A look at what's happening around the majors today:STANTON RETURNSYankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton is set to come off the injured list for a game against the Rays. Stanton has been sidelined since March 31 with biceps, shoulder and calf injuries, but seemed ready for a return during a minor league rehab start with four homers in five games. Stanton re-joins a stacked lineup that just added DH Edwin Encarnación via trade, and star Aaron Judge is expected to return from a left oblique strain in the next few days, as well.NO TOUCHYPadres star Manny Machado has denied making contact with plate umpire Bill Welke after being ejected for arguing a called third strike Saturday night and said he will appeal his one-game suspension and fine. MLB said the punishment, imposed by Chief Baseball Officer Joe Torre, was for "aggressively arguing and making contact" with Welke. Asked if he made contact, Machado said: "Not that I believe." The 26-year-old Machado is batting .261 with 13 home runs and ... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Giants first baseman Pablo Sandoval has left San Francisco's game against the Los Angeles Dodgers after a baserunner stepped on his right hand.Sandoval was hurt during the final out of the fifth inning Monday night. Max Muncy was trying to beat the throw from shortstop to first when his right foot landed on Sandoval's hand as the first baseman lay on the ground.There was no immediate word on Sandoval's exact injury, although it appeared in photographs by The Associated Press that his right pinky was sliced and bloodied. He was due up leading off the sixth but was replaced by pinch-hitter Tyler Austin.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

A look at what's happening around the majors Tuesday:STANTON RETURNSYankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton is set to come off the injured list for a game against the Rays. Stanton has been sidelined since March 31 with biceps, shoulder and calf injuries, but seemed ready for a return during a minor league rehab start with four homers in five games. Stanton re-joins a stacked lineup that just added DH Edwin Encarnación via trade, and star Aaron Judge is expected to return from a left oblique strain in the next few days, as well.NO TOUCHYPadres star Manny Machado has denied making contact with plate umpire Bill Welke after being ejected for arguing a called third strike Saturday night and said he will appeal his one-game suspension and fine. MLB said the punishment, imposed by Chief Baseball Officer Joe Torre, was for "aggressively arguing and making contact" with Welke. Asked if he made contact, Machado said: "Not that I believe." The 26-year-old Machado is batting .261 with 13 home runs an... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Five years ago, veteran big leaguer Nick Hundley visited Children's Hospital of Wisconsin and met a boy named Zach Sprader. Hundley, then with the San Diego Padres, sought to give the young baseball fan a lift during his fight against leukemia. Little did Hundley know a lasting friendship with a family would come of it.A couple of weeks after his charitable visit with Athletes for Hope, Hundley was traded to Baltimore. Two weeks after that, he returned to Milwaukee with the Orioles for a series against the Brewers, and that gave him a chance to visit the teen again. Hundley vowed to stay in touch with the family, which saw Hundley play in Baltimore later that season."I took him around, hung out in the clubhouse," Hundley said. "It was awesome.""The two of them became fast friends," Zach's mother, Lisa Kukec, recalled Monday at the Oakland Coliseum. "We stayed connected, and when we were on Zach's Make-A-Wish to the East Coast, we were able to see Nick at Camden... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Five years ago, veteran big leaguer Nick Hundley visited Children's Hospital of Wisconsin and met a boy named Zach Kukec. Hundley, then with the San Diego Padres, sought to give the young baseball fan a lift during his fight against leukemia. Little did Hundley know a lasting friendship with a family would come of it.A couple of weeks after his charitable visit with Athletes for Hope, Hundley was traded to Baltimore. Two weeks after that, he returned to Milwaukee with the Orioles for a series against the Brewers, and that gave him a chance to visit the teen again. Hundley vowed to stay in touch with the Kukecs, and the family saw Hundley play in Baltimore later that season."I took him around, hung out in the clubhouse," Hundley said. "It was awesome.""The two of them became fast friends," Zach's mother, Lisa, recalled Monday at the Oakland Coliseum. "We stayed connected, and when we were on Zach's Make-A-Wish to the East Coast, we were able to see Nick at Camde... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Edwin Encarnación went from last place in the AL West to first in the AL East.Naturally, he was pretty excited about it.The veteran slugger was hitless during his Yankees debut Monday night against Tampa Bay in the opener of a three-game series. But he received a warm ovation from the crowd of 39,042 and New York won 3-0 to move 1½ games ahead of the Rays."He could have picked somewhere else. I'd have been fine with it," Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash joked before the game.Batting fifth as the designated hitter, Encarnación went 0 for 4 in pinstripes. He struck out swinging on the 10th pitch of his first at-bat in the second inning against Yonny Chirinos."I saw a lot of pitches. I feel good. I'm just missing a couple of pitches that I know I can hit," Encarnación said. "It's part of the game. I'll get them tomorrow."Acquired from Seattle in a trade late Saturday night, Encarnación joined the Yankees on Monday and began the day leading the American League with 21 ho... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Bryce Harper's latest chance to play in his old ballpark will have to wait a day.The Philadelphia Phillies' game at the Washington Nationals was postponed because of rain. The start of Monday's game was delayed for nearly three hours before a decision was made to call it entirely.The game will be made up at 1:05 p.m. Wednesday, as part of a day-night doubleheader.It is the Phillies' second trip to Washington since Harper agreed a 13-year, $330 million contract in March. He was 5 for 7, including a home run, in two games at Nationals Park in early April.After a fast start, Harper's batting average fell to .219 on May 14. He's rebounded and arrived in Washington with a .247 average, 12 homers and 49 RBIs. He has at least one hit in nine of his last 11 games."Over the last couple of days, he's looked as good as he's looked," Phillies manager Gabe Kapler said. "I actually think he started off really well, then he struggled for a while and now he's been on a slow traject... [More]

SAN DIEGO (AP) — San Diego Padres star Manny Machado denied he made contact with plate umpire Bill Welke after being ejected for arguing a called third strike Saturday night and said he'll appeal his one-game suspension and fine."I've just never seen anyone get suspended for arguing balls and strikes, so we'll see what happens," Machado said before Monday night's game with Milwaukee.MLB said the punishment, imposed by Chief Baseball Officer Joe Torre, was for "aggressively arguing and making contact" with Welke.Asked if he made contact, Machado said: "Not that I believe, so no, but everyone has their own right to write what they want. We have our case and we're going to wait to see what the appeal comes back with. We always have the right to argue balls and strikes and give our opinion on it."You could see the video. I mean, I was right the whole way. There's video for it."The third baseman had two hits and scored twice before being ejected by Welke in the fifth inning Saturday night... [More]

SAN DIEGO (AP) — San Diego Padres star Manny Machado denied he made 2contact with plate umpire Bill Welke after being ejected for arguing a called third strike Saturday night and said he'll appeal his one-game suspension and fine."I've just never seen anyone get suspended for arguing balls and strikes, so we'll see what happens," Machado said before Monday night's game with Milwaukee.MLB said the punishment, imposed by Chief Baseball Officer Joe Torre, was for "aggressively arguing and making contact" with Welke.Asked if he made contact, Machado said: "Not that I believe, so no, but everyone has their own right to write what they want. We have our case and we're going to wait to see what the appeal comes back with. We always have the right to argue balls and strikes and give our opinion on it."You could see the video. I mean, I was right the whole way. There's video for it."The third baseman had two hits and scored twice before being ejected by Welke in the fifth inning Saturday nigh... [More]

SAN DIEGO (AP) — San Diego Padres star Manny Machado denied he made contact with plate umpire Bill Welke after being ejected for arguing a called third strike Saturday night and said he'll appeal his one-game suspension and fine."I've just never seen anyone get suspended for arguing balls and strikes, so we'll see what happens," Machado said before Monday night's game with Milwaukee.MLB said the punishment, imposed by Chief Baseball Officer Joe Torre, was for "aggressively arguing and making contact" with Welke.Asked if he made contact, Machado said: "Not that I believe, so no, but everyone has their own right to write what they want. We have our case and we're going to wait to see what the appeal comes back with. We always have the right to argue balls and strikes and give our opinion on it."You could see the video. I mean, I was right the whole way. There's video for it."The third baseman had two hits and scored twice before being ejected by Welke in the fifth inning Saturday night... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Texas Rangers are juggling their banged-up outfielders, with Hunter Pence the latest to go on the injured list.Pence was placed on the 10-day injured list Monday, a day after he sustained a right groin strain in a loss at Cincinnati.While Pence joined slugging outfielder Joey Gallo on the injured list, the Rangers activated outfielder Willie Calhoun from the list. Calhoun played in the series opener against Cleveland for his first action since a left quad strain May 21.Gallo has been out since June 2 with a left oblique strain. The Rangers home run leader, with 17, worked out in Texas after a scheduled flight to Arizona was cancelled. He is scheduled to the team's spring training complex in Arizona on Tuesday to continue his rehab.Pence got hurt Sunday when playing right field in place of Nomar Mazara, who was out of the lineup for the second game in a row Monday because of right hamstring tightness.The 36-year-old Pence has had quite a comeback season in ... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — San Diego Padres star Manny Machado has been suspended one game and fined for making contact with an umpire who ejected him over the weekend for arguing called strikes.Machado is appealing the penalty imposed Monday by Chief Baseball Officer Joe Torre. Machado can continue to play until there's a final ruling; the Padres play Milwaukee on Monday night.The third baseman had two hits and scored twice before being ejected by plate umpire Bill Welke in the fifth inning Saturday night in Denver after a called third strike. MLB said the punishment was for "aggressively arguing and making contact" with Welke.The 26-year-old Machado is batting .261 with 13 home runs and 39 RBIs for the Padres after signing a $300 million, 10-year contract in spring training.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Texas Rangers have placed outfielder Hunter Pence on the 10-day injured list with a right groin strain.Texas made the move before its series opener at home against Cleveland on Monday night, a day after Pence got hurt. He joined slugging outfielder Joey Gallo on the injured list.Pence left Sunday's game at Cincinnati when chasing down a ground-rule double down the right field line in the fifth inning.Willie Calhoun was activated from the injured list. He was in the lineup against the Indians, batting fifth and playing left field in his first action since a left quad strain May 21.Nomar Mazara, another outfielder, was out of the lineup for the second game in a row with right hamstring tightness.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) — San Diego Padres star Manny Machado has been suspended one game and fined for making contact with an umpire who ejected him over the weekend for arguing called strikes.Machado is appealing the penalty imposed Monday by Chief Baseball Office Joe Torre. Machado can continue to play until there's a final ruling; the Padres play Milwaukee on Monday night.The third baseman had two hits and scored twice before being ejected by plate umpire Bill Welke in the fifth inning Saturday night in Denver after a called third strike. MLB said the punishment was for "aggressively arguing and making contact" with Welke.The 26-year-old Machado is batting .261 with 13 home runs and 39 RBIs for the Padres after signing a $300 million, 10-year contract in spring training.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) — Edwin Encarnación is set to make his New York Yankees debut, batting fifth as the designated hitter against the Tampa Bay Rays in the opener of a three-game series between the top two teams in the AL East.Acquired from Seattle in a trade late Saturday night, Encarnación joined the Yankees on Monday and began the day leading the American League with 21 home runs. He says he expected to be shipped off by the payroll-paring Mariners, but didn't think he'd wind up in New York. When he got the news, he was surprised and excited to be sent to a first-place team.The 36-year-old Encarnación is wearing No. 30 and hitting behind catcher Gary Sánchez, who ranked second in the AL with 20 homers. And with fellow sluggers Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge close to returning from the injured list, the Yankees are poised to soon field one of baseball's most powerful lineups.General manager Brian Cashman acknowledged some might have been surprised to see the Yankees add another big bat when it's clear they're looking to upgrade an injury-depleted pitching rotation before the July 31 trade deadline. But he says the Encarnación move won't preclude that, and he still has more work to do.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

ATLANTA (AP) — New York Mets manager Mickey Callaway says right-hander Noah Syndergaard has a low-grade hamstring strain and will miss at least one start.Syndergaard underwent an MRI on Sunday and was placed on the 10-day injured list. Callaway hopes Syndergaard misses just one start but says it's too early to tell if he will need more time to recover.Reliever Wilmer Font is a candidate to take Syndergaard's turn in the rotation, but Callaway says Seth Lugo is not."I think he's so valuable in his role right now that it'd be tough to take him out," Callaway said.Syndergaard reached for the back of his right leg after throwing a pitch in the seventh inning Saturday night against St. Louis. He walked off the field with a limp, but wasn't favoring the leg while playing catch and doing agility drills before Monday's game.He is 5-4 with a 4.55 ERA in 15 starts.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

CINCINNATI (AP) — Scooter Gennett began a rehab assignment Monday, the final step in returning from a severe groin injury in spring training that has sidelined the Cincinnati Reds second baseman all season.Gennett will play five days with Single-A Daytona and move up to Triple-A Louisville to continue the rehab, which will last until he feels ready to come off the injured list. Manager David Bell said Gennett will be back in the starting lineup as soon as he's able."We all know he's going to play," Bell said. "He's been a big part of our offense the last few years. There's no reason that would change."There may be some limitations at the beginning, to make sure he's healthy and all that."In the last two years, Gennett has 50 homers and 189 RBIs, joining Dave Parker and Deron Johnson as the only Reds to put up such numbers in their first two seasons with Cincinnati. He was an All-Star for the first time last year, when he finished second to Milwaukee's Christian Yelich for the batting... [More]

CINCINNATI (AP) — Scooter Gennett has begun a rehab assignment, the final step in returning from a severe groin sprain in spring training that has sidelined the Cincinnati Reds' All-Star second baseman all season.Gennett will play five days with Single-A Daytona and move up to Triple-A Louisville to continue the rehab.In the last two years, Gennett has 50 homers and 189 RBIs, joining Dave Parker and Deron Johnson as the only Reds to put up such numbers in their first two seasons with Cincinnati. He was an All-Star for the first time last year, when he finished second to Milwaukee's Christian Yelich for the batting title at .310.The Reds are last in the NL Central at 31-38 with one of the majors' worst offenses.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

A look at what's happening around the majors today:NEW BOMBEREdwin Encarnación will find himself in a familiar spot after he joins the Yankees in the Bronx. Manager Aaron Boone plans to use the AL home run leader as his team's primary designated hitter once the 36-year-old slugger arrives. The AL East leaders acquired Encarnación for a minor league pitcher in a late-night trade Saturday with Seattle. Boone said he expects Encarnación to be available when the Yankees open a three-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays.To make space for the veteran slugger, young outfielder Clint Frazier was optioned to Triple-A, even though he was batting .283 with 11 homers and an .843 OPS. New York is brimming with big bats but could use another starting pitcher, and Frazier could be an enticing piece to dangle on the trade market.ALL TOGETHER NOWThe Braves have won 9 of 10, including 2 of 3 against Philadelphia over the weekend, and they will try to stretch their 2 1/2-game NL East lead in a serie... [More]

There were plenty of highlights for the Cleveland Indians in their weekend sweep at Detroit: Jake Bauers hit for the cycle, Leonys Martin stole home and Trevor Bauer threw his first career shutout.Another plus for the Indians: Some signs of life from the bat of Jose Ramirez.The Cleveland third baseman had four hits in the series, which may not sound like much but constitutes half of Ramirez's total for the month of June. One of those hits was a triple Friday. He also drove in three runs and scored three times in that three-game sweep."We're looking for reasons to be optimistic," manager Terry Francona said after Saturday's game. "Hopefully he can build on it."One of the American League's top players over the previous three seasons, Ramirez has been having a miserable year at the plate in 2019. His solid series against the Tigers only brought his average to .203, and his slugging percentage is an anemic .301. The Indians are 10 games behind first-place Minnesota in the AL Central. That ... [More]