A look at what’s happening around baseball on Thursday:
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10 DOWN FOR TORONTO
The Royals will be without 10 of the 26 players on their active roster for their upcoming trip to Toronto due to Canadian restrictions on travelers who are not vaccinated against COVID-19.
Manager Mike Matheny said Wednesday that the club will be without hitters Andrew Benintendi, Hunter Dozier, Cam Gallagher, Kyle Isbel, MJ Melendez, Whit Merrifield and Michael A. Taylor along with pitchers Dylan Coleman, Brad Keller and Brady Singer.
The team will play four games in Toronto. The 10 players will be placed on the restricted list and will lose four days of pay and time in the Major Leagues under the terms of the MLB collective bargaining agreement.
“It’s an individual choice,” Matheny said. “The organization has done a very good job of bringing in professionals and experts to talk to kids about difficult conversations and then putting them in their hands to make the decisions that they think are best for them and their families.”
Kansas City will face the Blue Jays a day after fourth-seeded Toronto fired manager Charlie Montoyo and promoted bench coach John Schneider to interim manager for the rest of the season.
SHOWDOWN OF THE STARS
Brewers right-hander Corbin Burnes (7-4, 2.20) will face Giants left-hander Carlos Rodón (8-5, 2.70) in San Francisco before the two team up on the NBA All-Star roster. National League next week.
It will be the last start for both pitchers before the Summer Classic. Burnes leads the National League with 134 strikeouts and Rodón is third with 124. Both are All-Stars for the second consecutive season.
Giants third baseman Evan Longoria is expected to begin a rehab assignment Thursday as he recovers from a left oblique strain. There’s a chance he could return before the All-Star break.
“I think there’s a chance for the weekend,” manager Gabe Kapler said. “I think we want to make sure that that door stays open.”
FOR EVERYONE TO SEE
Reds right-hander Luis Castillo (3-4, 2.92) makes a potentially important audition for contending teams in a matchup against Nestor Cortes (7-3, 2.74) at Yankee Stadium.
Cincinnati appears to be a seal at the trade deadline, and Castillo is a prime target for teams in need of starting pitchers. He is coming off seven innings of one-run ball against Tampa Bay.
ELEVENTH HEAVEN
Marco Gonzales (5-9, 3.24 ERA) and the Seattle Mariners go for their 11th straight win when they take on All-Star left-hander Martin Perez (7-2, 2.72) and the Rangers in the opener of a four-game series at Texas.
After sweeping a doubleheader Wednesday at Washington, the Mariners have won 10 straight for the first time since April 2002. Their only longest winning streak was a 15-game streak from May 23 to June 8, 2001, the last year they made the playoffs.
Jesse Winker homered at both ends of the double bill for Seattle, his first games since serving a six-game suspension for his role in a fight with the Angels on June 26. Paul Sewald saved both games.
THE BACK OF ANÍBAL
Nationals right-hander Anibal Sanchez will make his season debut in a home start against Atlanta and right-hander Kyle Wright (10-4, 2.97).
Wright hopes to turn his fortunes around against Washington in the opener of a four-game series between the foes from the NL East. Wright is 2-1 with a 6.27 ERA in five career games, including three starts, against the Nationals.
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