MILWAUKEE (AP) — Former All-Star Dee Strange-Gordon has signed a minor league contract with the Milwaukee Brewers and been assigned to the alternate training site in Appleton, Wisconsin. Strange-Gordon, who turns 33 on Thursday, had gone to spring training with the Cincinnati Reds with a minor league contract and was released on March 26 after hitting .281 with no homers and four RBIs in 32 at-bats over 10 games. He had been working out at shortstop with the Reds. Strange-Gordon has primarily played second base and also has experience in the outfield. The Brewers wanted to address some depth concerns in the infield after trading Orlando Arcia to the Atlanta Braves this month and losing Tim Lopes and Mark Mathias to injuries in spring training. Lopes and Mathias are both on the 60-day injured list. Starting second baseman Kolten Wong is on the 10-day injured list, though he’s expected to be activated later this week Strange-Gordon batted .200 with no homers, three RBIs and three steals in 33 games for the Seattle Mariners last season. He led the NL in batting average, hits and stolen bases in 2015 with the Miami Marlins. He also led the NL in steals in 2014 and 2017. He made the NL All-Star team with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2014 and with Miami in 2015. He has a .286 career batting average with a .319 on-base percentage and 333 steals. ___ More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

A look at what’s happening around the majors Wednesday: ___ WAITING GAME Now that Fernando Tatis Jr. has been placed on the injured list, the San Diego Padres hope their electrifying shortstop won't be sidelined too long. Tatis should be able to avoid surgery on his left shoulder, the team said a day after he slightly dislocated it taking a hard swing. An MRI on Tuesday showed a slight labral tear and the Padres put the 22-year-old Tatis on the 10-day IL. General manager A.J. Preller said the club wasn’t ruling out anything, including Tatis’ possible return when he’s eligible. According to Preller, doctors said another partially dislocated shoulder could occur again but playing this season wouldn’t put him at long-term risk. “Everybody was very confident that surgery wasn’t the answer at this point in time,” Preller said. “We can keep him on the field here this year and be able to put him in a spot where he can be successful and not be in pain and we’re not doing any kind of long-term damage.”... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — The Atlanta Braves have acquired infielder Orlando Arcia from the Milwaukee Brewers for right-handed pitchers Chad Sobotka and Patrick Weigel. Arcia had been the Brewers’ starting shortstop from 2018-20, but was expected to split time between shortstop and third base this year in more of a utility role. This move clears the way for Luis Urías to take over as the Brewers’ everyday shortstop. The Brewers had acquired the 23-year-old Urías along with pitcher Eric Lauer from San Diego in a November 2019 trade that sent outfielder Trent Grisham and pitcher Zach Davies to the Padres. “The trade is a commitment to Luis Urías,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. “That is a commitment that we made. He has earned this and it’s an important time for him. He’s going to get a great opportunity here.” Arcia brings infield depth to the Braves. The 26-year-old Arcia has gone 1 for 11 so far this season after hitting .260 with five homers and 20 RBIs in 59 games last year. He has batted... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — The Atlanta Braves have acquired infielder Orlando Arcia from the Milwaukee Brewers for right-handed pitchers Chad Sobotka and Patrick Weigel. Arcia had been the Brewers’ starting shortstop from 2018-20, but was expected to split time between shortstop and third base this year in more of a utility role. This move clears the way for Luis Urías to take over as the Brewers’ everyday shortstop. The Brewers had acquired the 23-year-old Urías along with pitcher Eric Lauer from San Diego in a November 2019 trade that sent outfielder Trent Grisham and pitcher Zach Davies to the Padres. Arcia brings infield depth to the Braves. The 26-year-old Arcia has gone 1 for 11 so far this season after hitting .260 with five homers and 20 RBIs in 59 games last year. He has batted .244 with a .293 on-base percentage, 42 homers and 180 RBIs in 542 regular-season games. “He’s kind of an up-and-coming guy,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “I was a little surprised he was available. Any time... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jean Segura hit an RBI single with two outs in the 10th inning to lift the Philadelphia Phillies over the Atlanta Braves 3-2 in their season opener Thursday. After Nate Jones (0-1) intentionally walked Did Gregorius, Segura hit a bouncer down the third-base line to score Bryce Harper, who began the inning as the automatic runner at second base and advanced to third on a grounder. In the top of the 10th, center fielder Roman Quinn made a perfect throw to the plate to retire Ozzie Albies, who was trying to score on Marcell Ozuna’s fly ball. Catcher J.T. Realmuto caught the ball and slid in front of the plate in one slick motion, successfully blocking Albies’ path. Phillies ace Aaron Nola was one strike away from tossing seven scoreless innings before pinch-hitter Pablo Sandoval ripped an 0-2 pitch into the second deck in right field to tie it at 2. The Phillies got 3 1/3 scoreless innings from four relievers, with Connor Brogdon (1-0) working the 10th. They had the worst... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jean Segura hit an RBI single with two outs in the 10th inning to lift the Philadelphia Phillies over the Atlanta Braves 3-2 in their season opener Thursday. After Nate Jones (0-1) intentionally walked Did Gregorius, Segura hit a bouncer down the third-base line to score Bryce Harper, who began the inning as the automatic runner at second base and advanced to third on a grounder. In the top of the 10th, center fielder Roman Quinn made a perfect throw to the plate to retire Ozzie Albies, who was trying to score on Marcell Ozuna’s fly ball. Catcher J.T. Realmuto caught the ball and slid in front of the plate in one slick motion, successfully blocking Albies’ path. Phillies ace Aaron Nola was one strike away from tossing seven scoreless innings before pinch-hitter Pablo Sandoval ripped an 0-2 pitch into the second deck in right field to tie it at 2. The Phillies got 3 1/3 scoreless innings from four relievers, with Connor Brogdon (1-0) working the 10th. They had the worst... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jean Segura hit an RBI single with two outs in the 10th inning to lift the Philadelphia Phillies over the Atlanta Braves 3-2 in their season opener Thursday. After Nate Jones (0-1) intentionally walked Did Gregorius, Segura hit a bouncer down the third-base line to score Bryce Harper, who began the inning as the automatic runner at second base and advanced to third on a grounder. In the top of the 10th, center fielder Roman Quinn made a perfect throw to the plate to retire Ozzie Albies, who was trying to score on Marcell Ozuna’s fly ball. Catcher J.T. Realmuto caught the ball and slid in front of the plate in one slick motion, successfully blocking Albies’ path. Phillies ace Aaron Nola was one strike away from tossing seven scoreless innings before pinch-hitter Pablo Sandoval ripped an 0-2 pitch into the second deck in right field to tie it at 2. The Phillies got 3 1/3 scoreless innings from four relievers, with Connor Brogdon (1-0) working the 10th. They had the worst... [More]

Travis Shaw’s second stint with the Milwaukee Brewers is off to an encouraging start. The Brewers announced Tuesday they have added Shaw to their 40-man roster, making him one of the leading candidates for playing time at third base. Shaw, who played for Milwaukee from 2017-19 and spent last season with Toronto, signed a minor league deal last month. The contract included terms stating he could request his release if the Brewers didn’t notify him by Monday whether they intended to put him on the 40-man roster. “It’s pretty much everything I expected, pretty much everything they told me going into the process so nothing changes,” Shaw said Tuesday from the Brewers’ spring training site in Phoenix. “Nothing is surprising. It’s all in a good spot.” Shaw, who turns 31 on April 16, has a one-year contract paying him $1.5 million while in the majors and $250,000 in the minors. He can earn up to $1.5 million in performance bonuses for plate appearances: $50,000 each for 250, 275 and 300, $75,000... [More]

Travis Shaw’s second stint with the Milwaukee Brewers is off to an encouraging start. The Brewers announced Tuesday they have added Shaw to their 40-man roster, making him one of the leading candidates for playing time at third base. Shaw, who played for Milwaukee from 2017-19 and spent last season with Toronto, signed a minor league deal last month. The contract included terms stating he could request his release if the Brewers didn’t notify him by Monday whether they intended to put him on the 40-man roster. “It’s pretty much everything I expected, pretty much everything they told me going into the process so nothing changes,” Shaw said Tuesday from the Brewers’ spring training site in Phoenix. “Nothing is surprising. It’s all in a good spot.” Shaw, who turns 31 on April 16, has a one-year contract paying him $1.5 million while in the majors and $250,000 in the minors. He also can earn up to $1.5 million in performance bonuses for reaching various benchmarks in plate appearances. The... [More]

Whether they did it by design or responded to the market forces at work, the Milwaukee Brewers found an intriguing way to try gaining an edge over their NL Central rivals. Rather than focusing on an offense that slumbered for much of last season, they added position players better known for fielding prowess. By signing former St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Kolten Wong and ex-Boston Red Sox center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr., the Brewers have four former Gold Glove winners on their roster. “One of the ways we’re going to prevent runs this year is with defense,” manager Craig Counsell said. “We’ve invested in that this year. There is scoring runs and there is preventing runs. We’re going to try to be really good at preventing runs this year.” Wong was a Gold Glove second baseman each of the last two years. Bradley won a Gold Glove in 2018 and was a finalist in 2014, 2016 and 2019. They join a lineup already featuring 2014 Gold Glove left fielder Christian Yelich and 2019 Gold Glove center... [More]

Whether they did it by design or responded to the market forces at work, the Milwaukee Brewers found an intriguing way to try gaining an edge over their NL Central rivals. Rather than focusing on an offense that slumbered for much of last season, they added position players better known for fielding prowess. By signing former St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Kolten Wong and ex-Boston Red Sox center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr., the Brewers have four former Gold Glove winners on their roster. “One of the ways we’re going to prevent runs this year is with defense,” manager Craig Counsell said. “We’ve invested in that this year. There is scoring runs and there is preventing runs. We’re going to try to be really good at preventing runs this year.” Wong was a Gold Glove second baseman each of the last two years. Bradley won a Gold Glove in 2018 and was a finalist in 2014, 2016 and 2019. They join a lineup already featuring 2014 Gold Glove left fielder Christian Yelich and 2019 Gold Glove center... [More]

Whether they did it by design or responded to the market forces at work, the Milwaukee Brewers found an intriguing way to try gaining an edge over their NL Central rivals. Rather than focusing on an offense that slumbered for much of last season, they added position players better known for fielding prowess. By signing former St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Kolten Wong and ex-Boston Red Sox center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr., the Brewers have four former Gold Glove winners on their roster. “One of the ways we’re going to prevent runs this year is with defense,” manager Craig Counsell said. “We’ve invested in that this year. There is scoring runs and there is preventing runs. We’re going to try to be really good at preventing runs this year.” Wong was a Gold Glove second baseman each of the last two years. Bradley won a Gold Glove in 2018 and was a finalist in 2014, 2016 and 2019. They join a lineup already featuring 2014 Gold Glove left fielder Christian Yelich and 2019 Gold Glove center... [More]

The Milwaukee Brewers’ big trade from the fall of 2019 certainly didn’t work out in the short term. They’re still hopeful it will help them over the long run. The Brewers acquired infielder Luis Urías and left-handed pitcher Eric Lauer from San Diego in a November 2019 trade that sent outfielder Trent Grisham and pitcher Zach Davies to the Padres. Urías and Lauer struggled in 2020 while Grisham and Davies flourished. But a new season represents a fresh start for both Urías and Lauer. The Brewers are giving the 23-year-old Urías a chance to win their starting shortstop job. If Urías (prounounced oo-REE-us) has a solid season as a full-time player, it could lead to some reassessments of a trade that seemed lopsided in San Diego’s favor last fall. Urías says he isn’t putting any extra pressure on himself to prove the Brewers made the right move in acquiring him. But he understands what’s at stake. “Obviously I want to prove something, that I can really play,” Urías said Monday from the Brewers’... [More]

The Milwaukee Brewers’ big trade from the fall of 2019 certainly didn’t work out in the short term. They’re still hopeful it will help them over the long run. The Brewers acquired infielder Luis Urías and left-handed pitcher Eric Lauer from San Diego in a November 2019 trade that sent outfielder Trent Grisham and pitcher Zach Davies to the Padres. Urías and Lauer struggled in 2020 while Grisham and Davies flourished. But a new season represents a fresh start for both Urías and Lauer. The Brewers are giving the 23-year-old Urías a chance to win their starting shortstop job. If Urías (prounounced oo-REE-us) has a solid season as a full-time player, it could lead to some reassessments of a trade that seemed lopsided in San Diego’s favor last fall. Urías says he isn’t putting any extra pressure on himself to prove the Brewers made the right move in acquiring him. But he understands what’s at stake. “Obviously I want to prove something, that I can really play,” Urías said Monday from the Brewers’... [More]

With spring training in full swing, third baseman Travis Shaw returned to the Milwaukee Brewers while former All-Star third baseman Jake Lamb and pitchers Ian Kennedy and Julio Teheran found new teams. Shaw signed a minor league contract with the Brewers on Tuesday, giving them one more option for their unsettled situation at third base. Shaw was invited to spring training. “I think he fits into a need that we have,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. “He has an opportunity to earn something. That’s how it was presented to Travis, and I think that’s what excited him about the opportunity.” Kennedy, 36, signed a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers, and will be in major league spring training with a chance to be compete for a spot in their bullpen. Lamb signed a $1 million, one-year contract with the Atlanta Braves that is not guaranteed. The signing adds another veteran bat to an already deep competition for bench spots in spring training. The 30-year-old Teheran got a minor league... [More]

Travis Shaw is back in Milwaukee to give the Brewers one more option for their unsettled situation at third base. The Brewers announced Tuesday that Shaw has signed a minor league contract that includes an invitation to major league camp. “I think he fits into a need that we have,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. “He has an opportunity to earn something. That’s how it was presented to Travis, and I think that’s what excited him about the opportunity.” If added to the 40-man roster, Shaw would get a one-year contract paying $1.5 million while in the major leagues and $250,000 while in the minors. He could earn $1.5 million in performance bonuses for plate appearances: $50,000 each for 250, 275 and 300, $75,000 apiece for 325, 350 and 375, $125,000 for 400, $150,000 for 425, $250,000 for 450 and $300,000 each for 475 and 502. If not added to the roster by March 15, Shaw would be released unless put on within 72 hours of a formal request. Shaw, who turns 31 on April 16, last played for... [More]

Travis Shaw is back in Milwaukee to give the Brewers one more option for their unsettled situation at third base. The Brewers announced Tuesday that Shaw has signed a minor league contract that includes an invitation to major league camp. “I think he fits into a need that we have,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. “He has an opportunity to earn something. That’s how it was presented to Travis, and I think that’s what excited him about the opportunity.” Shaw, who turns 31 on April 16, last played for the Brewers from 2017-19. That three-year stint included some notable highs and lows. He had 31 homers, 101 RBIs and an .862 OPS in 2017. Shaw followed that up with 32 homers, 86 RBIs and an .825 OPS in 2018. But he tailed off dramatically in 2019, hitting just .157 with a .281 on-base percentage, .270 slugging percentage, seven homers and 16 RBIs in 86 games. “The Brewers have seen me at my absolute best and they’ve also seen me in my absolute worst in 2019,” Shaw said Tuesday from the... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Kyle Schwarber and Albert Almora Jr. were cut loose by the Chicago Cubs after helping the team win its first World Series title in more than a century, among a record 59 players who became free agents as part of the fallout from the coranavirus pandemic when their teams declined to offer them 2021 contracts by Wednesday night’s deadline. Cincinnati reliever Archie Bradley, Atlanta outfielder Adam Duvall, Colorado outfielder David Dahl and Minnesota outfielder Eddie Rosario also were let go by their clubs, who did not want to allow those players to become eligible for salary arbitration in February, which would have been their right had they been tendered contracts. The total cut was one more than the previous high at the tender deadline, ahead of the 2004 season. Schwarber earned $2,596,296 in prorated pay from his $7.01 million salary last season but hit .188 with 11 homers in 59 games, down from 38 homers, 92 RBIs and a .250 batting average in 155 games in 2019. Almora... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Kyle Schwarber and Albert Almora Jr. were cut loose by the Chicago Cubs after helping the team win its first World Series title in more than a century, among 59 players who became free agents as part of the fallout from the coranavirus pandemic when their teams declined to offer them 2021 contracts by Wednesday night’s deadline. Cincinnati reliever Archie Bradley, Atlanta outfielder Adam Duvall, Colorado outfielder David Dahl and Minnesota outfielder Eddie Rosario also were let go by their clubs, who did not want to allow those players to become eligible for salary arbitration in February, which would have been their right had they been tendered contracts. Schwarber earned $2,596,296 in prorated pay from his $7.01 million salary last season but hit .188 with 11 homers in 59 games, down from 38 homers, 92 RBIs and a .250 batting average in 155 games in 2019. Almora batted .167 in 28 games last season and earned $1,667,667 prorated from $4.5 million, down from a .236 average,... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — The Milwaukee Brewers traded reliever Corey Knebel to the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday for a player to be named or cash. The Brewers also announced they did not offer 2021 contracts to left-hander Alex Claudio, outfielder Ben Gamel and utilityman Jace Peterson. The team reached one-year deals with shortstop Orlando Arcia ($2 million), first baseman Daniel Vogelbach ($1.4 million) and catchers Omar Narváez ($2.5 million) and Manny Piña ($1.65 million). In another move, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press the Brewers agreed to terms on a major league contract with catcher Luke Maile. The person spoke on condition of anonymity Wednesday because the deal had not been announced. Milwaukee faced a Wednesday night deadline on whether to tender Knebel a contract for next year. Brewers president of baseball operations David Stearns said the deal with the Dodgers was completed before that deadline. The 29-year-old Knebel was an... [More]