Orioles call up outfield prospect Cedric Mullins  —  Orioles' Cedric Mullins hits a sacrifice fly to score teammate Austin Hays during spring training.  (Lloyd Fox / Baltimore Sun)  —  Orioles outfield prospect Cedric Mullins earned his first major league call-up Friday, the team has announced …

Phillies Acquire Justin Bour  —  2:15PM: The Marlins will receive left-hander McKenzie Mills, Fancred's Jon Heyman reports (Twitter link).  Mills was an 18th-round pick for the Nationals in the 2014 draft, and the 22-year-old has a 3.51 ERA, 2.58 K/BB rate, and an 8.5 K/9 over 89 2/3 IP …

MLB's next big thing: Red Sox vs. 116 and more races to watch  —  Baseball is a story, one that never ends and one that never follows any pat formula.  Each season is a chapter in the longest novel ever written.  The chapters achieve closure; the novel does not.  We just have to keep reading.

Justin Verlander apologizes to Tigers for saying he was misdiagnosed  —  Jeff Seidel, Detroit Free Press Columnist  —  Justin Verlander has apologized to the Detroit Tigers.  —  In a feature story published by Bleacher Report on Thursday about Verlander, the former Tigers right-hander …

Report: Dodgers RP Jansen out until September  —  Kenley Jansen is reportedly expected to be sidelined up to one month after he was sent to Los Angeles from Colorado to see his cardiologist because of an irregular heartbeat on Thursday.  —  ESPN reported Friday that Jansen is expected to be out “about a month,” citing unnamed sources.

Stunner: Mariners demote ace Felix Hernandez to bullpen  —  HOUSTON (AP) — Seattle Mariners ace Felix Hernandez has lost his spot in the rotation in the wake of his latest terrible start in a season filled with struggles.  —  The right-hander, who threw a perfect game in 2012 …

Angels OF Mike Trout lands on DL with right wrist inflammation  —  Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout has been placed on the 10-day disabled list with right wrist inflammation, the team announced.  —  Trout hasn't played since Aug. 1, when he hurt his wrist during a feet-first slide into third base in Tampa Bay.

It's time to talk about Bryce Harper and the Cubs again  —  CHICAGO - Let the hype begin anew.  —  Washington Nationals star Bryce Harper will make his final appearance at Wrigley Field this weekend — barring a playoff matchup — before hitting free agency this winter.

Mets weighing six-man rotation but want to do right by Jacob deGrom  —  Mets manager Mickey Callaway on Zack Wheeler Matt Ehalt, Staff Writer, @MattEhalt  —  MIAMI — The Mets are considering using a six-man rotation in the near future although the team may hold off on doing so since Jacob deGrom is vying for the Cy Young.

Former All-Star pitcher Esteban Loaiza pleads guilty to drug charges  —  MLB, Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago White Sox  —  SAN DIEGO — Former All-Star pitcher Esteban Loaiza, who earned more than $43 million over 14 seasons, pleaded guilty Friday to federal drug charges in California.

Willson Contreras, Anthony Rizzo perfectly execute ‘do-or-die’ pickoff play to help escape 8th inning jam  —  Photos from the Cubs-Nationals game at Wrigley Field on Aug. 10, 2018.  —  Chicago Tribune  —  The details don't matter, except to Anthony Rizzo and Willson Contreras.

Diamondbacks notes: Torey Lovullo giving Paul Goldschmidt red light on steal attempts  —  CINCINNATI - Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt said last month that his decline in stolen bases has to do with opposing teams paying more attention to him.  Manager Torey Lovullo acknowledged …

Giants' decision-makers hold key meeting to evaluate team's future  —  SAN FRANCISCO-The window is shutting quickly for the 2018 Giants, and if the franchise's top decision-makers feel the current roster can't prop it open, changes could be on the way.  —  Manager Bruce Bochy and members …

Brewers place Joakim Soria on 10-day DL with groin strain  —  ATLANTA — Brewers right-hander Joakim Soria was placed on the 10-day disabled list Friday because of a strained right groin.  —  Soria was injured while giving up a grand slam to Hunter Renfroe in the ninth inning Thursday in an 8-4 home loss to San Diego.

Wackiest stat of the season for every MLB team  —  Baseball's numbers may not necessarily lie, but they don't always make a lot of sense.  —  Consider that a pitcher traded at the deadline made a leap not seen in 104 years, a leadoff hitter has more than three times as many home runs as steals …

Carlos Rodon brings hot hand to home start against Indians  —  Chicago Tribune  —  The Carlos Rodon who was knocked around for four runs in five innings the last time he faced Indians was a whole other Rodon.  —  During that loss June 19, the left-hander was just three starts into his recovery …