In baseball, a day off is something to savor.A whole series is a different matter.“I think in baseball, it’s very routine-oriented, and you start interrupting routines, it gets a little hairy,” Detroit manager Ron Gardenhire said. "We’ll just ad-lib and do the best we can with it. Can’t control it, so no sense in getting too upset about it.”Gardenhire was speaking Tuesday, after the Tigers' one-day break turned into a four-day layoff. Detroit's series against St. Louis was called off because of issues the Cardinals are having with the coronavirus — and that's just one major gap in the schedule already brought on by COVID-19. When a team is sidelined by the virus, it affects future opponents as well, and leaves players and managers in an unusual holding pattern.“Being a starting pitcher, you’re creatures of habit, and so it’s nice to get on a routine," Milwaukee left-hander Brett Anderson said. "But with the way 2020 is going, you kind of have to be comfortable being uncomfortable.”Anderson... [More]

With all the protocols in place, Stephen Strasburg got a good feel Monday night for what pitching on the road will entail this season during the coronavirus pandemic. Last year's World Series MVP threw five strong innings for Washington in a 4-2 exhibition win over the Baltimore Orioles. Nationals manager Dave Martinez said the team took five buses for the 45-minute ride to Baltimore so players and staff could space out, with 14 people on each bus. “It’s pretty intense,” Strasburg said. “You get on the bus and you have to wear a face mask the whole time. Then you get in, and basically they temperature screen you. It’s kind of tough to get a good temperature reading when it’s 100 degrees outside. "But if you pass that, then you come into the clubhouse and everybody’s kind of sectioned off. So it’s just kind of an adjustment that we have to make. But unfortunately it’s kind of challenging to build team chemistry in an environment like this right now.” Strasburg looked just fine on the mound,... [More]

Miami Marlins shortstop Miguel Rojas talked Monday about the ways the 2020 season will be different for players, with little clubhouse interaction, seats in the stands and postgame meals via hotel room service.Another change: Rojas believes the Marlins will be good.He joined Miami in 2015 and has since endured five consecutive losing seasons. But like the team’s management and some outside observers, Rojas says the Marlins are poised for a big leap forward in Year 3 of Derek Jeter’s rebuilding program.“I’m really excited about the starting pitching, and our offense is way better than the last couple of years,” Rojas said. “The whole organization has been doing a great job bringing the young prospects along. It doesn’t matter if they don’t make the club right now. We know we have those guys waiting.”Fans will get their first look — on TV only — when the Marlins play an exhibition game Tuesday at Atlanta. They begin the season Friday at Philadelphia.GETTING GOINGDr. Anthony Fauci, a Washington... [More]

Miami Marlins shortstop Miguel Rojas talked Monday about the ways the 2020 season will be different for players, with little clubhouse interaction, seats in the stands and postgame meals via hotel room service.Another change: Rojas believes the Marlins will be good.He joined Miami in 2015 and has since endured five consecutive losing seasons. But like the team’s management and some outside observers, Rojas says the Marlins are poised for a big leap forward in Year 3 of Derek Jeter’s rebuilding program.“I’m really excited about the starting pitching, and our offense is way better than the last couple of years,” Rojas said. “The whole organization has been doing a great job bringing the young prospects along. It doesn’t matter if they don’t make the club right now. We know we have those guys waiting.”Fans will get their first look — on TV only — when the Marlins play an exhibition game Tuesday at Atlanta. They begin the season Friday at Philadelphia.GETTING GOINGDr. Anthony Fauci, a Washington... [More]

Miami Marlins shortstop Miguel Rojas talked Monday about the ways the 2020 season will be different for players, with little clubhouse interaction, seats in the stands and postgame meals via hotel room service.Another change: Rojas believes the Marlins will be good.He joined Miami in 2015 and has since endured five consecutive losing seasons. But like the team’s management and some outside observers, Rojas says the Marlins are poised for a big leap forward in Year 3 of Derek Jeter’s rebuilding program.“I’m really excited about the starting pitching, and our offense is way better than the last couple of years,” Rojas said. “The whole organization has been doing a great job bringing the young prospects along. It doesn’t matter if they don’t make the club right now. We know we have those guys waiting.”Fans will get their first look — on TV only — when the Marlins play an exhibition game Tuesday at Atlanta. They begin the season Friday at Philadelphia.GETTING GOINGDr. Anthony Fauci, a Washington... [More]

Miami Marlins shortstop Miguel Rojas talked Monday about the ways the 2020 season will be different for players, with little clubhouse interaction, seats in the stands and postgame meals via hotel room service.Another change: Rojas believes the Marlins will be good.He joined Miami in 2015 and has since endured five consecutive losing seasons. But like the team’s management and some outside observers, Rojas says the Marlins are poised for a big leap forward in Year 3 of Derek Jeter’s rebuilding program.“I’m really excited about the starting pitching, and our offense is way better than the last couple of years,” Rojas said. “The whole organization has been doing a great job bringing the young prospects along. It doesn’t matter if they don’t make the club right now. We know we have those guys waiting.”Fans will get their first look — on TV only — when the Marlins play an exhibition game Tuesday at Atlanta. They begin the season Friday at Philadelphia.GETTING GOINGDr. Anthony Fauci, a Washington... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Brandon Woodruff is following up his first All-Star appearance by getting his first opportunity to start a season opener.Brewers manager Craig Counsell announced Friday that Woodruff will get the start when Milwaukee begins the season July 24 against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Kyle Hendricks will be starting for the Cubs.“It’s kind of like the All-Star Game, one of those things they can’t take away from you,” Woodruff said. “It’s a huge honor.”The move was no surprise after Woodruff made the NL All-Star team last year and went 11-3 with a 3.62 ERA despite missing nearly two months with a strained left oblique. The Brewers went 18-4 in the games that Woodruff started.“Brandon Woodruff has been the opening-day starter since early October,” Counsell quipped.There’s a little more suspense regarding the starter for the Brewers’ second game.Counsell said he is tentatively planning to go with Brett Anderson for the July 25 game at Wrigley,... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — So, where were we?Mid-March, a spring training exhibition between the St. Louis Cardinals and Miami Marlins at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, Florida. Even before the final out, both sides had gotten the official word: Major League Baseball was shutting down immediately because of the coronavirus pandemic.“It felt like the most meaningless baseball game in the history of the sport,” Cardinals infielder Matt Carpenter said.So now, they’ll try again.A skewed, 60-game schedule, rather than the full plate of 162, with opening day on July 23 or 24. A shortened, contorted season ordered by Commissioner Rob Manfred on Tuesday night after billionaire owners and multimillion-dollar players couldn’t come to a new economic agreement against the backdrop of the virus outbreak.“What happens when we all get it?” Milwaukee pitcher Brett Anderson tweeted this week.From the start, a sprint to the finish. Got to come out strong. Remember last year: The Washington Nationals began 27-33 and... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — So, where were we?Mid-March, a spring training exhibition between the St. Louis Cardinals and Miami Marlins at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, Florida. Even before the final out, both sides had gotten the official word: Major League Baseball was shutting down immediately because of the coronavirus pandemic.“It felt like the most meaningless baseball game in the history of the sport,” Cardinals infielder Matt Carpenter said.So now, they’ll try again.A skewed, 60-game schedule, rather than the full plate of 162, with opening day on July 23 or 24. A shortened, contorted season ordered by Commissioner Rob Manfred on Tuesday night after billionaire owners and multimillion-dollar players couldn’t come to a new economic agreement against the backdrop of the virus outbreak.“What happens when we all get it?” Milwaukee pitcher Brett Anderson tweeted this week.From the start, a sprint to the finish. Got to come out strong. Remember last year: The Washington Nationals began 27-33 and... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball issued a 60-game schedule Tuesday night that will start July 23 or 24 in empty ballparks as the sport tries to push ahead amid the coronavirus pandemic following months of acrimony.A dramatically altered season with games full of new rules was the final result of failed financial negotiations. But for fans eager to see any baseball this year, at least now they can look forward to opening day.The announcement by MLB came while more players continue to test positive for the virus — at least seven on the Philadelphia Phillies alone and Colorado star Charlie Blackmon. And a stark realization remained, that if health situations deteriorate, all games could still be wiped out.“What happens when we all get it?" Milwaukee pitcher Brett Anderson tweeted Monday.One day after the players' association rejected an economic agreement and left open the possibility of a grievance seeking hundreds of millions of dollars in damages, the bickering sides agreed on an operations... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — So, where were we?Mid-March, a spring training exhibition between the St. Louis Cardinals and Miami Marlins at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, Florida. Even before the final out, both sides had gotten the official word: Major League Baseball was shutting down immediately because of the coronavirus pandemic.“It felt like the most meaningless baseball game in the history of the sport,” Cardinals infielder Matt Carpenter said.So now, they’ll try again.A skewed, 60-game schedule, rather than the full plate of 162, with opening day on July 23 or 24. A shortened, contorted season ordered by Commissioner Rob Manfred on Tuesday night after billionaire owners and multimillion-dollar players couldn’t come to a new economic agreement against the backdrop of the virus outbreak.“What happens when we all get it?” Milwaukee pitcher Brett Anderson tweeted this week.From the start, a sprint to the finish. Got to come out strong. Remember last year: The Washington Nationals began 27-33 and... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — So, where were we?Mid-March, a spring training exhibition between the St. Louis Cardinals and Miami Marlins at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, Florida. Even before the final out, both sides had gotten the official word: Major League Baseball was shutting down immediately because of the coronavirus pandemic.“It felt like the most meaningless baseball game in the history of the sport,” Cardinals infielder Matt Carpenter said.So now, they’ll try again.A skewed, 60-game schedule, rather than the full plate of 162, with opening day on July 23 or 24. A shortened, contorted season ordered by Commissioner Rob Manfred on Tuesday night after billionaire owners and multimillion-dollar players couldn’t come to a new economic agreement against the backdrop of the virus outbreak.“What happens when we all get it?” Milwaukee pitcher Brett Anderson tweeted this week.From the start, a sprint to the finish. Got to come out strong. Remember last year: The Washington Nationals began 27-33 and... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball issued a 60-game schedule Tuesday night that will start July 23 or 24 in empty ballparks as the sport tries to push ahead amid the coronavirus following months of acrimony.A dramatically altered season with games full of new rules was the final result of failed financial negotiations. But for fans eager to see any baseball this year, at least now they can look forward to opening day.The announcement by MLB came while more players continue to test positive for the virus — at least seven on the Philadelphia Phillies alone. And a stark realization remained, that if health situations deteriorate, all games could still be wiped out.“What happens when we all get it?" Milwaukee pitcher Brett Anderson tweeted Monday.One day after the players' association rejected an economic agreement and left open the possibility of a grievance seeking hundreds of millions of dollars in damages, the bickering sides agreed on an operations manual. Baseball Commissioner Rob... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Yankees, Houston Astros and Los Angeles Dodgers would each save more than $100 million on player salaries as part of management’s proposal to start the coronavirus-delayed season than they would under the union's plan, according to an analysis by The Associated Press.Top stars accustomed to eye-popping salaries that set them apart from mere All-Stars would experience by far the steepest cuts. Set to earn $36 million each, Mike Trout and Gerrit Cole would get $25.3 million under the union’s plan and a base of $5.6 million under the teams' proposal, with the chance to get back to about $8 million if the postseason is played. A rookie at the minimum would get $396,537 from the union plan and $256,706 from the MLB proposal — not much more than the $222,222 per game Trout and Cole originally were slated to earn.The Yankees project to pay $155 million to players under the union’s plan, according to the AP analysis based on frozen March 28 rosters, and spend $48 million... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Yankees, Houston Astros and Los Angeles Dodgers would each save more than $100 million on player salaries as part of management’s proposal to start the coronavirus-delayed season than they would under the union's plan, according to an analysis by The Associated Press.Top stars accustomed to eye-popping salaries that set them apart from mere All-Stars would experience by far the steepest cuts. Set to earn $36 million each, Mike Trout and Gerrit Cole would get $25.3 million under the union’s plan and a base of $5.6 million under the teams' proposal, with the chance to get back to about $8 million if the postseason is played. A rookie at the minimum would get $396,537 from the union plan and $256,706 from the MLB proposal — not much more than the $222,222 per game Trout and Cole originally were slated to earn.The Yankees project to pay $155 million to players under the union’s plan, according to the AP analysis based on frozen March 28 rosters, and spend $48 million... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Baseball players appeared likely to propose more regular-season games this year while holding to their demand for full prorated salaries, people familiar with their deliberations told The Associated Press.Washington pitcher Max Scherzer, among eight players on the union's executive subcommittee, issued a statement late Wednesday night calling management's proposal for more salary cuts a non-starter.A day after Major League Baseball proposed a sliding scale of salary slashing for a pandemic-delayed season with an 82-game schedule in ballparks without fans, the union held a conference call Wednesday that included its executive board, player representatives and alternate player representatives, the people said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because no details were announced.Scherzer, among the sport's highest-paid players, confirmed the call without divulging who was on it.“After discussing the latest developments with the rest of the players there's no need to engage... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Baseball players appeared likely to propose more regular-season games this year while holding to their demand for full prorated salaries, people familiar with their deliberations told The Associated Press.Washington pitcher Max Scherzer, among eight players on the union's executive subcommittee, issued a statement late Wednesday night calling management's proposal for more salary cuts a non-starter.A day after Major League Baseball proposed a sliding scale of salary slashing for a pandemic-delayed season with an 82-game schedule in ballparks without fans, the union held a conference call Wednesday that included its executive board, player representatives and alternate player representatives, the people said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because no details were announced.Scherzer, among the sport's highest-paid players, confirmed the call without divulging who was on it.“After discussing the latest developments with the rest of the players there's no need to engage... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Baseball players appeared likely to propose more regular-season games this year while holding to their demand for full prorated salaries, people familiar with their deliberations told The Associated Press.Washington pitcher Max Scherzer, among eight players on the union's executive subcommittee, issued a statement late Wednesday night calling management's proposal for more salary cuts a non-starter.A day after Major League Baseball proposed a sliding scale of salary slashing for a pandemic-delayed season with an 82-game schedule in ballparks without fans, the union held a conference call Wednesday that included its executive board, player representatives and alternate player representatives, the people said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because no details were announced.Scherzer, among the sport's highest-paid players, confirmed the call without divulging who was on it.“After discussing the latest developments with the rest of the players there's no need to engage... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Baseball players appeared likely to propose increasing the number of regular-season games this year while holding to their demand for full prorated salaries, people familiar with their deliberations told The Associated Press.A day after Major League Baseball proposed a sliding scale of salary slashing for a pandemic-delayed season in ballparks without fans, the union held a conference call that included its executive board, player representatives and alternate player representatives, the people said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because no details were announced.One of the people said many players were angered by the proposal teams made Tuesday. It was unclear when the union will respond to MLB's plan, the people said.Stars Mike Trout and Gerrit Cole would lose the most under MLB's plan, about 77% of the $36 million each they were set to be paid this season. In all, there are 133 players whose contracts call for salaries of $10 million or more, not including shares... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Baseball players will take at least a few days and possibly until next week to respond to Major League Baseball’s proposed sliding scale of salary slashing for a pandemic-delayed season in ballparks without fans.Stars Mike Trout and Gerrit Cole would lose the most under the proposal teams made Tuesday, about 77% of the $36 million each they were set to be paid this season.A big leaguer earning $1 million or less would keep at least 43% of his salary under the six-tier scale. About 460 of approximately 900 players on rosters and injured lists when spring training was stopped in mid-March due to the new coronavirus make $1 million or less.Trout and Cole would be cut to about $8 million each. Colorado’s Nolan Arenado would drop from $35 million to $7.84 million.“Interesting strategy of making the best most marketable players potentially look like the bad guys,” Milwaukee pitcher Brett Anderson tweeted.The players’ association called the proposal “extremely disappointing.” The... [More]