BOSTON (AP) — Red Sox starter Chris Sale had Tommy John surgery on his left elbow on Monday, his 31st birthday, waiting 11 days after doctors said he needed the operation because of difficulty in scheduling during the coronavirus pandemic.Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom said the team worked with doctors to make sure the procedure didn't burden an already-stressed healthcare system. "Under normal circumstances we might have been able to have it happen a little bit sooner," Bloom said on a conference call with reporters. “We know that this is not life and death. ... It’s apples and oranges with this versus when you talk about something that’s life-threatening." Dr. Neal ElAttrache replaced Sale's ulnar collateral ligament at the Kerlan-Jobe Institute in Los Angeles; the Red Sox said the surgery was a success. Sale is expected to miss 14-15 months, which would bring him back in the middle of the 2021 season.“We look forward to his return sometime next year,” Bloom said. Also Monday,... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — Red Sox starter Chris Sale had Tommy John surgery on his left elbow on Monday, his 31st birthday, and the team said it was successful.The procedure was performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache at the Kerlan-Jobe Institute in Los Angeles.Sale is expected to miss 14-15 months, which would bring him back in the middle of the 2021 season.Sale missed the start of spring training with an illness that the team described as a flu that morphed into pneumonia. The Red Sox then said he had a flexor strain near the elbow, but the team hoped he would avoid ligament replacement surgery. A seven-time All-Star, Sale is 109-73 in 10 major league seasons and entering the second season of a six-year, $160 million contract. After helping the Red Sox win the 2018 World Series, he went 6-11 with a 4.40 ERA in 25 starts last year — his fewest wins and starts, highest ERA, and the first time he failed to finish in the top six in Cy Young voting in any full season as a starter. “Tommy John's been a factor in my life for 20 years now," Sale said earlier this month. “It's on the table, but it's always been on the table. So, that's not something I'm going to worry myself with. I can't go out there with that in the back of my mind. I have to have the confidence that what we're doing is going to work.” ___

As Major League Baseball and the players' union contemplate various ways to create a schedule for whenever the coronavirus pandemic subsides, Cincinnati Reds catcher Tucker Barnhart raised a concern that is surely shared by others around the sport: Could trying to cram in games, and maybe extend the season into late November or December, lead to injuries? "The player safety piece is a big thing," Barnhart, a union representative, said Monday on a conference call with reporters.That involves how many off-days are salvaged in 2020, how many times teams are told to play in any given week and how 2021 could be affected if there is a shorter-than-usual offseason."Moving forward, I don't think you can do things that are going to compromise the integrity of next season, as well. What I mean by that is forcing the issue of getting so many games in that you risk injury, and you risk major injury to players, because you are trying to get in as many games as you can," Barnhart said. "This is all assumptions... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Players agreed to a deal with Major League Baseball that would preserve service time in the event this season is canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic, but left open details of what a reconfigured schedule would look like.As part of the agreement approved by the union Thursday night, players will not challenge the loss of their salaries if no games are played. Management will advance $170 million in salary payments over the first 60 days of the original schedule, and that money does not have to be returned if the season is canceled. Player salaries this year are expected to total roughly $4 billion.Management was given the right to cut the amateur draft in both 2020 and 2021, and to freeze the values of signing bonus money at 2019 levels.Details were divulged to The Associated Press by people familiar with the agreement who spoke on condition of anonymity because no announcement was made.Teams approved the 17-page agreement Friday, the person said.Opening day was... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — If the final pitch of the 2020 baseball season comes closer to Christmas than Halloween, that's fine with the players.Major League Baseball owners ratified a 17-page agreement with the union on Friday in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, with players willing to extend the season as long as needed to cover as close to a full schedule as possible.Even if it involves neutral sites in warm-weather cities and domes. Even if it involves playing in empty ballparks. Even if it involves lots of day-night doubleheaders.And if it means expanding the playoffs from 10 teams, fine.“Players want to play. That's what we do,” said union head Tony Clark, a former All-Star first baseman. “Being able to get back on the field and being able to play, even if that means their fans are watching at home, but being able to play for their fans is something they've all expressed a desire and an interest to do, and to do so as soon as possible."The deal provides for $170 million in advances from... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Players agreed to a deal with Major League Baseball that would preserve service time in the event this season is canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic, but left open details of what a configured schedule would look like.As part of the agreement approved by the union Thursday night, players will not challenge the loss of their salaries if no games are played. Management will advance $170 million in salary payments over the first 60 days of the original schedule, and that money does not have to be returned if the season is canceled. Player salaries this year are expected to total roughly $4 billion.Management was given the right to cut the amateur draft in both 2020 and 2021, and to freeze the values of signing bonus money at 2019 levels.Details were divulged to The Associated Press by people familiar with the agreement who spoke on condition of anonymity because no announcement was made.Teams approved the 17-page agreement Friday, the person said.Opening day was to... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Players agreed to a deal with Major League Baseball that would preserve service time in the event this season is canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic, but left open details of what a configured schedule would look like.As part of the agreement approved by the union Thursday night, players will not challenge the loss of their salaries if no games are played. Management will advance $170 million in salary payments over the first 60 days of the original schedule, and that money does not have to be returned if the season is canceled. Player salaries this year are expected to total roughly $4 billion.Management was given the right to cut the amateur draft in both 2020 and 2021, and to freeze the values of signing bonus money at 2019 levels.Details were divulged to The Associated Press by people familiar with the agreement who spoke on condition of anonymity because no announcement was made.Teams approved the 17-page agreement Friday, the person said.Opening day was to... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Players agreed to a deal with Major League Baseball that would preserve service time in the event this season is canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic, but left open details of what a configured schedule would look like.As part of the agreement approved by the union Thursday night, players will not challenge the loss of their salaries if no games are played. Management will advance $170 million in salary payments over two stages, and that money does not have to be returned if the season is canceled. Player salaries this year are expected to total roughly $4 billion.Management was given the right to cut the amateur draft in both 2020 and 2021, and to freeze the values of signing bonus money at 2019 levels.Details were divulged to The Associated Press by people familiar with the agreement who spoke on condition of anonymity because no announcement was made.Teams approved the roughly 17-page agreement Friday, the person said.Opening day was to have been Thursday, but... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Players agreed to a deal with Major League Baseball that would preserve service time in the event this season is canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic, but left open details of what a configured schedule would look like.As part of the agreement approved by the union Thursday night, players will not challenge the loss of their salaries if no games are played. Management will advance $170 million in salary payments over two stages, and that money does not have to be returned if the season is canceled. Player salaries this year are expected to total roughly $4 billion.Management was given the right to cut the amateur draft in both 2020 and 2021, and to freeze the values of signing bonus money at 2019 levels.Details were divulged to The Associated Press by people familiar with the agreement who spoke on condition of anonymity because no announcement was made.Teams approved the roughly 17-page agreement Friday, the person said.Opening day was to have been Thursday, but... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Players agreed to a deal with Major League Baseball that would preserve service time in the event this season is canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic, but left open details of what a configured schedule would look like.As part of the agreement approved by the union Thursday night, players will not challenge the loss of their salaries if no games are played. Management will advance $170 million in salary payments over two stages, and that money does not have to be returned if the season is canceled. Player salaries this year are expected to total roughly $4 billion.Management was given the right to cut the amateur draft in both 2020 and 2021, and to freeze the values of signing bonus money at 2019 levels.Details were divulged to The Associated Press by a person familiar with the agreement who spoke on condition of anonymity because no announcement was made.Teams approved the roughly 17-page agreement Friday, the person said.Opening day was to have been Thursday, but... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Players agreed to a deal with Major League Baseball that would preserve service time in the event this season is canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic, but left open details of what a configured schedule would look like.As part of the agreement approved by the union Thursday night, players will not challenge the loss of their salaries if no games are played. Management will advance $170 million in salary payments over two stages, and that money does not have to be returned if the season is canceled. Player salaries this year are expected to total roughly $4 billion.Management was given the right to cut the amateur draft in both 2020 and 2021, and to freeze the values of signing bonus money at 2019 levels.Details were divulged to The Associated Press by a person familiar with the agreement who spoke on condition of anonymity because no announcement was made.Teams are set to approve the roughly 17-page agreement Friday, the person said.Opening day was to have been Thursday,... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Players agreed to a deal with Major League Baseball that would preserve service time in the event this season is canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic, but left open details of what a configured schedule would look like.As part of the agreement approved by the union Thursday night, players agreed not to challenge giving up up their salaries if no games are played, except for $170 million payment management will advance in two stages. Player salary this year is expected to be in the $4 billion range.Management was given the right to cut the amateur draft in both 2020 and 2021, and to freeze the values of signing bonus money at 2019 levelsDetails were divulged to The Associated Press by a person familiar with the agreement who spoke on condition of anonymity because no announcement was made.Teams are set to approve the roughly 17-page agreement Friday, the person said.Opening day was to have been Thursday, but was pushed back to mid-May at the earliest because of the... [More]

Mike Trout hit two home runs off Zack Greinke and scored four times to help the Los Angeles Angels beat the Houston Astros 9-6 on opening day. Alas, the game was played on a computer, not on the field. But as fans of the popular sports game Strat-O-Matic can attest, make-believe boxscores can be fun too.Fifteen of them were generated Thursday by Strat-O-Matic — one for every real game postponed on opening day because of the coronavirus. The results came via computer simulations, which the New York-based company will continue to run daily while the real thing is on hiatus.“People miss baseball, us included,” said Adam Richman, whose father created Strat-O-Matic as an 11-year-old in 1948. “This is a way to bring a little bit of baseball to everyone in their homes. We know baseball will be back, but until then there’s Strat-O-Matic.”Howie Kendrick hit a tiebreaking solo home run in the ninth inning to help the World Series champion Nationals beat the Mets 4-3. Pinch hitter Brock Holt's three-run... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Right-hander Michael Kopech was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte by the Chicago White Sox on Thursday.The 23-year-old is among the top pitching prospects. He missed last season after he had Tommy John surgery in September 2018, but he hit triple-digits on the radar gun during his first spring training appearance on March 10.Kopech was acquired by Chicago in the December 2016 trade that sent Chris Sale to the Boston Red Sox. Kopech made his big league debut in 2018, going 1-1 with a 5.02 ERA in four starts.His salary in the minors is $277,500, down from the minimum $563,500 in the majors.Chicago was scheduled to host the Kansas City Royals on Thursday on opening day, but the start of the season has been pushed back until mid-May at the earliest because of the new coronavirus pandemic.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

March 311961 — The Pacific Coast League's proposal to use a designated hitter for the pitcher was rejected by the Professional Baseball Rules Committee by a vote of 8-1.1968 — Seattle, the American League's second new team, announced its nickname — the Pilots.1995 — Major league baseball players end their strike when Federal judge Sonia Sotomayor of U.S. District Court in Manhattan rules against the owners in the labor dispute.1996 — The Seattle Mariners beat the Chicago White Sox 3-2 in 12 innings in major league baseball's season opener, the first major league game played in March.1998 — The Tampa Bay Devil Rays and Arizona Diamondbacks looked like expansion teams in their first games. The Devil Rays fell behind 11-0 in an 11-6 loss to Detroit at Tropicana Field, and the Diamondbacks dropped a 9-2 decision to the Colorado Rockies at Bank One Ballpark. Milwaukee dropped a 2-1 decision at Atlanta in the Brewers' first game since becoming the only team to switch leagues this century.2003... [More]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The morning dawned bright and sunny over Kauffman Stadium, just to the east of downtown Kansas City. The outfield grass was a perfectly manicured ocean of green, the infield dirt brushed as if by a fine-toothed comb. In the air was a pervasive feeling of spring, of hope and opportunity and new beginnings.All that was missing was the crack of a bat and the sound of leather hitting a mitt.This was supposed to be the first opening day for the Kansas City Royals under new owner John Sherman, the fulfillment of a lifelong ambition for the local businessman. He had purchased the club late last year from longtime owner David Glass, and the former season ticket-holder was looking forward to seeing his rebuilding franchise on the field.Instead, the stadium sat empty as the outbreak of the new coronavirus brings sports to a standstill, and amid the continuing uncertainty whether baseball will be played at all this season.“We wish that we were playing baseball today,” Sherman... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Mookie Betts and all the players set to be free agents after the 2020 season would still get that chance if there is no baseball this year, part of a broad deal being negotiated by the commissioner's office and the players' association.If there's no season because of the new coronavirus, the agreement would credit major leaguers with the same service time this year that they earned in 2019, a person familiar with the talks told The Associated Press on Wednesday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because talks were ongoing. Trevor Bauer, Marcus Stroman, George Springer, JT Realmuto also would be eligible for free agency, even if the season is canceled.Betts, the 2018 AL MVP, was acquired by the Dodgers from Boston last month for outfielder Alex Verdugo and two prospects. In a pair of deals at last July's trade deadline contemplating they would get a top pitcher for 1 1/3 seasons, Cincinnati obtained Bauer from Cleveland and the Mets received Stroman from Toronto.Service... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Mookie Betts and all the players set to be free agents after the 2020 season would still get that chance if there is no baseball this year, part of a broad deal being negotiated by the commissioner's officer and the players' association.If there's no season because of the new coronavirus, the agreement would credit major leaguers with the same service time this year that they earned in 2019, a person familiar with the talks told The Associated Press on Wednesday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because talks were ongoing. Trevor Bauer, Marcus Stroman, George Springer, JT Realmuto also would be eligible for free agency, even if the season is canceled.Betts, the 2018 AL MVP, was acquired by the Dodgers from Boston last month for outfielder Alex Verdugo and two prospects. In a pair of deals at last July's trade deadline contemplating they would get a top pitcher for 1 1/3 seasons, Cincinnati obtained Bauer from Cleveland and the Mets received Stroman from Toronto.Service... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Injured New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge still has not resumed baseball activities.Judge did not play in any spring training games because of discomfort in his right pectoral muscle and shoulder that he felt when swinging. The Yankees said March 6 that the 2017 AL Rookie of the Year had a stress fracture to his first right rib, an injury likely dating from a diving catch late last season.“Aaron is still in the healing phase of that that rib bone, and I think he'll be reevaluated again in a few weeks as far as re-imaging that to see if there's the continued healing with that rib,” manager Aaron Boone said during a conference call Wednesday. “He's been able to work out doing a lot of lower body stuff, is able to do some some upper body stuff, some overhead things.”Judge revealed last week he also had a collapsed lung and said he has recovered from that. Boone said that injury likely occurred during the diving catch but “it's probably something that it's impossible to... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Injured New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge still has not resumed baseball activities.Judge did not play in any spring training games because of discomfort in his right pectoral muscle and shoulder that he felt when swinging. The Yankees said March 6 that the 2017 AL Rookie of the Year had a stress fracture to his first right rib, an injury likely dating from a diving catch late last season.“Aaron is still in the healing phase of that that rib bone, and I think he'll be reevaluated again in a few weeks as far as re-imaging that to see if there's the continued healing with that rib,” manager Aaron Boone said during a conference call Wednesday. “He's been able to work out doing a lot of lower body stuff, is able to do some some upper body stuff, some overhead things.”Judge revealed last week he also had a collapsed lung and said he has recovered from that. Boone said that injury likely occurred during the diving catch but “it's probably something that it's impossible to... [More]