SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Charlie Blackmon was historically good as a leadoff hitter last season. So good that the Colorado Rockies might try to move that production into a more productive spot in the lineup.As spring training opened, the Rockies already have talked to Blackmon about the possibility of hitting in the middle of the order this season as they attempt to fill the hole left by the apparent loss of mainstay Carlos Gonzalez, who remains a free agent but does not appear to be in the team's plans."I think Charlie is the type of player who can hit a lot of different places in the lineup," manager Bud Black said."If it makes sense to hit him somewhere else besides first, we are really going to look at it. When we start games on (February) 23rd, you might see him hit third. You might see him hit different spots. Don't be surprised if that happens in spring training and we'll see what that looks like."The 31-year-old center fielder has spent almost all of his last four full seasons hitting... [More]

A team-by-team look at the National 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:___Los Angeles DodgersManager: Dave Roberts (third season).2017: 104-58, first place, lost to Houston in World Series.Training Town: Glendale, Arizona.Park: Camelback Ranch.First Workout: Feb. 14/19.He's Here: OF Matt Kemp, RHP Tom Koehler.He's Outta Here: 1B Adrian Gonzalez, RHP Yu Darvish, LHP Scott Kazmir, RHP Brandon McCarthy, INF Charlie Culberson, OF Curtis Granderson, 2B Chase Utley, OF Andre Ethier.Going campin': The Dodgers returned to the World Series for the first time since winning it in 1988, only to lose to Houston in seven games. They topped 100 wins while earning a fifth straight NL West title. Clayton Kershaw is one of the elite pitchers in the game, a seven-time All-Star and three-time Cy Young Award winner. He begins the season with 144 career victories, 21 shy of Sandy... [More]

DENVER (AP) — Nolan Arenado didn't travel home with the team after the Colorado Rockies lost at Arizona in last October's wild-card game.He needed some time to himself, to reflect on a season in which the Rockies made it back to the postseason for the first time since 2009 only to have the run abruptly end with an 11-8 loss to the Diamondbacks.The Gold Glove third baseman played some golf, went to a concert all by himself — Post Malone — and then made a vow to work even harder .This from a player who hit 37 homers and drove in 130 runs a season ago."A little depression after that wild-card game," Arenado said. "I was so upset. I wanted to play more baseball.Colorado went 87-75 in manager Bud Black's first season and was looking for a deeper playoff run."It hurt, but it can only make us better. I talked to some of the guys, and they still talk about it to this day. It's like, 'Dang, what happened? How did that game go crazy like that?" Arenado said. "That's a good thing to have. It makes... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred and players' association head Tony Clark met Tuesday, five days after the union rejected Major League Baseball's proposal to institute pitch clocks and limits on mound visits.Management has the right to implement the rules changes it proposed last year. Under baseball's labor contract, management can change on-field rules on its own with one season of advance notice.MLB does not intend to make any decision before its next owners' meetings, scheduled for next week in Beverly Hills, California. Big league spring training games start Feb. 23 and the season opens March 29."We discussed a wide range of topics," Clark said in an email. "I will now be discussing each of those topics with our player leadership."Manfred declined comment.Nine-inning games averaged a record 3 hours, 5 minutes during the 2017 regular season and 3:29 during the postseason, and the length of games has concerned club owners and executives in an age where they compete for... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred and players' association head Tony Clark met Tuesday, five days after the union rejected Major League Baseball's proposal to institute pitch clocks and limits on mound visits.Management has the right to implement the rules changes it proposed last year. Under baseball's labor contract, management can change on-field rules on its own with one season of advance notice.MLB does not intend to make any decision before its next owners' meetings, scheduled for next week in Beverly Hills, California. Big league spring training games start Feb. 23 and the season opens March 29."We discussed a wide range of topics," Clark said in an email. "I will now be discussing each of those topics with our player leadership."Manfred did not respond to an email seeking comment.Nine-inning games averaged a record 3 hours, 5 minutes during the 2017 regular season and 3:29 during the postseason, and the length of games has concerned club owners and executives in... [More]

DENVER (AP) — NL batting champion Charlie Blackmon and the Colorado Rockies avoided salary arbitration by agreeing to a $14 million, one-year contract on Friday.The 31-year-old center fielder hit .331 with 37 homers and 104 RBIs last year and made $7.3 million. He can become a free agent after this season.Blackmon turned in one of the most productive seasons from the leadoff spot in major league history. His 102 RBIs from the top of the order surpassed Darin Erstad's previous major league record of 100 set with the Angels in 2000. Blackmon had 383 total bases — the most by a leadoff hitter for a season.His 37 homers tied him with Marcell Ozuna and Rockies teammate Nolan Arenado for third-most in the NL.In other deals, second baseman DJ LeMahieu agreed to an $8.5 million deal after making $4.85 million in 2017. He played in a career-high 155 games last season, hit .310 and made the All-Star team.Right-hander Chad Bettis agreed to $2 million deal, up from $545,000 in 2017. He was one of the... [More]

3B and MVP candidate Nolan Arenado's opposite-field homer in the eighth inning was his only hit in five at-bats as the Rockies lost in their first playoff game since 2009. "I am very proud of the way we battled but I think the Diamondbacks we just the better team today," said Arenado, who had 37 homers in the regular season. "The experience is good for us, and I think a lot of these young guys know how long a major league season is, how tough it is. I think it is only going to make us better. There's still room to grow. Today was a sign of that."

3B Nolan Arenado went 0-for-1 with a walk before leaving the game in the fourth inning. After leading the majors in RBIs the past two seasons, Arenado finished with 130 RBIs, which was second to Miami's Giancarlo Stanton, who drove in 132 runs this season.

There may not be two American League players who differ more standing side-by-side than the Houston Astros' Jose Altuve and the New York Yankees' Aaron Judge.Altuve is a diminutive 5-foot-6. Judge is a giant at 6-7. But when it comes to the AL Most Valuable Player Award, the difference could be measured in angstroms.The members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America are sending in their votes right now for all of the major 2017 awards. There are some that will be, or should be, unanimous picks.How do you not give Judge the AL Rookie of the Year? Same goes in the National League for Cody Bellinger of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Both were by far at the top of their classes when all was said and done.Below is our take on the deserving winners in each race. AL MVP isn't the only white-knuckler. In the AL, the Cy Young Award race between Boston's Chris Sale and Cleveland's Corey Kluber is tight, too. In the National League, the MVP, Cy Young and Manager of the Year are all worthy of great... [More]

3B Nolan Arenado went 3-for-5 and hit his 37th home run for his 130th RBI on Friday night. Arenado has a career-high 185 hits, surpassing his previous high of 182 set last year. He is the 11th player in major league history and the first third baseman with at least 130 RBIs in three consecutive seasons. The others are Ryan Howard, David Ortiz, Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr., Juan Gonzalez, Alex Rodriguez, Sammy Sosa, Vern Stephens and Hall of Famers Jimmie Foxx, Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth.

3B Nolan Arenado went 2-for-4 with his 36th home run and two RBIs. He now has 18 home runs at Coors Field and 18 on the road. Arenado has 182 hits, tying the career high he set last year and is hitting .344 (11-for-32) in his past 10 home games.

3B Nolan Arenado was in the lineup Monday after suffering a bruise at the base of his right hand below the thumb Sunday at San Diego. He went 1-for-3 with a double an one RBI. Arenado was injured in the third inning Sunday while hitting a soft line drive. He stayed in the game but was removed in the sixth. Before Monday's game, Arenado said, "It felt like a bruise, like a deep bruise, then it kind of swelled up a little bit. So they felt the best thing for me was to get out of there. I've dealt with hand injuries like this. It's not a big deal. Today I hit and it felt fine. I'm good to go. This time of year no one really feels that great. It's just part of the grind. There's six games left. It's just go time. You just got to deal with certain things and that's part of it."

3B Nolan Arenado, who leads the National League in RBIs and is arguably the best defensive player at his position in the majors, departed the Sunday game in San Diego with either a sprain or a bruise to his right hand. After the game, Rockies manager Bud Black said the third baseman's right hand "was swelling up during the game." Losing the All-Star for any time this week could be a severe blow to the playoff hopes of a Rockies team already in a bit of an offensive funk. He is listed as day-to-day, and Arenado said he expects to miss one game. "I think I sprained the hand," said Arenado, who has bruising on the inside of his right palm. Arenado sustained the injury when he was jammed by a slider from Padres RHP Luis Perdomo in the third inning, resulting on a soft line drive to third base. He remained in the game for one more at-bat (a ground ball) and was able to throw the ball across the infield.

3B Nolan Arenado smacked his 35th home run Friday, giving him 18 on the road and 17 at Coors Field. Arenado is tied with Charlie Blackmon for the team lead in homers.

3B Nolan Arenado singled in the first inning Thursday. That snapped a 0-for-16 skid on the road, with his last hit being a homer in Arizona. Arenado went 2-for-3 and raised his average to .625 in 16 at-bats in his career against Clayton Richard.

3B Nolan Arenado singled home a run in the third for his 125th RBI and became the first player in Rockies history to have three consecutive seasons of 125 or more RBI and the first third baseman in major league history to accomplish the feat.

3B Nolan Arenado went 2-for-3 and hit his 34th homer to raise his major league-leading RBI total to 124. Areando has split his home runs evenly, hitting 17 at Coors Field and 17 on the road. He's hitting .330 (89-for-270) at home and .289 (84-for-291) on the road.

3B Nolan Arenado became the first NL player with 120 RBIs in three straight seasons since 2009 when he had four Monday to up his season total to 123. Philadelphia 1B Ryan Howard did it for four straight seasons (2006-09). Arenado led the majors leagues in RBIs in each of the last two seasons with 130 in 2015 and 133 in 2016.

3B Nolan Arenado was 2-for-4 with a double and a game-deciding three-run homer after reaching base in 12 of his 19 plate appearances in the Rockies' four-game sweep of the Dodgers over weekend. He had eight hits in the series, including two homers, and he had four homers at Dodger Stadium this season. He has more homers only at his home park, Coors Field. He was heckled throughout Monday's game by a fan sitting just to the home plate side of the Colorado dugout. "There was a guy who didn't stop talking the whole game, from the first," Arenado said. "It was a pretty long game, so that means there was a lot of talking. He got me fired up. Lucky I was able to tell him to be quiet there."

3B Nolan Arenado had two hits in Sunday's win over the Dodgers on Sunday. In nine games at Dodger Stadium this season, he was 14-for-34 (.464) with eight runs scored, two doubles, four home runs and 10 RBIs. The native of nearby Rancho Santa Margarita, California, also posted a 1.324 OPS at Dodger Stadium this year.