A look at what's happening all around the majors today:BACK IN THE BOXShohei Ohtani is expected back in the starting lineup for the first time since taking a perfect game into the seventh inning against Oakland on Sunday. The two-way Japanese star has homered in his last three games as a designated hitter for the Angels, the spot he'll likely fill at Texas. Ohtani didn't play Monday and grounded out as a pinch hitter Tuesday night against Bartolo Colon as Los Angeles manager Mike Scioscia sticks to his plan of carefully monitoring the newcomer's workload. Ohtani's next turn on the mound will be Sunday at Kansas City.HOME IMPROVEMENT?The White Sox will try to avoid the worst home start in franchise history when James Shields faces his former Tampa Bay teammates. Chicago is 0-5 at Guaranteed Rate Field, matching its skid at Comiskey Park to begin the 1975 season. A charter member of the American League, the White Sox have never lost their first six home games.GLOVE GUYSThe Boston Red Sox... [More]

A look at what's happening all around the majors Wednesday:BACK IN THE BOXShohei Ohtani is expected back in the starting lineup for the first time since taking a perfect game into the seventh inning against Oakland on Sunday. The two-way Japanese star has homered in his last three games as a designated hitter for the Angels, the spot he'll likely fill at Texas. Ohtani didn't play Monday and grounded out as a pinch hitter Tuesday night against Bartolo Colon as Los Angeles manager Mike Scioscia sticks to his plan of carefully monitoring the newcomer's workload. Ohtani's next turn on the mound will be Sunday at Kansas City.HOME IMPROVEMENT?The White Sox will try to avoid the worst home start in franchise history when James Shields faces his former Tampa Bay teammates. Chicago is 0-5 at Guaranteed Rate Field, matching its skid at Comiskey Park to begin the 1975 season. A charter member of the American League, the White Sox have never lost their first six home games.GLOVE GUYSThe Boston Red... [More]

A look at what's happening all around the majors Wednesday:BACK IN THE BOXShohei Ohtani is expected back in the lineup for the first time since taking a perfect game into the seventh inning against Oakland on Sunday. The two-way Japanese star has homered in his last three games as designated hitter, the spot he'll likely fill at Texas. Manager Mike Scioscia held Ohtani out of the lineup Monday and Tuesday, sticking to his plan to manage Ohtani's workload carefully. Ohtani's next turn on the mound will be Sunday at Kansas City.HOME IMPROVEMENT?The White Sox will try to avoid the worst home start in franchise history when James Shields faces his former Tampa Bay teammates. Chicago is 0-5 at Guaranteed Rate Field, matching its skid at Comiskey Park to begin the 1975 season. A charter member of the American League, the White Sox have never lost their first six home games.GLOVE GUYSThe Boston Red Sox haven't made an error this season. Gold Glove outfielder Mookie Betts and his teammates are... [More]

TORONTO (AP) — Giancarlo Stanton homered twice, doubled and had four RBIs in his New York Yankees debut, a 6-1 win Thursday over the Toronto Blue Jays that gave Aaron Boone in a win in his first game as a professional manager.Luis Severino (1-0) pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings for the Yankees, who won their opener for the first time since 2011.Acquired from Miami after leading the majors with 59 homers, Stanton hit a two-run homer in the first off J.A. Happ (0-1), an RBI double in the fifth and hit a solo homer in the ninth off Tyler Clippard.WHITE SOX 14, ROYALS 7KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Matt Davidson became the fourth player in major league history to homer three times on opening day, Tim Anderson homered twice and Jose Abreu went deep for the White Sox.James Shields (1-0) surrendered four runs in the first inning but wound up lasting six innings, holding his former team without a hit after that shaky first.Davidson became the fourth player with a three-homer performance on opening day,... [More]

TORONTO (AP) — Giancarlo Stanton homered twice, doubled and had four RBIs in his New York Yankees debut, a 6-1 win Thursday over the Toronto Blue Jays that gave Aaron Boone in a win in his first game as a professional manager.Luis Severino (1-0) pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings for the Yankees, who won their opener for the first time since 2011.Acquired from Miami after leading the majors with 59 homers, Stanton hit a two-run homer in the first off J.A. Happ (0-1), an RBI double in the fifth and hit a solo homer in the ninth off Tyler Clippard.WHITE SOX 14, ROYALS 7KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Matt Davidson became the fourth player in major league history to homer three times on opening day, Tim Anderson homered twice and Jose Abreu went deep for the White Sox.James Shields (1-0) surrendered four runs in the first inning but wound up lasting six innings, holding his former team without a hit after that shaky first.Davidson became the fourth player with a three-homer performance on opening day,... [More]

TORONTO (AP) — Giancarlo Stanton homered twice, doubled and had four RBIs in his New York Yankees debut, a 6-1 win Thursday over the Toronto Blue Jays that gave Aaron Boone in a win in his first game as a professional manager.Luis Severino (1-0) pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings for the Yankees, who won their opener for the first time since 2011.Acquired from Miami after leading the majors with 59 homers, Stanton hit a two-run homer in the first off J.A. Happ (0-1), an RBI double in the fifth and hit a solo homer in the ninth off Tyler Clippard.WHITE SOX 14, ROYALS 7KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Matt Davidson became the fourth player in major league history to homer three times on opening day, Tim Anderson homered twice and Jose Abreu went deep for the White Sox.James Shields (1-0) surrendered four runs in the first inning but wound up lasting six innings, holding his former team without a hit after that shaky first.Davidson became the fourth player with a three-homer performance on opening day,... [More]

TORONTO (AP) — Giancarlo Stanton homered twice, doubled and had four RBIs in his New York Yankees debut, a 6-1 win Thursday over the Toronto Blue Jays that gave Aaron Boone in a win in his first game as a professional manager.Luis Severino (1-0) pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings for the Yankees, who won their opener for the first time since 2011.Acquired from Miami after leading the majors with 59 homers, Stanton hit a two-run homer in the first off J.A. Happ (0-1), an RBI double in the fifth and hit a solo homer in the ninth off Tyler Clippard.WHITE SOX 14, ROYALS 7KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Matt Davidson became the fourth player in major league history to homer three times on opening day, Tim Anderson homered twice and Jose Abreu went deep for the White Sox.James Shields (1-0) surrendered four runs in the first inning but wound up lasting six innings, holding his former team without a hit after that shaky first.Davidson became the fourth player with a three-homer performance on opening day,... [More]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Talk about carrying some baggage into the season.Kansas City will be without Salvador Perez for up to six weeks after the star catcher sprained the medial collateral ligament in his left knee while carrying a suitcase up some stairs in his home.The injury occurred Tuesday night, when the Royals returned to Kansas City from spring training. The five-time All-Star heard a "pop" and immediately called Royals trainer Nick Kenney, who advised Perez to ice the knee and come in for an MRI exam Wednesday.The exam revealed a Grade 2 sprain with a minor tear of the ligament.No surgery is required, and recovery can be as little as four weeks. But the freak injury leaves the Royals without one of their top hitters when they open against the White Sox on Thursday."Hopefully," Royals manager Ned Yost said, "it's shorter than longer."Perez was wearing a bulky black brace on his knee when he arrived at Kauffman Stadium for the club's final preseason workout Wednesday. Later, he... [More]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Salvador Perez has been on Kansas City Royals teams that were picked to lose 90 games, finish last in the AL Central and struggle so much that a total rebuild would have been apropos.Matter of fact, a lot like this one.But those teams usually exceeded expectations, winning the AL pennant one year and the World Series the next, before starting to backtrack. And the veteran catcher with the quick smile and quicker throw to second base believes the Royals can do the same thing this season.They'll start that chase on opening day against the Chicago White Sox on Thursday."It happens every year. Nobody believes in Kansas City. That's what I saw on my internet, the social (media)," said Perez, who will begin the season on the disabled list after sustaining a freak knee injury while carrying a suitcase up some stairs in his home Tuesday night."We need to come play hard," Perez said, "and see what happens after the last out."The Royals and White Sox both have high hopes,... [More]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Talk about carrying some baggage into the season.Kansas City will be without Salvador Perez for up to six week after the star catcher sprained the medial collateral in his left knee while carrying a suitcase up some stairs in his home.The injury occurred Tuesday night, when the Royals returned to Kansas City from spring training. The five-time All-Star heard a "pop" and immediately called Royals trainer Nick Kenney, who advised Perez to ice the knee and come in for an MRI exam on Wednesday.The exam revealed a Grade 2 sprain with a minor tear of the ligament.No surgery is required, and recovery can be as little as four weeks. But the freak injury leaves the Royals without one of their top hitters when they open against the White Sox on Thursday."Hopefully," Royals manager Ned Yost said, "it's shorter than longer."Perez was wearing a bulky black brace on his knee when he arrived at Kauffman Stadium for the club's final preseason workout Wednesday. Later, he told reporters... [More]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Salvador Perez has been on Kansas City Royals teams that were picked to lose 90 games, finish last in the AL Central and struggle so much that a total rebuild would have been apropos.Matter of fact, a lot like this one.But those teams usually exceeded expectations, winning the AL pennant one year and the World Series the next, before starting to backtrack. And the veteran catcher with the quick smile and quicker throw to second base believes the Royals can do the same thing this season.They'll start that chase on opening day against the Chicago White Sox on Thursday."It happens every year. Nobody believes in Kansas City. That's what I saw on my internet, the social (media)," Perez said. "We need to come play hard and see what happens after the last out."The Royals and White Sox both have high hopes, even if nobody else does.Kansas City lost star first baseman Eric Hosmer and outfielder Lorenzo Cain as free agents, and big questions remain elsewhere in the lineup.... [More]

Capsules of American League Central teams, listed in order of finish last year:___Cleveland Indians2017: 102-60, first place, lost to Yankees in ALDS.Manager: Terry Francona (sixth season).He's Here: 1B-DH Yonder Alonso, LF Rajai Davis, RHP Alexi Ogando.He's Outta Here: 1B Carlos Santana, OF Jay Bruce, RHP Bryan Shaw, RHP Joe Smith, OF Austin Jackson, LHP Boone Logan.Projected Lineup: SS Francisco Lindor (.273, 33 HRs, 89 RBIs, 44 2Bs, 15 SBs, 10 errors), 2B Jason Kipnis (.232, 12 HRs, 35 RBIs in 90 games), 3B Jose Ramirez (.318, 29, 83, AL-leading 56 2Bs), DH Edwin Encarnacion (.258, 38, 107), 1B Yonder Alonso (.266, career-high 28 HRs, 67 RBIs with Athletics and Mariners), RF Lonnie Chisenhall (.288, 12, 53 in 82 games), C Roberto Perez (.207, 8, 38, club went 44-22 in his starts) or Yan Gomes (.232, 14, 56), CF Bradley Zimmer (.241, 8, 39, 18 SBs, 0 errors), LF Michael Brantley (.299, 9, 52 in 90 games) or Rajai Davis (.235, 5, 20, 29 SBs with Oakland and Boston).Rotation: RH Corey Kluber... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — For a franchise with five straight losing seasons and one playoff appearance since the 2005 World Series championship, the Chicago White Sox sure are an optimistic bunch.They come into the year with a long line of promising prospects to go with a strong belief that they are setting themselves up to make a big jump in the standings."We're going to shoot high and we'll see where it falls," manager Rick Renteria said.Only three teams had a worse record last season than the White Sox, who went 67-95 and finished fourth in the AL Central. But they believe the breakthrough is coming — maybe sooner than later.Chicago started loading up the pipeline at the 2016 winter meetings by trading former ace Chris Sale to Boston and outfielder Adam Eaton to Washington. Those deals brought in second baseman Yoan Moncada along with hard-throwing pitchers Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez and Michael Kopech and kicked the rebuilding process into high gear.It continued during the season when the White... [More]

A big second half by shortstop Jorge Polanco helped push the Minnesota Twins into the playoffs last season. This year, they'll try to start fast without him.Polanco was suspended 80 games on Sunday after testing positive for the performance-enhancing substance Stanozolol. He became the sixth player to be banned this year under the major league drug program — one more than last year.Polanco hit .256 with 13 home runs and 74 RBIs last season while starting 127 games at shortstop. The 24-year-old also stole 13 bases in helping the Twins earn an AL wild-card spot.In a statement released by the players' union, Polanco said he didn't "intentionally consume this steroid."Polanco said he requested a substance from his athletic trainer in the Dominican Republic, but was given something else.ELSEWHERE AROUND THE GRAPEFRUIT AND CACTUS LEAGUESMETS 5, ORIOLES 4The Mets said lefty Jason Vargas will have surgery after his right hand was broken by a line drive in a minor league game Friday. No timetable... [More]

SARASOTA, Fla. (AP) — Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had four singles in his spring training debut for the Toronto Blue Jays, a 9-3 win at the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday.The 18-year-old third baseman, whose father Vladimir will be inducted into the Hall of Fame this summer, signed with Toronto in July 2015 for a $3.9 million bonus.He was the designated hitter and had hits in the second inning off Nestor Cortes Jr., in the sixth and seventh against Tim Melville and in the ninth versus Asher Wojciechowski. He also flied out in the fourth against Darren O'Day. He hit .323 with 13 homers and 76 RBIs at a pair of Class A teams last year with a .910 OPS."Good looking hitter," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "He looks like he has fun playing."Bo Bichette, a son of former major leaguer Dante Bichette, had two hits and drove in two runs for Toronto. The Blue Jays' Anthony Alford had two doubles and his second triple. Aaron Sanchez allowed one run in three innings and struck out five.ELSEWHERE AROUND... [More]

SARASOTA, Fla. (AP) — Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had four singles in his spring training debut for the Toronto Blue Jays, a 9-3 win at the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday.The 18-year-old third baseman, whose father Vladimir will be inducted into the Hall of Fame this summer, signed with Toronto in July 2015 for a $3.9 million bonus.He was the designated hitter and had hits in the second inning off Nestor Cortes Jr., in the sixth and seventh against Tim Melville and in the ninth versus Asher Wojciechowski. He also flied out in the fourth against Darren O'Day. He hit .323 with 13 homers and 76 RBIs at a pair of Class A teams last year with a .910 OPS."Good looking hitter," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "He looks like he has fun playing."Bo Bichette, a son of former major leaguer Dante Bichette, had two hits and drove in two runs for Toronto. The Blue Jays' Anthony Alford had two doubles and his second triple. Aaron Sanchez allowed one run in three innings and struck out five.ELSEWHERE AROUND... [More]

SARASOTA, Fla. (AP) — Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had four singles in his spring training debut for the Toronto Blue Jays, a 9-3 win at the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday.The 18-year-old third baseman, whose father Vladimir will be inducted into the Hall of Fame this summer, signed with Toronto in July 2015 for a $3.9 million bonus.He was the designated hitter and had hits in the second inning off Nestor Cortes Jr., in the sixth and seventh against Tim Melville and in the ninth versus Asher Wojciechowski. He also flied out in the fourth against Darren O'Day. He hit .323 with 13 homers and 76 RBIs at a pair of Class A teams last year with a .910 OPS."Good looking hitter," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "He looks like he has fun playing."Bo Bichette, a son of former major leaguer Dante Bichette, had two hits and drove in two runs for Toronto. The Blue Jays' Anthony Alford had two doubles and his second triple. Aaron Sanchez allowed one run in three innings and struck out five.ELSEWHERE AROUND... [More]

PEORIA, Ariz. (AP) — There's no question Fernando Tatis Jr.'s birthright is to play major league baseball.Having just turned 19, the phenom is in his first big league camp with the San Diego Padres. He's one of baseball's top prospects, is the son of a former major leaguer and, until Eric Hosmer signed as a free agent, was probably the one player in the organization that fans of the downtrodden Padres were most eager to see.If the shortstop plays as well as he did last year in making the jump from low Class A to Double-A, he could get his first call-up, perhaps in September.Why is he so good, so young?"This kid was born in the big leagues," his father said from San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic, which often is referred to as "The Cradle of Shortstops."Tatis Jr. was born on Jan. 2, 1999, just before his dad's third big league season. Fernando Tatis' 11-year big league career ended just eight years ago."I was already there playing for the Cardinals," the elder Tatis said. "As soon... [More]

PEORIA, Ariz. (AP) — Fernando Tatis Jr. wasted no time in showing the San Diego Padres how much talent he has.One of baseball's top prospects and the son of a former major leaguer, Tatis hit a monster opposite-field home run in his second at-bat in the Padres' spring opener against the Seattle Mariners on Friday.Tatis swung and missed at two sliders from right-hander Shawn Armstrong in the eighth inning of the 3-2 loss. After taking a ball and fouling off a pitch, Tatis drove a 1-2 outside fastball off the top of the wall in the back of the Padres' bullpen beyond the right-field fence at Peoria Stadium."It feels awesome, man," said Tatis, who turned 19 last month. "I've been working hard for this, being here now and trying to show off what I've got, and just working."After falling behind, "I made the approach and kind of got him back," Tatis said.Tatis was acquired on June 4, 2016, when the Padres sent James Shields to the Chicago White Sox. The Padres' win-now effort with highly paid veterans... [More]

RHP James Shields (5-7) matched a season-high in innings pitched (seven) and strikeouts (eight) as he won his third game in his last four stars. He now has 2,080 career strikeouts, tied with Tim Hudson for 72nd place all-time and two behind Bobo Newsom (2,082) for 71st. Monday's win was also his seventh quality start of the season. He's 3-1 with a 3.51 ERA over his last four starts.