4:43 PM ET Associated Press SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Ronnie Gajownik spent her Saturday afternoon as the bench coach for the Arizona Diamondbacks. It wasn’t until mid-game she realized that was quite remarkable. “It was awesome,” Gajownik said later. “I didn’t realize how big of a moment it was until (pitching coach Brent Strom) told me
MLB
3:24 PM ET Associated Press Boston Red Sox left-hander James Paxton has a Grade 1 strain of his right hamstring and seems unlikely to be on the Opening Day roster, manager Alex Cora said Saturday. Paxton left Friday’s outing — his first in a game in nearly two years — after 1⅔ innings after feeling
12:29 PM ET ESPN News Services Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will miss the World Baseball Classic for the Dominican Republic due to right knee discomfort, the team said Saturday. Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Guerrero had minor inflammation in the knee, but an MRI didn’t show any structural concerns. Guerrero
10:21 AM ET Associated Press SURPRISE, Ariz. — Left-handed reliever Will Smith agreed to a $1.5 million, one-year contract with the Texas Rangers on Saturday and will report to spring training. Smith, 33, was 0-3 with a 3.97 ERA and five saves in 65 relief appearances last year for Atlanta and Houston, which acquired him
1:04 AM ET ESPN News Services PEORIA, Ariz. — Manny Machado, Nelson Cruz and the San Diego Padres expect to be big bashers in the batter’s box this season. On Friday night, they were a big bunch of nothing. Chicago Cubs starter Justin Steele and six relievers combined on baseball’s first spring training no-hitter since
4:58 PM ET Associated Press Max Scherzer has theorized that baseball’s new pitch clock will allow pitchers to dictate the pace of games. In the eyes of one umpire, he raced too fast even for the pitch timer Friday. Scherzer tested the boundaries of baseball’s novel pace-of-play rules during his second spring training start, trying
2:32 PM ET Associated Press DUNEDIN, Fla. — Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. left Friday’s spring training game against Tampa Bay with right knee discomfort. Guerrero was seen walking toward the clubhouse with an athletic trainer in the second inning and was replaced defensively by Rainer Nunez to start the third. “Just
7:00 AM ET One of the things that has distinguished the Los Angeles Dodgers during their decade-long streak of playoff appearances has been their remarkable depth. Plenty of times, the organization has been forced to turn quickly to the next man up to find an alternative. This is how the Dodgers have continued to win,
6:55 AM ET Hope springs eternal when it comes to baseball teams, both in the major leagues as well as with fantasy baseball squads. Some of the biggest importers of hope each season are those “shiny new toys” — highly touted rookies who have yet to disappoint, bringing tons of promise and optimism to the
7:00 AM ET When the rosters of the 20 participants in the 2023 World Baseball Classic were announced last month, our imaginations were captured by some prospective lineups that looked absolutely stacked. While it’ll be decades before we know how many Hall of Famers will be featured in the tournament, which begins next week, we