The Opener France Braves Dodgers

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With the trade deadline just eight days away and an already in the books, here are three things well be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:  1. France on waivers:  The Mariners reportedly first baseman  on waivers yesterday, making him available to any of the other 29 clubs in the league willing to pick up the remainder of his $6.775MM salary for the 2024 season. France, 30, is in the midst of his second consecutive down season at the plate. Dating back to the start Michael Petersen Jersey  of the 2023 season, the first baseman has slashed just .241/.328/.361 (101 wRC+), though in the three seasons prior to that he posted a far more robust .285/.355/.443 (128 wRC+) line.  Even Frances more recent production, while certainly disappointing for a first baseman, could be helpful for a contender such as the Astros or Yankees that has gotten below-average offense out of the position this year. That doesnt nece sarily mean either club (or any other team, for that matter) will claim France while hes on waivers, however. Interested clubs could instead wait for France to clear waivers and then either sign him for the prorated league minimum if hes released by the Mariners, or try to work out a trade where they take on le s money if Seattle retains him.  2. Braves promoting top infield prospect:  The Braves are second baseman  on the injured list today after he suffered a wrist fracture during yesterdays game. Hell be out for approximately eight weeks and, Atlanta is poised to turn to infield prospect  at second base. Alvarez is not yet on the 40-man roster, and while the clubs roster currently stands at 39 that figure doesnt including veteran utility man  , who the club this morning. As such, a 40-man move will be nece sary to add Alvarez to the roster. That could be accomplished by placing Albies on the 60-day IL, although its also po sible the club instead opts to designate another player for a signment to keep the door open for Albies to return ahead of schedule.  Alvarez, 21, began the year hitting well (115 wRC+) at the Double-A level but has really taken off following his promotion to Triple-A. In 28 games at the highest level of the minors, the youngster has slashed .336/.432/.575 with seven homers and five stolen bases in just 132 trips to the plate. That tantalizing power and speed potential is paired with solid on-base ability, as Alvarez has walked (12.9%) nearly as much as he strikes out (15.2%) so far in Triple-A.  3. Dodgers likely to promote starting pitching prospect:  Last week, it was that the Dodgers were planning to promote right-handed pitching prospect  to the majors in the days following the All-Star break. While Ryan did not make his debut over the weekend, manager Dave Roberts confirmed to reporters (including ) on Saturday that Ryan was an option to start for the club this week, suggesting that either today or tomorrow could be on the table for the righty. Since then, the club has announced that rookie  will take the ball tomorrow before  and  later this week, leaving Ryan as a po sible starter for the clubs game against the Giants tonight.  Ryan has made just five starts at the Triple-A level this year after the start of his season was delayed by a shoulder i sue, but hes looked great with a 2.76 ERA and 3.64 FIP to go along with a 28.8% strikeout rate in 16 1/3 innings of work. Should the Dodgers wind up turning to Ryan this evening, the club will need to make corresponding moves to create space for the youngster on both their 40-man and active rosters as Ryans contract has not yet been selected from the minors.  Anthony Bender Jersey