LEADING OFF: Deadline day drama for Minor, Bauer, others

A look at what’s happening around the majors Wednesday:

ON THE BLOCK

With the trade deadline set for 4 p.m. ET, the hot stove is brimming with big arms that have long been mentioned in rumors. Madison Bumgarner, Noah Syndergaard, Trevor Bauer, Mike Minor, Zack Wheeler and Robbie Ray are the biggest names that might move, and that would provide a spark for what’s otherwise been a quiet trade season, with Marcus Stroman’s deal from Toronto to the Mets by far the biggest one completed. Of those pitchers, Minor is the only one set to start on deadline day, with the Rangers left-hander slated to face Seattle four hours after the deadline.

DEADLINE DRAMA

If Trevor Bauer is traded away from Cleveland, he’ll leave with slightly lighter pockets. The right-hander was fined by Major League Baseball for heaving a ball from the pitcher’s mound over the center field wall at Kansas City last weekend, a person familiar with the discipline told The Associated Press. An All-Star last year, Bauer made the toss in the fifth inning of Cleveland’s 9-6 loss Sunday. When manager Terry Francona emerged from the dugout to make a pitching change, Bauer turned, took a couple steps and threw the ball over the 410-foot mark. Bauer apologized to the organization and his teammates. His name has been mentioned often in trade rumors, but no deal had emerged as of Tuesday night. Bauer is 9-8 with a 3.79 ERA in 24 starts.

TOUGH SELL

Blue Jays closer Ken Giles seemed likely to move before the deadline until he got a cortisone shot Tuesday in his right elbow to treat what the club called mild inflammation. Toronto head athletic trainer Nikki Huffman says an MRI showed no structural problems, and that the shot would provide Giles with “a long-lasting effect.” Giles won’t resume throwing until after the 4 p.m. deadline, though, and it’s unlikely a team would try to acquire the right-hander without a clearer picture of his health.

SNAKES-YANKS

The teams conclude their quick two-game series with a Wednesday matinee. RHP Zack Greinke (10-4, 2.87 ERA) pitches for the Diamondbacks against RHP Masahiro Tanaka (7-6, 4.79) in a matchup of 2019 All-Stars. Greinke went 7 2/3 innings to beat the Yankees 3-1 on April 30 in Arizona. Tanaka lasted only four innings the following day and lost 3-2. Tanaka was tagged for 12 runs on 12 hits and three walks in 3 1/3 innings of a 19-3 loss at Boston last Thursday. The only Yankees pitcher to give up more earned runs in a game was Carl Mays, who allowed 13 in a 1923 complete game against Cleveland.

SLIDING INTO FORM

After some early season struggles, Mets ace Jacob deGrom again looks the part of a reigning Cy Young Award winner. He’s doing it differently, though. He threw his slider a career-high 58 times over seven scoreless innings against San Diego last week, averaging a stunning 91.8 mph with the pitch. He’s used that pitch more and more over the past month, following a league-wide trend of increased breaking ball usage. He’s gotten a lot of uncomfortable swings with the pitch, including one from Francisco Mejía last week that wobbled the rookie, buckled his left ankle and nearly caused him to fall over.