The Latest on baseball's opening day (all times Eastern):2:45 p.m.Atlanta and Philadelphia set their 25-man rosters ahead of opening day at SunTrust Park.The Braves got down to the limit by placing four players on the 10-day disabled list, retroactive to March 26. They include third basemam Johan Camargo (right oblique muscle strain), left-handed pitcher Luiz Gohara (left ankle sprain) and right-hander Chase Whitley (right heel infection).Left-hander Jacob Lindgren, who is recovering from elbow surgery, also went on the DL.The Braves are carrying 12 pitchers and 13 position players until they need a fifth starter, which is not expected until April 17 because of three off days early in the season. Anibal Sanchez is expected to fill the role until Gohara is ready.The Phillies placed three players on the 10-day disabled list: right-handers Jerad Eickhoff (right lat strain), Tommy Hunter (right hamstring strain) and Mark Leiter Jr. (right forearm strain), all retroactive to March 26.Jake Arrieta... [More]

The Latest on baseball's opening day (all times Eastern):2:20 p.m.The Houston Astros won 101 regular-season games last year, and then went on to win their first World Series title.Before the Astros opened the new season at the instate and AL West rival Texas Rangers, manager A.J. Hinch was asked if he had a win total in mind for this season."One. Today," he said.___1:40 p.m.Two-way Japanese star Shohei Ohtani is set to make his major league debut for the Los Angeles Angels at Oakland.Manager Mike Scioscia hadn't said when Ohtani would first play as designated hitter.He is set to pitch for the first time starting Sunday's series finale against the Athletics.The A's and Angels play seven times in their initial 10 games."I'm intrigued based on the fact that the athleticism is obvious. Looking at video from his time in Japan he is a true two-way guy," A's manager Bob Melvin said. "Hopefully he gets off to a rough start and we see what he's all about later on when he leaves us."___1:30 p.m.Cubs... [More]

The Latest on baseball's opening day (all times Eastern):1:40 p.m.Two-way Japanese star Shohei Ohtani is set to make his major league debut for the Los Angeles Angels at Oakland.Manager Mike Scioscia hadn't said when Ohtani would first play as designated hitter.He is set to pitch for the first time starting Sunday's series finale against the Athletics.The A's and Angels play seven times in their initial 10 games."I'm intrigued based on the fact that the athleticism is obvious. Looking at video from his time in Japan he is a true two-way guy," A's manager Bob Melvin said. "Hopefully he gets off to a rough start and we see what he's all about later on when he leaves us."___1:30 p.m.Cubs slugger Anthony Rizzo made his emotional homecoming for this week's season-opening series at Miami even more memorable by hitting a homer into the upper deck in the second inning.During the series the Cubs and Marlins are honoring victims of last month's mass shooting at Rizzo's former high school in Parkland,... [More]

The Latest on baseball's opening day (all times Eastern):1:20 p.m.The Marlins watched Jose Urena give up a homer on the first pitch of the season, allow a walk and hit two batters in the first inning before making the first mound visit under MLB's new rules.Urena trailed the Cubs 1-0, loaded the bases and fell behind Jason Heyward before Miami pitching coach Juan Nieves went to the mound. The scoreboard registered the trip and showed the Marlins had five visits left.Major League Baseball is imposing stricter limits on mound visits this year in an effort to speed up games. The general limit is six visits per nine-inning game without a pitching change, whether by a manager, coach or player.Ian Happ homered leading off to start Urena's troubles.___1:15 p.m.Royals general manager Dayton Moore spent part of opening day cutting the ribbon for the $20 million Urban Youth Academy in downtown Kansas City, not far from the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.The pet project of Moore has been two years... [More]

The Latest on baseball's opening day (all times Eastern):12:45 p.m.One pitch, one home run.Chicago Cubs' Ian Happ drove Miami right-hander Jose Urena's pitch, the first offering of the 2018 major league season, into the right field seats at 12:43 p.m.New Miami owner Derek Jeter watched his Marlins fall instantly behind from his seat two rows back of the Marlins dugout.Dwight Evans of the Boston Red Sox homered on the first pitch of the 1986 season, connecting off new Hall of Famer Jack Morris at Tiger Stadium.___12:40 p.m.After having the dozen or so media in his office share their memorable opening days, Texas Rangers manager Jeff Banister shared some of his own before the home opener against the World Series champion Houston Astros.On the top of Banister's list was the 2015 opener, his first as a major league manager. That game was at Oakland, four days before his first home game with the Rangers.There was also a bittersweet memory when he was the major league field coordinator for Pittsburgh... [More]

The Latest on baseball's opening day (all times Eastern):12:00 p.m.A small grease fire in the upper deck of Tropicana Field caused a smoky haze to fall over the playing field at the dome stadium five hours before the first pitch of the regular season opener between host Tampa Bay and Boston.The smoke came out of a vent located below the second deck.The Rays in a statement said the sprinklers were activated and the fire was extinguished, and the incident is not expected to impact game-day operations.The St. Petersburg Fire Department responded to the fire, which did not stop the ground crew from preparing the field for pregame workouts.Within an hour, much of the smoke had been cleared from the ballpark and several Rays' players were playing catch in the outfield.___11:40 a.m.Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo says the opening series of the season at Miami will be emotional for him as both teams honor victims of last month's mass shooting at his former high school in Parkland, Florida.The... [More]

Rain was the early winner on opening day, with games at Comerica Park and Great American Ball Park postponed and gloomy skies threatening another at Citi Field.All 30 teams in the majors had been scheduled to play Thursday. Jose Urena was set to throw the first pitch of the season, when Miami hosted the Chicago Cubs.The Pittsburgh-Detroit game was washed out, as was the Washington-Cincinnati opener.No weather worries in Toronto, where New York newcomer Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Judge and the power-packed Yankees were facing the Blue Jays. J.D. Martinez was ready to make his debut when the Boston Red Sox took on Tampa Bay.Justin Verlander and the World Series champion Houston Astros were at Texas, and lefty ace Clayton Kershaw led Los Angeles against San Francisco — provided the sewage problems that seeped into Dodger Stadium this week stayed away.It was a somber setting in New York as the Mets prepared to host St. Louis on a rainy day. Hours earlier, the team announced that popular Mets star Rusty Staub had died at 73.

A look at what's happening all around the majors today:___FIRST DEFENSEThe Houston Astros begin the season as reigning World Series champions for the first time following their victory over the Dodgers last fall. AL Championship Series MVP Justin Verlander will make his first opening-day start with Houston after nine with Detroit. Verlander will face Texas ace Cole Hamels, who is making his fourth season-opening start, including his second with the Rangers.NEW FACESGiancarlo Stanton joins Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez in the Yankees' imposing lineup, while J.D. Martinez suits up for Boston and Eric Hosmer for San Diego after signing nine-figure deals in free agency. Five skippers — Washington's Dave Martinez, Boston's Alex Cora, the Yankees' Aaron Boone, the Mets' Mickey Callaway and Philadelphia's Gabe Kapler — will make their managerial debuts, while Detroit's Ron Gardenhire will manage his first opening day since 2014 with Minnesota.ACES UPClayton Kershaw, Corey Kluber, Chris Sale and... [More]

A look at what's happening all around the majors Thursday:___FIRST DEFENSEThe Houston Astros begin the season as reigning World Series champions for the first time following their victory over the Dodgers last fall. AL Championship Series MVP Justin Verlander will make his first opening-day start with Houston after nine with Detroit. Verlander will face Texas ace Cole Hamels, who is making his fourth season-opening start, including his second with the Rangers.NEW FACESGiancarlo Stanton joins Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez in the Yankees' imposing lineup, while J.D. Martinez suits up for Boston and Eric Hosmer for San Diego after signing nine-figure deals in free agency. Five skippers — Washington's Dave Martinez, Boston's Alex Cora, the Yankees' Aaron Boone, the Mets' Mickey Callaway and Philadelphia's Gabe Kapler — will make their managerial debuts, while Detroit's Ron Gardenhire will manage his first opening day since 2014 with Minnesota.ACES UPClayton Kershaw, Corey Kluber, Chris Sale... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The Houston Astros will take the field as World Series champions for the first time. Giancarlo Stanton, J.D. Martinez and Eric Hosmer will wear new uniforms following an odd offseason when tanking teams helped sink the free agent market. First-time managers will fill out lineup cards, home run and strikeout totals will be watched closely, and out West, a Japanese import will try to do it all.Opening day is here. The 162-game grind of the regular season starts Thursday."It's a full-circle moment," Astros ace Justin Verlander said ahead of Houston's opener at Texas. "Just being out there Game 1 of the season, everybody is so high on expectations and so excited about the upcoming season, the unknown, what's going to happen with their team. It's a unique atmosphere."The March 29 start date is the earliest in Major League Baseball's history excluding international openers, and all teams were scheduled to play on opening day for the first time since 1968 — the last year before... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Clayton Kershaw will make his franchise-record eighth consecutive opening day start for the Los Angeles Dodgers, who are aiming for a second straight World Series appearance with virtually the same roster as last year.Kershaw takes the mound Thursday against the rival San Francisco Giants and Ty Blach, whose only opening day starts have been in the minors. Blach drew the assignment because of injuries to Madison Bumgarner and Jeff Samardzija.After falling one win short of their first World Series title since 1988, the Dodgers have shifted their focus from losing to Houston in Game 7 to earning another shot this year."We understand what our goal is," manager Dave Roberts said. "It's to do whatever we can to win the World Series."The Giants are trying to get back in contention in the NL West after finishing last in 2017. They added former All-Stars outfielder Andrew McCutchen and third baseman Evan Longoria in the offseason.The teams are playing on opening day for the first... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Two-way sensation Shohei Ohtani is scheduled to make his major league pitching debut Sunday when he starts for the Los Angeles Angels in their fourth game of the season at Oakland.The much-hyped Japanese star is expected to be the team's designated hitter in at least one of the first three games, but it's unclear if that will happen in the opener on Thursday."We haven't determined our opening-day lineup yet," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said Tuesday night.The 23-year-old Ohtani, who struggled in spring training, was told after Tuesday's exhibition game against the Dodgers that he'll pitch Sunday.Asked what he expects from Ohtani in his first start, Scioscia said: "He's gotten into the mid-80-pitch range and should be able to get over 90 if he's throwing to his capabilities. That's plenty of pitches for him to get deep into the game. We're going to take it one pitch at a time with all of our pitchers."Ohtani was supposed to get an at-bat or two on Tuesday night but that... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Yankees are on track to open the season this week with baseball's seventh-highest payroll, their lowest ranking since 1992, according to projections by The Associated Press.The Boston Red Sox will top the major leagues at about $223 million, ending the Los Angeles Dodgers' four-year run as the top spender. San Francisco will be second at around $203 million, and the Chicago Cubs are set to be third at about $183 million.The Dodgers and Washington Nationals will each be at approximately $180 million, and the Los Angeles Angels will be next at about $170 million. The Yankees will be at around $167 million — their lowest payroll since 2003.New York has not been ranked as low as seventh since 1992, when it finished ninth at $34.5 million in the final season of owner George Steinbrenner's 2½-year suspension. The Yankees rose to third the following year and topped the major leagues from 1994-97 and 1999-2013, interrupted by a season in which Baltimore finished $207,000... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Yankees are on track to open the season this week with baseball's seventh-highest payroll, their lowest ranking since 1992, according to projections by The Associated Press.The Boston Red Sox will top the major leagues at about $223 million, ending the Los Angeles Dodgers' four-year run as the top spender. San Francisco will be second at around $203 million, and the Chicago Cubs are set to be third at about $183 million.The Dodgers and Washington Nationals will each be at approximately $180 million, and the Los Angeles Angels will be next at about $170 million. The Yankees will be at around $167 million — their lowest payroll since 2003.New York has not been ranked as low as seventh since 1992, when it finished ninth at $34.5 million in the final season of owner George Steinbrenner's 2½-year suspension. The Yankees rose to third the following year and topped the major leagues from 1994-97 and 1999-2013, interrupted by a season in which Baltimore finished $207,000... [More]

Baseball begins again with every team opening on the same day for the first time since 1968. Here are a handful of dates to mark on the calendar:THURSDAY, MARCH 29San Francisco Giants at Los Angeles Dodgers: The earliest domestic start in baseball history features one of the game's best rivalries. Clayton Kershaw makes his record eighth opening-day start for the NL champion Dodgers after going 18-4 with a 2.31 ERA in 27 starts last year. He takes on a much more challenging lineup after the Giants acquired Evan Longoria and Andrew McCutchen in a pair of offseason trades. It's the first opener between the clubs since 2013.MONDAY, APRIL 2Baltimore Orioles at Houston Astros: Reigning AL MVP Jose Altuve and the Astros celebrate the franchise's first championship before their home opener against Adam Jones and the Orioles. The Astros outlasted the Dodgers in a seven-game World Series last fall, and they might be even better this year after acquiring right-hander Gerrit Cole in a January trade... [More]

MESA, Ariz. (AP) — A higher glove. A grip change. A subtle shift on the mound.One subconscious move turns into a whisper in the dugout. A perceptive hitter tells his friends, and his friends tell their friends, and a seemingly innocuous habit — practically undetectable for most of the world — quickly becomes a major problem.Even for the mighty Clayton Kershaw.It's hard to tell how often it happens, but pitch tipping pops up enough that it's on the radar of managers and coaches around the big leagues."We try to keep a hand on that a lot, like are our guys giving away pitches?" Cleveland manager Terry Francona said. "For sure, we always keep track of that."The issue of pitch tipping — a physical indication of some sort that reveals what pitch is coming up next — stepped to the forefront when Yu Darvish was rocked by the Houston Astros in the World Series. Then it traveled to Chicago when Darvish finalized a $126 million, six-year contract with the Cubs last month in one of the biggest deals... [More]

Capsules of National League West teams, listed in order of finish last year:___Los Angeles Dodgers2017: 104-58, first place, lost to Houston in World Series.Manager: Dave Roberts (third season).He's Here: OF Matt Kemp, RHP Tom Koehler, LHP Scott Alexander, LHP Henry Owens.He's Outta Here: 1B Adrian Gonzalez, RHP Yu Darvish, RHP Brandon Morrow, RHP Brandon McCarthy, LHP Tony Watson, LHP Luis Avilan, LHP Scott Kazmir, LHP Adam Liberatore, OF Andre Ethier, INF Charlie Culberson, OF Curtis Granderson, LHP Grant Dayton, OF Franklin Gutierrez, RHP Josh Ravin.Projected Lineup: CF Chris Taylor (.288, 21 HRs, 72 RBIs, 17 SBs), SS Corey Seager (.295, 22, 77), 3B Justin Turner (.322, 21, 71, will start season on DL with broken left wrist), 1B Cody Bellinger (.267, 39, 97, 10 SBs), RF Yasiel Puig (.263, 28, 74), LF Matt Kemp (.276, 19, 64 in 115 games with Braves) or Joc Pederson (.212, 11, 35 in 102 games), C Austin Barnes (.289, 8, 38) or Yasmani Grandal (.247, 22, 58), 2B Logan Forsythe (.224, 6,... [More]

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — For the second consecutive season, the San Francisco Giants will be without injured ace Madison Bumgarner for a while.Bumgarner broke a bone in his pitching hand Friday when it was hit by a line drive off the bat of Kansas City's Whit Merrifield during a spring training game.The Giants said X-rays showed the 28-year-old fractured the fifth metacarpal on the outside of his left hand. Bumgarner said the timeline for recovery is four to six weeks and he will have a pin inserted into his pinkie Saturday."It's tough. But I can handle it," Bumgarner said. "These guys can handle it. This obviously was not what I was expecting out of my last start. But it happened and I can deal with it."Bumgarner, the 2014 World Series MVP, missed nearly three months with a shoulder injury last season after a dirt bike accident on April 20 during an off day in Colorado.His latest setback is a huge blow to the Giants as they try to rebound from a surprising last-place finish in the NL West... [More]

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — For the second consecutive season, the San Francisco Giants will be without injured ace Madison Bumgarner for a while.Bumgarner broke a bone in his pitching hand Friday when it was hit by a line drive off the bat of Kansas City's Whit Merrifield during a spring training game.The Giants said X-rays showed the 28-year-old fractured the fifth metacarpal on the outside of his left hand. Bumgarner said the timeline for recovery is four to six weeks and he will have a pin inserted into his pinkie Saturday."It's tough. But I can handle it," Bumgarner said. "These guys can handle it. This obviously was not what I was expecting out of my last start. But it happened and I can deal with it."Bumgarner, the 2014 World Series MVP, missed nearly three months with a shoulder injury last season after a dirt bike accident on April 20 during an off day in Colorado.His latest setback is a huge blow to the Giants as they try to rebound from a surprising last-place finish in the NL West... [More]

SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) — Clayton Kershaw finished spring training with a 0.00 ERA.The Los Angeles Dodgers' three-time NL Cy Young Award winner stretched his scoreless streak to 21 1/3 innings with 6 2/3 innings against Kansas City in his final tuneup for Thursday's opener against San Francisco. He allowed a leadoff single to Jon Jay and no other hits. He struck out four and walked none in a 10-0 win."He was efficient as he could ever be," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Friday. "He had everything working, fastball to both sides of the plate, the slider had the depth, the breaking ball was sharp. Clayton threw the ball really well. It was really encouraging for all of us. He doesn't smile too often after outings, but I think he was pretty pleased."Kershaw allowed 12 hits in six starts, struck out 23 and walked four. The left-hander was pitching for the first time since turning 30 on Monday."Physically I feel great, which is good," Kershaw said. "I've obviously pitched in the playoffs before,... [More]