WASHINGTON (AP) — New York Mets outfielder Jeff McNeil left the game against the Washington Nationals in the third inning due to abdominal tightness.The Mets said the move was precautionary.McNeil singled and was thrown out on a fielder's choice in the top of the third inning on Thursday. He didn't return to the field on defense.Brandon Nimmo shifted to left field and Juan Lagares came in to play center.

NEW YORK (AP) — The Mets are concerned about second baseman Robinson Canó, even after X-rays came back negative on his injured left hand Sunday.Canó was hit by a pitch from Brewers left-hander Gio Gonzalez while failing to check his swing in the first inning of a 5-2 victory.The left-handed hitting Canó began to offer at a fastball and fell open toward first base as the pitch headed toward his chest. It connected with the outside of his left hand, and Canó staggered out of the box and slammed his helmet before leaving.Manager Mickey Callaway said Canó will get an MRI on Monday when the swelling has reduced. The Mets are worried about the small bones in that part of the hand and want to play it safe with the veteran infielder."We're still a little concerned," Callaway said. "The X-rays looked fine. Just who it is, where it is, I think we need to make sure that we're doing everything we can and dig deeper."Canó was ruled to have swung at the pitch by plate umpire Todd Tichenor. It's the second... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Robinson Canó has been pulled from the New York Mets game against the Milwaukee Brewers after being hit by a pitch on his left hand while failing to check his swing.The left-handed hitting Canó began to swing Sunday at a fastball from left-hander Gio González in the first inning and fell open toward first base as the pitch headed toward his chest. It connected with the outside of his left hand, and Canó staggered out of the box and slammed his helmet before leaving.X-rays taken during the game were negative, and Canó will be examined again Monday.Canó was ruled to have swung at the pitch by plate umpire Todd Tichenor. It's the second time this season Canó has been struck by a pitch while called for a swinging strike.He was replaced by Juan Lagares with the count 0-1.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) — Robinson Canó has been pulled from the New York Mets game against the Milwaukee Brewers after being hit by a pitch on his left hand while failing to check his swing.The left-handed hitting Canó began to swing Sunday at a fastball from left-hander Gio González in the first inning and fell open toward first base as the pitch headed toward his chest. It connected with the outside of his left hand, and Canó staggered out of the box and slammed his helmet before leaving.Canó was ruled to have swung at the pitch by plate umpire Todd Tichenor. It's the second time this season Canó has been struck by a pitch while called for a swinging strike.He was replaced by Juan Lagares with the count 0-1.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) — The Mets have designated backup catcher Travis d'Arnaud for assignment, signaling a possible departure for one of the organization's longest tenured players.New York announced the move Sunday, a day after d'Arnaud was booed during an 8-6 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers . D'Arnaud committed a baserunning blunder, allowed a passed ball and overthrew second on a stolen base attempt.D'Arnaud missed all but four games in 2018 due to Tommy John surgery. First-year general manager Brodie Van Wagenen brought the 30-year-old back on a $3,515,000, one-year deal. D'Arnaud has been Wilson Ramos' primary backup after New York traded Kevin Plawecki and placed Devin Mesoraco on the restricted list after he refused a demotion to Triple-A.D'Arnaud is 2 for 23 and has struggled defensively. The Mets have seven days to trade, release or place d'Arnaud on waivers. He can refuse a minor league assignment if he clears waivers.Tomás Nido was recalled from Triple-A, with manager Mickey Callaway citing his defense as an upgrade.Only Zack Wheeler and Juan Lagares had more continuous big league service time with the Mets than d'Arnaud, who debuted in August of 2013.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Christian Yelich hit three homers, including a pair of three-run shots, and drove in a career-high seven runs to power the Milwaukee Brewers past the St. Louis Cardinals 10-7 on Monday night.Yelich, the reigning NL MVP, hit his first three-run homer to cap a six-run second inning. After St. Louis tied it with three runs in the sixth, Yelich answered in the bottom half with a towering three-run blast to right off Mike Mayers (0-1).Yelich capped his night with his eighth homer this season, going deep to lead off the eighth. He also lined out in the first and was walked intentionally in the fourth.Junior Guerra (1-0) worked 1 2/3 innings for the victory. Josh Hader struck out the side in the ninth after allowing Marcell Ozuna's sixth home run to open the inning.DODGERS 4, REDS 3LOS ANGELES (AP) — Joc Pederson hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning to give Los Angeles a comeback victory over Cincinnati in Clayton Kershaw's season debut.Raisel Iglesias (0-3) walked... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Christian Yelich hit three homers, including a pair of three-run shots, and drove in a career-high seven runs to power the Milwaukee Brewers past the St. Louis Cardinals 10-7 on Monday night.Yelich, the reigning NL MVP, hit his first three-run homer to cap a six-run second inning. After St. Louis tied it with three runs in the sixth, Yelich answered in the bottom half with a towering three-run blast to right off Mike Mayers (0-1).Yelich capped his night with his eighth homer this season, going deep to lead off the eighth. He also lined out in the first and was walked intentionally in the fourth.Junior Guerra (1-0) worked 1 2/3 innings for the victory. Josh Hader struck out the side in the ninth after allowing Marcell Ozuna's sixth home run to open the inning.METS 7, PHILLIES 6, 11 INNINGSPHILADELPHIA (AP) — Juan Lagares scored from second base on Michael Conforto's hard grounder in the 11th inning and New York beat Philadelphia.Lagares led off with an infield single against... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Domingo German overcame control problems on a chilly night to win for the first time since last June, Gary Sanchez and Brett Gardner homered and the banged-up New York Yankees beat the punchless Detroit Tigers 3-1 Monday.Aaron Judge made a sprawling, backhand catch on Niko Goodrum's hard-hit liner after Adam Ottavino walked the first two batters in the eighth inning, a drive that would have tied the score if it had gotten by the right fielder.New York lost two more regulars to the 10-day injured list before the game after they got hurt a day earlier, outfielder Giancarlo Stanton with a strained left biceps and third baseman Miguel Andujar with a small labrum tear in his right shoulder.Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Andujar, runner-up for AL Rookie of the Year last season, will be treated conservatively with a rehab program and there is some optimism he will respond well. But if not, he could need season-surgery.They joined a group of sidelined Yankees that includes pitchers... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Domingo German overcame control problems on a chilly night to win for the first time since last June, Gary Sanchez and Brett Gardner homered and the banged-up New York Yankees beat the punchless Detroit Tigers 3-1 Monday.Aaron Judge made a sprawling, backhand catch on Niko Goodrum's hard-hit liner after Adam Ottavino walked the first two batters in the eighth inning, a drive that would have tied the score if it had gotten by the right fielder.New York lost two more regulars to the 10-day injured list before the game after they got hurt a day earlier, outfielder Giancarlo Stanton with a strained left biceps and third baseman Miguel Andujar with a small labrum tear in his right shoulder.Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Andujar, runner-up for AL Rookie of the Year last season, will be treated conservatively with a rehab program and there is some optimism he will respond well. But if not, he could need seasno-surgery.They joined a group of sidelined Yankees that includes pitchers... [More]

The Cleveland Indians already were dealing with a depleted infield when Jose Ramirez took a most damaging swing.A two-time All-Star third baseman, Ramirez bruised his left knee when he fouled a ball off his leg Sunday in a spring training game. His status for opening day was uncertain.X-rays were negative. The Indians said Ramirez will remain in Arizona, and that it will be determined later whether he can play Thursday when the AL Central champions open at Minnesota.Ramirez was carted from the field after getting hurt against the Chicago White Sox in Cleveland's final Cactus League exhibition. He wasn't able to put any pressure on his leg as manager Terry Francona and a trainer helped him onto the cart.The 26-year-old Ramirez hit 39 home runs with 105 RBIs while batting .270 and stealing 34 bases last season. He has finished third in AL MVP voting in each of the last two seasons.Star shortstop Francisco Lindor is starting the season on the injured list and second baseman Jason Kipnis is... [More]

The Cleveland Indians already were dealing with a depleted infield when Jose Ramirez took a most damaging swing.A two-time All-Star third baseman, Ramirez bruised his left knee when he fouled a ball off his leg Sunday in a spring training game. His status for opening day was uncertain.X-rays were negative. The Indians said Ramirez will remain in Arizona, and that it will be determined later whether he can play Thursday when the AL Central champions open at Minnesota.Ramirez was carted from the field after getting hurt against the Chicago White Sox in Cleveland's final Cactus League exhibition. He wasn't able to put any pressure on his leg as manager Terry Francona and a trainer helped him onto the cart.The 26-year-old Ramirez hit 39 home runs with 105 RBIs while batting .270 and stealing 34 bases last season. He has finished third in AL MVP voting in each of the last two seasons.Star shortstop Francisco Lindor is starting the season on the injured list and second baseman Jason Kipnis is... [More]

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — All rise — again. Aaron Judge is back.Judge hit his first two homers of spring training, helping the New York Yankees to a 7-1 victory over the Detroit Tigers in a split-squad game on Sunday.Brett Gardner also connected twice and Gary Sanchez had a solo drive as New York went deep six times. The Yankees set a major league record with 267 homers last season.Gardner and Judge hit consecutive homers off Daniel Norris in the first. Judge went deep again in the fifth, belting a two-run drive to right that went off the glove of a leaping Victor Reyes and just over the wall.Norris allowed three runs and four hits in 1 2/3 innings. The 25-year-old left-hander is trying to win a spot in Detroit's rotation."Just trying to throw strikes and stay out of the middle of the zone, which I didn't do very good today," Norris said.Masahiro Tanaka tossed three scoreless innings for the Yankees in his first spring start. Traditionally one of baseball's most deliberate workers, the right-hander... [More]

A team-by-team look at the National League East entering spring training, including key players each club acquired and lost, and dates of the first workout for pitchers and catchers, and the full squad:___Atlanta BravesManager: Brian Snitker (fourth season).2018: 90-72, first place, lost to Dodgers in Division Series.Training Town: Kissimmee, Florida.Park: Champion Stadium.First Workout: Feb. 16/21.He's Here: 3B Josh Donaldson, C Brian McCann, C Raffy Lopez, pitching coach Rick Kranitz.He's Outta Here: C Kurt Suzuki, RHP Anibal Sanchez, RHP Brandon McCarthy, RHP Brad Brach, 3B Ryan Flaherty, RHP Peter Moylan, 1B Lucas Duda, C Rene Rivera, OF Lane Adams, pitching coach Chuck Hernandez.Going campin': The 2018 Baby Braves were a surprise breakthrough team, winning the club's first NL East championship since 2013. A repeat title in a tougher NL East might be a bigger challenge. A key to the start of spring will be the health of Donaldson, who signed a one-year, $23 million deal after a left... [More]

A team-by-team look at the National League East entering spring training, including key players each club acquired and lost, and dates of the first workout for pitchers and catchers, and the full squad:___Atlanta BravesManager: Brian Snitker (fourth season).2018: 90-72, first place, lost to Dodgers in Division Series.Training Town: Kissimmee, Florida.Park: Champion Stadium.First Workout: Feb. 16/21.He's Here: 3B Josh Donaldson, C Brian McCann, C Raffy Lopez, pitching coach Rick Kranitz.He's Outta Here: C Kurt Suzuki, RHP Anibal Sanchez, RHP Brandon McCarthy, RHP Brad Brach, 3B Ryan Flaherty, RHP Peter Moylan, 1B Lucas Duda, C Rene Rivera, OF Lane Adams, pitching coach Chuck Hernandez.Going campin': The 2018 Baby Braves were a surprise breakthrough team, winning the club's first NL East championship since 2013. A repeat title in a tougher NL East might be a bigger challenge. A key to the start of spring will be the health of Donaldson, who signed a one-year, $23 million deal after a left... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Jed Lowrie would rather talk about wine than whine.The infielder visited Citi Field on Wednesday after finalizing a $20 million, two-year contract with the New York Mets, likely less money and a shorter term than he would have gotten before the free-agent market for solid-but-less-than-stellar veterans buckled a year ago."I think that argument could be made," he said. "But you deal in reality, and so I'm excited to be a Met."A switch-hitter who turns 35 in April, Lowrie and is coming off his first All-Star appearance. In his 11th major league season, Lowrie set career highs last year for Oakland with 23 homers, 99 RBIs, 78 walks and 128 strikeouts, hitting .267."He's a big wine connoisseur. He gets better with age like many of the wines that he collects," said new Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen, Lowrie's former agent.Lowrie, wife Milessa, daughter Saige and son Miles likely will live in New York City, possibly in Brooklyn. They have homes in Houston and his hometown... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Mets acquired outfielder Keon Broxton from the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday, giving them a center field option in addition to Juan Lagares.The Mets sent reliever Bobby Wahl to the Brewers along with a pair of minor leaguers, right-handed reliever Adam Hill and infielder Felix Valerio.Broxton had four home runs, 11 RBIs and a .179 batting average in 51 games for Milwaukee last season. While he stole 23 bases in 2016 and 21 the following year, he swiped just five last season. A right-handed batter, he hit 20 homers in 2017 but struck out 175 times.Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen called the 28-year-old Broxton a "dynamic athlete with the ability to impact the game in the outfield, on the bases and with his bat."Lagares had little depth behind him on the roster, with corner outfielders Michael Conforto and Brandon Nimmo his likely backups in center before the trade. Yoenis Cespedes is recovering from surgery on both heels and New York is not certain when... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — While other players were prepping for this season at spring training, Jose Bautista was on his own.A six-time All-Star without a big league job, Bautista remained eager to catch on somewhere and knew he needed to be resourceful. So to stay in game shape, the 37-year-old slugger spent his days back home in Florida hopping from gym workouts to local ballfields.Sometimes he ended up at the University of Tampa, or Tampa Catholic High School. Wherever he could find an empty diamond to hit and do defensive drills."I was trying to mimic somewhat the same program," said Bautista, who has quickly become a rare bright spot for the New York Mets this year. "I mean, it wasn't the easiest thing."His agent helped him scrounge up batting-practice pitchers to simulate game situations as best they could. High school kids, college players, other free agents looking for work.Bautista figures he got about 30 "at-bats" or so in April, when the regular season was already underway for everyone... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — The New York Mets have listed starting pitcher Steven Matz as day to day, hopeful he will not miss a turn in the rotation with a mild strain in his middle left finger.Manager Mickey Callaway said Matz isn't expected to go on the disabled list.Matz was injured while swinging the bat Tuesday in the top of the fourth. The bat flew out of his hand and pushed his middle finger far back. Though he doubled, the pain was too much for him to pitch the bottom half of the inning and he left the game.Callaway said Matz's injury doesn't compare to Noah Syndergaard's, one that forced the ace to the disabled list on the same day with a strained ligament in his right index finger."It was more of (Matz's) bat hitting that middle knuckle," Callaway said. "It's not even in the same ballpark. It's a finger issue, but that's it."Matz is 2-3 with a 3.55 ERA in 10 starts.New York made several moves to bolster a bullpen that's 1-5 with an 8.51 ERA in its past six games.Jacob Rhame was optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas, and left-hander P.J. Conlon was designated for assignment. Left-hander Buddy Baumann was recalled from Las Vegas, and right-handers Scott Copeland and Tim Peterson had their contracts selected from the minors.To make room on the 40-man roster, outfielder Juan Lagares was transferred to the 60-day disabled list.___For more AP baseball coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

NEW YORK (AP) — Jose Bautista was sitting on his couch at home in Florida when the call came Tuesday afternoon. He had a new job, with the New York Mets.So the former home run champ hustled to the airport in Tampa, hurried to Citi Field and was in such a rush, he didn't meet his manager until he came off the grass from stretching."I said, 'You're in left field,' and he said, 'I got it,'" skipper Mickey Callaway said.And an hour after joining the Mets, he swung into action.The six-time All-Star hit a double in his first at-bat in a 5-1 loss to Miami on Tuesday night. Bautista drew a nice cheer from the sparse crowd on a rainy evening and plenty of high-fives from his new teammates in the dugout after scoring their only run.The 37-year-old Bautista finished 1 for 3 and called it "one of the wildest days" in his career.Needing an extra outfielder, and preferably one who can tag left-handed pitchers, the Mets signed Bautista two days after he was cut by Atlanta."When I'm ready to call it quits,... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — An hour after joining the New York Mets, Jose Bautista swung into action.The former home run champ hit a double in his first at-bat for the Mets and scored a run Tuesday night against Miami. He drew a nice cheer from the sparse crowd on a rainy evening and plenty of high-fives from his new teammates in the dugout.Needing an extra outfielder, and preferably one who can tag left-handed pitchers, the Mets signed Bautista two days after he was cut by Atlanta. He caught a late afternoon flight from Tampa, Florida, shortly after completing the deal and arrived at Citi Field about a half-hour before gametime.The Mets reworked their starting lineup and had the 37-year-old Bautista batting fifth and playing left field. Bautista quickly lived up to his nickname of Joey Bats by doubling down the left-field line in the second inning off lefty Caleb Smith, and he scored on Tomas Nido's sacrifice fly.Bautista's hit came against a familiar opponent. Of the 12 games he played this month... [More]