Baseball

NEW YORK – About 10 Major League Baseball umpires have opted out this season, choosing not to work games in the shortened schedule because of concerns over the coronavirus, two people familiar with the situation said Tuesday. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because there was no official announcement. […]

NEW YORK – Yankees pitcher Masahiro Tanaka is unsure whether he will be able to take his first turn through the rotation as he recovers from a line drive off his head. Tanaka was hit on the right side near the temple by Giancarlo Stanton’s shot during batting practice July […]

New York – Well-traveled Milwaukee Brewers first baseman-outfielder Logan Morrison figures it will be easy for him to adjust to games without spectators this season. “I played for the Rays and the Marlins, so I’m used to it,” Morrison said. The Brewers and other major league teams worked out again […]

With no All-Star Game, Yuki Yanagita held his own personal home run derby last week in Fukuoka. The Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles may have arrived from Sendai in first place and with NPB’s hottest hitter, Hideto Asamura, but it was Yanagita whose star shone brightest as the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks […]

New York – Play ball – and mask up, too. Protective face coverings won’t be out of sight when Major League Baseball resumes in less than two weeks. Some players and coaches are planning to wear them on the field. MLB’s safety protocols require masks in clubhouses to prevent the […]

Saitama Seibu Lions pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka underwent cervical spine surgery at a hospital in Ibaraki Prefecture on July 5, the Pacific League club said Sunday. According to the team, Matsuzaka had been experiencing greater degrees of neck pain and numbness in his right hand since around May when practices were […]

Chiba – Tsuyoshi Sugano and Seiya Inoue both hit two-run first-inning home runs and right-hander Atsuki Taneichi allowed three runs over six innings to earn the win as the Chiba Lotte Marines held off the Saitama Seibu Lions 6-4 in the Pacific League on Saturday. The Marines rocked Lions starting […]

Chicago – Washington Nationals manager Dave Martinez wanted to hug, high-five and fist bump his players. After all, the defending World Series champions spent nearly four months apart before resuming workouts last week. Then, he remembered: Those are out. And just like crying, now there’s no spitting in baseball, either. […]

Phoenix – San Francisco catcher Buster Posey became the latest well-known player to opt out of the abbreviated 2020 season because of concerns over the coronavirus pandemic, joining Dodgers pitcher David Price and Nationals first baseman Ryan Zimmerman on the sidelines. Later Friday, the Chicago White Sox said prized pitching […]

Chiba – In case anyone didn’t see the image on the scoreboard at Zozo Marine Stadium, Chiba Lotte Marines PA announcer Emi Taniho relayed the message loud and clear herself. « Welcome back. » After starting the season behind closed doors on June 19, NPB teams welcomed fans back into ballparks, in […]