Baseball Page 62 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Royals RHP Stephen Kolek dealing with left oblique strain
Kansas City Royals right-hander Stephen Kolek will miss at least five to seven days and possibly longer after sustaining a left oblique strain.,Kolek felt tightness in his left side while warming up for a relief appearance during Wednesday's spring training game against the Seattle Mariners. ,"(Kole...

Twins claim RHP Zak Kent off waivers from Cardinals
The Minnesota Twins claimed right-hander Zak Kent off waivers from the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday.,Kent, who turned 28 on Tuesday, made his major league debut last season and went 1-0 with a 4.58 ERA in 12 relief appearances with the Cleveland Guardians.,The Cardinals claimed Kent off waivers f...

Report: A's make long-term offer to ROY Nick Kurtz
The Athletics have made a long-term extension offer to slugging first baseman Nick Kurtz, the New York Post reported on Thursday.,No financial details were available, and there is "no word on the likelihood of getting it to the finish line," according to the report.,Kurtz, who turns 23 on March 12, ...

Padres LHP Yuki Matsui (groin) to miss WBC for Japan
San Diego Padres reliever Yuki Matsui will not pitch for Japan in next month's World Baseball Classic due to a groin injury.,The 30-year-old left-hander was ruled out Thursday, about a week after experiencing tightness in his left groin in a batting practice session at spring training.,"It's pretty ...

Reports: Yankees signing OF Randal Grichuk to minors deal
The New York Yankees are signing outfielder Randal Grichuk to a minor league deal, multiple outlets reported on Thursday.,The reported deal includes an invitation to major league spring training and is worth $2.5 million if he makes the team.,Grichuk, 34, split 2025 with Arizona and Kansas City and ...

Yankees DH Giancarlo Stanton ready to swing, can't open bag of chips
New York Yankees designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton can swing a bat, but don't count on his help opening that bag of Doritos. ,Stanton enters a third year of fighting through pain and discomfort from epicondylitis -- commonly referred to as tennis elbow -- in both arms and has yet to make an appear...

Reports: Max Scherzer returning to Blue Jays on 1-year deal
Veteran Max Scherzer is rejoining the Toronto Blue Jays on a one-year, $3 million deal, multiple outlets reported early Thursday.,The contract contains incentives totaling $10 million and a no-trade clause, per The Athletic.,Despite bolstering the starting rotation with Dylan Cease and Cody Ponce in...

Yankees to retire CC Sabathia's number, add monument
Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio, Mantle ... Sabathia.,Hall of Fame southpaw CC Sabathia will join a select list of New York Yankees legends when his No. 52 is retired and a plaque in his honor is added to the team's Monument Park during a Sept. 26 ceremony.,Sabathia will become the 24th Yankee to have his nu...

Spring training roundup: Braves work way past Pirates, Paul Skenes
Austin Riley hit a two-run home run to break an early tie and the host Atlanta Braves got past ace right-hander Paul Skenes and the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-1 on Wednesday in North Port, Fla.,Skenes allowed one run, one hit and four walks with four strikeouts in facing 12 batters over 2 1/3 innings in h...

Diamondbacks RHP Merrill Kelly to miss opener with nerve issue
Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Merrill Kelly will miss his scheduled Opening Day start because of an intercostal nerve irritation, the team said on Wednesday.,Kelly was scheduled for additional testing Wednesday, including a CT scan, after he was scratched from a throwing session against hitters ...

Cubs 1B/OF Tyler Austin (knee) out for 'months'
Chicago Cubs outfielder/first baseman Tyler Austin will be sidelined for "months" following knee surgery, manager Craig Counsell said Wednesday.,Austin, 34, signed a one-year contract for a reported $1.25 million in December after playing the past six seasons in Japan with Yokohama, where he hit .28...

Spring training roundup: Pirates prospect Konnor Griffin homers twice
The No. 1 prospect in baseball, shortstop Konnor Griffin, hammered two home runs over the replica Green Monster at the spring training home of the Red Sox to power the Pittsburgh Pirates' 16-7 win over Boston on Tuesday in Fort Myers, Fla.,They were Griffin's first two homers of the spring, and they...

Diamondbacks await more test results on RHP Merrill Kelly's ailing back
Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Merrill Kelly has undergone additional testing, including a CT scan, on his ailing back, manager Torey Lovullo told reporters on Tuesday.,Kelly was set to pitch a batting practice session in spring training against Diamondbacks hitters on Saturday, but that session ...

Braves announce in-house TV network BravesVision
The Atlanta Braves will become the latest MLB team with their own television network as BravesVision is set to make its debut this season.,The direct-to-distributor model will be available through cable, satellite and streaming services in the Braves' market, with more than 140 games expected to be ...

Braves sign Chris Sale to extension through 2028
Chris Sale and the Atlanta Braves agreed to a contract extension that includes an option for 2028. ,At the end of the 2025 season, the Braves exercised an $18 million team option to keep the left-hander in the fold for 2026. His contract was set to expire at the end of this season.,The Braves announ...
Why Tarik Skubal Shouldn’t Participate in the World Baseball Classic
Tarik Skubal will make just one start in the World Baseball Classic, raising questions about Team USA commitment and baseball’s biggest international event....

Spring training roundup: Tarik Skubal starts strong, Tigers lose to Twins
Two-time defending American League Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal delivered two shutout innings in his spring training debut, but his Detroit Tigers were blanked in a 3-0 loss to the Minnesota Twins Monday in Lakeland, Fla.,Skubal, who will earn $32 million this season after winning his arbitration ca...

Tigers ace Tarik Skubal plans to pitch just once for US in WBC
Two-time defending Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal will be making his World Baseball Classic debut next month for the U.S. with some caveats.,Skubal told reporters after his spring-training debut Monday that he plans on making just one start in WBC group play, which begins March 5, before returni...

Report: Cubs reach deal with OF Michael Conforto
The Chicago Cubs agreed to a deal with free agent outfielder Michael Conforto, MLB Network reported Monday.,Financial terms were not available for the veteran who turns 33 on March 1.,A first-round draft pick (2014) and an All-Star (2017) with the New York Mets, Conforto spent last season with the L...

Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani (probably) won't pitch for Japan in WBC
Shohei Ohtani exited spring training camp with a virtual handle-with-care tag as the Dodgers' two-way star commits his talents to helping Japan win a fourth World Baseball Classic. Well, most of his talents anyway.,Ohtani's next step in his return to being a two-way player full-time this season does...