Scouts On Hand As Important Trade Target Activated From IL

With the starting pitching market really limited as this year's trade deadline fast approaches, teams on the hunt got a big boost with the return to the mound of Cincinnati Reds starter Tyler Mahle on Sunday. He'd been out since July 2nd with a shoulder strain.

With plenty of scouts from around the majors in attendance, Mahle announced his return by retiring the first 8 batters he faced, and pitching a solid six innings, allowing only two hits and three runs, helping the Reds to a 6-3 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.

Nice of Tyler Mahle to remind everyone of how damn good he is just a week before the trade deadline.

One of the more underrated SP in baseball. #Reds
— Bryce Spalding (@bryce_spalding) July 24, 2022

The only runs he allowed were off two home runs from Paul Goldschmidt, who will now go on the restricted list for the next few days.

With Mahle solidly back in the mix, he joins his teammate Luis Castillo as a top candidate to be traded by Aug. 2nd. On the season, the 27-year-old Mahle now sports a 4.48 ERA with a 102:36 strikeout to walk ratio.

Last season, he started a major league-leading 33 games, going 13-6 with a 3.75 ERA while striking out 10.5 per nine innings. He's making $5.2M in 2022, and is under team control for one more season.