NL CENTRAL NEWS AND NOTES

PITTSBURGH PIRATES

Joe Musgrove ’s 5-7 record is deceptive — the right-hander has a 3.31 ERA in 14 starts during his first season with the Pirates.

Musgrove has had quality starts in each of his five outings since the All-Star break, going 2-2 with a 2.12 ERA. That includes allowing only one run in seven innings to beat the Cubs on Aug. 18.

Musgrove was one of four players acquired from the Houston Astros in an offseason trade for right-hander Gerrit Cole.

❚ Right-hander Shane Baz, the Pirates’ first-round draft pick last year, was sent to the Tampa Bay Rays to complete the July 31 trade in which right-hander Chris Archer was acquired for right-hander Tyler Glasnow and outfielder Austin Meadows. Baz, 19, was 4-3 with a 3.97 ERA in 10 starts for rookie-level Bristol (VA).

CHICAGO CUBS

The Cubs continue to get little or no help from the two big offseason additions to their rotation, right-handers Yu Darvish and Tyler Chatwood.

Darvish, who has not pitched since May 20 because of triceps and shoulder problems, left an Aug. 19 rehab start for low Class A South Bend (Ind.) after one inning because of arm pain.

The day before, Chatwood’s return to the rotation was as rocky as his whole season. He lasted just two innings and gave up three runs in a loss at Pittsburgh and issued three more walks, raising his total to a majors- high 93 in only 101 2 ⁄ 3 innings.

Chatwood was taking the place of lefty Mike Montgomery, placed on the disabled list retroactive to Aug. 12 because of a sore shoulder.

Chatwood was 4-5 with a 4.98 ERA in 19 starts before being moved to the bullpen at the beginning of August.

❚ Closer Brandon Morrow, out since July 16 because of biceps pain, threw a bullpen session Aug. 18. He still needs more bullpen sessions plus a rehab assignment.

CINCINNATI REDS

A bruise on his lower right leg sent first baseman Joey Votto to the disabled list for the first time since 2014.

Votto originally suffered the injury Aug. 4 when he was hit by a pitch from the Washington Nationals’ Ryan Madson. He then sat out back-to-back games Aug. 7-8.

Votto is hitting .284 with nine home runs in 118 games. At the time he was placed on the DL, he led the NL with 91 walks and a .422 on-base percentage.

Last season, Votto finished two points behind the Miami Marlins’ Giancarlo Stanton in the NL Most Valuable Player voting. Votto, a six-time All-Star, won the award in 2010.

There was no immediate timetable provided for Votto’s return. The 34-year-old played in all 162 games in 2017 and 158 the previous two seasons.

❚ Catcher Tucker Barnhart and rookie infielder-outfielder Brandon Dixon got the starts at first base in the first three games after Votto went on the DL. Barnhart, who won an NL Gold Glove Award last season, had never played first before in his five-year career until this season. Dixon made five starts at first earlier in the season.

MILWAUKEE BREWERS

The Brewers have all but given up on the idea of Jimmy Nelson pitching for them in 2018.

The right-hander has been on the disabled list all season while recovering from shoulder surgery performed last September. He was injured while running the bases, jamming his shoulder as he dived back into first.

Nelson had the best season of his five-year career in 2017, going 12-6 with a 3.49 ERA.

❚ Right-hander Zach Davies (rotator cuff) was scheduled to make a rehab start for Class AAA Colorado Springs (Colo.) on Aug. 23. He has been on the disabled list since May 30.

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS

Miles Mikolas had what he termed “a special day” Aug. 18.

His twin babies, Miles and Madelyn, were released from the hospital in the morning. They were born a month premature in mid-July.

In the evening, Mikolas beat the Brewers to help the Cardinals move past Milwaukee into second place in the NL Central as well as into second place in the wild-card standings. The right-hander surrendered only one run in six innings.

Mikolas is 13-3 with a 2.80 ERA in 25 starts after signing a two-year, $15.5 million contract in the offseason. He spent the previous three seasons in the Japanese Pacific League with the Tokyo Yomiuri Giants.

❚ Right-hander Carlos Martinez, rehabbing a sore shoulder, made his second relief appearance on his rehab assignment at Class AA Springfield (Mo.) on Aug. 19 and pitched a scoreless inning. Martinez is considered the ace of the staff, but he will be used out of the bullpen once he is activated from the disabled list.

PLAYER SPOTLIGHT

Elias Diaz, Pirates

Diaz has had a solid first full major league season and appears to be the catcher of the future in Pittsburgh. The 27-year-old was hitting .288 with nine home runs through 73 games and had thrown out 30 percent of runners attempting to steal. Diaz got a late start in spring training after his mother was kidnapped, and later released unharmed, in his native Venezuela.