Bases Covered is a daily roundup of the most interesting stories in baseball.
A-Rod’s 40th
Alex Rodriguez celebrated his 40th birthday on Monday by hitting his 24th home run of the year. It was his fifth home run in five games—the controversial Yankee has been on fire this season. But just how strange is A-Rod’s resurgence this season? Here’s a breakdown by the numbers.
Victorino as an Angel
Veteran outfielder Shane Victorino said an emotional goodbye to the Red Sox on Monday at a press conference to discuss his trade to the Angels. The 34-year-old will make his debut for L.A. today in the opener of a three-game series versus Houston.
Dealing Puig?
The Dodgers are reportedly open to trading Yasiel Puig if the price is right. The team appears to be in the market for another starting pitcher to boost a rotation that includes Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw. Although Puig, 24, could be traded, L.A.’s prospects are reportedly drawing more interest right now from clubs looking to make a deal.
Bryant’s walk-off
With two outs in the bottom of the ninth in a Cubs-Rockies matchup on Monday night, Chicago rookie Kris Bryant hit a home run to send his team to a 9–8 victory. Bryant’s clutch performance saved his team from a loss that would have been blamed on the Cubs’ bullpen: Jason Motte and Rafael Soriano blew a 7–4 lead in the top of the ninth.
How Tulowitzki found out
The Rockies–Blue Jays deal that sent Troy Tulowitzki to Toronto came as a shock to baseball insiders. But was Tulowitzki blinsided by the news? Yahoo’s Jeff Passan reports on how the 30-year-old shortstop found out he’d been traded, writing that, “In the end, the Rockies felt like they owed Tulowitzki nothing, and that’s business, brutal and unforgiving and, more than anything when it comes to the Rockies, typical.”