CLEVELAND (AP) — Justin Verlander will start the All-Star Game for the American League for the second time, and Hyun-Jin Ryu will make his first start for the National League.Verlander, a 36-year-old right-hander, is 10-4 with a 2.98 ERA this year for the Houston Astros, striking out 153 in 126 2/3 innings.He allowed five runs in the first inning during the 2012 All-Star Game at Kansas City, including the first-bases loaded triple in All-Star history, to Pablo Sandoval. Verlander, who played for the Detroit Tigers, threw five pitches clocked at 100 mph and another at 101 during a 35-pitch inning.Ryu, a 32-year-old left-hander from South Korea, is 10-2 with a major league-leading 1.73 ERA for the NL champion Los Angeles Dodgers. He is the second Asian All-Star starter after Dodgers rookie Hideo Nomo of Japan in 1995.Houston's George Springer leads off and plays right field for the AL and is followed in the batting order by New York Yankees second baseman DJ LeMahieu, Los Angeles Angels center... [More]

HOUSTON (AP) — Los Angeles Angels catcher Jonathan Lucroy was carted off the field Sunday after a violent collision at the plate with Houston's Jake Marisnick, and manager Brad Ausmus thinks the league should consider suspending the Astros outfielder.The team said Lucroy was taken to a hospital for a CT scan and is being evaluated for a possible concussion and nose fracture.The bases were loaded with the game tied at 10 when Marisnick attempted to score on a sacrifice fly by George Springer in a game Houston won 11-10 in the 10th inning.Marisnick crashed into Lucroy as he attempted to field the throw, and the catcher immediately fell on his back. He didn't move for a few seconds before struggling to sit up. Marisnick tagged home and then leaned over Lucroy to see if he was OK. He lifted his head off the ground a few seconds later as blood dripped from his nose."It certainly didn't look like a clean play," Ausmus said. "I don't know what actually happened, but it looked like Marisnick took... [More]

HOUSTON (AP) — Los Angeles Angels catcher Jonathan Lucroy was carted off the field in the eighth inning after a collision at the plate with Houston's Jake Marisnick.The team said he was taken to a hospital for a CT scan and is being evaluated for a possible concussion and nose fracture.The bases were loaded with the game tied at 10 when Marisnick attempted to score on a sacrifice fly by George Springer.Marisnick crashed into Lucroy as he attempted to field the throw, and the catcher immediately fell on his back. He didn't move for a few seconds before struggling to sit up. Marisnick tagged home and then leaned over Lucroy to see if he was OK. He lifted his head off the ground a few seconds later as blood dripped from his nose.Angels players rushed to the plate as trainers checked on him. He was lifted to a sitting position after a couple of minutes and held a towel to his nose. He was then helped to a cart and taken off the field while clutching a bloodstained towel.Marisnick was called out for colliding with Lucroy and the call was upheld after a crew chief review to end the inning.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Reigning NL MVP Christian Yelich of the Milwaukee Brewers has pulled out of Monday's All-Star Home Run Derby with a back injury and will be replaced by Oakland Athletics slugger Matt Chapman.Major League Baseball announced Sunday that Yelich would sit out the derby. Yelich leads the majors with 31 home runs but has dealt with back issues at times throughout the first half. Yelich had been practicing for the showcase and broke a window on a houseboat outside PNC Park earlier this week while preparing.Yelich was also voted a starter for Tuesday's All-Star Game. He plans on playing in that game."I'd still like to try and play," Yelich said. "I think I'll be able to. It's just I didn't think I was going to be able do that kind of volume of swings and what the derby demanded. If I wasn't going to be able to perform how I was supposed to and do it justice and give it the effort that it deserved, I didn't think it'd be a great idea to do it."Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell said... [More]

HOUSTON (AP) — Los Angeles Angels catcher Jonathan Lucroy was carted off the field in the eighth inning after a collision at the plate with Houston's Jake Marisnick.The bases were loaded with the game tied at 10 when Marisnick attempted to score on a sacrifice fly by George Springer.Marisnick crashed into Lucroy as he attempted to field the throw, and the catcher immediately fell on his back. He didn't move for a few seconds before struggling to sit up. Marisnick tagged home and then leaned over Lucroy to see if he was OK. He lifted his head off the ground a few seconds later as blood dripped from his nose.Angels players rushed to the plate as trainers checked on him. He was lifted to a sitting position after a couple of minutes and held a towel to his nose. He was then helped to a cart and taken off the field while clutching a bloodstained towel.Marisnick was called out for colliding with Lucroy and the call was upheld after a crew chief review to end the inning.There was no immediate update on Lucroy's condition.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

PHOENIX (AP) — Colorado's Trevor Story has ended the Arizona Diamondbacks' no-hit bid by legging out an infield single to open the seventh inning.Alex Young held the Rockies hitless over the first six innings, facing one batter over the minimum in his second big-league start. Despite throwing just 71 pitches, he was replaced by Yoshihisa Hirano to start the seventh inning.Story hit Hirano's first pitch down the third base line and beat Jake Lamb's throw to first, drawing boos from the Arizona fans.Young held the San Francisco Giants to a run on three hits and struck out five in a 5-4 on June 27 for his first win. He spent most of the season at Triple-A Reno before being called up last month.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Jack Flaherty has completed six no-hit innings against the San Francisco Giants.Flaherty has thrown 70 pitches and struck out six. The 23-year-old retired his first 12 batters before walking Alex Dickerson leading off the fifth. He struck out two of the next three and got Kevin Pillar to foul out.Flaherty got some help in the first inning when center fielder Harrison Bader made a running catch at the warning track to take away a possible hit from leadoff man Brandon Belt.The Cardinals have nine no-hitters in their history. The last was by Bud Smith against San Diego Padres on Sept. 3, 2001.Giants starter Jeff Samardzija matched Flaherty with a no-hitter into the fifth before allowing Yairo Muñoz's two-out single.The game was scoreless through six innings.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Reigning NL MVP Christian Yelich of the Milwaukee Brewers has pulled out of Monday's All-Star Home Run Derby with a back injury and will be replaced by Oakland Athletics slugger Matt Chapman.Major League Baseball announced Sunday that Yelich would sit out the Derby. Yelich leads the majors with 31 home runs but has dealt with back issues at times throughout the first half. Yelich had been practicing for the showcase and broke a window on a houseboat outside PNC Park earlier this week while preparing.Yelich was held out of Milwaukee's lineup Sunday at Pittsburgh for its final game before the All-Star break. Manager Craig Counsell said the absence wasn't due to injury, but because the team "felt we were at the red line with him" from a workload standpoint.Yelich was also voted a starter for Tuesday's All-Star Game. It's unclear if he'll play.Chapman will fill-in for the Derby at Cleveland's Progressive Stadium. He was informed Sunday morning and immediately called his father, Jim Chapman, to ask if he would be his pitcher. Chapman will be a first-time All-Star after hitting 21 homers and an AL-leading 46 extra-base hits.Brewers relief pitcher Josh Hader is also skipping the All-Star Game with a back injury.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) — Todd Frazier is tired of being plunked by pitches from the Philadelphia Phillies. And he's got no use for that tough talk from Jake Arrieta, either.The tension between the Phillies and New York Mets escalated Saturday night when Arrieta threatened that if Frazier was still steamed about getting hit, "he can come see me and I'll put a dent in his skull.""A little overboard," Frazier said before Sunday's season finale.Frazier has been hit seven times by Phillies pitchers in the last two seasons, three this year and twice this weekend. The latest drilling came on a changeup by Arrieta and led to Frazier getting ejected.Frazier said there was no bad blood between him and Arrieta, offering, "I know him really well.""He can say what he wants," the Mets third baseman said. "I'm just sick of getting hit, especially by this team.""We'll see what the commissioner wants to do. He saw what people are saying," he said. "The commissioner has his hands full. We'll see."Major League Baseball... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Nationals ace Max Scherzer has determined that resting his ailing back is more important than pitching in the All-Star Game.A three-time Cy Young Award winner and seven-time All-Star, Scherzer struck out 11 over seven shutout innings on Saturday against Kansas City. Hours later, Major League Baseball announced he would be replaced on the National League roster by Sonny Gray.Scherzer experienced back tightness after beating Detroit on June 30. He worked through it against the Royals, but his back stiffened after the appearance.Scherzer, manager Dave Martinez and general manager Mike Rizzo emerged from a postgame discussion with this conclusion: It would be in the best interest of Scherzer and the Nationals that he excused himself from pitching Tuesday night in Cleveland."Our season matters so much more than the All-Star Game," Scherzer said Sunday. "I know my body pretty well. I just know I'm not going to be at my best if I try and pitch on two days' rest and I'd really... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Max Scherzer won't pitch in the All-Star Game because of a back injury, although the ace right-hander intends to represent the Washington Nationals on the sideline Monday and Tuesday in Cleveland.A three-time Cy Young Award winner and seven-time All-Star, Scherzer struck out 11 over seven shutout innings on Saturday against Kansas City. Hours later, Major League Baseball announced he would be replaced on the National League roster by Sonny Gray.Scherzer said Sunday he first began experiencing back tightness after beating Detroit on June 30. He worked through it against the Royals, but his back stiffened after his appearance.That's when it became apparent Scherzer would be better off by not pitching Tuesday night.He said Sunday: "I need some rest right now to let this thing fully heal up so that I'm completely good to go in the second half."___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

A look at what's happening around the majors today:COOKIE HEALINGIndians pitcher Carlos Carrasco is being treated for leukemia, and he says it's going to make him stronger than he was before. Carrasco hasn't played for Cleveland since May 30. The 32-year-old right-hander says he got a blood test after a spring training physical prompted some concern, and he was diagnosed with leukemia in May. He said he feels positive about his prognosis and he'll be back with the team "at the end of July." Following his diagnosis, Carrasco spoke with long-time teammate Jason Kipnis, who helped him research and understand what he was dealing with.NO-BLAME BEARSPresident of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein insists he's not pinning the Cubs' struggles on manager Joe Maddon. The way Epstein sees it, there's blame to go around. "I see us as in it together," he said. The Cubs have been in a funk for weeks, struggling at the plate and making mistakes in the field and on the bases. Epstein said Saturday "the sloppiness... [More]

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — New York Yankees right-hander Masahiro Tanaka, Pittsburgh closer Felipe Vázquez, Cincinnati right-hander Sonny Gray and Milwaukee right-hander Brandon Woodruff have been added to the rosters for Tuesday's All-Star Game.They replace Toronto's Marcus Stroman, who has a strained pectoral muscle; Arizona pitcher Zack Greinke, who will be attending to a personal matter; Washington ace Max Scherzer, who pitched Saturday; and Brewers closer Josh Hader, who has back stiffness.Tanaka was selected for the 2014 AL team but didn't pitch because of a right elbow injury."It will be a great thing if I can actually pitch in the game," Tanaka said through a translator. "When you look at your baseball career, it would be something that I can be proud of."A smiling Tanaka said he was surprised by the announcement."Everything happened so fast," Tanaka said. "Obviously I'm very happy. This time around I get to actually go there and be part of the celebration."Tanaka is 5-5 with a... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors Sunday:COOKIE HEALINGIndians pitcher Carlos Carrasco is being treated for leukemia, and he says it's going to make him stronger than he was before. Carrasco hasn't played for Cleveland since May 30. The 32-year-old right-hander says he got a blood test after a spring training physical prompted some concern, and he was diagnosed with leukemia in May. He said he feels positive about his prognosis and he'll be back with the team "at the end of July." Following his diagnosis, Carrasco spoke with long-time teammate Jason Kipnis, who helped him research and understand what he was dealing with.NO-BLAME BEARSPresident of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein insists he's not pinning the Cubs' struggles on manager Joe Maddon. The way Epstein sees it, there's blame to go around. "I see us as in it together," he said. The Cubs have been in a funk for weeks, struggling at the plate and making mistakes in the field and on the bases. Epstein said Saturday "the... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein insisted Saturday he's not pinning the Chicago Cubs' struggles on manager Joe Maddon.The way Epstein sees it, there's blame to go around."I see us as in it together," Epstein said. "My job is to put him in a position to succeed. I like nothing more as an executive than sitting back — the team's playing well, the manager's on a roll, you guys are all talking about this is the best job he's ever done. That makes me feel good. Now, the team's struggling so there's going to be speculation in the other direction."The Cubs entered Saturday's game against the crosstown White Sox trailing NL Central leader Milwaukee by a half-game at 46-42. They were coming off an 11-3 romp at Pittsburgh on Thursday, but the Cubs have been in a funk for weeks, struggling at the plate and making mistakes in the field and on the bases.They were 22-28 in the 50 games prior to Saturday. That included a 14-15 mark in June — their first losing month since May... [More]

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — New York Yankees right-hander Masahiro Tanaka, Pittsburgh closer Felipe Vázquez and Milwaukee right-hander Brandon Woodruff have been added to the rosters for Tuesday's All-Star Game.They replace Toronto's Marcus Stroman, who has a strained pectoral muscle; Arizona pitcher Zack Greinke, who will be attending to a personal matter; and Brewers closer Josh Hader, who has back stiffness.Tanaka was selected for the 2014 AL team but didn't pitch because of a right elbow injury."It will be a great thing if I can actually pitch in the game," Tanaka said through a translator. "When you look at your baseball career, it would be something that I can be proud of."A smiling Tanaka said he was surprised by the announcement."Everything happened so fast," Tanaka said. "Obviously I'm very happy. This time around I get to actually go there and be part of the celebration."Tanaka is 5-5 with a 3.86 ERA in 18 starts.Stroman, mentioned in trade speculation, was scratched from his... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — Indians pitcher Carlos Carrasco is being treated for leukemia, and he says it's going to make him stronger than he was before.Carrasco hasn't played for Cleveland since May 30. The 32-year-old right-hander says he got a blood test after a spring-training physical prompted some concern, and he was diagnosed with leukemia in May."I never thought that I would have something like this, because I play baseball, I'm like super healthy or something like that," Carrasco says in a video posted on the Indians' Twitter account. "But you never know what's going on inside your body."When I found out, it made me even stronger, then I push myself to work through this. Then I have a lot of people behind me, helping me, especially my teammates and family."Manager Terry Francona said the club knew the details of Carrasco's condition before the video was released. Carrasco plans to talk to the media in Cleveland next Thursday. Francona declined to talk about the pitcher's condition beyond... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — Indians pitcher Carlos Carrasco is being treated for leukemia, and he says it's going to make him stronger than he was before.Carrasco hasn't played for Cleveland since May 30. The 32-year-old right-hander says he got a blood test after a spring-training physical prompted some concern, and he was diagnosed with leukemia in May."I never thought that I would have something like this, because I play baseball, I'm like super healthy or something like that," Carrasco says in a video posted on the Indians' Twitter account. "But you never know what's going on inside your body."When I found out, it made me even stronger, then I push myself to work through this. Then I have a lot of people behind me, helping me, especially my teammates and family."The 32-year-old Carrasco also told a TV station in the Dominican Republic about his condition while visiting a hospital, where he was seeing patients. He said he feels positive about his prognosis and he'll be back with the team "at the... [More]

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Texas Rangers' All-Star Mike Minor will skip his final start Sunday against Minnesota ahead of the break.Minor, a first-time All-Star, already had been replaced on the American League roster by Cleveland's Shane Bieber because Minor was slated to start Sunday. Minor will attend the game but not pitch, and the team wanted to give the left-hander more rest before the start of the second half.Minor (8-4) is second in the AL with a 2.54 ERA and owns a league-leading two complete games. His 117 innings pitched are tied for third in the AL heading into Saturday's games.Texas announced Joe Palumbo will be recalled from Triple-A Nashville on Sunday and could make the start. The team is also considering the use of an opener in front of Palumbo to wrap up a three-game series with the Twins.

CLEVELAND (AP) — Indians starter Carlos Carrasco is being treated for leukemia, but remains hopeful he'll pitch again this season.Carrasco, who was diagnosed in June, told a TV station in the Dominican Republic about his condition while visiting a hospital, where he was seeing patients. The 32-year-old Carrasco feels positive about his prognosis and said he'll be back with the team "at the end of July."Leukemia is a type of cancer that affects the blood and bone marrow. There are numerous forms of the disease, many of which are highly treatable.Carrasco was not pitching up to his standards and feeling lethargic for weeks in May before getting checked. He told CDN that doctors "saw something different in my blood."The right-hander said he received more tests, and he and his wife were given his diagnosis.The Indians have not commented on Carrasco's diagnosis.Following his diagnosis, Carrasco spoke with long-time teammate Jason Kipnis, who helped him research and understand what he was dealing... [More]