to go. The 39- year-old switch-hitter is a defensive liability (-27 Defensive Runs Saved in his last 215 games), which limits his appeal to teams that could DH him at least part of the time. He's owed about $5.34 million for the remainder of the season, and the Yankees are holding out for "a meaningful prospect," according to the New York Post's Joel Sherman. Via ESPN's Buster Olney, the Astros—for whom Beltran was an outstanding pickup back in June 2004—Rangers, Red Sox (a "major long shot" via Heyman) and Indians were all said to be interested, but nothing is close yet.

As for the 29-year-old Bruce, who's enjoying a strong bounce-back season (.265/.316/.559 with 25 homers) after two subpar ones, he may not be a fielding wizard either, but this year's -13 DRS is out of whack with his +33 mark for the previous eight seasons. He's making $12.5 million this year with a $13 million club option and $1 million buyout for next year, and the Reds are said to be looking for 2-3 good young players rather than an elite prospect, according to ESPN’s Jayson Stark. The Mets, who explored dealing for him last year before acquiring Yoenis Cespedes, have been the most heavily connected to him, and while the Dodgers, Rangers and Giants also showing interest, the Giants are now making a “late and strong push” for Bruce according to the San Francisco Chronicle’s John Shea.

The Dodgers will do… something

Last year, the Dodgers drew heavy criticism for their approach to the deadline, which resulted in the acquisition of seven players (Bronson Arroyo, Luis Avilan, Jim Johnson, Jose Peraza, Alex Wood, Mat Latos and Mike Morse) via a three-way trade with the Marlins and Braves, four of whom were gone by the end of the season and only two of whom (the oft-optioned Avilan and the currently injured Wood) remains in the organization as of Sunday. President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman loves his three-way deals—he's done four of them since coming aboard in late 2014—and has shown interest in both Bruce and Lucroy as part of his next one.

Currently, the Dodgers have an acute need for starting pitching, with Clayton Kershaw having no timetable to return from a what's already been a five-week absence due to a herniated disc; Hyun-Jin Ryu back on the DL after just one start; Wood out until at least mid-September after undergoing elbow debridement; Brett Anderson at least a couple of rehab starts away from a return from back surgery; Julio Urias facing an innings limit at some point; and Bud Norris having left Sunday's start after just 13 pitches due to tightness in his latissimus dorsi. The Dodgers are one of the few teams with the prospects to go after White Sox ace Chris Sale, having even indicated the possibility of dealing Urias, the game's top pitching prospect, in such a move. But given Friedman's Tampa Bay roots, it's more likely that their focus will fall to one of the Rays' starters—namely Chris Archer, Matt Moore, or Jake Odorizzi—all of whom are controllable through at least 2019, and none of whom will come cheap, either. Even with an offense averaging 5.25 runs per game in July (up from 4.17 over their first 81 games).

They'd also like to get some help in the , where Andre Ethier's return from a broken tibia is in doubt, Trayce Thompson is on the DL with lower back woes, Yasiel Puig has been dogged by hamstring injuries and a curious inability to hit fastballs, and both Joc Pederson and Kiké Hernandez just returned from the DL. They've explored moving Puig, using his upside and affordability (owed $14 million for 2017–18) to help obtain what they want, but nothing yet has come to pass. Puig's three-hit game on Sunday— his first hits in 11 days—showed that he's healthy enough to play. That could help to attract teams, or to convince the Dodgers that he can continue his modest uptick since June 21 (.308/.390/.440 in 105 PA), when he returned from his first hamstring injury.

No Sale (probably), and slim pickings for rotation help

"They want your five best prospects, and that might not be good enough," said one executive of the White Sox asking price for their 27-year-old ace/tailor. Indeed, Chicago's demands are so high and, with the southpaw under club control through 2019 for roughly $41 million, their motivation to move him is so low that there's only a slim chance he's dealt by Monday afternoon. If he is, the list of contenders with the prospects to make a deal is probably limited to the Dodgers, Red Sox, Rangers, Astros and Nationals, but it’s doubtful any of them want to dig that deep.

Beyond Sale, there's no other ace on the market, and not much in the way of impact pieces. The Royals' Edinson Volquez,(4.70 ERA, 4.26 FIP), who would likely decline his end of a $10 million mutual option this winter, and the A's Rich Hill (2.25 ERA, 2.53 FIP), who's making $6 million but currently on the DL for a blister on his left middle finger, may be the best available starters this side of the aforementioned Rays’ trio (who are all scuffling to some degree or another) but their modest contracts mean they’ll cost plenty in prospects. The Astros, Tigers, Marlins (who traded for Andrew Cashner and Colin Rea on Friday, then watch the latter suffer an elbow sprain a day later) and Rangers are among the teams that have shown in interest in Volquez. Via Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal, the A's are said to be discussing a contract extension with Hill; previously, he connected the Astros, Blue Jays, Dodgers, Pirates and Rangers to him. The San Francisco Chronicle's Susan Slusser characterized Oakland's likelihood of dealing Hill as "a longshot" while adding the Tigers and Orioles (who dealt for the Mariners' on Sunday) to the list of suitors given that they've scouted him extensively.

Other names to watch (preferably through your fingers): the Twins’ Ervin Santana, the Yankees’ Ivan Nova, the Phillies’ Jeremy Hellickson, the Pirates’ Francisco Liriano and the Red Sox .

Something Brewin’ in relief market

With Chapman, Miller and Mark Melancon all traded and landing the DL with a flexor strain, the top shelf of the relief market has been cleared. While several contenders are likely to bring home some bullpen arm that they're convinced can help, the Brewers hold two of the more interesting pieces in righty Jeremy Jeffress and lefty Will Smith. The 28-year-old Jeffres has saved 26 games while pitching to a 2.27 ERA with 6.8 strikeouts per nine in 43 2/3 innings, while the 26-year-old Smith, who didn't make his 2016 debut until June 2 due to a torn LCL in his right knee, has pitched to a 3.86 ERA with 9.0 strikeouts per nine in 21 innings. Both will be arbitration-eligible for the first time this winter, so they could bring back value for the rebuilding Brewers.

Other relievers to keep an eye upon: the White Sox David Robertson, the Angels' Huston Street and Joe Smith, the Phillies’ Jeanmar Gomez, and the Braves' Chris Withrow.

MLB DAILY DISH Mariners, Reds progressing on Zack Cozart trade m

The Mariners are closing in on acquiring shortstop Zack Cozart from the Reds, according to Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune. Dutton adds that no deal is complete, but that the sides are confident something will get done.

Dutton reports that the deal may be a 2-for-2 swap that would send left-hander Luiz Gohara to Cincinnati. The other pieces are not yet known.

Seattle has already made two trades this summer, dealing Mike Montgomery to the Cubs and Wade Miley to the Orioles. Despite those deals appearing to paint the Mariners as sellers, a league source indicated last night that the club is “still focused on the potential to turn around and buy” in advance of today’s 4 p.m. deadline.

Cozart, 30, is under control through next season and would likely take over for Ketel Marte as the Mariners’ starting shortstop while Marte battles mononucleosis. Cincinnati is expected to make many moves before the deadline, and is said to be heavily shopping outfielder Jay Bruce.

Gohara, 20, is currently ranked as the 5th-best prospect in Seattle’s system by MLB.com. The Brazilian southpaw has posted a 2.05 ERA in eight starts split between Low-A Everett and Single-A Clinton.

ESPN.COM Ten questions for trade deadline day: Will Sale, Bruce or Lucroy move today? Posted: 10:25 AM ET By: David Schoenfield ESPN Senior Writer

1. Do the trade Jonathan Lucroy? After Lucroy blocked the trade to the , reports had the as the new front-runners to land Lucroy, possibly for Joey Gallo. Lucroy's limited no-trade clause does not include the Rangers, so all the Brewers have to do is agree to a deal.

2. Where does Jay Bruce land? The Cincinnati Reds gambled by not trading Bruce in the offseason following two poor years, and that decision has paid off as Bruce has had a big bounce-back season, leading the National League with 80 RBIs. The Dodgers would like to get his left-handed power bat in the middle of the lineup, but may need to also find a new home for Yasiel Puig. Late reports on Sunday had the , who had initially focused on trying to upgrade their bullpen, showing interest in Bruce. Hey, runs are runs, whether you score them or prevent them, and Bruce Bochy always seems to get his bullpen in working order come October.

3. Is there really a Chris Sale derby going on? Jon Heyman has reported the Dodgers, Rangers and -- three teams with top prospects and/or young major leaguers -- are still talking with the . Names floated out there: Julio Urias and Jose De Leon for the Dodgers, Nomar Mazara and Gallo for the Rangers, for the Red Sox. There is pressure for all three teams to win this year, so you can see the lure in getting Sale.

4. Where does Carlos Beltran go? Buster Olney tweeted that the Houston Astros, Red Sox, Rangers and Indians are all talking to the about Beltran. He's best suited for DH duties, but the Red Sox and Indians would be acquiring him to play the outfield. The Yankees say they're not waving a white flag, but it makes sense to flip Beltran with so much interest in him and New York is now back to .500 after losing four in a row.

5. Do the Rays trade Jake Odorizzi or Matt Moore? They've been linked most prominently to the Dodgers or Rangers, although I'd suggest the Rangers are more desperate for rotation help. Bud Norris, who had pitched well for the Dodgers, did leave his Sunday start after two batters with tightness in his back, however, and Clayton Kershaw's stay on the DL continues to have no timetable for a return.

6. Any other starting pitchers out there? The did acquire Wade Miley from the on Sunday, while other back-end starters out there appear to include Jeremy Hellickson of the and Ervin Santana of the Minnesota Twins. Hellickson has a 2.49 ERA over his past eight starts with just six walks in 50.2. He's an impending free agent while Santana is signed through 2018, but that may actually make Hellickson more attractive, since he doesn't come with at least $28 million in future salary.

7. Who is looking for bullpen help? Just about everybody. The Giants, Rangers, Red Sox, Detroit Tigers, . The St. Louis Cardinals picked up Zach Duke from the White Sox, but could still be looking for more depth. Will Smith and Jeremy Jeffress of the Brewers remain two of the most intriguing relief arms available.

8. What do the Mets do? Maybe nothing. They were rumored to be interested in Bruce, but he fits only if Curtis Granderson moves over to center with Yoenis Cespedes seemingly locked into left field as he's hobbled by a sore quad.

9. The are sellers, right? They should be. After losing all four to the Rangers over the weekend, they fell to 49- 55. They're toast. Trouble is, Wade Davis, who would been a trade target for teams seeking a closer, landed on the DL for the second time this year with a forearm injury. Kendrys Morales could be a DH option and the Royals would love to find a taker for 's contract (unlikely). Maybe Edinson Volquez, who owns a $10 million mutual option for 2017.

10. Any potential surprise names out there? The trade rumors are so all-encompassing now that there are few surprises, although Miley and Duke were traded without their names popping up. The Mariners fell to 52-51 after Sunday night's crushing defeat to the Chicago Cubs, dropping them five out of the wild card. Do they consider dealing Hisashi Iwakuma? Would they cash in on Nelson Cruz? (Probably not, with Seth Smith the more likely trade subject, maybe to the Dodgers.) Do the Brewers trade Ryan Braun? Does Puig stay in L.A.? Stay tuned for what should be a fun afternoon.

ASSOCIATED PRESS Bailey is sharp in return as Reds beat Padres 3-2 By: Jay Paris, Associated Press Posted: 8:00 PM, Jul 31, 2016 Updated: 8:16 PM, Jul 31, 2016

SAN DIEGO (AP) -- Homer Bailey threw 5 2/3 solid innings in his first start this season, pitching the Cincinnati Reds past the San Diego Padres 3-2 on Sunday.

Bailey (1-0) returned from forearm and elbow surgeries and allowed two runs, four hits and three walks. He retired 14 consecutive batters during one stretch and had six strikeouts. Injuries limited Bailey to just two starts last season.

The Reds took the three-game series and completed their first winning road trip (4-2) since 2014.

Tony Cingrani worked the ninth for his 13th save in 18 chances.

Paul Clemens (1-2) made his second start with the Padres but was forced to exit after 4 2/3 innings because of a sore back. Clemens, a June waiver pickup from the Marlins, was charged with two runs on four hits and a walk. He tied a career high with five strikeouts.

The Padres loaded the bases with one out in the eighth, but reliever Michael Lorenzen fanned Jabari Blash and Christian Bethancourt flied out.

The Padres closed the gap to 3-2 in the sixth, Bailey's most stressful inning, when Alexi Amarista's one-out single preceded three straight walks. Amarista was thrown out trying to score on a .

After the third walk to Blash, a disappointed Bailey turned his back to the plate and Wil Myers swiped home without a throw. Bailey was then lifted after 89 pitches.

Blake Wood relieved Bailey and retired Bethancourt looking to end the threat.

The Reds took a 2-1 edge in the second, thanks to some power from an unlikely source.

Eugenio Suarez singled and Jose Peraza followed with a home run into the second deck of the Western Metal Supply Co., building. The 424-foot shot was Peraza's first of his career.

UP NEXT

RHP Dan Straily (6-6, 3.84) will make his first career start against the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday. Straily has produced quality starts in each of his last five appearances. He leads the Reds in innings pitched (122), strikeouts (97) and quality starts (12).

TRANSACTIONS 07/31/16

Atlanta Braves placed LHP Matt Marksberry on the 15-day disabled list. Left rotator cuff inflammation. Miami Marlins sent Cole Gillespie outright to New Orleans Zephyrs. Chicago Cubs selected the contract of from Iowa Cubs. St. Louis Cardinals sent 2B Matt Carpenter on a rehab assignment to Springfield Cardinals. recalled Evan Marshall from . Toronto Blue Jays sent Junior Lake outright to Buffalo Bisons. Los Angeles Dodgers activated LF Enrique Hernandez from the 15-day disabled list. Los Angeles Dodgers optioned Austin Barnes to . optioned Reynaldo Lopez to Syracuse Chiefs. Washington Nationals activated RHP Mark Melancon. San Diego Padres selected the contract of LF Jabari Blash from . Cleveland Indians designated LF Joey Butler for assignment. Kansas City Royals recalled Matt Strahm from Northwest Arkansas Naturals. Kansas City Royals placed RHP Wade Davis on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to July 27, 2016. Right flexor strain. Seattle Mariners traded LHP Wade Miley to Baltimore Orioles for LHP . recalled Daniel Castro from Gwinnett Braves. activated LHP Felipe Rivero. Pittsburgh Pirates optioned Steven Brault to Indianapolis Indians. Pittsburgh Pirates recalled Max Moroff from Indianapolis Indians. Arizona Diamondbacks traded RHP Tyler Clippard to New York Yankees for RHP Vicente Campos. Miami Marlins recalled Nefi Ogando from New Orleans Zephyrs. Miami Marlins placed RHP Colin Rea on the 15-day disabled list. Right elbow sprain. St. Louis Cardinals sent SS Jhonny Peralta on a rehab assignment to Palm Beach Cardinals. Chicago White Sox activated LHP Carlos Rodon from the 15-day disabled list. Chicago White Sox traded LHP Zach Duke to St. Louis Cardinals for CF Charlie Tilson. New York Yankees traded LHP Andrew Miller to Cleveland Indians for RHP Ben Heller, CF Clint Frazier, RHP J.P. Feyereisen and LHP Justus Sheffield. Chicago Cubs optioned Justin Grimm to Iowa Cubs. Miami Marlins sent Cole Figueroa outright to New Orleans Zephyrs.