Baseball

JUPITER, Florida – Major League Baseball wants a faster-paced game with more balls in play, more action on the bases and more athleticism from its players. Jazz Chisholm Jr., the lively second baseman turned center fielder for the Miami Marlins, has a feeling how this will play out. Pitch clocks, […]

The next man up is good enough for the Los Angeles Dodgers — at least in the eyes of oddsmakers. Losing a starting shortstop for the season in spring training would be a major setback for most World Series contenders, but the Dodgers’ futures remained unchanged after Gavin Lux suffered […]

MESA, Arizona – A day after Seiya Suzuki’s dream of lifting the World Baseball Classic trophy with his Samurai Japan teammates officially ended due to injury, the Chicago Cubs outfielder said Tuesday he can now only focus on getting fit for the season while cheering on Japan from afar. “I’ve […]

MESA, Arizona – Los Angeles Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani threw 2⅓ scoreless innings against the Oakland Athletics in his lone spring training tuneup Tuesday before playing for Japan in the World Baseball Classic. Ohtani did not allow a hit while striking out two and walking two in the Angels’ […]

Japan outfielder Seiya Suzuki of the Chicago Cubs has been ruled out of the March 8-21 World Baseball Classic, Nippon Professional Baseball said Tuesday. The 28-year-old missed the Cubs’ spring training game with the San Francisco Giants on Saturday due to tightness in his left oblique and also the club’s […]

The New York Times – In the first inning of a spring training game against the Seattle Mariners here on Friday, San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado placed his left foot in the batter’s box, tapped his bat on home plate and twirled it around before coming set. It […]

Mesa, Arizona – Chicago Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki did not take part in his team’s training Sunday, raising concerns over his involvement in next month’s World Baseball Classic with Japan. Suzuki pulled out of the Cubs’ spring training game with the San Francisco Giants on Saturday due to tightness in […]

Roki Sasaki’s first pitch to Yuki Yanagita was a forkball. So was the second. The third was a fastball that registered 162 kph (100.6 mph) on the radar gun on a sunny afternoon at Sun Marine Stadium Miyazaki. That was followed by another at 161 kph. With the count 2-2, […]

Philadelphia Phillies superstar Bryce Harper is “ahead” of schedule in his rehab from Tommy John surgery in November, but is still two weeks out from reporting to spring training. Phillies President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski said Harper will likely report March 8 or 9. “He’s doing very well in […]

Los Angeles Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani remains No. 1 in MLB Network’s “Top 100 Players Right Now” for the second consecutive year, according to the rankings released Thursday. Ohtani is ranked above Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees in second place and Mike Trout of the Angels in […]