Pitcher Rich Hill was traded from Tampa Bay to a Mets team in need serious of starting pitching. John Bazemore/Associated Press

NEW YORK — The pitching-thin New York Mets on Friday acquired left-hander Rich Hill from the Tampa Bay Rays.

The Rays are getting right-hander Tommy Hunter and minor league catcher Matt Dyer in return.

The 41-year-old Hill is 6-4 with a 3.89 ERA in 19 starts for the contending Rays.

New York started the day with a four-game division lead over Philadelphia and Atlanta despite a banged-up rotation.

Ace Jacob deGrom and starter David Peterson are on the injured list. Starters Noah Syndergaard and Carlos Carrasco haven’t pitched this year while recovering from injuries.

Hill has pitched just 95 1/3 innings this year under limits imposed under the Rays’ pitching strategy. This will be his 11th big league team in a 17-season career.

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The NL East leaders made the deal on the day Hill was supposed to start at Cleveland, and a week before the trade deadline.

This was the second trade by the Rays in two days. They acquired All-Star slugger Nelson Cruz from the Minnesota Twins on Thursday.

Tampa Bay began the day one game behind Boston in the AL East.

DODGERS: Pitcher Trevor Bauer appeared in court to fight the extension of a protective order sought by a woman who says he choked her to the point where she lost consciousness and punched her during two sexual encounters earlier this year.

Attorneys for Bauer and the woman revealed during a brief morning court session that they intend to call witnesses and argue over the order in what amounts to a trial that is expected to last three days.

The court hearing is expected to resume Friday afternoon, but a judge could decide to postpone the proceedings. A temporary restraining order keeping Bauer away from the woman was issued until the hearing could be held. A judge could decide to extend that by weeks or years.

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Bauer’s appearance Friday was not required, nor was it expected. It’s not clear whether he will take the stand. Hearings over restraining orders are normally brief, and lawyers often appear without their clients.

The pitcher’s agents, Jon Fetterolf and Rachel Luba, have disputed the allegations and Fetterolf has said his client’s interactions with the woman were wholly consensual.

YANKEES: Pitchers Nestor Cortes and Jonathan Loaisiga have been reinstated from the COVID-19 injured list, the first of six New York players to go on the list before the start of the second half of the season.

To make room on the roster right-hander Darren O’Day (left hamstring strain) was transferred to the 60-day IL and right-hander Nick Nelson was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Manager Aaron Boone said before Friday’s game against the Boston Red Sox that the rest of the players that were part of the recent COVID-19 outbreak are also getting closer to rejoining the active roster.

Third baseman Gio Urshela is now with the team in Boston and could be activated as soon as Sunday. Outfielder Aaron Judge and catcher Kyle Higashioka are on pace to at least rejoin the team in Boston Sunday and may be ready Tuesday for the opener of New York’s series at Tampa Bay.

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Boone said left-hander Wandy Peralta could be given a rehab assignment before being activated to the major league roster.

NATIONALS: Infielder Starlin Castro’s administrative leave was extended an additional seven days by Major League Baseball through July 29 under its domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy.

The leave began July 16 under the policy adopted by MLB and the players’ association in 2015 and can be the initial step leading to a longer suspension.

Castro was placed on the restricted list June 16 due to what manager Dave Martinez at the time said were “family matters.” The 31-year-old infielder was reinstated two days later and pinch hit that night against the New York Mets.

Castro is hitting .283 with three home runs and 38 RBI in 87 games so far this season. He is in his second season with the Nationals after stints with the Cubs, Yankees and Marlins.

FRIDAY’S GAMES

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RAYS 10, INDIANS 5: Nelson Cruz homered in his Tampa Bay debut and Joey Wendle hit a go-ahead single in a six-run ninth inning as the Rays won in Cleveland.

Acquired a day earlier in a four-player trade with Minnesota, Cruz hit his 20th homer, walked and scored twice. The 41-year-old All-Star slugger is 46th on the career home run list with 437.

With the score tied at 4, Wendle singled home Randy Arozarena with no outs. Ji-Man Choi added a three-run homer off Nick Wittgren (2-3), who faced six batters and allowed five runs.

José Ramírez hit a three-run homer and drove in four for the Indians.

CUBS 8, DIAMONDBACKS 3: Javier Báez homered, Robinson Chirinos went deep twice, Zach Davies earned his first win since a combined no-hitter last month and Chicago won at home.

Báez gave the Cubs a 3-0 lead in the first inning with his long three-run homer to left. The Cubs added three more in the third, capped by Nico Hoerner’s two-run single.

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Chirinos made it 7-0 leading off the fourth against Zac Gallen (1-5). He also homered to start the sixth against Matt Peacock after Arizona scored two in the top half, helping Chicago win for just the sixth time in 23 games since Davies and three relievers no-hit the Dodgers in Los Angeles on June 24.

METS 3, BLUE JAYS 0: Tylor Megill tossed six scoreless innings for his first big league win and got his first career hit, Pete Alonso homered twice and  New York won at home over Toronto.

Megill (1-0) allowed two hits, walked one and struck out five as the rookie right-hander lowered his ERA to 2.10. Alonso continued his post-Home Run Derby surge, hitting a two-run shot off former teammate Steven Matz (8-5) in the first inning before adding a solo blast off Ryan Borucki in the eighth. Alonso has four homers in his last four games.

The Blue Jays got just one runner beyond first base against Megill and a trio of relievers.

ORIOLES 6, NATIONALS 1: Pat Valaika homered twice – doubling his total for the season – and the Baltimore beat visiting Washington for just its second victory in its last 11 home games.

Josh Bell went deep for Washington in the fourth inning, but that 1-0 lead for the Nationals didn’t last long. Baltimore scored twice in the fourth before Valaika’s solo shot in the fifth. Valaika hit another solo homer in the seventh to make it 6-1. He had one home run all season before hitting one Wednesday at Tampa Bay. After an off day Thursday, he led the Orioles past the Nationals.


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