Lookout Linkage, 7/13/14

Here are some links while you await the final game of this great series with the A's:

• It's been a while since we've heard anything on James Paxton. Well, here's some good news.
• Here's the story from Ryan Divish on Michael Saunders' oblique injury.
• Fernando Rodney was just added to the AL All-Star roster in place of David Price. The M's will now have four representatives in uniform for the game.
• Rumor has it the M's are looking pretty closely at Marlon Byrd, who apparently has a no-trade clause for a trade to Seattle.
• Jeff Sullivan at Fangraphs does a pretty good breakdown on Byrd.
• Beyond The Box Score analyzes Hisashi Iwakuma and how he could become even better.
• Here are some entertaining reactions to Nick Punto's game-ending strikeout on Friday.
• Somehow, the Texas Rangers currently find themselves with the worst record in baseball.
• After the Astros swept the Rangers, Grant Brisbee asks which team you'd rather be.
• Alberto Callaspo has been placed on the DL after injuring himself in Friday's game against the Mariners.
• Two more of baseball's stars bite the dust. This time, it's two NL Central players who have come down with the injury bug. Kind of brings you back to when this happened, huh?
• Good news for the Yankees though, as it appears Masahiro Tanaka will only miss about six weeks with a partially torn UCL.
• Very sad story about Jean Segura, who was recently placed on bereavement leave. Thoughts go out to him and his family.
• Mike Bates opines on 10 players he doesn't think will be dealt at the deadline.
• I'm sure most of you have heard the whole buzz about LeBron James returning to Cleveland. However, this is a baseball blog. So here is Jeff Sullivan at Fangraphs talking about LeBron as a baseball player.
• Bill Petti at The Hardball Times wonders if the results of pitcher-batter matchups can be used to predict change in the hitter.
• Baseball is always more fun when you're winning.