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The Miami Marlins hired Peter Bendix to run their baseball operations department, the team announced Monday, poaching him from the Tampa Bay Rays in hopes of replicating the consistent success of their northerly neighbors.

Bendix replaces Kim Ng, the former general manager who left the Marlins after ownership suggested it planned on hiring a president of baseball operations above her.

“Peter has a great reputation within baseball and is committed to achieving sustained excellence in all areas of Baseball Operations,” Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said in remarks distributed by the club. “I am looking forward to working alongside Peter to bring the Marlins back to the playoffs.”

After joining the Rays as an intern in 2009, Bendix rose to general manager and his responsibilities in the organization covered a wide expanse, including baseball development and research and development.

When Ng left the Marlins three weeks ago, Miami owner Bruce Sherman made clear to potential candidates that he wanted the team to operate like the Rays, whose success in drafting, player development and player acquisition has allowed them to thrive in an American League East with rivals who boast payrolls two and three times the size of Tampa Bay’s.

“Peter is an established industry leader with an extensive skillset and deep experience that will continue the momentum we have made on the Major League level, while also strategically building the foundation for sustained success through player acquisition, development, and scouting at all levels,” Sherman said.

Miami started the season with a payroll around $92 million, trumped by division rivals New York ($354 million), Philadelphia ($243 million), Atlanta ($203 million) and Washington ($101 million). Despite the lack of spending, the Marlins made a surprising run to the postseason this year, going 84-78 with a run differential of -57, the lowest ever for a playoff team.

Led by first-year manager Schumaker, the favorite for National League Manager of the Year, Miami lost in the wild-card round to a Philadelphia team that made it to Game 7 of the NL Championship Series before losing to Arizona.

Bendix, 38, inherits a team rich in pitching but light on hitting. While the Marlins do have NL batting champion Luis Arraez and first baseman Josh Bell, who opted in to a $16.5 million contract for 2024, slugger Jorge Soler opted out of his deal and is now a free agent.

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Nationals pick ‘diligent’ Cairo as interim manager

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Nationals pick 'diligent' Cairo as interim manager

The Washington Nationals have named bench coach Miguel Cairo as their interim manager, the team announced Monday.

Cairo, a native of Venezuela who played for nine teams over 17 MLB seasons from 1996 to 2012, replaces Dave Martinez, who was fired along with general manager Mike Rizzo on Sunday.

Cairo, 51, joined the Nationals in 2024 after spending the previous season as the minor league infield coordinator for the New York Mets. He also served as bench coach for the Chicago White Sox during the 2021 and 2022 seasons, being named active manager after Tony La Russa stepped aside in 2022 because of an undisclosed medical condition. The White Sox went 18-16 down the stretch under Cairo but failed to reach the playoffs.

“Miguel is well-respected in our organization and around baseball,” Nationals interim general manager Mike DeBartolo said in a statement. “A diligent worker and student of the game, he has a proven track record of showing strong leadership in a variety of situations, and I believe that his voice and energy will serve as a catalyst to our team and our fan base in the second half of the season.”

Cairo played all positions except catcher, center fielder and pitcher during his playing career. He was a career .264 hitter with 41 home runs and 394 RBIs in 1,490 games.

DeBartolo, the club’s senior vice president and assistant general manager, was named interim GM on Sunday night and will oversee all aspects of baseball operations, including the MLB draft.

The Nationals are 37-53, last in the National League East standings after getting swept by the Boston Red Sox this weekend at home. Washington hasn’t finished higher than fourth in the division since winning the 2019 World Series.

Washington has a 325-473 record since the start of the 2020 season, only better than the Colorado Rockies.

Field Level Media contributed to this report.

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Kershaw: ASG legend nod ‘weird, but it’s cool’

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Kershaw: ASG legend nod 'weird, but it's cool'

MILWAUKEE — Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw appreciates his 11th career All-Star Game selection while acknowledging this one’s a little different from the rest.

The three-time Cy Young Award winner has made only nine starts this season but still got selected to the National League team as a “Legend Pick” by MLB commissioner Rob Manfred, under a provision in the collective bargaining agreement.

“You never take for granted getting to go to an All-Star Game, regardless of the circumstances,” Kershaw said Monday before the Dodgers played the Milwaukee Brewers. “Obviously, I don’t deserve to get to go this season. I haven’t pitched very much.”

This marked the first time Manfred made a Legend Pick for the All-Star Game since 2022, when Miguel Cabrera and Albert Pujols both received that designation.

“I didn’t really actually know that was a thing,” Kershaw said. “At the end of the day, it’s weird, but it’s cool, so I’m just going to enjoy it.”

The honor comes less than a week after Kershaw recorded his 3,000th career strikeout, becoming just the 20th pitcher to reach that plateau. He’s in his 18th season with the Dodgers, tying Hall of Fame outfielder Zack Wheat and shortstop Bill Russell for the franchise record.

The 37-year-old left-hander didn’t make his season debut until May 17 as he worked his way back from toe and knee surgeries. He also had undergone shoulder surgery after the 2023 season. He owns a 4-0 record and 3.43 ERA with 32 strikeouts in 44⅔ innings.

“I think it’s mixed,” Kershaw said. “I think there’s some good and some bad. I think it’s helpful to be able to get the reps, go back out and be able to feel OK in between starts to work on some stuff and try to figure out some things mechanically and pitch-wise and stuff. I’d say overall, I wouldn’t say I’m happy, but I wouldn’t say I’m disappointed, either. Just kind of right in the middle.”

All these career milestones naturally lead to questions about Kershaw’s legacy and future. Kershaw says he’s just focusing on the here and now.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen in the future,” he said. “I really have no idea when it comes to the years beyond this one, so I’m just trying to enjoy it, trying to be part of a really good team this year. We’ve still got a lot to accomplish, and we still have October. It’s really hard to look at stuff individually when you’re trying to accomplish something as a team.”

But he still appreciates this latest honor, no matter how he was selected.

“I’ll never pass up that opportunity,” Kershaw said. “It’s a tremendous honor. Super thankful to get to go. Regardless of the situation or how I maybe snuck into the All-Star Game, it’s pretty cool to get to be able to go.”

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Red Sox 3B Bregman ‘trending’ to return this week

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Red Sox 3B Bregman 'trending' to return this week

BOSTON — Alex Bregman believes he could skip a minor-league rehab assignment and be back in the Boston Red Sox lineup before the All-Star break.

The two-time All-Star third baseman, who has been sidelined since May 24 with a strained right quad, said there’s even a chance his return could happen by the end of this week.

“Trending toward a return here pretty quickly,” Bregman said Monday night after Boston’s 9-3 win over the Rockies. “Whether it’s the end of this week or first game after the break. One of those two. But hoping it will be the end of this week.”

Boston finishes it’s three-game series with Colorado on Wednesday, then hosts Tampa Bay for a four-game series Thursday through Sunday to conclude its first-half schedule.

Boston had high hopes for Bregman, 31, entering the season after he signed as a free agent to a $120 million, three-year deal during the offseason. And he had had been on a torrid pace to start the season, hitting .299 with 11 homers and 35 RBIs before suffering his injury. But Monday marked the 40th game he’s been sidelined.

His injury is similar to the one he sustained to his left quad strain in 2021 with Houston, which cost him 58 games. But unlike that injury, Bregman said he is hopeful he can return to action without a stint in the minors.

Though, he said an ultimate decision will be made after a consultation with the medical and training staff.

“We’re still going to talk about it as a group,” Bregman said. “I think we’re going to have another discussion (Tuesday). But I feel like I can go play and get ready to go.”

The timing synchs up with Bregman being named to his third All-Star team on Sunday as a reserve. But, he said he doesn’t think there’s any chance he’d be able to participate.

While he said he may make an appearance and take his son to the Home Run Derby, he’ll spend the rest of the break maintaining his fitness in preparation for the second half of the season.

“What I need to do is hopefully be back playing by the end of this week,” he said, “and use the All-Star break to continue to build up, work on my leg and make sure that we continue the progression the right way.”

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