WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Houston's Alex Bregman was hit on the back by a breaking ball from St. Louis reliever Ramon Santos on Wednesday, the seventh Astros player plunked in five spring training games.“It was a splitter,” Bregman said. “It just got away from him.”Some opposing players have called for retaliation against the Astros following Major League Baseball's finding that Houston broke rules against electronic sign-stealing en route to its 2017 World Series title and again in 2018.Dustin Garneau was hit Sunday against Washington, and José Altuve was grazed Monday against Detroit, when Osvaldo Duarte and Alex De Goti also were hit. Aledmys Díaz and Jake Meyers were hit Tuesday by Miami.Santos' 1-0 pitch in the fifth inning struck Bregman on the left shoulder blade. The two-time All-Star trotted to first, then was replaced by a pinch runner.“I think I got hit like 10 times last year, or something like that,” Bregman said. “One of them got me good last year, but that one was just... [More]

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (AP) — George Springer could only stand there all alone and listen.The Houston Astros leadoff man had no choice when he stepped into the batter's box a bit too early and was showered with loud boos Wednesday at an exhibition game against the New York Mets.Mets pitcher Noah Syndergaard turned and looked at the scoreboard clock that showed 1:09 p.m. — he waited for the minute to change so the game would officially reach the 1:10 start time, leaving Springer nowhere to go as the crowd heckled him.“Cheater! Cheater! Cheater!” one Mets fan along the first-base side chanted at Springer.The normal tranquility of a February game again was broken as a split squad of Astros continued the team's latest stop on their spring training tour of derisive boos and catcalls, the result of their exposed sign-steal scheme.Two days after José Altuve, Alex Bregman, Carlos Correa and Yuli Gurriel got jeered for a game at Detroit's park in Lakeland, it was the Mets' turn to host at newly renovated... [More]

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Houston ace Justin Verlander is slated to make his 2020 spring training debut on Thursday, when former teammate Max Schezer is scheduled to be on the mound for World Series champion Washington.The pair were teammates on the Detroit Tigers from 2010-14 and have combined for five Cy Young Awards.“It wasn't done intentionally. That is a pretty good match-up, though,” new Astros manager Dusty Baker said. “I'm sure you guys will hype it up.”Verlander won his second Cy Young last season, going 21-6 with a 2.52 ERA. His 225 wins are the most among active players. Zack Greinke, second among active pitchers with 205 wins, is to make his first spring training appearances the following day.Scherzer, a the three-time Cy Young winner, won the World Series opener last October and did not get a decision in Game 7. Verlander lost Games 2 and 6.Scherzer opened spring training with two scoreless innings against Houston on Saturday.Houston's starting outfielders from 2019 are... [More]

LAKELAND, Fla. (AP) — José Altuve insisted he tuned out the hecklers. He couldn't avoid a pitch that grazed him.“He was hit in the foot. That ain’t nothing, you know what I mean?” Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker said Monday after an 11-1 win over Detroit at half-empty Joker Marchant Stadium. “It wasn’t intentional.”Altuve was loudly booed when he was introduced for his spring training debut, cheered when he struck out and called a cheater by several fans. Quite a difference from past years, when the diminutive All-Star second baseman was among the most popular players in the majors.But that was before Altuve and his Houston teammates were implicated in the sign-stealing scandal that’s rocked baseball.“We just heard a lot of noise, and that's it,” Altuve said.Altuve and fellow starters Alex Bregman, Carlos Correa and Yuli Gurriel all played for the first time in the exhibition season. After Houston opened the Grapefruit League in the stadium it shares with the World Series champion Washington... [More]

LAKELAND, Fla. (AP) — José Altuve insisted he tuned out the hecklers. He couldn't avoid a pitch that grazed him.``He was hit in the foot. That ain’t nothing, you know what I mean?’’ Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker said Monday after an 11-1 win over Detroit at half-empty Joker Marchant Stadium. “It wasn’t intentional.”Altuve was loudly booed when he was introduced for his spring training debut, cheered when he struck out and called a cheater by several fans. Quite a difference from past years, when the diminutive All-Star second baseman was among the most popular players in the majors.But that was before Altuve and his Houston teammates were implicated in the sign-stealing scandal that’s rocked baseball.“We just heard a lot of noise, and that's it,” Altuve said.Altuve and fellow starters Alex Bregman, Carlos Correa and Yuli Gurriel all played for the first time in the exhibition season. After Houston opened the Grapefruit League in the stadium it shares with the World Series champion... [More]

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Away from their friendly cocoon, Alex Bregman and some of the bigger names on the Houston Astros are about to see — and hear — how fans really feel about what happened.No hooting or hollering at Houston's most prominent sign stealers Sunday. Once again, the primary offenders were out of the Astros' lineup.For the second straight day, Astros manager Dusty Baker didn't start any of his stars against Washington Nationals at the spring training park the teams share.“It seems like a bit of a cop out to me,” Nationals fan Josh Kohn said. “This is the first two games of spring training. This is what the guys in MLB live for. They want to be out there. I have to imagine even the players are a little upset that they can't play today, but I understand why they are not out there.”Kohn also attended Saturday night's rained-out Grapefruit League opener between these same clubs, wearing a shirt that read “bang foul poles, not trash cans” — an homage to Howie Kendrick's home... [More]

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — It will be champs vs. cheaters in a World Series rematch when the Washington Nationals and Houston Astros play their exhibition opener on Saturday night.The last time these teams met, the Nationals were celebrating their first World Series title in Houston after winning Game 7 at Minute Maid Park. Since then, the Astros have become the league's villains, with a sign-stealing scandal sullying their reputation and casting a shadow on their 2017 title. As the Astros prepare to take the field for the first time since their cheating scam was uncovered there’s much speculation about what kind of reception they’ll receive, though the players say they're focused on baseball. “Honestly, I haven't thought about it,” shortstop Carlos Correa said. “But whatever it is, our job is to go there and play baseball. So, I'm not too concerned about that.”There have been a handful of hecklers at Astros camp this week as the team assembled for the first time since Major League Baseball... [More]

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Commissioner Rob Manfred’s stern warning covering the intentional beaning of Houston players in the wake of the Astros' sign-stealing scandal hasn’t stopped an offshore sports book from publishing odds on a variety of bets related to possible plunkings.The player who’s the favorite to get hit the most according to these odds? Third baseman Alex Bregman, whose news conference apology last week was not well received.The possibility of Houston’s hitters being intentionally hit this season has become a topic of discussion after pitchers around the league have either said or implied they would throw at them. Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Ross Stripling, who was on the team that lost to the Astros in the 2017 World Series, said he would “lean toward yes” when asked if he would consider throwing at Houston batters this season. Cleveland right-hander Mike Clevinger, who has been outspoken against the Astros since the cheating scandal emerged, said he doesn’t think “it’s... [More]

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Commissioner Rob Manfred’s stern warning that the intentional beaning of the Houston Astros in the wake of their sign-stealing scandal hasn’t stopped an offshore sports book from publishing odds on a variety bets related to their possible plunking.The player who’s the favorite to get hit the most according to these odds? Third baseman Alex Bregman, whose news conference apology last week was not well received.The possibility of Houston’s hitters being intentionally hit this season has become a topic of discussion after pitchers around the league have either said or implied that they’d throw at them this season. Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Ross Stripling, whose was on the team that lost to the Astros in the 2017 World Series, said he would “lean toward yes” when asked if he would consider throwing at Houston batters this season. Cleveland right-hander Mike Clevinger, who has been outspoken against the Astros since the cheating scandal emerged, said he doesn’t... [More]

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — These are the new sounds of spring for the Houston Astros: a fan banging on a trash can, another calling José Altuve a cheater.That's what greeted the Astros during their first full-squad workout at camp Monday. And with so many around baseball not ready to forgive or forget their sign stealing, this won’t be the last time they hear it.Meanwhile, the two-time AL champions say they are focused on ignoring the noise, and hope the official start of spring training can signal a step forward for their scandal-ridden team. “I understand the severity of the situation, I truly do,” outfielder George Springer said. “But I think ... the best thing for our game to try to do and especially for us is to try to put this behind us, however that’s possible.”The Astros have been bombarded with questions about the sign-stealing scam since arriving in Florida. A news conference last week with owner Jim Crane, Altuve and third baseman Alex Bregman featuring poorly worded apologies... [More]

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Alex Bregman spoke for about 30 seconds and said he was sorry, but did not say why. He said he had learned, but did not say what.On a patch of grass between the Houston Astros' spring training building and fields, under a sun obscured by clouds, the star third baseman stepped to a microphone at a news conference, becoming the first player Thursday to apologize —-- without really discussing with any detail—-- for the sign-stealing scheme from the club's 2017 World Series championship season."I am really sorry about the choices that were made by my team, by the organization and by me. I have learned from this and I hope to regain the trust of baseball fans," Bregman began, before thanking Astros fans and saying he and his teammates "are totally focused on moving forward to the 2020 season."And thus the script was set. The most eyebrow-raising statement came soon thereafter, when Astros owner Jim Crane replied to a question from a reporter by saying: "Our opinion... [More]

Ah, the Houston Astros.Good at stealing signs. Not so good at pretending they’re sorry about it.The team’s official mea culpa Thursday in Florida turned out to be as predictable as it gets. From owner to star players the message was the same, almost as if it had been rehearsed the night before.A few words of remorse for the worst scandal to hit baseball since the steroid era. Then it’s on to 2020 and, just maybe, a World Series title without having to cheat to get it. Why even try?If the Astros were as bad at stealing signs as they are at apologizing for it, there might be championship flags flying in Los Angeles and New York now. If they were getting paid for being honest and forthright, they would be driving Toyota Corollas to spring training instead of Range Rovers.Instead, they put on a dog and pony show, minus the pony. Well maybe not, because Astros owner Jim Crane was there to make the absurd claim that his team would have won the 2017 World Series even without cheating.“We had a... [More]

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Alex Bregman spoke for about 30 seconds and said he was sorry, but did not say why. He said he had learned, but did not say what.On a patch of grass between the Houston Astros' spring training building and fields, under a sun obscured by clouds, the star third baseman stepped to a microphone at a news conference, becoming the first player Thursday to apologize -- without really discussing with any details -- for the sign-stealing scheme from the club's 2017 World Series championship season."I am really sorry about the choices that were made by my team, by the organization and by me. I have learned from this and I hope to regain the trust of baseball fans," Bregman began, before thanking Astros fans and saying he and his teammates "are totally focused on moving forward to the 2020 season."And thus the script was set. The most eyebrow-raising statement came soon thereafter, when Astros owner Jim Crane replied to a question from a reporter by saying: "Our opinion... [More]

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Avoiding any specifics about their team’s sign-stealing during its 2017 World Series championship season, Houston Astros players Alex Bregman and José Altuve apologized Thursday for the scheme that was investigated and punished by Major League Baseball.Astros owner Jim Crane and new manager Dusty Baker — who replaced the fired AJ Hinch — also spoke at a news conference at the team’s spring training facility.And while the clear purpose was to say, “We’re sorry” and hope to move on, Crane raised eyebrows with this statement: “Our opinion is that this didn’t impact the game. We had a good team. We won the World Series. And we’ll leave it at that.”Asked moments later about his statement about the effects on the game, Crane tried to backtrack, saying, “It’s hard to determine how it impacted the game, if it impacted the game.”MLB did not punish any players for the cheating and Crane said he stood by that.“We’re not going to do anything to the players,” the owner said.Altuve... [More]

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Houston Astros players Alex Bregman and José Altuve said Thursday the team is sorry for its sign-stealing scheme that was investigated and punished by Major League Baseball.“I am really sorry,” Bregman said.Astros owner Jim Crane and new manager Dusty Baker — who replaced the fired AJ Hinch — also spoke at a news conference at the team’s spring training facility.“We cannot take back what happened,” Crane said.MLB did not punish any players for the cheating and Crane said he stood by that.We’re not going to do anything to the players,” the owner said.Altuve said there was a full team meeting Wednesday to discuss what happened.MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred disciplined the Astros after he found the team broke rules by using electronics to steal signs during its run to the 2017 World Series championship and again in the 2018 season.The Astros were fined $5 million, the maximum allowed under major league rulesion, and forfeited their next two first- and second-round amateur draft picks.The investigation found that the Astros used the video feed from a center field camera to view and decode opposing catcher’s signs. Players banged on a trash can to signal to batters what was coming, believing it would improve chances of getting a hit.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Houston Astros players Alex Bregman and José Altuve said Thursday the team is sorry for its sign-stealing scheme that was investigated and punished by Major League Baseball.“I am really sorry,” Bregman said.Astros owner Jim Crane and new manager Dusty Baker — who replaced the fired AJ Hinch — also spoke at a news conference at the team’s spring training facility.“We cannot take back what happened,” Crane said.MLB did not punish any players for the cheating and Crane said he stood by that.We’re not going to do anything to the players,” the owner said.Altuve said there was a full team meeting Wednesday to discuss what happened.MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred disciplined the Astros after he found the team broke rules by using electronics to steal signs during its run to the 2017 World Series championship and again in the 2018 season.The Astros were fined $5 million, the maximum allowed under major league rulesion, and forfeited their next two first- and second-round amateur draft picks.The investigation found that the Astros used the video feed from a center field camera to view and decode opposing catcher’s signs. Players banged on a trash can to signal to batters what was coming, believing it would improve chances of getting a hit.

A team-by-team look at the American League West 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:___Houston Astros Manager: Dusty Baker (first season). 2019: 107-55, first place, lost to Nationals in World Series. Training Town: West Palm Beach, Florida. Park: Ballpark of Palm Beaches. First Workout: Feb. 13/17. He's Here: Manager Dusty Baker, RHP Austin Pruitt, C Dustin Garneau.He's Outta Here: Manager AJ Hinch, RHP Gerrit Cole, RHP Will Harris, C Robinson Chirinos, OF Tony Kemp. Going campin': The Astros enter the spring reeling from a sign-stealing scandal that cost manager AJ Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow their jobs. They brought in Baker to steady the team, and it gives the 70-year-old another chance to chase his first World Series title as a manager. He’ll get a crash course learning his new team this spring after being hired less than three weeks before pitchers and catchers... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Dallas Keuchel has become the first member of the 2017 Houston Astros to offer a public apology for the team's sign-stealing scheme during their run to the World Series championship.Speaking Friday at the fan convention for the Chicago White Sox, who signed the left-hander to a $55.5 million, three-year contract in December, Keuchel said he felt what happened was blown out of proportion, but he was sorry.“I'm not going to go into specific detail, but during the course of the playoffs in ‘17, everybody was using multiple signs," Keuchel said, “I mean, for factual purposes, when there’s nobody on base, when in the history of major league baseball has there been multiple signs?“It's just what the state of baseball was at that point and time," the former AL Cy Young Award winner said. “Was it against the rules? Yes it was, and I personally am sorry for what's come about, the whole situation."An investigation by Major League Baseball found the Astros used the video feed from a... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Dallas Keuchel has become the first member of the 2017 Houston Astros to offer a public apology for the team's sign-stealing scheme during their run to the World Series championship.Speaking Friday at the fan convention for the Chicago White Sox, who signed the left-hander to a $55.5 million, three-year contract in December, Keuchel said he felt what happened was blown out of proportion, but he was sorry.“I'm not going to go into specific detail, but during the course of the playoffs in ‘17, everybody was using multiple signs," Keuchel said, “I mean, for factual purposes, when there’s nobody on base, when in the history of major league baseball has there been multiple signs?“It's just what the state of baseball was at that point and time," the former AL Cy Young Award winner said. “Was it against the rules? Yes it was, and I personally am sorry for what's come about, the whole situation."An investigation by Major League Baseball found the Astros used the video feed from a... [More]

AJ Hinch, Alex Cora and Carlos Beltrán lost their jobs in the wake of the Houston Astros' sign-stealing scam, leaving three teams without managers three weeks before the start of spring training.On and off the field, the fallout from one of the biggest scandals in Major League Baseball history is bound to carry over. A look at what's on deck for the Astros and MLB:THE FIERS FACTORWhistleblower or whiner? Fact is, when A's pitcher Mike Fiers went public, MLB was forced to act. If he speaks anonymously, most likely his comments get whisked into the whispers bin.Fiers won't have to bat against the Astros, and it'd be too obvious to bunt up the first base line and try to run him over. Will Houston hoot and holler at its ex-teammate? We won't need to wait long to see if there's any ill will — the Astros' first road game of the season is at Oakland on March 30, the start of a three-game series. Count on those Athletics fans in the outfield bleachers at the Coliseum to bang their drums loudly... [More]