NL Central Watch: July 9

Here’s a quick glance at what’s happening around the National League Central.

Starting Mark Mulder tonight gives the Cardinals a chance to gauge their pitching before the July 31 non-waivers trade deadline. Meanwhile, Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter could return to the Cardinals rotation by next month.

Hall of Fame baseball writer Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch takes a closer look at the pitching deals made by the Cubs and Brewers.

Heres how the Brewers reacted to the Cubs acquisition of right-hander Rich Harden a day after CC Sabathia was acquired by Milwaukee.

Inside this Hal McCoy notebook, we see that Reds broadcaster Marty Brennaman, making his first visit to Wrigley Field since calling Cubs fans the worst in baseball, had few problems on the North Side, though he did enter the ballpark with a bodyguard. Brennaman was hard to miss, wearing a bright red shirt. If they want a piece of me, they know where to find me, he said. I asked to sing Take Me Out to the Ballgame in the seventh inning, but they turned me down. If you want to read more about Brennamans day in Chicago, the Cincinnati Enquirer details his visit to Navy Pier.

Check back later for updates.