MLB

7:00 AM ET Baseball finds itself at a crossroads. The players on the field have never been more talented, but increased velocity from pitchers has led to record strikeout totals and low batting averages. There is a new generation of stars emerging, but with every bat flip comes another conversation about whether it violates the

10:36 PM ET They were built for unprecedented greatness, a pursuit only strengthened by a blistering start. But now, 5½ weeks into their season as reigning champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers are basically average. An initial 13-2 record has been followed by 15 losses in a stretch of 20 games, a stunning reversal that has

3:10 PM ET ESPN News Services NEW YORK — Mets ace Jacob deGrom pulled himself from a start Sunday after throwing two warm-up pitches before the sixth inning. The Mets later said that deGrom was experiencing tightness in his right side and was removed from the game for “precautionary reasons.” DeGrom was pitching for the

4:27 PM ET Associated Press ARLINGTON, Texas — Khris Davis was activated from the injured list Saturday by the Texas Rangers, marking the slugger’s first time on their active roster for a game since being acquired in a trade that sent longtime shortstop Elvis Andrus to Oakland. Davis, an outfielder and designated hitter, opened the

10:21 PM ET ESPN News Services ATLANTA — Ronald Acuna Jr. suffered a left pinky finger contusion after being hit by a pitch against the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday night. He is listed as day-to-day. Acuna, who shares the major league lead with 10 home runs, was hit on his left hand by a 98

8:24 PM ET ESPN News Services NEW YORK — New York Mets acting general manager Zack Scott wasn’t thrilled by Francisco Lindor‘s fuzzy explanation for a dugout dispute Friday night. Scott said Saturday it was “unfortunate” that Lindor and teammate Jeff McNeil attempted to dismiss their dust-up by bizarrely claiming they were arguing over a

1:36 AM ET Who smells a rat? Or was it a raccoon? Is it a cover-up? Is there discord in the bowels of Citi Field? If there was, would anybody admit it? “First time I saw a New York rat, man,” superstar Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor said. “Crazy.” Um, what? To understand that and what

11:07 PM ET ESPN News Services CLEVELAND — Wade Miley pitched baseball’s second no-hitter in three days — and fourth already this season — leading the Cincinnati Reds to a 3-0 win Friday night over the Cleveland Indians, who were no-hit for the second time in a month. The left-hander was in control of a

7:19 PM ET CHICAGO — There won’t be a reunion between Albert Pujols and his old manager as Chicago White Sox skipper Tony La Russa indicated Pujols won’t be joining him in Chicago. “We have Jose (Abreu) and Yermin (Mercedes) and even if Yermin gets less hot, it’s a good way to DH other guys,

8:00 AM ET Kelly Cohen Dan Hajducky Close Reporter/researcher Hajducky is a reporter/researcher for ESPN The Magazine. He has an MFA in creative writing from Fairfield University and vehemently believes there was room for Jack on the door. We’ve all misplaced something — car keys, wallets, a W-2 from last year. But what about misplacing

1:44 AM ET Jeff PassanESPN Close ESPN MLB insiderAuthor of “The Arm: Inside the Billion-Dollar Mystery of the Most Valuable Commodity in Sports” Drew Robinson returned to professional baseball on Thursday night, going hitless in his first game since surviving a suicide attempt and losing his right eye last year. Playing right field and hitting

2:02 PM ET Albert Pujols has been designated for assignment by the Los Angeles Angels, the team announced Thursday. Pujols is slashing .198/.250/.372 in 92 plate appearances this year with five home runs and 12 RBIs. For his career, the 10-time All-Star has slashed .298/.376/.545 with 667 home runs and 2,112 RBIs. “The Angels Organization

3:34 PM ET Associated Press ST. LOUIS — New York Mets ace Jacob deGrom could return to the mound on Sunday against Arizona at Citi Field. DeGrom first felt soreness in a back muscle after his last outing against Boston on April 28 and was scratched from a scheduled start against St. Louis on Tuesday

5:18 PM ET Chicago White Sox manager Tony La Russa is under the microscope once again. La Russa claimed he didn’t fully know the extra inning rule, which would have allowed him to avoid using closer Liam Hendriks as a baserunner in a 0-0 game against the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday. Hendriks had double-switched into

6:13 PM ET John Means was almost perfect for the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday, but will happily settle for a no-hitter and one of the greatest pitching performances in Orioles history. Means retired all 27 batters he faced in a 6-0 victory over the Seattle Mariners, but did allow a baserunner when Sam Haggerty reached

11:49 AM ET Jeff PassanESPN Close ESPN MLB insiderAuthor of “The Arm: Inside the Billion-Dollar Mystery of the Most Valuable Commodity in Sports” This story includes graphic descriptions of a suicide attempt. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide or is in emotional distress, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at

9:01 PM ET Many New York Yankees fans spent the pandemic searching for an outlet to express their anger over the trash can-banging scheme of the Houston Astros. On Tuesday night, with Houston making its first trip to the Bronx since news of the scandal broke, fans finally had their chance to rain boos down

5:10 PM ET ESPN News Services Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw gave up four runs in just one inning — the shortest start of his career — in a 7-1 loss to the Cubs in the first game of a doubleheader Tuesday in Chicago. Kershaw was pulled by manager Dave Roberts after throwing 39