MLB notebook: Nats sign former closer Holland

The Washington Nationals agreed to terms on a deal with recently released right-handed reliever Greg Holland on Tuesday. The contract is for the remainder of this season, and Holland was added to the major league roster. Right-hander Jimmy Cordero was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse in a corresponding move. Making his Nationals debut in the first game of a doubleheader against the Atlanta Braves, Holland struck out the side in a scoreless seventh inning. Holland, 32, was cut by the St. Louis Cardinals last week after posting a 7.92 ERA in 32 appearances with the club. He joined the Cardinals on a one-year, $14 million contract in late March after tying for the National League lead in saves last season with 41 for the Colorado Rockies. --The New York Yankees won't see Jacoby Ellsbury at all this season after the outfielder underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left hip to repair a torn labrum, the team announced. The operation, performed Monday at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan, carries a typical recovery time of six months. Ellsbury, 34, hasn't played in the majors this year while battling a number of injuries (oblique, foot, back, hip). Including this season, Ellsbury has three years remaining on the seven-year, $153 million contract he signed with New York that pays him approximately $21 million annually. --Boston Red Sox ace Chris Sale is expected to be activated off the 10-day disabled list to start Sunday against the Baltimore Orioles. The Red Sox placed Sale on the DL on July 31 with mild left shoulder inflammation, believing it would be a short stint. Brian Johnson has held his place in the rotation in the interim. Sale, 29, is 11-4 in 22 starts this season, leading the American League with a 2.04 ERA and 207 strikeouts in 141 innings. --Boston Red Sox color analyst Jerry Remy again has been diagnosed with cancer, television network NESN announced. "At this time, Jerry's focus is on his medical treatment," the network said in a statement. "The thoughts and prayers of all of us at NESN and the Red Sox are with Jerry and his family during this difficult time." Remy, 65, first was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2008, which he attributed to years of smoking cigarettes. Remy suffered a relapse in 2013 and again before spring training in 2017 before having yet another recurrence that July that led to him having surgery to remove a small portion of his lung. Remy tweeted in January that he had completed cancer treatment. --The Toronto Blue Jays placed infielder Brandon Drury on the 10-day disabled list, retroactive to Aug. 5, with a fractured left hand. Infielder Richard Urena was recalled from Triple-A Buffalo in a corresponding move. It is unclear if or when Drury sustained a new injury. The 25-year-old suffered a left hand bruise on a hit by pitch before being traded to the Blue Jays by the New York Yankees in the J.A. Happ deal on July 26. Drury has played eight games with Toronto since then, last taking the field Saturday in a 2-for-4 performance against the Seattle Mariners. --The Atlanta Braves placed left-hander Max Fried and right-hander Shane Carle on the 10-day disabled list after they were injured in Game 1 of a doubleheader against the Washington Nationals. The Braves recalled left-hander Adam McCreery and right-hander Wes Parsons from Triple-A Gwinnett prior to Game 2. Each pitcher would make his major league debut if they were to take the mound for Atlanta. Fried left his start after two innings after getting hit with a shot from Nationals catcher Spencer Kieboom. The ball appeared to hit the pitcher near his hip, and the Braves announced later that Fried came out due to a left groin strain. Carle, meanwhile, will be shelved with right shoulder inflammation after allowing four runs on two hits and four walks in an inning on Tuesday. --The Oakland Athletics reinstated utility man Chad Pinder from the 10-day disabled list in a series of roster moves. The A's also activated recently acquired right-handers Mike Fiers (via the Detroit Tigers) and Shawn Kelley (Washington Nationals) and optioned right-handers Ryan Dull and J.B. Wendelken and infielder Franklin Barreto to Triple-A Nashville. Pinder spent the minimum time on the DL with a left elbow laceration. The 26-year-old has hit .259 with 10 home runs and 23 RBIs in 71 games this season. --The St. Louis Cardinals activated recently acquired right-hander Tyson Ross. Ross was claimed off waivers from the Padres on Sunday after going 6-9 with a 4.45 ERA in 22 starts with San Diego this season. The 31-year-old is expected to join the St. Louis bullpen. To make room for Ross on the roster, the Cardinals optioned right-hander John Brebbia to Triple-A Memphis. --The Los Angeles Angels requested unconditional release waivers on infielder Luis Valbuena after designating him for assignment on Sunday. Valbuena, 32, has hit .199 with nine home runs and 33 RBIs in 96 games this season. He also hit .199 last year, though he had 22 homers in 117 games. If Valbuena clears release waivers, the Angels will be responsible for the remainder of his $8 million salary this season and the $500,000 buyout on his 2019 mutual option worth $8.5 million. --The Minnesota Twins placed right-hander Matt Belisle on the 10-day disabled list with right knee chondromalacia. Right-hander Matt Magill was reinstated from the paternity list in a corresponding move. Belisle has appeared in 19 games for the Twins this season, going 1-1 with a 9.15 ERA. --The Colorado Rockies activated right-hander Chad Bettis from the 10-day disabled list, optioning catcher Tom Murphy to Triple-A Albuquerque in a corresponding move. Bettis was placed on the DL with a right middle finger blister on July 3. The 29-year-old is 5-1 with a 5.10 ERA in 17 starts this season. --The Milwaukee Brewers placed right-hander Matt Albers on the 10-day disabled list, retroactive to Aug. 5, with a left hamstring injury. Right-hander Jordan Lyles, claimed off waivers from the San Diego Padres on Sunday, was activated in a corresponding move. Albers, 35, is 3-3 with a 6.23 ERA in 29 appearances with Milwaukee this season. --The Texas Rangers claimed left-hander Zac Curtis off waivers from the Philadelphia Phillies and optioned him to Triple-A Round Rock. Left-hander Brandon Mann was designated for assignment in a corresponding move. Curtis, 26, appeared in seven games with the Phillies this season, posting a 1.86 ERA and striking out 10 in 9 2/3 innings. He has a 3.73 ERA in 34 games for his career. --The Milwaukee Brewers claimed right-hander Ariel Hernandez off waivers from the Los Angeles Dodgers and optioned him to Triple-A Colorado Springs. --Field Level Media