ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Giancarlo Stanton knows from his own heart-wrenching experience what the Los Angeles Angels are feeling, and will experience moving forward after the death of a teammate during the season.The slugger's message to the Angels, playing with heavy hearts after the death of 27-year-old pitcher Tyler Skaggs, is to "hug each other, laugh, cry, lift the ones taking it extra hard up."Stanton, now playing for the New York Yankees, was still with the Miami Marlins three years ago when 24-year-old two-time All-Star pitcher José Fernández was killed in a boating crash late that season.Los Angeles returned to the field with an emotional 9-4 win over the Rangers on Tuesday night, a day after Skaggs was discovered unresponsive in his hotel room in Texas. No cause of death has been reported."You're going to wonder why all of this is happening, is it real, why are u suiting up to play a game that seems irrelevant," Stanton wrote in an Instagram post. "Some Anger will ensue while u... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Tyler Skaggs weighed heavy on the minds of Mike Trout and all of the Los Angeles Angels in their first game since death of the much-loved 27-year-old pitcher."I can't explain it man. Lost a teammate, lost a friend, a brother. Just got to get through it," a visibly shaken Trout said after the Angels 9-4 win at Texas on Tuesday night."It's tough. My first at-bat, I get up there, all I do is think about him," added the All-Star center fielder, who was in the same Angels draft class as Skaggs in 2009. "Just a different feeling, just in shock, it's like walking around the hotel, you're just always thinking about him."The Angels decided to play a day after the postponement of the series opener against the Rangers. Skaggs was found unresponsive in his hotel room in Texas on Monday. A cause of death has not been reported.Before Angels starter Jose Suarez threw his first pitch in the bottom of the first inning, the left-hander appeared to write something in the dirt with... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — With the memory of Tyler Skaggs weighing heavy on their hearts, the Los Angeles Angels won their first game since the death of the much-loved 27-year-old pitcher who got to play for his favorite childhood team."He was an exceptional young man with an entire life so full of promise yet to live. For some reason, that is incomprehensible to all of us, he lives on now only in our minds and our hearts," general manager Billy Eppler said before Tuesday night's 9-4 win at Texas. "Our team will never be the same without him. But forever we've been made better by him."The Angels decided to play a day after the postponement of the series opener against the Rangers. Skaggs was found unresponsive in his hotel room in Texas on Monday. A cause of death has not been reported.Before Angels starter Jose Suarez threw his first pitch in the bottom of the first inning, the left-hander appeared to write something in the dirt with his finger. He then touched the No. 45 painted on the... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — With the memory of Tyler Skaggs weighing heavy on their hearts, the Los Angeles Angels took the field for their first game since the death of the much-loved 27-year-old pitcher who got to play for his favorite childhood team."He was an exceptional young man with an entire life so full of promise yet to live. For some reason, that is incomprehensible to all of us, he lives on now only in our minds and our hearts," general manager Billy Eppler said before Tuesday night's game. "Our team will never be the same without him. But forever we've been made better by him."The Angels decided to play a day after the postponement of the series opener against the Rangers. Skaggs was found unresponsive in his hotel room in Texas on Monday. A cause of death has not been reported."The first game back, whether today or tomorrow was going to be one of the toughest other than yesterday," manager Brad Ausmus said."The game itself is going to be a refuge for players, where they can turn... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — With the memory of Tyler Skaggs weighing heavy on their hearts, the Los Angeles Angels prepared Tuesday to play their first game since the death of the much-loved 27-year-old pitcher who got to play for his favorite childhood team."He was an exceptional young man with an entire life so full of promise yet to live. For some reason, that is incomprehensible to all of us, he lives on now only in our minds and our hearts," general manager Billy Eppler said. "Our team will never be the same without him. But forever we've been made better by him."The Angels decided to play a day after the postponement of the series opener against the Rangers. Skaggs was found unresponsive in his hotel room in Texas on Monday."The first game back, whether today or tomorrow was going to be one of the toughest other than yesterday," manager Brad Ausmus said."The game itself is going to be a refuge for players, where they can turn their minds off and concentrate on baseball," he added. "I... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Tyler Skaggs grew up rooting for the Los Angeles Angels, and got to pitch for his favorite team.The left-hander's next start for the Angels was supposed to be on the Fourth of July holiday, during a weeklong trip to Texas that began with Skaggs and his teammates proudly posing in cowboy hats and Western attire by their plane.Skaggs died Monday, when the 27-year-old pitcher was found unresponsive in his Texas hotel room. The scheduled series opener against the Rangers was postponed."Words cannot express the deep sadness we feel right now. Our thoughts and prayers are with (wife) Carli and their families. Remembering him as a great teammate, friend, and person who will forever remain in our hearts... we love you, 45," All-Star center fielder Mike Trout wrote on Twitter.Angels general manager Billy Eppler described himself as being "in utter shock and disbelief."The team, in a statement, called Skaggs "an important part of the Angels Family" and said its thoughts and... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Tyler Skaggs grew up rooting for the Los Angeles Angels, and got to pitch for his favorite team.The left-hander's next start for the Angels was supposed to be on the Fourth of July holiday, during a weeklong trip to Texas that began with Skaggs and his teammates proudly posing in cowboy hats and Western attire by their plane.Skaggs died Monday, when the 27-year-old pitcher was found unresponsive in his Texas hotel room. The scheduled series opener against the Rangers was postponed."Words cannot express the deep sadness we feel right now. Our thoughts and prayers are with (wife) Carli and their families. Remembering him as a great teammate, friend, and person who will forever remain in our hearts... we love you, 45," All-Star center fielder Mike Trout wrote on Twitter.Angels general manager Billy Eppler described himself as being "in utter shock and disbelief."The team, in a statement, called Skaggs "an important part of the Angels Family" and said its thoughts and... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors today:SORROWAngels teammates and the entire Major League Baseball community are mourning the stunning death Monday of Los Angeles pitcher Tyler Skaggs, who was found unresponsive in his Texas hotel room. He was 27. Police said they were investigating, but no foul play was suspected."Words cannot express the deep sadness we feel right now," Angels star Mike Trout posted on Twitter.The club's scheduled game against the Rangers was postponed, and Rangers officials said there had been no discussions on the status of Tuesday's game or the rest of what was supposed to be a four-game series. They said only that Monday's game would not be made up this week."Real life takes precedence here," general manager Jon Daniels said. "Some things are a lot bigger than baseball."MILESTONE MANPhiladelphia slugger Bryce Harper has 199 career home runs and 999 hits going into an NL East showdown at first-place Atlanta. Harper hopes to reach 200 homers and 1,000 hits... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Tyler Skaggs had persevered through injuries to become a valuable pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels.The left-hander had posted a photo of himself and teammates in cowboy hats for their weeklong trip to Texas, where he was set to start on the Fourth of July holiday.Skaggs died Monday, when the 27-year-old pitcher was found unresponsive in his Texas hotel room, stunning the Major League Baseball community and leading to the postponement of Los Angeles' series opener against the Rangers.Skaggs was "an important part of the Angels Family," the team said in a statement. "Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Carli, and his entire family during this devastating time."Police said they were investigating but no foul play was suspected. Skaggs was pronounced dead at the scene.Skaggs, who would have turned 28 on July 13 and was married in December, had been a regular in the Angels' starting rotation since late 2016, when the left-hander returned from Tommy John surgery.... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors Tuesday:SORROWAngels teammates and the entire Major League Baseball community are mourning the stunning death Monday of Los Angeles pitcher Tyler Skaggs, who was found unresponsive in his Texas hotel room. He was 27. Police said they were investigating, but no foul play was suspected."Words cannot express the deep sadness we feel right now," Angels star Mike Trout posted on Twitter.The club's scheduled game against the Rangers was postponed, and Rangers officials said there had been no discussions on the status of Tuesday's game or the rest of what was supposed to be a four-game series. They said only that Monday's game would not be made up this week."Real life takes precedence here," general manager Jon Daniels said. "Some things are a lot bigger than baseball."MILESTONE MANPhiladelphia slugger Bryce Harper has 199 career home runs and 999 hits going into an NL East showdown at first-place Atlanta. Harper hopes to reach 200 homers and 1,000... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Tyler Skaggs had persevered through injuries to be a valuable pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels.The left-hander had posted a photo of himself and teammates in cowboy hats for their weeklong trip to Texas where he was set to start on the Fourth of July holiday.The 27-year-old pitcher died Monday, when he was found unresponsive in his hotel room in Texas, stunning Major League Baseball and leading to the postponement of Los Angeles' series opener against the Rangers.Skaggs was "an important part of the Angels Family," the team said in a statement. "Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Carli, and his entire family during this devastating time."Police said they were investigating but that no foul play was suspected. Skaggs was pronounced dead at the scene.Skaggs, who would have turned 28 on July 13 and was married just seven months ago, had been a regular in the Angels' starting rotation since late 2016, when the left-hander returned from Tommy John surgery.... [More]

Reaction from the baseball world to the death of Los Angeles Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs on Monday at 27:___"Words cannot express the deep sadness we feel right now. Our thoughts and prayers are with Carli and their families. Remembering him as a great teammate, friend, and person who will forever remain in our hearts... we love you, 45." — Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout .___"We came up together. We won together. We laughed and celebrated together. Today, we all lose and mourn together. Your memory, your love for life, everything that made you, you, will live forever in the hearts and minds of those who knew you. Rest In Peace brother. We love you." — Cleveland Indians pitcher Trevor Bauer .___"By far the nastiest prep arm I ever faced. My thoughts and prayers go out to Tyler's family! Gone too soon!" — Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Bryce Harper.___"I am deeply saddened by today's tragedy in Texas. All of us at Major League Baseball extend our deepest condolences to Tyler's... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Los Angeles Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs died Monday at the age of 27, stunning Major League Baseball and leading to the postponement of the team's game against the Texas Rangers.Skaggs was with the team in Texas when he was found unresponsive in his hotel room, police said . He was pronounced dead at the scene. Police said they were investigating, but no foul play was suspected.Skaggs was "an important part of the Angels Family," the team said in a statement. "Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Carli, and his entire family during this devastating time."Skaggs, who would have turned 28 on July 13 and was married just seven months ago, had been a regular in the Angels' starting rotation since late 2016, when he returned from Tommy John surgery. He struggled with injuries repeatedly over the past three seasons but persevered to become a valuable starter in Los Angeles' injury-plagued rotation.The left-hander had just pitched on Saturday, allowing two runs in... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Los Angeles Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs died Monday at the age of 27, stunning Major League Baseball and leading to the postponement of the team's game against the Texas Rangers.Skaggs was with the team in Texas when he was found unresponsive in his hotel room, police said . He was pronounced dead at the scene. Police said they were investigating, but no foul play was suspected.Skaggs was "an important part of the Angels Family," the team said in a statement. "Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Carli, and his entire family during this devastating time."Skaggs, who would have turned 28 on July 13, had been a regular in the Angels' starting rotation since late 2016, when he returned from Tommy John surgery. He struggled with injuries repeatedly over the past three seasons but persevered to become a valuable starter in Los Angeles' injury-plagued rotation.The left-hander had just pitched on Saturday, allowing two runs in 4 1/3 innings in a 4-0 loss to Oakland.... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Los Angeles Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs died Monday at the age of 27, stunning Major League Baseball and leading to the postponement of the team's game against the Texas Rangers.Skaggs was with the team in Texas when he was found unresponsive in his hotel room, police said. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Police said they are investigating, but no foul play is suspected at this time.Skaggs was "an important part of the Angels Family," the team said in a statement. "Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Carli, and his entire family during this devastating time."Skaggs, who would have turned 28 on July 13, had been a regular in the Angels' starting rotation since late 2016, when he returned from Tommy John surgery. He struggled with injuries repeatedly over the past three seasons but persevered to become a valuable starter in Los Angeles' injury-plagued rotation.The left-hander had just pitched on Saturday, allowing two runs in 4 1/3 innings in a 4-0 loss... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Last time the Houston Astros went to Cleveland, they made a boozy, bubbly mess in the visiting locker room.Now they're invading the home clubhouse, too.Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole and four of their Astros teammates will lead the American League squad at the All-Star Game in Cleveland on July 9. Major League Baseball unveiled full rosters for the midsummer showcase Sunday, and Houston topped all big league clubs with six players. No other AL team has more than three."Impressive," Verlander said. "I mean, I think we could have a lot more."Alex Bregman, George Springer and Michael Brantley will be in the starting lineup, and Verlander, Cole and Ryan Pressly are on the pitching staff. It will be the first trip to Cleveland for those Astros since Game 3 of last year's AL Division Series, when Houston won 11-3 to complete a sweep.The Dodgers, Brewers and Rockies lead the NL with four players each. The Los Angeles contingent includes Cody Bellinger, Clayton Kershaw, Hyun-Jin... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Last time the Houston Astros went to Cleveland, they made a boozy, bubbly mess in the visiting locker room.Now they're invading the home clubhouse, too.Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole and four of their Astros teammates will lead the American League squad at the All-Star Game in Cleveland on July 9. Major League Baseball unveiled full rosters for the midsummer showcase Sunday, and Houston topped all big league clubs with six players. No other AL club has more than three.Alex Bregman, George Springer and Michael Brantley will be in the starting lineup, and Verlander, Cole and Ryan Pressly are on the pitching staff. It will be the first trip to Cleveland for those Astros since Game 3 of last year's AL Division Series, when Houston won 11-3 to complete a sweep.The Dodgers, Brewers and Rockies lead the NL with four players each. The Los Angeles contingent includes Cody Bellinger, Clayton Kershaw, Hyun-Jin Ryu and Walker Buehler — plenty of familiar faces for manager Dave Roberts.Milwaukee... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole and four of their Houston Astros teammates will lead the American League squad at the All-Star Game in Cleveland on July 9.Major League Baseball unveiled full rosters for the midsummer showcase Sunday, and the Astros top all big league clubs with six players. No other AL club has more than three.Alex Bregman, George Springer and Michael Brantley will be in the starting lineup for the AL, and Verlander, Cole and Ryan Pressly are on the pitching staff. It will be the first trip to Cleveland for those Astros since Game 3 of last year's AL Division Series, when Houston won 11-3 to complete a sweep.The Dodgers, Brewers and Rockies lead the NL with four players each. The Los Angeles contingent includes Cody Bellinger, Clayton Kershaw, Hyun-Jin Ryu and Walker Buehler — plenty of familiar faces for manager Dave Roberts.Milwaukee will be represented by Christian Yelich, Mike Moustakas, Yasmani Grandal and Josh Hader. It's the second appearance for Hader,... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Surrounded by sweet-swinging sluggers Christian Yelich, Cody Bellinger and Ronald Acuña Jr., All-Star stalwart Nolan Arenado is set for a new role with the National League — elder statesman."It shows how good these young guys are," Arenado said.The five-time All-Star will be joined by a bumper crop of talent in one of the youngest All-Star Game lineups ever — a millennial-heavy NL group that could make history at the midsummer showcase in Cleveland on July 9.Major League Baseball revealed the results from fan balloting for its All-Star starters Thursday, and the average age of the eight NL starters is 25.8 years old. Depending on who is chosen as the club's designated hitter, the starting position players could be the youngest ever, surpassing the 1967 NL and 2017 AL clubs, which averaged 26.0 years old."I've never seen this much young talent in the game," said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, who will lead the NL. "There's a lot of fun players to watch — talented and the personalities... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Surrounded by sweet-swinging sluggers Christian Yelich, Cody Bellinger and Ronald Acuña Jr., All-Star stalwart Nolan Arenado is set for a new role with the National League — elder statesman."It shows how good these young guys are," Arenado said.The five-time All-Star will be joined by a bumper crop of talent in one of the youngest All-Star Game lineups ever — a millennial-heavy NL group that could make history at the midsummer showcase in Cleveland on July 9.Major League Baseball revealed the results from fan balloting for its All-Star starters Thursday, and the average age of the eight NL starters is 25.8 years old. Depending on who is chosen as the club's designated hitter, the starting position players could be the youngest ever, surpassing the 1967 NL and 2017 AL clubs, which averaged 26.0 years old."I've never seen this much young talent in the game," said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, who will lead the NL. "There's a lot of fun players to watch — talented and the personalities... [More]