KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas City Royals outfielder Hunter Dozier has tested positive for COVID-19 and was placed on the injured list before the club played its final exhibition game against the Cardinals in St. Louis on Wednesday.The 28-year-old is coming off a breakthrough season in which he hit 26 homers, tied for the American League lead in triples and had 84 RBIs. He is expected to play a big role for the Royals during their abbreviated 60-game season, which begins against the Indians on Friday night in Cleveland."I’m disappointed to say the least,” Dozier said. “I have been hit with a couple of symptoms that go with the virus, so I need to follow our medical team’s direction, get well and then work on getting back on the field. It’s disheartening because I felt things were going well on the field and I have a good feeling about the ball club we have. “To have to watch for whatever period of time that I’m out is going to painful.”Painful for the Royals, too.They still have catcher... [More]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals had the entire offseason, all of spring training and, thanks to the coronavirus pandemic putting sports on hold, much of the summer to consider ways to tweak and improve their roster going forward.They were still making moves a week before their abbreviated 60-game schedule was set to begin.The team traded left-handed reliever Tim Hill to the San Diego Padres late Thursday for talented but injury prone outfield prospect Franchy Cordero and young right-hander Ronald Bolanos. The move came after the Royals decided their lousy bullpen from a year ago had been sufficiently upgraded and with an eye toward next season and beyond, when several of their outfielders are due to become free agents or potentially retire.The 25-year-old Cordero was the big prize for Kansas City. He only has played 79 big league games over parts of three seasons thanks to a slew of injuries, which last year limited him to just nine games. But along with a .240 average, Cordero... [More]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Not long ago, Tim Hill was wrapping up eight brutal months of chemotherapy to treat colon cancer.If anybody had a reason to opt out of baseball's restart, it would be him.Yet there he was, on a blazing evening at Kauffman Stadium, throwing pitches to Kansas City Royals hitters as they prepared for the start of their 60-game season next weekend in Cleveland. One after another, the tall, lanky left-hander with the easy grin, infectious personality and brutal-to-hit sinker-style delivery left the woefully out-of-sync batters baffled.Cancer couldn't keep Hill in the dugout. The threat of contracting COVID-19 wasn't going to do it, either.“It's hard to imagine a guy his age going through what he's gone through already,” Royals manager Mike Matheny said, “and I think it's another testament of faith in himself and faith in the process to keep him in a good place, and it also shows how much he loves this group and loves this team and wants to get out and compete.”Turns out... [More]

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Prized shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. wore a facemask throughout the reboot of spring training Friday for the San Diego Padres, who reported that outfielder Tommy Pham tested positive for COVID-19 and is asymptomatic.General manager A.J. Preller said another test is pending but didn’t identify the player.Preller said Pham has begun self-isolation. “He feels fine. As a staff we’re following all the contact tracing protocols and all the MLB protocols in terms of when you have a positive test," he said. Pham will be able to return when he clears the protocol.Pham was obtained in an offseason trade with Tampa Bay that also netted the Padres prospect Jake Cronenworth in exchange for outfielder Hunter Renfroe.Tatis and outfielder Franchy Cordero appeared to be the only players who wore a mask through the whole workout at Petco Park, including drills in the field and batting practice. Tatis is looking to rebound after his sensational rookie season was cut short in mid-August by... [More]

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Prized shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. wore a facemask throughout the reboot of spring training Friday for the San Diego Padres, who reported that outfielder Tommy Pham tested positive for COVID-19 and is asymptomatic.General manager A.J. Preller said another test is pending but didn’t identify the player.Preller said Pham has begun self-isolation. “He feels fine. As a staff we’re following all the contact tracing protocols and all the MLB protocols in terms of when you have a positive test," he said. Pham will be able to return when he clears the protocol.Pham was obtained in an offseason trade with Tampa Bay that also netted the Padres prospect Jake Cronenworth in exchange for outfielder Hunter Renfroe.Tatis and outfielder Franchy Cordero appeared to be the only players who wore a mask through the whole workout at Petco Park, including drills in the field and batting practice. Tatis is looking to rebound after his sensational rookie season was cut short in mid-August by... [More]

SAN DIEGO (AP) — The San Diego Padres have agreed to minor league deals with outfielder Juan Lagares and infielder Gordon Beckham, a person familiar with the agreements told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity Tuesday night because the deals have not been announced and are pending physicals.Lagares will compete for the center field job vacated when Manuel Margot was traded to Tampa Bay for reliever Emilio Pagán. Trent Grisham, obtained in a trade with Milwaukee, appears to be the front runner for center field, and Franchy Cordero also will be in the mix. Lagares, 30, became a free agent after spending seven seasons with the New York Mets. He hit .213 with five home runs and 27 RBIs in 133 games in 2019. He made 67 starts in center field.Beckham, 33, was with Detroit in 2019, hitting .215 with six homers and 15 RBIs. He started at all four infield spots, making 56 total starts. He also became a free agent after the season.Pitchers and catchers report to Peoria, Arizona, on Wednesday, while position players report on Monday. The first full-squad workout is next Tuesday. ___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Sept. 11906 — The Philadelphia Athletics beat the Boston Red Sox 4-1 in 24 innings. Jack Coombs of the Athletics and Joe Harris of the Red Sox pitched all 24 innings. Coombs fanned 18.1930 — Wes Ferrell of Cleveland beat the St. Louis Browns 9-5 for his 13th straight victory.1931 — Lou Gehrig hit his third grand slam in four days as the Yankees beat the Boston Red Sox 5-1.1945 — The Philadelphia Phillies, behind Vince DiMaggio's grand slam, beat the Braves 8-3 in Boston. It was the fourth grand slam of the year for DiMaggio to tie a major league mark.1958 — Vinegar Bend Mizell of the St. Louis Cardinals set a National League record by walking nine batters and tossing a shutout. Mizell beat Cincinnati 1-0 in the first game of a doubleheader.1963 — Curt Simmons of the St. Louis Cardinals allowed six hits, drove in two runs with a triple and stole home plate in a 7-3 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies. Simmons' steal of home is the last by a pitcher.1967 — Cincinnati's Bob Lee walked Dick... [More]

Justin Verlander and the Houston Astros are going to continue their successful partnership for a while longer.Verlander and the Astros have agreed to a contract adding an additional $66 million in guaranteed money for 2020 and '21, a person with direct knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press.The person spoke Saturday on condition of anonymity because the deal had not been announced. The agreement was first reported by KRIV-FOX 26.A 36-year-old right-hander, Verlander is due $28 million in 2019, the final guaranteed season of a $180 million, seven-year deal he signed with Detroit before the 2013 season. That contract included a $22 million option for 2020 that would have become guaranteed if Verlander finished among the top five in Cy Young Award voting this year.Verlander was traded from Detroit to Houston on Aug. 31, 2017, and helped the Astros win their first World Series that season. The 2011 AL MVP and Cy Young Award winner, he finished second in Cy Young voting last season... [More]

Justin Verlander and the Houston Astros are going to continue their successful partnership for a while longer.Verlander and the Astros have agreed to a contract adding an additional $66 million in guaranteed money for 2020 and '21, a person with direct knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press.The person spoke Saturday on condition of anonymity because the deal had not been announced. The agreement was first reported by KRIV-FOX 26.A 36-year-old right-hander, Verlander is due $28 million in 2019, the final guaranteed season of a $180 million, seven-year deal he signed with Detroit before the 2013 season. That contract included a $22 million option for 2020 that would have become guaranteed if Verlander finished among the top five in Cy Young Award voting this year.Verlander was traded from Detroit to Houston on Aug. 31, 2017, and helped the Astros win their first World Series that season. The 2011 AL MVP and Cy Young Award winner, he finished second in Cy Young voting last season... [More]

Justin Verlander and the Houston Astros are going to continue their successful partnership for a while longer.Verlander and the Astros have agreed to a contract adding an additional $66 million in guaranteed money for 2020 and '21, a person with direct knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press.The person spoke Saturday on condition of anonymity because the deal had not been announced. The agreement was first reported by KRIV-FOX 26.A 36-year-old right-hander, Verlander is due $28 million in 2019, the final guaranteed season of a $180 million, seven-year deal he signed with Detroit before the 2013 season. That contract included a $22 million option for 2020 that would have become guaranteed if Verlander finished among the top five in Cy Young Award voting this year.Verlander was traded from Detroit to Houston on Aug. 31, 2017, and helped the Astros win their first World Series that season. The 2011 AL MVP and Cy Young Award winner, he finished second in Cy Young voting last season... [More]

PEORIA, Ariz. (AP) — San Diego Padres catcher Austin Hedges expected to see Manny Machado make acrobatic plays at third base and hit clutch home runs. What Hedges has learned this spring about his new teammate is just how smart he is."Everybody knows he can do that," Hedges said of Machado's Gold Glove-caliber defense at third base. "I think people notice the things that are God-given but they don't get to see what we get to see and that's the work that he puts in and the way he studies the game, which is taking a very talented player and turning him into arguably the greatest player in this game right now."This is Machado's first spring with the Padres after signing a $300 million, 10-year contract in February. He batted .297 with 37 homers and 107 RBIs last season."I played against him for years and his talent speaks for itself," Padres second baseman Ian Kinsler said. "You understand what he's capable of on the field, that he can impact the game in many different ways offensively, defensively,... [More]

PEORIA, Ariz. (AP) — Padres outfielder Travis Jankowski will miss the first couple months of the season after breaking a bone in his right wrist while diving to catch a fly ball against Texas.Padres manager Andy Green said Tuesday an MRI revealed the fracture and Jankowski will have surgery this week. Jankowski was poised to be a fourth outfielder and defensive replacement.Wil Myers, Franmil Reyes, Hunter Renfroe and Manuel Margot were expected to break camp in the outfield, and Franchy Cordero could take Jankowski's place as a versatile left-handed bat.Jankowski missed almost all of 2017 with a broken bone in his right foot. He hit .259 in 117 games last season, but his biggest value came with his defense and speed. He stole 24 bases in 31 chances.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

PEORIA, Ariz. (AP) — Padres outfielder Travis Jankowski will miss the first couple months of the season after breaking a bone in his right wrist while diving to catch a fly ball against Texas.Padres manager Andy Green said Tuesday an MRI revealed the fracture and Jankowski will have surgery this week. Jankowski was poised to be a fourth outfielder and defensive replacement.Wil Myers, Franmil Reyes, Hunter Renfroe and Manuel Margot were expected to break camp in the outfield, and Franchy Cordero could take Jankowski's place as a versatile left-handed bat.Jankowski missed almost all of 2017 with a broken bone in his right foot. He hit .259 in 117 games last season, but his biggest value came with his defense and speed. He stole 24 bases in 31 chances.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Wil Myers said Saturday he's moving back to the rebuilding Padres' crowded outfield, indicating that San Diego likely is still in the market for a third baseman.Myers said the decision to switch positions yet again was made during a recent discussion with general manager A.J. Preller and manager Andy Green."It was more of a group decision," Myers said at FanFest. "I did tell them I want to do what's best for the team going forward. Obviously, I want to win and whatever we can do to do that, I'm down for. ... I feel like both sides are happy."Neither Preller nor Green immediately responded to requests for comment.Myers played outfield in 2015 after being acquired in a three-team trade. He then played first base for two seasons before making way for Eric Hosmer last year. He started out in the outfield in 2018, was slowed by another injury and then was moved to third base late in the season and struggled to adjust.Then there was the moment when Myers was heard criticizing... [More]

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Eric Hosmer, San Diego's $144 million man, acknowledges he simply wasn't as good as he needed to be in what was supposed to be a steppingstone season for the rebuilding Padres.The burst of energy provided by Hosmer's signing during spring training didn't last long. The Padres, who have had three waves of young talent come up since beginning their deep rebuild during the 2016 season, staggered through another dismal year, finishing last in the NL West at 66-96, five losses worse than in 2017.Hosmer's average of .253 was down 65 points and his on-base percentage was his lowest in four seasons. His 18 homers and 65 RBIs were also his lowest in four seasons."Not where I want to be," said Hosmer, who was an All-Star and World Series champion while with Kansas City. "It was just a down year, definitely not the way I wanted to perform here the first year. Nothing I can do about it now. All I can do is go put in the work in the offseason and try to be ready to go next spring."There's... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Brandon Crawford went 4 for 4 with a two-run homer, and the San Francisco Giants dealt Max Scherzer his first loss in more than two months, defeating the Washington Nationals 2-0 on Sunday.After Pablo Sandoval walked leading off the fourth, Crawford homered into the second deck in right for his eighth of the season. He singled in the first and doubled in the sixth and eighth innings. Since May 1, Crawford is hitting an MLB-best .439 (58-for-132) and has raised his average to .338.Scherzer (10-2) had won nine straight decisions since his last loss on April 4. He allowed two runs and four hits while striking out nine over seven innings.Derek Holland (4-6), a 10-year veteran facing Washington for the first time, allowed three hits and two walks in five innings as five pitchers combined for the three-hitter. Hunter Strickland pitched the ninth for his 13th save.PADRES 3, MARLINS 1MIAMI (AP) — Clayton Richard became the latest pitcher to flirt with the first no-hitter in San... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Brandon Crawford went 4 for 4 with a two-run homer, and the San Francisco Giants dealt Max Scherzer his first loss in more than two months, defeating the Washington Nationals 2-0 on Sunday.After Pablo Sandoval walked leading off the fourth, Crawford homered into the second deck in right for his eighth of the season. He singled in the first and doubled in the sixth and eighth innings. Since May 1, Crawford is hitting an MLB-best .439 (58-for-132) and has raised his average to .338.Scherzer (10-2) had won nine straight decisions since his last loss on April 4. He allowed two runs and four hits while striking out nine over seven innings.Derek Holland (4-6), a 10-year veteran facing Washington for the first time, allowed three hits and two walks in five innings as five pitchers combined for the three-hitter. Hunter Strickland pitched the ninth for his 13th save.METS 2, YANKEES 0NEW YORK (AP) — Seth Lugo (2-1) pitched six dominant innings in a stellar spot start, Todd Frazier... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Brandon Crawford went 4 for 4 with a two-run homer, and the San Francisco Giants dealt Max Scherzer his first loss in more than two months, defeating the Washington Nationals 2-0 on Sunday.After Pablo Sandoval walked leading off the fourth, Crawford homered into the second deck in right for his eighth of the season. He singled in the first and doubled in the sixth and eighth innings. Since May 1, Crawford is hitting an MLB-best .439 (58-for-132) and has raised his average to .338.Scherzer (10-2) had won nine straight decisions since his last loss on April 4. He allowed two runs and four hits while striking out nine over seven innings.Derek Holland (4-6), a 10-year veteran facing Washington for the first time, allowed three hits and two walks in five innings as five pitchers combined for the three-hitter. Hunter Strickland pitched the ninth for his 13th save.PADRES 3, MARLINS 1MIAMI (AP) — Clayton Richard became the latest pitcher to flirt with the first no-hitter in San... [More]

SAN DIEGO (AP) — The San Diego Padres have placed rookie outfielder Franchy Cordero on the 10-day disabled list with a strained right forearm and reinstated outfielder Hunter Renfroe from the DL.Renfroe started in left field and batted cleanup in Monday afternoon's game against Miami. He was placed on the DL on April 21, retroactive to April 18, with an inflamed right elbow. He is hitting .200 with two homers and eight RBIs. He played in 10 games for Triple-A El Paso on a rehab assignment.Cordero was hitting .237 with seven homers and 19 RBIs.

PLAYERS TO PICK UPJack Flaherty, SP, St. Louis (54 percent owned in Yahoo) - Thirteen strikeouts. One walk. One earned run. Those were the numbers from Flaherty's last outing. How is he owned in just over half of leagues? If Flaherty is available in your league, you need to open a new tab, add him and then return here to read the rest of this column. With an outstanding slider, Flaherty is dominating hitters each outing. He's given up a total of six earned runs in 23 1/3 innings this year. Despite the too-many-guys-but-not-enough-spots problem the Cardinals' rotation has right now, Captain Jack's spot is safe.Tyler O'Neill, OF, St. Louis (41 percent) - Speaking of young Cardinals making a difference, O'Neill had a stretch of three home runs in three games earlier this week. Dexter Fowler is lost at the plate, and Marcel Ozuna is failing to replicate his success from a season ago. As long as O'Neill hits, Mike Matheny will find room for him in the Cardinals' lineup. There's a lot of Aaron... [More]