MLB

1:50 PM ET ESPN News Services New York Mets closer Edwin Díaz has a torn patellar tendon and is expected to miss the entire season after injuring his right knee while celebrating a victory in the World Baseball Classic. The Mets said Thursday night that Diaz underwent surgery earlier in the day and is expected

7:00 AM ET With the start of the 2023 MLB season approaching, we’ve ranked the top 100 prospects in the game. Now it’s time to take a look at the players who didn’t make my list this year but could earn a spot on the top 100 going into next season. This is an opportunity

10:37 PM ET Jeff PassanESPN Close ESPN MLB insiderAuthor of “The Arm: Inside the Billion-Dollar Mystery of the Most Valuable Commodity in Sports” MIAMI — Star New York Mets closer Edwin Díaz suffered a right knee injury Wednesday night during the on-field celebration of Puerto Rico’s victory over the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball

7:00 AM ET PHOENIX — Just over five months since he made his first MLB postseason appearance with the New York Mets, Pete Alonso was gearing up for another pressure-filled stretch of baseball — this time, for Team USA. “My first playoff experience was this past season,” Alonso told the gathered crowd at World Baseball

7:00 AM ET In the Boston Red Sox‘s clubhouse at JetBlue Park in Fort Myers, Florida, the gravitational pull emanates from the corner locker. While most players get one locker to store their equipment, this one is super-sized, with an extra cabinet and a bench. The space, next to the door nearest the field, is

7:00 AM ET ONE OF THE most captivating players in the early part of this year’s World Baseball Classic has been Randy Arozarena, a man who famously saves his best for the time of year when it matters most. Arozarena, the Tampa Bay Rays‘ fifth-year outfielder, has treated an international tournament in March the way

7:02 PM ET Associated Press NORTH PORT, Fla. — The Atlanta Braves have optioned Ian Anderson to their Triple-A affiliate, the latest setback for a right-hander whose promising start included pitching five hitless innings in Game 3 of the 2021 World Series. The Braves announced Tuesday they had optioned both Anderson and right-hander Bryce Elder

7:00 AM ET Last week, we looked at the five losing teams from last year that are most likely to take a step forward in 2023. This week, we look at five 2022 playoff teams that might take a step back in 2023. We’ll start by again referencing the Plexiglass Principle: Teams that improve one

9:51 PM ET Jeff PassanESPN Close ESPN MLB insiderAuthor of “The Arm: Inside the Billion-Dollar Mystery of the Most Valuable Commodity in Sports” MIAMI — Officially, Puerto Rico’s 10-0 victory over Israel in the World Baseball Classic on Monday night will not enter the record books as a perfect game, even though four pitchers combined

9:32 AM ET ESPN staff Football has touchdown dances. Basketball has mean mugging after a dunk. Soccer players slide in the grass as their teammates pile on top of them. Baseball? Baseball has the bat flip. Long considered something of a faux pas in the game, the bat flip is having a bit of a

7:00 AM ET PHOENIX — When Team USA takes the field for the World Baseball Classic with a star-studded roster Monday night at Chase Field, Freddie Freeman will be in the other dugout wearing a red uniform with Canada written across his chest. The Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman turned down the option to play

8:21 PM ET Associated Press The San Diego Padres are flirting with the idea of beginning the season with a six-man pitching rotation. Settling on an Opening Day starter, though, may not be as easy a decision for manager Bob Melvin. With Joe Musgrove sidelined by a toe injury and Yu Darvish pitching for Japan

5:11 PM ET Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora expects his new third baseman, Justin Turner, back before Opening Day after a frightening scene when the former Dodger was hit in the face by a pitch during a spring training game last week. “Just add a little more [recovery time] and take it day by

6:59 PM ET Associated Press A hit is a hit, even if it’s only spring training. For San Diego Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr., it has been a long time coming. Tatis had been 0-for-16 this spring before hitting a smash shot off the glove of Chicago White Sox shortstop Erik Gonzalez for a single

1:53 AM ET PHOENIX — Playing for Team USA again in the World Baseball Classic was never a question for third baseman Nolan Arenado. After helping the U.S. win the tournament in 2017, he desperately wanted a chance to defend that title. He’s off to a good start. Arenado, 31, had three hits and several

Mar 10, 2023 PHOENIX — While Team USA is one of the favorites to win the World Baseball Classic, its pitching staff lacks some of the best available players. Manager Mark DeRosa said Friday that getting elite position players to participate wasn’t a problem but it was a different story when it came to the

9:55 AM ET Associated Press TOKYO — Shohei Ohtani had another RBI double, 21-year-old right-hander Roki Sasaki reached 100 mph 21 times in 66 pitches and Japan beat the Czech Republic 10-2 on Saturday night to clinch a quarterfinal berth in the World Baseball Classic. Shugo Maki hit his second home run of the tournament

8:54 PM ET ESPN News Services Former major league outfielder and two-time World Series champion Jesus Alou died Friday at the age of 80, the Boston Red Sox announced. Alou recently suffered two cardiovascular accidents, but he hadn’t been diagnosed with a serious illness, a family source told ESPN’s Enrique Rojas. Alou spent 15 seasons