MILWAUKEE (AP) — NL MVP Christian Yelich has been scratched from Milwaukee's lineup against Cincinnati for a second consecutive day because of back spasms."He's improved today," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said Wednesday. "We'll go through a bunch of treatments today and see how he is. The day off tomorrow factors into all this. We'll see what we've got on Friday."Yelich leads the major leagues with 19 home runs and is batting .325 with 41 RBIs in 44 games, including 42 starts.He missed parts of seven games this season because of back problems and also missed time last season."I don't think chronic is the right word," Counsell said. "His back is an issue, but this isn't a structural issue. He's had some muscle issues in his back, but they've been short-term injuries. That's not a chronic characterization, for me. It's something that he's going to have to actively manage. These are small little things that are costing him a day here and a day there. Not worrisome from my end."Hernán Pérez replaced Yelich in right field.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

CLEVELAND (AP) — The Cleveland Indians designated Carlos Gonzalez for assignment after the veteran outfielder failed to produce for a team that has struggled offensively all season.Gonzalez, who signed a minor-league contract in spring training, batted .210 with two home runs and seven RBIs in 30 games. The left-handed hitter, 33, played the last 11 seasons for the Colorado Rockies.Manager Terry Francona said it was difficult to part ways with Gonzalez, but the Indians want to give more playing time to Jordan Luplow and Oscar Mercado, both right-handed hitters.Francona said catcher Roberto Perez, who left Tuesday's game after being struck on the mask with a foul tip, will not go on the concussion list. Perez underwent a series of tests and will be out for a couple of days.Catcher Eric Haase was recalled from Triple-A Columbus. The moves were made prior to Wednesday's game against Oakland.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

A look at what's happening around the majors today:CURTAIN UP! LIGHT THE LIGHTS!Max Scherzer, the 2016 and '17 NL Cy Young Award winner, starts for Washington and Jacob deGrom, the 2018 NL Cy Young winner, starts for the New York Mets in a rematch of opening-day starters. The Mets won the opener 2-0 as deGrom struck out 10 and walked one in six innings, allowing six hits. Scherzer gave up two runs and two hits in 7 2/3 innings, striking out 12 and walking three. Robinson Canó homered in the first and added an RBI single in the eighth against reliever Matt Grace.YOU'RE A MAN WHO GOES TRAVELINGCole Hamels (4-0) starts for the Chicago Cubs in his first career start against the Philadelphia Phillies, the team that signed him as a first-round pick in the 2002 amateur draft. Hamels was 114-90 for the Phillies from 2006-15, helping Philadelphia win the 2008 World Series and the 2009 NL pennant. He was traded to Texas in July 2015 and to the Cubs last July. Rookie Cole Irvin (2-0) starts for the... [More]

TOKYO (AP) — Pitcher Koji Uehara, whose dominant season in relief helped the Boston Red Sox win the 2013 World Series, has retired with Japan's Yomiuri Giants — the team that he first played for in Japan.The 44-year-old Uehara announced his retirement at a news conference in Tokyo, saying it was time to step away after he was unable to perform well early in the season for the Giants' farm team.Uehara joined the Baltimore Orioles in 2009, but he became a star in 2013 with the Boston Red Sox, who defeated the St. Louis Cardinals that year in the World Series. He was dominant in relief that season for the Red Sox and it was Uehara who threw the last pitch in the final game when Boston beat the Cardinals 6-1 to win the World Series.Uehara was 22-26 in his nine-year career in MLB and pitched his final season in 2017 with the Chicago Cubs. He also pitched for the Texas Rangers.Uehara started with the Yomiuri Giants in 1999 and pitched for 10 seasons in Japan before moving to MLB.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/apf-Baseball and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

BALTIMORE (AP) — The New York Yankees have climbed into first place in the AL East in spite of a myriad of injuries and partially because the front end of their schedule is loaded with games against the Baltimore Orioles.Clint Frazier homered twice and had a career-high five RBIs, Gary Sánchez contributed a three-run drive and the Yankees kept up their assault on Baltimore pitching in an 11-4 rout Tuesday night.Nearly a fifth of New York's 47 games thus far have been against the Orioles, who are 6-17 at home and 15-33 overall, the worst record in the AL. The Yankees are 8-2 against the Orioles, have outscored them 73-40 and hit at least one home run in every game.New York is 5-0 at Camden Yards this season and has won an unprecedented 10 straight in Baltimore, opening a two-game division lead despite 17 players going on the injured list."I personally like hitting in this ballpark and it's a fun atmosphere whenever we're here," Frazier said. "Our team is really good, so it's just a matter... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Seattle Mariners placed second baseman Dee Gordon and third baseman Ryon Healy on the 10-day injured list and signed right-hander Anthony Bass to a one-year contract with a $950,000 salary while in the major leagues.Gordon has a bruised right wrist and Healy lower back inflammation.Seattle, 10-26 following a 13-2 start, made eight roster moves before Tuesday night's 5-3 loss to Texas. The Mariners selected the contract of left-hander Tommy Milone from Triple-A Tacoma, and he started against the Rangers. Second baseman Shed Long was recalled from Tacoma and was in the starting lineup.Third baseman Dylan Moore was activated from the 10-day injured list after recovering from a bruised right wrist. Right-handed reliever Parker Markel was optioned to Tacoma, and right-handed reliever Ryan Garton was designated for assignment."We had to get some players in here," Mariners manager Scott Servais said.Gordon is hitting .281 with 12 steals, while Healy is batting .237... [More]

SAN DIEGO (AP) — The Arizona Diamondbacks have placed infielder Wilmer Flores on the 10-day injured list with a bruised right foot, retroactive to Monday, and recalled Ildemaro Vargas from the Triple-A Reno.Flores left Sunday's game against the Giants after being hit with a pitch. He was hitting .373 with two homers and 12 RBIs in his last 20 games. Overall, he's hitting .281 with two homers and 14 RBIs.Vargas had been optioned to Triple-A on May 10.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

HOUSTON (AP) — Justin Verlander of the Houston Astros had his no-hitter against the Chicago White Sox broken up with one out in the seventh on a home run by Jose Abreu.Verlander retired his first five batters with three strikeouts before walking Yonder Alonso with two outs in the second. But he got right back on track, sitting down Tim Anderson to end the inning.Verlander needed just 11 pitches to strike out the side in the third inning and fanned two in the fourth. He struck out one in the fifth and one more in the sixth after a long layoff after the Astros sent eight hitters to the plate in the bottom of the fifth.Yoán Moncada struck out to start the seventh before Abreu sent the first pitch of his at-bat over the wall in straightaway center field for Chicago's first hit.Houston leads 5-1.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

HOUSTON (AP) — Justin Verlander of the Houston Astros is pitching a no-hitter through six innings against the Chicago White Sox.Verlander has thrown 76 pitches Tuesday night. He's struck out 10 and walked one.Verlander has thrown two no-hitters in his career, both with Detroit. The first one was in 2007 against Milwaukee and the second in 2011 at Toronto.He retired his first five batters with three strikeouts before walking Yonder Alonso with two outs in the second. But he got right back on track, sitting down Tim Anderson to end the inning.Verlander needed just 11 pitches to strike out the side in the third inning and fanned two in the fourth. He struck out one in the fifth and one more in the sixth after a long layoff after the Astros sent eight hitters to the plate in the bottom of the fifth.Houston leads 5-0.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

DETROIT (AP) — Ron Gardenhire has been ejected from Detroit's game against Miami on Tuesday night after the Tigers' manager came out to argue following a replay reversal in the bottom of the ninth inning.With men on first and third and one out, Detroit's Ronny Rodriguez lifted a fly ball to deep left field. Harold Ramirez appeared to drop it, and a run came home, tying the game at 4, but replays showed Ramirez had the ball briefly in his glove before losing control as he tried to transfer it to his throwing hand.The call was overturned and the batter was ruled out — although the run still counted. Gardenhire came out to argue with third base umpire Fieldin Culbreth, and although Culbreth didn't make a demonstrative ejection motion, Gardenhire disappeared from view in the dugout, and the Tigers eventually confirmed he'd been tossed.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

BALTIMORE (AP) — Clint Frazier homered twice and had a career-high five RBIs, Gary Sánchez contributed a three-run drive and the New York Yankees kept up their assault on Baltimore pitching in an 11-4 rout Tuesday night.New York made it easy for Domingo Germán (9-1) to win his sixth consecutive start and increase his major league-leading victory total. The right-hander pitched only five innings and left with a 9-3 lead.David Hale worked the four innings to earn his first save since 2010 at Class A.New York is 8-2 against the Orioles this season, outscoring them 73-40 and going 5-0 at Camden Yards. Five of Frazier's eight home runs this season have come against Baltimore, and Sánchez and Gleyber Torres each have homered eight times against Baltimore pitching.Of the major league-high 100 home runs the Orioles have allowed, 28 have been hit by the Yankees.DJ LeMahieu had three hits and Sánchez finished with four RBIs for the AL East leaders, who have won seven of eight.Sánchez got it started,... [More]

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — The Los Angeles Angels received equal bits of good and bad news Tuesday.Shohei Ottani was fine, a day after he was hit on the right ring finger while swinging on a third strike.But they are going to be without Andrelton Simmons for awhile.The shortstop was placed on the 10-day injured list after he hurt his left ankle during Monday's loss to the Minnesota Twins. Simmons sustained a grade 3 ankle sprain when he tried to beat out an infield hit during the eighth inning. Simmons and Ohanti were injured on consecutive at-bats and during a three-pitch span."I was just trying to get there and I guess miscalculated a little bit," Simmons said. "I haven't even the replay yet, heard a little bit about it. That's the first time I actually lunged at first and didn't work out well for me.The injury is a blow to the Angels' offense. Simmons, the team's cleanup hitter, was leading the majors in hits (44) since April 15 and was batting .341 in that span. He had been the AL's Gold... [More]

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — The Los Angeles Angels have placed Andrelton Simmons on the 10-day injured list after he sprained his left ankle during a loss to the Minnesota Twins.The shortstop sustained a grade 3 ankle sprain when he tried to beat out an infield hit during the eighth inning Monday night. The injury is a blow to the Angels' offense; Simmons was leading the majors in hits (44) since April 15 and was batting .341 in that span.General manager Billy Eppler says Simmons will see a foot and ankle specialist Wednesday. The Angels have recalled Luis Rengifo from Triple-A Salt Lake on Tuesday to fill the roster spot.Designated hitter Shohei Ohtani was in the lineup Tuesday, a day after he was hit on the right ring finger while swinging on a third strike.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — The Los Angeles Angels have placed Andrelton Simmons on the 10-day injured list after he sprained his left ankle during Monday's loss to the Minnesota Twins.The shortstop suffered a grade 3 ankle sprain when he tried to beat out an infield hit during the eighth inning. The injury is a major blow to the Angels' offense as Simmons was leading the majors in hits (44) since April 15 and was batting .341 in that span.General manager Billy Eppler said Simmons will see a foot and ankle specialist Wednesday. The Angels have called up Luis Rengifo from Triple-A Salt Lake to fill the roster spot.Designated hitter Shohei Ohtani was hit in the right ring finger while swinging on a third strike Monday but was in the lineup for Tuesday's game.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) — Mets third baseman Todd Frazier and Nationals outfielder Adam Eaton were back at it with more barbs Tuesday.During New York's 5-3 win on Monday the two jawed at each other from a distance, prompting several Nationals to take a few steps out of the dugout before Frazier and Eaton were guided in opposite directions.The two were teammates with the Chicago White Sox in 2016 but have an acrimonious history. Eaton said after Monday's game: "I tried to stay patient with the childishness.""That's Adam," Frazier said. "That's him. At the end of the day, you think about what a man really is. You settle stuff out on the field. You don't talk about it. That's basically what I do. Back in the day, that's how you usually settle it.""For him to even talk after that, I don't know how you talk after that and that's basically all I'll say after that," Frazier went on. "Men usually settle on the field, but he talked about it. He started it coming at me with 'I'm a man. I got a mortgage to... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — NL MVP Christian Yelich was scratched from Milwaukee's lineup against Cincinnati on Tuesday night because of back spasms.Yelich leads the major leagues with 19 home runs and is batting .325 with 41 RBIs in 44 games, including 42 starts.He has missed parts of seven games because of back problems.Ben Gamel replaced Yelich in right field.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Julio Urías was reinstated from administrative leave by Major League Baseball on Tuesday.Urías was placed on leave while MLB officials looked into his May 13 arrest for investigation of misdemeanor domestic battery. Police said Urías was taken into custody in the parking lot of a Los Angeles shopping mall but police did not release details.Urías addressed his teammates for about five minutes in the clubhouse before the series opener at Tampa Bay. Manager Dave Roberts and president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman also were present."I think his demeanor is he's happy to be back. He's anxious to get everything behind him," Roberts said. "I know he's excited to just get back to playing baseball — obviously all that's been going on in his life, and getting him back here and focusing on baseball when he's at the ballpark, and just giving him the support that he needs at this point in time."The leave lasted seven days as originally... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Seattle Mariners placed second baseman Dee Gordon and third baseman Ryon Healy on the 10-day injured list and signed right-hander Anthony Bass to a one-year contract with a $950,000 salary while in the major leagues.Gordon has a bruised right wrist and Healy lower back inflammation.Seattle, which has gone 12-25 following a 13-2 start, made eight roster moves before Tuesday night's game against Texas. The Mariners selected the contract of left-hander Tommy Milone from Triple-A Tacoma, and he was scheduled to start against the Rangers. Second baseman Shed Long was recalled from Tacoma and was in the starting lineup.Third baseman Dylan Moore was activated from the 10-day injured list after recovering from a bruised right wrist. Right-handed reliever Parker Markel was optioned to Tacoma, and right-handed reliever Ryan Garton was designated for assignment."We had to get some players in here," Mariners manager Scott Servais said.Gordon is hitting .281 with 12 steals,... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Texas Rangers reliever Shawn Kelley learned that two lumps removed from his throat last week were benign, and the 35-year-old right-hander was activated from the 10-day injured list.Kelley was placed on the injured list on May 9, and the lumps were removed last Thursday. Kelley, who doesn't use tobacco, had reported discomfort when talking and when rolling over while in bed."I really did feel like everything was going to be OK, and that a lot of it was precaution," he said Tuesday. "And to come on a day when I was going to be reactivated, anyways, is pretty exciting."Kelley is 3-0 with two saves and a 1.29 ERA in 14 appearances in his first season with the Rangers. He said the only pain is when he looks straight up because of the two internal stitches."If there's a pop-up on the mound, I'm going to need help," he said with a laugh. "You're going to see me leaning back."Left-hander Brett Martin was optioned to Triple-A Nashville.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Julio Urías was reinstated Tuesday from administrative leave by Major League Baseball.Urías was placed on leave while MLB officials looked into his May 13 arrest for investigation of misdemeanor domestic battery. Police said Urías was taken into custody in the parking lot of a Los Angeles shopping mall but didn't release details.The leave lasted seven days as originally announced. In previous MLB investigations, management and the players' association agreed to extend leaves while probes continued.MLB and the union agreed to a domestic violence policy in 2015, giving the commissioner the right to investigate and impose discipline.Urías, a 22-year-oldn left-hander from Culiacan, Mexico, began the season in the starting rotation but moved to the bullpen once Clayton Kershaw came off the injured list.To make room on the roster for Urías, outfielder Kyle Garlick was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Tuesday.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports