Mariners get Kendrys Morales in trade with the Twins

Kendrys Morales is on his way back to Seattle to try and give the Mariners’ struggling offense a boost as they chase a playoff spot.

The Minnesota Twins traded Morales to the Mariners on Thursday for minor league pitcher Stephen Pryor. Morales hit 23 home runs and drove in 80 runs for the Mariners last season, but turned down a $14.1-million qualifying offer from Seattle to become a free agent.

Morales sat out the first two months of the season while searching for a new deal, signing a pro-rated $12-million contract with the Twins on June 8. He hit .234 with 11 doubles, one home run and 18 runs batted in in 39 games with the Twins, who have faded from contention in the AL Central.

The Mariners, who started the day with a half-game lead for the second wild-card spot in the AL, are hoping a return to Safeco Field could help Morales rediscover his swing. Seattle has the best earned-run average in the majors, but the Mariners are 14th in the league in runs scored.

Morales was signed by the Twins to be the everyday designated hitter, but he played a lot of first base while filling in for the injured Joe Mauer.

Yankees get Capuano

The New York Yankees acquired left-hander Chris Capuano, 35, from the Colorado Rockies for cash.

Capuano started the season with Boston and went 1-1 with a 4.55 ERA in 28 relief appearances. The Red Sox released him on July 1 and he signed with Colorado. He made four total starts in the minors for the Rockies.

Capuano has pitched with Arizona, Milwaukee, the New York Mets, the Dodgers and Boston in parts of 10 major league seasons.

MLB: umps made right call

Major League Baseball said umpires made the correct call when they stopped a game between the Texas Rangers and the Yankees because tarp trouble left the field too wet.

The Yankees won, 2-1, Wednesday night after umpires called the game with New York batting in the bottom of the fifth inning.

MLB said Thursday that the “sudden onset of extreme rain … affected the ability of the grounds crew to put the tarp in place.” MLB said the umpires were right to halt the game out of concern for player safety.

The tarp was taken off the field when the rain ended, but the field was deemed unplayable.

Texas Manager Ron Washington said his team tried to persuade MLB to make it a suspended game that could be resumed later. A mechanical malfunction such as a light tower failure results in a suspension.

MLB said that wasn’t the case at Yankee Stadium.

Etc.

The Rangers promoted right-handed reliever Nate Adcock from the minors, a day after trading closer Joakim Soria to the Detroit Tigers. ... The New York Mets recalled infielder Wilmer Flores from Triple-A Las Vegas a day after shortstop Ruben Tejada was hit in the helmet by a pitch. The Mets optioned outfielder Kirk Nieuwenhuis to Las Vegas before their game Thursday at Milwaukee. ... The Chicago White Sox placed right-hander Zach Putnam on the 15-day disabled list with right shoulder inflammation. ... The Oakland Athletics designated right-hander Jim Johnson for assignment. Johnson, acquired in a trade with the Baltimore Orioles, was 4-2 with a 6.92 ERA in 38 games with the A’s.