Baseball

WASHINGTON – With a “2019 World Series Champions” patch stitched onto the right sleeve of his white Washington Nationals jersey, and his eyes — one brown, one blue — open wide, Max Scherzer made it clear as clear can be Saturday that his neck is just fine and his preseason […]

NEW YORK – Right-hander Noah Syndergaard on Friday agreed to a $9.7 million, one-year deal with the New York Mets to avoid salary arbitration. Syndergaard is coming off a fairly disappointing season in which he made $6 million. He went 10-8 with a 4.28 ERA and 202 strikeouts in 197⅔ […]

CINCINNATI – Shogo Akiyama knew the Cincinnati Reds were the only MLB team that never had a player born in Japan. The chance to break a barrier was part of his impetus to sign. The former Seibu Lions star got a $21 million, three-year deal this week with the Reds. […]

MILWAKEE – Milwaukee general manager David Stearns didn’t have to do much thinking when it came to a new long-term deal for Brewers manager Craig Counsell. “Both Craig and I thought this was probably an inevitability at some point,” Stearns said Wednesday after announcing a three-year extension for Counsell through […]

BOSTON – Major League Baseball says it will investigate allegations the Boston Red Sox illegally used their video replay room to steal signs between opposing pitchers and catchers during their 2018 World Series championship season. The claims were made Tuesday in a report by The Athletic. The website cited three […]

CINCINNATI – Outfielder Shogo Akiyama on Monday agreed to a $21 million, three-year deal with the Cincinnati Reds, the only major league team that hasn’t had a player born in Japan. Akiyama, 31, became a free agent after his ninth season with the Seibu Lions, where he was a five-time […]

With the NPB season set to begin on March 21, it won’t be long before players are back in uniform and training with their teams in preparation for 2020. In addition to getting ready for the new campaign, a handful of NPB stars will also be preparing to put the […]

LOS ANGELES – Pitcher and designated hitter Shohei Ohtani should bat more often for the Los Angeles Angels when he returns from two major operations, new Angels manager Joe Maddon said. Maddon, who in 2016 guided the Chicago Cubs to their first World Series title since 1908, spent 31 seasons […]

CHICAGO – Luis Robert is locked in with the Chicago White Sox — for the next six years at least, and possibly for the opening day lineup, too. The White Sox and their prized young outfielder agreed Thursday to a $50 million, six-year contract, clearing the way for Robert to […]

NEW YORK – New York Yankees pitcher Domingo German will miss the first 63 games of the 2020 season as part of an 81-game ban for violating MLB’s domestic violence policy. The league announced the suspension Thursday. German has agreed not to appeal. German was put on administrative leave on […]