ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta Braves are facing lineup changes after placing second baseman Ozzie Albies and designated hitter Matt Adams on the 10-day injured list.In another move on Wednesday, outfielder Nick Markakis was reinstated from the restricted list. Markakis announced on July 29 that he was returning to the team, three weeks after opting out due to concerns about the coronavirus pandemic.Albies is batting only .159 after he was held without a hit in Tuesday night's 10-1 win over Toronto. He is in a 2-for-21 slump as he tried to play with a bruised right wrist. The injury led the switch-hitter to bat left-handed against left-hander Anthony Kay in the seventh inning.Adams has been the team's primary designated hitter and has made two starts at first base. He hit a second-inning homer on Tuesday night before leaving the game with a strained left hamstring.Among manager Brian Snitker's options at second base are Johan Camargo, who replaced Adams as the designated hitter against the... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — When the New York Mets finally found out Yoenis Céspedes was OK, they suddenly learned something else: The slugger had opted out of playing the rest of this season.Hours after Céspedes didn’t report to the ballpark without explanation, the Mets discovered in the late innings of Sunday’s 4-0 loss to Atlanta that he wouldn’t be back this year because of coronavirus concerns.“I am very surprised,” first-year manager Luis Rojas said. “Him and I have had conversations regularly about playing time, where he was going to hit in the lineup, building him up in the outfield.”“Nothing like this, so this is definitely a surprise,” he said.Céspedes went 0 for 4 during a 7-1 loss Saturday night in Atlanta. He is 5 for 31 (.161) with 15 strikeouts this season.The Mets sent out a statement from general manager Brodie Van Wagenen in the early innings Sunday saying they couldn’t find Céspedes. Van Wagenen said the organization was later notified by Céspedes’ agent that he had decided to opt... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — Nick Markakis is returning to the Atlanta Braves, three weeks after announcing he was opting out of the season due to his concerns about the coronavirus pandemic.Markakis, the veteran outfielder who is in his sixth season with Atlanta, said Wednesday he changed his mind about sitting out after watching his teammates play the first five games.“Sitting at home, watching these guys compete ... and all the risks they’re going through going out there, in the pit of my stomach I felt I wanted to be out there,” Markakis said.He said he realized returning was possible following a phone call from Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos earlier this week.The 36-year-old Markakis earns $24,691 for each game he on the roster or injured list as part of a $4 million, one-year contract. He says he has the full support of his family, including his three children, in his decision to return.“It was nice to be home with the family, but more than anything I know my family wanted me to be out... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — Nick Markakis is returning to the Atlanta Braves, three weeks after announcing he was opting out of the season due to his concerns about the coronavirus pandemic.Markakis, the veteran outfielder who is in his sixth season with Atlanta, said Wednesday he changed his mind about sitting out after watching his teammates play the first five games.“Sitting at home, watching these guys compete ... and all the risks they’re going through going out there, in the pit of my stomach I felt I wanted to be out there,” Markakis said.He said he realized returning was possible following a phone call from Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos earlier this week.The 36-year-old Markakis says he has the full support of his family, including his three children, in his decision to return.“It was nice to be home with the family, but more than anything I know my family wanted me to be out there with (the Braves),” he said.Markakis opted out on July 6, when he said he was uneasy about playing the... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — Nick Markakis is returning to the Atlanta Braves, three weeks after announcing he was opting out of the season due to his concerns about the coronavirus pandemic.Markakis, the veteran outfielder who is in his sixth season with Atlanta, said Wednesday he changed his mind about sitting out after watching his teammates play the first five games.“Sitting at home, watching these guys compete ... and all the risks they’re going through going out there, in the pit of my stomach I felt I wanted to be out there,” Markakis said.He said he realized returning was possible following a phone call from Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos earlier this week.The 36-year-old Markakis says he has the full support of his family, including his three children, in his decision to return.“It was nice to be home with the family, but more than anything I know my family wanted me to be out there with (the Braves),” he said.Markakis opted out on July 6, when he said he was uneasy about playing the... [More]

DENVER (AP) — The Colorado Rockies say left-handed pitcher Tim Collins has opted out of the 2020 season.He's the second player within the organization who has withdrawn. In late June, Rockies outfielder Ian Desmond announced he wouldn't play this season in part because of the coronavirus pandemic.Collins was with the team when training started again, but didn’t make the club’s 30-man opening day roster. The 30-year-old Collins had a 3.12 ERA for the Chicago Cubs last season over 8 2/3 innings. He's also appeared in games for Kansas City and Washington since signing as an amateur free agent with Toronto in 2007. The list of baseball players who have opted out of the season also includes: Joe Ross, Ryan Zimmerman and Welington Castillo of Washington; Félix Hernández and Nick Markakis of Atlanta; Jordan Hicks of St. Louis; Michael Kopech of the Chicago White Sox; Mike Leake of Arizona; Héctor Noesí of Pittsburgh; Buster Posey of San Francisco; and David Price of the Los Angeles Dodgers.___ More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/MLBbaseball

The Atlanta Braves will be without their top two catchers, Tyler Flowers and Travis d'Arnaud, for Friday's opening game at the New York Mets after both players showed symptoms of the coronavirus.Manager Brian Snitker said Friday that Flowers and d'Arnaud have tested negative for the coronavirus but did not travel with the team because they had symptoms. Snitker said he did not know what the symptoms were, and he hoped the two just had “a bad cold." Snitker said the team is being careful because “we’ve had guys test negative and the next day they test positive." First baseman Freddie Freeman and right-hander Touki Toussaint are back with the team and on the opening-day roster after testing positive at the start of summer camp. Left-handed reliever Will Smith and infielder Pete Kozma have not returned following positive tests.Freeman said he was grateful Flowers and Contreras reported the symptoms even though it meant they would miss the opener and possibly more games.“I applaud them for... [More]

Opening day, at last.A baseball season that was on the brink before it ever began because of the virus outbreak is set to start Thursday night when excitable Max Scherzer and the World Series champion Washington Nationals host prized ace Gerrit Cole and the New York Yankees.When it does get underway — the DC forecast calls for thunderstorms, the latest rocky inning in this what-can-go-wrong game — it’ll mark the most bizarre year in the history of Major League Baseball.A 60-game season, stars opting out. Ballparks without fans, players wearing masks. Piped-in sound effects, cardboard cutouts for spectators. Spray-painted ads on the mound, pitchers with personal rosin bags.And a rack of strange rules. DHs in the National League, well, OK. An automatic runner on second to start the 10th inning? C’mon, now.“Gosh, it’s going to be fun,” Cole said. “It’s going to have fake crowd noise, and going to be 2020 coronavirus baseball.”Plus, a poignant reminder of the world we live in. A Black Lives... [More]

Opening day, at last.A baseball season that was on the brink before it ever began because of the virus outbreak is set to start Thursday night when excitable Max Scherzer and the World Series champion Washington Nationals host prized ace Gerrit Cole and the New York Yankees.When it does get underway — the DC forecast calls for thunderstorms, the latest rocky inning in this what-can-go-wrong game — it’ll mark the most bizarre year in the history of Major League Baseball.A 60-game season, stars opting out. Ballparks without fans, players wearing masks. Piped-in sound effects, cardboard cutouts for spectators. Spray-painted ads on the mound, pitchers with personal rosin bags.And a rack of strange rules. DHs in the National League, well, OK. An automatic runner on second to start the 10th inning? C’mon, now.“Gosh, it’s going to be fun,” Cole said. “It’s going to have fake crowd noise, and going to be 2020 coronavirus baseball.”Plus, a poignant reminder of the world we live in. A Black Lives... [More]

Opening day, at last.A baseball season that was on the brink before it ever began because of the virus outbreak is set to start Thursday night when excitable Max Scherzer and the World Series champion Washington Nationals host prized ace Gerrit Cole and the New York Yankees.When it does get underway — the DC forecast calls for thunderstorms, the latest rocky inning in this what-can-go-wrong game — it’ll mark the most bizarre year in the history of Major League Baseball.A 60-game season, stars opting out. Ballparks without fans, players wearing masks. Piped-in sound effects, cardboard cutouts for spectators. Spray-painted ads on the mound, pitchers with personal rosin bags.And a rack of strange rules. DHs in the National League, well, OK. An automatic runner on second to start the 10th inning? C’mon, now.“Gosh, it’s going to be fun,” Cole said. “It’s going to have fake crowd noise, and going to be 2020 coronavirus baseball.”Plus, a poignant reminder of the world we live in. A Black Lives... [More]

Opening day, at last.A baseball season that was on the brink before it ever began because of the virus outbreak is set to start Thursday night when excitable Max Scherzer and the World Series champion Washington Nationals host $324 million ace Gerrit Cole and the New York Yankees.When it does get underway — the DC forecast calls for thunderstorms, the latest rocky inning in this what-can-go-wrong game — it’ll mark the most bizarre year in the history of Major League Baseball.A 60-game season, stars opting out. Ballparks without fans, players wearing masks. Piped-in sound effects, cardboard cutouts for spectators. Spray-painted ads on the mound, pitchers with personal rosin bags.And a rack of strange rules. DHs in the National League, well, OK. An automatic runner on second to start the 10th inning? C’mon, now.“Gosh, it’s going to be fun,” Cole said. “It’s going to have fake crowd noise, and going to be 2020 coronavirus baseball.”Plus a team that still doesn’t know where it’s going to play... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — Freddie Freeman doesn't know if he has time to be ready for the Atlanta Braves' opener.Following a scary journey in his battle with COVID-19, Freeman is grateful to even have a chance.On Saturday, the four-time All-Star revealed he had a high temperature of 104.5 degrees early in his battle with the disease and prayed for his life.“I said a little prayer that night,” Freeman said in a video conference call. “I’ve never been that hot before. My body was really, really hot. ... I said ‘Please don’t take me’ because I wasn’t ready.”Freeman said the fever was down to 101 the following morning and broke two days later. He said Saturday was his ninth consecutive day without symptoms, which also included body aches, chills and a temporary loss of his senses of taste and smell. He said two other members of his household, his wife and aunt, are recovering after positive tests.“I feel great,” he said. “I only lost one pound. ... I didn’t lose any strength.”Freeman reported to Truist... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — Freddie Freeman doesn't know if he has time to be ready for the Atlanta Braves' opener.Following a scary journey in his battle with COVID-19, Freeman is grateful to even have a chance.On Saturday, the four-time All-Star revealed he had a high temperature of 104.5 degrees early in his battle with the disease and prayed for his life.“I said a little prayer that night,” Freeman said in a video conference call. “I’ve never been that hot before. My body was really, really hot. ... I said ‘Please don’t take me’ because I wasn’t ready.”Freeman said the fever was down to 101 the following morning and broke two days later. He said Saturday was his ninth consecutive day without symptoms, which also included body aches, chills and a temporary loss of his senses of taste and smell. He said two other members of his household, his wife and aunt, are recovering after positive tests.“I feel great,” he said. “I only lost one pound. ... I didn’t lose any strength.”Freeman reported to Truist... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — Freddie Freeman doesn't know if he has time to be ready for the Atlanta Braves' opener.Following a scary journey in his battle with COVID-19, Freeman is grateful to even have a chance.On Saturday, the four-time All-Star revealed he had a high temperature of 104.5 degrees early in his battle with the disease and prayed for his life.“I said a little prayer that night,” Freeman said in a video conference call. “I’ve never been that hot before. My body was really, really hot. ... I said ‘Please don’t take me’ because I wasn’t ready.”Freeman said the fever was down to 101 the following morning and broke two days later. He said Saturday was his ninth consecutive day without symptoms, which also included body aches, chills and a temporary loss of his senses of taste and smell. He said two other members of his household, his wife and aunt, are recovering after positive tests.“I feel great,” he said. “I only lost one pound. ... I didn’t lose any strength.”Freeman reported to Truist... [More]

Opening day rosters gained clarity on Tuesday when the Atlanta Braves reached an agreement with Yasiel Puig, and Tampa Bay pitcher Tyler Glasnow provided hopes for teams awaiting players to be cleared following positive tests for the coronavirus.Puig agreed to a one-year deal pending a physical, a person with knowledge of the agreement told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the agreement is not official until Puig passes the physical.The 29-year-old Puig, who began his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers, hit a combined .267 with 24 homers and 84 RBIs for Cincinnati and Cleveland in 2019. He also stole 19 bases.Puig was the last big-name free agent from the offseason who had not signed with a team. He helps the Braves fill a void left when Nick Markakis opted out for the season.Glasnow rejoined the Rays after missing the first 11 days of summer camp following his positive test. The right-hander immediately jumped into a simulated game at Tropicana... [More]

Opening day rosters gained clarity on Tuesday when the Atlanta Braves reached an agreement with Yasiel Puig, while Tampa Bay pitcher Tyler Glasnow provided hopes for teams awaiting players to be cleared following positive tests for the coronavirus.Puig agreed to a one-year deal pending a physical, a person with knowledge of the agreement told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the agreement is not official until Puig passes the physical.The 29-year-old Puig, who began his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers, hit a combined .267 with 24 homers and 84 RBIs for Cincinnati and Cleveland in 2019. He also stole 19 bases.Puig was the last big-name free agent from the offseason who had not signed with a team. He helps the Braves fill a void left when Nick Markakis opted out for the season.Glasnow re-joined the Rays on after missing the first 11 days of summer camp following his positive test. The right-hander immediately jumped into a simulated game at Tropicana... [More]

Opening day rosters gained clarity on Tuesday when the Atlanta Braves reached an agreement with Yasiel Puig, while Tampa Bay pitcher Tyler Glasnow provided hopes for teams awaiting players to be cleared following positive tests for the coronavirus.Puig agreed to a one-year deal pending a physical, a person with knowledge of the agreement told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the agreement is not official until Puig passes the physical.The 29-year-old Puig, who began his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers, hit a combined .267 with 24 homers and 84 RBIs for Cincinnati and Cleveland in 2019. He also stole 19 bases.Puig was the last big-name free agent from the offseason who had not signed with a team. He helps the Braves fill a void left when Nick Markakis opted out for the season.Glasnow re-joined the Rays on after missing the first 11 days of summer camp following his positive test. The right-hander immediately jumped into a simulated game at Tropicana... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — Free agent outfielder Yasiel Puig and the Atlanta Braves have agreed to a one-year deal, a person with knowledge of the deal said Tuesday.The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the agreement is not official until Puig passes a physical.The agreement helps the Braves address a depth problem in their outfield.Puig hit a combined .267 with 24 homers and 84 RBIs for Cincinnati and Cleveland in 2019. He also stole 19 bases.The 29-year-old Puig was the last big-name free agent from the offseason who had not signed with a team.Puig, from Cuba, made his major league debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2013. He hit .263 with a career-high 28 homers for the Dodgers in 2017 and added 23 homers in 125 games in 2018.The NL East champion Braves were facing a depth problem in their outfield even after signing Marcell Ozuna to a one-year, $18 million deal in the offseason. Veteran Nick Markakis opted out of the season before summer camp. Ozuna or Adam... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — Free agent outfielder Yasiel Puig and the Atlanta Braves have agreed to a one-year deal, a person with knowledge of the deal said Tuesday.The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the agreement is not official until Puig passes a physical.The agreement helps the Braves address a depth problem in their outfield.Puig hit a combined .267 with 24 homers and 84 RBIs for Cincinnati and Cleveland in 2019. He also stole 19 bases.The 29-year-old Puig was the last big-name free agent from the offseason who had not signed with a team.Puig, from Cuba, made his major league debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2013. He hit .263 with a career-high 28 homers for the Dodgers in 2017 and added 23 homers in 125 games in 2018.The NL East champion Braves were facing a depth problem in their outfield even after signing Marcell Ozuna to a one-year, $18 million deal in the offseason. Veteran Nick Markakis opted out of the season before summer camp. Ozuna or Adam... [More]

Play ball — and mask up, too.Protective face coverings won't be out of sight when Major League Baseball resumes in less than two weeks. Some players and coaches are planning to wear them on the field.MLB's safety protocols require masks in clubhouses to prevent the spread of COVID-19, and coaches and managers are required to wear them in dugouts, but they're optional on the field. Some are going to wear them during games as well.Among those encouraging masks: Los Angeles Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen.Jansen said he recently tested postive for COVID-19, causing him to report late to summer camp. He took part Sunday and said he’s “doing great and better now.”Jansen expects to be ready for the season opener on July 23, when San Francisco visits Dodger Stadium.New York Yankees outfielder Clint Frazier has been experimenting with various masks during intrasquad scrimmages. He says it's not only a matter of safety but setting an example during televised games.“We have a big platform,” Frazier... [More]