Ramirez hits 30th HR in 11-inning win vs. Texas By Jordan Bastian MLB.com @MLBastian ARLINGTON -- Jose Ramirez was in the middle of everything on Friday night. He ignited a comeback with an impressive home that put him atop the MLB leaderboard. The All-Star third baseman made a clutch defensive play to help halt a Rangers rally. And he scored the final run to push Cleveland to the win column.

On a night when a pile of problems could have sunk the Tribe, Ramirez and the Cleveland offense bailed out the and pulled off a 9-8 victory in 11 innings at Globe Life Park. Trevor Bauer lasted only four innings, new relief ace Brad Hand allowed a and Cody Allen blew a . Cleveland won anyway.

"What can't he do? He can do everything," Indians reliever Dan Otero said of Ramirez. "I'm glad he's on our team. He does something every game that I feel like kind of wows us. He doesn't really surprise us anymore, but it's kind of like, 'Oh my gosh, this guy's really good.'"

In the sixth inning, Ramirez became the first Major Leaguer to reach 30 homers this season, setting a career high in the process. The leadoff shot on a first-pitch fastball against Texas lefty Martin Perez pulled the game into a 4-4 tie and sparked a four-run push by the Indians offense over the next two frames.

Ramirez opened the 11th inning with a to the wall in right-center field and then scored on a go-ahead by Edwin Encarnacion. That cancelled out the back-to-back home runs that Allen allowed to Robinson Chirinos and Joey Gallo (two homers in the loss) in the ninth inning, which tied the game 8-8 at the time.

"He's got a career high in homers, and it's July 20th," Allen said. "He's a guy that's in very elite company in a lot of things. He's a great player. The guy wants to be great. He cares about winning as much as the next guy."

With his performance, Ramirez now ranks first in MLB with 6.7 (via Fangraphs), moving ahead of Angels superstar Mike Trout and Boston's Mookie Betts, who have 6.4 apiece. The Tribe's switch-hitting slugger leads the Majors in extra-base hits with 59, is sporting a .302/.400/.635 slash line and has more walks (57) than (48).

Against the Rangers, Ramirez also came up big in the field.

Texas was on the cusp of a walkoff win in the 10th, when reliever Zach McAllister gave up three straight singles to load the bases. He then induced a chopper off the bat of Ronald Guzman to Ramirez, who gloved the grounder and fired the ball to Yan Gomes for an out at the plate.

"[That] almost looks like a game-winner," said Indians manager , referring to the Guzman grounder to Ramirez. "Josey backhands it. That was a harder play than he made it look."

McAllister then struck out Chirinos and Gallo to strand all three runners.

"Either get them out or walk off the mound," McAllister said. "To me, I was just trying to let everything go as hard as I could and rip some breaking balls and try to put it where they couldn't it. … I definitely don't want to put myself in that situation, but I was glad I was able to get out of it for sure."

Ramirez was not alone when it came to bailing out Bauer (four runs on nine hits with five walks in a 102-pitch effort) and Allen. Yandy Diaz enjoyed a four-hit night in his season debut for the Tribe. Jason Kipnis launched a two-run homer and had three RBIs in the win. Brandon Guyer collected three hits.

"There's always times that they pitch really well," Ramirez said through team translator Will Clements. "So, it's nice to be able to pick them up."

Bauer smirked when asked if the team has come to expect the unexpected from Ramirez.

"What's unexpected about that? I don't think anyone here is surprised," Bauer said. "When Josey hits a homer or makes a great play at third or spins himself into a top and hits a ball off the top of a wall or something like that, it's like, 'Yeah, that's Josey.' It's spectacular, but it's the norm."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Oliver's escape: With the Rangers looking to build on a 4-3 lead in the fifth, veteran lefty Oliver Perez took over for Bauer with no outs and runners on first and second. The 36-year-old reliever started by creating a pair of pop-outs in foul territory off the bats of Gallo and Delino DeShields. Perez finished off the frame with a called against Shin-Soo Choo. Through 22 appearances, the left-hander now has a 0.63 ERA for the Indians. That escape came right before Ramirez's game-tying home run.

"I thought Oliver saved the game right there," Francona said. "That was about four hours ago. If he doesn't pitch well, we're going to lose."

Trouble in the ninth: Armed with a two-run lead and with two outs already recorded, Allen fired a fastball to Chirinos in a 1-0 count in the ninth. The Texas catcher crushed the pitch a projected 456 feet to left-center to trim the Tribe's lead to 8-7. One pitch later, the closer challenged Gallo with a high-and-tight four-seamer, when the slugger sent a projected 472 feet to right. Allen, who has allowed nine runs (six vs. the Reds on July 13) in his last four appearances combined, escaped further damage, but sent the game into extras.

"It wasn't exactly the way we drew it up," Allen said. "I hate to say this, but a win's a win. It shouldn't have come to that, but sometimes it does. And really good teams find a way to win those games and tonight we did." THE NEW GUYS Texas' late push began in the seventh, when Hand took over with one out in the seventh and surrendered a two-run homer to Gallo to cut Cleveland's lead to 7-6 at the time. From there, the new Tribe lefty set down the next three batters he faced in order, working into the eighth inning.

It was reminiscent of Aug. 1, 2016, when Andrew Miller allowed a home run to the first batter he faced (Joe Mauer) in his first appearance for the Indians after being acquired in a blockbuster trade with the Yankees. Miller went on to be a force for Cleveland in its '16 World Series run.

"It's a good omen that Hand gave up a homer his first outing for us," quipped Otero, who worked the 11th inning to earn the save. "Andrew did the same thing a couple years ago and this one went further. … So, maybe we'll go a little further also in the playoffs. Who knows?"

Tribe fans also got their first look at sidearmer Adam Cimber, who was acquired with Hand from the Padres in exchange for catching prospect Francisco Mejia on Thursday. Cimber gave up one-out single to Elvis Andrus, but then created an inning-ending double play from Adrian Beltre.

SOUND SMART Ramirez is the first batter in Indians history to have at least 20 stolen bases and 30 home runs within the team's first 100 games of a season. In fact, Ramirez has joined Alex Rodriguez (1998), Jeff Bagwell (1999) and Alfonso Soriano (2006) as the only players to accomplish that feat in MLB history.

Ramirez is the fourth Indians player (five times overall) to reach 30 homers within the team's first 97 games. The others include Rocky Colavito (1959), Albert Belle (1994 and '96) and Jim Thome (2001).

UP NEXT Right-hander Carlos Carrasco (11-5, 4.12 ERA) is slated to take the mound for the Tribe on Saturday, when the Rangers host the Indians in an 8:05 p.m. ET tilt at Globe Life Park. Carrasco is 4-3 with a 3.33 ERA in eight road outings this season. Texas will counter with righty Bartolo Colon (5-7, 4.64 ERA).

Bullpen reinforcements join Tribe in Arlington By Jordan Bastian MLB.com @MLBastian ARLINGTON -- After appearing in the All-Star Game, Brad Hand was still in Washington with his family on Thursday morning, when his phone buzzed during breakfast. Out in San Diego, Adam Cimber woke up to a missed call from Padres general manager A.J. Preller.

They had both been traded to the Indians in exchange for catching prospect Francisco Mejia. Hand had to reorganize his travel plans, abandoning his belongings on the West Coast. Cimber got a quick workout in at Petco Park, emptied out his locker and packed up his apartment. By Friday afternoon, the former Padres teammates were in Texas with the Tribe. "It's going to be fun," Hand said. "I'm just going to do everything I can to try do whatever I can and help out. They're in first place right now. It's going to be fun for sure."

Prior to Friday's game against the Rangers, Hand (No. 33) and Cimber (No. 90) were officially added to Cleveland's roster and had their first sit- downs with manager Terry Francona. The manager envisions Cimber as a weapon against tough right-handed batters and believes Hand can serve as a leverage arm for late innings, even garning some save chances. Francona said Friday that right-hander Cody Allen (4.66 ERA, 20 saves and 47 strikeouts in 38 2/3 innings) will still get the bulk of the save opportunities. The goal for Hand (3.05 ERA, 24 saves and 65 strikeouts in 44 1/3 innings) is to have him carry a similar load as Allen, working in the ninth when it makes the most sense.

"He's kind of along the same lines as Cody," Francona said. "He's like, 'Hey, I just want to pitch.' And I told him my biggest thing is to keep their workloads even. If that means flip-flopping sometimes, we can. Like, if there's three lefties coming up potentially in the ninth, it seems a little silly to pitch backwards. I still would like for the most part for Cody to close games for us."

Francona said an added benefit to acquiring Hand and Cimber (3.17 ERA, .482 opponenents' OPS vs. right-handed batters and 51 strikeouts in 48 1/3 innings) is that the manager can ease the rotation's innings. Cleveland's starters ranked second in MLB in pitches per game (98.9) in the first half largely due to the bullpen's struggles (29th in MLB with a 5.28 ERA).

With Hand and Cimber in the fold, Francona feels he can better utilize relievers Oliver Perez, Dan Otero, Neil Ramirez and Zach McAllister.

"Now, we have another option," Francona said. "So, you may see a starter come out maybe five, six pitches before you would've before, because I think we have an answer coming around [in the later innings]." Zimmer undergoes surgery Outfielder (Minor League disabled list) will be sidelined for the foreseeable future after undergoing surgery on his right shoulder on Friday in Dallas via Dr. Keith Meister. The specifics of Zimmer's procedure and the estimated timetable for his return were not immediately known.

Zimmer, 25, was the Tribe's Opening Day center fielder, but struggled in 34 games in the big leagues, hitting .226 (.611 OPS) with 44 strikeouts in 114 plate appearances. The outfielder was optioned to -A Columbus on June 5 and began experiencing shoulder discomfort shortly thereafter.

"I feel so bad for him. I was texting with him last night," Francona said on Friday. "He's such a good kid. I don't have any doubt -- he'll come back from this. He's not a . It's just missing the developmental time. But, OK, so if his clock changes a little bit, that doesn't mean he's not going to be a great player."

Quoteable "When I heard he was coming, it was a big breath of fresh air. It's nice to know somebody here. Obviously, I'm going to need to know all these guys. I'm looking forward to that. But on Day 1, it's nice to have somebody that's a veteran in a bullpen that you've been a part of, who can take you under his wing. I'm just looking forward to going through it with him." -- Cimber, on being traded with Hand

Worth noting • Lefty Andrew Miller (10-day DL, right knee) is scheduled to make his third Minor League rehab appearance with Triple-A Columbus on Sunday. The reliever will then meet with Francona and the team's medical staff when the team returns to Cleveland to discuss the next steps.

"He's doing good," Francona said. "He probably needs to pitch at least two or three more times -- that's probably being conservative. But, the good news is he's working on his pitching and he's not so much thinking about his knee and where he's landing and things like that. So, he's definitely trending in the right way."

• With the Tribe's pitching staff getting four days off over the All-Star break, and given the 100-plus degree temperatures in Texas this weekend, the Indians prioritized having an extra position player (Yandy Diaz and Melky Cabrera were both promoted from Triple-A) over an additional arm for the next few days. One player will need to come off the roster Tuesday to clear room for starter being recalled from Columbus.

• Both ace Corey Kluber (right knee) and Josh Tomlin (10-day DL, right hamstring) have resumed throwing, and Kluber remains on target to start for Cleveland on Monday against the Pirates. There is no established timetable for Tomlin's return.

Hand, Cimber officially added to Tribe's roster By Jordan Bastian MLB.com @MLBastian ARLINGTON -- The Indians will head into the season's second half with a retooled roster, shoring up a few areas as the club continues its quest for a third straight American League Central crown. The addition of All-Star reliever Brad Hand highlights Cleveland's alterations.

Here is a rundown of the transactions made prior to Friday's game against the Rangers.

• Hand and righty Adam Cimber were officially added to the active roster, following Thursday's trade with San Diego that included shipping catcher Francisco Mejia, formerly Cleveland's top prospect per MLB Pipeline, to the Padres. Hand, a lefty, can serve as a high-leverage arm until Andrew Miller returns from the disabled list. Cimber has excelled at halting right-handed batters (.482 opponents' OPS).

• Third baseman Yandy Diaz (recalled) and veteran outfielder Melky Cabrera (contract purchases) were promoted from Triple-A Columbus. Diaz, Cleveland's Opening Day third baseman in 2017, has hit .284 (.790 OPS) in 81 games for the Clippers this season. Cabrera hit .361 (.867 OPS) in nine games for Columbus since re-signing a Minor League contract with the Indians. • In order to clear room on the active roster for the arrivals, the Indians optioned outfielder , right-hander Adam Plutko and lefty Tyler Olson to Triple-A Columbus. Cleveland already had a fourth roster vacany after optioning Mejia to Triple-A following Sunday's game against the Yankees.

• To clear a spot on the 40-man roster for Cabrera, the Indians transferred injured outfielder Lonnie Chisenhall to the 60-day DL. Chisenhall was placed on the 10-day DL with a severe right calf injury on July 3 and is expected to be sidelined for the next eight weeks or so.

• Left-hander Marc Rzepczynski, who was designed for assignment by the Indians on July 11, cleared outright waivers and elected to become a free agent rather than accept a Triple-A assignment. With Hand now in the fold, Rzepczynski was behind four lefties -- including Oliver Perez, Miller and Olson -- on the depth chart.

Zach McAllister rescues himself, with Houdini act in extra innings: 'He gave us a chance' By Joe Noga, cleveland.com [email protected] ARLINGTON, Texas -- Cleveland Indians reliever Zach McAllister fashioned his own straitjacket by loading the bases Friday in the bottom of the 10th inning, but managed to pull off an escape that would have impressed even the great Harry Houdini.

After allowing three consecutive hits to lead off the 10th, McAllister recorded three straight outs during a pivotal sequence in the Tribe's 9-8 win against the Texas Rangers.

After six pitches, the game-winning run was 90 feet from home plate in the person of Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus.

"You don't want to walk off the mound with the game over," McAllister said. "When the bases are loaded, each pitch is so important. That's the mentality you have to have."

McAllister's started by getting Texas first baseman Ronald Guzman to bounce into a fielder's choice at third base. Jose Ramirez backhanded Guzman's grounder and threw home for the forceout.

"The ground ball was key right there," said McAllister. "Something that was soft contact. [Ramirez] made a great play on it and we were fortunate enough to be able to get a pretty easy out at home." Manager Terry Francona praised Ramirez's effort, saying the play was tougher than he made it look, but Ramirez called the stop "routine." "The ball wasn't hit too hard," Ramirez said through interpreter Will Clements. "I bent down and I made the play and I got the out."

Still, the bases remained loaded, with a pinch runner at third in Isaiah Kiner-Falefa. McAllister started Rangers catcher Robinson Chirinos off with a curve that missed for ball one and then tossed three consecutive strikes on a curveball and two fastballs. The final pitch to Chirinos came on a 96.2 mph two-seamer that was tipped into Indians catcher Yan Gomes' glove.

"That was huge," Tribe closer Cody Allen said of McAllister's effort. "He's got great stuff and he's definitely got the ability to miss bats and get some soft contact. He was able to bear down and make some good pitches in a tough spot. He showed a lot of composure right there."

With two down, Rangers slugger Joey Gallo had already homered twice in the game, including the game-tying solo blast in the ninth. McAllister got ahead in the count, before throwing a 1-2 curveball in the dirt. At 2-2, he threw a 95 mph fastball that Gallo fouled away before pumping a 96.7 mph heater by the Rangers lefty for a swinging strike three.

"Mac reached back and really made some good pitches," Francona said. "Obviously you don't feel real good when it's bases loaded and nobody out, but he gave us a chance."

Dan Otero, who picked up his first save since 2016 by pitching a perfect 11th inning, said McAllister's effort was impressive. "Bases loaded, no outs on the road and your back's kind of against the wall," he said. "I don't know if you really expect him to get out of that jam, and he made some great pitches. For those two big strikeouts, Z-Mac was throwing his best stuff. It was fun to watch."

Cleveland Indians: How the Brad Hand trade happened -- Terry Pluto By Terry Pluto, The Plain [email protected] ABOUT THE TRADE The and Cleveland Indians had a lot in common. Both teams were looking to trade. Both teams needed something the other was willing to deal away.

For the Indians, it was the bullpen. They needed a star reliever who was at least a few years away from free agency.

Brad Hand had been their target for a year. Here was the situation.

1. The Padres are losing games and piling up prospects. An All-Star closer such as Hand is almost a luxury to a team in that position.

2. The Padres were willing to deal Hand, a lefty with an Andrew Miller-style slider and a 2.66 ERA since the start of the 2016 season. They targeted Francisco Mejia, the Tribe's top prospect.

3. For a long time, the Indians tried to use other prospects in the trade. They wanted to keep their switch-hitting catcher who is ranked baseball's No. 5 prospect by ESPN's Keith Law.

4. San Diego correctly let the Tribe know other teams had serious interest in Hand, offering attractive prospects. "But we were consistent that the guy who made the most sense for us was Mejia," Padres General Manager A.J. Preller told Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune. 5. So there was common ground. The Indians wanted Hand. The Padres wanted Mejia.

6. For a while, the trade had more names included. There are many stories of how an important trade has fallen apart because the teams tried to make it even bigger. The Padres and Tribe were determined not to allow that to happen.

7. Tribe President Chris Antonetti and General Manager Mike Chernoff decided to make the Main Thing be the Main Thing. They wanted Hand and another reliever for Mejia. Make it a 2-for-1.

8. The Indians settled on Hand and rookie sidearmer Adam Cimber.

9. The Indians have been thinking about their bullpen for more than a year. They were fairly certain they'd lose (who signed with Colorado) after the 2017 season. That's why they began asking about Hand a year ago, according to both Antoinette and Preller.

10. Star relievers Cody Allen and Andrew Miller are free agents after this season. The Tribe has rarely retained a significant free agent, so it was essential to plan ahead for 2019, and that made Hand (signed through 2020 with a team option for 2021) very appealing.

11. The discussion then centered on another reliever, who became Cimber, a 27-year-old rookie with a 3-5 record and 3.17 ERA. He is a submarine-style pitcher who "has dominated against right-handed hitters," according to Antonetti. "He's a guy we can leverage in key situations to get some of the best right-handed hitters out."

12. Cimber has held right-handed batters to a .210 average. Lefties are a problem: .293 (.960 OPS). But the Indians believe Terry Francona can put Cimber in the best spots to succeed.

13. Preller said: "Cleveland obviously valued the two relievers. They valued Brad (Hand) a ton. They valued Cimber. They asked about him throughout the course of the spring."

14. Antonetti said: "In order to get back what we view as high impact, high leverage relievers, we knew we were going to have to give up a lot. ... We sought to acquire players who will help us secure another postseason berth ... and then advance in the postseason once we get there. But also impact our team after 2018."

15. Preller: "It's hard to find any premium young position prospect that a team is willing to move." The Padres now have 10 of the top 100 prospects, according to MLB.com.

16. The Indians hate to trade top prospects, but they also know a chance to return to the World Series looms -- not only this season, but in the next two years. A talented starting rotation is under team control at least through 2020. So they know bold moves are necessary.

ABOUT PROSPECTS 1. The Indians much prefer to trade for top prospects than give them up. When they made the Andrew Miller deal with the Yankees on July 31, 2016, they parted with four minor leaguers. Pitcher Justus Sheffield and outfielder Clint Frazier were considered elite Mejia-type prospects. Frazier has been battling concussion issues. 2. The Indians knew that long after Miller is gone, Sheffield and Frazier could be having terrific careers. But they also believed Miller could make them a viable contender through 2018.

3. In 2008, the Indians traded C.C. Sabathia to Milwaukee for four prospects. One of them is All-Star Michael Brantley. Sabathia pitched only a half-season with the Brewers before becoming a free agent and signing with Yankees. The biggest prospect in the Sabathia deal was Matt LaPorta, whose career was cut short by hip injuries.

4. In 2009, the Indians traded Cliff Lee to the Phillies for a return that included Carlos Carrasco, a key part of the Tribe's rotation.

5. I asked Antonetti about Mejia preferring to catch. The Indians wanted him to play right field, where he could help now. Mejia has had some problems adapting to the outfield. Antonetti said that had nothing to do with the trade. To obtain the two relievers, the Padres demanded Mejia.

6. San Diego plans to keep Mejia a catcher. He'll report to Class AAA, but is expected to be in the majors soon. San Diego's main catcher is . He's strong defensively, but the 25-year-old is a career .205 hitter (.609 OPS) in 223 games. Mejia can take that job. 7. Prospects can drive you crazy. The Indians picked up Corey Kluber in a trade with San Diego on July 31, 2010. They gave up Jake Westbrook as part of a 3-way deal. At the time, Kluber was 24 with a 6-6 record and 3.45 ERA in Class AA. He had dropped off the list of the Padres' top 30 prospects. At that point, few baseball people expected Kluber to even become a big league starter. Now, he's an All-Star and two-time Cy Young winner.

8. Before 2017, the Indians put 26-year-old first baseman Jesus Aguilar on waivers. He was claimed by Milwaukee. At the time, the Tribe had Carlos Santana and had signed Edwin Encarnacion ($60 million over three years).

9. Aguilar was usually among the Tribe's top 20 prospects, but never considered elite. In 2016, Aguilar batted .247 (.791 OPS) with 30 HR and 92 RBI for Columbus. But that was his fifth year in Class AAA. The Indians didn't see him as an everyday player.

10. In 1,647 Class AAA plate appearances, Aguilar hit .271 (.818 OPS) with 68 HR. The numbers were good, but not overwhelming. The Indians didn't give him much of a chance in Cleveland, only 52 at-bats. Of his 10 hits, only one was for extra bases.

11. If the Indians were rebuilding, they probably would have been more patient with Aguilar. But after the 2016 World Series, they added Encarnacion in an attempt to return. Aguilar was out of minor-league options. With Milwaukee he was a part-time first baseman in 2017, mostly against left-handed pitching. 12. This season, Aguilar has broken loose, hitting 24 HR with 70 RBI, .298 (.998 OPS) at the All-Star break. It's sort of like Kluber's stunning rise to stardom. No one saw it coming.

ABOUT THE TRIBE 1. With Mejia traded, Eric Haase is the top catching prospect. The 25-year-old is batting .246 (.756 OPS) with 13 HR and 55 RBI at Class AAA Columbus. He has thrown out 51 percent of steal attempts. 2. The Tribe picked catcher Noah Naylor in first round of the 2018 draft. He's only 18 and starting his career in the Arizona Rookie League. 3. In 2016, the Tribe took catcher Logan Ice (Oregon State) in the second round. He recently was promoted to Class AA Akron. As a pro, Ice is batting only .216 (.650 OPS) with 14 HR in 183 games.

Tyler Krieger back in the groove at Akron: Cleveland Indians Minors By Elton Alexander, The Plain Dealer CLEVELAND, Ohio - For awhile it looked like utility man Tyler Krieger had lost his batting eye for the Akron RubberDucks. But he looks to be layered back in of late, with a 14-game hitting streak going into the weekend. When Krieger, who was drafted fourth in 2015, first emerged at Lake County, he was a hitting machine who rarely went more than two straight games without a hit.

But last season at Akron he hit .225. And this season to date he's at .252. But that is rising fast. Inside his 14-game hitting streak, Krieger has five multi-hit games including a pair of three-hit performances.

He also has five doubles and a triple in that stretch with 10 RBI. Krieger has raised his average from .227 to .252 in those 14 games going into this weekend.

Who's back there?: Now that Francisco Mejia has been traded, the obvious question is, Who is the young catcher to watch in the Indians' minor league system? There are two with the RubberDucks to keep an eye on: Logan Ice and Sicnarf Loopstock. Ice, 23, was only recently called up from Lynchburg. He was drafted in 2016, the last lottery pick in the first round at No. 72.

A 5-10, 180-pound switch-hitter out of Oregon State with strong defensive skills behind the plate, Ice has already moved through the system faster than the two players the Tribe picked in front of him, Will Benson and , who are both at Lake County. In his eight games with the Ducks, Ice is hitting .269.

Who's back there II: Loopstock 25, is the prototype for the position with his 5-11, 195-pound frame. A native of Aruba who was drafted 13th out of Western Oklahoma State in 2013, he is considered a solid backstop who has worked his way through the system.

Loopstock has caught 58 games so far this season for Akron and is hitting .225 with nine home runs, two triples and 35 RBI. He has also stolen 28 bases in his minor league career.

Will Benson continues to grow for : Cleveland Indians Minors By Elton Alexander, The Plain Dealer CLEVELAND, Ohio - One can see both the growth and the frustration inside Will Benson, 20, this season. The power and dedication show for the 6-5, 225-pound outfielder, the No. 1 draft pick in 2015, as he has hit three home runs and has nursed 10 walks in his last 10 games, showing sound plate discipline.

But frustration also shows as Benson is hitting just .156 over those last 10 games and .170 on the season. Benson has drawn 60 walks this season, but only 48 hits, but also has 14 home runs and 33 RBI in 84 games. Power surge: The Captains put on a power display this past week, sending five home runs accounting for 10 runs into the stands by Thursday, before starting the weekend at Classic Park. Monday, Elvis Perez hit a three-run homer and Nolan Jones delivered a solo shot in a 10-4 loss at Cedar Rapids.

Wednesday, Perez and Jose Vicente each hit two-run homers in a 9-4 loss at home against Clinton. Thursday, in an 8-1 victory over Clinton, Jone hit a two-run homer. The Captains lead the Midwest League with 85 home runs on the season.

Pure and simple: Pitcher Juan Hillman (3-9, 5.18 ERA) has been a strong presence the second half for the Captains on the mound, discounting his last appearance when he allowed six runs on 11 hits in five innings. But even in that game Hillman, 21, the No. 2 draft selection in 2015, showed his potential with an "Immaculate Inning."

That is when a pitcher delivers three outs with three strikeouts on nine pitches. Hillman did that in a loss at Cedar Rapids, with the three whiffs accounting for half of his six in the game.

In the groove: Infielder Miguel Eladio, 22, is starting to get his bat in order for the Captains. In the last 10 games, the undrafted free agent signed in 2014 has hit .324 for Lake Country, with four multi-hit games capped by a 2-for-4 afternoon with three RBI in a victory over Clinton. The slight 6-1, 160-pound infielder is only hitting .208 for the Captains this season, with two of his three doubles and four of his 12 RBI coming in the last 10 games.

Cleveland Indians blow late lead, rally for 9-8 win against Texas Rangers in 11 By Joe Noga, [email protected] ARLINGTON, Texas -- On a night when the Cleveland Indians' new-look bullpen struggled to gets its footing, All-Star third baseman Jose Ramirez would not let the Tribe fold in a 9-8 win against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Park.

Ramirez, who had homered earlier in the game and made an excellent defensive play to keep the Tribe alive in the 10th, led off the 11th inning with a double and scored the go-ahead run on Edwin Encarnacion's RBI single.

Dan Otero, the last man standing in manager Terry Francona's bullpen, pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning for his first save since 2016.

But it was another rollercoaster run for the bullpen. Robinson Chirinos and Joey Gallo hit back-to-back solo home runs for Texas on consecutive pitches from Cody Allen with two out in the ninth to tie the game at 8.

Allen's second blown save of the year was also the first time in his career that he allowed multiple home runs in an outing. It was the fourth time the Rangers hit back-to-back home runs this season, with Gallo involved in the last three instances. "It wasn't exactly the way we drew it up and I hate to say this, but a win's a win," Allen said. "It shouldn't have come to that, but sometimes it does. And really good teams find a way to win those games and tonight we did."

Texas loaded the bases against Zach McAllister in the 10th on singles by Elvis Andrus, Adrian Beltre and Roughned Odor. But Ramirez snared Ronald Guzman's sharp grounder at third with a backhand stop and threw home to force out Andrus.

"Getting that first one is huge, especially in that situation," McAllister said. "The ground ball was key. Something that was soft contact. [Ramirez] made a great play on it and we were fortunate enough to be able to get a pretty easy out at home."

After that, McAllister struck out Chirinos and Gallo, emphatically slapping his glove when he got the third out.

"Mac reached back and really made some good pitches and gave us a chance," Francona said. "Obviously you don't feel real good when it's bases loaded and nobody out, but he gave us a chance."

Cleveland scored three times in the sixth inning to take a 6-4 lead, and the Indians got RBI hits from Brandon Guyer in the seventh and Yandy Diaz in the ninth to extend the advantage.

But Gallo homered off newly-acquired Indians reliever Brad Hand in the seventh with a runner on base, setting the stage for the Rangers' dramatic ninth. "I think [Hand] got a little slider happy with Gallo," Francona said. "If he just probably elevated a fastball, I think he'd have been ok."

Ramirez belted his 30th home run to dead center on the first pitch he saw from Texas starter Martin Perez in the sixth. The homer tied the score at 4-4 and established a new career high for Ramirez with 66 games remaining.

Of Ramirez's 30 blasts, 14 have tied the score or put the Indians in the lead. With six home runs in his last seven games, Ramirez has claimed the MLB lead, breaking a tie with Boston's J.D. Martinez. The homer and double in the 11th gave him 59 extra-base hits, also tops in MLB.

He joined Alex Rodriguez (1998), Jeff Bagwell (1999) and Alfonso Soriano (2006) as the only players with 30 or more homers and 20 or more steals in their team's first 100 games.

"He does something every game that I feel like kind of wows us," Otero said. "He doesn't really surprise us anymore, but it's kind of like, 'Oh my gosh, this guy's really good.'"

Ramirez's homer also took an uncharacteristically wild Trevor Bauer off the hook. Bauer lasted just four innings, allowing nine hits and four earned runs while walking five and striking out seven.

It was Bauer's shortest outing of the season, and snapped a string of nine starts where the All-Star pitched at least into the sixth inning and allowed three earned runs or fewer. The Indians thought they had erased a potential threat in the fifth inning when Odor singled past Francisco Lindor's glove and later tried to steal second. Roberto Perez threw to Lindor, and second base umpire D.J. Rayburn called Odor out, but Rangers manager Jeff Bannister challenged and the call was reversed.

Two pitches later Guzman singled on a ball that Lindor could not get out of his glove, and Chirinos followed with an RBI base hit for a 4-3 lead.

Oliver Perez relieved Bauer and wriggled out of a jam with two runners on base and nobody out. Perez retired Gallo and Delino DeShields on pop outs and struck out Shin-Soo Choo.

"I thought Oliver saved the game right there," Francona said. "If he doesn't pitch well, we're going to lose."

Reliever Adam Cimber, acquired along with Hand in a trade Thursday from San Diego, made his Indians debut in the eighth, giving up a single to Andrus before getting Beltre to bounce into an inning-ending double play.

Jason Kipnis put the Indians in front 3-1 with a two-run homer to the Texas bullpen in the second inning. It was Kipnis' third home run in 12 July games. He entered Friday's contest batting .257 with a .937 OPS for the month. He added an RBI single in the sixth. Beltre's double in the first put Texas in front 1-0, but Diaz, making his first start of the season at designated hitter for the Indians, drove in a run with an opposite-field single to tie the score in the second. Diaz finished with four hits and a run scored, including an RBI triple in the ninth.

Air mail With one out and Encarnacion at first base in the sixth, Diaz swung at the first pitch he saw from Perez. The ball ended up in Chirinos' glove and Diaz's bat ended up 20 feet into the left field grass behind third. Beltre reacted as if the ball was coming his way, leaping into the air as it helicoptered over his head.

What it means The Indians are 3-1 against the Rangers this season. Cleveland raised its record to 2-6 in extra innings in 2018.

The pitches Bauer threw 102 pitches, 59 (58 percent) for strikes. Perez threw 105 pitches, 64 (61 percent) for strikes.

Thanks for coming The Rangers and Indians drew 28,253 fans to Globe Life Park in Arlington on Friday night. First pitch was at 8:08 p.m. with a temperature of 107 degrees.

Next Right-hander Carlos Carrasco (11-5, 4.12) will face right-hander Bartolo Colon (5-7, 4.64) on Saturday. Game time is 8:05 p.m with SportsTime Ohio, WTAM 1100 AM and WMMS 100.7 FM carrying the game.

Cleveland Indians' Jose Ramirez hits home run No. 30 on Friday night By Paul Hoynes, [email protected] CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Jose Ramirez started the second half of the season like he ended the first half. Ramirez opened the sixth inning Friday night by hitting his 30th homer of the season to pull the Indians into a 4-4 tie against Texas at Globe Life Park in Arlington, Texas. It's a career high for the Tribe's All-Star third baseman. Last year he hit 29 homers with No. 29 coming on Sept. 24. He is just the fourth player in MLB history to hit 30 or more homers and steal 20 or more bases in his team's first 100 games. Ramirez hit the first pitch he saw from Texas left-hander Martin Perez over the center field fence to take the MLB lead in homers. He entered the All-Star break tied with Boston's J.D. Martinez for the home run lead with 29.

The last Indians player to lead the AL in homers was Albert Belle, who hit 50 in 1995.

Ramirez, in his last six games before the break, hit five homers with 11 RBI.

Francona: Cleveland Indians front office 'clutched up' in acquiring Brad Hand, Adam Cimber By Joe Noga, [email protected] ARLINGTON, Texas -- Manager Terry Francona says Thursday's trade that sent relievers Brad Hand and Adam Cimber from San Diego to Cleveland also sent a message to Indians players and fans.

In two of the last three seasons, when the Tribe's front office had to fill a need, they not only got a guy, they got "the guy."

"You think we're the only team that thought Brad Hand and [Adam] Cimber are good?" Francona quipped. "There's a lot of teams with a lot of money that think they're pretty good and we went out and got them. So, I think Cherney [GM Mike Chernoff] and Chris [Antonetti], if you like the Indians, you better go give them a pat on the back, because they clutched up." Hand brings 24 saves and a 3.05 ERA along with 65 strikeouts from the basement-dwelling Padres. Cimber's .482 OPS against right-handed hitters is stellar.

In one move, the Indians turned their perceived biggest weakness into a potential strength. Francona said he can't wait to get started integrating his newest bullpen pieces.

"They won't feel new for very long," Francona said. "We'll get them in there and get them going."

Francona said his biggest priority in adding Hand and Cimber to the bullpen is to keep their workloads even, along with Cody Allen.

"If that means flip-flopping sometimes, we can," Francona said. "Like, if there's three lefties coming up potentially in the ninth, it seems a little silly to pitch backwards."

Francona would still like Allen, for the most part, to close games and to use Hand and Cimber in more of a "fireman-type" role, because he sees them being effective in high-leverage situations.

With Oliver Perez also available as a match-up lefty, perhaps where before Francona was apprehensive to pull a starter early, he might be more willing to go out and get him five or six pitches sooner because there is somebody reliable in the bullpen to start the next frame.

"I was hesitant before, because then, OK, you've got to come back around in the eighth," he said. "Well, now we have another option." Hand says he is comfortable pitching in any situation, whether it's the seventh inning, eighth or closing in the ninth.

"Whenever [Francona] decides to put me in the game, I'm comfortable with it," Hand said. "I'm not going to come in here and try to do something different. Just going to keep doing what I've been doing, and whatever I can do to help out down there, that's what I'm going to do."

Hand had just 29 save opportunities with San Diego, the third-fewest chances in the National League. The 28-year-old lefty said he was a little surprised when he got the call during breakfast that he had been traded.

"Last year my name was talked about a lot in trades and it never ended up happening, so going into this year, I didn't really think it was going to happen," Hand said. "I guess they got a deal that was worth taking."

Cimber, who's had the chance to watch Hand up close since the start of the season, can't say enough about the veteran's poise and control.

"We always called him unflappable," Cimber said. "Good or bad, he's not going to show a lot of emotion. He's ready whenever the phone rings, and he's nasty.

Hand said Cimber, meanwhile, throws a completely different look at hitters with his sidearm delivery. "He came out of nowhere," Hand said. "He really wasn't expected to make the [Padres] out of spring training but pitched himself on to the team."

Cimber will be the first player in American League history to wear No. 90, the number he was issued in spring training that reminds him to work every day like a "minor-league grinder."

Francona told Cimber he sees him facing mostly right-handed hitters, but trusts that he can get lefties out, too.

"And I believe that," Cimber said. "I'm just going to take the ball whenever they tell me to, and try to get guys out."

Cleveland Indians outfielder Bradley Zimmer undergoes shoulder surgery By Joe Noga, [email protected] ARLINGTON, Texas -- Cleveland Indians outfielder Bradley Zimmer had surgery on his injured right shoulder Friday in Dallas and will not be available for the foreseeable future. Specialist Dr. Keith Meister performed the surgery and results were not immediately available from the team.

Manager Terry Francona said prior to the Tribe's series opener against the Texas Rangers that he hoped to have an update on how the surgery went soon from Indians medical staff.

Zimmer was placed on the minor-league disabled list June 16 after injuring his shoulder during a workout with Class AAA Columbus. He was optioned to the Clippers on June 5 after hitting .226 with two home runs and nine RBI in 34 games with the Indians, including a stint on the big- league DL.

Francona said he communicated with Zimmer via text on Thursday and is confident the young outfielder can return from the setback. "It's just missing the developmental time," Francona said. "But, OK, so if his clock changes a little bit, that doesn't mean he's not going to be a great player."

Zimmer injured the shoulder doing what Francona described as "one-handed drills" with the Clippers. He first experienced discomfort when he went to throw following the drills. The 25 year old missed 20 games in May with bruised ribs after crashing into the center field wall at Yankee Stadium chasing a double by Austin Romine.

"I don't know if there's [one cause]," Francona said. "He's never just come out and said there was one time where [he hurt the shoulder]."

Zimmer missed the final 19 games of the 2017 season and the playoffs after breaking his hand on a head-first dive into first base against Baltimore on Sep. 10.

Yandy Diaz, Melky Cabrera joining Cleveland Indians to start second half of season By Paul Hoynes, [email protected] CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Chris Antonetti, following the acquisition of relievers Brad Hand and Adam Cimber on Thursday from the Padres, said the Indians would make a "series of moves" to recalibrate the 25-man roster before opening the second half of the season on Friday night against Texas at Globe Life Park In Arlington.

Antonetti, the president of baseball operations, wasn't kidding.

The Indians will add Yandy Diaz and Melky Cabrera from Class AAA Columbus along with the newly acquired Hand and Cimber before the first pitch Friday night. To do so, they will or already have optioned right-hander Adam Plutko, left-hander Tyler Olson and outfielder Greg Allen to Columbus. Catching prospect Francisco Mejia, who was traded to San Diego for Hand and Cimber, created one of the openings on the 25-man roster when he was traded.

The Indians have another roster move coming in the next few days when they add right-hander Shane Bieber from Columbus. Bieber, optioned to Columbus so he could keep pitching during the All-Star break, pitched for the Clippers on Thursday night.

Bieber allowed two runs on three hits with five strikeouts and one walk in three innings against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He was followed by Andrew Miller, making his second rehab appearance, as he continues to test his sore right knee. Miller pitched one inning, allowing one run.

The rookie right-hander is scheduled to start against Pittsburgh on Tuesday at Progressive Field.

Cabrera was hitting .321 (25-for-78) with eight RBI for the Clippers. This will be his second tour with the Indians.

Diaz was hitting .284 (81-for-285) with two homers and 27 RBI for Columbus. This will be his first tour this season with the Indians. Diaz has played 10 games at first base, 62 at third base and 11 at DH this year.

‘It’s been an absolute dream’ for Jim Thome to be part of Baseball Hall of Fame By Jeff Schudel, The News-Herald & The Morning Journal Jim Thome, humble as ever, says his life really hasn’t changed since Jan. 24 when he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame the first time he was on the ballot.

That’s because he won’t let it change. The former Indians slugger — along with Chipper Jones, Jack Morris, Allen Trammell, Trevor Hoffman and Vladimir Guerrero — will be inducted into the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., on July 29. Thome hit 612 home runs, eighth most all-time, and walked 1,747 times — seventh most all-time. Thome, Babe Ruth, Mell Ott, Carl Yastrzemski, Ted Williams and Barry Bonds are the only players in baseball history to accumulate at least 1,700 walks and 1,699 RBI. So it isn’t like Thome isn’t overwhelmed and humbled about what he will soon experience. It’s just that he is so grounded he won’t let the honor inflate his ego.

“It’s been an absolute dream,” Thome said on July 20 on a conference call from Cooperstown. “... it’s truly been a great ride and continues to be that. “When you get elected into the Hall of Fame and you see the joy and excitement of what it brings to your family, friends and your coaches — all those great managers I got to play for. I don’t want to say my life has changed too much. I try to keep that pretty simple, but it’s been very special to share this with the ones you really care about, and the people that are genuinely good fans that are happy for you. That means so much.” Thome spent 13 of his 24 seasons in the Major Leagues with the Indians. He also played for the White Sox, Twins and Orioles in the American League plus the Phillies and Dodgers in the National League. Thome was part of the Indians lineup that made Jacobs Field a magical place to be more than 20 years ago. He was part of the team that lost the Word Series to the Braves in 1995 in six games and to the Marlins in 1997 in seven games. In all, the Indians made the playoffs six times during the stint Thome played for them from 1991-2002. Thome also played 22 games for the Indians in 2011 and recalled the warm reception he received.

“I’ll never forget those signs the fans made,” Thome said. “Not really knowing how I was going to be perceived when I came back, it felt very good. I felt welcomed. I felt the fans were ready to embrace coming back. For me, it was a huge part of my career that I got to go back and share that and go back to the original organization that took care of me for so many years and share that.

“It was a very special night. I’ll never forget the moment walking to home plate when my name was introduced and that standing ovation. It was incredible.”

LumberKings down Captains in series finale By David Glasier, The News-Herald Second baseman Richard Palacios is the latest addition to a Captains team with as many prominent Indians draft picks as have been on a Lake County roster at once in recent memory.

Palacios was taken in the third round of the June 2018 draft out of Towson University in Maryland. He was promoted to the Captains on July 20 from short-season Single-A Mahoning Valley.

The 21-year-old native of Brooklyn, N.Y., was in the lineup and batting second in the finale of a three-game series with the Clinton LumberKings at Classic Park.

He had a tough go of it against the visitors from Iowa, going hitless in four at-bats while grounding into two double plays. Palacios had plenty of company in futility. The Captains managed only three hits as the LumberKings posted a 5-0 victory to take the rubber game of the series.

The Captains slipped to 13-15 with the loss. Clinton, a Mariners affiliate, improved to 15-12.

It did not take long for the 5-foot-11, 180-pound Palacios to demonstrate he was ready to make the jump from Mahoning Valley to Lake County.

In 20 games for the Scrappers, he batted .411 (30-of-73) with five doubles, one triple, two home runs and 17 RBI. His .477 on-base percentage and .569 combined for an eye-popping 1.066 OPS.

Palacios comes from a baseball family.

His father, also named Richard, played professionally and reached Triple-A in the Tigers system. His uncle, Rey Palacios, played parts of three seasons with the Royals. His older brother, Joshua, was a college standout at Auburn and was selected by Toronto in the fourth round of the June 2016 draft. He is with the advanced Single-A Dunedin (Fla.) Blue Jays this season, batting .275 with five home runs and 48 RBI.

The other prominent draftees on the Lake County roster are right fielder Will Benson (first round, 2016), third baseman Nolan Jones (second round, 2016), starting pitcher Juan Hillman (second round, 2015) and relief pitcher (second round, 2018).

Benson is having a rugged go of it this season. In 85 games, he’s batting .168 with 14 home runs, 33 RBI and a team-high 106 strikeouts 286 at-bats.

Jones has been solid all season. He’s batting .276 with 13 home runs and 43 RBI.

Hillman (3-10, 5.10 ERA) started and took the loss in the series finale against Clinton. He surrendered two runs on five hits in five innings. In an up-and-down season for the 21-year-old left-hander from Florida. In 19 starts covering 97 innings, he has notched 83 strikeouts and issued 35 walks.

Sandlin (0-0, 1.42 ERA) has been effective in six relief appearances since being promoted on June 30 to Lake County from rookie-league Arizona. In six appearances covering 6 1/3 innings, he has 10 strikeouts without issuing no walks.

Indians get a Hand when new relievers join them after break By Stephen Hawkins, The Associated Press ARLINGTON, Texas >> All-Star closer Brad Hand kept hearing his name in trade talk last year, when the lefty ended up staying with the Padres and got a new contract during the offseason.

This time, Hand has switched teams and could have a bit of a different role than the one he had in the National League.

“Going into this year, I didn’t really think it was going to happen after last year,” Hand said July 20 in the Indians’ clubhouse. “So I was obviously a little bit surprised. But my name was out there and talked about. ... (The Padres) got a deal worth taking.” Hand and rookie right-handed sidearmer Adam Cimber joined the AL Central-leading Indians in time for the first game after the All-Star break, and both pitched against the Rangers. Cleveland traded switch-hitting catching prospect Francisco Mejia to the Padres on Thursday to get the two relievers.

Joey Gallo hit his 23rd homer, a towering, two-run drive to right-center in the seventh that got the Rangers within 7-6 when he was the first batter to face Hand in an Indians uniform.

Hand retired his next three batters and was followed by Cimber, who gave up a one-out single before inducing a double-play grounder to end the eighth.

Cody Allen worked the ninth, but gave up solo homers on consecutive pitches to Robinson Chirinos and Gallo for an 8-8 tie that sent the game to extra innings. It was only Allen’s second blown save in 22 chances this season.

Cleveland manager Terry Francona had told both new relievers before the game that he planned to get them in quickly and they “won’t feel new for very long.” Francona also spoke with Hand about his role after the lefty had 24 saves in 29 chances for the Padres.

The Indians have been without left-handed reliever Andrew Miller, a two-time All-Star, since late May because of right knee inflammation. But they do still have Allen to close games.

“I told (Hand) my biggest thing is, keep their workloads even. If that means flip-flopping sometimes, we can,” Francona said. “I’d like for the most part for Cody to close games for us, and use Hand and Cimber more in relief, fireman-type, because I think we can leverage them.”

Hand said he is comfortable pitching in whatever role Francona chooses for him.

Miller is scheduled to make his third minor league rehab appearance Sunday. Francona said Miller will probably need to pitch at least two or three more times before being activated, but he is making good progress.

“He’s working on his pitching, and he’s not so much thinking about his knee and where he’s landing and things like that,” Francona said. “He’s definitely trending in the right way.”

Miller and Allen are eligible for free agency after this season. Hand is in the first year of a $19.75 million, three-year contract he signed with the Padres in the offseason that includes a team option for 2021. Cimber is also under long-term control.

Hand and Cimber went from the bottom of the NL West standings into first place with the Indians, who lost in the Division Series to the New York Yankees last season after losing a seven-game World Series to the Chicago Cubs in 2016.

“Just going to try to do whatever I can to help out,” said Hand, who has never been to the playoffs during a career spent with the Marlins (2011- 15) and Padres (2016-18). “Obviously they’re in first place right now. It’s going to be fun for sure.”

Indians win in 11th at Texas after debuting new relievers By Stephen Hawkins, The Associated Press ARLINGTON, Texas >> Edwin Encarnacion had an RBI single in the 11th inning to lift Cleveland to a 9-8 victory over the Rangers, when the AL Central-leading Indians debuted their two new relievers.

Jose Ramirez, who earlier in the game hit his major league-leading 30th homer, led off the 11th with a double off the right-center field wall against Matt Moore (1-6). Encarnacion followed with a single to right, though he was thrown out trying to get an extra base. The Rangers had the bases loaded with no outs in the 10th after three consecutive singles to start the inning against Zach McAllister (1-2), the seventh Indians pitcher. Elvis Andrus was retired on a force at home on a fielder’s choice grounder before Robinson Chirinos and Joey Gallo — whose back-to-back homers off closer Cody Allen with two outs in the ninth had tied the game — both struck out.

Dan Otero then worked a perfect 11th for his first save in three chances. Gallo homered twice, giving him 24 for the season. His two-run blast to right-center in the seventh got the Rangers within 7-6 when he was the first batter to face Brad Hand, the Indians’ newly acquired All-Star reliever.

Hand, who was the closer for the Padres, and rookie right-handed sidearmer Adam Cimber were traded from San Diego on Thursday. Hand retired his three batters and was followed by Cimber, who gave up a one-out single before inducing a double-play grounder that ended the eighth.

Allen, who had only one blown save in his 21 chances before the All-Star break, got the first two outs in the ninth before the two long balls sent the game to extra innings.

Shin-Soo Choo, the only All-Star this season for the Rangers, singled in each of his first two at-bats to extend his majors-best on-base streak to 52 games.

With a temperature of 107 degrees at first pitch, it was the hottest start ever for game at the Rangers ballpark, which is in its 25th season. It was still 92 degrees when the game ended 4 hours and 48 minutes later — just a few minutes before midnight. The only hotter game in the majors this season was July 7, at 108 degrees when the Los Angeles Angels threw their first pitch against the Dodgers.

All-Star right-hander Trevor Bauer had a season-high five walks and allowed nine hits, and was pulled after three consecutive singles to start the fifth. Bauer struck out seven. He also started Sunday in Cleveland’s last game, and didn’t pitch in the All-Star Game.

Choo’s 52-game streak reaching base is the longest in the majors since Kevin Millar’s 52-gamer for Baltimore in 2007, and doesn’t include his single in the All-Star Game on Tuesday night. It is the longest single-season streak in Rangers history. Will Clark reached in 59 consecutive games in 1995-96.

To make room on the active roster for Hand and Cimber, the Indians optioned outfielder Greg Allen, right-hander Adam Plutko and lefty Tyler Olson to Triple-A Columbus. Cleveland also recalled 3B Yandy Diaz from Columbus and brought back OF Melky Cabrera.

Indians >> OF Bradley Zimmer’s right shoulder surgery was performed Friday by Rangers team physician Dr. Keith Meister. Zimmer hit .226 with nine RBI in 34 games with the Indians before getting sent down to Triple-A on June 5. ... OF Lonnie Chisenhall, out since July 3 with a severe right calf injury, was transferred to 60-day disabled list.

Rangers >> RF Nomar Mazara was put on the 10-day DL, retroactive to Tuesday, because of a sprained right thumb. He hurt the thumb on his glove hand on a defensive play when he last played, Saturday at Baltimore.

Bartolo Colon made his major league debut with the Cleveland Indians in 1997. Now 45 and with the Rangers, his 11th team, Colon makes his third attempt at his 246th career win to break a tie with Dennis Martinez for the most in the majors by a native of Latin America. Colon (5-7) faces RHP Carlos Carrasco (11-5).

Pregame minutiae: Tito, Hand, Cimber by Jordan Bastian Prior to Friday’s game against the Rangers, new Indians relievers Brad Hand and Adam Cimber met with reporters. Manager Terry Francona also held his daily briefing to discuss their arrival, among other topics. Here are the highlights.

Q: Did you get a chance to sit down with Hand and Cimber?

Francona: “Yeah, they both came in. I just told them hello and welcomed them and just kind of gave them the basics. I told them they won’t feel new for very long. We’ll get them in there and get them going. I talked to Hand about roles. He’s kind of along the same lines as Cody [Allen], where he’s like, ‘Hey, I just want to pitch.’ And I told him my biggest thing is to keep their workloads even. If that means flip-flopping sometimes, we can. Like, if there’s three lefties coming up potentially in the ninth, it seems a little silly to pitch backwards. I still, I would like for the most part for Cody to close games for us and use Hand and Cimber more in that fireman-type [role], because I think we can leverage them. But again, I want to keep their workloads even.”

Q: Is that the ideal situation for you? Having two pitchers of that caliber to match-up with in the late innings?

Francona: “Well, and on top of that, Oliver Perez is a guy you leverage. So now, if we’re at the sixth inning — the end of the sixth inning — and a guy’s up over 100 [pitches]… And I was hesitant before, because then, OK, you’ve got to come back around in the eighth. Well, now we have another option. So, you may see a starter come out maybe five, six pitches before you would’ve before, because I think we have an answer coming around the next time.”

Q: How’s Andrew Miller doing?

Francona: “He’s doing good. He pitched his second game on Thursday. He’s going to pitch again Sunday. Then, we’ll get home and kind of visit with him. I mean, he probably needs to pitch at least two or three more times — that’s probably being conservative. But, the good news is he’s working on his pitching and he’s not so much thinking about his knee and where he’s landing and things like that. So, he’s definitely trending in the right way.”

Q: Do you have an update on Bradley Zimmer?

Francona: “Yeah. He’s having [right shoulder] surgery today actually in town here with Dr. Meister. So, we do not have any news yet on him, but James [Quinlan, head athletic trainer], I’m hopeful, will have something here pretty soon.”

Q: It’s been a tough year for Zimmer…

Francona: “I feel so bad for him. I was texting with him last night. He’s such a good kid. I don’t have any doubt — he’ll come back from this. He’s not a pitcher. It’s just missing the developmental time. But, OK, so if his clock changes a little bit, that doesn’t mean he’s not going to be a great player.”

Q: Were you ever able to pinpoint when exactly he injured the shoulder? Does this date back to the crash into the wall in Yankee Stadium?

Francona: “No. When he felt it was doing those one-handed drills [at Triple-A in early June]. Now, did he do it then? I don’t think he knows. Then, when he went to throw, he felt it. So, I don’t know if there’s [one cause]. He’s never just come out and said there was one time where [he hurt the shoulder].” Q: Has Corey Kluber resumed throwing? Francona: “Oh yeah. He continued to do pretty much everything. All he needed to do was take a day down [after the gel injection in his right knee] and he did that. And that was part of why I wanted just to tell the truth, just so he could go through the All-Star Game. People would be seeing him throwing and now be questioning him and things like that. I wanted him to be able to enjoy himself and not be looking over his shoulder and things like that.”

Q: What kind of message do you hope the trade for Hand and Cimber send to the players and Indians fans? Francona: “It’s real. I mean, it’s not just what they’re going to do on the field. That’s important, but it’s real. I think maybe the way to look at it is you hear, because we’re in Cleveland all the time, you hear the people like, ‘Why don’t we go get this guy? And why don’t we go get this guy?’ Well, in two out of the last three years [we made a blockbuster trade]. You think we’re the only team that thought Brad Hand and Cimber are good? There’s a lot of teams with a lot of money that think they’re pretty good and we went out and got them. So, I think Cherney [GM Mike Chernoff] and Chris [Antonetti, Indians president of baseball operations], if you like the Indians, you better go give them a pat on the back, because they clutched up.”

Q: You guys have to make a move Tuesday to add Shane Bieber, so Yandy Diaz’s time here could be short, but what’s the plan for using him?

Francona: “It could be fairly quick. I just thought against the guy tonight [lefty Martin Perez] there’s no reason not to play him. And I told Yonder [Alonso] he’d be right back in there tomorrow. He’s been playing. He didn’t have his three days off, so hopefully his timing will be right there, ready to go.”

Q: It’s been a crazy couple of days for you. Has the trade sunk in yet?

Hand: “Not yet. I’m sure once I get out there, get on the field. I’ll try to meet everybody, get to know everybody’s names. I’m just trying to get comfortable.”

Q: What’s it like joining a team in the thick of a playoff chase?

Hand: “It’s going to be fun. I’m just going to do everything I can to try do whatever I can and help out. They’re in first place right now. It’s going to be fun for sure.”

Q: What did Francona tell you about your role?

Hand: “I’m comfortable pitching in any situation. Whether it’s the seventh, eighth or ninth, I’ll be ready to go. Whenever he decides to put me in the game, I’m comfortable with it.”

Q: Where were you when you got the news that you’d been traded?

Hand: “I was in D.C. We were going to open up in Philly, so we just went to a hotel around there and hung out with the family around there. Got a call when we were at breakfast. [We were] trying to get everything figured out and flew out this morning to come here.”

Q: Does it help your comfort level to have Cimber come with you here to a new team?

Hand: “Bringing Adam with me, [it helps] for sure. I’ve been with him for the first half of the season. It was my first time meeting him this season. Having a guy that I’ve been around a little bit helps out for sure.”

Q: Your name had been in trade rumors, so were you mentally prepared for this?

Hand: “I was a little surprised. Last year I thought my name was talked about a lot in trades and it never ended up happening. So, going into this year, I didn’t really think it was going to happen after last year I was obviously a little bit surprised, but at the end of the day, my name was out there and it was talked about, so I guess they got a deal that was worth taking.”

Q: Who was behind the quick Photoshop job for your Twitter profile picture? You had yourself in an Indians uniform fast…

Hand: “Somebody sent it to me on Twitter. I don’t know who it was. Some guy sent it over and I threw it up there.”

Q: What can you tell us about Cimber?

Hand: “Just a completely different look and he throws hard from [a sidearm slot]. He’s a big part of that bullpen we had there in San Diego. He came out of nowhere. Really wasn’t expected to make the team out of Spring Training, but pitched himself on to the team. Pitched really well. We’re happy to have him here now.”

Q: Is there much of a difference moving from the NL to the AL?

Hand: “It’s going to be different. Its going to be a bunch of guys I haven’t faced a lot. I just faced these guys [Texas]. It’s not as frequent. I’ll be facing the guys in the A.L. Central now. I’ll see a lot of those guys. I’ll have to do a little homework, do a little scouting report and try to get to know them a little better.”

Q: When did you find out about the trade? Cimber: “Yesterday morning. I woke up to a missed call from [Padres GM] A.J. Preller and immediately after listening to the message I was like, ‘The GM doesn’t call you unless something’s up, so this will be interesting.’ He told me right after that. Went and did a little light workout at the field, packed my bags, packed the apartment and got on a flight.”

Q: Were you surprised to be traded?

Cimber: “Definitely. I wasn’t expecting it. There was a lot of talk about Brad and some of the other relievers we’ve got there. So yeah, it was a little bit of a shock. But I’m pumped to be here.”

Q: What helped you turn the corner this year?

Cimber: “Last spring they had me stay back in extended spring. They told me they wanted me to get lefties a little better. Once I took the blow and took the ego check and said, ‘OK, I’m going to get better,’ and started focusing on a lot of other things in my life that I wanted to be, as opposed to being a baseball player. That kind of reality check: ‘What am I going to be outside of baseball?’ I started praying a lot more. Started playing on guitar a lot more. I started working on relationships and once I took that step back and realized that baseball is not in my control, it’s in God’s control, and let it happen, that’s really what helped me free up.

“I did a little video work and looked at Darren O’Day to see how he attacks lefties and attacks righties. Just a combination of everything. Taking a step back from the game and also really focusing on getting myself better. Being free and attacking after that.”

Q: How much does it help to have Brad coming to Cleveland with you?

Cimber: “It’s definitely a plus. When I heard he was coming, it was a big breath of fresh air. It’s nice to know somebody here. Obviously I’m going to need to know all these guys. I’m looking forward to that. But on Day 1, it’s nice to have somebody that’s a veteran in a bullpen that you’ve been a part of who can take you under his wing. I’m just looking forward to going through it with him.”

Q: Why do you wear No. 90? Cimber: “That’s the number they gave me in Spring Training. They always give the big numbers to the guys that are probably going to be out first. Making the team, they asked me what number I wanted and I was like, ‘I’ll take a Minor League grinder number. I’ll stick with 90.’”

Q: What stands out about Hand? Cimber: “A lot. You can’t say enough about his stuff. He’s got nasty stuff and his mentality, we always called him unflappable. Good or bad, he’s not going to show a lot of emotion. He’s ready whenever the phone rings. He’s nasty.”

Q: There are two ways to view a trade. You can view it as the Padres got rid of you or the Indians really wanted you. How have you processed this mentally? Cimber: “I’m still working through it. My head’s still spinning. I’m honored that the Indians wanted me. I had a great time in San Diego, and I’ve still got a lot of love for the teammates and fans and everybody there. But I’m really excited for a new opportunity and meeting a new baseball family.”

Q: From your talk with Francona, how do you expect to be used here? Cimber: “We had a quick conversation. They told me they see me as getting righties out, but trust that I can get lefties out, too. And I believe that, too. I’m just going to take the ball whenever they tell me to, and try to get guys out.”

Q: Is there a way to quickly sum up the approach you focused on in an effort to get better against left-handed batters?

Cimber: “Being less predictable. Going into the last few years, I’ve always been told by coaches and I’ve been telling myself, that I can’t get lefties out, because sidearmers aren’t supposed to get lefties out. Whenever a lefty came up, I’d pitch around him. I’d pitch safe and try to get to a righty. I was going down and away and I got too predictable. Once I took a step back, I saidm , ‘Whatever is going to happen is going to happen, I’m just going to attack them.’ I came up with a game plan, started using different parts of the zone, using off speed a little more to them. I said, ‘I’m going to attack them like I would a righty and I’m not going to be afraid.’”

RailRiders 5, Clippers 1 | Clippers suffer defeat after rain-delayed start By Mark Znidar Rain pushed back the start of the Clippers game against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre by 45 minutes, and it might have been a good idea had the grounds crew just kept the tarpaulin on the field.

Teams from the International League North have roughed up Columbus all season in winning five of seven series, and the RailRiders are within one victory of making it six in eight in this four-game series.

Luis Cessa gave up two hits, didn’t walk a batter and struck out nine in six innings and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre hit three solo home runs in smacking the Clippers 5-1 before 7,775 on Friday night at Huntington Park.

Columbus lost two of three games to North Division-leading Lehigh Valley before this series.

Cessa struck out four of the first six batters he faced and didn’t allow a hit until Drew Maggi singled to left-center with one out in the fourth. Brandon Barnes followed with a single to left, but Eric Haase and Adam Rosales struck out to end the inning.

Clippers starter Adam Wilk has been a dependable innings eater all season, but it was not his night. He gave up home runs to Abiatal Avelino leading off the second, Rey Navarro leading off the fourth and Tyler Austin with one out in the fifth.

In the third, the RailRiders scored two runs on a single to right by Mike Ford and a groundout by Avelino.

Cessa (3-0) has an interesting story. He was signed as an international free agent in 2011 out of Mexico by the New York Mets. At the time he was an infielder and pitcher, but quickly was converted into a starter.

When the Mets acquired Yoenis Cespedes in 2015, Detroit received Cessa and pitcher Michael Fulmer as part of the deal. Five months later, the Yankees got Cessa and pitcher Chad Green from the Tigers for pitcher Justin Wilson. Cessa has pitched in 33 major league games, with 16 starts, and has a 5-8 record. This season, he has thrown 15 innings and struck out 13 in six major league games, two of them starts.

The Clippers scored when led off the eighth with a walk, went to second on a , to third on a groundout by Mike Papi and scored on a single to center by Todd Hankins. Chang got a second chance during his at-bat when Austin, the first baseman, dropped a popup in foul territory.

Columbus had better find a way to defeat teams from the North with two more games remaining in this series with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and a six-game road trip through Pawtucket and Lehigh Valley coming up. Lehigh Valley has the best record in the league.

There was a lot of action for the Clippers before the game with third baseman Yandy Diaz and outfielder Melky Cabrera being promoted to Cleveland and pitcher Adam Plutko being sent down.

That marks 168 moves on the season with 43 games remaining. The team had 218 player moves last season.

RubberDucks’ versatile Tyler Krieger extends hit streak to 15 games by Beacon Journal/Ohio.com Any coach will tell you they love to work with athletes who are open to instruction and willing to make adjustments in order to improve.

RubberDucks manager Tony Mansolino has a roster full of minor league players who fit that description, and near the top of that list is 24-year- old Tyler Krieger, who has started in left field, center field and second base, and as a designated hitter.

Krieger, in the midst of his best stretch of the season, extended his hitting streak to 15 games on Friday against the Richmond Flying Squirrels at Canal Park.

“I am just trying to make some adjustments with some mechanical things and then with some approach stuff,” Krieger said. “Specifically, I am working on my direction with Kevin Howard, our hitting coach. I am just trying to let the ball travel [into the hitting zone], be patient and stick with my approach, and things have been good so hopefully we can continue to play well and make the playoffs.”

The Ducks (57-40) entered Friday in first place in the Eastern League Western Division.

Krieger, who is 6-foot-2 and 170 pounds, started his current hitting streak on July 2. During the first 14 games of the streak, he hit .368 (21-for- 57).

“He is swinging at the pitches he needs to swing at and not trying to do too much,” Mansolino said. “He is understanding the type of hitter he needs to be and accepting that and maximizing it.”

The Indians drafted Krieger out of Clemson in the fourth round of the 2015 draft. He opened this season as the No. 23 prospect in the Indians minor league organization, according to , and is listed as the club’s No. 25 prospect on MLB.com.

Krieger’s season includes a 5-for-5 performance with two home runs and four RBI on June 17 at Reading. He batted .293 (24-for-82) in 24 games in June with three home runs, 11 RBI and 19 runs, and in his first 15 games of July hit .350 (21-for-60) with 10 RBI and seven runs.

“I believe in my abilities,” said Krieger, who was born in Laguna Hills, Calif., and resides in Johns Creek, Ga., in the offseason. “You just gotta keep working in this game. You never know when things can turn, so if you keep a positive mindset and keep working on your craft everyday good things can happen for you. It is a long season.”

And games like the one the Ducks played on Thursday can make it feel even longer. The Ducks beat the Flying Squirrels 12-11 in game that featured 27 hits, six lead changes, three ties, six home runs, five doubles, three triples and two errors.

“That game was nuts,” Krieger said of the three-hour and 14-minute contest that ended with the Ducks scoring two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning for a walk-off win.

Bobby Bradley tied the score at 11-11 with a solo home run and Connor Marabell followed with a single, advanced to third on an and scored the game-winning run when Mark Mathias lifted a to right field.

John Riley, Jeff Arnold and Caleb Gindl each hit a homer for the Squirrels, and Willi Castro, Marabell and Bradley powered the ball over the fence for the Ducks. Marabell had three hits, four runs and one RBI. Castro, Logan Ice and Andrew Calica combined for six hits, five runs and seven RBI.

“We were fortunate to get some big swings from some guys.,” Krieger said.

Indians mailbag: Some options to acquire an outfielder, Cody Allen as the closer and Carlos Carrasco’s role in the postseason by Ryan Lewis The Indians are cruising in their division but still have work to do to chase down the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Houston Astros. Considering their contention window and status as contenders in the American League, the looming trade deadline stands as a crucial time for the Indians front office, which already pulled off a significant deal to close the gap with the other contenders in the AL.

The Indians answered the main question among fans this week by dealing for relievers Brad Hand and Adam Cimber from the San Diego Padres in exchange for top prospect Francisco Mejia. In doing so, they addressed the biggest need on the roster and bolstered the bullpen in 2018 and beyond. Some questions, though, still remain as to the Indians’ next move.

Have a question for a future mailbag? They can always be submitted via Twitter @RyanLewisABJ and via email [email protected]. And, as always, thanks to those who submitted questions this time around.

Q: While I like this trade, the Indians still need to address the outfield issue. How about Adam Jones and Mychal Givens from the Orioles? Adam Duvall from the Reds? I think this is the missing link to another World Series appearance? — Jim

A: Jones and Duvall do make up a pretty large share of the potential outfield market among selling teams, which is very light. Jones would only be a rental. He’s been borderline atrocious in center field defensively (-17 DRS) but should at least provide league-average offense and some stability to the position. He’s certainly an option, but only if the Indians pay for the performance alone and not the name. Either the prospect return needs to be fairly light, or the Orioles need to cover some of Jones’ remaining salary, or both.

Duvall has had a down year with his traditional numbers (.204 average, namely) but has still been hitting the ball hard (37.3 hard-hit percentage, 21.5 line-drive percentage, both higher than 2017). He would be much higher on the target list as a controllable power hitter (albeit with a much higher expected price tag to acquire him as well). He has almost exclusively played left field and would require the Indians to shuffle somebody around, but Duvall would have two months to get a handle on right field, twice as long as Jason Kipnis had to take on center field prior to the postseason a year ago.

If the Indians can find a match with value, a move to upgrade the lineup and that outfield group would be a nice second course to this week’s bullpen-bolstering entree.

Q: Should Carlos Carrasco be moved to the bullpen permanently and pitch all relief innings other than the 9th? — @NSantalucia

A: It’s an interesting idea to have Carrasco’s stuff play up in a bullpen role and have that dynamic option available in October, but the Indians need his innings as a starter in a postseason series. Carrasco did recently pitch an inning of relief, as he had in the past, with some success. But, with Corey Kluber, Carrasco, Trevor Bauer and , the Indians can finally enter a postseason without feeling shorthanded in their rotation. As long as those four are healthy and pitching as they have, the positives don’t outweigh the cons to having somebody — even Bauer — start on short rest by choice.

Q: In order for the Indians to go anywhere in the playoffs, don’t they need a different closer? Allen’s [4.66] ERA is not going to get the Tribe back to the World Series. — George

A: Allen has certainly not been quite as sharp in the first half of this season as he has been in the past, but there are a lot of teams who would prefer Allen over their current option at closer. Don’t forget—it was actually Allen, not Andrew Miller, who didn’t allow a single in the 2016 postseason.

Once Miller returns, the Indians bullpen becomes more dynamic to a pretty severe degree, and the additions of Hand and Cimber have also elevated that group. The bullpen has had a tough season, but it’s trending in the right direction. Allen will have to play a major role in that.

Q: Why is everyone so hell bent on replacing Cody Allen after having ONE bad week? It’s as if they think he’s the only closer in the history of baseball to have a rough week. — Nicholas

A: Hey man, tell that to George.

Q: How much longer until the inevitable DFA of Josh Tomlin? He just doesn’t seem to have anything left. — Curtis

A: There’s no way around it — Tomlin has had a disastrous 2018 season. But that type of a decision can be delayed. Tomlin is on the 10-day disabled list with a strained hamstring, so he can remain on the roster without taking up a spot for now. If he stays there until September, he could supply some insurance in the bullpen once rosters expand, and the Indians can see if he can figure things out. There’s no real benefit to designating him at the moment.

Q: What is the status of Ryan Merritt? I would like to see him in the bullpen, if not the rotation. I think he still has plenty of upside. — Michael

A: Merritt was recently activated off the disabled list with knee and shoulder issues and then designated for assignment, as the club had run out of time with his rehab assignment schedule. Merritt tried to pitch through some knee trouble this spring, and it sounds like it only made things worse as he attempted to compensate with his delivery. Indians manager Terry Francona recently indicated that Merritt’s velocity — which was already on the lower end for major-league pitchers — had dipped.

Merritt will always have a feverish following after his gutsy start in Game 5 of the 2016 American League Championship Series in Toronto that sent the Indians to the World Series, but he also needs to be healthy for a stretch to get back on track before getting another shot in the majors.

By the Numbers: The meaningful (or completely random) data behind the Indians’ first half T.J. Zuppe Jul 20, 2018 2 Of all the meaningful, random and fun numbers from the first half, the most impactful may have been the Indians’ 5.28 relief , the second-highest ERA of any bullpen in the majors.

The performance of the non-starters, combined with injuries to Andrew Miller and Nick Goody, not only led to a handful of gut-punch defeats, but it also reinforced the need for the club to upgrade their relievers prior to October.

To fortify the tattered and torn group, the Indians dealt their top prospect, Francisco Mejía, to the Padres for dominant lefty Brad Hand and side- winder Adam Cimber. The immediate impact the pair is expected to have in the bullpen — not to mention the fact Andrew Miller might return within the next several weeks — should turn the weakness into a near strength, giving Terry Francona at least six arms he can trust with the game on the line.

But what about the rest of the first half? We saw some incredible individual performances and witnessed no shortage of oddities. As the Tribe prepares to open the second half in Arlington, Texas, let’s take a look at the numbers and data that defined the games before the All-Star break.

Special thanks to Brooks Baseball, Baseball Savant and FanGraphs for the research and data we compiled. All highest and lowest numbers were researched among the data recorded by MLB Statcast this season.

Hardest hit ball: Francisco Lindor (114.5 mph)

Lindor’s single to left off of Royals pitcher Brian Flynn on May 13 serves as the club’s fastest exit velocity of the first half. To this point, just 41 balls have been hit at least 114 mph in 2018.

Most balls hit 110 mph or faster: Lindor (10)

Lindor has registered six more than the next closest Indians hitter, Roberto Pérez. Lindor went 8 for 10 on balls with an exit velocity of at least 110 mph, including three doubles and this 445-foot homer May 3 against the Royals, the longest homer of the Tribe first half. Highest average exit velocity: Erik González (91.1 mph – min. 60 results)

The highest average exit velocity in the first half didn’t belong to Lindor. It wasn’t José Ramírez or Edwin Encarnacion. It didn’t come from Michael Brantley or Yan Gomes. The highest average exit velo on the club belonged to González, the utility man who posted a .297/.333/.429 slash line in 96 plate appearances. Sure, a .406 on balls in play seems unsustainable, but a 40 percent hard-hit rate and 24.6 percent line drive rate should be rewarded, shouldn’t they?

Highest average exit velocity: Shane Bieber (94.1 mph – min. 1 result)

Bieber’s double in St. Louis, the pitcher’s first major-league hit, was also the hardest hit ball by a Tribe hurler this season. After the game, The Athletic asked the young pitcher whose bat he used to plug the gap. Bieber smiled and replied, “I don’t know, whichever one they gave me.” Fastest exit velocity on a home run: Yonder Alonso (112.3 mph)

Yonder Alonso’s fourth home run of the season also became the 93rd ball to reach Eutaw Street in Baltimore. The Indians have hit seven balls onto Eutaw Street since Camden Yards opened in 1992. “I was just trying to get a good pitch to hit, man,” Alonso said. Hardest hit ball that produced an out: Lindor (113.5 mph)

Lindor smoked a ball back to Cubs pitcher Tyler Chatwood on April 24. Chatwood turned the scorched comeback into a groundout.

Softest hit ball that produced a base hit: Bradley Zimmer (24.6 mph)

In that same game, Bradley Zimmer reached on a single. Chatwood wasn’t able to turn that dribbler into an out.

Biggest gap in wOBA and xwOBA: Edwin Encarnacion (-0.057)

While no metric is perfect, expected weighted on-base average attempts to quantify the type of performance a hitter should earn based on their plate discipline and quality and frequency of contact. When compared with their actual wOBA, the metric gives us a better understanding of whether the player is exceeding or underperforming their real production. Based on that, Encarnacion has been the most unlucky hitter on the club, posting an xwOBA of .386 compared with his actual wOBA of .329. Jason Kipnis gets a not-so-honorable mention here, suffering through a .049 point gap and .258 BABIP.

Highest xwOBA: José Ramírez (.412)

Given his impressive first half, it’s no surprise that Ramírez (.302/.401/.628, 29 homers) leads the club in expected weighted on-base average, Statcast’s blend of walks, strikeouts, exit velocity and launch angle. The American League’s starting third baseman in the All-Star Game ranked 11th in xwOBA in the first half. His teammate, Lindor, is right on his heels, owning a .411 xwOBA.

Highest WAR (via FanGraphs): Ramírez (6.5)

So, about that MVP race being over … Perhaps the most impressive part of Ramírez’s chase of Mike Trout for baseball’s highest WAR (the two are currently tied) is the fact Ramírez has almost equaled his entire WAR total from last year (6.7). Mookie Betts of the Red Sox also heads into the break with a 6.5 WAR total.

Lowest pitch smacked for a base hit: Tyler Naquin

Facing Raisel Iglesias of the Reds on July 10, Naquin slapped a looping liner at 66.7 mph into left field for a base hit. Highest pitch smacked for a base hit: José Ramírez

On the other end of the spectrum, Ramírez turned this offering from John Brebbia of the Cardinals into a line drive single into right field June 27. Most balls thrown at least 97 mph: Trevor Bauer (18) According to Brooks Baseball, Bauer’s 95.35 mph average on his four-seam fastball is the fastest of his career. The fastest pitch Bauer threw in the first half was a 98 mph heater to Niko Goodrum of the Tigers on June 8. That is also the fastest pitch any Tribe hurler fired in the first half. Slowest pitch on a strikeout: Josh Tomlin (72.9 mph)

Tomlin didn’t have much success at all in the first half, getting booted from the rotation in May and eventually landing on the DL before the break, but his 72.9 mph curveball to Kole Calhoun on April 3 was the slowest pitch to record a strikeout this season. Overall, the slowest pitch to induce a swinging-strike was Matt Belisle’s 72.2 mph curve to Nicholas Castellanos on April 12.

Fastest pitch on a strikeout: Bauer (97.5 mph)

Bauer’s called strikeout of Aaron Judge on May 5 registered 97.5 mph. The fastest pitch to induce a swinging-strike was Neil Ramírez’s 97.6 mph heater to Jeimer Candelario on June 9.

Lowest exit velocity on an opposing homer (Mike Clevinger vs. George Springer – 89.7 mph)

According to MLB Statcast, just three homers have been surrendered on balls hit under 90 mph this season. Two of them were inside-the- parkers. Clevinger was victimized May 18 by the Crawford Boxes, the short porch in left field at Minute Maid Park. Springer’s blast traveled a projected 369 feet. Prior to this year, a ball struck with the same exit velocity and launch angle (32 degrees) produced just two homers in the Statcast era. Most pitches thrown in a game: Bauer (127)

Bauer’s only appearance against the Astros led to a 7 1/3-inning effort, an outing that spiraled out of control once the righty exited the game May 27, a game the Tribe ultimately won 10-9. Of course, Bauer wears his league best pitch-per-game average (109.4) as a badge of honor. “Whatever. I just like to pitch,” he said before the All-Star break.

Fastest average pop time on throws to second: Yan Gomes (1.94 seconds)

Gomes owns the fourth-fastest pop time (MLB.com defines as the time elapsed from the moment the pitch hits the catcher’s mitt to the moment the intended fielder is projected to receive his throw at the center of the base) among with at least five throws to second base. While the average velocity on his throws (80.6 mph) puts him in the bottom half of the league, only four catchers have gotten rid of the ball faster than Gomes on average (0.67 seconds) — and remember, that metric doesn’t factor in accuracy — helping to give him the third-best rate (31.6 percent) among qualified backstops.Longest stretch without a walk: Corey Kluber (46 1/3 innings)

Kluber entered the break in a bit of a funk — he held an ERA above 5.00 over the six starts prior to the All-Star Game — but the bad stretch and need for a knee injection shouldn’t take away from the impressive walkless stretch he carried in early May to mid-June. In the six starts between walks, he posted a 1.06 ERA in 41 1/3 innings, striking out 46 and yielding an opposing OPS of .540.

Highest swinging-strike rate: Neil Ramírez (16.3 percent)

Ramírez’s out-of-nowhere ascension to trusted relief territory came at a needed time for a burning bullpen, giving Terry Francona an arm he could trust beyond running Cody Allen into oblivion. Ramírez owns the highest swinging-strike rate on the staff and is currently riding a run of 21 appearances where he’s allowed just three runs (1.47 ERA) over 18 1/3 innings, striking out 21.

Lowest average exit velocity allowed: Oliver Pérez (85.2 mph)

Now, take everything said about Ramírez and sub in Pérez, who has provided much of the same from the left side of the platoon split. Since signing with the Tribe — he opted out from a minor-league deal with the Yankees on June 1 — the veteran reliever has given up just one run in 13 innings, limiting left-handed batters to a .340 OPS. His average exit velocity demonstrates just how difficult it has been for opposing hitters to square him up.

Combined outfield WAR between center and right field (0.4)

Michael Brantley has been the stabilizing presence of the outfield — remember when some of us had concerns about his ability to stay on the field? — but beyond Brantley, the rest of the group remains in constant flux. Injuries to Lonnie Chisenhall and Bradley Zimmer have complicated things, paving the way for another potential deal prior to July 31.

How the revamped Indians bullpen might look come October

Zack Meisel Jul 20, 2018 23 The greatest beneficiary of the Indians’ bullpen-bolstering blockbuster might be Terry Francona. The manager who turned heads two years ago when he deployed Andrew Miller and others at somewhat unconventional times now has a few new levers to pull when the pressure rises.

Once Miller returns from the disabled list — he has two appearances under his belt at Class AAA Columbus — Francona will have six relievers he can trust. And that number should swell once October arrives and teams reconfigure their pitching staffs to capitalize on the postseason schedule.

Wait, isn’t this the same bullpen that ranks next-to-last in ERA and ranks first in headaches caused? Isn’t it the same bullpen that is (unofficially) responsible for boosting sales of Rolaids and Jim Beam in Northeast Ohio?

One trade can make quite a difference, especially when paired with the return of a slider-slinging southpaw.

And keep in mind, come playoff time, with an abundance of travel days, relievers can be available for just about every game. Let’s consider what this group might look like when it matters most.

The Three-Headed Monster: Andrew Miller, Brad Hand, Cody Allen

In his 2.5 years with the Padres, Hand registered a 2.66 ERA and a 3.07 FIP, to go along with 11.8 strikeouts per nine innings. His strikeout rate has jumped to 13.2 per nine this season.

Hand vs. LHB this year: .148/.220/.315 Hand vs. RHB this year: .229/.333/.404

There’s no question: Hand should face the opposing team’s most menacing left-handed hitters. In the past, he has held his own against righties, too.

Hand vs. LHB last year: .150/.253/.338 Hand vs. RHB last year: .208/.265/.312

Hand vs. LHB in 2016: .125/.221/.200 Hand vs. RHB in 2016: .236/.310/.379

Miller has carved up both lefties and righties in the past. Allen’s splits are well defined this season.

Allen vs. LHB this year: .254/.365/.492 Allen vs. RHB this year: .179/.264/.295

Across his career, Allen has actually fared slightly better against lefties.

The Indians shouldn’t be pigeonholed into using specific relievers in certain innings and can instead select the appropriate pitcher based on matchups and game situations. But no matter how Francona and opt to use the three, they have an embarrassment of riches in the back end of the bullpen.

The Next Level: Adam Cimber, Neil Ramírez, Oliver Pérez

Perhaps the most valuable part of the trade is it allows Adam Cimber, Neil Ramírez and Oliver Pérez to slide into roles that play to their strengths.

Cimber vs. LHB this year: .293/.391/.569 Cimber vs. RHB this year: .210/.221/.261

Francona can pair him with Pérez to form an effective middle innings matchup tandem. (Though, Pérez has limited righties to one hit in 17 at- bats this season.)

When the Indians battle the Yankees, Francona could use Cimber against Aaron Judge or Giancarlo Stanton in the middle innings without having to burn one of his ace relievers. When facing the Red Sox, Francona could turn to Cimber for, say, a sixth-inning encounter with J.D. Martinez or Mookie Betts, both righties. Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, Alex Bregman and George Springer all bat right-handed for the Astros. Cimber has served up only two home runs in 192 plate appearances this season.

Let’s compare Cimber’s fly-ball rate and soft contact rate to those of the top four relievers in baseball as ranked by fWAR:

Fly-ball rate Adam Cimber: 23.4% Blake Treinen: 27.0% Edwin Diaz: 32.9% Aroldis Chapman: 37.3% Josh Hader: 51.5%

Soft contact rate Adam Cimber: 28.7% Edwin Diaz: 25.9% Josh Hader: 20.3% Aroldis Chapman: 17.9% Blake Treinen: 11.9%

In simple terms: Hitters find it tough to square up against Cimber. Per Statcast, Cimber has allowed only one barrel this season, the best mark among any pitcher with at least 120 batted ball events.

As for Ramírez, he has fared pretty well for the Indians (3.00 ERA, 4.48 FIP in 21 innings), and now he can settle into the middle innings, rather than be tasked with paving the way for Allen every night.

The Wild Cards

There’s no such thing as a five-man rotation in October. So, there’s potential for one Tribe starter to join the bullpen come playoff time, and perhaps even two. Given Shane Bieber’s shortage of experience, one would assume he’d be an odd man out. Mike Clevinger or Carlos Carrasco could provide the bullpen with a part-time lift, as well.

The Indians settled on a three-man rotation in the ALDS last October. Injuries forced them into a three-man rotation the previous year. There’s plenty of time before they need to determine their course of action for a five-game series, but they could have one or two starters available for at least some of the games.

Carrasco made quick work of the Yankees in the eighth inning last Sunday, as the impending All-Star break permitted him to pitch out of the bullpen. Clevinger has pitched out of the bullpen in October each of the past two years. Trevor Bauer has emerged as a front-line starter this season, and while it’s highly unlikely, it’d be fascinating to watch his rubber arm log multiple innings on consecutive days in the playoffs.

The Other Guys

There might only be one spot available for the rest of the cast, which includes Dan Otero, Zach McAllister, Tyler Olson, Nick Goody and Josh Tomlin. None of the five has submitted a convincing case to be prioritized this season. Olson was one of three roster casualties (Greg Allen, Adam Plutko) necessary to create space for Hand, Cimber, Melky Cabrera and Yandy Díaz on Friday. Goody remains sidelined with an elbow injury. Tomlin is also on the disabled list with a hamstring injury.

Rosenthal: Spotlight is on the great Trout; Machado’s L.A. approach; Indians’ intriguing trade; more notes By Ken Rosenthal Jul 20, 2018 32 Part of a journalist’s role is to hold public figures accountable for statements that are misleading, inaccurate or just plain dumb. Alas, the echo chamber of the Internet occasionally distorts questionable remarks, prompting criticism beyond what is appropriate — punishment that does not fit the crime.

Such is the case with commissioner Rob Manfred’s comments on Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout before the All-Star Game. The reporter who asked Manfred the question about Trout, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register, was taken aback by the public backlash to the commissioner’s response. Question: Can or should MLB do anything to increase Trout's profile if he's not interested in doing it?

A: Can't do it without him leading the way. If he changes his mind, we're happy to help.

Now, back to Manny. Manfred is not blameless — he should have recognized that some would interpret his comment, Player marketing requires one thing for sure: The player, as a shot at Trout. The commissioner could have expounded on Trout’s many fine qualities on and off the field. He also could have turned the question around, making the point the Angels did in a later statement defending Trout, saying, “We applaud him for prioritizing his personal values over commercial self-promotion. That is rare in today’s society and stands out as much as his extraordinary talent.”

Frankly, the entire issue is overblown. Trout’s low Q rating should not be cause for hand-wringing, not from Manfred, the media or anyone else. Trout should be appreciated for who he is — a player who rapidly is becoming one of the all-time greats, if he is not one already — and marketed as such. His seeming indifference to stardom is not unlike Derek Jeter’s. The difference is, Jeter played in New York, not Orange County, and won five World Series. Since Trout’s arrival in 2011, the Angels have yet to win a single postseason game.

Can baseball do a better job of marketing its star players? Of course. Does Trout frustrate some in the game with his reluctance to promote himself and, by extension, the sport? Without question. Should Trout be criticized for his hesitancy when he is a model representative of the game? Absolutely not.

If baseball was smart, it would make a commercial showing how Trout interacts with fans, particularly children, before every game, home and away. The commercial would show images such as the one below from Fenway Park. The theme could be, “This is our biggest star. He conducts himself the way we want our sports heroes to conduct themselves. And we are so proud he is ours.” How’s that for a statement? Hey, look who’s on third So, the Los Angeles Dodgers want to play Manny Machado at third base as well as shortstop. Interesting, considering Machado’s season-long insistence about remaining at short, the position he began playing regularly in the majors for the first time this season.

The Baltimore Orioles drafted Machado as a shortstop, but moved him to third in the majors rather than displace J.J. Hardy, a top defender at short. Hardy’s departure after last season created an opening for Machado to fulfill his desire to return to short, and the Orioles obliged him.

The Dodgers acquired Machado to replace injured shortstop Corey Seager for the rest of the season, but also value versatility in their position players. As Machado approaches free agency, his best course is to accommodate the wishes of his new team.

Which, it seems, is exactly what Machado intends to do.

“Everybody is on the same page about that,” Dodgers general manager Farhan Zaidi said in a conference call on Wednesday night after his team acquired Machado from the Baltimore Orioles for five prospects.

“He understands the way we manage the roster, and the options that Doc (manager Dave Roberts) likes to have moving guys around. He’s told us he wants to do whatever he can to succeed and win.”

The Dodgers probably will ask Machado to play third only when Justin Turner needs an occasional day off. Cody Bellinger, Chris Taylor, Max Muncy, Kiké Hernández and Austin Barnes are among their players who shift between positions. Machado would look selfish if he resisted the team’s preference for him to do the same.

In addition, Machado might only enhance his free-agent appeal by taking a team-first approach. It also will not hurt him to show clubs that he remains an elite defender at third, where he won two Gold Gloves. His defense is not as strong at short, but executives from several clubs say he fares better in their internal measures than in the publicly available metrics, with his powerful arm serving as something of an equalizer.

Machado, 26, will be the most attractive player available in free agency, just as he is likely to be the most attractive player traded. The difference is he will gain leverage in the open market, picking his next position as well as his next team.

A trade more interesting than it appears

At first glance, the Cleveland Indians’ acquisition of relievers Brad Hand and Adam Cimber from the San Diego Padres for catcher Francisco Mejía seems reasonably balanced.

Hand, a two-time All-Star, comes with three additional years of control; Cimber, a surprising rookie, comes with five. Mejía, a switch-hitter with rare offensive tools, is the game’s No. 15 prospect according to MLBPipeline.com, giving the Padres a whopping 10 of the top 100.

Three rival executives, however, criticized the deal from the Padres’ perspective, questioning — just as some with the Indians did — whether Mejía, 22, is strong enough defensively to remain at catcher. A position change would reduce Mejía’s overall value. At catcher his offense might be elite; at other positions, it might not separate him as much.

The Padres intend to evaluate Mejía over the next several weeks before determining whether he should move to another position — perhaps third, where he played in the last year, or left field, where he also played at Triple A. The team’s scouts love his offensive potential, though he is batting a relatively modest .279 with a .755 OPS at Triple A this season.

So, did the Indians get a steal? Not so fast. As much as teams covet controllable assets — and as much as the Indians needed such pieces with both Andrew Miller and Cody Allen eligible for free agency — relievers are the game’s most volatile performers. Very few provide consistent production, making long-term control perhaps less meaningful.

Hand, 28, is something of an exception; this is his third straight impressive season. But even Hand can be vulnerable, as evidenced by his .952 opponents’ OPS over 12 innings in June. It remains to be seen how he will perform in post-season pressure after spending his entire career with non-contenders in Miami and San Diego. Cimber, of course, will face the same transition.

For the Mets, a warning shot

The New York Mets display a knack for becoming embroiled in controversies other clubs do not experience, the latest example being the growing tension between the team and All-Star right-hander Jacob deGrom. CAA’s Brodie Van Wagenen, the agent for deGrom, released a statement to The Athletic on Monday, warning that the “inertia” of the pitcher’s current situation could complicate his relationship with the club.

Van Wagenen said the Mets should either sign deGrom long-term or “seriously consider trade opportunities” now. The Mets are under no obligation to act on either front, and can offer valid reasons for delaying any decision. They might view a long-term contract for deGrom at age 30 as an unnecessary risk when he is under control for two more seasons. They also might prefer to hold off on a trade until after they decide upon a full-time replacement for general manager Sandy Alderson.

Still, the fact that Van Wagenen felt compelled to release a statement speaks to a greater problem. When was the last time an agent confronted the New York Yankees in such a fashion? The Boston Red Sox? The Chicago Cubs?

The relationship between the deGrom camp and the Mets remains good, sources say; the two sides are maintaining a respectful, positive dialogue. But Van Wagenen spoke out for a reason. The best guess: The Mets are telling deGrom they value him and want to keep him, but not following through with an offer.

I’ve written the Mets should start retooling by signing deGrom and trading right-hander Noah Syndergaard for premium young talent. Whether those would be the right moves or not, at least they would signal a direction. The Mets presently lack such direction, but that should change once they hire a new GM, who presumably will arrive with a five-year plan.

In the meantime, the Mets’ control over deGrom diminishes with each day they play the wait-and-see game. Van Wagenen’s statement was a warning shot: His client — one of the game’s most low-key, affable superstars — will be a good soldier for only so long.

C’mon Rockies, take a look

Sources say it will never happen, but imagine the message the Colorado Rockies would send to third baseman Nolan Arenado, the rest of their organization and their fan base if they traded for deGrom.

Arenado, who is eligible for free agency after next season, seemed to spark the club’s current 10-2 surge by venting publicly about his impatience with losing. The Rockies will need to impress Arenado to keep him, and another spending spree on free-agent relievers surely is not what he has in mind.

DeGrom would be an ideal choice to front the Rockies’ young rotation, and Colorado has the pieces to get him, starting with middle infielder Brendan Rodgers, the game’s No. 6 prospect according to MLBPipeline.com.

Rodgers likely will replace second baseman DJ LeMahieu, a potential free agent, but the Rockies have an infielder at Triple A, Garrett Hampson, who also could fill that role. Club officials might argue that Rodgers has the higher offensive upside. But a proposal centered around say, Rodgers, right-hander Jeff Hoffman and outfielder David Dahl would be an interesting starting point.

Would deGrom be as effective at Coors Field? Probably not, but he allowed one earned run in eight innings against the Rockies at Coors on June 18, and also pitched well in his only other career start in Colorado, allowing three runs in 6 1/3 innings on May 15, 2016.

Around the horn

*Why did the Yankees even pursue Machado when GM Brian Cashman has publicly, emphatically and repeatedly stated his confidence in rookie third baseman Miguel Andújar?

It’s simple, really: As good as Andújar is — and he might end up the American League Rookie of the Year — the Yankees viewed Machado as a significant offensive and defensive upgrade for the rest of the season.

The Yankees have no plans to trade Andújar — according to sources, they refused to move him for Gerrit Cole last off-season and said no again recently when the Padres requested him for Hand.

If they had acquired Machado, Andújar either would have gone to Triple A or platooned with Greg Bird at first base, sources said.

*In a recent story by the New York Times’ Tyler Kepner, agent Scott Boras said his client, Washington Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper, was seeing the “least amount of strikes in the game,” adding, “You want to know the greatest gradient of managerial fear, concern, how you respect others? You don’t throw them strikes.”

Boras was exaggerating, but not by much. Entering the All-Star break, pitchers were throwing Harper strikes 44 percent of the time, the ninth- lowest average in the majors among batting-title qualifiers, according to STATS LLC. The Toronto Blue Jays’ Yangervis Solarte was seeing the fewest strikes, 41.7 percent, followed by Salvador Perez, Wilson Ramos, Giancarlo Stanton and Nelson Cruz, Joey Gallo, Javier Báez and Carlos Gomez.

Another interesting fact about Harper that is getting overlooked due to the attention on his .214 batting average: He ranks 32nd among right fielders with minus-nine . Last season he ranked 12th at plus-four.

*In his first game, new St. Louis Cardinals manager Mike Shildt demonstrated how he might run a bullpen differently than Mike Matheny, extending right-hander John Gant for four scoreless innings of relief in place of a struggling Miles Mikolas. The Cardinals beat the Cincinnati Reds, 6-4.

The last time Matheny used a reliever for four innings was Sept. 21, 2016, at Colorado, when Jaime García worked four innings in place of Luke Weaver, who lasted only two. Shildt’s willingness to stay with Gant was perhaps a small thing, but he might prove to be a refreshing departure from Matheny, who routinely drew criticism for his bullpen management.

Rangers waste bases-loaded, no-outs situation in 10th inning of loss to Cleveland By Evan Grant , ARLINGTON - The story of the Rangers offense this season: They came. They saw. They squandered. The unofficial second half of the season began Friday with the Rangers having a pair of late chances for a comeback win over Cleveland in one of the hottest, longest games in Rangers history. Instead, they sweated for nothing, losing in 11 innings, 9-8 in a game that took 4 hours and 48 minutes. Did we mention it was 107 degrees at game time, making it the hottest game-time temperature in Globe Life Park history? All that sweating for nothing. The Rangers loaded the bases with no outs in the 10th and couldn't force the winning run home. "That was one of them," manager Jeff Banister said in categorizing the big moments of the game that led to the 57th loss of the season. It was the Rangers' sixth loss in the last seven games and the 12th straight loss against a team currently holding a playoff spot. The Rangers had tied the game in the ninth on a pair of dramatic two-out homers by Robinson Chirinos and Joey Gallo. They also put two more hitters on base, but Willie Calhoun, making his 2018 debut, struck out. In the 10th, it got more frustrating. The Rangers had three successive singles by Elvis Andrus, Adrian Beltre and Rougned Odor. Andrus was held at third on Odor's single. With the bases loaded and the Cleveland infield in, Ronald Guzman, grounded to the left of third base, but Jose Ramirez fielded the ball, spun and threw home for the first out. Chirinos and Gallo each struck out. Gallo's strikeout came against another one of those strange shifts that seem to tempt him to simply put the ball in play to the left side. With two outs, the Rangers wanted Gallo to do what he does best: Either drive the ball out of the park or walk. Banister waived off any thought of Gallo trying to bunt for a hit though Ramirez, the only infielder on the left side, was playing in the shortstop's traditional spot. It's not unreasonable thinking on the manager's part. Gallo had walked and homered twice. He has one bunt hit in his career. Asking him to bunt would have been asking him to do something he's unfamiliar with after he had swung the bat well. "Joey, offensively, it was a big night for him," Banister said. "We will take that kind of night every day from him. "He swung the bat very well," Banister said of the possibility of asking Gallo to do something unorthodox in his two-out at-bat, such as try to bunt for a hit. "We've seen the bunt opportunity for him and they are probably not the best spot to put him in that situation. He's more dangerous swinging the bat there." The issue was not Gallo striking out to end the inning; it was that neither Guzman nor Chirinos could get the ball in the air to drive home the winning run. After wasting that chance, Matt Moore, the Rangers' last available pitcher of the night, gave up consecutive hits to start the 11th to produce the go-ahead run. The Rangers went in order in the bottom of the inning. Dallas Morning News LOADED: 07.21.2018 Shin-Soo Choo's streak continues past All-Star break, closes in on another historic mark By Evan Grant , ARLINGTON - It would be easy to say Shin-Soo Choo picked up Friday right where he left off at the All-Star break when it came to reaching base, but the truth is, he reached base during the All-Star break as well. Choo extended his on-base streak to 52 games Friday with a first inning single through the right side against Cleveland's Trevor Bauer. It is now the longest streak in the majors since the Los Angeles Angels Orlando Cabrera reached in 63 straight in 2006. All-Star break couldn't cool off Choo! pic.twitter.com/lPkHOONncZ — Texas Rangers (@Rangers) July 21, 2018 Choo's streak is a Rangers' single-season record, but, if streaks that extend into a second season are counted, Will Clark reached in 56 straight games from 1995- 96. If Choo were to reach base again on Saturday, his streak would become one of the 20 longest single-season streaks since 1908, the first year such stats were available. Choo, who singled in the All-Star Game Tuesday, returned to the outfield for the first time since June 27. He has been battling a strained quadriceps muscle. He looked just fine, however, going into the wall to rob Yandy Diaz of extra bases in the fourth inning. "It's much better," Choo said. "I don't know if it is 100 percent, but I feel very confident on it. I want to stay healthy and finish strong." Dallas Morning News LOADED: 07.21.2018 Rangers notebook: Catcher Jose Trevino undergoes season-ending shoulder surgery By Evan Grant ,

Friday's news and notes from around the Texas Rangers organization... -- C Jose Trevino, who made his major league debut during a whirlwind Father's Day weekend that included a walkoff hit, is out for the remainder of the season after undergoing surgery on his left (non-throwing) shoulder to repair a tear of the posterior labrum. He is expected to be ready to go by the start of spring training. -- The Rangers have moved LHP Cole Hamels' start back a day, meaning he will start Monday night against Oakland instead of Sunday afternoon against Cleveland. RHP Yovanni Gallardo is the lucky guy who now gets the Sunday afternoon start. -- LHP Alex Claudio, who was placed on the disabled list with a sprained ankle on July 14, retroactive to July 11, is expected to be activated Saturday. The Rangers played with a 24-man roster Friday rather than call somebody up for one day. Dallas Morning News LOADED: 07.21.2018