JUPITER, Fla. (AP) — The return of inflammation to Jorge Alfaro's right knee is once again prompting the Miami Marlins to shut down their expected opening-day catcher for a few more days.Alfaro re-aggravated the injury during Tuesday's game while sliding into second base."The biggest thing is just get rid of this inflammation so we can move forward," Miami manager Don Mattingly said.Obtained from Philadelphia as part of the trade that sent J.T. Realmuto to the Phillies, Alfaro originally injured the knee while chasing a foul popup in the Marlins' Grapefruit League opener, banging it against a metal pole that supports the dugout railing.Mattingly doesn't expect the issue to last more than a couple of days."Not concerned about opening day," Mattingly said. "Feel pretty confident about that and him getting at-bats and getting ready for that."Alfaro hit .262 with 10 homers and 37 RBIs in 377 plate appearances for the Phillies last season. In five at-bats this spring, Alfaro has two singles.The Marlins are expecting reserve catcher Chad Wallach back from a quad injury in the coming days. A candidate to back up Alfaro, Wallach played in a simulated game on Friday and should be in the lineup on Sunday against Atlanta.Wallach, son of former major leaguer and current Miami bench coach Tim Wallach, hit .161 in 56 major league at-bats for the Reds and Marlins over the past two seasons.

JUPITER, Fla. (AP) — Lingering knee swelling and stiffness will delay Miami catcher Jorge Alfaro's return exhibition action.Obtained from Philadelphia as part of the trade that sent J. T. Realmuto to the Phillies, Alfaro injured his right knee while chasing a foul popup Saturday in the Marlins' spring-training opener. He won't play again until Monday at the earliest."We're just going to take it slowly," Alfaro said Friday.Expected to be Miami's opening-day starter at catcher, Alfaro hit .262 with 10 homers and 37 RBIs in 377 plate appearances for the Phillies last season."He had catching drills yesterday," manager Don Mattingly said. "They were OK. They weren't great."Alfaro participated in a simulated game Friday, joined by Martin Prado and Curtis Granderson — both set to make their spring training debuts on Saturday.Primarily a third baseman during his first four seasons as a Marlin, the 35-year-old Prado is slated to convert to a utility role to make room for Brian Anderson at third."This... [More]

JUPITER, Fla. (AP) — Lingering knee swelling and stiffness will delay Miami catcher Jorge Alfaro's return exhibition action.Obtained from Philadelphia as part of the trade that sent J. T. Realmuto to the Phillies, Alfaro injured his right knee while chasing a foul popup Saturday in the Marlins' spring-training opener. He won't play again until Monday at the earliest."We're just going to take it slowly," Alfaro said Friday.Expected to be Miami's opening-day starter at catcher, Alfaro hit .262 with 10 homers and 37 RBIs in 377 plate appearances for the Phillies last season."He had catching drills yesterday," manager Don Mattingly said. "They were OK. They weren't great."Alfaro participated in a simulated game Friday, joined by Martin Prado and Curtis Granderson — both set to make their spring training debuts on Saturday.Primarily a third baseman during his first four seasons as a Marlin, the 35-year-old Prado is slated to convert to a utility role to make room for Brian Anderson at third."This... [More]

JUPITER, Fla. (AP) — Lingering knee swelling and stiffness will delay Miami catcher Jorge Alfaro's return exhibition action.Obtained from Philadelphia as part of the trade that sent J. T. Realmuto to the Phillies, Alfaro injured his right knee while chasing a foul popup Saturday in the Marlins' spring-training opener. He won't play again until Monday at the earliest."We're just going to take it slowly," Alfaro said Friday.Expected to be Miami's opening-day starter at catcher, Alfaro hit .262 with 10 homers and 37 RBIs in 377 plate appearances for the Phillies last season."He had catching drills yesterday," manager Don Mattingly said. "They were OK. They weren't great."Alfaro participated in a simulated game Friday, joined by Martin Prado and Curtis Granderson — both set to make their spring training debuts on Saturday.Primarily a third baseman during his first four seasons as a Marlin, the 35-year-old Prado is slated to convert to a utility role to make room for Brian Anderson at third."This... [More]

JUPITER, Fla. (AP) — New Miami Marlins catcher Jorge Alfaro showed up for the team's first full-squad spring training workout wearing a T-shirt that read, "I talk (trash) about you in Spanish," with a word more pungent and less publishable than "trash."The Marlins' English speakers are onto him.At the behest of CEO Derek Jeter, the Marlins last year began Spanish language classes for coaches, and the program has since been expanded throughout the organization, from media relations to analytics to the front office. Now minor league players who speak English are being taught Spanish, while Spanish-speakers learn English — part of a trend in Major League Baseball toward more bilingual teams."We want to invest in the players outside of their athletic abilities — invest in them as human beings," Jeter says. "Communication is first and foremost when you talk about building a championship-caliber organization, which means making sure our Spanish-speaking players are speaking English, but also... [More]

GOODYEAR, Ariz. (AP) — Tucker Barnhart read about the Reds' interest in Miami catcher J.T. Realmuto and hoped that they wouldn't be able to swing a deal for the All-Star. Having endured the hardest part of a rebuild, he wanted to be in Cincinnati for a turnaround.Barnhart got his wish. Realmuto was dealt to Philadelphia — another team seemingly on the rise after major changes — and Barnhart got to stay with the Reds and handle a rotation that's been overhauled.After four straight 90-loss seasons, the Reds are trying to become competitive in the NL Central."I want to be a part of the finished product of the rebuild that was started when I came up in '14. It's continued since. I want to be a part of the winning," Barnhart said. "Hopefully, that starts now."Barnhart thought he would be an important part of the rebuild when the Reds gave him a $16 million, four-year contract that runs through 2021 and includes a club option for 2022. He was coming off a 2017 season in which he became only the... [More]

GOODYEAR, Ariz. (AP) — Tucker Barnhart read about the Reds' interest in Miami catcher J.T. Realmuto and hoped that they wouldn't be able to swing a deal for the All-Star. Having endured the hardest part of a rebuild, he wanted to be in Cincinnati for a turnaround.Barnhart got his wish. Realmuto was dealt to Philadelphia — another team seemingly on the rise after a rebuild — and Barnhart got to stay with the Reds and handle a rotation that's been overhauled. After four straight 90-loss seasons, the Reds are trying to become competitive in the NL Central."I want to be a part of the finished product of the rebuild that was started when I came up inBarnhart thought he would be an important part of the rebuild when the Reds gave him a $16 million, four-year contract that runs through 2021 and includes a club option for 2022. He was coming off a 2017 season in which he became only the third catcher in franchise history to win a Gold Glove.Last season, Barnhart batted .248 and set career highs... [More]

JUPITER, Fla. (AP) — There have been years in his managerial career where Don Mattingly has arrived for the first day of spring training without any mystery regarding who would be on the 25-man roster coming out of camp.This is not one of those years.And that's just fine with the manager of the Miami Marlins, who is entering his fourth season — and the last under his current contract — with the club that is entering 2019 in a rebuilding mode that has no end in sight. Most pitchers and catchers took part in their first official workout of the spring on Wednesday, an unseasonably cool and drizzly day in South Florida."I like the thought of our competition and the way we're going," Mattingly said. "It's a competitive camp. I think guys react better when they have to compete, fight for things. We find out more about them and hopefully as time continues we just keep stacking up talent where everybody's always fighting to have to show what they can do or there's another guy wanting that spot."The... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — The outfield grass at Marlins Park was a worn-out mess on Saturday, with those who arrived for the team's annual FanFest being greeted by signs reminding them that the turf will be replaced soon.When it comes to the Marlins, many things are a work in progress.Wearing new uniforms with the rebranded team logo, in a stadium that has gotten spruced-up since last season ended, some of the 2019 Miami Marlins gathered for the first time to greet fans and start hyping the new season. Pitchers and catchers report to the team's spring training home in Jupiter on Wednesday."I would tell our fans to just give us a chance," Marlins President of Baseball Operations Michael Hill said. "So many people have written off the Marlins and really haven't taken an opportunity to take a deep look at what we're building. When you have a lot to do, it's going to take time and we understand where we're at. But we've been able to add a tremendous amount of talent over the last 18 months."By Hill's count,... [More]

A team-by-team look at the National League East 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:___Atlanta BravesManager: Brian Snitker (fourth season).2018: 90-72, first place, lost to Dodgers in Division Series.Training Town: Kissimmee, Florida.Park: Champion Stadium.First Workout: Feb. 16/21.He's Here: 3B Josh Donaldson, C Brian McCann, C Raffy Lopez, pitching coach Rick Kranitz.He's Outta Here: C Kurt Suzuki, RHP Anibal Sanchez, RHP Brandon McCarthy, RHP Brad Brach, 3B Ryan Flaherty, RHP Peter Moylan, 1B Lucas Duda, C Rene Rivera, OF Lane Adams, pitching coach Chuck Hernandez.Going campin': The 2018 Baby Braves were a surprise breakthrough team, winning the club's first NL East championship since 2013. A repeat title in a tougher NL East might be a bigger challenge. A key to the start of spring will be the health of Donaldson, who signed a one-year, $23 million deal after a left... [More]

A team-by-team look at the National League East 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:___Atlanta BravesManager: Brian Snitker (fourth season).2018: 90-72, first place, lost to Dodgers in Division Series.Training Town: Kissimmee, Florida.Park: Champion Stadium.First Workout: Feb. 16/21.He's Here: 3B Josh Donaldson, C Brian McCann, C Raffy Lopez, pitching coach Rick Kranitz.He's Outta Here: C Kurt Suzuki, RHP Anibal Sanchez, RHP Brandon McCarthy, RHP Brad Brach, 3B Ryan Flaherty, RHP Peter Moylan, 1B Lucas Duda, C Rene Rivera, OF Lane Adams, pitching coach Chuck Hernandez.Going campin': The 2018 Baby Braves were a surprise breakthrough team, winning the club's first NL East championship since 2013. A repeat title in a tougher NL East might be a bigger challenge. A key to the start of spring will be the health of Donaldson, who signed a one-year, $23 million deal after a left... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — In October, J.T. Realmuto's agent predicted the Miami Marlins' All-Star catcher would be with another team by spring training.He was right.After months of speculation over what they'd do, the Marlins traded Realmuto on Thursday to the Philadelphia Phillies for catcher Jorge Alfaro, two pitching prospects and $250,000 in international signing bonus pool allocation.Along with Alfaro, the Phillies gave up 20-year-old right-hander Sixto Sanchez, their top prospect, and left-hander Will Stewart."This is about us acquiring the best catcher in baseball," Phillies general manager Matt Klentak said, "and we're really excited about that."Realmuto, who turns 28 in March, had been with the Marlins longer than any other current player. His agent, Jeff Berry, predicted a trade after Realmuto informed the Marlins last fall he wouldn't sign a long-term contract with them.The Marlins got the deal done six days before their pitchers and catchers report to spring training. A rebuilding project... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — In October, J.T. Realmuto's agent predicted the Miami Marlins' All-Star catcher would be with another team by spring training.He was right.Realmuto was traded Thursday to the Philadelphia Phillies for catcher Jorge Alfaro, two pitching prospects and $250,000 in international signing bonus pool allocation.Along with Alfaro, the Marlins acquired highly regarded pitchers Sixto Sanchez and Will Stewart.Realmuto had been with the Marlins longer than any other current player. Last fall his agent, Jeff Berry, said Realmuto informed the Marlins he wouldn't sign a long-term contract with them and predicted a trade.Philadelphia, still pursuing free agents Bryce Harper and Manny Machado, has bolstered its lineup with the additions of Realmuto, shortstop Jean Segura and 2013 NL MVP Andrew McCutchen. The Phillies had the worst batting average in the major leagues last year (.234) and were third in strikeouts (1,520). They led their division with the second-best record in the NL one week... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — In October, J.T. Realmuto's agent predicted the Miami Marlins' All-Star catcher would be with another team by spring training.He was right.Realmuto was traded Thursday to the Philadelphia Phillies for catcher Jorge Alfaro, two pitching prospects and international signing bonus pool allocation.Along with Alfaro, the Marlins acquired highly regarded pitchers Sixto Sanchez and Will Stewart.Realmuto had been with the Marlins longer than any other current player. Last fall his agent, Jeff Berry, said Realmuto informed the Marlins he wouldn't sign a long-term contract with them and predicted a trade.Philadelphia, still pursuing free agents Bryce Harper and Manny Machado, has bolstered its lineup with the additions of Realmuto, shortstop Jean Segura and 2013 NL MVP Andrew McCutchen. The Phillies had the worst batting average in the major leagues last year (.234) and were third in strikeouts (1,520). They led their division with the second-best record in the NL one week into August,... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — It took the Philadelphia Phillies a little longer than usual to arrive at a familiar spot.After leading their division with the second-best record in the National League one week into August, the Phillies went 16-33 over the final 49 games and finished with a losing record (80-82) for the sixth straight season.There are several reasons for the collapse, and the Phillies will enter the offseason with plenty of questions as they try to reshape the roster into one that can contend for a full season. Philadelphia could try to land a big-name free agent like Bryce Harper or Manny Machado — or even both."There's been some really important answers but there's things we have to address this offseason and future offseasons," general manager Matt Klentak said Monday.Gabe Kapler's first season as manager was adventurous. His unconventional approach drew a ton of scrutiny and criticism in Philadelphia, especially after the team fell apart.But Klentak is sticking by his analytics-minded... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Neil Walker hit a three-run homer, Zach Britton started a game-ending double play on New York's third try in the ninth inning and the Yankees kept the Boston Red Sox from a bubbly celebration in the Bronx for at least another night with a 3-2 victory Tuesday.Batting from the left side, Walker launched a no-doubter in the seventh inning off Ryan Brasier for the Yankees' third hit of the game and a 3-1 lead.Aaron Judge returned to New York's lineup for the first time since breaking his right wrist July 26, while AL MVP candidate Mookie Betts got a day off for Boston after injuring his left side Sunday. Judge hit a pop fly to the warning track but finished 0 for 4.New York moved 2½ games ahead of Oakland for the top AL wild card. The A's lost at home to the Angels.Boston is trying to clinch the AL East at Yankee Stadium for the second time in three years. The Red Sox lead the Yankees by 10 1/2 games and entered the night with a magic number of four over the Astros to lock up... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Pinch-running pitcher Vince Velasquez was called out for leaving second base early while tagging up, resulting in a game-ending double play that gave the Washington Nationals a 5-4 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday.After Aaron Nola outpitched Max Scherzer for the second time in six days in a matchup of NL Cy Young Award contenders, the Phillies watched Washington rally for three runs in the ninth to take a 5-3 lead.Ramos got Philadelphia within a run with a pinch-hit double in the ninth, and Velasquez pinch-ran for the catcher. Greg Holland relieved and retired Jorge Alfaro on a flyball to center, with Velasquez moving to third as the potential tying run.But the Nationals appealed that Velasquez left too soon, and he was called out. A replay upheld the ruling.Anthony Rendon hit a go-ahead, two-run homer off Pat Neshek (1-1) in the Nationals ninth. The Nationals trailed 3-2 when Bryce Harper drew a leadoff walk from Tommy Hunter. Neshek surrendered Rendon's... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Pinch-running pitcher Vince Velasquez was called out for leaving second base early while tagging up, resulting in a game-ending double play that gave the Washington Nationals a 5-4 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday.After Aaron Nola outpitched Max Scherzer for the second time in six days in a matchup of NL Cy Young Award contenders, the Phillies watched Washington rally for three runs in the ninth to take a 5-3 lead.Ramos got Philadelphia within a run with a pinch-hit double in the ninth, and Velasquez pinch-ran for the catcher. Greg Holland relieved and retired Jorge Alfaro on a flyball to center, with Velasquez moving to third as the potential tying run.But the Nationals appealed that Velasquez left too soon, and he was called out. A replay upheld the ruling.Anthony Rendon hit a go-ahead, two-run homer off Pat Neshek (1-1) in the Nationals ninth. The Nationals trailed 3-2 when Bryce Harper drew a leadoff walk from Tommy Hunter. Neshek surrendered Rendon's... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Lance Lynn pitched two-hit ball into the eighth inning in his first start with New York, and the Yankees rebounded from their tough weekend in Boston by beating the Chicago White Sox 7-0 on Monday night.Lynn provided a big boost for New York after it dropped a season-high five straight games, including a four-game sweep by the major league-leading Red Sox. The series concluded with Aroldis Chapman blowing a save opportunity in a 10-inning loss at Fenway Park late Sunday night.Enter Lynn (8-8), who was acquired in a trade with Minnesota on July 30 and tossed 4 1/3 scoreless innings in relief in his Yankees debut Wednesday. The veteran right-hander, who replaced Sonny Gray in New York's rotation, retired 19 in a row before Nicky Delmonico led off the eighth with a single to right.After Tim Anderson flied out, A.J. Cole finished the three-hitter for the AL wild-card leaders.Dylan Covey (4-8) was charged with four runs and seven hits in 6 1/3 innings. The right-hander dropped... [More]

Looking for an offensive boost, the Philadelphia Phillies added an All-Star who may not help them for a while.The NL East-leading Phillies acquired injured catcher Wilson Ramos from the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday for a player to be named or cash. They also got left-hander Aaron Loup from the Toronto Blue Jays for minor league right-hander Jacob Waguespack.Ramos is batting .297 with 14 homers and 53 RBIs but is on the disabled list with a left hamstring strain. General manager Matt Klentak said the best-case scenario has Ramos returning in mid-to-late August, though it's possible he may be sidelined until September."We're uniquely positioned to take on a risk like this," Klentak said in a conference call. "The fact he may not be active for a few more weeks is not the end of the world for us."Ramos said he can do everything behind the plate but still feels pain when he runs.When healthy, Ramos should upgrade an offense that has struggled during a four-game losing streak. He's also solid defensively."Wilson... [More]