ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Shortstop Wander Franco was scratched from the lineup for Saturday’s exhibition game due to right quad soreness, and the Rays aren’t sure about the extent of the issue yet.

“I don’t really know much other than just some soreness in the right (quad),” manager Kevin Cash said after the 4-2 win over Boston. “...Read more

TAMPA, Fla. — The Yankees’ rotation has suffered another blow, as Luis Severino is dealing with a low-grade lat strain on his right side.

“It’s gonna put him in jeopardy to start the year,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Saturday morning. Boone added that it’s “probably an IL” situation for the right-hander, but Boone’s ...Read more

ATLANTA — ESPN ranks eight Braves among MLB’s top 74 players. Ronald Acuna is No. 14, Ozzie Albies No. 74. In between come Austin Riley, Max Fried, Michael Harris, Spencer Strider, Matt Olson and Sean Murphy. That’s two pitchers, one catcher, three infielders and two outfielders. That’s what you’d call comprehensive.

We note that ...Read more

SARASOTA, Fla. — Gunnar Henderson knows how dangerous Adley Rutschman can be with the game on the line.

“You can just tell by his face: He gets locked in,” Henderson said. “You want to keep it away from him or get him on his heels. It’s tough to do, but you’ve got to be more strategic.”

Henderson wasn’t talking about the ...Read more

CHICAGO — After signing a seven-year, $177 million deal in December to be the centerpiece of the Chicago Cubs lineup, Dansby Swanson entered the final weekend of Cactus League play hitting .059.

It wasn’t just a subpar spring. No one in spring training with 30 or more at-bats had a lower batting average than the new Cubs shortstop.

In his ...Read more

CLEARWATER, Fla. — Phillies first baseman Rhys Hoskins, who was diagnosed with a left ACL tear on Thursday, will likely miss the rest of the season, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski announced on Friday.

Dombrowksi said Hoskins will get a second opinion soon but emphasized that he would be “shocked” if the first baseman ...Read more

When the San Diego Union-Tribune hired me in 2008, Petco Park was a fantasy wasteland.

Almost nobody rostered any Padres outside of Jake Peavy or San Diego's own Adrian Gonzalez.

Relying on Tadahito Iguchi's team-leading eight steals likely would have earned you ridicule from your entire league (assuming you weren't in the deepest of NL-only ...Read more

Bud Selig fouled a lot of pitches off his face and crotch in his 22-year tenure as MLB commissioner, but his baby that is the WBC is a big league double.

Cliched baseball puns aside, credit to Bud for the vision. Credit the flag for captivating our interest.

The former owner of the Milwaukee Brewers, who was the MLB commissioner from 1992 to ...Read more

In sports and gambling there, there is a (mistaken) belief that a player who is performing better than normal will continue to play well.

We humans sometimes fail to appreciate statistical independence — i.e. two events are independent when the occurrence of one doesn't change the probability of the other.

There have been several scientific ...Read more

CLEARWATER, Fla. — Phillies first baseman Rhys Hoskins was carted off the field after falling to the ground with what was later diagnosed by an MRI as a left anterior cruciate ligament tear that will require surgery, the team announced on Thursday evening.

The recommended surgery is an ACL reconstruction, the Phillies said in a statement. ...Read more

CLEARWATER, Fla. — This would be a good time for Nick Castellanos to start earning that $100 million.

Rhys Hoskins ripped a two-out RBI single past the third baseman and drove in Kyle Schwarber with the first run against the Detroit Tigers on Thursday. It was one more glorious moment in a spectacular spring for a player in a contract year, on...Read more

FORT MYERS, Fla. — According to information obtained from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, the state officially has 11,842 lakes. Yes, that means the Land of 10,000 Lakes slogan is inaccurate, but we Minnesotans don't like to be pretentious, remember?

Add up all the lakes, and they still would fall short of the size, power and ...Read more

PEORIA, Ariz. — Yu Darvish returned from his time serving as the elder statesman and pitcher for a baseball team that made its country proud. He hugged his teammates, acknowledging to some that he was tired. He showed a few his gold medal.

And then he declared it was time to get to work at his day job.

"That's kind of in the past now, now ...Read more

JUPITER, Fla. — A few hours before being named officially as the Cardinals' opening day starter for his final season in the majors, Adam Wainwright instead will be placed on the injured list with a groin strain sustained during the World Baseball Classic.

Wainwright and right-handed reliever Wilking Rodriguez will open the season on the IL ...Read more

CLEARWATER, Fla. — Phillies first baseman Rhys Hoskins was carted off the field after falling to the ground with a left knee injury during a game against the Tigers on Thursday.

The Phillies said Hoskins will undergo further evaluation and testing and the team will provide an update when appropriate.

“It’s concerning. I’m not sure what...Read more

Jon Berti has had the green light from the Miami Marlins throughout all of spring training and not just because he led the Majors with 41 stolen bases last season.

Other than pitchers, no one has been more affected by MLB’s series of offseason rule changers more than base runners and particularly those who, like Berti, make their living ...Read more

MESA, Ariz. — Seiya Suzuki needed time to grasp the reality nearly four weeks ago that his left oblique strain would prevent him from playing in the World Baseball Classic.

It didn’t stop him from tuning in to the tournament and following Team Japan’s journey to Tuesday’s championship title with its 3-2 win over Team USA. His teammates ...Read more