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Red Hot Mama: All-Star *yawn* voting
Amanda looks into the top All-Star candidates from the Reds. Not surprisingly, Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips lead the way for Cincinnati. MLB has limited the availability of the voting data by only announcing regular updates on the national Saturday and Sunday broadcasts. I imagine anyone tuning into FOX or ESPN for vote totals would watch the game without this extra motivation, but what do I know?
MLB Daily Dish: Reds sign Zach Duke to minor league deal
As RijoSaboCaseyWKRP pointed out in his post earlier today, Cincinnati has signed the former Pirate lefty. Duke was once a promising pitcher, but hasn't posted a good season since 2009. He was decent with Arizona in 2011, but managed only 76.2 innings that year, which were split between the rotation and the bullpen.
The Real McCoy: Dragons lose Stephenson to hamstring
Hal McCoy sounds off on the injury to Robert Stephenson, yesterday's game, and flip-down sunglasses. I'm not sure if I'm surprised that McCoy isn't more critical of Dusty Baker's decision to hold back Aroldis Chapman from yesterday's extra innings affair.
CBS Philly: Pete Rose Wants His Second Chance
The Hit King shares his thoughts on the Phillies' disappointing season, Brandon Phillips, and the value of home runs and RBI.
Angels.com: Madson wonders whether HGH could help
Ryan Madson continues to struggle with a bum elbow 14 months after Tommy John surgery prematurely ended his time with the Reds. The shutdown reliever has turned to a variety of medical professionals and rehab techniques with little luck. Madson is now curious whether human growth hormone could help him return to the game, but MLB currently bans the substance.
ESPN: Troy Tulowitzki (rib) out 4-6 weeks
Does everyone else have the feeling that we're watching a Hall of Fame career slip a little further away from Tulowitzki with each new injury? He's one of the best players in baseball while healthy, but he has the durability of Glass Joe.