KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City Royals pitcher Luinder Avila made the first big-league start of his career in game one of a doubleheader against the Milwaukee Brewers Saturday afternoon at Kauffman Stadium.

Avila, 24, was recalled from Triple-A Omaha on Friday. The right-hander earned the spot-start as Michael Wacha was pushed back due to an ...Read more

DETROIT — This game, with 12 walks and six hit-batsmen and a ninth-inning rain delay, isn't going win any prizes for baseball aesthetics. But the Tigers don't care about style points.

Any W is a good W.

Two-run home runs by Kerry Carpenter and Zach McKinstry helped build a 7-0 lead and the Tigers beat the St. Louis Cardinals for the second ...Read more

DETROIT — The Detroit Tigers, before Saturday's game, announced that Justin Verlander will be placed on the 15-day IL with left hip inflammation. The move will be retroactive to April 1.

Verlander was scheduled to start the game Sunday night against the St. Louis Cardinals. Right-hander Keider Montero is expected to be called up from Triple-A...Read more

TAMPA, Fla. — As loopholes go, this one could turn out to be enormous. Large enough to squeeze, say, a $467 million gift through it.

We’re talking about the Rays ballpark plans and a pot of money in Hillsborough County that was never intended to be used to build a stadium.

Precisely two years ago, the Hillsborough County Commission settled...Read more

ANAHEIM, Calif. — The traditional thinking said that bringing a lefty reliever to face the Mariners’ heavy left-handed hitting lineup in the top of the 10th made matchup sense.

Also watching the Seattle Mariners fail to do much against lefty starter Reid Detmers for the first seven innings added to the thinking of Angels’ first-year ...Read more

SAN FRANCISCO — Rookie right-hander Nolan McLean has legitimate ace upside. He dazzled in his debut last year and is a favorite to win NL Rookie of the Year this season. In Friday night’s 10-3 loss, the San Francisco Giants witnessed first-hand why McLean is being hailed as next up in Queens.

McLean, boasting a nasty repertoire of six ...Read more

CHICAGO — Derek Hill had a conversation with manager Will Venable before a 10th inning at-bat in Friday’s home opener against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rate Field.

“Skip came out and was like, ‘if they’re playing back, don’t be afraid to drop one down,' ” the Chicago White Sox designated hitter said.

The Sox trailed the Blue Jays ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — If the Twins’ home opener in 2026 will be known for anything outside a power outage that delayed the game by 57 minutes, it’ll be a swing from the No. 9 hitter in their lineup.

Tristan Gray, who made the Twins roster as a backup shortstop, hit a grand slam in the seventh inning for his fifth career homer and it punctuated a ...Read more

DENVER — A trip 5,280 feet above sea level was just what the doctor ordered for the Phillies offense.

Trea Turner entered the series opener against the Colorado Rockies with a .192 batting average over the Phillies’ six-game homestand. But before the first inning was over on Friday, Turner collected two hits, and raised his average to .250....Read more

PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh, meet Konnor Griffin and the 2026 Pirates.

The Pirates got the home portion of their schedule and the Griffin era off to a strong start on Friday afternoon at PNC Park in a 5-4 win against the Baltimore Orioles. Griffin reached base twice, including an RBI double, and shone in his major league debut.

It was a far more...Read more

NEW YORK — The Yankees dominated the West Coast. Now they’re getting started in the East.

Behind an early home run from Aaron Judge and a solid outing by Will Warren, the Yankees continued their red-hot start with a 8-2 victory over the Miami Marlins in Friday afternoon’s home opener.

Judge delivered his first multi-hit game of the ...Read more

BOSTON — After their six-game opening road trip, the Red Sox landed in Boston in the early hours of Thursday morning with a 1-5 record that matched the dreary chill and April showers.

But the sun and Sonny Gray broke through the gloom in time for Fenway Park’s home opener on Friday, a jam-packed 5-2 victory over the San Diego Padres.

It ...Read more

CLEVELAND — Chicago Cubs right-hander Cade Horton exited Friday’s start against the Cleveland Guardians with right forearm discomfort.

Horton left the game mid at-bat in the second inning and immediately headed into the clubhouse. He quickly signaled to the Cubs dugout following a 1-0 pitch to Bo Naylor, prompting a visit from manager Craig...Read more

ARLINGTON, Texas — Eric Nadel is in a group that includes Mel Allen, Bob Uecker, Harry Kalas, Jerry Coleman, Denny Matthews, Red Barber, Ernie Harwell, Jon Miller, Jack Brickhouse, Marty Brennaman, Harry Caray, Jack Buck, and maybe the most revered of them all, Vin Scully.

You’ll notice some of these celebrated figures are retired, or no ...Read more

“The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It’s been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt, and erased again. But baseball has marked the time.” — Terence Mann, “Field of Dreams,” 1989

———

Baseball is impervious to time.

Technology is not.

So I feel for ...Read more

SAN FRANCISCO — Tony Vitello isn’t the only rookie checking off some firsts.

Rookie catcher Daniel Susac made his first start in the majors after making his debut on Wednesday as a defensive replacement, leaving his imprint all over the San Francisco Giants’ 7-2 win over the New York Mets on Thursday evening. At the plate, he collected ...Read more