Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase — a rumored MLB trade deadline target — has been placed on paid leave in connection with a sports-gambling investigation, ESPN's Jeff Passan reported Monday. Clase is reportedly on leave through Aug. 31, per The Athletic's Zack Meisel.

The Kansas City Royals took pitcher Seth Lugo off the market on Sunday night and could help if the Nationals want to deal MacKenzie Gore.

Los Reales de Kansas City y el lanzador derecho Seth Lugo han acordado una extensión de contrato por dos años que incluye una

Now that Seth Lugo has established himself as a top starting pitcher, the New York Mets could reacquire their former draft pick.

The Royals haven’t made their deadline position clear. There are different scenarios at play in which they could operate as either a buyer or possibly as a seller. In recent games, the club has shown promising signs at the plate. The Royals have scored seven or more runs in four of their last six games.