LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts sent a text message to Shohei Ohtani on Wednesday night informing him that he wasn’t going to be in the lineup Thursday in the series finale against the Cardinals.

Ohtani responded with a salute emoji, Roberts said.

“At the end of the day, he wants to be in there,” Roberts said. �...Read more

SEATTLE — It’s only easy if they play well.

For those maintaining the perhaps foolish hope that the Seattle Mariners might sneak their way into the postseason by winning the American League West, the optimistic justification has always centered on the remainder of their regular season schedule.

Starting with Thursday’s homestand opener ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani was out of the lineup Thursday and his availability is a "day-to-day situation," manager Dave Roberts announced before the Dodgers' series finale against the St. Louis Cardinals.

The area around Ohtani's right biceps and neck was bothering him during the Dodgers' loss Wednesday, Roberts said.

"It just wasn't ...Read more

CHICAGO — More than three years after a mysterious shooting during a White Sox home game left two women injured in the bleachers, the singular question — “How were they shot?” — may soon have an answer.

While White Sox players and coaches will be enjoying the offseason, attorneys for the team will be at the Richard J. Daley Center for...Read more

Wander Franco will have his next day in court on Tuesday.

Both Franco and the prosecutors filed appeals after he was found guilty in May for the second time in the Dominican Republic for sexual abuse of a minor, though Franco was spared punishment by a judicial pardon.

The Court of Appeal in Puerto Plata will hear the appeals from both sides ...Read more

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Before Thursday’s game against the Miami Marlins, Royals outfielder Jac Caglianone was presented with his AL Player of the Month Award from general manager and president of baseball operations J.J. Picollo. The way he’s going, Carter Jensen might press Picollo into the same duty next month.

Jensen’s RBI triple and two...Read more

HOUSTON — Luis Castillo has been with the Chicago White Sox for a little more than a month.

In three of his five August outings after being acquired in a trade from the Seattle Mariners, the right-hander allowed at least four runs.

His September didn’t get off to any better start.

Castillo allowed six runs in four innings Thursday in a 6-...Read more

In his first offseason as the Angels' owner, Arte Moreno landed the best player available in free agency: Vladimir Guerrero, the only player to wear an Angels cap on a Hall of Fame plaque.

Could Stan Kroenke do the same thing in his first offseason as the Angels' owner?

Kroenke is not expected to be approved as Moreno's successor until early ...Read more

ANAHEIM, Calif. — As the home of the Dodgers, Dodger Stadium is great. As the home of the Angels, not so much.

The Los Angeles Angels moved into Dodger Stadium in 1962, their second season, after playing their inaugural season in a since-demolished minor league ballpark near the Coliseum.

The Dodgers billed the Angels for cleaning windows of...Read more

Stepping to the plate at Camden Yards for the first time as an opposing player, Adley Rutschman was greeted by a rousing ovation from the Baltimore fans. The three-time All-Star tipped his cap to the crowd and then hit the third pitch he saw from former teammate Brandon Young out for a solo home run.

Many in the crowd continued to cheer ...Read more

PITTSBURGH — The Pirates found five different ways to score in their 5-2 win against the San Francisco Giants on Thursday afternoon at PNC Park, and none of them included a base hit.

It took a bases-loaded walk, a hit by pitch, a throwing error, a fielder’s choice and a sacrifice fly, but they didn’t need any style points to clinch the ...Read more

Yoshinobu Yamamoto was flawless over his first five innings in the Dodgers’ 8-6 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday, giving up no hits with seven strikeouts and one walk.

“It comes down to starting pitching,” Roberts said pregame, after his team gave up 13 runs in a loss Tuesday. “And obviously it’s a young, hungry team out ...Read more

ANAHEIM — You were right to have a bad feeling about the Angels’ game when it went to extra innings.

The Angels lost, 6-3, to the New York Yankees in 10 innings on Wednesday night, losing for the 13th time in 17 extra-inning games this season.

It was an ugly finish to what had been a sharp pitchers’ duel between the Angels’ Reid ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — The body blows kept coming and the Detroit Tigers kept standing. Finally, in the 12th inning, Spencer Torkelson delivered a haymaker.

His 21st home run, a two-run shot into the second deck in left field triggered a five-run outburst, sending the Tigers to a much-needed, series-salvaging, 11-6 win over the Minnesota Twins at ...Read more

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Royals will enter the offseason with a lot of questions surrounding their active roster.

However, it’s clear that rookie catcher Carter Jensen will not be of much concern. The standout KCMO product continues to shine for his hometown team.

And on Wednesday — in a 9-6 loss to the Marlins — Jensen set a...Read more

PITTSBURGH — A night after a gutting walk-off loss, the Giants responded by beating the Pittsburgh Pirates, 5-4 in 10 innings, on Wednesday night.

San Francisco scored two runs in the top of the 10th inning off former Giants closer Camilo Doval on an opposite-field, go-ahead RBI double by Bryce Eldridge and Turner Hill’s sacrifice fly. ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — This is no Magic vs. Bird rivalry, but Twins rookie center fielder Walker Jenkins will be compared to Detroit Tigers rookie center fielder Max Clark for the rest of his career.

There are just too many similarities. They are both center fielders from the same graduating class in high school. The Tigers took Clark with the No. 3 ...Read more

DENVER — Warren Schaeffer isn’t feeling any dissatisfaction after that one.

Prior to the matinee rubber match on Wednesday against Baltimore at Coors Field, the Rockies manager spoke at length about the frustration he’s been dealing with amid the club’s struggles in close games this season.

“What’s most frustrating for me is when ...Read more