6:15 PM ET The Philadelphia Phillies placed slugger Rhys Hoskins back on the injured list Thursday with an abdomen tear that will cause him to miss the rest of the season. The first baseman said he will likely have surgery to repair the tear within the next week and that the recovery period is six
MLB
7:00 AM ET August is nearly history, and the 2021 MLB playoff picture is starting to come into focus ahead of September’s stretch run. Are the rampaging New York Yankees — a newly minted member of our top five — making a case for being the best team in baseball? How far have the struggling
4:07 AM ET SAN DIEGO — Fernando Tatis Jr. — tired, frustrated, maybe even a little bored from all that time standing in the outfield — couldn’t help but crack a smile as he approached third base on his home run trot. The San Diego Padres hadn’t produced a hit in 10 innings and hadn’t
4:52 PM ET Associated Press NEW YORK — Mets ace Jacob deGrom played catch at Citi Field on Wednesday after an MRI showed improvement with the right forearm tightness that has sidelined him since July 7, while Noah Syndergaard will begin a minor league rehab assignment with high-A Brooklyn on Thursday. It was the first
7:00 AM ET Editor’s note: From rising strikeout totals and unwritten-rules debates to connecting with a new generation of fans and a looming labor battle, baseball is at a crossroads. As MLB faces these challenges, we are embarking on a season-long look at The State of Baseball, examining the issues and storylines that will determine
12:02 AM ET ESPN News Services NEW YORK — Hours after learning his grandmother died, Brandon Belt texted his wife and parents Tuesday, admitting he was struggling and uncertain he could play. His dad reminded him that his grandma, Margaret Peterson, would have wanted to see him out there. “I think that kind of locked
5:40 PM ET All-Star catcher Yadier Molina is returning for a 19th season with the St. Louis Cardinals after agreeing to a one-year, $10 million extension, sources confirmed to ESPN. “I’m so happy, so happy,” Molina told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch before Tuesday’s game against Detroit, confirming the deal was close to being completed. Molina
6:08 PM ET Associated Press ATLANTA — New York Yankees reliever Zack Britton has sustained another injury setback, going on the 10-day injured list Monday with a strained left elbow. Speaking before the start of an important two-game series against the first-place Atlanta Braves, Yankees manager Aaron Boone said the team will evaluate Britton’s condition
10:07 PM ET Federal prosecutors revealed some of their evidence against former Los Angeles Angels communications director Eric Kay in court documents filed Friday, alleging he asked drug suppliers to deliver opioids to Angel Stadium and offered team memorabilia and tickets as incentive. Kay faces felony distribution charges in connection to the drug-related death of
1:24 PM ET The San Diego Padres, reeling in their quest to reach the playoffs this season, fired their decorated pitching coach, Larry Rothschild, on Monday. Rothschild, 67, was in his second year with the Padres and spent the previous 18 years as a pitching coach for the New York Yankees and the Chicago Cubs.
5:43 PM ET ESPN News Services BALTIMORE — The surging Atlanta Braves handed the Baltimore Orioles their 18th straight loss on Sunday, the longest skid in the major leagues since the Kansas City Royals dropped 19 straight in 2005. The 3-1 defeat was one of the more competitive games the O’s have played during the
12:06 PM ET The Tampa Bay Rays placed designated hitter Nelson Cruz on the COVID-19 injured list Sunday. It is not clear whether Cruz tested positive for the virus or if he was placed on the COVID-19 IL because he was a close contact. Cruz, acquired by the Rays from the Minnesota Twins before the
2:55 PM ET Miguel Cabrera is now part of one of the most exclusive clubs in baseball. Cabrera put an exclamation point on his career when he became the 28th member of the 500-home run club with a sixth-inning blast for the Detroit Tigers on Sunday. Cabrera’s home run was a 400-foot solo shot to
7:30 AM ET Shohei Ohtani is a wonder. My MLB career spanned the heart of the steroid era in baseball. Its noxious cloud still makes us question today’s players and their motives, and tantalizes any performer to consider modern shortcuts to gain an edge. But the most damage it did might be in robbing us
3:58 PM ET Associated Press CLEVELAND — Mike Trout says he is still aiming to return to the Los Angeles Angels‘ lineup this season despite a lengthy and frustrating recovery from a calf injury that has sidelined him since May 17. The three-time American League MVP said Saturday before a game in Cleveland that he
4:25 PM ET Associated Press LOS ANGELES — Francisco Lindor says first-year New York Mets owner Steve Cohen was right to criticize his hitting in a tweet this week. Cohen tweeted Wednesday about his struggling ballclub that “it’s hard to understand how professional hitters can be this unproductive.” The Mets have lost seven of eight
9:11 PM ET Associated Press OAKLAND, Calif. — The Athletics are proceeding with “parallel paths” planning new ballparks in Oakland and Las Vegas, determined to find the best fit and relocate if the club can’t secure what it wants along the downtown waterfront Howard Terminal site. Team president Dave Kaval is planning another trip to
3:56 PM ET Jeff PassanESPN Close ESPN MLB insiderAuthor of “The Arm: Inside the Billion-Dollar Mystery of the Most Valuable Commodity in Sports” Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo is purchasing a stake in the Milwaukee Brewers, sources tell ESPN. Antetokounmpo is following the model of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes: small-market star investing in