LAKELAND, Fla. (AP) — In his rookie season with the Detroit Tigers, Niko Goodrum spent time at first base, second base, third base, shortstop and both corner outfield spots.The next logical step was to try him in center field, and manager Ron Gardenhire did just that during spring training this month."We're just looking for places to put him. We're going to play him everywhere," Gardenhire said. "Except catcher. We're not going to do that yet."Goodrum's bat makes him a decent asset for the Tigers, but his versatility is what really sets him apart, and there's increasing evidence that major league teams are putting more value on his type of jack-of-all-trades skill set. More players have been moved around the diamond in recent seasons, a sign of how important the modern utility player is to the flexibility of a big league lineup.According to the play index at Baseball-Reference.com, 31 players appeared in at least one game last season at first base, second base, third base and shortstop.... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Joc Pederson and Enrique Hernandez each hit two of the Los Angeles Dodgers' eight home runs Thursday in a 12-5 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks.The Dodgers set a major league record for homers on opening day and tied the franchise mark for any game.Hernandez, Austin Barnes and Corey Seager all homered in the fourth inning to chase Arizona ace Zack Greinke (0-1). Max Muncy, Cody Bellinger and Hernandez connected in the seventh for the power-packed Dodgers, whose pursuit of a third straight National League got off to a thrilling start.Adam Jones and Christian Walker homered for the Diamondbacks, but their pitching staff's eight homers allowed also set a team record.The Dodgers and Diamondbacks weren't the only ones going deep, either, as teams around the majors combined to set an all-time high for home runs on opening day.Hyun-Jin Ryu (1-0) struck out eight over six stellar innings as Los Angeles' first opening day starter not named Clayton Kershaw since 2010. Kershaw's... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Joc Pederson and Enrique Hernandez each hit two of the Los Angeles Dodgers' eight home runs Thursday in a 12-5 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks.The Dodgers set a major league record for homers on opening day and tied the franchise mark for any game.Hernandez, Austin Barnes and Corey Seager all homered in the fourth inning to chase Arizona ace Zack Greinke (0-1). Max Muncy, Cody Bellinger and Hernandez connected in the seventh for the power-packed Dodgers, whose pursuit of a third straight National League got off to a thrilling start.Adam Jones and Christian Walker homered for the Diamondbacks, but their pitching staff's eight homers allowed also set a team record.The Dodgers and Diamondbacks weren't the only ones going deep, either, as teams around the majors combined to set an all-time high for home runs on opening day.Hyun-Jin Ryu (1-0) struck out eight over six stellar innings as Los Angeles' first opening day starter not named Clayton Kershaw since 2010. Kershaw's... [More]

PHOENIX (AP) — Cincinnati Reds All-Star second baseman Scooter Gennett injured his right leg while fielding a grounder against Milwaukee and was helped off the field.Gennett ranged to his left for a ball off the bat of Yasmani Grandal leading off the second inning Friday. Gennett slid to make the stop and threw to pitcher Robert Stephenson covering first for the out. Gennett went to his knees and was helped off by Reds head athletic trainer Steve Baumann and manager David Bell."I don't know exactly if it was when he fell or when he made the throw," Bell said. "He felt something in his groin.Cincinnati says Gennett was to have an MRI.The 28-year-old Gennett reached the majors with the Brewers in 2013 and was claimed off waivers by his hometown Reds near the end of spring training two years ago. He made his first All-Star team last season, hitting .310 with 23 homers and 92 RBIs.Top prospect Nick Senzel could be a candidate to replace Gennett. Senzel was reassigned to minor league camp earlier... [More]

PHOENIX (AP) — Cincinnati Reds All-Star second baseman Scooter Gennett injured his right leg while fielding a grounder against Milwaukee and was helped off the field.Gennett ranged to his left for a ball off the bat of Yasmani Grandal leading off the second inning Friday. Gennett slid to make the stop and threw to pitcher Robert Stephenson covering first for the out. Gennett went to his knees and was helped off by Reds head athletic trainer Steve Baumann and manager David Bell."I don't know exactly if it was when he fell or when he made the throw," Bell said. "He felt something in his groin.Cincinnati says Gennett was to have an MRI.The 28-year-old Gennett reached the majors with the Brewers in 2013 and was claimed off waivers by his hometown Reds near the end of spring training two years ago. He made his first All-Star team last season, hitting .310 with 23 homers and 92 RBIs.Top prospect Nick Senzel could be a candidate to replace Gennett. Senzel was reassigned to minor league camp earlier... [More]

PHOENIX (AP) — Cincinnati Reds All-Star second baseman Scooter Gennett injured his right leg while fielding a grounder against Milwaukee and was helped off the field.Gennett ranged to his left for a ball off the bat of Yasmani Grandal leading off the second inning Friday. Gennett slid to make the stop and threw to pitcher Robert Stephenson covering first for the out. Gennett went to his knees and was helped off by Reds head athletic trainer Steve Baumann and manager David Bell."I don't know exactly if it was when he fell or when he made the throw," Bell said. "He felt something in his groin.Cincinnati says Gennett was to have an MRI.The 28-year-old Gennett reached the majors with the Brewers in 2013 and was claimed off waivers by his hometown Reds near the end of spring training two years ago. He made his first All-Star team last season, hitting .310 with 23 homers and 92 RBIs.Top prospect Nick Senzel could be a candidate to replace Gennett. Senzel was reassigned to minor league camp earlier... [More]

LAKELAND, Fla. (AP) — When Michael Fulmer arrived in the major leagues in 2016, his impact was impressive and immediate.Now, the Detroit right-hander will settle for steady progress.Three years after that sparkling debut season, Fulmer is at a bit of a crossroads. He won AL Rookie of the Year honors in 2016 but has struggled to return to that form, especially last year, when he went 3-12 with a 4.69 ERA. His 2018 season ended a bit early because of knee problems, and Fulmer — who turns 26 this month — has been working on some mechanical adjustments in response to his injuries."I think last year, performance-wise, I wasn't a hundred percent all the way through the season, and I think it showed," he said Monday. "This year, we're trying to kind of redo everything and get to be pain free, which I am. I'm blessed for that, and I think everything else will kind of build up."Fulmer pitched three innings in Monday's 9-5 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals. Kolten Wong led off with a home run... [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]

ATLANTA (AP) — The Braves capped a most surprising season by clinching their first NL East crown since 2013, with Mike Foltynewicz taking a no-hitter into the seventh inning Saturday in a 5-3 win over the Philadelphia Phillies.A year after going 70-92, manager Brian Snitker and his Baby Braves surged back into the playoffs.Atlanta makes its first postseason appearance since 2013 on Oct. 4 in the NL Division Series. The Braves won their 18th division title, tying the New York Yankees for the most in the majors since division play began in 1969.Philadelphia, which led the division in early August, is 6-14 this month.Foltynewicz (12-10) tipped his cap to a standing ovation as he left with runners on first and second in the eighth with a 4-0 lead.Arodys Vizcaino, in his first save situation since June 17, closed out the ninth for his 16th save.Jake Arrieta (10-10) allowed four runs, four hits and three walks in two innings, the shortest outing of his nine-year career.YANKEES 3, ORIOLES 2NEW... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — The Braves capped a most surprising season by clinching their first NL East crown since 2013, with Mike Foltynewicz taking a no-hitter into the seventh inning Saturday in a 5-3 win over the Philadelphia Phillies.A year after going 70-92, manager Brian Snitker and his Baby Braves surged back into the playoffs.Atlanta makes its first postseason appearance since 2013 on Oct. 4 in the NL Division Series. The Braves won their 18th division title, tying the New York Yankees for the most in the majors since division play began in 1969.Philadelphia, which led the division in early August, is 6-14 this month.Foltynewicz (12-10) tipped his cap to a standing ovation as he left with runners on first and second in the eighth with a 4-0 lead.Arodys Vizcaino, in his first save situation since June 17, closed out the ninth for his 16th save.Jake Arrieta (10-10) allowed four runs, four hits and three walks in two innings, the shortest outing of his nine-year career.YANKEES 3, ORIOLES 2NEW... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta Braves capped a most surprising season by clinching their first NL East crown since 2013, with Mike Foltynewicz taking a no-hitter into the seventh inning Saturday in a 5-3 win over the Philadelphia Phillies.A year after going 70-92, manager Brian Snitker and his Baby Braves surged back into the playoffs. A loud crowd at SunTrust Park joined the celebration as star Freddie Freeman, rookie Ronald Acuna Jr. and the rest of the Braves reveled.Atlanta makes its first postseason appearance since 2013 on Oct. 4 in the NL Division Series. It has not yet been determined who or where the youth-filled club will play in the best-of-five round.The Braves won their fourth straight game and beat second-place Philadelphia for the third day in a row. The Phillies, who led the division in early August, faded while going 6-14 this month.Foltynewicz (12-10) tipped his cap to a standing ovation as he left with runners on first and second in the eighth with a 4-0 lead.Arodys Vizcaino,... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors today:BACK ON THE BUMPTrevor Bauer returns to the mound for AL Central champion Cleveland when the Indians host Boston in a potential playoff preview. Bauer has been sidelined with a broken right leg since he was struck by a line drive off the bat of White Sox slugger Jose Abreu on Aug. 11. The right-hander was diagnosed with a stress fracture of his fibula. Indians manager Terry Francona said Bauer will go a "couple of innings" and then throw in the bullpen to increase his pitch count. He will be relieved by rookie Shane Bieber. Francona wants Bauer to make two additional starts during the regular season and be in the playoff rotation. Selected to his first All-Star team this season, Bauer is 12-6 with a 2.22 ERA in 25 starts. Red Sox ace Chris Sale (12-4, 1.92 ERA), also rebuilding arm strength following an injury, is expected to throw about 65 pitches.CLOSE TO RETURNINGDetroit's Niko Goodrum (quad) and third baseman Jeimer Candelario (back)... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors Friday:BACK ON THE BUMPTrevor Bauer returns to the mound for AL Central champion Cleveland when the Indians host Boston in a potential playoff preview. Bauer has been sidelined with a broken right leg since he was struck by a line drive off the bat of White Sox slugger Jose Abreu on Aug. 11. The right-hander was diagnosed with a stress fracture of his fibula. Indians manager Terry Francona said Bauer will go a "couple of innings" and then throw in the bullpen to increase his pitch count. He will be relieved by rookie Shane Bieber. Francona wants Bauer to make two additional starts during the regular season and be in the playoff rotation. Selected to his first All-Star team this season, Bauer is 12-6 with a 2.22 ERA in 25 starts. Red Sox ace Chris Sale (12-4, 1.92 ERA), also rebuilding arm strength following an injury, is expected to throw about 65 pitches.CLOSE TO RETURNINGDetroit's Niko Goodrum (quad) and third baseman Jeimer Candelario (back)... [More]

DETROIT (AP) — Niko Goodrum left Detroit's game against Houston on Wednesday after the shortstop collided with teammate Christin Stewart on a shallow flyball to left field in the second inning.The Tigers say Goodrum has a bruised right quad.Stewart, a rookie left fielder, came charging in and made the catch on the ball hit by Evan Gattis in the second. Goodrum was coming from the opposite direction and appeared to pull up at the last moment, perhaps preventing an even worse collision. But when Stewart went to the ground while catching the ball, Goodrum tripped over him.Goodrum was able to walk off the field but was replaced at the start of the third.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Christian Yelich drove in the winning run with the bases loaded in the ninth after beating a throw from third to avoid a double play, and the Milwaukee Brewers opened an important three-game series with the Chicago Cubs with a 4-3 win Monday.The .316 hitter hit a 1-2 fastball from Jesse Chavez right at third baseman Kris Bryant, who touched third for the second out of the ninth before firing to first. The speedy Yelich reached safely just before the throw landed in the glove of the outstretched Anthony Rizzo, allowing Keon Broxton to score the game-winner from third.Cubs reliever Steve Cishek (4-3) loaded the bases in the ninth with a walk, passed ball and two hit batters.The second-place Brewers pulled within four games of the NL Central-leading Cubs.Milwaukee tied the score 3-3 after pinch-hitter Mike Moustakas drew a four-pitch walk with two outs in the eighth from Carl Edwards Jr.Anthony Rizzo hit a two-out, two-run homer off tough left-hander Josh Hader in the eighth.Jeremy... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Justin Turner homered on Zack Greinke's first pitch of the eighth inning, and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 3-2 on Friday night.Los Angeles began the day two games behind Arizona in the NL West and 2 1/2 games back in the wild-card race.The Dodgers also announced they had acquired third baseman David Freese from the Pirates in exchange for minor league infielder Jesus Manuel Valdez.Kenley Jansen worked the ninth for his 33rd save. Paul Goldschmidt doubled with one out, but Jansen struck out David Peralta and retired Eduardo Escobar on a grounder to shortstop.Enrique Hernandez also homered for Los Angeles, and Dylan Floro (5-3) got the win.Goldschmidt hit his 31st homer for Arizona, and Greinke (13-9) gave up six hits in 7 1/3 innings.WHITE SOX 6, RED SOX 1CHICAGO (AP) — Yoan Moncada and Matt Davidson homered for Chicago, and prized prospect Michael Kopech combined with three relievers on a five-hitter.Major league-leading Boston had won three in... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Gleyber Torres drove in the go-ahead run one batter after a contested check swing loaded the bases for New York in the eighth inning, and the Yankees beat the Detroit Tigers 7-5 on Friday night as they await the arrival of 2013 NL MVP Andrew McCutchen.Brett Gardner, Aaron Hicks and Miguel Andujar homered in the sixth to end Jordan Zimmermann's bid for a second career no-hitter. Zimmermann carried a 3-0 lead and a no-hitter into the inning behind a solo homer from Niko Goodrum and a two-run triple by Jim Adduci.New York trailed 5-4 when it loaded the bases against Joe Jimenez (4-4) on a double by Gardner and walks by Hicks and Luke Voit. Voit was ruled to have checked his swing on a 3-2, two-out pitch. Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire was ejected for arguing that Voit went around.Torres then lined an 0-1 pitch from Alex Wilson to left field for a single, and the ball ricocheted off the head of diving left fielder Mikie Mahtook, allowing two runs to score for a 6-5 Yankees lead.... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Gleyber Torres drove in the go-ahead run one batter after a contested check swing loaded the bases for New York in the eighth inning, and the Yankees beat the Detroit Tigers 7-5 on Friday night as they await the arrival of 2013 NL MVP Andrew McCutchen.Brett Gardner, Aaron Hicks and Miguel Andujar homered in the sixth to end Jordan Zimmermann's bid for a second career no-hitter. Zimmermann carried a 3-0 lead and a no-hitter into the inning behind a solo homer from Niko Goodrum and a two-run triple by Jim Adduci.New York trailed 5-4 when it loaded the bases against Joe Jimenez (4-4) on a double by Gardner and walks by Hicks and Luke Voit. Voit was ruled to have checked his swing on a 3-2, two-out pitch. Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire was ejected for arguing that Voit went around.Torres then lined an 0-1 pitch from Alex Wilson to left field for a single, and the ball ricocheted off the head of diving left fielder Mikie Mahtook, allowing two runs to score for a 6-5 Yankees lead.... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Jackie Bradley Jr. hit a sacrifice fly in Boston's four-run seventh inning and a tiebreaking single in the ninth, helping the Red Sox beat the Chicago White Sox 9-4 on Thursday night.Ian Kinsler sparked the winning rally with a one-out single off Thyago Vieira (1-1) for the last of his three hits. Blake Swihart then walked before Bradley drove in Kinsler with a liner into right field.Major league-leading Boston poured it on from there. Andrew Benintendi added another RBI single and J.D. Martinez hit a three-run drive for his 39th homer, making it 9-4 and sending much of the crowd of 18,015 to the exits.Mookie Betts also homered as the Red Sox (93-42) earned their third straight win and increased their AL East advantage to 8 1/2 games over the New York Yankees, who blew a late lead in an 8-7 loss to Detroit. Ryan Brasier (1-0) pitched a perfect eighth for his first win in his 28th major league appearance.Chicago (53-81) wasted a terrific start by Lucas Giolito, who struck... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Jackie Bradley Jr. hit a sacrifice fly in Boston's four-run seventh inning and a tiebreaking single in the ninth, helping the Red Sox beat the Chicago White Sox 9-4 on Thursday night.Ian Kinsler sparked the winning rally with a one-out single off Thyago Vieira (1-1) for the last of his three hits. Blake Swihart then walked before Bradley drove in Kinsler with a liner into right field.Major league-leading Boston poured it on from there. Andrew Benintendi added another RBI single and J.D. Martinez hit a three-run drive for his 39th homer, making it 9-4 and sending much of the crowd of 18,015 to the exits.Mookie Betts also homered as the Red Sox (93-42) earned their third straight win and increased their AL East advantage to 8 1/2 games over the New York Yankees, who blew a late lead in an 8-7 loss to Detroit. Ryan Brasier (1-0) pitched a perfect eighth for his first win in his 28th major league appearance.Chicago (53-81) wasted a terrific start by Lucas Giolito, who struck... [More]