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ARLINGTON, Texas — Justin Verlander allowed six earned runs and struck out six in pitching into the fourth inning of his first injury rehabilitation start Sunday for the Houston Astros‘ Triple-A Sugar Space Cowboys.

The 41-year-old right-hander, a three-time Cy Young Award winner, threw 46 of 65 pitches for strikes against Oakland’s Las Vegas Aviators. Verlander retired his first four batters, then allowed hits to his next six. Five of those were for extra bases, leading to five runs.

The Aviators won the game 10-6.

Verlander began this season on the 15-day injured list with inflammation in his right shoulder.

Carlos Pérez hit a tying solo homer in the second, Daz Cameron doubled and Hoy Park singled. Brett Harris hit a two-run triple, and Max Muncy and Esteury Ruiz hit consecutive RBI doubles.

After a 1-2-3 third, Park reached on an error leading off the fourth, and Verlander was pulled following a walk to Harris and Muncy’s RBI double that led to an unearned run.

“Stuff looked good, 95, threw some good sliders and some changeups,” Astros manager Joe Espada said. “Hopefully he feels good tomorrow. I that that’s the most important thing, how he bounces back.”

Verlander, reacquired by Houston from the New York Mets last July, is expected to make at least one more rehab start in the minors. He was 13-8 with a 3.22 ERA in 27 starts last year.

Astros right-hander Shawn Dubin also made his first rehab appearance, striking out two of four batters and throwing 16 of 22 pitches for strikes. He began season on the IL due to a right forearm strain.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this story.

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Cards’ Contreras out with foot contusion after HBP

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Cards' Contreras out with foot contusion after HBP

ST. LOUIS — Cardinals first baseman Willson Contreras was not in the lineup Wednesday against the Colorado Rockies a day after he was hit in the foot by a pitch and broke his bat in frustration.

Contreras, listed as day-to-day with a right foot contusion, was hit by Rockies starter Kyle Freeland‘s sweeper in the fourth inning. He then slammed his bat into the dirt and snapped it over his knee.

As he walked toward first base, the 33-year-old threw the two pieces of the broken bat toward the Cardinals’ dugout.

He remained in the game until the sixth inning, when he was replaced by Nolan Gorman.

The Cardinals said X-rays did not reveal any structural damage in Contreras’ foot.

Contreras has been hit by a National League-leading 18 pitches this season, trailing only Randy Arozarena and Ty France.

Contreras leads the Cardinals with 16 home runs and 65 RBIs.

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Rangers’ struggling García to IL with ankle injury

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Rangers' struggling García to IL with ankle injury

ARLINGTON, Texas — The Texas Rangers put struggling slugger Adolis García on the 10-day injured list with a sprained left ankle and activated outfielder Evan Carter.

Texas, which is chasing an American League wild-card berth, made the moves their series finale against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday.

Another outfielder, Wyatt Langford, was held out of the lineup because of forearm stiffness, but manager Bruce Bochy said he could be available to pinch-hit.

García is hitting .224 with 16 homers and 64 RBIs in 116 games. He hit .176 (6 for 34) during the nine-game homestand that ended with Wednesday’s game.

Carter, who turns 23 later this month, missed 10 games because of back spasms. He was in a 4-for-34 slump when he was placed on the IL on Aug. 2. He hit .238 with four homers and 21 RBIs in 55 games before then.

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D-backs’ DeSclafani to IL after turn as starter

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D-backs' DeSclafani to IL after turn as starter

ARLINGTON, Texas — The Arizona Diamondbacks placed right-hander Anthony DeSclafani on the 15-day injured list Wednesday because of right thumb inflammation after he made three starts.

DeSclafani (1-2, 4.36 ERA) has been primarily a reliever for the Diamondbacks but made the starts this month after Merrill Kelly was traded to the Texas Rangers at the deadline on July 31.

Arizona made the move with DeSclafani before the series finale at Texas, when Kelly was starting for the Rangers. The Diamondbacks recalled right-hander Casey Kelly from Triple-A Reno.

“We’re hoping for the minimal time. He’s going to get some imaging just to make sure that everything’s OK,” manager Torey Lovullo said. “This is something that popped up a couple days ago. We all felt that he was going to be able to take the baseball and go out there and compete, which he did. We saw the stuff in the first couple of innings, and we decided it was time to take him off the field.”

In the three starts this month, DeSclafani is 0-1 with a 5.59 ERA, allowing six runs in 9⅔ innings. He threw three innings Tuesday night, allowing two runs in a game Arizona won 3-2 on a homer by Ketel Marte in the ninth.

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