A look at what's happening around the majors today: ___ HOUSTON HOMECOMING First-year Tigers manager A.J. Hinch returns to Houston for the first time since being suspended by Major League Baseball for his role in the sign-stealing scandal that rocked the sport. With Hinch as their manager, the Astros were found to have used cameras and banged on trash cans to get an unfair advantage en route to winning the World Series in 2017. Hinch was fired following a lengthy investigation and was prohibited from managing last season before being hired by the Tigers. He’s expecting a warm reception in his first game back at Minute Maid Park. “Houston fans have been tremendously supportive to me and my family,” he said. “It’s home for me. That city matters to me. The fans have been tremendous and obviously it will be very emotional when I see them.” Detroit will be without slugger Miguel Cabrera, who was placed on the 10-day injured list Sunday with soreness in his left biceps. RAIN GAMES The Mets' meteorological... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors today: ___ HOUSTON HOMECOMING First-year Tigers manager A.J. Hinch returns to Houston for the first time since being suspended by Major League Baseball for his role in the sign-stealing scandal that rocked the sport. With Hinch as their manager, the Astros were found to have used cameras and banged on trash cans to get an unfair advantage en route to winning the World Series in 2017. Hinch was fired following a lengthy investigation and was prohibited from managing last season before being hired by the Tigers. He’s expecting a warm reception in his first game back at Minute Maid Park. “Houston fans have been tremendously supportive to me and my family,” he said. “It’s home for me. That city matters to me. The fans have been tremendous and obviously it will be very emotional when I see them.” Detroit will be without slugger Miguel Cabrera, who was placed on the 10-day injured list Sunday with soreness in his left biceps. RAIN GAMES The Mets' meteorological... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors Monday: ___ HOUSTON HOMECOMING First-year Tigers manager A.J. Hinch returns to Houston for the first time since being suspended by Major League Baseball for his role in the sign-stealing scandal that rocked the sport. With Hinch as their manager, the Astros were found to have used cameras and banged on trash cans to get an unfair advantage en route to winning the World Series in 2017. Hinch was fired following a lengthy investigation and was prohibited from managing last season before being hired by the Tigers. He’s expecting a warm reception in his first game back at Minute Maid Park. “Houston fans have been tremendously supportive to me and my family,” he said. “It’s home for me. That city matters to me. The fans have been tremendous and obviously it will be very emotional when I see them.” Detroit will be without slugger Miguel Cabrera, who was placed on the 10-day injured list Sunday with soreness in his left biceps. RAIN GAMES The Mets'... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Atlanta pinch-hitter Pablo Sandoval drove a two-run homer to the deepest part of the ballpark off a Washington reliever who took over after Stephen Strasburg’s six scoreless innings Wednesday, lifting the Braves to a 2-0 victory over the Nationals and a doubleheader sweep. Sandoval drove a 96 mph fastball from Tanner Rainey (0-1) more than 400 feet following Dansby Swanson’s two-out single in the seventh and final inning. Luke Jackson (1-0) earned the win in Game 2, and Sean Newcomb got three strikeouts for the save. Ronald Acuña Jr. doubled and had a pair of singles as Atlanta won the opener 7-6. The Braves put up five runs in the second inning off Erick Fedde (0-1), then wound up barely holding on with a save by Will Smith. Andrew Stevenson grounded into a game-ending double play. Josh Tomlin (1-0) pitched two hitless innings. Washington is missing nine players because of a coronavirus outbreak that led to the postponement of the team’s first four games. Four players... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Atlanta pinch-hitter Pablo Sandoval drove a two-run homer to the deepest part of the ballpark off a Washington reliever who took over after Stephen Strasburg’s six scoreless innings Wednesday, lifting the Braves to a 2-0 victory over the Nationals and a doubleheader sweep. Sandoval drove a 96 mph fastball from Tanner Rainey (0-1) more than 400 feet following Dansby Swanson’s two-out single in the seventh and final inning. Luke Jackson (1-0) earned the win in Game 2, and Sean Newcomb got three strikeouts for the save. Ronald Acuña Jr. doubled and had a pair of singles as Atlanta won the opener 7-6. The Braves put up five runs in the second inning off Erick Fedde (0-1), then wound up barely holding on with a save by Will Smith. Andrew Stevenson grounded into a game-ending double play. Josh Tomlin (1-0) pitched two hitless innings. Washington is missing nine players because of a coronavirus outbreak that led to the postponement of the team’s first four games. Four players... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Atlanta pinch-hitter Pablo Sandoval drove a two-run homer to the deepest part of the ballpark off a Washington reliever who took over after Stephen Strasburg’s six scoreless innings Wednesday, lifting the Braves to a 2-0 victory over the Nationals and a doubleheader sweep. Sandoval drove a 96 mph fastball from Tanner Rainey (0-1) more than 400 feet following Dansby Swanson’s two-out single in the seventh and final inning. Luke Jackson (1-0) earned the win in Game 2, and Sean Newcomb got three strikeouts for the save.. Ronald Acuña Jr. doubled and had a pair of singles as Atlanta won the opener 7-6. The Braves put up five runs in the second inning off Erick Fedde (0-1), then wound up barely holding on with a save by Will Smith. Andrew Stevenson grounded into a game-ending double play. Josh Tomlin (1-0) pitched two hitless innings. Washington is missing nine players because of a coronavirus outbreak that led to the postponement of the team’s first four games. Four players... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Atlanta pinch-hitter Pablo Sandoval drove a two-run homer to the deepest part of the ballpark off a Washington reliever who took over after Stephen Strasburg’s six scoreless innings Wednesday, lifting the Braves to a 2-0 victory over the Nationals and a doubleheader sweep. Sandoval drove a 96 mph fastball from Tanner Rainey (0-1) more than 400 feet following Dansby Swanson’s two-out single in the seventh and final inning. Luke Jackson (1-0) earned the win in Game 2, and Sean Newcomb got three strikeouts for the save.. Ronald Acuña Jr. doubled and had a pair of singles as Atlanta won the opener 7-6. The Braves put up five runs in the second inning off Erick Fedde (0-1), then wound up barely holding on with a save by Will Smith. Andrew Stevenson grounded into a game-ending double play. Josh Tomlin (1-0) pitched two hitless innings. Washington is missing nine players because of a coronavirus outbreak that led to the postponement of the team’s first four games. Four players... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — It's rare for there to be an abundance of intrigue associated with an otherwise mundane workout the day before a baseball club opens its regular season. Run the bases. Field. Hit. Yawn. In the Washington Nationals' case, the “full-team workout” held at their stadium under a clear blue sky Monday afternoon was worth watching because it hardly involved the full team. A coronavirus outbreak has sidelined 11 players — four of whom tested positive for COVID-19 — and delayed Washington's first game that counts until Tuesday. “Just anxious to finally get our season going,” said Max Scherzer, slated to face the visiting Atlanta Braves on Tuesday. The Nationals haven't announced who is in isolation because of test results or which additional seven players are under quarantine because contact tracing determined they could have been exposed to the illness. Asked whether it's possible his Game 1 lineup for 2021 could feature as many as five starting position players that weren’t expected... [More]

Jon Lester was back on a mound Thursday, wearing a Washington Nationals uniform while facing opposing batters for the first time in spring training and striking out a couple during his two innings, less than two weeks after surgery to remove a parathyroid gland. “Baseball, for me, is an escape. I come to the field, I’ve got stuff I need to do. I forget about this,” Lester said, pointing to the scar on the front of his throat, after Washington's 3-1 exhibition victory against the New York Mets at Port St. Lucie, Florida. "You dive into that routine," the 37-year-old left-hander said. Wearing a red Nationals No. 34 uniform, Bryce Harper's old number, along with a green hat the day after St. Patrick's Day, Lester allowed one run and one hit while throwing 31 pitches, 21 for strikes. He went to 0-2 counts on each of the first three Mets hitters, getting the first two out before walking J.D. Davis and giving up a first-pitch RBI double to James McCann. Then Lester pitched a 1-2-3 second inning,... [More]

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Washington Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg left his second spring training start in the third inning Sunday because of a problem with his left calf that he called “nothing major.” The 2019 World Series MVP, whose 2020 season was cut to just five innings because he needed carpal tunnel surgery on his right wrist, said his calf “grabbed” as he stood on that leg at the end of his pitching motion. “Just kind of more of a precautionary thing and just kind of take it day-to-day and see how it feels tomorrow,” said Strasburg, who allowed one hit, struck out four and walked one in 2 1/3 scoreless innings of Washington's 5-0 loss to the Houston Astros. “Luckily, I feel like I’m a fast healer,” he said, "so I don’t think it would be something that could be a prolonged absence.” Manager Dave Martinez and trainer Paul Lessard went out to the mound to check on the right-hander before he left the game. “There was really not much of a discussion,” Martinez said. “Just... [More]

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Washington Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg left his second spring training start in the third inning Sunday because of a problem with his left calf that he calls “nothing major.” The 2019 World Series MVP, whose 2020 season was cut to just five innings because he needed carpal tunnel surgery on his right wrist, said his calf “grabbed” as he stood on that leg at the end of his pitching motion. “Just kind of more of a precautionary thing and just kind of take it day-to-day and see how it feels tomorrow,” said Strasburg, who allowed one hit, struck out four and walked one in 2 1/3 scoreless innings of Washington's game against the Houston Astros. “Luckily, I feel like I’m a fast healer,” he said, “so I don’t think it would be something that could be a prolonged absence.” Manager Dave Martinez and trainer Paul Lessard went out to the mound to check on the right-hander before he left the game. He said he was looked at by a team doctor and had an ultrasound exam.... [More]

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — If the Arizona Diamondbacks want to win a lot of games this season they probably need right-hander Zac Gallen to throw a lot of quality innings. If the franchise wants to be good for the next several years, it's also imperative that the 25-year-old — who finished ninth in the NL Cy Young voting last season — stays healthy. The challenge of balancing the present and the future is nothing new for Major League Baseball teams, who are particularly careful with star young pitchers. But the calculus might be even tougher in 2021 because pitchers are coming off a much smaller workload during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. Gallen, who finished with a 3-2 record and a 2.75 ERA last season in 72 innings, is adamant he's ready to ramp back up to nearly 200 innings if needed, even if it appears unlikely the D-backs would push him that hard. “I'm going to pitch until they tell me to stop pitching,” Gallen said. “And then I'll probably still say, ‘No, let me go back out... [More]

Jon Lester could tell something wasn’t right. Long known for taking the ball whenever it was his turn to pitch, no matter what — never making fewer than 31 starts in any of the past 12 full Major League Baseball seasons — Lester seemed, to use his phrase, “a little more sluggish.” During games with the Chicago Cubs. Even between games. And so he wondered: Was he putting in enough work? Is this just what getting old feels like? “There would be times where I would run out in the fifth, sixth, seventh inning and feel like I hit a brick wall. There were times last year where I would come out of the bullpen and be like: ‘God, did I pitch the game already?’” the 37-year-old Lester, who is now with the Washington Nationals, said Wednesday during a video conference from spring training in West Palm Beach, Florida. “Just thinking that maybe I needed to do a little extra in the weight room. Maybe I needed to run a bit more. Maybe I needed to do 20 extra minutes on cardio or whatever. When in actuality,... [More]

Jon Lester could tell something wasn’t right. Long known for taking the ball whenever it was his turn to pitch, no matter what — never making fewer than 31 starts in any of the past 12 full Major League Baseball seasons — Lester seemed, to use his phrase, “a little more sluggish.” During games with the Chicago Cubs. Even between games. And so he wondered: Was he putting in enough work? Is this just what getting old feels like? “There would be times where I would run out in the fifth, sixth, seventh inning and feel like I hit a brick wall. There were times last year where I would come out of the bullpen and be like: ‘God, did I pitch the game already?’” the 37-year-old Lester, who is now with the Washington Nationals, said Wednesday during a video conference from spring training in West Palm Beach, Florida. “Just thinking that maybe I needed to do a little extra in the weight room. Maybe I needed to run a bit more. Maybe I needed to do 20 extra minutes on cardio or whatever. When in actuality,... [More]

Stephen Strasburg pronounced his fastball command better than it was before his carpal tunnel surgery and said his first game action in nearly seven full months essentially was the same as any Grapefruit League debut after throwing 1 2/3 innings Tuesday night against the Houston Astros. “It didn’t really feel any different than it has in past springs, so I guess, in a way, that’s a relief,” said the 2019 World Series MVP, who made just two starts and pitched only five innings in 2020. In 2019, he led the NL with 209 innings and 18 wins, then went 5-0 in the postseason — no pitcher ever had done that — while helping the Nationals win the franchise's first championship. “This isn’t my first rodeo when it comes to injuries and stuff,” Strasburg said on a video conference with a chuckle, knowing he has made more than 10 trips to the injured list over the years and had Tommy John surgery in 2012. “So I’m kind of at a point where I’m going to go out there and give it everything I have and roll... [More]

George Springer, Trevor Bauer and Francisco Lindor are wearing blue now. Springer received the biggest contract in the offseason from the Toronto Blue Jays. Bauer got the most money per season from the Los Angeles Dodgers. Lindor was traded to the New York Mets in a six-player deal. The three star players headline the list of big names on new teams. Springer, a three-time All-Star outfielder and 2017 World Series MVP with Houston, signed a team-record $150 million, six-year contract with the Blue Jays in January. He joined a roster that includes young sluggers Vladimir Guerrero and Bo Bichette, plus Cavan Biggio, Teoscar Hernandez and Lourdes Gurriel, Jr. “I really like the blue. It’s a good color,” Springer said after his first spring training game with Toronto. “It was a little weird but I’m over it. It’s fun and I enjoy it.” Bauer, who won the NL Cy Young Award last season with Cincinnati, signed a $102 million, three-year deal with the Dodgers last month. The reigning World Series champions... [More]

Kohei Arihara finished what he started this time. The Texas Rangers newcomer bounced back from a shaky spring training debut, pitching three solid innings Monday in a 9-0, seven-inning loss to the Chicago Cubs. Arihara retired his final seven batters, setting down Ian Happ, Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant to end his outing. Overall, he allowed a run on two singles without a strikeout or walk. Signed to a $6.2 million, two-year contract after six seasons in Japan, the 28-year-old right-hander allowed a three-run homer in the first inning of his initial spring start against the Chicago White Sox last week. He worked two innings, both of them cut short before the third out because of high pitch counts. After his three innings against the Cubs, Arihara went to the bullpen to throw additional pitches to get him up to 50 for the day. All in all, a bit different than the adrenaline and excitement of his first game against big league hitters last week. Arihara said he was just thinking about doing... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — After one of its strangest seasons ever, baseball returns to a full schedule this year. The All-Star Game is back. Fans are back, too, at least small crowds in some places. And an Iowa cornfield is about to welcome a bunch of special visitors. Here are a handful of dates to mark on the calendar: THURSDAY, APRIL 1 Toronto Blue Jays at New York Yankees: Opening day begins in the Bronx, with George Springer and the Blue Jays taking on DJ LeMahieu and the Yankees. Springer finalized a $150 million, six-year deal with Toronto in January, part of an active offseason for the Blue Jays. He batted .265 with 14 homers and 32 RBIs during his final year in Houston. While Springer found a new home in free agency, LeMahieu stayed in New York for a $90 million, six-year contract after he led the majors with a .364 batting average last season. FRIDAY, APRIL 9 Washington Nationals at Los Angeles Dodgers: The last two World Series champions meet in the home opener at Dodger Stadium. The Nationals... [More]

Washington Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo declined to specify Monday why Jeremy Jeffress was released from a minor league contract by the team, saying only that he considered it an “employment issue” and acknowledging it was not related to the reliever's baseball performance. “We’re just going to stand by the statement I made yesterday. It’s a 'personnel matter',” Rizzo said in a video conference with reporters a day after the team cut ties with Jeffress, a 2018 NL All-Star for the Brewers who was with the Cubs last season. "We’re not going to discuss it any further, per our policy on personnel matters, and we’re just going to keep it at that.” Asked to define the term he used in relation to the move, Rizzo responded, "A 'personnel reason’ is an employment issue." After Washington announced his release Sunday, Jeffress tweeted: “I’m not what they say I am, I’m what God says! I don’t deserve this false negativity!” Manager Dave Martinez wouldn't comment on Jeffress at all. “I’m really... [More]

Juan Soto and Trea Turner both will be key cogs in the Washington Nationals lineup this season, 20-something hitting stars who are coming off top-seven finishes in NL MVP voting. They also are both keen on improving their defense — Turner at shortstop, Soto as he moves from left field to right. And both could be cornerstones for the club’s future if they eventually agree to long-term deals, which the Nationals have tried to make happen, so far unsuccessfully. Turner, 27, has two years left before he can become a free agent; Soto, still just 22, has four. Both were asked Tuesday via video conference after Washington’s first full-squad workout in West Palm Beach, Florida, about their contract status and thoughts about the future. Soto was coy — “I just try to come here and play baseball; I don’t think about any of that,” he said -- and Turner was, well, more forthcoming. “I would love to play here, and any time that guy is on your team, I definitely don’t want him on the other team. So let’s... [More]