DETROIT (AP) — Matthew Boyd's status as Detroit's opening night starter is now official.He'd known for a while.Manager Ron Gardenhire confirmed Sunday that Boyd would start the opener, then the 29-year-old left-hander admitted he'd been told about the assignment months ago — before the coronavirus shut down spring training. His family was making plans for the occasion, then had to reconsider.“They were all booking their flights to Cleveland," Boyd said. "Luckily, Delta was able to refund some of those.”Boyd said he was told again he would pitch the opener shortly after the Tigers reconvened for their second training camp. That game not in Cleveland anymore. Detroit is set to begin the abbreviated 2020 season Friday night at Cincinnati. Starting the opener is a big deal for Boyd, even though the usual crowd of fans won't be there.“I know it’s going to look different this year, without getting to share it with the fans in person, but I’m sure it’ll be pretty special on TV with everything... [More]

DETROIT (AP) — Tigers pitcher Jordan Zimmermann is going on the 45-day injured list because of a strained right forearm, meaning he won’t be available for much of this year, if at all.Manager Ron Gardenhire said Saturday the right-hander doesn't need surgery and could return at the end of this abbreviated season. “He’s going to rehab,” Gardenhire said. “He played catch a couple of times. Feels fine, and then it starts getting a little sore, so now it’s just about doing the rehab and going from there.”This is the final year of Zimmermann’s contract with Detroit. He went 1-13 with a 6.91 ERA last year and has struggled to stay healthy while with the Tigers. He has a 5.61 ERA in four seasons with DetroitZimmermann's latest injury takes away one option for Gardenhire's starting rotation. Holdovers Matthew Boyd and Spencer Turnbull are back, along with Daniel Norris and Tyler Alexander. Michael Fulmer returns from Tommy John surgery, and Ivan Nova was acquired in the offseason.Detroit also has several intriguing pitching prospects — including Casey Mize, the No. 1 pick in the 2018 draft — who could contribute at some point.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

DETROIT (AP) — Tigers pitcher Jordan Zimmermann is going on the 45-day injured list because of a strained right forearm.Manager Ron Gardenhire said Saturday that the right-hander doesn't need surgery and could return at the end of this abbreviated season. But this move obviously means he won't be pitching much this year, if at all.“He’s going to rehab,” Gardenhire said. “He played catch a couple of times. Feels fine, and then it starts getting a little sore, so now it’s just about doing the rehab and going from there.”This is the final year of Zimmermann’s contract with Detroit. He went 1-13 with a 6.91 ERA last year and has struggled to stay healthy while with the Tigers. He has a 5.61 ERA in four seasons with DetroitZimmermann's latest injury takes away one option for Gardenhire's starting rotation. Holdovers Matthew Boyd and Spencer Turnbull are back, along with Daniel Norris and Tyler Alexander. Michael Fulmer returns from Tommy John surgery, and Ivan Nova was acquired in the offseason.Detroit also has several intriguing pitching prospects — including Casey Mize, the No. 1 pick in the 2018 draft — who could contribute at some point.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

His N-95 mask squarely in place, Mike Trout stroked line drives, streaked around the bases and caught flyballs at Angel Stadium. The sport’s biggest star then let something drop — he’s not “comfortable” in this COVID-19 environment and isn’t sure he’ll play this season.At Citi Field, Mets two-time Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom ran sprints by himself in shallow right field, then grabbed his personal bag of baseballs to throw off a bullpen mound. At Camden Yards, Baltimore manager Brandon Hyde watched practice from the stands behind the dugout.“It’s weird,” Reds star Joey Votto said.At Nationals Park, Max Scherzer limbered up with 65 pitches as the World Series champion Washington Nationals got back to work at 7:45 a.m. High in the press box, it was possible to hear players talking on the field about the virus.No doubt, those sentiments echoed all around the majors.Baseball tried to take another step forward Friday in a most uncertain setting, with players on the field at their empty... [More]

DETROIT (AP) — Baseball's return to Comerica Park meant Michael Fulmer was back on the mound in Detroit.It had certainly been a while for the right-hander, who had Tommy John surgery and missed the whole 2019 season.“The closer I got to being officially done with rehab, the more and more and more I wanted baseball to come back," Fulmer said. “I’m very happy to be up here in Detroit. I got to throw off the big league mound, or the game mound, today for the first time in about a year and a half.”The Tigers held the first workout of their new training camp Friday. They jogged, stretched and played catch in the outfield at Comerica, and there was a short period of batting practice on the field as well during the portion of the day that was open to reporters. Pitchers used both bullpens, along with the main mound in the infield.Fulmer threw off that game mound, and he said once he was on the field, the restrictions brought about by the coronavirus didn't interfere too much with the routine.... [More]

LAKELAND, Fla. (AP) — Christin Stewart homered in the top of the 10th inning to lift Detroit to a win in its season opener last year. A few days later, Spencer Turnbull took the mound for the Tigers as the starting pitcher for their first home game.Those are moments each player can look back on with pride, but both enter 2020 with a lot still to prove.The Tigers are still rebuilding after losing 114 games last season, and it remains to be seen how players like Stewart and Turnbull fit into their future. Both are a little old to be considered prospects, but they're still fairly inexperienced. This year is a chance to show they can be consistent contributors at the big league level.Stewart hit at least 25 home runs for three straight years in the minors. Then last season, he played 104 games for the Tigers, batting .233 with 10 homers and 40 RBIs.“That's going to help a lot. Having that year under my belt, it's another year facing those big league pitchers and being on the big league field... [More]

LAKELAND, Fla. (AP) — At this time last year, Michael Fulmer was hoping for a healthier 2019. Instead, his injury woes went from bad to worse.Fulmer needed Tommy John surgery and did not pitch at all last season, another setback for the right-hander who won AL Rookie of the Year honors for Detroit in 2016 but now faces an uncertain future for the Tigers. Still just 26 years old, Fulmer can give the team a lift if he comes back healthy, but that's still a work in progress.“I feel better than I thought I would at this point, playing catch out to 120 feet," Fulmer said this week. "Next progression is getting on the mound. Very anxious for that moment, but we've got to wait until it gets here.”Fulmer said he was hopeful he could throw on the mound around the end of March, perhaps before the team heads north.Fulmer went 11-7 with a 3.06 ERA in 2016, his debut season in the majors. He was fairly solid again the following year, but since then, he's had one problem after another. Oblique and knee... [More]

LAKELAND, Fla. (AP) — Cameron Maybin is back with the Detroit Tigers.The Tigers and the 32-year-old outfielder agreed Wednesday on a $1.5 million, one-year contract.He can earn $750,000 in performance bonuses for plate appearances: $100,000 each for 250, 300, 350, 400, 450 and 550, and $150,000 for 600.Maybin began his career with Detroit in 2007 before he was traded to the Marlins in the deal that sent Miguel Cabrera to the Tigers. Maybin returned to Detroit in a trade and played for the Tigers in 2016.Maybin spent last season with the New York Yankees, hitting .285 with 11 home runs and 32 RBIs in 82 games. His deal with the Tigers includes performance bonuses.Maybin gives Detroit another option in an outfield that includes JaCoby Jones, Christin Stewart and Victor Reyes.To make room on the 40-man roster, Detroit put right-hander Michael Fulmer (Tommy John surgery) on the 60-day injured list.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

LAKELAND, Fla. (AP) — Cameron Maybin is back with the Detroit Tigers.The Tigers and the 32-year-old outfielder agreed Wednesday on a $1.5 million, one-year contract.Maybin began his career with Detroit in 2007 before he was traded to the Marlins in the deal that sent Miguel Cabrera to the Tigers. Maybin returned to Detroit in a trade and played for the Tigers in 2016.Maybin spent last season with the New York Yankees, hitting .285 with 11 home runs and 32 RBIs in 82 games. His deal with the Tigers includes performance bonuses.Maybin gives Detroit another option in an outfield that includes JaCoby Jones, Christin Stewart and Victor Reyes.To make room on the 40-man roster, Detroit put right-hander Michael Fulmer (Tommy John surgery) on the 60-day injured list.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

LAKELAND, Fla. (AP) — Cameron Maybin is back with the Detroit Tigers.The Tigers and the 32-year-old outfielder agreed Wednesday on a $1.5 million, one-year contract.Maybin began his career with Detroit in 2007 before he was traded to the Marlins in the deal that sent Miguel Cabrera to the Tigers. Maybin returned to Detroit in a trade and played for the Tigers in 2016.Maybin spent last season with the New York Yankees, hitting .285 with 11 home runs and 32 RBIs in 82 games. His deal with the Tigers includes performance bonuses.Maybin gives Detroit another option in an outfield that includes JaCoby Jones, Christin Stewart and Victor Reyes.To make room on the 40-man roster, Detroit put right-hander Michael Fulmer (Tommy John surgery) on the 60-day injured list.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

DETROIT (AP) — Matthew Boyd and the Detroit Tigers agreed to a $5.3 million, one-year deal on Friday.The Tigers avoided arbitration with Boyd and all their eligible players. Detroit agreed to contracts for 2020 with left-hander Daniel Norris ($2,962,500), right-hander Buck Farmer ($1.15 million) and outfielder JaCoby Jones ($1,575,000). Right-hander Michael Fulmer agreed to a $2.8 million deal earlier in the week.The 28-year-old Boyd went 9-12 with a 4.56 ERA last season. The left-hander was a bright spot for much of the year and finished sixth in the American League with 238 strikeouts. However, he also allowed an AL-high 39 home runs.Boyd's salary goes up from $2.6 million, but if he can keep his strikeout total high and get the home runs under control, he could become a prime trade candidate for the rebuilding Tigers, who lost 114 games last season but have some highly regarded pitching prospects in their system.Norris arrived with Boyd in the 2015 trade that sent David Price from Detroit to Toronto. Norris has battled injuries in recent years but was able to make 29 starts last season. He went 3-13 with a 4.49 ERA and earned $1.3 million.The 28-year-old Farmer pitched almost exclusively in relief last year, going 6-6 with a 3.72 ERA. He gets a raise from $570,800.Jones hit .235 with 11 homers and 26 RBIs in 2019. He's batted .211 in 286 major league games for Detroit. Jones made $567,100 last season.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.comMLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Tigers agreed to a $5.3 million, one-year deal with left-hander Matthew Boyd on Friday.The Tigers avoided arbitration with Boyd and all their eligible players. Detroit agreed to contracts for 2020 with left-hander Daniel Norris ($2,962,500), right-hander Buck Farmer ($1.15 million) and outfielder JaCoby Jones ($1,575,000). Right-hander Michael Fulmer agreed to a $2.8 million deal earlier in the week.The 28-year-old Boyd went 9-12 with a 4.56 ERA last season. He was a bright spot for much of the year and finished sixth in the American League with 238 strikeouts. However, he also allowed an AL-high 39 home runs.Boyd's salary goes up from $2.6 million, but if he can keep his strikeout total high and get the home runs under control, he could become a prime trade candidate for the rebuilding Tigers, who lost 114 games last season but have some highly regarded pitching prospects in their system.Norris arrived with Boyd in the 2015 trade that sent David Price from Detroit to Toronto. Norris has battled injuries in recent years but was able to make 29 starts last season. He went 3-13 with a 4.49 ERA and made $1.3 million.The 28-year-old Farmer pitched almost exclusively in relief last year, going 6-6 with a 3.72 ERA. He gets a raise from $570,800.Jones hit .235 with 11 homers and 26 RBIs in 2019. He's batted .211 in 286 major league games for Detroit. Jones made $567,100 last season.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.comMLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

DETROIT (AP) — The Tigers avoided arbitration with Michael Fulmer, agreeing Monday to a $2.8 million, one-year deal with the right-hander after he missed last season while recovering from Tommy John surgery.It's the same amount Fulmer received last year when he lost his arbitration case with the Tigers.Fulmer was voted AL Rookie of the Year in 2016 and won 10 games in 2017, but he struggled in 2018, and that season ended early for him because of a right knee injury.He said last March he was going to have the elbow ligament reconstruction.Fulmer turns 27 on March 15.Left-handers Matthew Boyd and Daniel Norris, right-hander Buck Farmer and outfielder JaCoby Jones remain eligible for arbitration for Detroit.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.comMLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

DETROIT (AP) — The most promising moment for the Detroit Tigers this year may have occurred far away from Comerica Park — or any other major league field.On April 29, Casey Mize threw a no-hitter in his debut for Double-A Erie.After narrowly avoiding triple-digit losses the previous two seasons, the big league Tigers sank all the way to a 47-114 record in 2019. They were particularly awful at home, going 22-59. If there was going to be any cause for optimism, it was going to be because of young prospects who might be able to help this team in the future."I think our fans down at spring training are going to see some of these guys," manager Ron Gardenhire said. "They're going to get their chances out on the mound during games and hopefully our fans will get to see those guys firsthand produce and throw the ball like we know they can throw the ball. Some of the infielders and outfielders that we've got, you'll see them in spring training I'm hoping. I'm asking for some of those guys (from... [More]

DETROIT (AP) — The most promising moment for the Detroit Tigers this year may have occurred far away from Comerica Park — or any other major league field.On April 29, Casey Mize threw a no-hitter in his debut for Double-A Erie.After narrowly avoiding triple-digit losses the previous two seasons, the big league Tigers sank all the way to a 47-114 record in 2019. They were particularly awful at home, going 22-59. If there was going to be any cause for optimism, it was going to be because of young prospects who might be able to help this team in the future."I think our fans down at spring training are going to see some of these guys," manager Ron Gardenhire said. "They're going to get their chances out on the mound during games and hopefully our fans will get to see those guys firsthand produce and throw the ball like we know they can throw the ball. Some of the infielders and outfielders that we've got, you'll see them in spring training I'm hoping. I'm asking for some of those guys (from... [More]

DETROIT (AP) — Detroit's Matt Moore is expected to miss the rest of the season after right knee surgery, the latest setback for the left-hander who was once one of the game's rising stars.The 29-year-old Moore signed with the Tigers in the offseason and did not allow a run in 10 innings this year, but he hurt his knee April 6 while trying to field a bunt.Moore said last weekend he had a tear in his meniscus, but the severity wasn't clear. Manager Ron Gardenhire provided more information Wednesday."He had the surgery, and they had to fix some things up in there, and he's out for the year," Gardenhire said.Moore was an All-Star in 2013 with Tampa Bay, but Tommy John surgery cost him almost all of 2014, and he hasn't been very effective since. He signed a $2.5 million, one-year contract with Detroit. That deal included an extra $1 million in performance bonuses, but none of those kick in until his 10th start."He was making a great comeback with us, throwing the ball really well, had a great... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors today:FOR OPENERSBryce Harper, Mookie Betts, Mike Trout and everyone else is set to play, at last. All 30 teams are in action, with opening day on deck at Yankee Stadium, Dodger Stadium and ballparks in between. The forecast is pretty good in most places, with no snow or frosty temps expected, although rain is a possibility in Kansas City and Oakland.Chris Sale starts for the World Series champion Red Sox when they visit red-hot Seattle — well, the Mariners have started out 2-0 after sweeping the A's last week at the Tokyo Dome.CY AND SIGHJacob deGrom and Blake Snell get an early chance to defend their Cy Young Awards — first-time winners last year, they're pitching against the guys who were the runner-ups.DeGrom (10-9, MLB-leading 1.70 ERA) starts for the Mets when they face three-time Cy winner Max Scherzer (18-7, MLB-high 300 strikeouts) at Nationals Park. Snell (21-5, 1.89 ERA) starts for the Rays vs. Justin Verlander (16-9, AL-best 290 Ks)... [More]

TORONTO (AP) — Charlie Montoyo is doing his part to make sure the Toronto Blue Jays play before a full house in his first game as a major league manager.Montoyo and the Blue Jays begin the 2019 season at home Thursday against the Detroit Tigers. It's a big moment for Montoyo, who spent 18 seasons as a minor league manager in the Tampa Bay system and another four as a big league coach for the Rays before getting the Blue Jays job last winter.Besides family from his home in Puerto Rico, Montoyo has friends coming from some of his minor league managerial stops around the United States."They're flying in tonight," a smiling Montoyo said Wednesday. "My mom, sister, sister-in-law, people from Durham (North Carolina), from Tucson (Arizona), from Montgomery (Alabama). It's going to be special."While Montoyo is proving a draw, several thousand tickets remained unsold less than 24 hours before the opener, a reflection of Toronto's outlook at the beginning of a rebuild. Top prospect Vladimir Guerrero... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors Thursday:FOR OPENERSBryce Harper, Mookie Betts, Mike Trout and everyone else is set to play, at last. All 30 teams are in action, with opening day on deck at Yankee Stadium, Dodger Stadium and ballparks in between. The forecast is pretty good in most places, with no snow or frosty temps expected, although rain is a possibility in Kansas City and Oakland.Chris Sale starts for the World Series champion Red Sox when they visit red-hot Seattle — well, the Mariners have started out 2-0 after sweeping the A's last week at the Tokyo Dome.CY AND SIGHJacob deGrom and Blake Snell get an early chance to defend their Cy Young Awards — first-time winners last year, they're pitching against the guys who were the runner-ups.DeGrom (10-9, MLB-leading 1.70 ERA) starts for the Mets when they face three-time Cy winner Max Scherzer (18-7, MLB-high 300 strikeouts) at Nationals Park. Snell (21-5, 1.89 ERA) starts for the Rays vs. Justin Verlander (16-9, AL-best 290... [More]

Four-man outfields. High-tech anti-spying rules. A starting pitcher facing just one batter in a playoff game.But beyond all the shifts, analytics and social media outreach, here's the best way to tell Major League Baseball has zoomed into a new era: There's not a single active player left from the 20th century.Not one.Adrian Beltre and Bartolo Colon were the last, the Elias Sports Bureau said. And with all 30 teams set to play Thursday — from Bryce Harper's home debut at Citizens Bank Park to Mookie Betts and the champion Boston Red Sox visiting Seattle — this year MLB becomes the first of the four major sports without someone still around who played in the 1900s.The last time that was true in the big leagues? Back before even the World Series existed.Already this season, the great Ichiro Suzuki has retired, done at 45 after two hitless games last week as the Seattle Mariners swept Oakland at the Toyko Dome."I really wanted to play until I was 50, but I couldn't do it," he said.Yankees... [More]