Will Manny Machado, Brad Hand and others get traded before All-Star Game?  —  PHOENIX - Just six months ago All-Star reliever Brad Hand signed a contract extension that changed his life, providing financial security to his family, becoming an integral cog of the San Diego Padres' future.

Shohei Ohtani delivers again for Angels with long, winning blast  —  ANAHEIM, Calif. — Shohei Ohtani's right knee was still sore when he arrived at Angel Stadium on Sunday.  He took a baseball directly to it in the previous night's ninth inning, on a foul ball against Los Angeles Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen …

Chris Archer on Blake Snell's snub from All-Star roster: 'Something like that can't happen'  —  Rays pitcher Chris Archer took to social media to protest teammate Blake Snell's omission from the American League All-Star roster, saying that players who vote for All-Stars “didn't do our due diligence.”

Arizona Diamondbacks vs. San Diego Padres … Imagine you're Torey Lovullo, manager of the Diamondbacks, and you're about to walk up to one of your players after a big win and tell him he isn't going to be in the starting lineup the next day.  Now imagine the player is left fielder David Peralta …

Sports psychologist Ken Ravizza dies at 70; mental skills coach for MLB, college teams  —  Dr. Ken Ravizza, a Cal State Fullerton professor who was among the leading sports psychologists in the nation and a guru of sorts for dozens of major league baseball players, died Sunday night …

Reds Beat Blog: Will the Reds be sellers or stand pat at the trade deadline?  —  Welcome to another edition of the weekly Reds Beat Blog: a new home for updates on the Reds' top minor league prospects, some tidbits about the big topics across MLB and another place for more opinions on the Reds.

Yankees' Dellin Betances unfazed by snapped All-Star Games streak  —  BALTIMORE - A four-time All-Star reliever, Dellin Betances says this two-month stretch “is the best I've felt” in the big leagues.  —  And yet, he wasn't selected to go to Washington for next week's All-Star Game.

Royals sign 16-year-old Japanese pitcher for $322,500  —  KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Kaito Yuki is headed to the Kansas City Royals organization instead of attending high school in Japan.  —  The 16-year-old pitcher agreed Sunday to a minor league contract with a $322,500 signing bonus.

Chris Flexen struggles as Mets only manage first hit in seventh inning in 9-0 loss to Rays  —  Mets manager Mickey Callaway on Mets' 9-0 loss to rays Matt Ehalt, Staff Writer, @MattEhalt  —  NEW YORK — An organization that once boasted about being eight to nine starting pitchers deep …

Who's your team's most important player for the second half?  —  With the season having advanced just beyond the halfway mark, let's look at the most important player in the second half for all 30 major league clubs.  It could be a player at any professional level within his organization.

New York Yankees hope to gain ground in doubleheader vs. Baltimore Orioles  —  BALTIMORE — The New York Yankees can make up some ground on the first-place Boston Red Sox with a doubleheader against the struggling Baltimore Orioles on Monday at Camden Yards.

Phillies prospect Joey Meneses looks MLB-ready, whether here or elsewhere  —  Joey Meneses is a quiet, 26-year-old, never-drafted first baseman who speaks English to reporters only when no cameras are around and has bounced around the minor leagues for seven years.

Column: Reunion of '93 White Sox brings memories of growing pains of the past  —  Photos of the “Big Hurt,” the former White Sox slugger and Hall of Famer.  —  Chicago Tribune  —  The White Sox plan to celebrate the 25th anniversary of their 1993 American League West championship Saturday …

Greater commitment to hydration has helped Willson Contreras' durability  —  Chicago Tribune  —  Willson Contreras returns Monday to AT&T Park in a better state than when he left Aug. 9 during the Cubs' last visit to San Francisco.  —  The newly minted starting catcher for the National League …