NEW YORK (AP) — In a somewhat surprising move, the New York Yankees sent reserve infielder Ronald Torreyes to the minors to clear a roster spot for first baseman Greg Bird.The diminutive and popular Torreyes, batting .339 in a backup role, was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after Friday night's victory over the Los Angeles Angels. Bird was reinstated from the disabled list Saturday and started at first base, batting sixth. He had been sidelined since having right ankle surgery on March 27."I feel like I'm going to hit the ground running. We've got a great team and I'm excited to be back," Bird said. "I'm ready to go every day."He went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts as the Yankees lost 11-4 to the Angels."Great being out there. Obviously, would've liked a different result," Bird said. "But it felt great being out there, really. And I think it's just only going to keep getting better."Rather than demote first baseman Tyler Austin or one of their eight relief pitchers, the Yankees... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — In a somewhat surprising move, the New York Yankees sent reserve infielder Ronald Torreyes to the minors to clear a roster spot for first baseman Greg Bird.The diminutive and popular Torreyes, batting .339 in a backup role, was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after Friday night's victory over the Los Angeles Angels. Bird was reinstated from the disabled list Saturday and was in the starting lineup, batting sixth and playing first base. He had been sidelined since having right ankle surgery on March 27."I feel like I'm going to hit the ground running. We've got a great team and I'm excited to be back," Bird said. "I'm ready to go every day."Rather than demote first baseman Tyler Austin or one of their eight relief pitchers, the Yankees chose to send down Torreyes, who has a solid .785 OPS in 22 games and can play several positions."Obviously, a very difficult decision for us," manager Aaron Boone said. "Hopefully, it's something that's temporary. I mean, for what... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — In a somewhat surprising move, the New York Yankees sent reserve infielder Ronald Torreyes to the minors to clear a roster spot for first baseman Greg Bird.The diminutive and popular Torreyes, batting .339 in a backup role, was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after Friday night's victory over the Angels. Bird was reinstated from the disabled list Saturday and was in the starting lineup against Los Angeles, batting sixth and playing first base. He had been sidelined since having right ankle surgery on March 27."I feel like I'm going to hit the ground running. We've got a great team and I'm excited to be back," Bird said. "I'm ready to go every day."Rather than demote first baseman Tyler Austin or one of their eight relief pitchers, the Yankees chose to send down Torreyes, who has a solid .785 OPS in 22 games and can play several positions."Obviously, a very difficult decision for us," manager Aaron Boone said. "I think the thinking was — and hopefully it's something... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Yankees have activated first baseman Greg Bird from the disabled list and sent infielder Ronald Torreyes to Triple-A Scranton.Bird has been sidelined since having right ankle surgery on March 27.Rather than demote one of its eight relief pitchers or first baseman Tyler Austin, New York opted on Saturday to send down Torreyes, who is hitting .339 and can play several positions.The 25-year-old Bird made his big league debut in 2015 and had 11 homers and 31 RBIs in 46 games. He missed 2016 after surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder. Last year, Bird hit .451 with eight homers in spring training, but fouled a ball off his right ankle March 30, started the season 6 for 60 and went on the disabled list May 2. When the foot did not improve, Bird had surgery July 18 to remove a bone in the ankle.Bird returned Aug. 26 and hit .253 with eight homers and 25 RBIs in 29 games, then batted .241 three homers and six RBIs in 13 playoff games.He hit just .154 in 52 at-bats during spring training with one homer, one double and four RBIs. Bird went 8 for 39 (.205) with three homers and eight RBIs over 12 games in a minor league injury rehabilitation assignment.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

NEW YORK (AP) — Miguel Andujar will keep the New York Yankees' third base job, for now.Brandon Drury was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Monday following the end of his injury rehabilitation assignment.Acquired from Arizona just after the start of spring training in February, the 25-year-old Drury hit .217 (5 for 23) with one homer and four RBIs in New York's first eight games, then went on the disabled list April 7 with severe migraines that caused blurry vision.Drury started the rehab assignment April 25 and batted .315 with two homers, seven RBIs and a .914 OPS in 11 games with Scranton and six with Double-A Trenton.The 23-year-old Andujar is among a wave of players who have sparked the Yankees to a 28-12 record, tied with AL East rival Boston for the best in the major leagues. Andujar is hitting .282 with 12 doubles, three homers and 14 RBIs. He has walked just three times in 135 plate appearances.New York has 13 pitchers on its roster, leaving room for just three bench... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Top prospect Gleyber Torres is being called up to the New York Yankees, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press.The 21-year-old infielder will join the Yankees before Sunday's game against the Toronto Blue Jays, the person said Saturday, speaking on condition of anonymity because the decision had not been announced.Torres has hit .347 with three doubles, one triple, one home run and 11 RBIs for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre of the International League. He was removed from the RailRiders' 6-5 loss to Toledo on Saturday after six innings.Torres was at second base for the sixth time this season on Saturday — starting there for the second straight day— and also has played nine games at shortstop and nine games at third. His promotion was first reported by the Yankees' YES Network.The Times-Tribune in Scranton reported RailRiders manager Bobby Mitchell did not tell Torres why he was being removed from the game but that it was not for disciplinary reasons,... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Top prospect Gleyber Torres is being called up to the New York Yankees, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press.The 21-year-old infielder will join the Yankees before Sunday's game against the Toronto Blue Jays, the person said Saturday, speaking on condition of anonymity because the decision had not been announced.Torres has hit .347 with three doubles, one triple, one home run and 11 RBIs for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre of the International League. He was removed from the RailRiders' 6-5 loss to Toledo on Saturday after six innings.Torres was at second base for the sixth time this season on Saturday — starting there for the second straight day— and also has played nine games at shortstop and nine games at third. His promotion was first reported by the Yankees' YES Network.The Times-Tribune in Scranton reported RailRiders manager Bobby Mitchell did not tell Torres why he was being removed from the game but that it was not for disciplinary reasons,... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors today:___CY VS. CYThe marquee pitching matchup of the young season takes place in Los Angeles, where Nationals ace Max Scherzer faces Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers. It will be the 13th time in history, 10th in the regular season and first since 2006, with two three-time Cy Young Award winners on the mound. Seven of the past eight involved Roger Clemens, whose Houston Astros beat Greg Maddux and the Chicago Cubs on July 19, 2006, in the most recent such game. Scherzer won the AL Cy Young Award in 2013 with Detroit and picked up his next two in 2016 and 2017 with Washington. Kershaw won the NL prize in 2011, 2013 and 2014. This season, Kershaw is 1-2 with a 1.73 ERA in four starts. Scherzer is 3-1 with a 1.33 ERA, also in four starts.HE KNOWS THE DRILLThe Reds play their first game with Jim Riggleman as interim manager, a situation Riggleman is familiar with. This is the fourth time in his career he's been promoted during a season. Cincinnati... [More]

SEATTLE (AP) — Charlie Morton pitched seven innings of three-hit ball, Jose Altuve hit a three-run double and the Houston Astros beat the Seattle Mariners 9-2 on Thursday after Evan Gattis hit into a 5-4-3 triple play in the fourth inning.Morton (3-0) retired 15 straight at one stretch and didn't allow a runner to reach second base.Marco Gonzales (1-2) allowed three runs — all unearned because of a throwing error by third baseman Kyle Seager — and four hits in 4 2/3 innings.CUBS 8, CARDINALS 5CHICAGO (AP) — Jon Lester (2-0) was dominant through six innings of two-hit ball in his 100th start as Cub, and Jason Heyward hit a two-run homer.Kris Bryant and Kyle Schwarber each had two RBIs as Chicago took a 6-1 lead after two innings. Every Cubs starter had a hit, including three by Anthony Rizzo and two each by Heyward, Schwarber and Javier Baez.Brandon Morrow pitched a perfect ninth to complete a five-hitter and remain perfect in three save chances.Ten of Chicago's first 16 batters reached... [More]

SEATTLE (AP) — Charlie Morton pitched seven innings of three-hit ball, Jose Altuve hit a three-run double and the Houston Astros beat the Seattle Mariners 9-2 on Thursday after Evan Gattis hit into a 5-4-3 triple play in the fourth inning.Morton (3-0) retired 15 straight at one stretch and didn't allow a runner to reach second base.Marco Gonzales (1-2) allowed three runs — all unearned because of a throwing error by third baseman Kyle Seager — and four hits in 4 2/3 innings.CUBS 8, CARDINALS 5CHICAGO (AP) — Jon Lester (2-0) was dominant through six innings of two-hit ball in his 100th start as Cub, and Jason Heyward hit a two-run homer.Kris Bryant and Kyle Schwarber each had two RBIs as Chicago took a 6-1 lead after two innings. Every Cubs starter had a hit, including three by Anthony Rizzo and two each by Heyward, Schwarber and Javier Baez.Brandon Morrow pitched a perfect ninth to complete a five-hitter and remain perfect in three save chances.Ten of Chicago's first 16 batters reached... [More]

SEATTLE (AP) — Charlie Morton pitched seven innings of three-hit ball, Jose Altuve hit a three-run double and the Houston Astros beat the Seattle Mariners 9-2 on Thursday after Evan Gattis hit into a 5-4-3 triple play in the fourth inning.Morton (3-0) retired 15 straight at one stretch and didn't allow a runner to reach second base.Marco Gonzales (1-2) allowed three runs — all unearned because of a throwing error by third baseman Kyle Seager — and four hits in 4 2/3 innings.CUBS 8, CARDINALS 5CHICAGO (AP) — Jon Lester (2-0) was dominant through six innings of two-hit ball in his 100th start as Cub, and Jason Heyward hit a two-run homer.Kris Bryant and Kyle Schwarber each had two RBIs as Chicago took a 6-1 lead after two innings. Every Cubs starter had a hit, including three by Anthony Rizzo and two each by Heyward, Schwarber and Javier Baez.Brandon Morrow pitched a perfect ninth to complete a five-hitter and remain perfect in three save chances.Ten of Chicago's first 16 batters reached... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors Friday:___CY VS. CYThe marquee pitching matchup of the young season takes place in Los Angeles, where Nationals ace Max Scherzer faces Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers. It will be the 13th time in history, 10th in the regular season and first since 2006, with two three-time Cy Young Award winners on the mound. Seven of the past eight involved Roger Clemens, whose Houston Astros beat Greg Maddux and the Chicago Cubs on July 19, 2006, in the most recent such game. Scherzer won the AL Cy Young Award in 2013 with Detroit and picked up his next two in 2016 and 2017 with Washington. Kershaw won the NL prize in 2011, 2013 and 2014. This season, Kershaw is 1-2 with a 1.73 ERA in four starts. Scherzer is 3-1 with a 1.33 ERA, also in four starts.HE KNOWS THE DRILLThe Reds play their first game with Jim Riggleman as interim manager, a situation Riggleman is familiar with. This is the fourth time in his career he's been promoted during a season. Cincinnati... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Turns out, Orioles manager Buck Showalter had it right.Crew chief Jerry Meals said umpires missed a call during a disputed rundown at third base during a game between Baltimore and the New York Yankees on Friday night."We were incorrect," Meals said.The play happened in the sixth inning with the Orioles leading 3-2 — they went on to win 7-3 in 14 innings behind Pedro Alvarez's grand slam.With runners at the corners, New York's Neil Walker hit a dribbler to pitcher Richard Bleier, who caught Giancarlo Stanton in a rundown between third and home. Gary Sanchez advanced from first to third while Stanton was hung up, and catcher Caleb Joseph eventually chased Stanton back toward third as well.That's when it got weird. Stanton ran through the base and into foul territory, giving himself up. Joseph first tagged Sanchez, then chased down Stanton, thinking he'd turned a double play. By the book, if both Sanchez and Stanton had remained on third base, Sanchez would have been called... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Turns out, Orioles manager Buck Showalter had it right.Crew chief Jerry Meals said umpires missed a call during a disputed rundown at third base during a game between Baltimore and the New York Yankees on Friday night."We were incorrect," Meals said.The play happened in the sixth inning with the Orioles leading 3-2 — they went on to win 7-3 in 14 innings behind Pedro Alvarez's grand slam.With runners at the corners, New York's Neil Walker hit a dribbler to pitcher Richard Bleier, who caught Giancarlo Stanton in a rundown between third and home. Gary Sanchez advanced from first to third while Stanton was hung up, and catcher Caleb Joseph eventually chased Stanton back toward third as well.That's when it got weird. Stanton ran through the base and into foul territory, giving himself up. Joseph first tagged Sanchez, then chased down Stanton, thinking he'd turned a double play. By the book, if both Sanchez and Stanton had remained on third base, Sanchez would have been called... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The Baltimore Orioles and New York Yankees are heading to the 14th inning tied at 3.The first 13 innings Friday night took 4 hours, 53 minutes, and included some wild misadventures on the bases. Most of the field level sections at Yankee Stadium were still about half full after midnight, though the upper levels have mostly cleared out.Yankees star catcher Gary Sanchez left in the 14th with an apparent leg injury while behind the plate.New York nearly won it in the 11th. With Didi Gregorius at third, Orioles right-hander Mychal Givens threw a breaking pitch to the backstop, enticing Gregorius to break for home. Catcher Caleb Joseph chased after the wild pitch, fielded the ball on a big hop and flipped it to Givens. The pitcher slid across home plate as he took the feed to block Gregorius and apply the tag.A video review upheld the call — just one play after a Yankees video challenge overturned what was initially ruled an inning-ending double play hit by Ronald Torreyes.It was nearly another big moment in a big week for Gregorius. He had a tying solo homer in the eighth inning off Miguel Castro that made Friday's freaky extra innings possible.Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge robbed Joseph of a home run in the 13th.

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Giancarlo Stanton says he is prepared for the scrutiny he will attract during his first season with the New York Yankees."The good times will be magnified and so will the bad," the slugger said Wednesday. "The fans expect a lot. I expect a lot, too."Stanton won the NL MVP last year after leading the major leaguers with 59 homers and 132 RBIs for the Miami Marlins. He was traded to the Yankees in December by Miami's new ownership group and joined a team that lost to Houston in Game 7 of the AL Championship Series.New York opens at Toronto on March 29, then hosts Tampa Bay starting April 2."''It's going to be an exciting new year for me," Stanton said. "It's going to be exciting opening up both places, New York and Toronto."Stanton enjoyed playing in New York while with the Marlins."Baseball is No. 1," Stanton said. "New York is some thing special when you go there. Being in that city is a different feeling — greatest city in the world."Stanton said he understands the Yankees'... [More]

2B Ronald Torreyes tied his career high with four hits against Detroit on Wednesday. He scored once and knocked in a run. Torreyes is batting .328 since the All-Star break, but he's likely to see his playing time reduced significantly. Starling Castro (hamstring) is close to being activated from the disabled list. Manager Joe Girardi said he'll try to keep Torreyes active when Castro returns. "What it does in these long stretches is it allows you to keep guys fresh," Girardi said.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The Tampa Bay Rays moved four games above .500 for the first time in nearly two years, surging past the Baltimore Orioles with a 15-5 win on Friday night at Tropicana Field.The Rays jumped out to a 9-2 lead in the first three innings and reset their season high for scoring, getting home runs from Derek Norris, Shane Peterson and Logan Morrison. The slumping Orioles matched a dubious major league record by allowing at least five runs in 20 straight games -- the first team to do so since the 1924 Philadelphia Phillies.Tampa Bay roughed up starter Ubaldo Jimenez (2-3), who didn't survive the third inning. Rays starter Chris Archer (6-4) threw six innings, not needing his best stuff to win his second straight start. The Rays got four RBIs each from Evan Longoria and Peterson, who was called up before the game and had a two-run homer. Marlins 2, Cubs 0MIAMI -- Giancarlo Stanton homered, Jose Urena pitched six scoreless innings and Miami defeated Chicago at Marlins Park.One... [More]

INF Ronald Torreyes is no longer the starting shortstop with the return of Didi Gregorius from the disabled list but manager Joe Girardi said he instructed him to field balls at numerous positions in the infield and outfield. "Torreyes now will become what he was designed to be," manager Joe Girardi said. "He'll play everywhere. I told him second, short, left, third, right." During Gregorius' absence, Torreyes batted .308 with one home run and 13 RBIs.

New York Yankees shortstop Didi Gregorius returned from his rehab assignment on Friday and was reinstated from the 10-day disabled list.Gregorius, 27, was expected to make his season debut on Friday night against the visiting Baltimore Orioles.Gregorius missed the first 20 games of the season due to a right shoulder strain he suffered during the World Baseball Classic. He was injured in a March 18 game while completing a double play for The Netherlands.Gregorius played his fifth and final minor league rehab game on Thursday for Class A Advanced Tampa, going 2-for-4 with an RBI and a stolen base. He was 8-for-18 (.444) with a homer against Florida State League pitching.Ronald Torreyes was impressive while filling in for Gregorius, hitting .308 with one home run and 13 RBIs in 19 games. Torreyes will now return to a backup role at second base, third base and shortstop, and he also could see some time in the outfield."It's great to get Didi back," Yankees manager Girardi said Thursday. "Obviously... [More]