MLB

2:02 PM ET Associated Press WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Jeremy Jeffress was released by the Washington Nationals on Sunday for what general manager Mike Rizzo called unspecified “personnel reasons,” less than two weeks after the reliever agreed to terms on a minor league deal. The team sent out a six-word tweet announcing the move.

8:01 AM ET For club executives, the question of whether to manipulate the service time of young players has been like the steroid quandary was for players in the 1990s. Teams have the option of making decisions based entirely in good faith. Some clubs have operated this way. Fernando Tatis Jr. was on the Padres’

4:45 PM ET Associated Press SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Left-handed reliever Jose Alvarez signed a $1.15 million, one-year contract with the San Francisco Giants on Saturday. The 31-year-old will look to build off momentum he had with the Phillies last season when he posted a 1.42 ERA over eight outings. He was struck by a 105

2:07 PM ET Associated Press PEORIA, Ariz. — Seattle Mariners top prospect Jarred Kelenic will be sidelined due to a strained adductor muscle in his left knee. Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto said an MRI on Saturday revealed the injury. No timeline was given for the outfielder’s return. “While disappointed that Jarred will be sidelined,

10:40 PM ET MESA, Ariz. — Shohei Ohtani featured an upper-90s fastball and a wipeout splitter in his spring pitching debut Friday, a 41-pitch outing that seemed to validate the Los Angeles Angels‘ hopes that he can contribute as a two-way player this season. Ohtani, pitching two days after unleashing a 486-foot home run to

4:15 PM ET Free agent pitcher Sam Dyson has accepted a suspension for the entire 2021 season for violating MLB’s Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy, the league announced Friday. “Having reviewed all of the available evidence, I have concluded that Mr. Dyson violated our policy and that discipline is appropriate,” commissioner

7:00 AM ET THE LOS ANGELES DODGERS spent $100 million to renovate Dodger Stadium ahead of the 2020 season, an ambitious undertaking that modified most of the infrastructure in an effort to modernize baseball’s third-oldest ballpark. “Irony of ironies,” Dodgers president and CEO Stan Kasten said. “After all these years of being the most beautiful

7:00 AM ET In last week’s early 2021 MLB draft rankings, Vanderbilt right-handers Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker were second and third, respectively, on the list — and the top two pitching prospects on our board. I had a chance to see the two pitch back-to-back in both ends of a doubleheader on Sunday in

7:31 PM ET Associated Press GOODYEAR, Ariz. — – Cincinnati Reds outfielder Shogo Akiyama returned to spring training after a week away to be with his wife, who was seriously injured when a tree fell on her in a park in Ohio. Akaya Akiyama was hospitalized after being injured by the tree last week while

11:43 AM ET Five of 789 professional athletes infected with COVID-19 were later found to have suffered inflammatory heart disease in the largest study to date on the cardiac impact of the virus in sports. In data published Thursday in JAMA Cardiology, doctors affiliated with six U.S.-based leagues followed the 789 infected players last year

7:00 AM ET New York Mets fans, riding the wave of new owner Steve Cohen’s money and enthusiasm, began the offseason hoping to end up with at least two players — and dreaming on three — from the group of Francisco Lindor, Trevor Bauer, J.T. Realmuto, George Springer and DJ LeMahieu. The Mets landed only

2:32 PM ET Associated Press CLEVELAND — Indians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti said Wednesday that he couldn’t comment on his previous remarks about Mickey Callaway’s conduct due to Major League Baseball’s ongoing investigation into sexual harassment allegations against the team’s former pitching coach. Antonetti joined Terry Francona for the manager’s Zoom availability from

3:09 PM ET Associated Press SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — – Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Tim Locastro has tested positive for COVID-19. Manager Torey Lovullo said on Wednesday that Locastro tested positive on Tuesday night and would be out for 10 days unless there had been a false positive. Lovullo added that Locastro feels good and currently has

7:00 AM ET In 1997, the Chicago White Sox famously made what is known as the “White Flag Trade.” Pitchers Wilson Alvarez, Danny Darwin and Roberto Hernandez were dealt to the San Francisco Giants at the trade deadline for a slew of prospects, effectively ending any chance the White Sox had at the postseason. The

7:44 PM ET Associated Press CLEARWATER, Fla. — After playing in his first game with the Philadelphia Phillies since his arrest on domestic violence charges two years ago, Odubel Herrera apologized and vowed he’s a better person. “I feel sorry because I made a big mistake,” Herrera said Tuesday. “I know some people are not

7:00 AM ET MLB InsidersESPN The last time we saw the American League East, the Tampa Bay Rays were the class of the division while the New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays were putting together playoff runs of their own — and the Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles were battling at the bottom

6:37 PM ET Associated Press For Chris Owings’ first seven years in the majors, he could pop into the video room to take a look at his at-bats during a game. Then last season, the utility infielder for the Colorado Rockies had to make due with a printout. “You’d come back in the dugout and

5:48 PM ET Associated Press Garrett Richards had gotten only one out during his first spring training start, loading the bases and walking in one run before the Red Sox stopped the inning after 23 pitches. Then he went back out for a 1-2-3 second inning. “It’s building blocks man,” he said after being rescued