Overview
- On Thursday, Brandon Valenzuela hit a two-out, ninth-inning RBI double off Aroldis Chapman after a wind‑affected foul popup by Connor Wong prolonged the at-bat and gave Toronto a 4-3 win that completed a three-game sweep of Boston.
- Aroldis Chapman took the loss after pitching for the fourth time in 29 days, a pattern noted in coverage that has increased speculation he will be a high-probability trade candidate this summer.
- The Phillies have replaced Rob Thomson with Don Mattingly as interim manager and placed Adolis García on the 60-day injured list with a torn right lat, prompting immediate roster moves and trade talk including names like Jo Adell.
- Atlanta added to its pitching problems by putting Spencer Strider on the 15-day injured list with elbow inflammation, a development that has intensified discussion that the Braves will pursue established starters at the deadline.
- With the All-Star break approaching and the Aug. 3 trade deadline looming, teams are treating high-usage relievers and controllable starting pitching as premium assets and are weighing prospect packages such as Kevin Alcantara in potential deals.