A look at what's happening around the majors today: ___ NICE NEWCOMERS In a matchup of promising rookies, Padres lefty Ryan Weathers starts against Arizona righty Taylor Widener in Phoenix. The 21-year-old Weathers is 1-0 with an 0.59 ERA in five games, two of them starts, this season. He made his major league debut last year for San Diego in the NL Division Series, pitching once against the Dodgers. The 26-year-old Widener is 1-0 with a 2.82 ERA in four starts this season. He debuted last year with 12 games in relief for the Diamondbacks. WORTH A SHOT Brandon Nimmo, with a .470 on-base percentage, is hoping to get back in the lineup for the Mets a day after not starting because of a right hip impingement. Nimmo got an injection in the hip during a day off Monday and struck out as a pinch-hitter Tuesday night. Jacob deGrom (2-1, 0.31 ERA) is set to face Boston in the finale of a two-game set in Queens. DeGrom struck out a career-high 15 without a walk in a two-hit shutout of Washington... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors on Wednesday: ___ NICE NEWCOMERS In a matchup of promising rookies, Padres lefty Ryan Weathers starts against Arizona righty Taylor Widener in Phoenix. The 21-year-old Weathers is 1-0 with an 0.59 ERA in five games, two of them starts, this season. He made his major league debut last year for San Diego in the NL Division Series, pitching once against the Dodgers. The 26-year-old Widener is 1-0 with a 2.82 ERA in four starts this season. He debuted last year with 12 games in relief for the Diamondbacks. WORTH A SHOT Brandon Nimmo, with a .470 on-base percentage, is hoping to get back in the lineup for the Mets a day after not starting because of a right hip impingement. Nimmo got an injection in the hip during a day off Monday and struck out as a pinch-hitter Tuesday night. Jacob deGrom (2-1, 0.31) is set to face Boston in the finale of a two-game set in Queens. DeGrom struck out a career-high 15 in a two-hit shutout of Washington in his previous... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors on Wednesday: ___ NICE NEWCOMERS In a matchup of promising rookies, Padres lefty Ryan Weathers starts against Arizona righty Taylor Widener in Phoenix. The 21-year-old Weathers is 1-0 with an 0.59 ERA in five games, two of them starts, this season. He made his major league debut last year for San Diego in the NL Division Series, pitching once against the Dodgers. The 26-year-old Widener is 1-0 with a 2.82 ERA in four starts this season. He debuted last year with 12 games in relief for the Diamondbacks. WORTH A SHOT Brandon Nimmo, with a .470 on-base percentage, is hoping to get back in the lineup for the Mets a day after not starting because of a right hip impingement. Nimmo got an injection in the hip during a day off Monday and struck out as a pinch-hitter Tuesday night. Jacob deGrom (2-1, 0.31) is set to face Boston in the finale of a two-game set in Queens. DeGrom struck out a career-high 15 in a two-hit shutout of Washington in his previous... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors on Wednesday: ___ NICE NEWCOMERS In a matchup of promising rookies, Padres lefty Ryan Weathers starts against Arizona righty Taylor Widener in Phoenix. The 21-year-old Weathers is 1-0 with an 0.59 ERA in five games, two of them starts, this season. He made his major league debut last year for San Diego in the NL Division Series, pitching once against the Dodgers. The 26-year-old Widener is 1-0 with a 2.82 ERA in four starts this season. He debuted last year with 12 games in relief for the Diamondbacks. WORTH A SHOT Brandon Nimmo, the NL leader in on-base percentage at .477, is hoping to get back in the lineup for the Mets a day after sitting out with a right hip impingement. Nimmo got an injection in the hip during a day off Monday, and New York said he would be recovered within 24-48 hours of the shot. Jacob deGrom (2-1, 0.31) is set to face Boston in the finale of a two-game set in Queens. DeGrom struck out a career-high 15 in a two-hit shutout... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Jazz Chisholm Jr. hit a stunning homer off an otherwise dominant Jacob deGrom, Trevor Rogers beat the two-time Cy Young Award winner for the second time and the Miami Marlins blanked the New York Mets 3-0 on Saturday. DeGrom (0-1) matched a career best with 14 strikeouts over eight innings, Rogers fanned 10 in six and the teams combined for 28 overall. The 23-year-old Rogers (1-1) outpitched deGrom for the second time in nine major league starts. The left-hander got his first big league win against deGrom in a 5-3 victory last Aug. 31. This was his second. A 2017 first-round draft pick, Rogers cruised in his third career outing against New York. He scattered three hits and two walks, retiring 11 straight during one stretch. Rogers mixed a fastball averaging 95 mph with a slider and changeup, inducing 19 swing-and-misses among his 82 pitches. He ended his outing with strikeouts of Michael Conforto and Pete Alonso, stranding two runners to preserve a 1-0 lead. Dylan Floro... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Jazz Chisholm Jr. hit a stunning homer off an otherwise dominant Jacob deGrom, Trevor Rogers beat the two-time Cy Young Award winner for the second time and the Miami Marlins blanked the New York Mets 3-0 on Saturday. DeGrom (0-1) matched a career best with 14 strikeouts over eight innings, Rogers fanned 10 in six and the teams combined for 28 overall. The 23-year-old Rogers (1-1) outpitched deGrom for the second time in nine major league starts. The left-hander got his first big league win against him in a 5-3 victory last Aug. 31. This was his second. A 2017 first-round draft pick, Rogers cruised in his third career outing against New York. He scattered three hits and two walks, retiring 11 straight in one stretch. Rogers mixed a fastball averaging 95 mph with a slider and changeup, inducing 19 swing-and-misses among his 82 pitches. He ended his outing with strikeouts of Michael Conforto and Pete Alonso, stranding two runners to preserve a 1-0 lead. Dylan Floro followed... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Jazz Chisholm Jr. hit a stunning homer off an otherwise dominant Jacob deGrom, Trevor Rogers beat the two-time Cy Young Award winner for the second time and the Miami Marlins blanked the New York Mets 3-0 on Saturday. DeGrom (0-1) matched a career best with 14 strikeouts over eight innings, Rogers fanned 10 in six and the teams combined for 28 overall. The 23-year-old Rogers (1-1) outpitched deGrom for the second time in nine major league starts. The left-hander got his first big league win against him in a 5-3 victory last Aug. 31. This was his second. A 2017 first-round draft pick, Rogers cruised in his third career outing against New York. He scattered three hits and two walks, retiring 11 straight in one stretch. Rogers mixed a fastball averaging 95 mph with a slider and changeup, inducing 19 swing-and-misses among his 82 pitches. He ended his outing with strikeouts of Michael Conforto and Pete Alonso, stranding two runners to preserve a 1-0 lead. Dylan Floro followed... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — As the Washington Nationals, and their opponents, the Atlanta Braves, lined up for pregame introductions Tuesday, they stood near “OPENING WEEK” stencils in white paint beside the green-as-can-be grass along the baselines. Who could have known it would take nearly a full week into the 2021 regular season before the coronavirus-hit Nationals would play — and, it turned out, beat Atlanta 6-5? And who could have imagined that the stadium announcer's enthusiastic shout to spectators — yes, 5,000 were permitted, socially distanced, after being banned last season, and 4,801 showed up — presenting “Your 2021 Washington Nationals!” would be rather misleading, because more than a third of what was supposed to be the 26-man roster was absent? “Just to have that atmosphere back here at Nationals Park, it was welcome,” Max Scherzer said after giving up a homer on the first pitch of the game and four solo shots in all during the initial three innings. “I don’t understand why we can't... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — As the Washington Nationals, and their opponents, the Atlanta Braves, lined up for pregame introductions Tuesday, they stood near “OPENING WEEK” stencils in white paint beside the green-as-can-be grass along the baselines. Who could have known it would take nearly a full week into the 2021 regular season before the coronavirus-hit Nationals would play? And who could have imagined that the stadium announcer's enthusiastic shout to spectators — yes, 5,000 were permitted, socially distanced, after being banned last season — presenting “Your 2021 Washington Nationals!” would be rather misleading, because more than a third of what was supposed to be the 26-man roster was absent? The Nationals finally got started five days later than they were supposed to, delayed because of an outbreak in which four players tested positive for COVID-19 and seven others were told to quarantine after contact tracing deemed they potentially were exposed to the illness. “Obviously they want to... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors today: ___ The Washington Nationals are finally set to start their season, hosting Atlanta after their three-game series against the New York Mets was postponed by a coronavirus outbreak. The Nats still have 11 players sidelined — four of whom tested positive for COVID-19. 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 to be there on opening day, manager Dave Martinez replied: “It is possible. We’re going to make it work.” Washington’s active players practiced Monday — a group that included Game 1 starter Max Scherzer, outfielders Juan Soto and Victor Robles, and third baseman Starlin Castro. Among the key folks not present on the field while the media... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors Tuesday: ___ The Washington Nationals are finally set to start their season, hosting the Atlanta Braves after their three-game series against the New York Mets was postponed by a coronavirus outbreak. The Nats still have 11 players sidelined -- four of whom tested positive for COVID-19. 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 to be there on opening day, manager Dave Martinez replied: “It is possible. We’re going to make it work.” Washington’s active players practiced Monday -- a group that included Game 1 starter Max Scherzer, outfielders Juan Soto and Victor Robles and third baseman Starlin Castro. Among the key folks not present on the field... [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]

The Arizona Diamondbacks are ready to open the season in familiar fashion: with Mad Bum on the mound. Madison Bumgarner was tabbed by manager Torey Lovullo to make his second straight opening day start for the Diamondbacks on Thursday at San Diego. The 31-year-old four-time All-Star struggled last season — his first in Arizona — going 1-4 with a 6.48 ERA. He was 2-1 with a 6.35 ERA in three spring starts, including allowing six earned runs against Cincinnati on Friday. But Bumgarner, who signed a five-year, $85 million contract before last season, will still lead off a Diamondbacks rotation that includes Merrill Kelly, Caleb Smith, Taylor Widener and Luke Weaver. This will be the seventh opening day start in Bumgarner's career after doing so five times with San Francisco. The Yankees also are setting their rotation, announcing Sunday that Corey Kluber will follow ace Gerrit Cole against Toronto. Kluber, who signed a one-year, $11 million contract with New York, has thrown one inning in... [More]

The Arizona Diamondbacks are ready to open the season in familiar fashion: with Mad Bum on the mound. Madison Bumgarner was tabbed by manager Torey Lovullo to make his second straight opening day start for the Diamondbacks on Thursday at San Diego. The 31-year-old four-time All-Star struggled last season — his first in Arizona — going 1-4 with a 6.48 ERA. He was 2-1 with a 6.35 ERA in three spring starts, including allowing six earned runs against Cincinnati on Friday. But Bumgarner, who signed a five-year, $85 million contract before last season, will still lead off a Diamondbacks rotation that includes Merrill Kelly, Caleb Smith, Taylor Widener and Luke Weaver. This will be the seventh opening day start in Bumgarner's career after doing so five times with San Francisco. The Yankees also are setting their rotation, announcing Sunday that Corey Kluber will follow ace Gerrit Cole against Toronto. Kluber, who signed a one-year, $11 million contract with New York, has thrown one inning in... [More]

For Chris Owings' first seven years in the majors, he could pop into the video room to take a look at his at-bats during a game. Then last season, the utility infielder for the Colorado Rockies had to make due with a printout. “You’d come back in the dugout and you’d say, ‘Hey where was that pitch at?’” Owings said Monday. “It would be like it is on the MLB app where it just shows where the pitch crossed the plate. You go from seeing every pitch where it crossed, where your swing was, to just being able to see where the pitch was on a piece of paper.” It was a jarring change for some hitters during a down year for offense during the pandemic-shortened season. But Major League Baseball has cleared the way for the return of in-game video on dugout iPads beginning on opening day, with catcher signals clipped when they are displayed on a computer. Washington Nationals first baseman Ryan Zimmerman, who opted out of last season because of COVID-19 concerns, called video “a huge part of the game.”... [More]

For Chris Owings' first seven years in the majors, he could pop into the video room to take a look at his at-bats during a game. Then last season, the utility infielder for the Colorado Rockies had to make due with a printout. “You’d come back in the dugout and you’d say, ‘Hey where was that pitch at?’” Owings said Monday. “It would be like it is on the MLB app where it just shows where the pitch crossed the plate. You go from seeing every pitch where it crossed, where your swing was, to just being able to see where the pitch was on a piece of paper.” It was a jarring change for some hitters during a down year for offense during the pandemic-shortened season. But Major League Baseball has cleared the way for the return of in-game video on dugout iPads beginning on opening day, with catcher signals obscured by a computer program. Washington Nationals first baseman Ryan Zimmerman, who opted out of last season because of COVID-19 concerns, called video “a huge part of the game.” “A lot’s been... [More]

Washington Nationals manager Dave Martinez remembers all too well his exact batting average from 53 games in his rookie season in the big leagues as an outfielder for the Chicago Cubs: .139. So he is not about to tell Carter Kieboom he’s lost the right to be Washington’s third baseman, just because his small-sample-size start has not been, um, ideal. “For me to judge a kid, a prospect, after 44 games and 100-some at-bats,” Martinez said, “it doesn’t seem right.” No matter that Kieboom hit .202 last season with zero homers and 33 strikeouts in 99 at-bats — bringing his career numbers to .181 with two homers and 49 K's in 138 AB's in the majors. The job is still his, and there he was on Monday in the Nationals’ exhibition home opener in West Palm Beach, Florida, playing third base and batting fifth. “This game is crazy and works in mysterious ways. Anybody who’s played it knows you’re going to go through a time in your life where you're going to struggle. And happens, and it sucks. But it’s... [More]

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Washington Nationals slugger Juan Soto sat out the team's exhibition home opener on Monday because he fouled a ball off his right foot a day earlier. Manager Dave Martinez said the 2020 NL batting champion originally was scheduled to play Monday against the Houston Astros, before the mishap in batting practice Sunday. “Just being cautious," Martinez said. "Said he feels OK, but we’re just going to give him a day or two. See how he feels tomorrow.” Martinez said the ball went underneath the shin guard the left-handed-hitting Soto wears on his front foot while batting. “It got him pretty good,” Martinez said. The 22-year-old Soto hit .351 last season, with a 1.185 OPS that also led the NL. He is shifting from left field to right field in 2021. Washington's starting lineup for its second exhibition game of spring training included Ryan Zimmerman at first base. Zimmerman sat out all of the 2020 season because of concerns about COVID-19. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Back with the Washington Nationals after sitting out last season because of COVID-19 concerns, Ryan Zimmerman said Thursday the time away made him realize he is nowhere close to being ready to retire at age 36. “I missed the game a lot,” Zimmerman said during a video call. “I missed what it takes to prepare every day. As you get older, there’s more and more you have to do to get ready, but I missed all of that, as well.” The two-time NL All-Star was one of the first players to announce he would opt out in 2020. The father of a newborn son, and the son of a mother with multiple sclerosis, Zimmerman decided the safest course of action would be to not play amid a pandemic. There were other factors he considered, including whether he would need to change his pregame and postgame routines. “Was it really worth it for me to risk injury to myself, the health of my family, at the time, for a season that was 60 games? Who knows if people really thought it was going to make it through? If people... [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]