Braves activate Ronald Acuña Jr. from injured list almost 1 year after ACL injury to left knee
ATLANTA — Ronald Acuña Jr. was activated from the injured list by the Atlanta Braves on Friday, almost one year after he tore the ACL in his left knee. The Braves announced the move before Friday night’s game against the San Diego Padres. Infielder Orlando Arcia, a 2023 All-Star, was...
Red Sox third baseman Alex Bregman leaves game with right quad tightness
BOSTON — Red Sox third baseman Alex Bregman was removed in the fifth inning of Friday’s opening game of a doubleheader against the Baltimore Orioles with right quad rightness, the team said. Bregman singled sharply to left field and made a wide turn before retreating to the first-base bag. The...
Guardians’ right-hander Ben Lively will have Tommy John surgery, miss rest of season
DETROIT — Guardians pitcher Ben Lively will undergo Tommy John reconstruction surgery on his right elbow and will be sidelined for the rest of the season. The Guardians said before Friday night’s game at Detroit that Lively’s surgical date has not been set, but it will be performed by Dr....
Phillies closer José Alvarado suspended for 80 games for positive drug test
PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia Phillies closer José Alvarado was suspended for 80 games on Sunday following a positive test for external testosterone under Major League Baseball’s drug-testing program. Alvarado, among the hardest-throwing relievers, became the second player suspended this year under the big league testing program after Atlanta outfielder Jurickson Profar....
White Sox to unveil a graphic installation honoring Pope Leo XIV
CHICAGO — The Chicago White Sox plan to unveil a graphic installation on Monday that honors Pope Leo XIV. Robert Prevost became the first pope from the U.S. in the history of the Catholic Church when he was elected on May 8. The Chicago-born missionary, who took the name Leo...
Phillies put struggling Aaron Nola on 15-day IL with right ankle sprain
PHILADELPHIA — Phillies right-hander Aaron Nola was placed on the 15-day injured list on Friday with a sprained right ankle. The 31-year-old veteran has struggled this season and is coming off an outing against St. Louis on Wednesday in which he allowed 12 hits, nine runs and three homers —...
Right-hander Jonathan Loáisiga returns to Yankees, less than 13 months after Tommy John surgery
NEW YORK — Right-hander Jonathan Loáisiga was activated from the 15-day injured list by the New York Yankees on Friday, less than 13 months after Tommy John surgery. The Yankees designated left-hander Tyler Matzek for assignment ahead of the Subway Series opener against the Mets. A 30-year-old reliever, Loáisiga had...
White Sox acquire right-hander Miguel Castro in a trade with the Astros
CHICAGO — Miguel Castro and Vinny Capra joined the Chicago White Sox on Friday, giving manager Will Venable a different option for his bullpen and on his bench. Castro, 30, was acquired in a trade with the Houston Astros for $500,000 in international signing bonus pool allocation. He went 3-0...
Mark Madden: Pete Rose deserved his Hall of Fame shot when he was alive
I wish MLB had ruled before Pete Rose passed away that he’d be eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame after he died. Rose could have faked his own death, resurrected upon his induction, then charged more money to sign autographs at memorabilia shows. Maybe, before he expired, Rose inscribed...
The Twins turned their season around. The Orioles are showing few signs of doing thatVideo
BALTIMORE — The Minnesota Twins lost a couple mainstays in their lineup and even their manager, too. They had to use every reliever they had over the course of a doubleheader. The Baltimore Orioles still couldn’t beat them. Minnesota rallied from a three-run deficit in the opener and a two-run...
Royals sign former Pirates pitcher Rich Hill to minor-league dealVideo
HOUSTON — The Kansas City Royals are giving former Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Rich Hill another chance to pitch in the big leagues. The Royals signed the 45-year-old left-hander to a minor-league deal Tuesday, and he will report soon to the club’s spring training facility in Surprise, Ariz. Once he gets...
MLB reinstates Pete Rose and Shoeless Joe Jackson, making them Hall of Fame eligible
NEW YORK — Pete Rose and Shoeless Joe Jackson were reinstated by baseball commissioner Rob Manfred on Tuesday, making both eligible for the sport’s Hall of Fame after their careers were tarnished by sports gambling scandals. Rose’s permanent ban was lifted eight months after his death and came a day...
Rockies chart a new course under a new manager after one of worst starts in major league historyVideo
DENVER — All the losing nearly reduced lefty Kyle Freeland to tears as he recently chatted about the woeful state of his hometown Colorado Rockies. It’s a gloomy situation with the Rockies, whose 7-33 record is one of the worst in major league history and led to the dismissal of...
Greensburg Central Catholic alum Warren Schaeffer named interim manager of Rockies
The Colorado Rockies’ firing of longtime manager Bud Black means a former WPIAL product will try to get the club back on track. Warren Schaeffer, a native of Vandergrift and a Greensburg Central Catholic alum, was named interim manager Sunday. He had been the third base coach since 2023. Schaeffer,...
Colorado Rockies fire manager Bud Black; Vandergrift native, GCC alum Schaeffer takes over as interim managerVideo
DENVER — The Colorado Rockies fired Bud Black, the winningest manager in franchise history, after a 7-33 start that’s one of the worst in Major League Baseball history. Colorado promoted third base coach Warren Schaeffer to be the interim manager, the team announced Sunday after a 9-3 win over San...
Rockies’ miserable season hits a new low with 21-0 loss to Padres
DENVER — The Colorado Rockies are reluctant to label themselves a rebuilding team, but after Saturday night it might be more accurate to say they’re imploding. Colorado hit rock bottom so far in a season that has gone south from the start, losing 21-0 to the San Diego Padres. It...
Red Sox owner John Henry flies to Kansas City to meet with disgruntled slugger Rafael Devers
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Rafael Devers made his feelings known Thursday. On Friday, it was Boston Red Sox owner John Henry’s turn to share his opinions with the disgruntled slugger. A day after Devers told reporters about his refusal to play first base, Henry, team president Sam Kennedy and chief...
Reds rookie Tyler Callihan expected to miss at least 2 months after surgery to repair forearm fractureVideo
ATLANTA — Cincinnati Reds rookie left fielder Tyler Callihan is expected to miss at least two months following surgery Tuesday to repair his fractured left forearm suffered while attempting a sliding catch a night earlier. Reds manager Terry Francona said Callihan will have no baseball activities for six to eight...
Tim Benz: A ‘thank you’ note to sports moments outside of Pittsburgh for filling the void
I turned on the computer to write Tuesday’s posts, and I had nuthin’. I looked at a blank document, and it looked right back at me and shrugged. “I can’t help you, pal. Just start pounding keys and see what comes ‘aht,” it said. Well, at least that’s what I...
Guardians’ José Ramírez leaves game after being hit by throw, stumbling over first base
TORONTO — Cleveland Guardians star José Ramírez left Friday’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays in the third inning after being hit by a throw from pitcher Chris Bassitt and stumbling awkwardly over first base on an infield single. With Steven Kwan at first base and two outs, Ramírez hit...
Blade Tidwell to make big league debut for Mets
ST. LOUIS — Pitching prospect Blade Tidwell will be called up by the New York Mets to make his major league debut as the starter Sunday at the St. Louis Cardinals, manager Carlos Mendoza said Friday. The Mets are in a stretch of playing on 13 consecutive days, and promoting...
Orioles GM takes heat for starting rotation collapse: ‘That’s my responsibility’
BALTIMORE — If the second half of 2024 was a reality check for the Baltimore Orioles — their first real stretch of mediocrity since they became contenders again — the start of this season is a near-crisis. This young Baltimore team experienced very little failure while winning 101 games in...
Mike Trout is going on the injured list again with a bone bruise in his left kneeVideo
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Los Angeles Angels star Mike Trout is headed back to the 10-day injured list because of a bone bruise in his surgically repaired left knee. Angels manager Ron Washington made the announcement late Thursday night after a 10-4 loss to the Detroit Tigers. The team said there...
Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. put on injured list because of strained right oblique
NEW YORK — Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. was placed on the 15-day injured list Friday because of a strained right oblique, three days after getting hurt during a swing in a game at the Baltimore Orioles. Before the Yankees opened a three-game series with the Tampa Bay Rays,...
Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. to make long-awaited return to the mound on Sunday
HOUSTON — Lance McCullers Jr. is to start Sunday for the Houston Astros against the Chicago White Sox in his first major league appearance since Game 3 of the 2022 World Series in Philadelphia. “I’m really excited to have him on the mound on Sunday,” Astros manager Joe Espada said...
