LOS ANGELES — It takes Bryce Harper about four seconds to run from home plate to first base. It took him about the same amount of time to demolish the proposal the commissioner's office made to the players' union in an effort to ensure players participate in the Los Angeles Olympics: If you're picked and you don't play, you have to sit out two...Read more

NEW YORK — As the freshly-promoted Anthony Volpe settled into a new locker inside the Yankees’ clubhouse on Thursday, he said that he felt as if he had been in a “bubble” at Triple-A.

Not because he was stuck in the minors, but because he was focused on trying to improve his game. Volpe said he was so locked in that he didn’t even ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — When it comes to Shohei Ohtani's injury management, it's tempting to dwell on the what-ifs.

What if the Dodgers forced him to give up pitching in July, when he needed a lubricant injection to alleviate irritation in his left knee?

It was clear by then that Ohtani was playing through multiple injuries. A right biceps problem ...Read more

On a day the Pirates lost one of their top young right-handers to injury— at least temporarily — another top young right-hander stepped up.

Jared Jones took a no-hit bid into the seventh inning, allowing a two-out Colson Montgomery double but no other damage to lead the Pirates to a 2-0, sweep-completing victory against the Chicago White ...Read more

SEATTLE — The unmistakable sound of a baseball being impacted by a wood bat at a high rate of speed and with maximum force resonated in an empty T-Mobile Park.

Hours before Thursday afternoon’s first pitch in the series finale versus the Rangers, Julio Rodríguez was on the field taking early batting practice with his close friend Franmy ...Read more

BALTIMORE — Craig Albernaz has never seen anything quite like it.

What Gunnar Henderson accomplished at such a young age warranted the mention of his name alongside some of the sport’s all-time greats. He won the American League Rookie of the Year Award in 2023 and rose to the level of superstar in 2024, placing fourth in AL Most Valuable ...Read more

ATLANTA — Well, one way to look at it is that the Rays now have the opportunity to clinch a playoff berth at Tropicana Field and celebrate with their fans, potentially as soon as Friday night.

That’s the positive spin from a disappointing Thursday afternoon in which they wasted a dominant, though somewhat abbreviated, start from Nick ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — Bring on the Braves?

Sure, why not? But before the Phillies hopped a flight Thursday for a weekend showdown with the division leaders, they squandered an opportunity to set up a true first-place showdown.

Jhoan Duran gave up a tiebreaking solo homer to Cam Smith in the ninth inning of a 2-1 loss to the Astros. And so, instead ...Read more

The Dodgers departed Wednesday for their final multi-city trip of the regular season with their magic number to clinch a fifth straight division title at six, meaning their first champagne shower of the year could come as early as Sunday in Miami.

But the team is limping toward that celebration, with Freddie Freeman, the team’s leading hitter...Read more

The Pirates are back at .500. They showed plenty of fight to get there.

The Pirates beat the Chicago White Sox, 4-2, on Wednesday night at Rate Field in Chicago, winning their fifth consecutive series. A three-run seventh inning proved key in overcoming a shaky bullpen late.

The Pirates are 10-4 since the three-game sweep against the Los ...Read more

KANSAS CITY, Mo.— Kansas City Royals star Bobby Witt Jr. knows what to do with a mistake pitch. And on Wednesday, he made the Arizona Diamondbacks pay.

In the fifth inning, Diamondbacks reliever Michael Soroka left a 94.9 mph sinker over the heart of the plate in a tie game. It seemed like a customary get-me-over fastball after Soroka walked...Read more

NEW YORK — The Yankees finally hit their first grand slam of the season on Wednesday when George Lombard Jr. crushed the first one of his career.

The rookie shortstop’s bases-loaded long ball in the third inning paved the way for a 6-1, series-securing win over the Rockies. The opposite-field blast also ensured that, with just 17 more ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA— His bat was aloft, in his right hand, straight up in the air like an Olympic torch.

Kyle Schwarber’s swing on the 3-2 sweeper had been half with one hand. But there was no doubt, from the moment bat met ball, that he’d done it again. And as he took his first steps out of the batter’s box and chaos erupted in every corner ...Read more

ATLANTA — Much of the Rays’ success that has put them in position to clinch a playoff berth — with a little help — as soon as Thursday evening has, and will continue, to be tied to the hitters at the top of their order.

Yandy Diaz, Jonathan Aranda and Junior Caminero have the big numbers, the cool catchphrase bestowed by baseball ...Read more

So often, it’s been the Miami Marlins playing spoiler against the New York Mets.

It happened in 2007, 2008 and 2025, with the Mets losing to the Marlins on the final day of the regular season each time, completing collapses that ended their playoff dreams.

But this year, the roles are reversed.

The Mets completed a three-game sweep of the ...Read more

SAN FRANCISCO – With a sparse crowd of 27,478 braving the blistering 89-degree temperatures and scorching sunbeams at Oracle Park on Wednesday afternoon, the Giants took to the searing surface with an opportunity to do something the team had failed to accomplish this season: sweep an opponent.

For much of the afternoon, the same old Giants ...Read more

SAN DIEGO — The Padres stayed hot.

On an oppressively muggy afternoon — the hottest game day ever at Petco Park — they beat the Nationals 9-2 on Wednesday to finish off a series that they needed to be every bit as sizzling as it was.

In taking 2 of 3 from the New York Yankees and sweeping the Nationals, the Padres followed a 1-5 road ...Read more

It appeared for a moment that Jake Bennett had strike three on Zach Neto. His 0-2 sweeper caught the outside edge of the zone, the umpire ruled, but the ABS challenge system determined otherwise and Neto’s at bat continued.

That successful challenge changed the course of the game.

Neto eventually worked the count full before taking Bennett ...Read more