MLB

Butler was actually 5-for-5 in delivering hard-hit balls tonight, though he wasn’t exactly robbed on any of his three non-hits. He’s up to .257/.329/.500 for the season, which is really impressive for a 24-year-old hitting in the Oakland Coliseum half of the time. Odds are that he’ll fade some from here, but he could be quite a force while playing in a minor league park half of the time next season.

Stripling allowed six hits, walked two and struck out three in improving to 2-9 with a 6.02 ERA. The two-month-long IL stint has ruined his chances of racking up a 20-loss season, but he’ll be a key figure in eating up innings for the A’s the rest of the way.

We figured Lucas Erceg would be the favorite for saves with Mason Miller sidelined, but the A’s used him against the second, third and fourth hitters in the Angels lineup in the eighth inning tonight. That left the bottom half the order for Ferguson in the ninth, and he got the job done with ease for his first save in 19 appearances this season. We’d still say that Erceg is the A’s reliever worth rostering with Miller out.

Eight of the 14 balls in play against Rosenberg tonight were hard hit, which simply isn’t a very good ratio. He might soon return to Triple-A, though if the Angels shed pitching before the deadline and truly pack it in, perhaps they’ll keep him around.

That definitely solves one issue with Seattle’s lineup. Arozarena will presumably play left field in Seattle, resulting in more time at first base and DH for Luke Raley. It’s not great for his fantasy value, as he’s going from a poor park from hitters to perhaps the worst in the game, but neither does it figure to be a disaster. Smith, the Mariners’ fourth-round pick last year, has upped his stock by hitting .284/.402/.470 as a 18-year-old in high-A ball this season. He’s a couple of years away, but he has a chance to become a quality outfielder. We assume the PTBN will also be a significant prospect. The Rays could call up Kameron Misner to help out in the outfield against righties with Arozarena gone.

The one interesting thing here is that trading Snell wouldn’t do much at all for the luxury tax number, since the way his contract is structured actually deferred much of his salary into a signing bonus payable in 2026. He also makes for something of a dangerous acquisition for another team, given that he could exercise a $30 million player option if he gets hurt again or decline it if he finishes strong. Still, Snell is throwing well at the moment, and there appear to be a few teams interested in taking him on.

Puk was a bust as a starter at the beginning of the year, which has left him with mediocre numbers, but since coming off the IL and returning to the pen in May, he has a 2.08 ERA and a 33/6 K/BB ratio in 30 1/3 innings. He should be an excellent setup man for the Diamondbacks, who will have him under control through 2026. With Tanner Scott almost certainly to follow Puk out of town, Calvin Faucher now might be the favorite for saves in Miami in August and September.

De Los Santos, who failed to make the Guardians as a Rule 5 pick this spring, has broken out in a huge way this year, hitting .325/.376/.635 with 28 homers in 87 games between Double- and Triple-A. It’s questionable whether he’ll make enough contact to turn into a quality regular for the Marlins, especially in the near future, but he’s a pretty good pickup here. After all, he offers very rare power for a guy who just turned 21. The Marlins will probably give him a look at some point next month, and while we wouldn’t expect immediate mixed-league value, he’ll be one to watch. Since De Los Santos is primarily a first baseman now, the pickup could make it more likely that the Marlins move Josh Bell prior to the deadline.

Pinter, a 2022 fifth-round pick out of BYU, was hitting .285/.384/.468 in 309 plate appearances in the minors this season, with most of those at-bats coming in high-A ball. He’s fast and he’s a legitimate center fielder, but he’ll need to take a couple of steps forward in order to project as a regular.

The move makes room for A.J. Puk on the 40-man roster. Jacques, 29, has a 5.46 ERA in 29 2/3 innings since making his major league debut with the Red Sox last season. He made just one major league appearance for the Diamondbacks this year.