With Tuesday’s 3 p.m. PT MLB trade deadline looming, the Mariners made yet another move to bolster their lineup and offensive production while adding some postseason experience. Just before the team took the field Monday afternoon at Fenway Park in Boston, Mariners general manager Justin Hollander confirmed the team had acquired veteran infielder/designated hitter Justin Turner and cash considerations from the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for minor league outfield prospect R.J. Schreck. The officially announced the deal when the Mariners were in the pregame
HOUSTON — Will Wagner turned 26 on Monday and one of his gifts was a new home.
The Houston Astros acquired left-hander Yusei Kikuchi from the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday for 23-year-old right-hander Jake Bloss, rookie outfielder Joey Loperfido and Wagner.
A utility guy, Wagner was hitting .307 with five homers and 41 RBIs for Triple-A Sugar Land. Toronto’s Triple-A farm team is in Buffalo, New York.
He is the son of Southwest Virginia legend Billy Wagner, who played 16 seasons in the majors for Houston, Philadelphia, the New York Mets, Boston and Atlanta and was one of the greatest relief pitchers of all time.
Will Wagner played for his dad in high school at The Miller School in Charlottesville and attended Liberty University. The Astros selected him in the 18th round of the 2021 MLB Amateur Draft and he has a career slash line of .295/.399/.437 in 283 career regular-season games in the minors.
The 33-year-old Kikuchi is 4-9 with a 4.75 ERA in 22 starts this season, striking out 130 and walking 30 in 115 2/3 innings. He is 0-4 with a 7.75 ERA in eight starts since winning at Milwaukee on June 11.
Kikuchi is 35-46 with a 4.72 ERA in six seasons with Seattle and the Blue Jays. He has a $10 million salary in the final season of a $36 million, three-year contract and can become a free agent after the World Series.
Kikuchi joins a rotation that includes Ronel Blanco, Hinter Brown, Framber Valdez and Spencer Arrighetti. Houston’s rotation is missing Justin Verlander (neck stiffness), Cristian Javier and José Urquidy (both Tommy John surgery).
Bloss was scratched from his scheduled start against Pittsburgh on Monday.
He was selected from Georgetown with the 99th pick in the third round of the 2023 amateur draft and signed for a $497,500 bonus. Bloss made his major league debut on June 23 and is 0-1 with a 6.94 ERA in three starts. He went on the injured list with right shoulder inflammation a day after his big league debut and was activated July 11.
Bloss had 13 starts at three minor league levels this year and went 4-2 with a 1.64 ERA.
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