Houston is unwilling to include outfielder Kyle Tucker in a potential trade for the 28-year-old left-hander, according to a report from MLB Network, which cites an unidentified league source. The Astros selected Tucker, 22, with the fifth pick in the 2015 draft. He made his MLB debut last season and slashed .141/.236/.203 in 64 at-bats over 28 games. Tucker is the No. 2 prospect in the Astros organization, according to MLB....

At least eight teams have called New York to inquire about a deal for the 26-year-old starter, according to a report from SNY. The Mets, however, are still unlikely to move Syndergaard before the July 31 deadline, the report says. Syndergaard has regressed in 2019 as he holds a 7-4 record with a 4.55 ERA in 18 starts. But, he remains an attractive asset because he’ll be under team control through the 2021 season....

REPORTED BY: Jon Heyman, MLB.com DETAILS: Hours after Jose Bautista stated he won’t be giving the Blue Jays a hometown discount next offseason, rumors started swirling that Toronto is interested in acquiring Jay Bruce. MORE: Potential breakout stars for 2016 Bruce is a right fielder like Bautista, but the Reds star has struggled to reach base the past two seasons. His addition would give Toronto five home run hitters in the middle of its lineup....

New York is “open to dealing” closer Edwin Diaz but will only move him if it “hits a home run,” according to a report from ESPN, which cites unidentified league sources. The Mets acquired Diaz, along with Robinson Cano, in exchange for two top prospects — Jarred Kelenic and Justin Dunn — and other pieces. Diaz, however, has struggled with New York so far and holds a 1-6 record with a 4....

It’s hard to predict these types of things. But rest assured that the teams involved in the public rumor mill aren’t the only teams working the phones trying to make things happen. Just because a rumor isn’t being reported doesn’t mean talks aren’t being had. MORE: Shohei Ohtani sounds unsure about Angels future It’s probably a fool’s errand, but here are three trades that might seem surprising, but actually make a lot of sense for both teams involved....

Some stories have gained the appropriate amount of noise as the year has gone on. Despite his trip to the injured list, Yordan Alvarez is rightfully recognized as one of baseball’s eminent hitters. Elsewhere, Sandy Alcantara has catapulted into the Cy Young conversation with his outstanding season. But what about the rest of the league? Baseball’s regional nature can make it hard to take note of what’s going on around the league, particularly on non-competitive teams....

Milwaukee dominated as it punched its ticket to the postseason just one day after the Nationals secured a wild-card spot. Ryan Braun made the most of his time at the plate. While the Brewers outfielder only had one hit, it was a grand slam in the first inning. Milwaukee ended up scoring six first-inning runs and cruised from there. Reds starter Tyler Mahle gave up eight runs (seven earned) in 2 1/3 innings before being pulled....

The Mets’ offense was powered by rookie sensation Pete Alonso, who went 2 for 4 at the plate with two home runs and two RBIs. New York also got a strong showing from Jacob deGrom, who tallied 11 strikeouts in seven innings of work while only giving up three hits. The Diamondbacks’ lone run of the night came off of a home run from Wilmer Flores in the fifth inning....

MORE: Six most hated MLS teams | Dempsey left off USA roster This theme, with slight variation, popped up in almost every answer he gave after the game. The team played well. The Sounders created chances. He should have scored. Happy with the result. The team tried to get goals. A save was frustrating. Dempsey kept narrative - the merest whiff of narrative - at arm’s length. His omission from the USA squad, set to play at Craven Cottage, where he became an icon for Fulham FC?...

The match caps a 13-game playoff which Here are the MLS playoff basics: A total of 14 teams made the postseason (seven from East, seven from West). The team with the best record hosts every match of the playoffs, and the No. 1 seed in each conference gets a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout. It’s straight single-elimination knockouts from beginning to end. The madness started on Nov. 20, and the full schedule and highlights for the 13 playoff matches through MLS Cup on Dec....

Two weeks remain in the MLS regular season, and there is still quite a bit on the line, from playoff berths to postseason positioning. A player like Matt Besler can’t dwell on the U.S. loss to Trinidad & Tobago too long, not with his Sporting Kansas City side still fighting for a top spot in the Western Conference. The same goes for the Seattle Sounders’ Clint Dempsey, while Kellyn Acosta must return to help FC Dallas fight to hold onto its playoff spot....

Helwani, a veteran reporter for MMAFighting.com, says he was escorted out of The Forum in Inglewood, Calif., during UFC 199 on Saturday night and banned from all future MMA events after (accurately) reporting Brock Lesnar would make his return at UFC 200. He claims his credential was revoked and he was kicked out before the main event fight between Luke Rockhold and Michael Bisping. UFC 199: Bisping shocks the world with huge KO to win middleweight title...

The former welterweight champion, now 35, is considered one of the best fighters in MMA history at 25-2. He last fought in 2013. MORE: Athletes who turned MMA stars “… I love my sport and I still feel I’m at my best right now. The clock is running. I’m not getting any younger. I’m in my peak of my career, and if there is a shot, there is another goal, another run, I better do it and do it quick, because it is time to do it now,” St-Pierre said on Monday’s “MMA Hour”....

By Monday Davis had proven why she’s more mature at 13 years old than many fully grown adults. According to TMZ.com, Davis reached out to Bloomsburg University ask asked that the offender — Joey Casselberry — be reinstated on to the team. “TMZ Sports spoke with a rep for Bloomsburg who tells us President David L. Soltz received an email from Davis and her coach in which they ask that Joey Casselberry’s dismissal from the team be reconsidered....

On Monday, the U.K. Ministry of Defense posted its daily update on the state of the war in Ukraine, tweeting: “Russia has deployed several thousand newly mobilized reservists to the front line in Ukraine since mid-October. In many cases, they are poorly equipped. In September, Russian officers were concerned that some recently mobilized reservists were arriving in Ukraine without weapons.” “Open source images suggest that those rifles which have been issued to mobilized reservists are typically AKMs, a weapon first introduced in 1959....

The person on the phone told her the agency had ties to actor Josh Hartnett and the Backstreet Boys (boy-band impresario Lou Pearlman is the company’s chairman). When Molloy showed up for her appointment, the agency took pictures and told her someone would be in touch. An agency representative called her the next day for a phone interview; he told her she had a nice smile. He said the firm wanted to represent her–that it wanted to help her launch a modeling career....

Keep a drinking diary. A sample is available from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/handout.htm). As you track your consumption, you may be surprised to see how much you’re drinking. Prepare to change. If you’re drinking more than you want to, make a list of your reasons for cutting back. Reading it every day will help keep you motivated. Set a goal. Instead of resolving vaguely to drink less, set a specific limit–one drink a day, for example, or no alcohol except at social events....

Views differ on who is responsible for the crisis—reckless lenders, imprudent borrowers or lax regulators. What is undeniable is that it was facilitated by an innovation that is having an impact on many segments of the financial industry: the use of derivative products and “structured” securities. They are traded just like stocks or bonds and form the basis of what are more commonly known as exotic mortgages. Over the long term, such financial innovation is welfare-enhancing....

Salah came off the bench to net a brace in the Reds’ 3-0 victory over Stoke City in Wednesday’s English top-flight outing which earned Jurgen Klopp’s men their seventh league win. The forward has registered 17 goals in all competitions this term, thus, surpassing his performance at Chelsea, where he scored just four times in his 27 appearances. And Thompson who initially doubted the 25-year-old’s qualities is now convinced after strings of match-winning displays....