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The Oakland Athletics spent the July 31 trade deadline upgrading their roster, but the team started August by cutting ties with one of the few players that hasn't worked out for general manager Billy Beane this season. 

According to the team's official Twitter account, former closer Jim Johnson has been released by the A's:

Lifelong baseball fan Tom Willis was born without arms, but that hasn't stopped him from throwing out first pitches in ballparks around the country.

Willis has learned to do things, such as throwing a baseball, with his feet.

On Thursday, Willis threw out the first pitch at the Minnesota Twins-Kansas City Royals game. It's remarkable to see how easy he makes pitching out of the windup look.

The most famous voice in baseball history will be returning for its 66th season. During the second inning of Tuesday night's game against the Atlanta Braves, the Los Angeles Dodgers announced Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully will be returning for play-by-play duties in 2015.

Jon Weisman of the Dodgers' official blog reported the news following a montage that played at Dodger Stadium.

Jon Lester has made all 241 of his career major league starts with the Red Sox. He may not get a chance for No. 242 with Boston, though. 

The team's official Twitter feed confirmed that the 30-year-old will be scratched from Wednesday's start, sparking speculation that he will be dealt before Thursday's trade deadline:

Boston Red Sox right-hander Clay Buchholz is hoping to avoid a dubious feat this season, as he's in danger of becoming the first pitcher to triple his ERA from one year to the next while throwing more than 100 innings in both campaigns, per ESPN Stats & Info (via Elias Sports Bureau).

After posting a 1.74 ERA over 108.1 frames (16 starts) last year, Buchholz saw his 2014 ERA balloon to 5.87 with an ugly outing Monday against the Toronto Blue Jays.

New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter continued his assault on the record books Monday night, using a three-hit performance against the Texas Rangers to move into seventh place on MLB's all-time hits list, per ESPN New York's Wallace Matthews.

Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw is the best pitcher in Major League Baseball, so if anyone can knock an apple off someone's head with a baseball, he's probably the best bet.

Jimmy Kimmel thought it'd be a good idea to give Kershaw a chance to try his luck.

In the thick of the National League East race, the Atlanta Braves would be wise to make a move or two before MLB's non-waiver trade deadline passes on Thursday.

There are two glaring holes on this roster—left-handed relief and bench depth. The latest rumors certainly touch on the fact that the bullpen needs help, though there really isn't too much going on in terms of bench help.

The Arizona Diamondbacks have fallen out of the playoff race, and that likely means they will be a seller at this week's trade deadline. One player several teams could have interest in is closer Addison Reed, who's apparently available if the price is right.

The Colorado Rockies had good intentions with their gameday promotion for Saturday night against the Pittsburgh Pirates, but the execution didn't go as planned.

Update: Saturday, July 26, 2014, 8:15 p.m. ET

The Rockies have apologized for the misspelled jerseys, offering to exchange the jersey for one spelled correctly and a free ticket to a future game.