Guardians’ All-Star Emmanuel Clase placed on paid leave as part of MLB sports betting investigationVideo
Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase has been placed on non-disciplinary paid leave as part of a Major League Baseball investigation into sports betting. Clase, a three-time All-Star, becomes the second Guardians pitcher to be placed on leave in connection with a sports gambling probe. Luis Ortiz also is on non-disciplinary...
Bristol Motor Speedway game tops 85,000 in ticket sales, will break MLB attendance record
BRISTOL, Tenn. — The Speedway Classic will break Major League Baseball’s single-game, regular-season attendance record. The game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Atlanta Braves, which will be played Saturday at Bristol Motor Speedway, already has sold more than 85,000 tickets. The first American or National League game ever played...
Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred confronted by Bryce Harper during meeting, AP source says
CHICAGO — Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred and Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper had a spirited exchange during a question-and-answer session between the commissioner and the team, according to a person with direct knowledge of the conversation. The person spoke to the AP on Monday on condition of anonymity because of...
Ichiro Suzuki adds humorous touches to Hall of Fame induction ceremonies
COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. — If you want someone for your next celebrity roast, Ichiro Suzuki could be your guy. Mixing sneaky humor with heartfelt messages, the first Japanese-born player to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame stole the show Sunday in Cooperstown. Morning showers and gloomy skies delayed the...
Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia, Billy Wagner set for Hall of Fame inductionVideo
COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. — Ichiro Suzuki was always known for his meticulous preparation during his 19-year Major League Baseball career. For his induction into the Hall of Fame? Not so much. “Of course, I’m nervous and I probably should be preparing more, but this morning I actually went to the field,...
Yankees star Aaron Judge to go on IL with flexor strain but no damage to UCL in elbowVideo
NEW YORK — Yankees captain Aaron Judge, his teammates and New York’s fan base exhaled Saturday when the two-time AL MVP learned he has a flexor strain in his right elbow but no acute damage to his ulnar collateral ligament that might cause a long-term layoff. Judge was sent for...
Nick Kurtz of Athletics becomes first major league rookie to hit 4 homers in a game
HOUSTON — Nick Kurtz of the Athletics became the first rookie in major league history to hit four home runs in a game, going deep in the second, sixth, eighth and ninth innings at Houston on Friday night. Kurtz also singled and doubled for 19 total bases on a 6-for-6...
Shohei Ohtani’s home run streak ends at 5 games in Dodgers’ win over Red Sox at Fenway Park
BOSTON — Shohei Ohtani was held homerless for the first time in a week in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 5-2 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Friday night. Ohtani struck out twice, singled, walked and hit a foul popup. His five-game home run streak leaves him tied with six...
Record crowd expected at Bristol for the MLB Speedway Classic between the Braves and Reds
Workers still have some finishing touches to put on the field inside the racetrack at Bristol Motor Speedway, and officials are expecting a record crowd in a week to watch the Cincinnati Reds play the Atlanta Braves in the MLB Speedway Classic on Aug. 2. “We can’t wait for next...
MLB trade deadline: Eugenio Suárez, Mitch Keller, Seth Lugo among prized players who could move
PHOENIX — The Arizona Diamondbacks got the trade deadline party started Thursday night when they dealt 2024 All-Star Josh Naylor to the Seattle Mariners for two pitching prospects. That probably won’t be the last time the D-backs make news before the July 31 deadline. Arizona has had a disappointing season...
John Oliver’s Erie Moon Mammoths debut in front of record crowd
ERIE — Besides being a fan, John Oliver has had a certain affinity for minor-league baseball. On Saturday night, the comedian and host of HBO’s “Last Week Tonight” saw his latest crazy creation set out into the world as the Erie Moon Mammoths made their debut in front of a...
Shohei Ohtani to make next start Monday, aims for longer outings
LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani will make his next start on the mound Monday as the Los Angeles Dodgers’ two-way superstar progresses toward longer outings after elbow surgery. He’ll open with three innings against the Minnesota Twins in his sixth start before giving way to Dustin May, manager Dave Roberts...
Orioles righty Grayson Rodriguez’s rehab shut down due to sore elbow
TAMPA, Fla. — Baltimore right-hander Grayson Rodriguez had a setback in his comeback from an elbow injury and the Orioles have shut him down indefinitely. “We had to pull back a little bit on Grayson,” interim manager Tony Mansolino told reporters before Friday night’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays....
Mark Madden: Increased popularity shows changes are working for MLB
After the first-ever “swing-off” brought pizzazz to the finish of Tuesday’s MLB All-Star Game, it seems inevitable the concept will be used for regular-season games. It shouldn’t be. It has a fatal flaw. The “swing-off” uses non-major-leaguers to help determine the result of MLB games, namely the batting-practice pitchers. Teams...
Phillies’ Kyle Schwarber leads NL to victory in 1st All-Star Game decided by tiebreaker
ATLANTA — Kyle Schwarber went 3 for 3 in the first All-Star Game home run swing-off to put the National League ahead 4-3 following a 6-6 tie in which the American League rallied from a six-run deficit Tuesday night. In baseball’s equivalent of soccer’s penalty-kick shootout, the game was decided...
A lockout is looming over MLB in December 2026, with a salary cap fight possibly at the center
ATLANTA — Looming over baseball is a likely lockout in December 2026, a possible management push for a salary cap and perhaps lost regular-season games for the first time since 1995. “No one’s talking about it, but we all know that they’re going to lock us out for it, and...
Baseball players’ union head hopeful of major leaguers participating in 2028 Olympics
ATLANTA — Baseball players’ union head Tony Clark says plans are moving ahead exploring the possibility of using major leaguers in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and discussions have taken place this week during the All-Star break. “There’s a lot of work that still needs to be done,” he told...
Robot umpires to make All-Star Game debut, another step toward possible regular-season use in 2026
ATLANTA — Tarik Skubal views the strike zone differently than robot umpires. “I have this thing where I think everything is a strike until the umpire calls it a ball,” Detroit’s AL Cy Young Award winner said ahead of his start for the American League in Tuesday night’s All-Star Game....
In an era prizing velocity, more than 20,000 curveballs a year have disappeared from MLB
ATLANTA — Curveballs have been thrown a curve by a modern game valuing velocity over variety, disappearing from the major leagues by more than 20,000 annually. The Athletics have thrown curves on just 2.5% of pitches this season. The overall big league figure dropped from 10.7% in 2019 to 8.1%...
Nationals take Eli Willits with No. 1 pick in MLB draft, first of record 17 first-round shortstops
ATLANTA — The Washington Nationals selected Oklahoma high school shortstop Eli Willits on Sunday night with the No. 1 pick in Major League Baseball’s amateur draft in a selection seen by some as a surprise. The 17-year-old Willits is the youngest player taken No. 1 overall since Ken Griffey Jr....
Terry Francona gets his 2,000th managerial win as the Reds beat the Rockies
CINCINNATI — Terry Francona has added another milestone to his impressive career. Francona became the 13th manager in major league history to reach 2,000 wins when the Cincinnati Reds beat the Colorado Rockies 4-2 on Sunday. “I don’t think I’ve ever tried to delude myself. I mean some of those...
Astros’ Isaac Paredes will miss the All-Star Game because of a family matter
HOUSTON — Houston Astros third baseman Isaac Paredes has dropped out of next week’s All-Star Game to attend to a family matter. Paredes was added to the roster Wednesday after Cleveland’s José Ramírez opted out to rest a nagging Achilles tendon injury. Paredes was in the Astros’ lineup at designated...
Braves’ Matt Olson to replace Ronald Acuña Jr. in Home Run Derby
ATLANTA — The Braves announced Friday that first baseman Matt Olson will now participate in Monday’s Home Run Derby at Truist Park, replacing right fielder Ronald Acuña Jr. Acuña had told FanDuel Sports Network on Wednesday that he planned to hit in the event “Yes, sir,” Acuña told FanDuel Sports...
Holding No. 1 pick, Nationals’ front-office upheaval injects even more uncertainty into MLB draft
The Washington Nationals are at a pivotal point in their rebuild to baseball relevance, owning the No. 1 overall pick in the MLB Amateur Draft that begins Sunday night in Atlanta. There are multiple intriguing prospects they can choose from, including prep shortstop Ethan Holliday, the son of seven-time All-Star...
Yankees’ Rodón, Royals’ Estévez and Garcia, Tigers’ Mize are replacements on AL All-Star roster
Carlos Rodón, Carlos Estévez and Casey Mize on Friday were named replacement pitchers on the American League roster for the All-Star Game. The New York Yankees’ Rodón, an All-Star for the third time in five seasons, will replace teammate Max Fried for Tuesday’s game in Atlanta. Fried will be unavailable...
