MLB Page 12 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Rays' Junior Caminero (hand) in lineup against Red Sox
Tampa Bay third baseman Junior Caminero was in his customary No. 3 spot in the batting order for Game 1 of the Rays' day-night doubleheader with the visiting Boston Red Sox on Friday.,Caminero, who was drilled in the left pinky by the St. Louis Cardinals' Riley O'Brien in the third inning of the All...

Mariners see reasons for optimism heading into series against Giants
Leave it to Jerry Dipoto to look on the bright side.,"If the season ended today, somehow, magically, we're in the playoffs," said Dipoto, the Seattle Mariners' president of baseball operations.,For as much hand-wringing there has been in the Pacific Northwest about the Mariners' dreary season, Dipot...

Cards, D-backs open second half in thick of NL wild-card hunt
It was a middling first half of the season for the Arizona Diamondbacks, hovering around the .500 mark for much of the campaign. However, things started to look up leading into the All-Star break, with the Diamondbacks winning four straight, including a three-game sweep against the league-leading Lo...

Series at sliding A's could be just the boost the Nationals need
The Washington Nationals haven't been part of the postseason since winning the 2019 World Series, but they hope to kick off a run toward a berth when they resume play after the All-Star break against the struggling Athletics on Friday night at West Sacramento, Calif.,The Nationals have experienced s...

Tigers hope for happy homecoming for Troy Melton against Angels
Right-hander Troy Melton will make his first career start against his hometown team when the Detroit Tigers open a three-game series against the Los Angeles Angels on Friday night in Anaheim, Calif.,The hard-throwing Melton (5-1, 1.82 ERA) went to high school at Canyon High School in Anaheim Hills, ...

Royals, Padres look to rebound from disappointing first half of season
Both the San Diego Padres and Kansas City Royals have underachieved thus far in 2026.,Coming out of the All-Star break, the two look for a positive restart when they open a three-game series Friday night at Kansas City.,San Diego was a playoff team each of the past two seasons and has reached the po...

Earliest Opening Day in history highlights 2027 MLB schedule
Taking out Opening Night games, the Major League Baseball season has never started earlier than March 26. But the league will host its earliest Opening Day ever in 2027 as part of its regular season schedule.,On Thursday, MLB announced a start next season with an Opening Night game on March 24, foll...

Trying to stay afloat in wild-card race, Reds face NL-worst Rockies
The Cincinnati Reds' long-shot bid to remain in the National League wild-card race resumes on Friday, when they begin a critical 10-day, nine-game trip with a matchup against the Colorado Rockies.,Eight games out of the final wild-card spot, the Reds are 23-41 since May 1 and will likely be sellers ...

Orioles try to stay hot in second half as Astros open homestand
The Baltimore Orioles and Houston Astros begin the next phase of the season after the All-Star break with Friday night's game in Houston.,Somehow, these teams have managed to reach this stage of the schedule still in playoff contention in the American League.,Remaining in that position will need som...

Mets' battery combines to take down rival Phillies
Christian Scott pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings and Francisco Alvarez homered twice as the visiting New York Mets notched a 4-1 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday., ,In the only game on the MLB slate, the Phillies and Mets played in a smoky scene due to spreading Canadian wildfires. ...

Twins, Cubs enter series hoping All-Star break didn't cool them off
The Chicago Cubs entered the All-Star break on a red-hot streak.,After a few days off, they will hit the play button and try to pick up from where they paused the action.,The Cubs will welcome the Minnesota Twins to open a three-game interleague series beginning Friday night at Wrigley Field. Chicag...

Despite strong first half, Brewers want more, starting with Marlins series
Despite a surprising first half that produced the second-best record in baseball, the Milwaukee Brewers are hoping the All-Star break provided a reset heading into the series opener against the visiting Miami Marlins on Friday.,Right-hander Logan Henderson (3-1, 3.18 ERA) starts for the Brewers, whi...

White Sox out to continue stellar play vs. up-and-down Blue Jays
What a difference a year can make. The Chicago White Sox and the Toronto Blue Jays will provide another example Friday night when they open a three-game series in Toronto. ,The White Sox have gone from worst last season to a tie for first in the American League Central as play resumes after the All-...

Phillies place reliever Brad Keller (elbow tear) on IL
The Philadelphia Phillies placed right-hander Brad Keller on the 15-day injured list Thursday after tests revealed a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow.,The move is retroactive to July 13. Philadelphia recalled right-hander Seth Johnson from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to take Keller's ...

Rangers, Braves kick off second half protecting division leads
Two clubs trying to hold onto first place in their respective divisions open the second half on Friday when the Texas Rangers visit the Atlanta Braves to start a three-game series.,The Rangers are in first place in the American League West, sitting 1 1/2 games ahead of the Seattle Mariners. The Brav...

Streaking Guardians, Pirates collide in start to second half
The Pittsburgh Pirates and Cleveland Guardians both went into the All-Star break on positive notes, pulling off impressive series sweeps.,Only one will be able to keep their momentum going Friday, when the Rust Belt rivals begin a three-game set in Cleveland.,Guardians right-hander Gavin Williams (1...

Dodgers visiting Yankees for first time since 2024 World Series
The last time the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees convened at Yankee Stadium, massive amounts of champagne were sprayed in the visiting clubhouse to celebrate a World Series title.,The only celebrations this time will be one team shaking hands on the field after securing victories starting ...

Pirates acquire OF Robert Hassell III from Nationals
The Pittsburgh Pirates acquired outfielder Robert Hassell III from the Washington Nationals on Thursday in exchange for cash considerations or a player to be named later.,Hassell, 24, made his major league debut last season and played 70 games for the Nationals, but this season he has not made it ou...

Red Sox, Rays ready for twin bill, hoping break did not slow their rolls
The Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays certainly hope their players had a restful MLB All-Star break.,It will be a busy return to play for the American League East rivals on Friday as they begin a four-game, three-day series with a day-night doubleheader in Boston.,The Red Sox return to play with a n...

Report: Reds sign young ace Chase Burns to 7-year, $105M deal
The Cincinnati Reds signed star right-hander Chase Burns to a seven-year, $105 million contract extension, several outlets reported Thursday.,Burns, 23, received the largest guarantee of any pitcher in MLB history with less than four years of service time, according to MLB Network and The Athletic. ...