Tim Tebow is retiring from baseball after five years as a minor leaguer with the New York Mets. The 2007 Heisman Trophy winner returned to baseball in 2016 for the first time since his junior year of high school and reached Triple-A, encouraged by then general manager and current team president Sandy Alderson. Tebow played 77 games at baseball's highest minor league level in 2019, batting .163 with four home runs. He finishes his career with a .223 average over 287 games. “I want to thank the Mets, Alderson, the fans and all my teammates for the chance to be a part of such a great organization,” Tebow said in a statement released by New York on Wednesday. “I loved every minute of the journey, but at this time I feel called in other directions. "I never want to be partially in on anything. I always want to be 100% in on whatever I choose. Thank you again for everyone’s support of this awesome journey in baseball, I’ll always cherish my time." A lefty-hitting outfielder, the 33-year-old was... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Tim Tebow is retiring from baseball after five years as a minor leaguer with the New York Mets.

NEW YORK (AP) — Tim Tebow has been invited to big league spring training by the New York Mets, taking one of 75 spots after Major League Baseball limited spring roster sizes as a coronavirus precaution. The 2007 Heisman Trophy winner returned to baseball in 2016 for the first time since his junior year of high school and played 77 games at Triple-A in 2019 before the pandemic wiped out the 2020 minor league season. A lefty-hitting outfielder, the 33-year-old Tebow batted .163 with four homers and 19 RBIs two years ago with Syracuse. He's been invited to major league spring training each of the past four years and has hit .151 in 34 games, connecting for his first and only homer last spring before camps were closed. Despite the poor numbers, Tebow was among the 28 nonroster spring invitees announced by New York on Saturday. The majority of minor league players won't report to camps until the big leaguers depart for opening day April 1. Tebow, who also dealt with injuries in 2018 and '19,... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Tim Tebow has been invited to big league spring training by the New York Mets, taking one of 75 spots after Major League Baseball limited spring roster sizes as a coronavirus precaution. The 2007 Heisman Trophy winner returned to baseball in 2016 for the first time since his junior year of high school and played 77 games at Triple-A in 2019 before the pandemic wiped out the 2020 minor league season. A lefty-hitting outfielder, the 33-year-old Tebow batted .163 with four homers and 19 RBIs two years ago with Syracuse. He's been invited to major league spring training each of the past four years and has hit .151 in 34 games, connecting for his first and only homer last spring before camps were closed. Despite the poor numbers, Tebow was among the 28 nonroster spring invitees announced by New York on Saturday. The majority of minor league players won't report to camps until the big leaguers depart for opening day April 1. Tebow, who also dealt with injuries in 2018 and '19,... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Mets have abandoned their search for a president of baseball operations and will instead focus on hiring a general manager who will report to team president Sandy Alderson. In the meantime, Alderson told Luis Rojas on Monday he will return for a second season as manager. “A person who’s able to relate to his players both in terms of their professional work as well as their personal lives,” Alderson said. “I think he’s exceptional in that regard. I think that on the professional side of managing a game, I think that he will be better. We need to make sure that he has all the necessary resources to be better and make good decisions based not only on his own judgment but information that’s available. He’s very open to that.” Alderson returned to the team Nov. 6 when Steven Cohen completed his $2.42 billion purchase from the Wilpon and Katz families and that day fired general manager Brodie Van Wagenen. Alderson said then he wanted to hire a president of baseball... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Mets have abandoned their search for a president of baseball operations and will instead focus on hiring a general manager who will report to team president Sandy Alderson. In the meantime, Alderson told Luis Rojas on Monday he will return for a second season as manager. “A person who’s able to relate to his players both in terms of their professional work as well as their personal lives,” Alderson said. “I think he’s exceptional in that regard. I think that on the professional side of managing a game, I think that he will be better. We need to make sure that he has all the necessary resources to be better and make good decisions based not only on his own judgment but information that’s available. He’s very open to that.” Alderson returned to the team Nov. 6 when Steven Cohen completed his $2.42 billion purchase from the Wilpon and Katz families and that day fired general manager Brodie Van Wagenen. Alderson said then he wanted to hire a president of baseball... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — When baseball comes back next month, Yoenis Céspedes might finally be ready to return, too.Sidelined for nearly two years by injuries and then the coronavirus pandemic, the New York Mets slugger could be healthy enough at last to play on opening day in late July — especially with the designated hitter available in the National League this season.“We’ll have to evaluate how the next few days go, but we’re optimistic,” Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen said Monday. “His bat can be a real impact and be a little bit of a separator for us as we compare ourselves to the rest of the teams in the league.”The 34-year-old Céspedes hasn’t played since July 20, 2018 — his only major league game after May 13 that year. The two-time All-Star had surgery on both heels and then broke his right ankle in a nasty spill on his Florida ranch in a reported run-in with a wild boar.Van Wagenen mentioned that Céspedes is a five-tool athlete and won’t necessarily be limited to DH duty if healthy.... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — When baseball comes back next month, Yoenis Céspedes might finally be ready to return, too.Sidelined for nearly two years by injuries and then the coronavirus pandemic, the New York Mets slugger could be healthy enough at last to play on opening day in late July — especially with the designated hitter available in the National League this season.“We’ll have to evaluate how the next few days go, but we’re optimistic,” Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen said Monday. “His bat can be a real impact and be a little bit of a separator for us as we compare ourselves to the rest of the teams in the league.”The 34-year-old Céspedes hasn’t played since July 20, 2018 — his only major league game after May 13 that year. The two-time All-Star had surgery on both heels and then broke his right ankle in a nasty spill on his Florida ranch in a reported run-in with a wild boar.Van Wagenen mentioned that Céspedes is a five-tool athlete and won’t necessarily be limited to DH duty if healthy.... [More]

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (AP) — Tim Tebow was reassigned to minor league camp by the New York Mets on Friday after going 2 for 13 in spring training with his first extra-base hit in four years.The 32-year-old outfielder and former Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback homered against Detroit's Alex Wilson on Feb. 25. He also had three walks.Tebow has a .151 average (11 for 73) in four spring trainings with the Mets. After a three-year stint at quarterback in the NFL, he joined the Mets organization in late 2016. He hit .148 (4 for 27) with eight strikeouts during spring training in 2017, .056 (1 for 18) in 2018 and .267 (4 for 15) last year.He batted .163 in 77 games last season at Triple-A Syracuse in his second straight injury-shortened season. He did not play after July 21 because he cut his left hand while fielding a ball in the outfield. Tebow hit .273 with six home runs, 14 doubles and 36 RBIs in 84 games for Double-A Binghamton in 2018, when his season ended July 18 because of a broken bone in his right hand.New York also optioned left-hander Stephen Gonsalves to Triple-A Syracuse along with right-handers Jordan Humphreys and Franklyn Kilome, and left-hander Thomas Szapucki to Double-A Binghamton.Right-handers Matt Blackham, Stephen Nogosek, Francisco Ríos and Nick Rumbelow were reassigned to minor league camp along with catchers Austin Bossart and David Rodríguez.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports___

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (AP) — Tim Tebow was reassigned to minor league camp by the New York Mets on Friday after going 2 for 13 in spring training with his first extra-base hit in four years.The 32-year-old outfielder and former Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback homered against Detroit's Alex Wilson on Feb. 25. He also had three walks.Tebow has a .151 average (11 for 73) in four spring trainings with the Mets. After a three-year stint at quarterback in the NFL, he joined the Mets organization in late 2016. He hit .148 (4 for 27) with eight strikeouts during spring training in 2017, .056 (1 for 18) in 2018 and .267 (4 for 15) last year.He batted .163 in 77 games last season at Triple-A Syracuse in his second straight injury-shortened season. He did not play after July 21 because he cut his left hand while fielding a ball in the outfield. Tebow hit .273 with six home runs, 14 doubles and 36 RBIs in 84 games for Double-A Binghamton in 2018, when his season ended July 18 because of a broken bone in his right hand.New York also optioned left-handers Stephen Gonsalves and Thomas Szapucki to the minors along with right-handers Jordan Humphreys and Franklyn Kilome.Right-handers Matt Blackham, Stephen Nogosek, Francisco Ríos and Nick Rumbelow were reassigned to minor league camp along with catchers Austin Bossart and David Rodríguez.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports___

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (AP) — Tim Tebow was reassigned to minor league camp by the New York Mets on Friday after going 1 for 8 in spring training with his first extra-base hit in four years.The 32-year-old outfielder and former Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback homered against Detroit's Alex Wilson on Feb. 25. He also had three walks.Tebow has a .147 average (10 for 68) in four spring trainings with the Mets. After a three-year stint at quarterback in the NFL, he joined the Mets organization in late 2016. He hit .148 (4 for 27) with eight strikeouts during spring training in 2017, .056 (1 for 18) in 2018 and .267 (4 for 15) last year.He batted .163 in 77 games last season at Triple-A Syracuse in his second straight injury-shortened season. He did not play after July 21 because he cut his left hand while fielding a ball in the outfield. Tebow hit .273 with six home runs, 14 doubles and 36 RBIs in 84 games for Double-A Binghamton in 2018, when his season ended July 18 because of a broken bone in his right hand.New York also optioned left-handers Stephen Gonsalves and Thomas Szapucki to the minors along with right-handers Jordan Humphreys and Franklyn Kilome.Right-handers Matt Blackham, Stephen Nogosek, Francisco Ríos and Nick Rumbelow were reassigned to minor league camp along with catchers Austin Bossart and David Rodríguez.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports___

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (AP) — New York Mets ace Jacob deGrom took on two nemeses in his first outing of spring training — a bout of nerves, and the Washington Nationals. The two-time reigning NL Cy Young winner got the best of both. “Any time I take the mound, I’m nervous,” deGrom said after throwing three scoreless innings in a 3-1 win Sunday. “It felt good to get out there in a real game feel, people in the stands, another team. (The jitters) go away when I start warming up."DeGrom cruised on just 33 pitches, striking out two and allowing one hit against the defending World Series champs. The 31-year-old showed no signs of rust against his familiar NL East foe, looking just as sharp as when he became the 11th pitcher to win consecutive Cy Young Awards — despite the Mets going 28-36 in his starts since beginning the 2018 season.He breezed through an easy first against regulars Trea Turner, Ryan Zimmerman and Starlin Castro, getting three outs on seven pitchers — all strikes. The right-hander... [More]

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (AP) — Be it on a Triple-A field in Syracuse or a tennis court in South Asia, Tim Tebow is still working, hoping for a shot at the majors.Now 32, the former celebrated quarterback is back for his fifth year as a minor league outfielder for the New York Mets.A two-time national champion at Florida who won the Heisman Trophy and later a playoff-winning QB for the Denver Broncos, Tebow was contacted by the XFL in its return to football action this season. He said he loves the opportunity the league is giving to players who will eventually, he feels, make an NFL roster.“But for me, this is what I wanted to do and pursue it and be all-in. When I’m 50, I can’t come back and do this," Tebow said Sunday at the Mets' spring training complex. “This is part of a season and a time, and I feel I’m in that season. I don’t know when I’ll feel like I’m out."Tebow’s steady dedication has resulted in some odd workout locations, including one in the Maldives last month with his wife,... [More]

A team-by-team look at the National League East entering spring training, including key players each club acquired and lost, and dates of the first workout for pitchers and catchers, and the full squad:___Atlanta Braves Manager: Brian Snitker (fifth season). 2019: 97-65, first place, lost to Cardinals in Division Series.Training Town: North Port, Florida.Park: CoolToday Park. First Workout: Feb. 13/18. He's Here: LF Marcell Ozuna, C Travis d'Arnaud, LHP Cole Hamels, LHP Will Smith, RHP F�lix Hern�ndez.He's Outta Here: 3B Josh Donaldson, LHP Dallas Keuchel, RHP Julio Teheran, C Brian McCann, OF Matt Joyce, RHP Anthony Swarzak, RHP Josh Tomlin, LHP Jerry Blevins, OF Billy Hamilton, C Francisco Cervelli. Going campin': The Braves are coming off their second straight NL East title, led by one of baseball's brightest young stars. In his first full season in the big leagues, 22-year-old OF Ronald Acu�a Jr. hit 41 homers, led the league with 127 runs and tallied 37 stolen bases to become the second-youngest... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Tim Tebow will be at spring training with the New York Mets for the fourth straight year.The Mets said Thursday the 2007 Heisman Trophy winner will report to major league training camp next month in Port St. Lucie, Florida.The 32-year-old outfielder hit .163 in 77 games last season at Triple-A Syracuse in his second straight injury-shortened season. He did not play after July 21 because he cut his left hand while fielding a ball in the outfield.Tebow hit .273 with six home runs, 14 doubles and 36 RBIs in 84 games for Double-A Binghamton in 2018, when his season ended July 18 because of a broken bone in his right hand.After a three-year stint at quarterback in the NFL, he joined the Mets organization in late 2016. He hit .148 (4 for 27) with no extra-base hits and eight strikeouts during spring training in 2017; .056 (1 for 18) in 2018 and .267 (4 for 15) with no extra-base hits last year.New York also agreed to minor league contracts with right-handers Pedro Payano, Francisco Ríos and Adonis Uceta; catcher David Rodríguez; infielder Jake Hager; and outfielders Ryan Cordell and Johneshwy Fargas. All seven will report to major league spring training.Tebow was among eight internal invites to big league camp, a group that also includes 24-year-old left-hander David Peterson, the 20th overall pick in the 2017 amateur draft.———More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) — Mets minor leaguer and former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow is expected to miss the rest of the season due to a cut on his left hand.The 31-year-old Tebow hit .163 in 77 games during his first season with Triple-A Syracuse but hasn't played since July 21 after injuring himself fielding a ball in the outfield. The laceration required several stitches. Syracuse's regular season ends Sept. 2.This is the second straight year Tebow's season will end prematurely. The outfielder missed the final two months of 2018 because of a broken bone in his right hand.The 2007 Heisman Trophy-winner is in his third year of professional ball and first in Triple-A after a three-year stint at quarterback in the NFL. He has batted .223 with 18 homers in 287 minor league games.Newsday first reported that Tebow would miss the rest of 2019.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

A look at what's a happening around the majors Thursday:FANFAREComing off winning road trips, the surprising Orioles, Tigers and Mets play their home openers. Sellouts are expected at Camden Yards, Comerica Park and Citi Field to greet teams trying to bounce back from losing seasons.Alex Cobb will be activated off the 10-day injured list to start for the 4-2 Orioles against the Yankees. Spencer Turnbull pitches for the 4-3 Tigers vs. Kansas City and, in a matchup of aces, Noah Syndergaard starts for the 5-1 Mets against Stephen Strasburg and Washington.The Angels also play their home opener. Mike Trout's team is 1-5 going into its game against Texas.RAIN REIGNSWith bad weather expected, two home openers have been postponed in advance. The San Diego at St. Louis game and the Seattle at Chicago White Sox matchup were pushed back a day until Friday.HOBBLINGYankees shortstop Troy Tulowitzki is likely headed to the injured list with a low-grade strained left calf — that would give New York a... [More]

KISSIMMEE, Fla. (AP) — When Ronald Acuna Jr. returned to the Atlanta clubhouse, Braves star Freddie Freeman playfully told the NL Rookie of the Year there still was work to do."You should have kept going," Freeman kidded, "and gone for the cycle."Acuna went 3 for 3 with a long home run and double off St. Louis opening day starter Miles Mikolas in Atlanta's 5-0 exhibition win Tuesday. Good enough that former Braves great Dale Murphy sheepishly asked Acuna for his autograph, demonstrating the stature the 21-year-old outfielder has achieved after less than a full season in the big leagues."I've felt good from the day we started camp, but as the games progressed I've felt even better," Acuna said through a translator. "I think with these last at-bats, just a little extra patience has gone into it. I've had good at-bats even if the results weren't what we would have wanted, but things are progressing quickly and we kind of see the results now."Acuna hit .293 with 26 home runs in 111 games last... [More]

KISSIMMEE, Fla. (AP) — When Ronald Acuna Jr. returned to the Atlanta clubhouse, Braves star Freddie Freeman playfully told the NL Rookie of the Year there still was work to do."You should have kept going," Freeman kidded, "and gone for the cycle."Acuna went 3 for 3 with a long home run and double off St. Louis opening day starter Miles Mikolas in Atlanta's 5-0 exhibition win Tuesday. Good enough that former Braves great Dale Murphy sheepishly asked Acuna for his autograph, demonstrating the stature the 21-year-old outfielder has achieved after less than a full season in the big leagues."I've felt good from the day we started camp, but as the games progressed I've felt even better," Acuna said through a translator. "I think with these last at-bats, just a little extra patience has gone into it. I've had good at-bats even if the results weren't what we would have wanted, but things are progressing quickly and we kind of see the results now."Acuna hit .293 with 26 home runs in 111 games last... [More]

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) — The New York Mets will finish spring training with a workout inside Syracuse University's Carrier Dome.The team announced Tuesday the practice on March 26 will be held from noon to 2 p.m. It's free and open to the public.Syracuse is the new home of the Mets' Triple-A affiliate where Tim Tebow is expected to start the season.Mets chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon says in a release the organization "is thrilled the Syracuse community will have a chance to connect with our players up close and personal."Among the Mets players scheduled to work out on the Carrier Dome turf are opening day starter Jacob deGrom, Robinson Cano and Noah Syndergaard. The Mets open the regular season on March 28 at Washington against the Nationals.Pete Sala, vice president and chief facilities officer at Syracuse University, says the practice will be the first time baseball will be played in the Carrier Dome. The dome is home to Syracuse basketball and football.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports