First baseman Mike Ford officially signed a deal with the Cincinnati Reds after agreeing to a minor-league deal earlier this offseason. Ford is slotted to be in a bench role while Christian Encarnacion-Strand and Jeimer Candelario hold down first and third base, respectively. The veteran could slot into the lineup to provide injury relief throughout the season, but he is not expected to be a major fantasy contributor.

The Cincinnati Reds have signed free-agent first baseman Mike Ford to a minor-league deal, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. The deal includes an invitation to spring training, as well as additional opt-out clauses that would presumably come into effect if Ford doesn't make the big-league squad. Heyman notes that Ford would earn $1.3 million if he does make the majors, and he has an additional $125,000 available in incentives. The Reds already have a corner infielder on their bench in Christian Encarnacion-Strand, but Ford figures to compete for a role anyway. At the very least, he offers veteran depth and can contribute in the event of injuries.

Seattle Mariners first baseman/designated hitter Mike Ford was designated for assignment Tuesday, per Seattle Sports. The move came to protect minor league outfielder Zach DeLoach from the Rule 5 draft. The 31-year-old provided power off the bench but little else, slashing .228/.323/.475 with 16 home runs and 34 RBI in 251 plate appearances. On the other hand, the 25-year-old DeLoach had a strong 2023 season with Triple-A Tacoma, slashing .286/.387/.481 with 23 HR, 88 RBI, and eight stolen bases in 623 plate appearances.

Seattle Mariners designated hitter Mike Ford is on the bench for Monday's series opener against the visiting Los Angeles Angels and left-hander Reid Detmers. It's not surprising to see the lefty-swinging Ford hit the bench against a southpaw starting pitcher but it's also worth noting he is hitting .357 against lefties for the season. That said, all 16 of his home runs and 21 of his 22 extra-base hits this season have indeed come off of right-handed pitching. Ford's playing time could take a hit moving forward with the return of the lefty-swinging Jarred Kelenic while Ford is hitting just .191 with a .729 OPS in the second half versus a .277 average and .944 OPS in 30 games prior to the All-Star break.

Seattle Mariners designated hitter Mike Ford will get back into the starting lineup Wednesday against the Oakland A's and right-hander Zach Neal. Ford slumped heavily in late July through early August but has seemingly regained his form at the plate, notching three hits, including a homer, with two walks against one strikeout over his last two games, boosting his August OPS to a respectable .722 after a rough start to the month. The 31-year-old has proven to be a valuable addition to a potent Mariners offense as Ford has clubbed 13 home runs with an .814 OPS and .346 wOBA across 61 games while mostly starting at DH versus right-handed pitching.

Los Angeles Angels first baseman Mike Ford went 2-for-4 with two strikeouts in the team's 8-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday in his debut with the club. Ford was recently signed with Jared Walsh (shoulder) being ruled out for the rest of the season due to thoracic outlet syndrome. The 30-year-old should see decent playing time will splitting at-bats with Matt Thaiss at the cold corner the rest of the way for the out-of-contention Angels, making him worth a look in AL-only leagues. The left-handed slugger is with his fourth team this year alone, as he's also seen action with the Giants, Mariners and Braves. He's played in just 23 games this year, going 8-for-44 (182) with no home runs and five RBI.

Seattle Mariners first baseman Mike Ford was designated for assignment earlier this week. Now, the 29-year-old will have a new home as he was acquired by the San Francisco Giants. In exchange, the Mariners will receive cash considerations for Ford. The Giants are dealing with a small COVID-19 issue, so they need more bodies on their roster. Ford hasn't done much to impress during his time at the big league level. Fantasy managers shouldn't expect much to change in San Francisco. In a corresponding move, outfielder Ka'ai Tom has been optioned to the minors to make room for Ford on the active roster.

The Seattle Mariners signed first baseman Mike Ford to a minor league contract on Tuesday. The 29-year-old has played in 101 major league games, all for the New York Yankees. Over those 101 games, he's slashed just .199/.301/.422 with 17 home runs, 41 RBI and 41 runs. He's certainly shown power upside in the minors. He had a 1.007 OPS over 79 games at Triple-A in 2019. Ford will need to continue tapping into that power potential in order to get another shot in the majors.

The Washington Nationals have claimed first baseman Mike Ford off waivers from the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday. The lefty hitting infielder was traded to the Rays earlier in the season, but started the season with the New York Yankees. Hopefully, the 29-year-old will actually get a chance to play on the rebuilding Nats roster. Ford has shown some success at the big league lever earlier in his career. He won't be worth snagging in fantasy formats, but at least he'll hopefully get some playing time in Washington.

NEW YORK (AP) — First baseman Mike Ford was traded by the New York Yankees to the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday for $100,000 and a player to be named. Ford was designated for assignment Saturday when reliever Zack Britton was activated from the injured list. The money in the trade is payable July 1. Ford, who turns 29 on July 4, had a strong rookie season with the Yankees in 2019, hitting .259 with 12 homers and 25 RBIs in 143 at-bats over 50 games. But he slumped to a .135 average with two homers and 11 RBIs in 74 at-bats during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. With first base time available this year because of Luke Voit's injuries, Ford batted .133 with three homers and five RBIs in 60 at-bats. A rare left-handed hitter on the current Yankees, Ford had a .199 average with 17 homers and 41 RBIs in parts of three major league seasons. Ford hit .083 (2 for 24) with one RBI in seven games this season at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He was optioned to Triple-A Durham by the Rays. Tampa Bay activated right-hander Collin McHugh from the COVID-19 related injured list, transferred right-hander Tyler Glasnow (sprained right elbow) to the 60-day injured list and optioned right-hander Chris Mazza to Durham. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) — First baseman Mike Ford was traded by the New York Yankees to the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday for $100,000 and a player to be named. Ford was designated for assignment Saturday when reliever Zack Britton was activated from the injured list. The money in the trade is payable July 1. Ford, who turns 29 on July 4, had a strong rookie season with the Yankees in 2019, hitting .259 with 12 homers and 25 RBIs in 143 at-bats over 50 games. But he slumped to a .135 average with two homers and 11 RBIs in 74 at-bats during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. With first base time available this year because of Luke Voit's injuries, Ford batted .133 with three homers and five RBIs in 60 at-bats. A rare left-handed hitter on the current Yankees, Ford had a .199 average with 17 homers and 41 RBIs in parts of three major league seasons. Ford hit .083 (2 for 24) with one RBI in seven games this season at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) — The Yankees have promoted slugging prospect Chris Gittens from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, hoping the hulking 27-year-old can provide a jolt at first base in his first turn in the majors. New York entered Saturday night's game against Boston with its first basemen hitting .174 with five homers. The group's .531 OPS ranks 29th in the majors, ahead of only Cleveland. The 6-foot-4, 250-pound Gittens was set to bat sixth and make his major league debut against the Red Sox. He received a call from Yankees senior director of player development Kevin Reese late Friday night informing him of the promotion. “I was shocked,” Gittens said. Luke Voit led the majors as the Yankees' first baseman in 2020 but has played in just 12 games this season. He had left knee surgery in March and missed the start of the season, and he's currently back on the injured list with a right oblique strain. DJ LeMahieu and Mike Ford have split the bulk of the playing time at first, with LeMahieu also... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The Yankees have promoted slugging prospect Chris Gittens from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, hoping the hulking 27-year-old can provide a jolt at first base in his first turn in the majors. New York entered Saturday night's game against Boston with its first basemen hitting .174 with five homers. The group's .531 OPS ranks 29th in the majors, ahead of only Cleveland. The 6-foot-4, 250-pound Gittens was set to bat sixth and make his major league debut against the Red Sox. Luke Voit led the majors as the Yankees' first baseman in 2020 but has played in just 12 games this season. He had left knee surgery in March and missed the start of the season, and he's currently back on the injured list with a right oblique strain. DJ LeMahieu and Mike Ford have split the bulk of the playing time at first, with LeMahieu also playing second and third. Ford was demoted to Triple-A this week after hitting .133 with a .561 OPS. Gittens was a 12th-round pick by New York in 2014, and he's... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The Yankees have promoted slugging prospect Chris Gittens from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, hoping the hulking 27-year-old can provide a jolt at first base in his first turn in the majors. New York entered Saturday night's game against Boston with its first basemen hitting .174 with five homers. The group's .531 OPS ranks 29th in the majors, ahead of only Cleveland. Luke Voit led the majors as the Yankees' first baseman in 2020 but has played in just 12 games this season. He had left knee surgery in March and missed the start of the season, and he's currently back on the injured list with a right oblique strain. DJ LeMahieu and Mike Ford have split the bulk of the playing time at first, with LeMahieu also playing second and third. Ford was demoted to Triple-A this week after hitting .133 with a .561 OPS. Gittens was a 12th-round pick by New York in 2014, and he's shown impressive power despite a slow climb up the minor league ladder. He's hit .265 with a .476 slugging percentage over seven seasons, including .283 with four homers, a .585 slugging percentage and a 1.071 OPS this season with the RailRiders. Right-hander Corey Kluber (strained shoulder) was transferred to the 60-day injured list to make room. The move was expected, with Kluber likely out until at least late July. __ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) — Yankees right-hander Corey Kluber is expected to miss at least two months with a right shoulder injury and first baseman Luke Voit is also headed to the injured list with a right oblique strain. New York manager Aaron Boone announced the diagnoses Wednesday shortly after the Yankees' scheduled game against the Toronto Blue Jays was postponed due to a forecast of poor weather. The game will be made up as part of a doubleheader Thursday. Kluber was pulled after three innings Tuesday against Toronto in his first outing following a no-hitter last week. An MRI on his shoulder Wednesday revealed a subscapularis strain, which will keep Kluber from throwing for at least four weeks, followed by at least four weeks of rehabilitation. The two-time AL Cy Young Award winner is being sent for a second MRI with dyeing, a more invasive exam to ensure there's no other damage. Kluber was coming off a 101-pitch effort against the Rangers for the 35-year-old's first no-hitter. It was a milestone... [More]

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Major league home run champion Luke Voit was activated from the 10-day injured list by the New York Yankees and was set to make his season debut against the AL champion Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday night. The 30-year-old had surgery March 29 to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee and hit .389 (7 for 18) with two doubles and three homers during a five-game injury rehabilitation assignment from May 4-9 with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Voit missed the first 34 games of the Yankees, who went 18-16. He batted .277 last season with 22 homers and 52 RBIs in 213 at-bats over 56 games. New York first basemen hit .153 (19 for 124) in his absence with three homers, 10 RBIs, 36 strikeouts and 17 walks. In Voit’s absence, Jay Bruce played 10 games at first base and hit .118 (4 for 34) with one homer, three RBIs, 13 strikeouts five walks, then retired. Mike Ford played 13 at first and batted .103 (4 for 39) with two homers, four RBIs, 14 strikeouts and six walks, and DJ LeMahieu played 15 there and hit .282 (11 for 50) with no homers, three RBIs, nine strikeouts and six walks). Miguel Andújar had one game at first, going 0 for 4. With Voit’s return, LeMahieu figures to get most of his time at second base. New York opened a roster spot for Voit on Sunday when they optioned Andújar to Scranton. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) — Gleyber Torres’ tying single in the ninth inning and winning infield single in the 11th helped the New York Yankees overcame Max Scherzer’s commanding 14-strikeout performance to beat the Washington Nationals 4-3 Saturday. Scherzer allowed two hits in 7 1/3 innings, but the Yankees rallied three times. Kyle Higashioka’s home run tied the score at 1 in the third, Torres made it 2-all against Brad Hand in the ninth and Mike Ford’s single evened it 3-3 against Hand in the 10th. With automatic runner DJ LeMahieu on second in the 11th, Tanner Rainey (0-2) walked Giancarlo Stanton on a full count and Aaron Judge on four pitches, loading the bases. Washington went to a five-man infield, replacing left fielder Kyle Schwarber with Jordy Mercer. Torres hit a dribbler to the third-base side that bounced off Rainey’s bare hand as New York got its first walk-off win this season. Justin Wilson (1-0) struck out two in a perfect 11th, and New York moved back over .500 at 17-16. Washington... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Gleyber Torres’ tying single in the ninth inning and a winning infield single in the 11th helped the New York Yankees overcame Max Scherzer’s commanding 14-strikeout performance to beat the Washington Nationals 4-3 Saturday. Scherzer allowed two hits in 7 1/3 innings, but the Yankees rallied three times. Kyle Higashioka’s home run tied the score at 1 in the third, Torres made it 2-all against Brad Hand in the ninth and Mike Ford’s single evened it 3-3 against Hand in the 10th. With automatic runner DJ LeMahieu on second in the 11th, Tanner Rainey (0-2) walked Giancarlo Stanton on a full count and Aaron Judge on four pitches, loading the bases. Washington went to a five-man infield, replacing left fielder Kyle Schwarber with Jordy Mercer. Torres hit a dribbler to the third-base side that bounced off Rainey’s bare hand as New York got its first walk-off win this season. Justin Wilson (1-0) struck out two in a perfect 11th, and New York moved back over .500 at 17-16. Washington... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Gleyber Torres’ tying single in the ninth inning and a winning infield single in the 11th helped the New York Yankees overcame Max Scherzer’s commanding 14-strikeout performance to beat the Washington Nationals 4-3 Saturday. Scherzer allowed two hits in 7 1/3 innings, but the Yankees rallied three times. Kyle Higashioka’s home run tied the score at 1 in the third, Torres made it 2-all against Brad Hand in the ninth and Mike Ford’s single evened it 3-3 against Hand in the 10th. With automatic runner DJ LeMahieu on second in the 11th, Tanner Rainey (0-2) walked Giancarlo Stanton on a full count and Aaron Judge on four pitches, loading the bases. Washington went to a five-man infield, replacing left fielder Kyle Schwarber with Jordy Mercer. Torres hit a dribbler to the third-base side that bounced off Rainey’s bare hand as New York got its first walk-off win this season. Justin Wilson (1-0) struck out two in a perfect 11th, and New York moved back over .500 at 17-16. Washington... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Gleyber Torres’ tying single in the ninth inning and a winning infield single in the 11th helped the New York Yankees overcame Max Scherzer’s commanding 14-strikeout performance to beat the Washington Nationals 4-3 Saturday. Scherzer allowed two hits in 7 1/3 innings, but the Yankees rallied three times. Kyle Higashioka’s home run tied the score at 1 in the third, Torres made it 2-all against Brad Hand in the ninth and Mike Ford’s single evened it 3-3 against Hand in the 10th. With automatic runner DJ LeMahieu on second in the 11th, Tanner Rainey (0-2) walked Giancarlo Stanton on a full count and Aaron Judge on four pitches, loading the bases. Washington went to a five-man infield, replacing left fielder Kyle Schwarber with Jordy Mercer. Torres hit a dribbler to the third-base side that bounced off Rainey’s bare hand as New York got its first walk-off win this season. Justin Wilson (1-0) struck out two in a perfect 11th, and New York moved back over .500 at 17-16. Washington... [More]