The New York Mets have signed veteran outfielder Matt Kemp and right-hander Ervin Santana to minor league deals, the team announced on Friday.

Both players will be reporting to the Mets' facility in Port St. Lucie, Florida.

The Cincinnati Reds released Kemp on May 4, just over four months after acquiring the 2018 All-Star from the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Kemp hit .200 with one homer and five RBIs before Cincinnati placed him on the injured list April 23 with a broken left rib. Kemp was injured when he crashed into the outfield wall in San Diego.

Cincinnati acquired Kemp, outfielder Yasiel Puig, infielder Kyle Farmer and left-hander Alex Wood from Los Angeles in a seven-player trade in December. Kemp, 34, is in the final season of a $160 million, eight-year contract.

Santana was released by the Chicago White Sox earlier this season after going 0-2 with a 9.45 ERA in three starts.

Santana missed the bulk of last season after having surgery on his right middle finger in February. He was reinstated on July 25 and went 0-1 with an 8.03 ERA in 24 2/3 innings over five starts with the Minnesota Twins before being shut down again because of problems in the finger.

He was an All-Star in 2017, going 16-8 with a 3.28 ERA in 211 2/3 innings over 33 starts. He led the majors with five complete games and three shutouts. He started the American League wild-card game, which the Twins lost at Yankee Stadium.

Santana, who has 384 starts in 15 major league seasons, has a career record of 149-127 with a 4.09 ERA. In 2014, he was suspended for 80 games after testing positive for stanozolol, a performance-enhancing drug.

The Oakland Athletics have placed designated hitter Khris Davis on the 10-day injured list due to a left hip/oblique contusion.

The move is retroactive to Wednesday.

Davis started in the Athletics' 5-3 win over the Indians on Tuesday but left after one at-bat.

He entered Tuesday's game with 12 homers but has been slowed by a bruised hip, which he suffered on May 5 in Pittsburgh.

In a corresponding roster move, Oakland recalled Skye Bolt from Triple-A Las Vegas.

Christian Yelich is back in the lineup for the Milwaukee Brewers, batting second and playing right field in the team's series opener against the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday night.

Yelich had missed the Brewers' last two games with back spasms.

He leads the major leagues with 19 home runs and is batting .325 with 41 RBIs in 44 games, including 42 starts.

Also Friday, Brewers right-hander Jimmy Nelson was reinstated from the 10-day injured list and optioned to Triple-A San Antonio.

"At this point, an option was kind of, for us, what we thought was best for the roster and best for him to continue on a regular schedule pitching," said Brewers manager Craig Counsell.

Nelson missed all of the 2018 season while recovering from surgery on his pitching shoulder. He was 12-6 with a 3.49 ERA and 199 strikeouts in 29 starts in 2017, finishing tied for ninth in NL Cy Young Award voting.

"We've got to look at our roster a little bit, too," Counsell said. "I think that's the other thing. We've got a bunch of guys pitching really well right now in our rotation. If you have injuries, I think it's a different conversation, or some other performance issues, a different conversation. At this point, I think part of it's Jimmy, part of it's we've got some guys throwing pretty well."

WASHINGTON -- Davey Martinez's job is safe for now.

"We're not making any decisions with a third of the season gone," said Washington Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo on Friday afternoon, when asked about his confidence level in the Nats manager. "We've got a lot of season left. Davey's not happy with what's going on; nobody's happy with what's going on -- the fan base, ownership, and myself. Things gotta get better. We've got to play better baseball."

Two months into the season, the Nationals have been the most disappointing team in baseball. Expected to contend for the National League East title, they were 10 games out of first place entering their weekend series against the Miami Marlins. Their .380 winning percentage was the fourth worst in the majors, ahead of only the Royals, Marlins and Orioles.

Although Washington has consistently underperformed this season, the past week has been especially troublesome. After winning back-to-back games for the first time in a month, the Nats proceeded to lose six of their next seven. That skid included a four-game sweep at the hands of the New York Mets, who had just been swept by last-place Miami.

"They're gut-wrenching losses, and they're demoralizing, and they're upsetting," said Rizzo, whose club lost eighth-inning leads in each of the past three games of the Mets series. "We've got to put ourselves in position to win baseball games, we have to play cleaner games, we have to perform better, and we have to play up to the capability of this roster."

Washington's bullpen, which ranks last in MLB with a 7.02 ERA, has been under siege for most of the season, but Rizzo was quick to point out that his relievers aren't solely responsible for the team's struggles.

"Everyone's got their part in it," said the GM. "Management, general manager, everyone's got their part in how we're playing, just as we have for the past eight years of how well we've played. This is a team process. There's a lot of things that have to go right to win, and we certainly have to turn around and play better baseball.

"We're fairly spoiled in that clubhouse. We've won a lot of games for a lot of years and we're used to winning. It's not happening right now, but we're not going to pull the plug on the season less than a third into it."

Martinez spent 10 years serving as Joe Maddon's bench coach before earning his first managerial gig following the 2017 season. He replaced Dusty Baker, who went 192-132 and won two pennants during his two years in Washington but failed to win a playoff series. In the second year of a three-year deal, Martinez is 101-111 since taking over.

Last summer, just eight days into his big league career, Ramon Laureano went viral.

His spectacular outfield assist -- the one in which he caught a Justin Upton drive on the run at the warning track in left-center, then turned and fired a strike to first base to double up Eric Young -- was the kind of play legends are made of. And the kind of video that ends up everywhere.

On April 22, the Oakland Athletics center fielder one-upped himself by robbing Teoscar Hernandez of a homer, then unleashing a missile to first base that resulted in a double play. The throw, which traveled nearly 400 feet, according to some estimates, actually sailed past first and into foul territory, but that doesn't matter. What matters is Laureano has made a habit of doing physics-defying things with his right arm.

In his very first MLB game last summer, he stopped the Detroit Tigers' Jose Iglesias, who was trying to stretch a double into a triple. The very next day, he got Mike Gerber. Earlier this season, he recorded an outfield assist in all three games of a series against the Boston Red Sox (Xander Bogaerts was a victim twice).

Since making his debut on Aug. 3, 2018, Laureano's 14 assists are more than any outfielder in the majors and almost twice as many as the next-closest guy. It's no fluke, either -- in 380 minor league games, he tallied a jaw-dropping 50 assists.

"I've been doing that since high school and Little League," says Laureano, a native of the Dominican Republic who moved to upstate New York as a teenager. Recruited as a pitcher/outfielder, he landed at Northeast Oklahoma A&M, where he played one year before the Houston Astros selected him in the 16th round of the 2014 draft. Five years later, he's patrolling center field in Oakland and challenging Draymond Green for the Bay Area's biggest assist monger.

So just how lethal is Laureano's laser? To find out, we spoke with those who've seen it in person.

Upper Room Christian School head coach Tony Passalacqua: His arm was just ridiculous. He would hit 94 on the radar gun off the mound, but he would always say, "Coach, I don't like to pitch." Nobody could really run on him at the high school level. There were many times when he'd throw someone out, and you'd sit there and say, "That's just not right for a high school player to do that."

Northeast Oklahoma A&M head coach Roger Ward: The arm strength was a no-doubter, but he didn't pitch because we were worried about how many people he would hurt. It was 93, but it was everywhere, and he had a hard time throwing strikes. It ran arm-side on him, hard. If it ran 2 or 3 feet at the plate, it would run 10 feet from the outfield. He definitely corrected that issue and has gotten incredibly accurate with it.

Baltimore Orioles GM Mike Elias, formerly Astros scouting director: In scouting, we use a 20-to-80 scale, where 80 is as good an arm as you can have. I probably would have called it a 60 or 65. We didn't say, "Oh, my gosh, this is the best arm on the planet." But it was obvious he had a plus arm.

Philadelphia Phillies farm director Josh Bonifay, formerly Greenville Astros (rookie ball) manager: It was our opening minicamp for the Greenville Astros. It's in June, right after the draft. We're taking outfield and infield, and the first time I hit him a ground ball, he throws it to second base, and I'm like, "Oof, that's a hose." So then he throws it to third, and it was nowhere near the third baseman. I think it ended up more in the dugout than anything. And then you hit him to home, and he throws it halfway up the screen. We knew then he had an absolute bazooka. We just had to harness it.

Red Sox coach Ramon Vasquez, formerly Lancaster JetHawks (Class-A) manager: They didn't really run much on him because the whole league kind of knew from the beginning of the season. I actually had a little bit of an argument with him during that season about keeping the ball low. His throws were in line most of the time, but as strong as his arm was, he overshot the cutoff man, and bases. The accuracy was going to come.

Tampa Bay Rays third-base coach Rodney Linares, formerly Corpus Christi Hooks (Double-A) manager: Nobody ran on him. They learned in the minor leagues. He should have had 25 assists. There were times when it was a solid single to center field, and the guy should have scored but they just stopped. They stopped running on him halfway through the year. His arm is the stuff fairy tales are made of.

Fran Riordan, Las Vegas Aviators (Triple-A) manager: We were playing in Nashville last year. He was playing in right field, and there was nobody out. Deep fly ball into the right-field corner, where the visitors' bullpen is. He goes really deep into the corner and makes an unbelievable catch going full sprint. The runner at first base tagged up, not thinking there was going to be a play. Ramon calmly unleashes a line-drive missile all the way to second base and the runner doesn't even slide, thinking there's going to be no play. He was out by 5 feet.

Vasquez: We talked about him. We know he's a plus arm, a 70 arm. We told our guys. But when you look at those plays, they had to happen. Sometimes you gotta challenge the guy. He actually made three perfect throws. All three plays, if you look at those plays, if that throw would've been a step to the left, a step to the right, maybe a little bit higher, we would have been safe. He executed those perfectly.

"His arm is the stuff fairy tales are made of." Rodney Linares, Ramon Laureano's former Double-A manager, now the Tampa Bay Rays' third-base coach

Riordan: If you look at what he's done in the big leagues on a very short sample size, and I saw what he did last year in Triple-A, these aren't good throws. These are throws that have to be perfect in order to get the out. He's not just making good throws -- he's making perfect throws from impossible places on the field at all bases. I've been managing in the minors for 20 years. There's a lot of strong arms in professional baseball, and there's a lot of accurate arms in professional baseball. In my opinion, there's no combination of arm strength and accuracy like Ramon's.

Linares: I don't know why people keep running on him. With Ramon, you gotta be careful. [In Tampa Bay] we pride ourselves on being really aggressive, but when we play Oakland, I know when to stop the guys.

Orioles shortstop Richie Martin (thrown out at home by Laureano on April 9): I mean, shoot, he's one of the best outfielders in the league right now. He just made a good play. It was kind of laid up for him, a one-hop ball to throw me out. But I thought with my jump that I got right off the bat -- I knew it was going to be close -- but I thought I was going to beat it. But he had me by like 3 or 4 feet. It was a perfect throw. He's legit.

Orioles OF/1B Trey Mancini (on deck when Martin was thrown out): In our meeting, they'll run through the arms of everyone on their team. So we knew that he had a great arm -- it's no secret. Richie's really fast, but he made a perfect throw and got him with a few steps to spare. Leonys Martin's got a really good arm, but I think Laureano's got the best arm I've ever seen. Unfortunately, we learned the hard way that you don't run on him.

Bogaerts (multiple-time Laureano victim): He has a good arm and his accuracy, I remember, I got a double at [Fenway Park]. I thought about stretching it to three again and I rounded second and I stopped because I remembered what he did to me. Once, it's OK. The second time, I risked it again, but then it's like, nah. He has the arm and the accuracy, so I just shut it down. I just don't understand how he throws it good like that. He throws it right there, man. Chapman. Boom. And it's right there.

ESPN's Joon Lee contributed to this story.

Strong fields are set for the Vitality 10km and Westminster Mile events in the UK capital

Some strong fields are set to battle for 10km and mile glory over the bank holiday weekend as Vitality Westminster Mile and Vitality London 10,000 action returns to the UK capital.

In Monday’s 10km, Mo Farah will defend his title as he seeks a sixth win in a line-up loaded with top British talent.

It is a decade since Farah first claimed London 10,000 victory and the four-time Olympic champion, back in the capital after finishing fifth in last month’s Virgin Money London Marathon, will be expected to celebrate success again on The Mall as he did in 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013 and 2018.

“I really enjoy running the 10km distance and look forward to returning to the Vitality London 10,000 again this year,” said Farah, who ran his PB of 27:44 in London in 2010.

“The course is spectacular and the London crowds are fantastic, lining the streets and cheering everyone the whole way round. I’m looking forward to it.”

Another former winner in action will be Andrew Butchart, who continued his return to top form after injury by running a World Championships 5000m qualifying time at the Payton Jordan Invitational earlier this month.

The London 10,000 will be the two-time winner’s second 10km race since breaking his foot in February 2018.

Farah and Butchart are two of nine athletes in the field who have run sub-29 minutes for 10km, with Nick Goolab – the fastest man over the distance in the UK this year with 28:22 – joining them along with Luke Traynor, Andy Vernon, Ben Connor, Jack Gray, Phil Sesemann and Andrew Heyes.

Goolab is clearly in great form, having also recently won the Ipswich Twilight 5km in a PB of 13:34.

Two-time Olympic triathlon medallist Jonny Brownlee races at the event for the first time and the field also includes Sam Stabler, Charlie Hulson, Kieran Clements, Josh Griffiths, Richard Allen, Matt Sharp, Derek Rae and Derek Hawkins.

Steph Twell returns to the event to defend her women’s 10km title and since her her marathon debut of 2:30:14 in December, she has gone on to win the Reading Half Marathon and then set a 10km PB of 31:58 in Brighton.

Two other former winners will join her – 2016 victor Lily Partridge and Gemma Steel, who won in 2014.

British 10,000m track champion Charlotte Arter will be looking to challenge, having set a Welsh half-marathon record of 69:41 in Barcelona in February.

Completing a strong field are Tish Jones, Jess Piasecki, Kate Avery, Hayley Carruthers, Louise Small, Tracy Barlow, Helen Davies, Verity Ockenden, Clara Evans, Jenny Nesbitt, Morag Miller and Emily Hosker-Thornhill.

Johnboy Smith and Shelly Woods are among those contesting the wheelchair races, following their wins last weekend at the Great Manchester Run.

In the Westminster Mile, Laura Muir headlines the elite women’s field as the British 1500m record-holder races for the first time since successfully defending her two European indoor titles in Glasgow.

Britain’s second fastest ever miler on the roads was within half a second of Zola Budd’s then UK record when she clocked 4:18.03 in New York in 2016. Laura Weightman has since improved the British road best, running 4:17.6 in 2017.

“I’m really excited. It was 2013 that I last competed there (at the Westminster Mile) and I remember it really clearly,” says the 26-year-old, who clocked 4:46 then to place eighth in a race won by Hannah England in 4:31.

“For a race that was six years ago, I remember it really well. It’s so iconic, running on that course and finishing next to Buckingham Palace.”

Also among the favourites will be defending champion Melissa Courtney and European indoor 800m champion Shelayna Oskan-Clarke, plus Sarah McDonald and Adelle Tracey, the winners in 2016 and 2017 respectively.

In the men’s race, European indoor 3000m silver medallist Chris O’Hare, who has a mile PB of 3:52.0 from 2017, will look to add to his wins in London from 2014 and 2018.

Three-time British 800m champion Elliot Giles, recent European 800m indoor silver medallist Jamie Webb, course record-holder Goolab and Mike Rimmer will be among those hoping to push him.

The wheelchair races feature Smith and Woods, plus Simon Lawson and Mel Nicholls.

TV guide

Sunday May 26
09:25-12:30 on BBC Red Button
09:25-15:50 on BBC Online, plus a live stream via the AW Facebook page – click here

Monday May 27
09:50-12:30 on BBC Red Button and BBC Online, plus a live stream via the AW Facebook page – click here