8:33 PM ET Philadelphia Phillies manager Gabe Kapler has named Aaron Nola the team’s Opening Day starter against the Atlanta Braves in Philadelphia. Nola received a four-year, $45 million contract last month. The contract includes a 2023 club option that could make the deal worth $56.75 million over five years. The 25-year-old right-hander is 41-28
MLB
5:23 PM ET Associated Press JUPITER, Fla. — The return of inflammation to Jorge Alfaro‘s right knee is once again prompting the Miami Marlins to shut down their expected opening-day catcher for a few more days. Alfaro re-aggravated the injury during Tuesday’s game while sliding into second base. “The biggest thing is just get rid
7:41 PM ET David Schoenfield Close ESPN Senior Writer Senior writer of SweetSpot baseball blog Former deputy editor of Page 2 Been with ESPN.com since 1995 Jeff Passan Close ESPN ESPN MLB insiderAuthor of “The Arm: Inside the Billion-Dollar Mystery of the Most Valuable Commodity in Sports” With Friday’s news that the independent Atlantic League
12:57 PM ET Todd ZolaFantasy Close Writing on fantasy baseball game theory and player analysis since 1997 Winner of the 2013 Fantasy Sports Writer’s Association Best Baseball Article What type of manager are you? If you’re a ‘set it and forget it’ type of player, then the traditional Monday weekly lock time probably suits you
12:07 PM ET Jeff PassanESPN Close ESPN MLB insiderAuthor of “The Arm: Inside the Billion-Dollar Mystery of the Most Valuable Commodity in Sports” Baseball’s potential future will be showcased in the independent Atlantic League this year, and it includes robot umpires, a 62-foot, 6-inch distance between the pitcher’s mound and home plate, and no infield
10:00 AM ET From the middle of May to the end of July, trade rumors dominate a lot of the conversation in baseball — what teams are looking for, which opposing players might be targeted, who might be on the move, the weakest links that might be replaced, the latest swap proposals. For some players
7:08 PM ET ESPN News Services Houston Astros ace Justin Verlander is attempting to add to his repertoire during spring training by mixing in a changeup to his arsenal. “I saw the reactions I wanted on almost every one I threw,” Verlander said after throwing seven of them during a 4-1 win over the Miami
6:21 PM ET Associated Press FORT MYERS, Fla. — Dustin Pedroia‘s first game in nearly 10 months couldn’t have gone much better — even if it lasted just one inning. Pedroia cleanly fielded a two-out grounder by Minnesota’s Jake Cave, then singled off Kohl Stewart leading off the bottom half of Boston‘s 12-1 loss Thursday.
4:39 PM ET Hall of Fame pitcher Tom Seaver has been diagnosed with dementia and will retire from public life, his family announced on Thursday. In a statement released by the Hall of Fame, Seaver’s family expressed thanks for those who have supported the New York Mets great throughout his career, and asked for privacy.
6:54 AM ET There is something about the phenom that attracts us. This is certainly true in baseball, where sizable industries have been built to provide advanced warning of “the next big thing.” It’s also true of the greater culture in general, where prodigies from Mozart to Rimbaud to Tiger Woods have become permanently embedded