The Buzz — Wednesday, July 29

Francisco Lindor

The take Big multi-HR multi-RBI game plus Mets trade deadline buzz

His 23rd career multi-homer game, and the first to include a triple — two home runs and six RBIs powering a 14-3 rout of the Braves. The deadline buzz is structure, not signal.

Stearns will not rule any player in or out, and Lindor is not untouchable the way Soto is — enough to light up a timeline. But it is not enough to move a player with a full no-trade clause and a contract through 2031 at more than $32 million per season. People inside and outside the organization already view an actual Lindor trade as largely unrealistic. The big game is a memory; the trade is a headline in search of a transaction.

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Harrison Bader

The take Bader scooter crash worsens foot injury ahead of MRI

Out since May 29 with plantar fasciitis, already facing what Tony Vitello called a frustrating and long runway, Bader found a way to extend it. A scooter accident over the weekend added trauma to the injured left foot, complicated a specialist visit with Dr. David Porter in Indianapolis, and pushed the MRI — to be examined by team orthopedist Dr. Ken Akizuki — to Tuesday.

This is the second scooter crash of Bader's baseball life; the first cost him 19 games as a sophomore at Florida in 2014. The .170 average and .557 OPS across 30 games tell you what the Giants were working with before this one. The foot was already the story. No hospital stay was needed, and that is the only good news in a saga that has produced five home runs across 30 games.

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Mason Miller

The take Padres closer Miller trade rumors amid team struggles

The 0.82 ERA is the number that should end this conversation. Twenty-seven saves, third in the majors. Eighty strikeouts in 43.2 innings. A 0.82 WHIP. Mason Miller is the part of the Padres roster that is working.

The rumor exists because Preller listens on everyone, and because the Padres slumped after a strong start. But Dennis Lin of The Athletic reported on July 23 that people familiar with the team's thinking see Miller as likely to remain a Padre, and that Preller has signaled to rivals he hopes to buy at the Aug. 3 deadline. The San Diego Union-Tribune confirmed the Padres have not ruled out a deal but all indications point toward improving the 2026 team. Rival executives told MLB.com the return would need to be at least two top-100 prospects.

What the crowd is missing: the Padres traded Leo De Vries, then MLB Pipeline's No. 3 overall prospect, and three others to get Miller less than a year ago. He is under club control through 2029 at a $4 million salary. Preller is listening because Preller always listens. But the cost of acquisition, the years of control, and the reporting all point one way. Miller stays.

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Tarik Skubal

The take Skubal trade rumors dominate as Tigers slide near WC

He is scheduled to start Wednesday against the Orioles — his final turn before the Aug. 3 deadline — and that tells you no deal is imminent. The Tigers are 3½ games out of the final wild-card spot with five games to play. Skubal has a 2.97 ERA in seven starts since returning from elbow surgery, with 999 career strikeouts. The arm is healthy and performing. The question is whether a sliding team can justify holding a rental two-time Cy Young winner, and the next five games will settle it.

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Ronald Acuña Jr.

The take Acuña back from hamstring, boosting Braves lineup

First at-bat back, and the ball left his bat at 107.8 mph to center — the timing arrived with him. Activated Monday after almost seven weeks on the IL with a left hamstring strain, Acuña went 1-for-4 batting leadoff. The rehab backs it up: nine of 16 balls in play at Triple-A Gwinnett left at 95 mph or harder.

What tempers it is that this was his second hamstring issue of the season. He is hitting .251 with seven home runs and 15 steals across 53 games — solid, not MVP-level, the cost of two IL stints in one year. When he went on the IL June 9, Atlanta led the NL East by eight games. They lead by 5½ now. The Braves held first place without him. What he gives them is a higher floor for a team that was already in front.

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