NEW YORK (AP) — Catcher Bruce Maxwell, the only major league player to kneel during the national anthem in 2017 to protest racial injustice, has agreed to a minor league contract with the New York Mets for next year and will report to major league spring training. Maxwell was in the major leagues with Oakland from 2016-18 and spent 2019 with Mexico’s Acereros de Monclova. He signed a minor league deal with the Mets last July 30 and was at their alternate training site in Brooklyn. Maxwell, who turns 30 on Dec. 20, has a .240 average, 22 doubles, five homers and 42 RBIs in 127 games. He was among nine minor league free agents who agreed to minor league deals and will report to big league spring training, joined by right-handers Arodys Vizcaíno, Oscar De La Cruz and Harol González; outfielders Mallex Smith and Johneshwy Fargas; infielders José Peraza and Jake Hager; and catcher David Rodríguez. In addition, infielders Luis Carpio and Mitchell Tolman agreed to minor league contracts without spring training invites. Vizcaíno, 29, is 13-11 with 50 saves and a 3.01 ERA in seven seasons with Atlanta and the Chicago Cubs, the last in 2019. Peraza, 26, hit .225 with eight doubles, one homer and eight RBI in 120 plate appearances with Boston this season and is a six-year big league veteran. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) — One unidentified major league player tested positive for a banned stimulant in the year ending with the World Series.Under the joint drug agreement between Major League Baseball and the players' association, an initial positive test for a banned stimulant results in six additional urine tests over the next year rather than a suspension, and the identity is not announced. The positive test for an amphetamine was listed in the annual report issued Friday by the drug program's Independent Public Administrator.In the year ending with the 2017 World Series, there were two positive tests for banned stimulants that did not result in a suspension, one each for Adderall and D-Amphetamine.Players not on 40-man rosters are not covered by the union and are subject to the minor league drug program, which mandates is most cases a 50-game suspension for an initial stimulant violation.Major League Baseball conducted a record 11,526 drug tests, a 39 percent increase from two years ago, that... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Chicago Cubs pitching prospect Oscar De La Cruz has been suspended 80 games under Major League Baseball's drug program.The commissioner's office said Friday that the 23-year-old right-hander tested positive for Furosemide, a diuretic and masking agent.De La Cruz is 6-7 with a 5.24 ERA in 16 starts this season at Double-A Tennessee, and is considered among the Cubs' top prospects. He is covered under the major league drug program because he is on the 40-man major league roster and is on option to Tennessee.The Cubs say that while they are "disappointed" in De La Cruz, they "will support him on his journey back."He is the ninth player suspended this year under the big league drug program. The others are Seattle All-Star second baseman Robinson Cano, Chicago White Sox catcher Welington Castillo, Houston pitcher Dean Deetz, Washington catcher Raudy Read, Pittsburgh pitcher Nik Turley, Kansas City outfielder Jorge Bonifacio, Toronto pitcher Thomas Pannone and Minnesota shortstop Jorge Polanco.There have been 46 players suspended this year under the minor league drug program.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

NEW YORK (AP) — Chicago Cubs pitching prospect Oscar De La Cruz has been suspended 80 games under Major League Baseball's drug program.The commissioner's office said Friday that the 23-year-old right-hander tested positive for Furosemide, a diuretic and masking agent.De La Cruz is 6-7 with a 5.24 ERA in 16 starts this season at Double-A Tennessee, and is considered among the Cubs' top prospects. He is covered under the major league drug program because he is on the 40-man major league roster and is on option to Tennessee.The Cubs say that while they are "disappointed" in De La Cruz, they "will support him on his journey back."He is the ninth player suspended this year under the big league drug program. The others are Seattle All-Star second baseman Robinson Cano, Chicago White Sox catcher Welington Castillo, Houston pitcher Dean Deetz, Washington catcher Raudy Read, Pittsburgh pitcher Nik Turley, Kansas City outfielder Jorge Bonifacio, Toronto pitcher Thomas Pannone and Minnesota shortstop Jorge Polanco.There have been 46 players suspended this year under the minor league drug program.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball