The oldest active player in MLB will have to soon find another team to continue his career.

Left-hander Rich Hill was designated for assignment by the Kansas City Royals, the club announced Tuesday, July 29. The move was made with Kansas City recalling Thomas Hatch from Triple-A Omaha.

The 45-year-old Hill had a short stint with the Royals after signing a minor league contract with the team in May. On July 22, Kansas City called up Hill and started him the same day against the Chicago Cubs, making him the oldest player to appear in MLB this season and oldest ever to play for the Royals. He also became one of just five players over 45 to play in the majors since 2010, and the first to do so since 2018. 

Hill made two starts for Kansas City, giving up seven runs − five earned − on nine hits and eight walks allowed with four strikeouts. He went 0-2 with the Royals.

Rich Hill could make history

While it marks the sudden end of Hill’s time in Kansas City, it presents him with the opportunity to make MLB history if he continues his career.

The Royals marked the 14th team Hill has played for in his 21-year career, which tied retired pitcher Edwin Jackson for the most teams played for in MLB history. If Hill is able to sign with another new team and pitch for it, he would be the first person to play for 15 teams − half of MLB’s squads.

Hill made his MLB debut in 2005 with the Chicago Cubs, and has a 90-76 record with a 4.02 ERA in 388 games played.

What teams has Rich Hill played for?

• Chicago Cubs (2005-2008)
• Baltimore Orioles (2009)
• Boston Red Sox (2010-2012, 2015, 2022, 2024)
• Cleveland Guardians (2013)
• Los Angeles Angels (2014)
• New York Yankees (2014)
• Athletics (2016)
• Los Angeles Dodgers (2016-2019)
• Minnesota Twins (2020)
• Tampa Bay Rays (2021)
• New York Mets (2021)
• Pittsburgh Pirates (2023)
• San Diego Padres (2023)
• Kansas City Royals (2025)

The NFL’s Manhattan headquarters were targeted by a gunman who killed four people and ‘seriously injured’ an NFL employee during a mass shooting on Monday, July 28.

On Tuesday, July 29, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell sent an email to all of the league’s employees addressing the incident.

‘I want to take a moment to reach out to you all following yesterday’s tragic events,’ Goodell wrote in a letter obtained by USA TODAY Sports. ‘Our hearts go out to all of the victims and their families, and we are deeply grateful for the first responders and medical staff who acted so quickly and continue to provide care.

‘Our thoughts and prayers remain especially with our colleague who was impacted. He is currently surrounded by his family and members of the NFL community, and we are all continuing to hope for and support his full recovery.’

Goodell said in a statement earlier in the day the injured employee was in ‘stable condition,’ but declined to identify him.

Multiple reports identified Craig Clementi as the NFL employee injured in the shooting. Clementi is a member of the league’s finance department.

Goodell also announced the league’s New York office will remain closed through at least Aug. 8. All employees based at that location are instructed to work from home.

The NFL will provide a virtual town hall for its employees on Wednesday, July 30, during which they ‘can connect, share, and support each other.’

‘Thank you to all of you for the compassion, care, and support you are showing to one another right now. It means so much to see how our team is pulling together,’ Goodell wrote.

‘In the midst of this difficult time, we hold on to hope and optimism for healing and brighter days ahead.’

Just days from Major League Baseball’s July 31 trade deadline, the market held its collective breath on Monday when Eugenio Suárez was hit by a pitch on the hand and removed from Arizona’s game. But X-rays came back negative on the Diamondbacks slugger, presumed to be the top bat available before Thursday’s 6 p.m. deadline.

The AL Central-leading Tigers added a pair of arms, making an in-division trade with the Minnesota Twins to add right-handers Chris Paddack and Randy Dobnak. Detroit officially lost starter Reece Olson for the season with a shoulder injury earlier in the day Monday.

Here’s a look back at all the news and updates from Tuesday, July 29:

New York Mets trade rumors

It’s been rather evident around the baseball world that the New York Mets have been looking to upgrade their outfield before the trade deadline. The New York Post’s Jon Heyman reports that the Chicago White Sox’s Luis Robert Jr. and the Baltimore Orioles’ Cedric Mullins have been two outfielders the Mets are looking at to fill that hole on their roster.

Robert Jr.’s trade value has been heating up over the last seven games, as he is hitting .280 at the plate with seven hits, six RBIs and a home run in that stretch. According to ESPN’s Buster Olney, it remains unclear if the White Sox will trade their centerfielder away, as they have ‘tons of payroll flexibility moving forward’ next season to carry his $20 million option. However, if they do, the price is expected to be high. — John Leuzzi, USA TODAY Sports

David Bednar trade rumors: Yankees eying Pirates closer

The New York Post’s Jon Heyman reports that the Yankees are looking to improve their bullpen two days away from the trade deadline, and have talked to the Pittsburgh Pirates about their All-Star closer David Bednar, who has become a target of theirs.

Heyman also noted that the Yankees are looking at Pirates starter Mitch Keller. Trading for Bednar would add another lockdown late-inning option for Aaron Boone and the Bronx Bombers to pair with Devin Williams and Luke Weaver. — John Leuzzi, USA TODAY Sports

Jhoan Duran trade rumors: Has Twins closer been traded?

Has one of the top closers on the market been traded? According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, the answer is no for Minnesota right-handed reliever Jhoan Duran, who was caught on the Twins TV broadcast hugging teammates in the bullpen during the third inning at Target Field with his glove in his hand.

Passan noted that Duran, for now, had not been traded and was ‘just hugging his bullpen catcher’ — got to love trade deadline week (and season). The Twins radio broadcast was the first to mention Duran grabbing his glove and stuff from the bullpen and leaving it. — John Leuzzi, USA TODAY Sports

Wilson Contreras wants to stay with Cardinals

Meeting with reporters ahead of Tuesday’s game vs. the Miami Marlins, St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Willson Contreras told reporters that he recently spoke with Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak and expressed that he didn’t want to be traded.

‘I’m good here. I’m good here,’ Contreras said. ‘… I don’t think I have done enough for me to leave (St. Louis) yet.’

Contreras is hitting .259 on the season with 14 home runs and 61 RBIs for the Cardinals, who are nine games back of the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central. — John Leuzzi, USA TODAY Sports

Yankees looking to upgrade starting rotation

MLB Network’s Jon Morosi reports that the New York Yankees have had talks with the Miami Marlins and Arizona Diamondbacks to improve his team’s starting rotation, and have had talks with the Miami Marlins and Arizona Diamondbacks for that.

As noted by Morosi, both the Marlins and Diamondbacks have several pieces who can fill the Yankees’ rotational needs in Sandy Alcantara (Marlins), Edward Cabrera (Marlins), Zac Gallen (Diamondbacks) and Merrill Kelly (Diamondbacks).

On the Tuesday episode of ‘MLB on TBS: Leadoff,’ Morosi mentioned that Gallen — who has a 7-12 record this season with a 5.60 ERA — and Kelly, who has a 9-6 record and 3.22 ERA, could be more suitable options for the Yankees compared to Alcantara and Cabrera, as the Diamondbacks starters are rentals.

The Yankees are five games back of the Toronto Blue Jays for first place in the AL East. — John Leuzzi, USA TODAY Sports

Blue Jays trade rumors: Toronto eying Ryan Helsley

The Blue Jays reportedly will look to bolster their bullpen following their trade for Baltimore Orioles right-handed reliever Seranthony Dominguez earlier this afternoon: MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand reports Toronto is eying St. Louis Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley.

Helsley, 31, is 3-1 on the season with a 3.00 ERA and 21 saves in 36 innings of work for the Cardinals. — John Leuzzi, USA TODAY Sports

Orioles trade Seranthony Dominguez to Blue Jays – in opposing clubhouse

In between games of the teams’ doubleheader in Baltimore on Tuesday, the Toronto Blue Jays acquired 30-year-old right-handed reliever Seranthony Dominguez from the Orioles, according to multiple reports. The Orioles will receive right-handed pitching prospect Juaron Watts-Brown to complete the trade, Sportsnet and ESPN reported.

In 298 career games with the Philadelphia Phillies (2018-24) and Orioles (2024-25), Dominguez has gone 21-22 with 40 saves, a 3.54 ERA and 335 strikeouts across 285 innings. He did not play in 2020 due to injury. In 2025, Dominguez is 2-3 with two saves and a 3.24 ERA in 43 appearances for the Orioles. He’s struck out 54 batters for a rate of 11.7 strikeouts per nine innings.

Watts-Brown, 23, has split this season between Double-A New Hampshire and High-A Vancouver. He has gone 2-5 with a 3.54 ERA in 19 starts. MLB Pipeline ranked Watts-Brown as Toronto’s No. 10 prospect. — Field Level Media

Eugenio Suárez to Tigers? Gleyber Torres backs a trade

The Tigers are one of many teams interested in acquiring Eugenio Suárez from the Diamondbacks before the MLB trade deadline, set for 6 p.m. Thursday, July 31. Other teams in the mix include the Cincinnati Reds, Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee Brewers, Philadelphia Phillies and Seattle Mariners.

‘If he comes here at some point, it’s going to be awesome,’ said Torres, a former teammates of Suárez with Team Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic. ‘He treats people the right way. He’s easy to talk to. He always wants to help the players. It would be a really, really good addition for us.’

Said Torres: ‘I think he’s a better person than player. I have a really good relationship with him. He is a humble guy, an awesome person. I’ve known him for many years. Our relationship is really good.’

Suárez has said he wants to play for the Tigers. The Tigers signed Suárez out of Venezuela for a $10,000 bonus during the 2008 international signing period. He made his MLB debut with the Tigers in 2014. After 85 games, the Tigers traded Suárez to the Reds. – Evan Petzold, Detroit Free Press

Danny Jansen trade has catcher back in Wisconsin

Not so long ago, members of the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers lived in the home young Danny Jansen shared with his family, just a bike ride away from Fox Cities Stadium in Appleton. In a twist of fate, it was a Timber Rattlers player sent to another organization who brought Jansen back to Wisconsin.

Jansen, 30, joined the Brewers on July 29, one day after Milwaukee consummated a deal with the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for Class A infielder Jadher Areinamo. The catcher Jansen, an alumnus of Appleton West and part of a former Timber Rattlers host family, now finds himself with his fourth team in the span of a year after getting dealt on back-to-back trade deadlines.

Eugenio Suárez injury update: D’backs slugger out of lineup

Arizona third baseman Eugenio Suárez, considered the top hitter available ahead of Thursday’s deadline, is out of the Diamondbacks lineup Tuesday in Detroit after being hit on the hand by a pitch on Monday night.

X-rays after the game were egative and Suárez told reporters on Tuesday that he also underwent a CT scan and MRI, both coming back clean. Suárez could return to the lineup on Wednesday for what may be his final game in a Diamondbacks uniform.

Suárez has 36 home runs, is tied for the MLB lead with 87 home runs and could become the first player traded in the middle of a 50-homer campaign since Mark McGwire in 1996.

Phillies trade rumors, team needs

The Philadelphia bullpen took a hit when left-handed reliever José Alvarado was suspended for 80 games in May for violating MLB’s PED policy. To help fill the void, the Phils recently signed veteran right-handed reliever David Robertson after he sat out the season following a strong 2024 season with the Texas Rangers. Robertson has spent two other stints with Philadelphia, including during the team’s 2022 World Series run.

Outfield has also been a concern for much of the year with free-agent addition Max Kepler struggling to provide offensive stability. While he has improved at the plate as the summer has progressed, center fielder Brandon Marsh, along with outfielders Nick Castellanos and Johan Rojas, has been inconsistent offensively this season.

Pirates trade rumors: David Bednar, Mitch Keller

The Pittsburgh Pirates have a few impact players who could be moved ahead of the trade deadline including closer David Bednar and starter Mitch Keller.

An All-Star in 2022 and 2023, the 30-year-old Bednar had a miserable 2024 campaign (5.77 ERA in 62 games), but has rounded back into form this year with a 2.37 ERA, including a career-best 12.1 strikeouts per nine innings.

Keller, 29, signed a four-year extension worth $77 million with the Pirates prior to the 2024 season. An All-Star in 2023, Keller has a 3.69 ERA in 22 starts, his best since 2020, but has seen his strikeout rate fall each of the past two seasons.

‘I think we want to be careful about it, because you have pitching depth until you don’t,’ Cherington told reporters. ‘It’s hard to get it back. We’re not anxious to trade pitching.’

Nick Fortes to Rays in trade with Marlins

The Tampa Bay Rays acquired catcher Nick Fortes from the Miami Marlins on Tuesday in exchange for minor league outfielder Matthew Etzel.

Fortes, 28, batted .249 with two home runs and 10 RBIs in 59 games with the Marlins this season. He is a career .225 hitter with 25 homers and 96 RBIs in 363 games since making his debut with Miami in 2021.

Etzel, 23, was ranked as the Rays’ No. 28 prospect by MLB Pipeline.

He batted .230 with five homers, 34 RBIs and 17 stolen bases in 56 games at Double-A Montgomery this season before landing on the injured list on June 22. – Field Level Media

Chris Paddack, Randy Dobnak traded to Twins

The Tigers acquired right-handers Chris Paddack and Randy Dobnak from the Minnesota Twins on Monday, July 28 — just three days before the MLB trade deadline, which is set for 6 p.m. Thursday, July 31. Although Paddack becomes a free agent after 2025, Dobnak has team options for 2026, 2027 and 2028.

Trading for Paddack was sparked by right-hander Reese Olson suffering a right shoulder strain. He has been ruled out for the remainder of the regular season, but there’s still a chance he returns for the postseason.

‘It’s really an unfortunate piece of news for Reese,’ Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris said. ‘We really feel for him. But we are excited to strengthen our pitching before the trade deadline, and we’re really excited to add Chris to the mix.’ – Evan Petzold, Detroit Free Press

Yankees rumors: Cam Schlitter a trade deadline candidate?

MLB’s trade deadline, Thursday at 6 p.m., is a looming presence at Yankee Stadium, where Cam Schlittler’s third big-league start showed an unpolished pitcher with plenty of promise.

“He walks out there with a lot of weapons, starting with a high-90s, 100-mph fastball,’’ Yankees manager Aaron Boone said before Monday night’s game against Tampa Bay.

Schlittler impressively flashed that 100-mph fastball against the Rays but also lost his command for a stretch and the Yankees ultimately lost another divisional game. Maybe that won’t mean parting with Yankees’ slugging prospect Spencer Jones, but he’s clearly part of a lot of trade conversations – as are Schlittler and fellow right-handed starter Will Warren.

Eugenio Suárez injury update

USA TODAY Sports’ Bob Nightengale confirmed that Eugenio Suárez underwent X-rays, which came back negative. Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo told reporters that Suárez’s left hand and finger were ‘tender to the touch,’ according to The Athletic’s Cody Stavenhagen. Lovullo added that Suárez is day-to-day for now.

‘The good thing right now is we did the X-ray, and it was negative,’ Suárez said after the game. ‘We got more tests to do tomorrow. Right now, it’s painful, obviously.’

Braves add Erick Fedde

With all five members of their opening day rotation now on the injured list, the struggling Atlanta Braves have added a veteran starter. Erick Fedde, who was designated for assignment by the St. Louis Cardinals last week, fills the void in Atlanta’s rotation after Grant Holmes hit the injured list with elbow inflammation. He joins fellow rotation mates Chris Sale, Spencer Schwellenbach, Reynaldo Lopez and A.J. Smith-Shawver on the 60-day IL.

The Braves acquired Fedde (3-10, 5.22 ERA this season) in exchange for a player to be named later or cash considerations.

Yankees trade Carlos Carrasco

Dealing with the pitching-strapped Braves on Monday, the Yankees traded veteran right-hander Carlos Carrasco to Atlanta.

In announcing the trade prior to their Monday night series opener against the Rays at Yankee Stadium, the Yankees said they will receive cash considerations from the Braves.

2025 MLB trade deadline targets

Here’s a list of a handful of players who could potentially be moved at this year’s deadline:

Pitchers:

• Sandy Alcantara (Marlins)
• Zac Gallen (Diamondbacks)
• Merrill Kelly (Diamondbacks)
• Mitch Keller (Pirates)
• Andrew Heaney (Pirates)
• Johan Duran (Twins)
• Kenley Jansen (Angels)

Position players:

• Eugenio Suárez (Diamondbacks)
• Jarren Duran (Red Sox)
• Luis Robert Jr. (White Sox)
• Taylor Ward (Angels)
• Ryan O’Hearn (Orioles)

And, on a 97-degree day when the ball was jumping and the Toronto Blue Jays offered up a bullpen game in the opener of a split doubleheader, Baltimore became the first team with four home runs and five sacrifice flies in a single game, coming in a 16-4 throttling of the best team in the American League.

They tied three other teams in recording five sacrifice flies, and the safety parade began early: Tyler O’Neill and Cedric Mullins each cashed in runs on fly balls in the first inning.

Ramon Urias and Mullins repeated the feat in the third inning off Blue Jays starter Easton Lucas, giving them five innings to break the mark.

Trouble is, the deep fly balls they hit kept going over the fence.

O’Neill homered in his fourth consecutive game, Gunnar Henderson clouted another three-run shot, Urias hit a pair out of the yard.

The sacrifice fly record was equalized with one out in the eighth inning, when Jackson Holliday flew out to left field against Blue Jays catcher Ali Sanchez – who did record a strikeout of Alex Jackson on a 35.3-mph eephus pitch earlier in the frame.

Urías did not realize it was a sac fly record until Holliday mentioned it after the game. And his two homers played a huge role in the homer/sac fly oddity. Given that a runner must be on third with zero or no outs, and a deep enough fly ball must follow, it’s almost a mathematical impossibility – unless aided by dreadful pitching – to get many more than five.

‘How many were there? Five?’ Urías asked after the game.

Yep. And four homers, this for a team that’s flailed most of the season, necessitating a trade deadline sell-off, yet has suddenly burst open for 50 runs in its past four games. That period was marked by catcher Adley Rutschman’s return from injury, making the lineup whole for one of the few times this season.

‘We got a group that is healthy,’ says Urías. ‘The boys are feeling good and swinging it well, and feeling good about each other.’

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The NFL world was rocked on the evening of Monday, July 28 when a shooter targeted the league offices, according to New York City mayor, Eric Adams.

A gunman charged into 345 Park Ave., which houses the NFL’s headquarters and other offices for some major financial firms, fatally shooting four, including an NYPD officer. Amid the chaos, an NFL employee was injured.

The employee, identified as Craig Clementi, is in stable condition per The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, the Washington Post and the New York Daily News.

In a memo sent to employees on Monday evening, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell stated that a member of the league’s staff was seriously injured – although it made no mention of Clementi.

“He is currently in the hospital and in stable condition,’ Goodell wrote. ‘NFL staff are at the hospital and we are supporting his family.’

The commissioner added that ‘all of our employees are otherwise safe and accounted for.’

Here’s what to know about Clementi and his condition.

Who is Craig Clementi?

Clementi works in the finance department at the NFL.

First reported by The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, Clementi was on the phone with fellow NFL colleagues to warn them about the danger and advise them to evacuate.

Russini added that Clementi continued to call colleagues while being transported to the hospital in an ambulance after being struck by a bullet in the back.

Craig Clementi condition

Clementi is in stable condition, according to reports.

His father-in-law, Robert Hunter, told the New York Daily News that Clementi “was on his way home when he got shot.”He “came through the surgery and there was some spinal damage,” but he is “doing well.”

He was wounded in the back by a bullet during the shooting on July 28. The belief is that the bullet may have ricocheted before striking Clementi.