NEW YORK (AP) — Former home run champ Jose Bautista is getting another chance to show he still has pop, this time with the New York Mets.Needing an extra outfielder, and preferably one who can tag left-handed pitchers, the Mets signed Bautista and immediately put him in the starting lineup Tuesday night against Miami.Bautista was set to bat fifth against Marlins lefty Caleb Smith and play left field. Two days after being cut by Atlanta, Bautista caught a late afternoon flight from Tampa, Florida, and arrived shortly before gametime.Bautista wasn't in the original starting lineup posted by the Mets. That changed once the 37-year-old nicknamed Joey Bats made it to Citi Field."This is something we felt we should try to do," general manager Sandy Alderson said.The Mets recently lost former Gold Glove center fielder Juan Lagares to a season-ending toe injury. Slugger Yoenis Cespedes is out with a strained right hip flexor, with no timetable for his return."The outfield position has been thin... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Juan Lagares and his Gold Glove are probably gone for the season.The part-time New York Mets center fielder is expected to miss the rest of the year because of an injury to the big toe on his left foot. The team announced Friday that Lagares had an MRI and is tentatively scheduled for surgery next week to repair a complete tear of the big toe plantar plate, which is a thick supporting ligament."We got the news yesterday," manager Mickey Callaway said. "That was really tough. I felt really bad for him. He was on a roll and playing great and now this happens."Lagares, a 2014 Gold Glove winner who was off to a fine start this season, got hurt Wednesday in the ninth inning of a lopsided loss to Toronto when he ran into the outfield wall to make a catch."It's going to hurt us a little bit. We counted on Juan off the bench at times. He was probably in a situation where he was going to get to start playing a lot more than he had, with some guys out," Callaway said.It's the latest... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Juan Lagares and his Gold Glove are probably gone for the season.The part-time New York Mets center fielder is expected to miss the rest of the year because of an injury to the big toe on his left foot. The team announced Friday that Lagares had an MRI and is tentatively scheduled for surgery next week to repair a complete tear of the big toe plantar plate, which is a thick supporting ligament."We got the news yesterday," manager Mickey Callaway said. "That was really tough. I felt really bad for him. He was on a roll and playing great and now this happens."Lagares, a 2014 Gold Glove winner who was off to a fine start this season, got hurt Wednesday in the ninth inning of a lopsided loss to Toronto when he ran into the outfield wall to make a catch."It's going to hurt us a little bit. We counted on Juan off the bench at times. He was probably in a situation where he was going to get to start playing a lot more than he had, with some guys out," Callaway said.It's the latest... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Mets center fielder Juan Lagares is expected to miss the rest of the season because of an injury to the big toe on his left foot.The team announced Friday that Lagares is tentatively scheduled for surgery next week to repair a complete tear of the big toe plantar plate, which is a thick supporting ligament of the toe.Lagares, a Gold Glove winner in 2014, was injured late in a blowout loss to Toronto on Wednesday when he ran into the outfield wall to make a catch. An elite defender who starts regularly against left-handed pitching, Lagares was off to a fine start at the plate this season, hitting .339 with no homers and six RBIs in 59 at-bats. He also had three stolen bases.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

MIAMI (AP) — The Los Angeles Dodgers went 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position against Wei-Yin Chen and four relievers and were beaten by a last-place team for the fifth straight game, losing to the Miami Marlins 4-2 Tuesday night.The NL champions managed only five hits after being swept in a four-game series at home by woeful Cincinnati. Alex Wood (0-4) lost despite allowing only one earned run in six innings for the Dodgers (16-25), who are off to their worst start in 60 years. Miami (15-26) could pass them by sweeping the three-game series.Nick Wittgren (2-0) entered in the fifth and worked 1 2/3 perfect innings to lower his ERA to 0.69. Brad Ziegler gave up a home run to Cody Bellinger in the ninth but earned his sixth save.Dodgers infielders Justin Turner and Logan Forsythe were activated from the disabled list but couldn't spark the defending NL champions, who have scored 11 runs during their skid.ASTROS 5, ANGELS 3ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Jose Altuve hit a go-ahead, three-run double... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — The Los Angeles Dodgers went 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position against Wei-Yin Chen and four relievers and were beaten by a last-place team for the fifth straight game, losing to the Miami Marlins 4-2 Tuesday night.The NL champions managed only five hits after being swept in a four-game series at home by woeful Cincinnati. Alex Wood (0-4) lost despite allowing only one earned run in six innings for the Dodgers (16-25), who are off to their worst start in 60 years. Miami (15-26) could pass them by sweeping the three-game series.Nick Wittgren (2-0) entered in the fifth and worked 1 2/3 perfect innings to lower his ERA to 0.69. Brad Ziegler gave up a home run to Cody Bellinger in the ninth but earned his sixth save.Dodgers infielders Justin Turner and Logan Forsythe were activated from the disabled list but couldn't spark the defending NL champions, who have scored 11 runs during their skid.PADRES 4, ROCKIES 0SAN DIEGO (AP) — Jordan Lyles came (1-1) within five outs of... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — The Los Angeles Dodgers went 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position against Wei-Yin Chen and four relievers and were beaten by a last-place team for the fifth straight game, losing to the Miami Marlins 4-2 Tuesday night.The NL champions managed only five hits after being swept in a four-game series at home by woeful Cincinnati. Alex Wood (0-4) lost despite allowing only one earned run in six innings for the Dodgers (16-25), who are off to their worst start in 60 years. Miami (15-26) could pass them by sweeping the three-game series.Nick Wittgren (2-0) entered in the fifth and worked 1 2/3 perfect innings to lower his ERA to 0.69. Brad Ziegler gave up a home run to Cody Bellinger in the ninth but earned his sixth save.Dodgers infielders Justin Turner and Logan Forsythe were activated from the disabled list but couldn't spark the defending NL champions, who have scored 11 runs during their skid.PADRES 4, ROCKIES 0SAN DIEGO (AP) — Jordan Lyles came (1-1) within five outs of... [More]

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Eddie Rosario scored the winning run in his homeland in the 16th inning, coming around on Ryan LaMarre's single to lift the Minnesota Twins over the Cleveland Indians 2-1 on Wednesday night for a split of their two-game series in Puerto Rico.Rosario led off the 16th with a single and went to third when Logan Morrison's grounder — which could have been a double-play ball — got past second baseman Jason Kipnis.Eduardo Escobar was intentionally walked to load the bases with none out, and LaMarre finally ended the 5-hour, 13-minute marathon with a sharp liner to center.Alan Busenitz (1-0) worked two innings for the win. Josh Tomlin (0-2) got the loss in his first relief appearance since 2016.RED SOX 9, ANGELS 0ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Rafael Devers hit his first career grand slam, Rick Porcello threw six scoreless innings and Boston extended its best start in franchise history.Mitch Moreland had four RBIs, including a two-run homer in the ninth, and J.D Martinez hit... [More]

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Eddie Rosario scored the winning run in his homeland in the 16th inning, coming around on Ryan LaMarre's single to lift the Minnesota Twins over the Cleveland Indians 2-1 on Wednesday night for a split of their two-game series in Puerto Rico.Rosario led off the 16th with a single and went to third when Logan Morrison's grounder — which could have been a double-play ball — got past second baseman Jason Kipnis.Eduardo Escobar was intentionally walked to load the bases with none out, and LaMarre finally ended the 5-hour, 13-minute marathon with a sharp liner to center.Alan Busenitz (1-0) worked two innings for the win. Josh Tomlin (0-2) got the loss in his first relief appearance since 2016.RED SOX 9, ANGELS 0ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Rafael Devers hit his first career grand slam, Rick Porcello threw six scoreless innings and Boston extended its best start in franchise history.Mitch Moreland had four RBIs, including a two-run homer in the ninth, and J.D Martinez hit... [More]

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Eddie Rosario scored the winning run in his homeland in the 16th inning, coming around on Ryan LaMarre's single to lift the Minnesota Twins over the Cleveland Indians 2-1 on Wednesday night for a split of their two-game series in Puerto Rico.Rosario led off the 16th with a single and went to third when Logan Morrison's grounder — which could have been a double-play ball — got past second baseman Jason Kipnis.Eduardo Escobar was intentionally walked to load the bases with none out, and LaMarre finally ended the 5-hour, 13-minute marathon with a sharp liner to center.Alan Busenitz (1-0) worked two innings for the win. Josh Tomlin (0-2) got the loss in his first relief appearance since 2016.METS 11, NATIONALS 5NEW YORK (AP) — Yoenis Cespedes launched a grand slam during New York's nine-run outburst in the eighth inning, helping the Mets avoid a three-game sweep.Todd Frazier tied it at 4 with a two-run single and pinch-hitter Juan Lagares put New York ahead for... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Yoenis Cespedes launched a grand slam during a nine-run outburst in the eighth inning that rallied the New York Mets past the Washington Nationals 11-5 on Wednesday night, preventing a three-game sweep.Todd Frazier tied it at 4 with a two-run single and pinch-hitter Juan Lagares put New York ahead for the first time with a two-run double off ineffective setup man Ryan Madson (0-2).Shut down by Tanner Roark for seven innings, the first-place Mets broke loose in the eighth and improved to 13-4 with a stirring victory against their NL East rivals.Ryan Zimmerman homered twice, tripled and drove in four runs for the Nationals, who pulled off their own big comeback in the eighth inning of the series opener.AJ Ramos (1-1) worked a perfect inning for his first win with the Mets since being acquired from Miami last July.ATHLETICS 12, WHITE SOX 11, 14 INNINGSOAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Matt Olson singled over left fielder Nicky Delmonico to drive in Marcus Semien with two outs in the 14th... [More]

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Shohei Ohtani retired the Oakland Athletics' first 19 batters and yielded one hit over seven shutout innings in his home pitching debut, leading the Los Angeles Angels to a 6-1 victory Sunday.Marcus Semien's clean one-out single to left broke up Ohtani's bid for a perfect game,Ohtani (2-0) struck out the side twice and finished with 12 strikeouts in all. He won his pitching debut in Oakland last weekend with six strong innings, then homered in three consecutive games in Anaheim between starts in his attempt to become the first regular two-way player in decades.Mike Trout and Ryan Schimpf homered, and Albert Pujols had an RBI double in the Angels' seventh win in nine games. Kendall Graveman (0-2) gave up five hits and four walks while failing to get out of the fourth inning for the A's, who have lost seven of 10.METS 6, NATIONALS 5, 12 INNINGSWASHINGTON (AP) — Yoenis Cespedes scored Juan Lagares with a broken-bat single in the 12th inning to help New York complete... [More]

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (AP) — Patience was key for Brandon Nimmo.The 24-year-old outfielder hit .260 with five homers and 21 RBIs in 177 at-bats last year, fighting for playing time behind Yoenis Cespedis, Michael Conforto, Jay Bruce, Curtis Granderson and Juan Lagares.During the offseason, there were rumors he could be traded, perhaps in a deal that would have brought the Mets outfielder Andrew McCutchen and second baseman Josh Harrison.New York kept Nimmo, a former first-round draft pick who could start Thursday's opener in center field as Conforto recovers from shoulder surgery that figures to keep him from major league games for a few more weeks."They had the opportunity to go with a year of an All-Star outfielder in McCutchen and Harrison," Nimmo said. "To be able to be in those conversations is good because it means other teams want you, and it also means the Mets really like you enough to keep you around."I did take some confidence from that. This is the organization I grew up with.... [More]

Capsules of National League East teams, listed in order of finish last year:___Washington Nationals2017: 97-65, first place, lost to Cubs in NLDS.Manager: Dave Martinez (first season).He's Here: 1B-OF Matt Adams, C Miguel Montero, RHP Jeremy Hellickson, RHP Joaquin Benoit, INF Matt Reynolds.He's Outta Here: Manager Dusty Baker, LF Jayson Werth, 1B-LF Adam Lind, C Jose Lobaton, RHP Matt Albers.Projected Lineup: SS Trea Turner (.284, 11 HRs, 45 RBIs, 46 SBs in 98 games), LF Adam Eaton (.297, 2, 13 in 23 games), RF Bryce Harper (.319, 29, 87), 3B Anthony Rendon (.301, 25, 100, 41 2Bs), 2B Daniel Murphy (.322, 23, 93, 43 2Bs; expected to begin season on DL recovering from knee surgery), 1B Ryan Zimmerman (.303, 36, 108, 33 2Bs), CF Michael A. Taylor (.271, 19, 53), C Matt Wieters (.225, 10, 52).Rotation: RH Max Scherzer (16-6, 2.51 ERA, NL-high 268 Ks, 200 2/3 IP, 3rd Cy Young Award), RH Stephen Strasburg (15-4, 2.52, 204 Ks), LH Gio Gonzalez (15-9, 2.96, 79 walks), RH Tanner Roark (13-11,... [More]

Capsules of National League East teams, listed in order of finish last year:___Washington Nationals2017: 97-65, first place, lost to Cubs in NLDS.Manager: Dave Martinez (first season).He's Here: 1B-OF Matt Adams, C Miguel Montero, RHP Jeremy Hellickson, RHP Joaquin Benoit, INF Matt Reynolds.He's Outta Here: Manager Dusty Baker, LF Jayson Werth, 1B-LF Adam Lind, C Jose Lobaton, RHP Matt Albers.Projected Lineup: SS Trea Turner (.284, 11 HRs, 45 RBIs, 46 SBs in 98 games), LF Adam Eaton (.297, 2, 13 in 23 games), RF Bryce Harper (.319, 29, 87), 3B Anthony Rendon (.301, 25, 100, 41 2Bs), 2B Daniel Murphy (.322, 23, 93, 43 2Bs; expected to begin season on DL recovering from knee surgery), 1B Ryan Zimmerman (.303, 36, 108, 33 2Bs), CF Michael A. Taylor (.271, 19, 53), C Matt Wieters (.225, 10, 52).Rotation: RH Max Scherzer (16-6, 2.51 ERA, NL-high 268 Ks, 200 2/3 IP, 3rd Cy Young Award), RH Stephen Strasburg (15-4, 2.52, 204 Ks), LH Gio Gonzalez (15-9, 2.96, 79 walks), RH Tanner Roark (13-11,... [More]

Capsules of National League East teams, listed in order of finish last year:___Washington Nationals2017: 97-65, first place, lost to Cubs in NLDS.Manager: Dave Martinez (first season).He's Here: 1B-OF Matt Adams, C Miguel Montero, RHP Jeremy Hellickson, RHP Joaquin Benoit, INF Matt Reynolds.He's Outta Here: Manager Dusty Baker, LF Jayson Werth, 1B-LF Adam Lind, C Jose Lobaton, RHP Matt Albers.Projected Lineup: SS Trea Turner (.284, 11 HRs, 45 RBIs, 46 SBs in 98 games), LF Adam Eaton (.297, 2, 13 in 23 games), RF Bryce Harper (.319, 29, 87), 3B Anthony Rendon (.301, 25, 100, 41 2Bs), 2B Daniel Murphy (.322, 23, 93, 43 2Bs, expected to begin season on DL recovering from knee surgery), 1B Ryan Zimmerman (.303, 36, 108, 33 2Bs), CF Michael A. Taylor (.271, 19, 53), C Matt Wieters (.225, 10, 52).Rotation: RH Max Scherzer (16-6, 2.51 ERA, NL-high 268 Ks, 200 2/3 IP, 3rd Cy Young Award), RH Stephen Strasburg (15-4, 2.52, 204 Ks), LH Gio Gonzalez (15-9, 2.96, 79 walks), RH Tanner Roark (13-11,... [More]

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (AP) — Tim Tebow made his first spring training start this year, struck out against reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer and then singled off Washington's Erick Fedde in a 2-1 loss to by a New York Mets' split squad to the Nationals on Friday.Batting fourth as the designated hitter, Tebow struck out on three pitches leading off the second inning."He's nasty," Tebow said. "The first pitch was a back-door slider, a really good pitch. The second pitch was a fastball, and I felt I put a really good swing on it. He's got so much movement on his ball, and it just stays true. Then he throws another back-door cutter 0-2. He's just got a lot of really good pitches, but it's awesome to see one of the best in the league. It's great work for me."The 30-year-old former NFL quarterback singled on a first-pitch fastball in the fourth for his first hit of spring training."It was a little bit outside, but I wanted to stay on it and hit it where it's pitched. It felt good,"... [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:___Washington NationalsManager: Dave Martinez (first season).2017: 97-65, first place, lost to Chicago Cubs in NLDS.Training Town: West Palm Beach, Florida.Park: The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches.First Workout: Feb. 16/21.He's Here: 1B-OF Matt Adams, C Miguel Montero.He's Outta Here: Manager Dusty Baker, LF Jayson Werth, C Jose Lobaton, 1B-LF Adam Lind, RHP Matt Albers.Going campin': It's become an all-too-familiar story for the Nationals and their fans: terrific regular season, followed by quick playoff exit, followed by a managerial change. Martinez will be the latest skipper to try to lead the club to postseason success — and GM Mike Rizzo has made it clear that ownership expects nothing less than a World Series championship. Martinez has been Joe Maddon's right-hand man with the Chicago... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — By the end of last season, the New York Mets' vaunted pitching staff was broken. So they brought in rookie manager Mickey Callaway as Mister Fix-it.The former Cleveland Indians guru begins his first managerial job at any level next week when New York opens spring training in Port St. Lucie, Florida. The primary task for Callaway and first-year Mets pitching coach Dave Eiland: rebuild the same rotation with their own set of tools.Callaway, the lauded pitching coach of a highly successful group in Cleveland, has already hinted at implementing unorthodox tactics such as summoning his closer in the middle innings and occasionally using six starters. He plans to keep the brittle arms sharp with throwing and conditioning programs."Our season is going to turn on the health of our pitching," general manager Sandy Alderson said last month. "If we have a reasonably healthy season out of our pitching, particularly our starting pitching, we're going to be pretty good."New York rode... [More]

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (AP) — Getting back on the mound late last season was important for Noah Syndergaard.The New York Mets star went on the disabled list after tearing a lat muscle on April 30 in his fifth start, a 23-5 loss to Washington.He made a pair of brief minor league appearances at the start of September, then had two short outings for New York in the season's final 10 days, totaling three innings."You don't want to go into the offseason in a rehab protocol. I worked so hard for four months that I felt I needed a little bit of a reward to go out there and have success and show that I can come back from a serious injury like that healthy," he said Wednesday in his first appearance at pre-spring training workouts.The 25-year-old right-hander is the ace of the rotation under new manager Mickey Callaway, who replaced Terry Collins. He heads a staff that includes Jacob deGrom, Matt Harvey, Steven Matz and Zack Wheeler, a quintet that combined for just 86 starts last year."I think if... [More]