The one player all 30 teams should trade before the deadline  —  The trade deadline is heating up ... well, the rumors are anyway.  Manny Machado to the Yankees!  Scooter Gennett to the Dodgers!  J.T. Realmuto to the Red Sox!  Maybe all these blockbusters will happen, and even if they don't, hey, it's fun to speculate.

Kershaw dominates Padres in Dodgers' 8-2 win  —  SAN DIEGO (AP) — Clayton Kershaw is feeling fit again and that's a bad sign for the Los Angeles Dodgers' rivals heading into the season's second half.  —  The left-hander pitched six scoreless innings, and Cody Bellinger and Justin Turner each …

At 105 mph, Jordan Hicks is MLB's hardest thrower.  What does that mean for his future?  —  SAN FRANCISCO - Five years ago at age 16, Jordan Hicks participated in a youth tournament in Atlanta and attended a Braves game, where he was blown away by the sight of then-Cincinnati Reds reliever …

Rays face Tigers, using unconventional methods to win  —  ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Rays are using pitchers in unconventional ways, but it continues to spark their success, and they'll try to find enough live arms to continue that Tuesday in another “bullpen day” against the Detroit Tigers.

Surging A's will keep Mariners on their toes in hunt for playoff spot  —  Be afraid, Seattle Mariners fans, be very afraid.  The Oakland Athletics are sizzling hot, having won 17 of 21 after shutting out the Astros 2-0 on Monday, and are only six games back for the second wild card.

UMBC partners with St. Louis Cardinals for All-Star Game Final Vote  —  St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Matt Carpenter (13) in the second inning during a baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Wednesday, July 4, 2018, in Phoenix.  (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri) (Rick Scuteri / AP)

West Morris grad Andrew Politi quietly starting minor league career with Boston Red Sox  —  Andrew Politi wasn't surrounded by family and friends with cameras poised for the moment the phone rang.  —  The Long Valley native was at his house by himself when he got the call from the Boston Red Sox on June 6 …

Buffalo next stop for Blue Jays top prospect Vladimir Guerrero Jr.  —  ATLANTA — As he finishes his recovery from a minor knee injury, top Blue Jays prospect Vladimir Guerrero Jr. appears headed closer to Toronto than ever.  —  According to sources, team management is planning for triple …

MLB hitters explain why they can't just beat the shift  —  EDITOR'S PICKS  —  From Trout and Betts to Lindor and Judge, it's clear where MLB's superstars are, but the National League is finally ruling interleague play.  —  While the team holding this July's biggest trade chip decides …

Next Slide  —  ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Detroit Tigers' inexperience was evident on Monday night, from Nicholas Castellanos taking his eye off the baseball underneath a dome to Ronny Rodriguez not playing in close enough at third base against Carlos Gomez.

Mariners place Felix Hernandez on the 10-day disabled list  —  The hope is to use the all-star break to help Hernandez get his ailing back healthy.  —  ANAHEIM — Felix Hernandez won't make another start until after the All-Star break.  The Mariners' erstwhile ace has been dealing with lower …

5 Iowa Cubs who could be dealt before the trade deadline  —  Triple-A baseball came to Des Moines in 1968 with the Iowa Oaks, and the Iowa Cubs have carried the torch since 1982.  Here's a collection of some of the biggest names and best players during that time.  Mark Marturello and Michael Zamora/The Register

Cubs' Anthony Rizzo sits vs. Giants left-hander Derek Holland  —  Chicago Tribune  —  After going hitless in five at-bats and committing two errors, Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo will get a rest against Giants left-hander Derek Holland.  —  Victor Caratini will start at first base in place of Rizzo …

Games of the Day  —  An usual game at Citi Field as the Phillies and Mets starters both make their major league debut.  Enyel De Los Santos visits Drew Gagnon.  De Los Santos is just 22, and is 9-3 in his first year at AAA with 1.89 ERA.  Through his minor league career he owns good strikout and walk numbers.

Yankees Activate Masahiro Tanaka  —  The Yankees have activated righty Masahiro Tanaka, per a club announcement.  He ended up missing about a month with dual hamstring strains suffered while running the bases.  —  It's obviously good news for the Yanks that Tanaka is back in action in relatively short order.

Angels' Garrett Richards keeps running into Mariners  —  Garrett Richards might be seeing the Seattle Mariners in his sleep these days.  —  The hard-throwing right-hander for the Los Angeles Angels (46-45) will face the Mariners (57-34) for a third straight time on Tuesday night in the opener of a three-game series at Angel Stadium.

Hot pitchers match up in Rockies-Diamondbacks series opener  —  DENVER — Left-handers Tyler Anderson and Patrick Corbin, both of whom have pitched exceedingly well lately, will oppose each other when the Colorado Rockies and the Arizona Diamondbacks begin a three-game series Tuesday.