Just because the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline passed doesn’t mean rumors about possible deals have stopped. There were reports this week that the Cubs had claimed Phillies left-hander Cole Hamels off waivers. This is the time of year when teams put nearly every player on revocable waivers to give them roster and trade flexibility before the Aug. 31 waiver Trade Deadline.

Javier Baez gave Cubs fans more reasons to be giddy about his arrival at Wrigley Field. Baez belted a pair of home runs and added an RBI single, driving in four runs in his third big league game, to back Kyle Hendricks and power the Cubs to a 6-2 victory Thursday over the Rockies.

The Nationals defeated the Mets, 5-3, on Thursday afternoon in the series finale at Nationals Park behind a walk-off two-run home run from Bryce Harper in the 13th inning.

With the rain pouring down on Busch Stadium all day, David Ortiz was scratched from Thursday’s lineup against the Cardinals.

The Brewers did their part Thursday to ensure their weekend showdown against the Dodgers would pit a pair of first-place teams. A 3-1 win over the Giants at Miller Park, sealed with two runs in the sixth inning, made right-hander Wily Peralta the Majors’ first 14-game winner and ensured the Brewers another day alone in first place in the National League Central.

The Dodgers obtained right-handed starting pitcher Roberto Hernandez from the Phillies on Thursday for two players to be named or cash. He will start for Los Angeles on Friday.

Shane Greene went eight shutout innings and Stephen Drew hit an RBI double as the Yankees downed the Tigers, 1-0, on Thursday at Yankee Stadium.

The Braves will enter the most daunting stretch of their schedule in the midst of an eight-game losing streak. By the time they hit the road again on Aug. 18, there is a good chance they will know whether they are legitimate postseason contenders.

Brendan Ryan seems to have mastered the redirection. The Yankees infielder singled Thursday on a ball that made contact with his bat twice.

Masahiro Tanaka played catch again on Thursday at Yankee Stadium, tossing in the outfield at distances of 60 and 90 feet.

Blue Jays infielder Brett Lawrie returned from the disabled list Tuesday, but he lasted just four innings before suffering a left oblique strain. He was placed back on the DL on Thursday and replaced on the active roster by southpaw Rob Rasmussen.

Giving Bryce Harper a short stretch in Triple-A to get his bat going is far from the worst idea. It is, however, a delicate topic, because it involves a young man who, fairly or not, has been anointed as one of the faces of his sport. And it involves a rookie manager still finding his footing in the daily media dealings that, fairly or not, are a huge part of his job.

The National Youth Baseball Championship, the endgame for the 16 12U teams that have forged their way through regional qualifiers to this final tournament to crown a national champ, will begin on Friday with Baseball Heaven, a seven-field complex in Yaphank, N.Y., playing host this year for the first time.

Here’s a look at five hitters and five pitchers from the 2014 Draft who have gotten off to outstanding starts in the Minor Leagues.

Every lineup, every day, as they are made public by the clubs.

In the midst of Progressive Field’s 20th anniversary season, the Indians are planning a major facelift for the facility.

Low-key right-handed reliever Brad Boxberger has managed to avoid the spotlight while dominating hitters from both sides of the plate.