NEW YORK (AP) — Mets right-hander Noah Syndergaard became the latest big-name pitcher to need Tommy John surgery, joining the Yankees' Luis Severino and Boston's Chris Sale.New York said Tuesday that Syndergaard needs reconstruction of his ulnar collateral ligament and will miss the season that's been put on hold because of the coronavirus outbreak. Mets medical director Dr. David Altchek will operate on the right-hander on Thursday.“After experiencing discomfort in his elbow before spring training was suspended due to the pandemic, Noah and our health and performance department have been in constant contact,” Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen said in a statement. “Based on the persistence of his symptoms, Noah underwent a physical examination and MRI that revealed the ligament tear."Syndergaard, the hardest-throwing starting pitcher in the major leagues last season, received a second opinion from Los Angeles Dodgers head team physician Dr. Neal ElAttrache."While this is unfortunate,... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Mets pitcher Noah Syndergaard has a torn elbow ligament and needs Tommy John surgery that will keep him out of action this year.New York medical director Dr. David Altchek will operate Thursday.“After experiencing discomfort in his elbow before spring training was suspended due to the pandemic, Noah and our health and performance department have been in constant contact,” Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen said in a statement Tuesday. “Based on the persistence of his symptoms, Noah underwent a physical examination and MRI that revealed the ligament tear."The right-hander received a second opinion on the damaged ulnar collateral ligament from Los Angeles Dodgers head team physician Dr. Neal ElAttrache."While this is unfortunate, we have no doubt that Noah will be able to return to full strength and continue to be an integral part of our championship pursuits in the future,” said Van Wagenen, Syndergaard's former agent.Opening day has been postponed until at least mid-May... [More]

March 271973 — Minnesota pitcher Jim Perry became the first player to use the "10 and 5 rule" when he OK'd his own trade to the Detroit Tigers for minor league pitcher Dan Fife and cash.1986 — Major League Baseball's Rules Committee voted to change the designated hitter rule for the World Series allowing a DH to be used in all games played in the American League home park. Since 1976 the DH had been used in all games in alternating years.March 281970 — Commissioner Bowie Kuhn announced the return of the All-Star selection to the fans.1977 — Lenny Randle of the Texas Rangers, angry about having been benched during spring training, attacked 50-year-old manager Frank Lucchesi and sent him to the hospital with a shattered cheekbone.1999 — Harold Baines singled in the tiebreaking run in the top of the 11th inning as the Baltimore Orioles beat the Cuban all-star team 3-2 in Havana. It was the first time in 40 years a major league team had played in Cuba.1991 — Methodist College beat Maryville... [More]

March 291973 — Orange baseballs are used in an exhibition game by Oakland owner Charlie Finley. The A's suffered 11-5 exhibition loss to Cleveland. George Hendrick of the Indians hit three home runs in the game.2000 — The Chicago Cubs open the major league season at the Tokyo Dome in Japan by defeating the New York Mets 5-3 in the first big league game ever played outside of North America.2015 — Belmont broke three NCAA Division I records and tied a fourth during a 20-run sixth inning in a 34-10 victory over UT Martin. The Bruins set the marks for most plate appearances (26), total bases (43) and RBIs (20) in an inning. Belmont homered seven times in the sixth to tie the record for most homers in an inning.2017 — New York Mets reliever Jeurys Familia was given a 15-game suspension under Major League Baseball's domestic violence policy.March 301966 — The Koufax-Drysdale holdout ended. The Los Angeles Dodgers announced the signings. Sandy Koufax got $120,000 and Don Drysdale $105,000, making... [More]

Let's play two? Colorado Rockies manager Bud Black would be down for doubleheaders.Maybe even a couple a week.That might be a necessity to make up games once a baseball season delayed by the new coronavirus gets under way."In theory, yeah, I think all of us would be up for some sort of doubleheader situation," Black said during a conference call Thursday. “The thing that's going to be in front of all of us is it's going to be the same for everybody. It's got to make sense for the clubs and the players.”Opening day has been pushed back from March 26 to mid-May at the earliest, and both sides are committed to playing as many games as possible.Translation: Doubleheaders could be on the docket."I know that when we're able to safely play, we're going to have to think of creative ways to get in as many games as possible given all the time that's going to be lost," said Farhan Zaidi, the president of baseball operations for the San Francisco Giants. “I don't really have any specific thoughts on... [More]

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — San Francisco Giants right-hander Tyler Beede will undergo Tommy John elbow surgery Friday.Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi made the announcement Thursday. Beede's surgery will be performed by Texas Rangers physician Dr. Keith Meister in the Dallas area.Beede joined others having medical procedures, some because of the delay to the season caused by the novel coronavirus. The Red Sox announced Thursday that left-hander Chris Sale will have Tommy John surgery, while Houston's Justin Verlander underwent groin surgery.Beede left an exhibition game after one inning on March 3 with tightness in his elbow, and an MRI exam the following day showed he had a flexor strain and a UCL sprain. The club gathered additional opinions on the injury before Meister determined surgery the best decision.Beede had been competing for a spot in San Francisco’s starting rotation. He went 5-10 with a 5.08 ERA last season for the Giants.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

BOSTON (AP) — Boston Red Sox ace Chris Sale will have Tommy John surgery on his left elbow, an operation that would keep him out the entire 2020 baseball season if and when it resumes after the coronavirus pandemic.“There’s no real way to sugarcoat this. It's not what anyone wants,” Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom told reporters on Thursday night. “Chris is the type of player that you just can’t replace. He’s an elite player. If he’s unavailable to us, that’s a blow.”The announcement comes two weeks after saying Sale had a flexor strain near the elbow. At the time, the Red Sox hoped Sale would avoid the operation that usually requires at least a full year of rehab. Bloom said it usually takes 14-15 months to recover. “Generally, 12 months is aggressive,” he said. “Some guys go through rehab with absolutely no bumps in the road. Some guys — actually most guys — have bumps along the way. You know he will put everything he has into this.” Opening day, originally scheduled for next... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — Boston Red Sox ace Chris Sale will have Tommy John surgery on his left elbow, an operation that would keep him out the entire 2020 baseball season if and when it resumes after the coronavirus pandemic.The team made the announcement on Thursday, two weeks after saying that the left-hander who turns 31 later this month had a flexor strain near the elbow. At the time, the Red Sox hoped Sale would avoid the operation that usually requires a full year of recovery.Opening day, originally scheduled for next week, has been pushed back until at least mid-May due to the coronavirus outbreak. Sale missed the start of spring training with an illness that the team described as a flu that morphed into pneumonia.A Red Sox spokesman did not immediately respond to an email asking if Sale has been tested for COVID-19.Sale is 109-73 in 10 major league seasons is 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... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — Boston Red Sox ace Chris Sale will have Tommy John surgery on his left elbow, an operation that would keep him out the entire 2020 baseball season if and when it resumes after the coronavirus pandemic.The team made the announcement on Thursday, two weeks after saying that the 30-year-old left-hander had a flexor strain near the elbow. At the time, the Red Sox hoped Sale would avoid the operation that usually requires a full year to recover from.Sale is 109-73 in 10 major league seasons is 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 and highest ERA in a full season since 2012. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

BOSTON (AP) — Boston Red Sox left-hander Chris Sale to have Tommy John surgery, miss season.

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — A second New York Yankees minor leaguer has tested positive for the new coronavirus.The player, while in self-quarantine, reported fatigue and an elevated temperature to medical personnel with the Yankees, according to the team. The player was tested Sunday and returned to self-quarantine after the positive result.“We can also report that within the past 48 hours his symptoms have dissipated,” the team said.New York had announced a first positive test on Sunday, and general manager Brian Cashman said the player had been isolated and the Florida Department of Health notified.The two Yankees minor leaguers are the only baseball players known to have tested positive.For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. The vast majority of people recover from the new virus within a few weeks.While... [More]

DETROIT (AP) — Catcher Jake Rogers was optioned to Triple-A Toledo on Tuesday by the The Detroit Tigers.Rogers faced a tough competition for playing time after Detroit acquired catchers Austin Romine and Eric Haase in the offseason. Rogers made his big league debut last season, hitting .125 in 35 games. He was obtained by Detroit in the 2017 deal that sent Justin Verlander to the Houston Astros.Opening day has been delayed to mid-May at the earliest because of the new coronavirus.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

HOUSTON (AP) — Houston Astros ace Justin Verlander had surgery on his right groin Tuesday and is expected to be out about six weeks. General manager James Click made the announcement. The timing gives Verlander time to heal before opening day, which had been pushed back to mid-May at the earliest because of the new coronavirus.Verlander dealt with the problem early in spring training. His first start was delayed until March 3 because of discomfort in his right groin. He made two starts pitching 4 2/3 innings with a 3.86 ERA. Verlander left his second start on March 8 with a mild strain of a back muscle and said at the time that it would be unlikely that he would be able to start the scheduled March 26 opener against the Los Angeles Angels.Click said the Astros first thought Verlander could recover from the groin injury with physical therapy. “After a recent setback in his rehab, the medical staff recommended that a surgical procedure was necessary," Click said.Verlander, who won the AL Cy Young Award last season, has made each of his scheduled starts for the Astros since he was acquired from Detroit in August 2017. Verlander was 21-6 with a 2.58 ERA last season and led the majors in wins and innings (223). The 37-year-old is entering his 16th season in the major leagues. Verlander, who won his first Cy Young Award in 2011 when he was also was voted AL MVP, is 225-129 with a 3.33 ERA and 3,006 strikeouts. ___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — A second New York Yankees minor leaguer has tested positive for the new coronavirus, a person familiar with the diagnosis told The Associated Press.The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity Tuesday because the team had not yet made the announcement.New York had announced a first positive test on Sunday, and general manager Brian Cashman said the player had been isolated and the Florida Department of Health notified.The two Yankees minor leaguers are the only baseball players known to have tested positive.For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. The vast majority of people recover from the new virus within a few weeks.While Major League Baseball canceled the rest of the spring training schedule last week and has delayed opening day until mid-May at the earliest, Yankees... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball pushed back opening day until mid-May at the earliest on Monday because of the new coronavirus after the federal government recommended restricting events of more than 50 people for the next eight weeks.Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred made the announcement following a conference call with executives of the 30 teams.“The clubs remain committed to playing as many games as possible when the season begins,” the commissioner's office said in a statement.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended Sunday that gatherings of 50 people or more be canceled or postponed across the country for the next eight weeks. “The opening of the 2020 regular season will be pushed back in accordance with that guidance,” Manfred said.No telling at this point when games will start. The All-Star Game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on July 14 could be in jeopardy.“We're not going to announce an alternate opening day at this point. We're going to have to see... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball pushed back opening day until mid-May at the earliest on Monday because of the new coronavirus after the federal government recommended restricting events of more than 50 people for the next eight weeks.Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred made the announcement following a conference call with executives of the 30 teams.“The clubs remain committed to playing as many games as possible when the season begins,” the commissioner's office said in a statement.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended Sunday that gatherings of 50 people or more be canceled or postponed across the country for the next eight weeks. “The opening of the 2020 regular season will be pushed back in accordance with that guidance,” Manfred said.No telling at this point when games will start. The All-Star Game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on July 14 could be in jeopardy.“We're not going to announce an alternate opening day at this point. We're going to have to see... [More]

A New York Yankees minor leaguer tested positive for the coronavirus, the Miami Marlins shut their spring training complex and baseball began bracing for the possibility that opening day could be delayed into May or longer.On Sunday night, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended gatherings of 50 people or more be canceled or postponed across the country for the next eight weeks. Major League Baseball planned to update teams Monday on its health policy.On Sunday, a Yankees prospect became the first known player affiliated with MLB to contract COVID-19. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said a “younger player” was affected in Tampa, Florida, without identifying him. Cashman said the player “feels much better” and his symptoms had subsided, but he was still isolated.“He did not have any interactions with our major league players,” Cashman said on a conference call.The Marlins, meanwhile, became the first organization to completely close their complex, sending players... [More]

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — A New York Yankees minor leaguer tested positive for the coronavirus, the Miami Marlins shut their spring training complex and baseball began bracing for the possibility that opening day could be delayed into May or longer.Major League Baseball was set to update teams Monday on its health policy in the wake of the virus outbreak.On Sunday, a Yankees prospect became the first known player affiliated with MLB to contract COVID-19. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said a “younger player” was affected, without identifying him. Cashman said the player “feels much better” and his symptoms had subsided, but he was still isolated.“He did not have any interactions with our major league players,” Cashman said on a conference call.The Marlins, meanwhile, became the first organization to completely close their complex. Their big leaguers were told to take a break and avoid group activities.The Marlins' move was a team decision, rather than something mandated by MLB. But there... [More]

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — A minor leaguer for the New York Yankees tested positive for the coronavirus over the weekend, becoming the first known player affiliated with Major League Baseball to contract COVID-19.Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said Sunday that a “younger player” was affected, without identifying him. Cashman said the player “feels much better” and his symptoms had subsided, but he was still isolated.“He did not have any interactions with our major league players,” Cashman said on a conference call.The Miami Marlins, meanwhile, became the first organization to completely close their complex. Big leaguers were told to take a break and avoid group activities.The Marlins' move was a team decision, rather than something mandated by Major League Baseball. MLB was expected to update clubs on its health policy Monday.Some of Miami's players have homes near the spring training complex in Jupiter and plan to stay there. Others will go home.In the wake of the virus outbreak, MLB and... [More]

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — A minor leaguer for the New York Yankees has tested positive for the coronavirus, becoming the first known player affiliated with Major League Baseball to contract COVID-19.The team said Sunday the unidentified player had spent his entire time at the minor league complex and hadn't been over at the main stadium and facilities used by the major leaguers.Yankees player representative Zack Britton recently said the team had voted to remain together in Tampa and continue voluntary workouts. In the wake of the virus outbreak, Major League Baseball and the union had given players the option to stay at the site of their spring camp, return to their offseason homes or go to the club's home city.MLB is expected to update teams on its policy Monday.The rest of the spring training schedule was called off Thursday and opening day, which had been scheduled for March 26, was postponed for at least two weeks.For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. The vast majority of people recover from the new virus within a few weeks.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports