MLB

4:28 PM ET Beginning Monday, major league umpires will check pitchers for foreign substances after they’ve pitched — with the exception of the closer, who will be inspected before entering the game — sources familiar with the process said. Pitchers will be inspected between innings and/or after they come out of the game unless they’re

9:59 PM ET Associated Press DENVER — Second baseman Kolten Wong was reinstated from the 10-day injured list on Friday as part of a series of roster moves by the Milwaukee Brewers. Wong, who had been sidelined by a left oblique strain, was in the starting lineup and back in the leadoff spot for a

5:13 PM ET Associated Press NEW YORK — The pace of coronavirus vaccinations in Major League Baseball has slowed, with no additional teams in the past week joining the 22 that had already reached the 85% vaccination threshold for players and other on-field personnel. Major League Baseball and the players’ association said Friday that 85.3%

2:21 PM ET Shohei Ohtani, the Los Angeles Angels‘ two-way sensation, announced Friday that he will participate in next month’s Home Run Derby, becoming the first player to commit to the event. Ohtani made the announcement on his Instagram account. Ohtani, ranked third in the majors with 19 homers, will join a group of eight

9:36 PM ET Tampa Bay Rays pitching prospect Tyler Zombro, who underwent major brain surgery after being struck in the head by a line drive during a Triple-A game June 3, posted a series of tweets Thursday expressing gratitude for the support and care he received during his recovery. In his tweets, Zombro also shared

4:23 PM ET An MRI performed on New York Mets ace Jacob deGrom‘s right shoulder came back clean, manager Luis Rojas said Thursday. The results were examined by two different doctors, Rojas said. “It just showed a normal shoulder that a pitcher would have and there’s no concern,” Rojas said, adding that deGrom played catch

6:55 PM ET ESPN News Services SAN FRANCISCO — – The Arizona Diamondbacks set a major league record with their 23rd straight road loss, making dubious history in getting trounced by the San Francisco Giants 10-3 Thursday. The dejected D-backs trudged off the field and quietly made their way back to Oracle Park’s visiting clubhouse

7:00 AM ET After a shortened 60-game 2020 MLB season, we’re already past that point in baseball’s return to a 162-game schedule with the All-Star break now less than a month away. What does that mean for your favorite team in our Week 11 MLB Power Rankings? The Tampa Bay Rays and Chicago White Sox

8:25 PM ET New York Mets right-handed ace Jacob deGrom left his start on Wednesday against the Chicago Cubs with right shoulder soreness after pitching three perfect innings. DeGrom, 33, struck out eight of the nine batters he faced while driving in a run with an RBI single in the second inning. He threw 51

4:16 PM ET Associated Press CHICAGO — Veteran Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Rich Hill says the players’ union “dropped the ball” when it came to this week’s announcement from Major League Baseball about grip-enhancing substances. MLB said pitchers will be ejected and suspended for 10 games starting Monday for using illegal foreign substances to doctor

12:32 AM ET Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Bryce Harper exited Tuesday’s game against the Los Angeles Dodgers after the fourth inning with lower back tightness, the team said. Harper struck out swinging to end the top of the fourth. He was 0-for-2 on the night at Dodger Stadium. In the bottom of the fourth, Luke Williams

6:31 PM ET Alex Cora knows a thing or two about the public embarrassment that comes with a suspension in connection to a baseball-cheating scandal, and the Boston Red Sox manager believes the public shame should be enough to change the behavior of players after Major League Baseball announced Tuesday that pitchers will be ejected

3:16 PM ET ESPN News Services Tampa Bay Rays right-hander Tyler Glasnow has a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament and a flexor tendon strain, the team said Tuesday after he underwent an MRI. The Rays said a timeline for Glasnow’s possible return would be determined after he undergoes further medical examination. Glasnow will be placed

10:28 PM ET Shohei Ohtani leads American League designated hitters in All-Star Game fan votes by a wide margin. But the Los Angeles Angels‘ two-way sensation also is putting together a spectacular season on the mound, creating the possibility of Ohtani both pitching and hitting at Coors Field in Denver on July 13. Angels manager

10:19 PM ET Jeff PassanESPN Close ESPN MLB insiderAuthor of “The Arm: Inside the Billion-Dollar Mystery of the Most Valuable Commodity in Sports” Major League Baseball is expected to announce Tuesday it will suspend players caught with any foreign substance for 10 days with pay to help curtail the widespread use of grip enhancers by

3:45 PM ET It often takes eye-popping statistics for a pitcher to win a regular-season MVP award, something that’s happened only twice since 1992. Sportsbooks believe New York Mets ace Jacob deGrom has what it takes. DeGrom, who is sporting a 0.56 ERA and has driven in more runs at the plate than he has

12:53 PM ET The Arizona Diamondbacks have unveiled a gold uniform referencing the Sonoran Desert and the state’s Hispanic culture as the latest alternate jersey in the City Connect collection. The jersey reads “Serpientes” across the front, intended to highlight Arizona’s Hispanic culture, while the uniform patch features the Arizona state flag and a reference

8:07 PM ET ESPN News Services The New York Yankees‘ struggles continued on Sunday, this time a 7-0 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies, and manager Aaron Boone said afterwards that it’s time for the team to “step it up.” “We’re going to find out what character we’re made of,” Boone said. “We’re clearly in the