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Major leagues

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Randy Arozarena hit a three-run homer in the first, Christian Bethancourt and Yu Chang went deep back-to-back during the sixth, and the surging Tampa Bay Rays beat the Boston Red Sox 8-4 on Tuesday night.

The Rays are an AL-best 22-10 since Aug. 4, and moved within 4½ games of the AL East-leading New York Yankees. Tampa Bay is in a three-way competition for the first AL wild card with Seattle and Toronto.

With Tampa Bay scheduled starter Drew Rasmussen scratched and placed on the paternity list for the birth of son early Tuesday, six pitchers combined on a six-hitter.

Garrett Cleavinger (1-1) allowed one hit during a scoreless third and fourth to get his first win since June 20, 2021.

Rizzo to IL: Injuries keep piling up for the New York Yankees at just the wrong time.

First baseman Anthony Rizzo is headed to the 10-day injured list, the latest health-related setback for a banged-up team trying to hold onto first place in the AL East.

Rizzo is hampered by headaches the Yankees think are related to an epidural injection he received to alleviate lower back pain. He was expected to resume baseball activities Monday, then Wednesday, before the club decided Tuesday to place him on the IL.

“I don’t think it’s anything back-related now,” manager Aaron Boone said after Tuesday night’s scheduled game against Minnesota was postponed because of rain.

It will be made up Wednesday as part of a single-admission doubleheader beginning at 3:05 p.m.

Franco, Glasnow to play in minors:

Tampa Bay shortstop Wander Franco took batting practice Tuesday for Triple-A Durham and is ready to play again in his minor league rehabilitation, according to Rays manager Kevin Cash.

Franco went on the injured list July 10 with a right hamate bone injury that required surgery. He was lifted after two at-bats Monday in his second game after resuming his rehabilitation assignment.

Cash said Franco will be in Durham’s lineup on Wednesday. Right-hander Tyler Glasnow is scheduled to throw one inning for Durham Wednesday night in his first game since Tommy John surgery.

Franco played part of one game in mid-August for Durham but departed early due to hand soreness and was shut down.

Sox sign Hernandez for 2023: Kiké Hernández and the Boston Red Sox agreed Tuesday to a $10 million contract for 2023, preventing the infielder/outfielder from becoming a free agent.

Hernández is hitting .219 with six homers and 37 RBIs over 274 at-bats in his second season with the Red Sox. He has batted .239 with 26 homers and 97 RBIs with Boston, making 44 starts in center field, 47 at second and five at shortstop.

Hernández played a key role in the Red Sox reaching the ALCS last year, where they lost in six games to Houston. He went 20 for 49 with three homers and 10 runs during the postseason.

National League

Tatis has surgery: Suspended shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. had surgery Tuesday to repair the torn labrum in his left shoulder, the San Diego Padres said.

The surgery was performed in Los Angeles by Dr. Neal ElAttache, the team physician for the Dodgers and the NFL’s Rams. The surgery originally had been scheduled for last week but was postponed because Tatis had strep throat.

Recovery from the shoulder surgery is estimated at four to six months. His spring training could be delayed, but if all goes well, he should be full strength by the time he’s done serving an 80-game suspension for testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug.

Tatis missed the first four months of this season with a broken left wrist, an injury that’s believed to have occurred in an offseason motorcycle crash. He was nearing a return from that injury when Major League Baseball suspended him on Aug. 12 for testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug. The penalty will sideline him for roughly one-third of the 2023 season.

Minor leagues

MLB asked to accept minor league union: The Major League Baseball Players Association asked management Tuesday to voluntarily accept the union as the bargaining agent for minor leaguers.

Bruce Meyer, the union’s deputy executive director, sent a letter to MLB Deputy Commissioner Dan Halem that claimed a majority of minor leaguers had signed authorization cards.

The MLBPA, which reached its first collective bargaining agreement for major leaguers in 1968, launched the minor league unionization drive on Aug. 28. Players with minor league contracts, who earn as little as $400 weekly during the six-month season, would become their own bargaining unit within the MLBPA.

If MLB does not voluntarily accept the union, signed cards from 30% of the 5,000 to 6,5000 minor leaguers in the bargaining unit would allow the union to file a petition to the National Labor Relations Board asking for a union authorization election. A majority vote in an election would authorize union representation.

“Minor league players have made it unmistakably clear they want the MLBPA to represent them and are ready to begin collective bargaining in order to positively affect the upcoming season,” MLBPA executive director Tony Clark said in a statement.

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