Garrett Richards had gotten only one out during his first spring training start, loading the bases and walking in one run before the Red Sox stopped the inning after 23 pitches. Then he went back out for a 1-2-3 second inning. “It’s building blocks man,” he said after being rescued by the new rule this spring training that allows managers to end an inning after a pitcher has thrown 20 pitches, regardless of how many outs or runners on base there are. “Obviously, you want to finish it and you want to you want to make all the outs that you’re outing requires,” he said. “So, yeah, it was a little frustrating.” Richards told reporters from Fort Myers, Florida, that his pitches were moving well, but he just struggled to keep them in the strike zone. He allowed two runs, three hits and two walks in the first inning before it ended. “By all means, not happy about it. Today’s today’s outing is not what you’re going to see from me on a regular basis, I’ll tell you that right now," he said. “I just... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — At 25, Sandy Alcantara says he's old enough to be the Miami Marlins' ace. The Marlins agree. Alcantara has pitched less than 300 innings and has a career record of 11-19, but Miami is counting on him to lead a parade of talented young starting pitchers who are considered the team's strength. “That’s what the Marlins are looking for from me, and that's what I want,” said the Dominican right-hander, who pitched two scoreless innings against the Mets in his first spring training start Monday. “There are a lot of young guys behind me. I have to show them they can be like me. “It doesn’t matter how young I am. I have experience. I've been in the big leagues for four years now.” On Miami's staff, that's a lot. The other right-handers expected to help make up the rotation include Pablo López, Elieser Hernández and Sixto Sánchez. Four pitchers are contending for the last spot — left-hander Trevor Rogers and Daniel Castano, and right-handers Nick Neidert and Braxton Garrett. Among the... [More]

The Milwaukee Brewers’ big trade from the fall of 2019 certainly didn’t work out in the short term. They’re still hopeful it will help them over the long run. The Brewers acquired infielder Luis Urías and left-handed pitcher Eric Lauer from San Diego in a November 2019 trade that sent outfielder Trent Grisham and pitcher Zach Davies to the Padres. Urías and Lauer struggled in 2020 while Grisham and Davies flourished. But a new season represents a fresh start for both Urías and Lauer. The Brewers are giving the 23-year-old Urías a chance to win their starting shortstop job. If Urías (prounounced oo-REE-us) has a solid season as a full-time player, it could lead to some reassessments of a trade that seemed lopsided in San Diego’s favor last fall. Urías says he isn’t putting any extra pressure on himself to prove the Brewers made the right move in acquiring him. But he understands what’s at stake. “Obviously I want to prove something, that I can really play,” Urías said Monday from the Brewers’... [More]

The Milwaukee Brewers’ big trade from the fall of 2019 certainly didn’t work out in the short term. They’re still hopeful it will help them over the long run. The Brewers acquired infielder Luis Urías and left-handed pitcher Eric Lauer from San Diego in a November 2019 trade that sent outfielder Trent Grisham and pitcher Zach Davies to the Padres. Urías and Lauer struggled in 2020 while Grisham and Davies flourished. But a new season represents a fresh start for both Urías and Lauer. The Brewers are giving the 23-year-old Urías a chance to win their starting shortstop job. If Urías (prounounced oo-REE-us) has a solid season as a full-time player, it could lead to some reassessments of a trade that seemed lopsided in San Diego’s favor last fall. Urías says he isn’t putting any extra pressure on himself to prove the Brewers made the right move in acquiring him. But he understands what’s at stake. “Obviously I want to prove something, that I can really play,” Urías said Monday from the Brewers’... [More]

At the plate, Charlie Blackmon is confident he can solve just about anyone he faces. As for this new kid? Now, she's throwing the Colorado Rockies outfielder for quite a curve — in a cute, cuddly way of course. His methodical, ever-thinking approach to hitting is mere child’s play compared to learning the nuances of being a new dad. "It's kind of like trying to figure out a Rubik’s Cube,” said Blackmon, whose daughter was born in January. “You just know you’re never going to do it, but you keep trying.” That could very well apply to mastering the art of hitting, which is Blackmon's constant quest. He's driven not through success, but by failure. “If you want to feel alive, go out there and get your butt kicked — strike out in a big spot or make that error that loses the game. For me, that’s when I feel the most alive,” the 34-year-old Blackmon said. “I hate it and I want to change it. I don’t let it happen again.” The outfielder known for his bushy beard and mullet haircut was off to a... [More]

Mets president Sandy Alderson says the team may have been naive to think it could manage Trevor Bauer’s habit of inflammatory social media posts but says he’s happy with New York's offseason changes despite failing to sign the NL Cy Young Award winner. Bauer agreed Feb. 5 to a $102 million, three-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, a deal that was finalized a week later. He has been involved in multiple controversies on social media, where he has a huge following and is actively involved in creating and writing content for his channels. Two higher-profile incidents both involved women, including a college student who accused the 30-year-old Bauer of harassing her online. Bauer tweeted the student “was obsessed with me.” “I think that he would have added a dimension to our team, maybe a third or fourth dimension,” Alderson said with a laugh during a news conference Monday in Port St. Lucie, Florida, ahead of the Mets' spring training opener. “And hard to know how that would have... [More]

Kyle Farmer reported to spring camp early with pitchers and catchers but traded in his backup catcher's number (52) for an infielder's number (17), part of his campaign to become the Cincinnati Reds' regular shortstop. Farmer can play anywhere and hits nearly .300 against left-handed pitching, which has made him a valuable utilityman for the Reds the past two seasons. He let manager David Bell know last spring he wanted a chance to prove himself at shortstop, which is where he played for four years as a University of Georgia star. The opportunity is here for the 30-year-old Farmer, who may be the Reds' best option since they let Freddy Galvis leave to sign with the Baltimore Orioles and didn't splash into the free-agent pool for a replacement. Farmer started 10 games at shortstop last season and another in the playoffs. “Trust me, I was on Twitter every day seeing if they were going to sign a shortstop,” Farmer said earlier in the spring. In the opening spring exhibition game Sunday, Farmer... [More]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Royals made official their $25 million, four-year contract with third baseman Hunter Dozier on Monday, ensuring that another member of their young foundation is under club control for the foreseeable future. Kansas City has gone through several down years after back-to-back World Series runs culminated with a championship in 2015. The small-market club was forced to watch players such as Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas depart for larger deals in other places, then begin the slow and often painful process of rebuilding from within. Dozier, the eighth overall pick in the 2013 amateur draft, always figured into those plans. He had a breakout season in 2019, when he hit 26 homers and led the American League with 10 triples while driving in 84 runs. And while his numbers regressed slightly last season, when he missed the start with COVID-19 and wound up hitting just .228 with six homers in 44 games, the Royals believe his best seasons are still to come. “As I've said... [More]

Mets president Sandy Alderson says the team may have been naive to think it could manage Trevor Bauer’s habit of inflammatory social media posts but says he’s happy with New York's offseason changes despite failing to sign the NL Cy Young Award winner. Bauer agreed Feb. 5 to a $102 million, three-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, a deal that was finalized a week later. He has been involved in multiple controversies on social media, where he has a huge following and is actively involved in creating and writing content for his channels. Two higher-profile incidents both involved women, including a college student who accused the 30-year-old Bauer of harassing her online. Bauer tweeted the student “was obsessed with me.” “I think that he would have added a dimension to our team, maybe a third or fourth dimension,” Alderson said with a laugh during a news conference Monday in Port St. Lucie, Florida, ahead of the Mets' spring training opener. “And hard to know how that would have... [More]

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Washington Nationals slugger Juan Soto sat out the team's exhibition home opener on Monday because he fouled a ball off his right foot a day earlier. Manager Dave Martinez said the 2020 NL batting champion originally was scheduled to play Monday against the Houston Astros, before the mishap in batting practice Sunday. “Just being cautious," Martinez said. "Said he feels OK, but we’re just going to give him a day or two. See how he feels tomorrow.” Martinez said the ball went underneath the shin guard the left-handed-hitting Soto wears on his front foot while batting. “It got him pretty good,” Martinez said. The 22-year-old Soto hit .351 last season, with a 1.185 OPS that also led the NL. He is shifting from left field to right field in 2021. Washington's starting lineup for its second exhibition game of spring training included Ryan Zimmerman at first base. Zimmerman sat out all of the 2020 season because of concerns about COVID-19. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

TORONTO (AP) — The Toronto Blue Jays reacquired left-hander Travis Bergen from the Arizona Diamondbacks for cash on Sunday. Toronto also placed right-hander Patrick Murphy on the 60-day injured list with a sprained right shoulder. The 27-year-old Bergen began last season with the Blue Jays and made one appearance before getting traded to Arizona on Aug. 31 for pitcher Robbie Ray and cash. Bergen finished 1-0 with a 3.24 ERA and one save in eight relief outings combined. He struck out 11 and walked nine in 8 1/3 innings. Bergen pitched for the San Francisco Giants in 2019, going 2-0 with a 5.49 ERA in 21 games. He was selected by the Blue Jays in the seventh round of the 2015 amateur draft out of Kennesaw State University and plucked by the Giants in the Rule 5 draft at the December 2018 winter meetings. San Francisco returned him to Toronto in August 2019. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Brian Delaney checked his ticket, found his seats and then sat down for a minute in the sunshine. It wasn't a typical late February day in Arizona — a little cool, a little breezy — but Delaney didn't complain a bit. “You ever been through a Colorado winter?” the Colorado Rockies fan said with a grin. The good humor and smiles were easy to find as baseball fans streamed into Sunday afternoon's spring training opener between the Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks. A downward trend in COVID-19 cases throughout most of the country has meant that a limited amount of fans are allowed back in spring training facilities throughout Arizona and Florida. At Salt River Fields at Talking Stick, the crowd was capped at about 2,200 fans, which is 16% of the usual capacity. Delaney said he never hesitated to get tickets for himself and Debra Mierzwa once they went on sale a few weeks ago. “Oh yeah,” Delaney said. “We were never worried. This is great.” The happy and halfway-normal... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Fernando Tatis Jr. gets a full no-trade provision through 2028 as part of his $330 million, 14-year contract with the San Diego Padres. After that he will have the ability to block a trade to 13 teams for the remainder of the deal. However, the 22-year-old Tatis already has two years of major league service, so if he remains in the major leagues he would acquire the right after 2028 to block trades under the collective bargaining agreement as a 10-year veteran who has been with his team for five years or longer. His contract calls for a $10 million signing bonus payable within 30 days of approval of the contract by the commissioner's office and a $1 million salary this year, his last season before he would have been eligible for arbitration. He gets $5 million in 2022, $7 million in 2023 and $11 million in 2024, the three seasons he would have been eligible for arbitration. Tatis receives $20 million each in 2025 and 2026, the first two seasons after he would have become... [More]

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Brian Delaney checked his ticket, found his seats and then sat down for a minute in the sunshine. It wasn't a typical late February day in Arizona — a little cool, a little breezy — but Delaney didn't complain a bit. “You ever been through a Colorado winter?” the Colorado Rockies fan said with a grin. The good humor and smiles were easy to find as baseball fans streamed into Sunday afternoon's spring training opener between the Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks. A downward trend in COVID-19 cases throughout most of the country has meant that a limited amount of fans are allowed back in spring training facilities throughout Arizona and Florida. At Salt River Fields at Talking Stick, the crowd was capped at about 2,200 fans, which is 16% of the usual capacity. Delaney said he never hesitated to get tickets for himself and Debra Mierzwa once they went on sale a few weeks ago. “Oh yeah,” Delaney said. “We were never worried. This is great.” The happy and halfway-normal... [More]

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Aaron Judge tossed several balls into the crowd, just like always. Only this year the fans can't toss them back to the New York Yankees star in a friendly game of catch. So while the souvenirs stay in the seats because of COVID-19 protocols, the slugging right fielder is still getting something in return. A reaction, even for making a routine out. "I hit a groundball but just hearing the fans kind of spark up,” Judge said. “You hear that instant crowd reaction. Kind of had little butterflies getting back to your first at-bat.” On the opening day of the exhibition season, Judge went 0 for 2 in the Yankees' 6-4 loss to Toronto in a game shortened to seven innings, as Major League Baseball is permitting in these early spring training matchups. An announced crowd of 2,637 at Steinbrenner Field — about 25 percent of capacity — marked the first time the Yankees have played before fans since a spring training game last March 12. “We’re all excited to finally have some fans even... [More]

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Brian Delaney checked his ticket, found his seats and then sat down for a minute in the sunshine. It wasn't a typical late February day in Arizona — a little cool, a little breezy — but Delaney didn't complain a bit. “You ever been through a Colorado winter?” the Colorado Rockies fan said with a grin. The good humor and smiles were easy to find as baseball fans streamed into Sunday afternoon's spring training opener between the Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks. A downward trend in COVID-19 cases throughout most of the country has meant that a limited amount of fans are allowed back in spring training facilities throughout Arizona and Florida. At Salt River Fields at Talking Stick, the crowd was capped at about 2,200 fans, which is 16% of the usual capacity. Delaney said he never hesitated to get tickets for himself and Debra Mierzwa once they went on sale a few weeks ago. “Oh yeah,” Delaney said. “We were never worried. This is great.” The happy and halfway-normal... [More]

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Tommy Pham knows how lucky he was to be in the starting lineup for the San Diego Padres in their spring opener on Sunday, 4 1/2 months after he was stabbed in the lower back during an altercation in the parking lot of a strip club. It could have been much worse. “The cut’s deep. The doctor here basically told me if I wasn’t so muscular, I might be dead or paralyzed,” the left fielder said during a videoconference with reporters from Peoria, Arizona. “I’m lucky. I’m lucky to even be able to play.” As he was being rushed to the hospital in an ambulance on Oct. 11, three nights after the Padres were eliminated from the playoffs, Pham was on the phone with general manager A.J. Preller and trainer Mark Rogow. “I thought I wasn’t going to be able to play,” Pham recalls telling the club officials. “When I got the CT scan, the doc was like, ‘I’ve got great news for you. You can play.’ She just said it’s going to be a little bit of a recovery.” Pham said late last year that he needed... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Fernando Tatis Jr. gets a full no-trade provision through 2028 as part of his $330 million, 14-year contract with the San Diego Padres. After that he will have the ability to block a trade to 13 teams for the remainder of the deal. However, the 22-year-old Tatis already has two years of major league service, so if he remains in the major leagues he would acquire the right after 2028 to block trades under the collective bargaining agreement as a 10-year veteran who has been with his team for five years or longer. His contract calls for a $10 million signing bonus payable within 30 days of approval of the contract by the commissioner's office and a $1 million salary this year, his last season before he would have been eligible for arbitration. He gets $5 million in 2022, $7 million in 2023 and $11 million in 2024, the three seasons he would have been eligible for arbitration. Tatis receives $20 million each in 2025 and 2026, the first two seasons after he would have become... [More]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Royals and third baseman Hunter Dozier have agreed to a $25 million, four-year contract that includes a fifth-year option, a person with knowledge of the agreement told The Associated Press on Sunday. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the deal was pending a physical. ESPN.com was first to report the extension, which buys out two years of free agency and includes several escalators and bonuses. “As I've said many times, we want to keep as many of our talented players as we possibly can,” Royals general manager Dayton Moore said last week, when the team reported for full-squad workouts in Surprise, Arizona. “We'll always look to do that when the opportunity is right. There is a rhythm to that, there is a timing to all those decisions.” The 29-year-old Dozier has long been considered a cornerstone of the Royals rebuild, especially after a breakthrough 2019 season in which he hit 26 homers, tied for the American League lead with 10 triples and... [More]

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — DJ LeMahieu and the New York Yankees are happy there will be a little bit of baseball normalcy when spring training games begin on Sunday. As in, fans in the stands when the Yankees host the Toronto Blue Jays at Steinbrenner Field. Due to restrictions brought about by the coronavirus pandemic, it will be the first time fans will see the Yankees play in-person since a spring training game last March 12. “To me it’s just Major League Baseball with fans,” LeMahieu said on Saturday. “Last year I’m glad we played. Glad we were able to get in as many games as we could and I thought the playoffs was cool but just missed that adrenaline and excitement." The limited crowd due to safety protocols for Sunday’s game is expected to be around 2,800 in the ballpark that has a capacity of over 10,000. “You can definitely tell how excited people are to go to baseball games, especially to watch the Yankees and that’s what I’m excited about,” LeMahieu said. “I enjoy the game but I know... [More]