MLB

The Tampa Bay Rays cannot afford for September to look like August.

August was a month the Tampa Bay Rays would love to forget. The Tampa Bay Rays finished the month with a losing record for the first time since 2006 when they went 9-19. That year was manager Joe Maddon’s first season with the team.

The Philadelphia Phillies traded for Michael Young this past offseason in hopes that he could fuel a return to the playoffs. With the Phillies' playoff hopes fading, though, the Philadelphia front office made the decision to deal the popular third baseman to Los Angeles.

FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal had the news:

Smiles and high-fives have become commonplace around Fenway Park these days, but nobody has grinned wider and slapped hands more enthusiastically than the guy most often on the mound at game's end.

After a long season, September call-ups are almost here, and there are a number of exciting prospects that will be getting called up to the majors in the coming weeks.

From September 1 until the regular season ends, any player on the 40-man roster is allowed to play in an MLB game.  This means that guys on the Triple-A and even some Double-A teams will be allowed to move up to their organization's MLB team, many for the first time in their careers.

If you thought the Pittsburgh Pirates were done making deals after trading for Marlon Byrd and John Buck, think again.

As Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports first reported, the Bucs have traded for Minnesota Twins first baseman Justin Morneau.

The Minnesota Twins have traded veteran first baseman Justin Morneau to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for outfielder Alex Presley and a player to be named later or cash, the Pirates announced on Twitter.

If MLB players were able to pick a time during the regular season that they would be able dominate the competition, down the stretch would be one of, if not the most, popular selection.

Not only can a player carry his team into the playoffs—or play spoiler if his team is already out of contention—but it's the last time for soon-to-be free agents and players heading into arbitration to raise their value.

Major League Baseball has taken a no-nonsense approach to performance-enhancing drugs. MLB officials, the sport's fans and even its players now villify the rotten individuals who attempt to cheat their way to on-field success and monetary gain.

Keep in mind, several of the following PED users never actually tested positive for an illegal substance. Some admitted to injecting themselves or cannot disprove overwhelming circumstantial evidence.

Texas Rangers right-hander Yu Darvish was in complete control of the Minnesota Twins through six innings Friday night, and this GIF of his filthy curveball in the fifth exemplifies it perfectly. 

Any fair weather baseball fan is aware of the steroid era we currently suffer through, filled with bureaucratic reports, player confessions (or lack thereof) and widespread cheating (to put it bluntly). 

As unfortunate as it is to say, the battle towards purity is far from over.

Even after the swift suspension of 12 MLB players in early August, some stars have escaped the grasp of the league unscathed.