MLB

7:00 AM ET Jeff PassanESPN Close ESPN MLB insiderAuthor of “The Arm: Inside the Billion-Dollar Mystery of the Most Valuable Commodity in Sports” PHOENIX — In order to become the best pitcher in baseball, Corbin Burnes had to start making his bed. The mundanity of the task is not lost on Burnes. Every fifth day,

9:43 PM ET ESPN News Services The early returns on Major League Baseball’s decision to restrict shifts are promising. Runs and batting average were both up through the first wave of games compared to spring training a year ago. Players were hitting .272 through Feb. 28, with an average of 11.9 runs scored. That’s up

6:01 PM ET Associated Press The Cleveland Guardians are hoping some rest will help highly touted outfield prospect George Valera, who left Tuesday’s exhibition with an apparent right-hand injury. Valera, ranked as the No. 2 prospect in Cleveland’s organization, was forced to leave during his at-bat in the second inning after fouling off a pitch.

7:00 AM ET Now that we’ve covered the top prospects across baseball for 2023, there’s one question you are probably asking — when will we get to see them in the big leagues? Because of a new rule in the collective bargaining agreement known as the Prospect Promotion Incentive, clubs have even more reason to

9:12 PM ET ESPN News Services Fernando Tatis Jr. on Tuesday played his first game for the San Diego Padres in nearly 17 months. Tatis went 0-for-2 with a walk and a stolen base and scored a run in a 7-5 win over the San Francisco Giants. He was the designated hitter in his first

6:33 PM ET Associated Press PEORIA, Ariz. — Having signed All-Star slugger Manny Machado for more than another decade, San Diego Padres chairman Peter Seidler was clear with his goal. “We’re here to win a championship and we came reasonably close last year. We believe we have every chance this year.” Seidler said. “Non-conflicted people

7:00 AM ET FORT MYERS, Fla. — Carlos Correa had been feeling great — really, he felt spectacular. At the end of a long season, he had been working out without issues, even playing tennis with his sister, as he waited to see how his free agency played out. And so he is the first

11:12 PM ET ESPN News Services Chicago Cubs right fielder Seiya Suzuki, who is dealing with left oblique tightness, withdrew from Japan’s roster for the World Baseball Classic. The Cubs announced Monday night that Suzuki was officially out of the WBC but that additional details about his injury and spring training status would come at

3:08 PM ET Associated Press NEW YORK — Major League Baseball’s average salary rose 14.8% to a record $4.22 million last year after the end of the lockout, boosted by big deals for Max Scherzer, Francisco Lindor, Marcus Semien and Corey Seager. The rate of increase was the highest since a 17.7% increase in 2000

7:00 AM ET Let’s watch some baseball! ESPN kicks off MLB spring training with telecasts of four games over four consecutive days, beginning with Monday’s New York Mets–St. Louis Cardinals contest from Jupiter, Florida. Just to get that blood flowing, let’s check in with a little preview of all four games. Monday: Mets at Cardinals

6:17 PM ET Marly RiveraESPN Writer Close Marly Rivera is a writer for ESPNdeportes.com and ESPN.com. TAMPA, Fla. — “Batting second, in right field, No. 99, Aaron Judge.” Those were the words the reigning American League MVP had been longing to hear. “Hearing your name called for the New York Yankees never gets old, if

12:48 PM ET JUPITER, Fla. — Umpire C.B. Bucknor declined to shake St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol’s hand before an exhibition game here Saturday, according to Marmol, and Major League Baseball is looking into that exchange. Marmol was upset by Bucknor’s response. “I don’t think he’s good at his job, and it just shows

8:43 PM ET Associated Press JUPITER, Fla. — St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said umpire C.B. Bucknor “has zero class” for refusing to shake his hand during the lineup card exchange at home plate before a game against the Washington Nationals on Saturday. Marmol was seeing Bucknor for the first time since being ejected

7:57 PM ET Toronto All-Star catcher Alejandro Kirk has formally withdrawn from the World Baseball Classic, Blue Jays manager John Schneider confirmed on Saturday. Kirk was in line to play for Team Mexico, but his arrival at Blue Jays spring training in Dunedin, Florida, has been delayed while he awaits the birth of a child.

3:56 PM ET Jeff PassanESPN Close ESPN MLB insiderAuthor of “The Arm: Inside the Billion-Dollar Mystery of the Most Valuable Commodity in Sports” San Diego Padres star Manny Machado committed the first pitch clock violation in a spring training game, getting docked a strike because he was not set and facing the pitcher in the

Feb 24, 2023 Associated Press TOKYO — Fans of the upcoming World Baseball Classic are going to see two versions, depending whether the games are in the United States or Taiwan, or in Japan. In the United States and Taiwan, fans can cheer and need not wear masks. Taiwan dropped most of its mask mandates

7:00 AM ET WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — On the opening day of spring training, manager Dusty Baker and his staff gathered their team before the first full squad practice. It was the first time the Houston Astros were back on the field together since celebrating their World Series victory in November, and there were

Feb 22, 2023 Associated Press Houston Astros right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. says he will miss Opening Day for the World Series champions because of a strained muscle in his pitching arm. McCullers, sidelined for the first 4½ months of last season while rehabbing from a right flexor pronator strain, noticed soreness after a bullpen session