8:45 PM ET Associated Press TOKYO — Former major leaguer Yoenis Céspedes has left the Cuban team at the World Baseball Classic for unspecified personal reasons. The Cuban Baseball Federation, in a statement from Havana, gave few details about his departure for the United States but said he might rejoin the team if Cuba reaches
MLB
7:02 PM ET Associated Press NORTH PORT, Fla. — The Atlanta Braves have optioned Ian Anderson to their Triple-A affiliate, the latest setback for a right-hander whose promising start included pitching five hitless innings in Game 3 of the 2021 World Series. The Braves announced Tuesday they had optioned both Anderson and right-hander Bryce Elder
6:05 PM ET MIAMI — Eduardo Rodriguez pitched the first two innings of Venezuela’s 4-1 victory over Nicaragua in Tuesday’s pool-play game, and that will probably be the last time he pitches for his home country during the World Baseball Classic. Venezuela’s manager, Omar Lopez, said after the game that Rodriguez won’t be available for
4:33 PM ET Associated Press Left-hander Jose Quintana won’t make his New York Mets debut until at least July because of a stress fracture in his rib. The Mets are relieved that the prognosis wasn’t even more severe. Mets general manager Billy Eppler told reporters Tuesday a scan revealed a lesion on the impacted rib.
12:00 PM ET The races for the final spots in the 2023 World Baseball Classic quarterfinals are coming down to the last days of pool play and, thanks to the tournament’s unique five-team groups, several WBC tiebreaker scenarios could come into play. So what happens should either Pool C (which the United States currently leads
11:53 AM ET Associated Press WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Catcher Keibert Ruiz gets a $3 million signing bonus as part of his $50 million, eight-year contract with the Washington Nationals, a deal that could be worth $76 million over 10 seasons if the team exercises a pair of options. He gets $1 million this
7:00 AM ET Last week, we looked at the five losing teams from last year that are most likely to take a step forward in 2023. This week, we look at five 2022 playoff teams that might take a step back in 2023. We’ll start by again referencing the Plexiglass Principle: Teams that improve one
7:00 AM ET ONE OF THE most captivating players in the early part of this year’s World Baseball Classic has been Randy Arozarena, a man who famously saves his best for the time of year when it matters most. Arozarena, the Tampa Bay Rays‘ fifth-year outfielder, has treated an international tournament in March the way
2:35 AM ET PHOENIX — The Chicago White Sox tandem of Lance Lynn and Tim Anderson were front and center in Team USA’s 12-1 win over Canada on Monday at the World Baseball Classic. The victory improved the United States’ record to 2-1 with one game remaining in pool play. Lynn pitched five efficient innings,
9:51 PM ET Jeff PassanESPN Close ESPN MLB insiderAuthor of “The Arm: Inside the Billion-Dollar Mystery of the Most Valuable Commodity in Sports” MIAMI — Officially, Puerto Rico’s 10-0 victory over Israel in the World Baseball Classic on Monday night will not enter the record books as a perfect game, even though four pitchers combined