MLB Bullets wants you to stay dry

I try to keep things light-hearted around here, mostly to keep myself from getting bored. But there’s nothing funny about what’s going on in Houston and throughout most of the Gulf Coast of Texas. If you’re from there, I hope you’re safe and sound. And you probably shouldn’t be wasting your time reading this.

• Sometime later today, the Astros and MLB will make a decision about what is going to happen with the Rangers/Astros series that was supposed to start at Minute Maid Park tomorrow. It does seem likely that the series will be played in Arlington. Both teams are in the Dallas Metroplex at the moment.
• Tim Brown talks to the Astros about where their thoughts are right now. They are not on baseball, for the most part.
• Richard Justice speaks with several players who grew up and still have family on the Gulf Coast of Texas. He thinks that eventually, baseball will play a role in helping heal the area.
• On a more positive note, Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton hit his 50th home run of the season and 17th in August, tying a National League record for the month held by Willie Mays and Sammy Sosa.
• Buster Olney writes that Stanton’s big season puts the new Marlins ownership in a bind. Olney also evaluates the interest of several teams in acquiring Stanton in trade, if the new owners decide to move him anyway.
• On the other side, Mike Lupica looks at the second-half troubles of first-half sensation Aaron Judge.
• Suspensions were announced for the Tigers/Yankees brawl. Personally, I think these are weak sauce, especially on the Yankees side. If MLB wants to put an end to this kind of stuff, this isn’t the way to do it.
• Tigers DH Victor Martinez went on the disabled list with a recurrence of an irregular heartbeat.
• And a scary moment in Arizona as Brewers minor leaguer Julio Mendez suffered a “cardiac event” after being hit in the chest with a pitch.
• Dodgers reliever Grant Dayton will undergo Tommy John surgery.
• Better news for the Dodgers is that Clayton Kershaw will come off the DL on Friday and start against the Padres.
• The Nationals have had a lot of injuries this season and Sam Miller asks “How many injuries can the Nats suffer and still hold off the Marlins in the NL East?” The answer is “pretty much all of them.” The division race is over.
• Brian MacPherson thinks that rookie Rafael Devers could carry the slumping Red Sox over the finish line. Or at least until the rest of the team gets going.
• Michael Baumann asks “Which one would you rather have on your team going forward?” about Devers and six other rookies having big seasons. Of course, Red Sox fans don’t have to choose between Devers and Andrew Benintendi.
• Craig Edwards wonders if baseball’s era of parity is over.
• Speaking of which, Susan Slusser looks at Billy Beane after 20 years of running the Oakland Athletics front office. Is there still a place for Beane’s brand of “Moneyball” in today’s game?
• Grant Brisbee looks back at the trade the Dodgers made with the Red Sox five years ago that changed everything for LA.
• And Marc Normandin looks back at the trade the Red Sox made with the Dodgers five years ago that changed everything for Boston. (Hint: it’s the Adrian Gonzalez trade in both cases.)
• Joan Niesen profiles a “favorite” around here, Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina. Niesen explains how much the Cards still rely on this star in the sunset of his career.
• Jonathan Bernhardt compares the two big free agent closers from last winter, Aroldis Chapman and Kenley Jansen, and notes what different seasons they are having this year.
• A minor trade as the Rangers picked up Brewers reliever Paolo Espino, who had been designated for assignment.
• Ashley MacLennan argues that the problem that baseball has with millennials isn’t a lack of interest, it’s a lack of disposable income on the part of the younger generation.
• Congratulations to Team Japan, who won the Little League World Series.
• Michael Clair lists his favorite nicknames for Players’ Weekend.
• The Mariners made five errors in one inning yesterday, the first team to do that since the 1977 Cubs.
• And finally, it was Dennis Eckersley weekend in Oakland, and the Athletics Twitter account used the opportunity to troll Red Sox pitcher David Price.

And tomorrow will be a better day than today, Buster. Stay safe out there.