BRADENTON, Fla. (AP) — The rib is stashed away somewhere in his parents’ house in suburban Chicago, a reminder of what Pittsburgh Pirates reliever Nick Burdi needed to lose to find himself. The images are ingrained in the 27-year-old's mind forever, every pitcher's nightmare come to agonizing life. The hard-throwing right-hander, his big league career finally gaining some traction following a series of fits and starts, slung an 97 mph fastball to Arizona's Jarrod Dyson in the top of the eighth at PNC Park last April 23 that Dyson took for a ball.By the time catcher Pirates catcher Elias Díaz stood up to throw the ball back, Burdi was crumpled in a heap on the mound, his pitching arm aflame. Both dugouts fell silent as Burdi clutched his biceps in agony. Burdi had undergone Tommy John surgery in 2017. He knew what it felt like when his elbow went haywire. This was not that, which made it all the more harrowing.“I had the shooting pain, the throbbing pain in the bicep and elbow area but I... [More]

BRADENTON, Fla. (AP) — The rib is stashed away somewhere in his parents’ house in suburban Chicago, a reminder of what Pittsburgh Pirates reliever Nick Burdi needed to lose in order to find himself. The images are ingrained in the 27-year-old's mind forever, every pitcher's nightmare come to agonizing life. The hard-throwing right-hander, his big league career finally gaining some traction following a series of fits and starts, slung an 97 mph fastball to Arizona's Ketel Marte in the top of the eighth at PNC Park last April 23 that Marte took for a ball.By the time catcher Pirates catcher Elias Díaz stood up to throw the ball back, Burdi was crumpled in a heap on the mound, his pitching arm aflame. Both dugouts fell silent as Burdi clutched his biceps in agony. Burdi had undergone Tommy John surgery in 2017. He knew what it felt like when his elbow went haywire. This was not that, which made it all the more harrowing.“I had the shooting pain, the throbbing pain in the bicep and elbow area... [More]

ST. LOUIS (AP) — The Pittsburgh Pirates have acquired 28-year-old right-hander Chris Stratton from the Los Angeles Angels for cash.Stratton was 0-2 with an 8.59 ERA in five starts and two relief appearances for the Angels, then was designated for assignment on May 7. He attended spring training with San Francisco and was acquired by the Angels on March 26 for pitcher Williams Jerez.Stratton won a career-high 10 games for the Giants in 2018. He is 15-16 with one save and a 5.16 ERA in 55 big league appearances.Pittsburgh transferred right-hander Nick Burdi (right biceps/elbow pain) to the 60-day injured list on Saturday to make room for Burdi on the 40-man roster.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Reliever Nick Burdi has been placed on the 10-day injured list by the Pittsburgh Pirates with pain in his right biceps and elbow.Burdi grabbed his arm in pain after a pitch in the seventh inning of Pittsburgh's 12-4 loss to Arizona on Monday.Pittsburgh said Tuesday he had a magnetic resonance angiogram and is seeking a second opinion from Texas Rangers team physician Dr. Keith Meister.Burdi has thrown just 10 innings in the majors since returning from Tommy John surgery in 2017.Left-hander Steven Brault was recalled from Indianapolis, a day after he was optioned to the Triple-A team.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

A look at what's happening around the majors today:PLAYING TWOAfter rain postponed his scheduled start Monday, Boston's Chris Sale gets the ball for Game One of a doubleheader against Detroit. Sale (0-4, 8.50) has concerned Red Sox fans with lousy results and subpar stuff this season, though his velocity ticked up in a loss to the Yankees last week. Boston is coming off a three-game sweep over the AL East-leading Rays, which pushed the reigning World Series champs to 9-13.HEATED HARPERBryce Harper is expected back in the Phillies lineup a night after bolting from the bench to angrily confront the plate umpire after being ejected against the Mets. Harper, miffed by a couple strike calls earlier from Mark Carlson, got tossed from the dugout with teammate César Hernández at-bat. Phillies manager Gabe Kapler quickly came out to argue, then Harper followed in a much bigger hurry. Harper yelled and pointed at Carlson over and over from close range, with Kapler repeatedly pushing away his star... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors Tuesday:PLAYING TWOAfter rain postponed his scheduled start Monday, Boston's Chris Sale gets the ball for Game One of a doubleheader against Detroit. Sale (0-4, 8.50) has concerned Red Sox fans with lousy results and subpar stuff this season, though his velocity ticked up in a loss to the Yankees last week. Boston is coming off a three-game sweep over the AL East-leading Rays, which pushed the reigning World Series champs to 9-13.HEATED HARPERBryce Harper is expected back in the Phillies lineup a night after bolting from the bench to angrily confront the plate umpire after being ejected against the Mets. Harper, miffed by a couple strike calls earlier from Mark Carlson, got tossed from the dugout with teammate César Hernández at-bat. Phillies manager Gabe Kapler quickly came out to argue, then Harper followed in a much bigger hurry. Harper yelled and pointed at Carlson over and over from close range, with Kapler repeatedly pushing away his star... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Fiercely energetic Tim Anderson spiked his bat to celebrate a home run and Kansas City's Brad Keller responded by drilling him with a fastball, setting off a benches-clearing fracas in the Royals' 4-3, 10-inning victory over the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday.Anderson tossed his bat toward the White Sox dugout following his two-run drive in the fourth inning. Keller hit him in the buttocks with his first pitch leading off the sixth.Anderson, the AL's leading hitter, was restrained by Royals catcher Martin Maldonado but kept jawing with Keller on the way to first base. The dugouts and bullpens emptied, though no punches appeared to be thrown. White Sox manager Rick Renteria and Royals bench coach Dale Sveum shoved each other, and the usually mild-mannered Renteria was particularly animated.There were four ejections — Anderson, Keller, Renteria and Sveum.Hunter Dozier led off the 10th with a tiebreaking homer against Nate Jones (0-1). His drive to left on a 2-0 fastball made... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Fiercely energetic Tim Anderson spiked his bat to celebrate a home run and Kansas City's Brad Keller responded by drilling him with a fastball, setting off a benches-clearing fracas in the Royals' 4-3, 10-inning victory over the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday.Anderson tossed his bat toward the White Sox dugout following his two-run drive in the fourth inning. Keller hit him in the buttocks with his first pitch leading off the sixth.Anderson, the AL's leading hitter, was restrained by Royals catcher Martin Maldonado but kept jawing with Keller on the way to first base. The dugouts and bullpens emptied, though no punches appeared to be thrown. White Sox manager Rick Renteria and Royals bench coach Dale Sveum shoved each other, and the usually mild-mannered Renteria was particularly animated.There were four ejections — Anderson, Keller, Renteria and Sveum.Hunter Dozier led off the 10th with a tiebreaking homer against Nate Jones (0-1). His drive to left on a 2-0 fastball made... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Fiercely energetic Tim Anderson spiked his bat to celebrate a home run and Kansas City's Brad Keller responded by drilling him with a fastball, setting off a benches-clearing fracas in the Royals' 4-3, 10-inning victory over the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday.Anderson tossed his bat toward the White Sox dugout following his two-run drive in the fourth inning. Keller hit him in the buttocks with his first pitch leading off the sixth.Anderson, the AL's leading hitter, was restrained by Royals catcher Martin Maldonado but kept jawing with Keller on the way to first base. The dugouts and bullpens emptied, though no punches appeared to be thrown. White Sox manager Rick Renteria and Royals bench coach Dale Sveum shoved each other, and the usually mild-mannered Renteria was particularly animated.There were four ejections — Anderson, Keller, Renteria and Sveum.Hunter Dozier led off the 10th with a tiebreaking homer against Nate Jones (0-1). His drive to left on a 2-0 fastball made... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — David Robertson forced home the game-ending run with a ninth-inning walk to Jake Noll, a rookie without a hit in his two previous major league at-bats, and the Nationals beat the previously unbeaten Phillies 9-8 Wednesday as Washington's fans again booed Bryce Harper.Noll was sent to the minors after the game to make room for utilityman Howie Kendrick to come off the injured list Thursday.Robertson (0-1) gave up a leadoff single to Anthony Rendon, then walked three batters in a row.Nationals closer Sean Doolittle (2-0) worked the ninth.Philadelphia fell to 4-1 — it had been the last team in the majors without a loss. Making his second appearance against his former team since signing a $330 million, 13-year deal with the Phillies, Harper hit a pair of singles and was walked three times, twice intentionally.RED SOX 6, ATHLETICS 3OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Mookie Betts' two-out grounder hit the third base bag and popped into the outfield for a tiebreaking, two-run double in the... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — David Robertson forced home the game-ending run with a ninth-inning walk to Jake Noll, a rookie without a hit in his two previous major league at-bats, and the Nationals beat the previously unbeaten Phillies 9-8 Wednesday as Washington's fans again booed Bryce Harper.Noll was sent to the minors after the game to make room for utilityman Howie Kendrick to come off the injured list Thursday.Robertson (0-1) gave up a leadoff single to Anthony Rendon, then walked three batters in a row.Nationals closer Sean Doolittle (2-0) worked the ninth.Philadelphia fell to 4-1 — it had been the last team in the majors without a loss. Making his second appearance against his former team since signing a $330 million, 13-year deal with the Phillies, Harper hit a pair of singles and was walked three times, twice intentionally.PADRES 4, DIAMONDBACKS 1SAN DIEGO (AP) — Manny Machado hit his first home run for San Diego, a two-run drive in the seventh off former Padres farmhand Matt Andriese.... [More]

CINCINNATI (AP) — The Reds got a game deeper into this season before having to call one off.The second game of their series against the Pittsburgh Pirates was called off Saturday because of rain. The start was delayed 40 minutes before it was postponed with storms forecast all evening. It'll be made up as part of a day-night doubleheader on May 27.It was the majors' first postponement of the 2019 season. Fifty-four games were called off last year — the most since 1989 — largely due to cold, wet weather at the start of the season.The Reds have called off only 16 games during their 17 seasons at Great American Ball Park. Two were postponed because of rain last season, including the season opener against the Nationals that was pushed back a day.Both teams will stay with their scheduled starters for the final game of the now-shortened series, with Trevor Williams opposing Sony Gray in his Reds debut Sunday. Pittsburgh's Joe Musgrove will skip his turn in the rotation.Williams went 14-10 last... [More]

FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — The Boston Red Sox have traded outfielder Bryce Brentz to the Pittsburgh Pirates for cash.The teams made the deal Tuesday.Brentz played a total of 34 games for Boston in 2014 and 2016, hitting .287 with one home run and nine RBIs. He spent all of last season at Triple-A Pawtucket, hitting 31 homers with 85 RBIs.The 29-year-old Brentz won the Triple-A All-Star Home Run Derby last July, and has 127 career homers in the minors.Pittsburgh put right-handed pitcher Nick Burdi on the 60-day disabled list to make roster room for Brentz.

Burdi was demoted to High-A Fort Myers after struggling at Double-A Chattanooga with a 5.63 ERA and 33:22 K:BB ratio in 30.1 innings.

Burdi looked on the fast track to the majors after last season, but his 2015 season was delayed due an injury that required stitches on his left shin. Hopefully a trip back to High-A can get him back on track.