Freddie Freeman tests positive for COVID-19. Masahiro Tanaka gets hit in the head by a line drive. David Price announces he won’t play this season.On this Fourth of July, even the return of baseball didn’t offer much cause for celebration.As teams prepared to start their pandemic-shortened season, sobering examples of the game’s potential danger took place at camps across the country. Major League Baseball is getting ready for a 60-game season that won’t include Price, a former Cy Young Award winner who was traded from the Boston Red Sox to the Los Angeles Dodgers in February.“After considerable thought and discussion with my family and the Dodgers, I have decided it is in the best interest of my health and my family’s health for me to not play this season,” the five-time All-Star tweeted Saturday.“I will miss my teammates and will be cheering for them throughout the season and on to a World Series victory. I’m sorry I won’t be playing for you this year, but look forward to representing... [More]

Freddie Freeman tests positive for COVID-19. Masahiro Tanaka gets hit in the head by a line drive. David Price announces he won’t play this season.On this Fourth of July, even the return of baseball didn’t offer much cause for celebration.As teams prepared to start their pandemic-shortened season, sobering examples of the game’s potential danger took place at camps across the country. Major League Baseball is getting ready for a 60-game season that won’t include Price, a former Cy Young Award winner who was traded from the Boston Red Sox to the Los Angeles Dodgers in February.“After considerable thought and discussion with my family and the Dodgers, I have decided it is in the best interest of my health and my family’s health for me to not play this season,” the five-time All-Star tweeted Saturday. “I will miss my teammates and will be cheering for them throughout the season and on to a World Series victory. I’m sorry I won’t be playing for you this year, but look forward to representing... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — Atlanta Braves four-time All-Star Freddie Freeman, premier reliever Will Smith and two teammates have tested positive for the coronavirus, a jarring hit to the NL East champions less than three weeks before the start of the pandemic-delayed season.“It will be a while before we can get him back,” manager Brian Snitker said Saturday about Freeman.Snitker said the four players, including right-hander Touki Toussaint and infielder Pete Kozma, agreed to have the team disclose their positive tests.Snitker said Freeman had a negative intake test early in the week before having a positive test on Friday. Snitker said the first baseman has a fever and “is not feeling great.” Major League Baseball has scheduled the 60-game season to start on July 23. Freeman is the biggest star in the sport so far to have his positive virus test publicly announced by his team.It is too early to know if Freeman's status for the start of the season could be jeopardized.“It’s a serious matter,” Braves... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — Atlanta Braves four-time All-Star Freddie Freeman, reliever Will Smith and two teammates have tested positive for the coronavirus.Manager Brian Snitker said Saturday the four players, including right-hander Touki Toussaint and infielder Pete Kozma, agreed to have the team disclose their positive tests.Snitker said Freeman had a negative intake test before having a positive test on Friday. Snitker said the first baseman has a fever and “is not feeling great.” “It will be a while before we can get him back," Snitker said of Freeman.Major League Baseball has scheduled the 60-game season to start on July 23. Freeman is the biggest star in the sport so far to have his positive virus test publicly announced by his team.The 30-year-old Freeman set career highs with 38 home runs and 121 RBIs last season in helping Atlanta win its second straight NL East title.The Braves signed Smith, the former Giants reliever, to a three-year, $39 million deal in the offseason.Snitker said Smith and Toussaint have no symptoms. He said Kozma, who is working with top minor leaguers at the team's Triple-A Gwinnett facilty, has a fever.Snitker also said first base coach Eric Young Sr., 53, has opted out of for the season due to concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic. ___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

DETROIT (AP) — Tigers reliever Louis Coleman and infielders Jim Adduci and Pete Kozma have elected to become free agents after clearing waivers.The team said Thursday that those three players cleared waivers and were sent outright to Triple-A Toledo along with infielder Harold Castro. Coleman, Adduci and Kozma chose free agency.Tigers right-hander Artie Lewicki was claimed off waivers by the Arizona Diamondbacks.Coleman went 4-1 with a 3.51 ERA in 51 appearances for the Tigers this year.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Tigers activated Miguel Cabrera from the 10-day disabled list on Friday and put him back into the starting lineup against the Toronto Blue Jays.Cabrera was hitting .323 with a .924 OPS when he went on the disabled list on May 4 with a hamstring strain. His return was slowed by back stiffness during his recovery process.The 35-year-old is coming off the worst season of his career, hitting .249 with 16 homers as the Tigers went 64-98 at the start of their rebuild.To make room for Cabrera, Detroit designated utilityman Pete Kozma for assignment.

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]

CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) — The Detroit Tigers have reassigned veteran catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia to their minor league camp.The Tigers brought back Saltalamacchia on a minor league contract on March 9 to add depth behind James McCann and John Hicks.Saltalamacchia has hit .233 with 110 homers and 381 RBIs over an 11-year big league career. He played in 10 games last season for Toronto and had one hit in 25 at-bats.The 32-year-old played in 93 games with the Tigers in 2016, hitting .171 with 38 RBIs. He began his career in 2007 with Atlanta and has also played for Boston, Miami and Arizona.Also sent Thursday to the minor league camp were catcher Derek Norris, infielders Pete Kozma and Ronny Rodriguez, and outfielders Jim Adduci and Chad Huffman.Left-handers Chad Bell and Blaine Hardy were optioned to Triple-A Toledo.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

SS Pete Kozma was sent outright to the Triple-A Round Rock Express. Kozman batted .111 in 45 at-bats with a home run and two RBIs.

INF Pete Kozma was designated for assignment Thursday to make room for RHP Keone Kela, who came off the DL. Kozma was claimed off waivers from the New York Yankees on April 30. Kozman batted .111 in 45 at-bats with a home run and two RBIs.

3B Pete Kozma got a long overdue home run Sunday night, hitting his first since April 2, 2013, for St. Louis at Arizona. The sixth-inning shot gave Texas a 4-2 lead at Detroit. "That was a big home run by Kozma," manager Jeff Banister said. "None bigger. We needed that run. It was his first home run in something like four years. Pete's a guy that's really put together some good at-bats against left-handers for us. We were able to rest our other left-handers on the bench, get them off their legs. He's always ready, carries around five or six gloves, ready to play any position. It's a nice comfort zone to have a guy like that on the bench, ready to play." Kozma also had a single, and the two hits raised his average to .200.

SS Pete Kozma was claimed off waivers by the Texas Rangers Sunday. The Yankees designated him for assignment Friday when SS Didi Gregorius was activated from the disabled list.

INF Pete Kozma was designated for assignment to make room for SS Didi Gregorius, who made his season debut. Kozma went 1-for-9 while appearing in nine games. It's possible he could wind up with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre, where he spent all of last season.

INF Pete Kozma was designated for assignment by the New York Yankees. Kozma, 29, collected just one hit and a walk in nine at-bats over nine games. He is a career .221 hitter, with the majority of his major league time coming for the St. Louis Cardinals from 2011-15.

INF Pete Kozma is a candidate to become the Yankees' opening day shortstop since incumbent Didi Gregorius will miss the first month with a shoulder injury sustained in the World Baseball Classic. Kozma is more known for his glove than the bat as he batted .152 two years ago for the St. Louis Cardinals. Kozma is not currently on the 40-man roster, which means the Yankees would have to be a move to get him there.

INF Pete Kozma was outrighted to Triple-A Memphis on Nov. 2 as the Cardinals adjusted their 40-man roster. Kozma, 27, hit .152/.236/.152 with no homers and two RBIs in 76 games for St. Louis this year.

Kozma will make the Opening Day roster, MLB.com's Jennifer Langosch reports.

Kozma's versatility makes up for his poor work with the bat, but given that he also doesn't offer much speed, he's of little use in even the deepest of leagues.

Kozma is viewed as the favorite for one of the final bench spots on the Opening Day 25-man roster, MLB.com reports.

Kozma has worked in the outfield and behind the plate as an emergency catcher this spring and his versatility should help him lock up one of the few open bench spots. His fantasy value, however, is still non-existent in virtually every league.

Kozma is getting work behind the plate and may serve as the Cardinals emergency catcher, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Kozma and fellow infielder Greg Garcia will get work behind the plate this spring. This certainly helps Kozma's odds of making the 25-man roster, but it still had to be considered a long-shot.