PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. — They’re gone now, their lockers empty and their promise still untapped.

With opening day barely a week away, most of the phenoms and prospects have seen their big-league uniforms shoved in the back of the closet. Tomorrow may belong to them in Tampa Bay, but today they’re toiling for the Durham Bulls or Montgomery ...Read more

CLEARWATER, Fla. — Boos rained down from the BayCare Ballpark stands in the fourth inning of the Phillies’ 9-7 loss to the Yankees on Wednesday.

They may have been directed at Ben Rice, who had just hit the Yankees’ third home run of the day, or at Taijuan Walker, the Phillies’ starting pitcher who had allowed all three. Either way, the...Read more

LOS ANGELES — An article highlighting the U.S. Army career of baseball legend Jackie Robinson has been restored to the Department of Defense website. Its removal had appeared to be related to the Trump administration's stance against diversity, equity and inclusion.

Robinson, the Hall of Famer who broke baseball's color barrier when he ...Read more

TOKYO — The entire week was a buildup to this.

Whether the ball struck by Shohei Ohtani would have cleared the right-field wall at the Tokyo Dome if some fans hadn't reached over the railing is immaterial. In baseball, results are marked in absolute terms, and the official record will forever show that Ohtani homered in the fifth inning of ...Read more

TOKYO — Murmurs rippled through the packed Tokyo Dome when the velocity flashed onto the scoreboard.

Los Angeles Dodgers phenom Roki Sasaki hit 101 mph on his first pitch in the first inning Wednesday to Chicago Cubs designated hitter Seiya Suzuki in a matchup between the Japanese stars. Every time Sasaki hit triple digits in his major-league...Read more

In Tokyo, you can't miss Shohei Ohtani. His picture is everywhere, in advertisements above street crossings and at the airport, on television and in magazines. He endorses shoes and skin care products, airlines and watches and so much more.

Those marketing deals have become so lucrative that Ohtani will make an estimated $100 million in ...Read more

TOKYO — It lasted just three innings. It included a grand total of 56 pitches. And it was nowhere near a flawless introduction to Major League Baseball.

But did Shotgun Roki ever put on one heck of a show.

Making his MLB debut Wednesday night, in front of his home nation at a sold-out Tokyo Dome and under immense pressure that had been ...Read more

PEORIA, Ariz. — The start of Yu Darvish’s season is in doubt, as it was revealed Tuesday he was shut down due to elbow inflammation.

At best, it seems Darvish’s first start would come at the back end of the rotation. The calendar and the Padres’ stated desire to preserve the 38-year-old right-hander so he can help them later in the ...Read more

TAMPA, Fla. — Fresh off his first start against the Red Sox since joining the Yankees, Max Fried didn’t make much of his introduction to a storied rivalry.

After all, the lefty’s initial taste came in an exhibition game, as Fried twirled 4 1/3 scoreless innings against Boston at George M. Steinbrenner Field on Tuesday.

“It’s early,�...Read more

TOKYO — Shota Imanaga shook his head in frustration.

The Chicago Cubs left-hander, known for his elite command, watched the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Max Muncy head to first base after two consecutive walks to open the second inning. Free passes were a rarity for Imanaga in his rookie season, as he owned the National League’s best strikeout-to...Read more

TOKYO — For all the memorable cultural experiences they'd enjoyed off the field, and all the eye-opening revelations they'd made about the club's growing popularity here in Japan, the baseball side of the Dodgers' season-opening trip to Tokyo hadn't gotten off to the most seamless of starts.

Mookie Betts was ruled out of action after arriving...Read more

TOKYO — When Roki Sasaki signed with the Dodgers, president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman revealed that one of Sasaki's goals was to become the first Japanese pitcher to win a Cy Young Award.

Another pitcher on the Dodgers could steal that distinction from Sasaki, and the most likely candidate might not even be Shohei Ohtani.

...Read more

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. — Avert your eyes. Ignore the stats.

If you were worried about Tampa Bay’s offense coming into the spring, this is probably not the story you want to read. While the news was positive Sunday, the bigger picture is still more bleak than you would prefer.

To set the stage:

The Rays began Sunday morning with at least ...Read more

BRADENTON, Fla. — Andrew McCutchen has thought about it.

Maybe you have, too.

Despite constructing an incredible legacy during his first run with the Pirates — helping them end 20 years of losing and reach the postseason for the first time since 1992, four times finishing in the top five for National League MVP voting — I can't help but ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — For the first time this season, Dodgers fans can stream SportsNet LA without needing to buy something else they might not want.

Spectrum is offering a streaming-only subscription to the Dodgers' television channel for $29.99 per month or $199.99 per year, the company announced Monday. The service will be in place when the ...Read more

TOKYO — It was the overriding theme of last October, an intangible factor that yielded triumphant results.

During their run to last year's World Series, the Los Angeles Dodgers repeatedly cited their clubhouse culture and roster-wide camaraderie as a key behind their postseason success. They knew it sounded cliche. But they felt it was ...Read more

TOKYO — In the largely empty Tokyo Dome, Shota Imanaga stood on the mound during the Chicago Cubs’ workout Monday afternoon to get a sense of what he would feel in a much livelier atmosphere roughly 24 hours later.

During his rookie season last year, Imanaga sometimes would get on the mound of a new ballpark the day before a start to ...Read more

KANSAS CITY, Mo. —When the news broke Friday that Alex Gordon will be inducted in the Royals Hall of Fame in June, it instantly conjured up a mental montage of snapshots that defined one of the ultimate Royals.

Like the ol’ hat-glove look and blowing bubbles in the middle of a play. Or the enduring image of the left fielder swooping two ...Read more

PEORIA, Ariz. — Manny Machado is happy to say he is healthy for the first time in a while, which the San Diego Padres believe will mean the same good things it has in the past.

And Machado is not shying away from the reality of the path he has ahead of him, one that might lead to immortality.

“We all play for that,” he said recently. “...Read more