A look at what's happening around the majors on Wednesday:
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ACES IN DIFFERENT PLACES
Mets star pitchers Max Scherzer and Jacob deGrom are both set to start, albeit not in the same ballpark.
Scherzer (6-2, 2.28 ERA) faces the Yankees in the wrapup of this two-game Subway Series at Citi Field. The Yanks got off to a fast start Tuesday night when Aaron Judge hit his major league-leading 38th home run in the first inning and Anthony Rizzo followed with a homer.
Scherzer's last win against the Yankees came on April 6, 2013, when he pitched for Detroit and defeated a lineup that included Vernon Wells, Kevin Youkilis and Travis Hafner. The three-time Cy Young Award winner is 0-3 vs. the Yanks since then, and also had a no-decision last year when he struck out 14 in 7 1/3 innings.
DeGrom is scheduled to make what could be his final minor league rehab start when he pitches for Triple-A Syracuse. The two-time NL Cy Young Award hasn't thrown in the majors since July 7, 2021 — the 34-year-old right-hander missed the second half of last season with right forearm tightness and a sprained elbow and has been sidelined since late in spring training by a stress reaction in his right scapula.
DeGrom will start in upstate New York against Omaha. Kansas City All-Star catcher Salvador Perez played for the Storm Chasers on Tuesday night while rehabbing a thumb injury.
STANTON OUT
Slugger Giancarlo Stanton could miss a few weeks with the Yankees after being put on the 10-day injured list with left Achilles tendinitis.
Stanton is batting .228 with 24 homers and 61 RBIs for the AL East leaders. He homered in last week’s All-Star Game at Dodger Stadium and was selected the Most Valuable Player in the AL’s 3-2 victory.
Stanton was 0 for 10 with seven strikeouts since then against Houston and Baltimore and went 10 for 69 (.156) with five homers in July.
WORTH A LOOK
Trade deadline targets Luis Castillo of Cincinnati and Tarik Skubal of Detroit are set for final auditions before potentially being shipped to contenders.
Castillo (3-4, 2.77) is perhaps the top starting pitcher likely available before the Aug. 2 deadline, and he’s set to pitch against Miami. He has a 1.00 ERA over his past four starts and also pitched a scoreless inning at the All-Star Game.
Skubal’s name has emerged this week in trade rumors even though the 25-year-old isn’t eligible for free agency until 2027. The left-hander enters a start against San Diego at 7-8 with a 3.88 ERA.
HEANEY RETURNS
Dodgers pitcher Andrew Heaney is set for just his fourth appearance this season due to lingering shoulder woes. He’ll face Washington in his first start since June 19 and just his second since April 17.
Los Angeles signed Heaney to an $8.5 million, one-year deal prior to this season hoping to unlock something better than the left-hander’s career 4.63 ERA. He’s been effective in his limited action, going 1-0 with a 2.15 ERA and a career-best 13.5 strikeouts-per-nine innings in three starts.
PADRE PROGRESS
Fernando Tatis Jr. is back in the batter’s box, and the San Diego Padres’ $340 million star could face live pitching later this week.
Tatis took batting practice with teammates before Tuesday’s game against the Detroit Tigers, his first rounds with the club since breaking his left wrist in spring training.
The 23-year-old is expected to begin facing live pitching later this week, then begin a minor league rehab assignment before eventually making his season debut with the big league team.
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