NEW YORK (AP) — It had never been so difficult for Mike Trout to arrive at the ballpark, get his mind and body ready, and perform at the level baseball fans have come to expect.And still, nobody did it better in the American League.Trout overcame injury and tragedy to win his third AL MVP award Thursday night, getting 17 of 30 first-place votes in balloting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Alex Bregman of the Houston Astros was second, and that duo combined for all the first- and second-place votes. Trout also won the award in 2014 and ’16.“This year was probably the toughest year,” Trout said.Dodgers outfielder Cody Bellinger made it a Southern California sweep, beating out the Milwaukee Brewers’ Christian Yelich for the NL prize. Bellinger got 19 of 30 first-place votes, Yelich got 10, and Washington’s Anthony Rendon got one while finishing third. Yelich won the award last year.Trout had season-ending foot surgery in September while the Angels languished to a fourth-place... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Los Angeles Angels star Mike Trout has overcome injury and tragedy to win his third AL MVP award.Trout got 17 of 30 first-place votes in balloting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America revealed Thursday night. Alex Bregman of the Houston Astros was second with the other 13 first-place votes. That duo combined for all the first- and second-place votes.Dodgers slugger Cody Bellinger made it an LA sweep, beating out the Milwaukee Brewers’ Christian Yelich for the NL prize. Bellinger got 19 of 30 first-place votes, Yelich got 10, and Washington’s Anthony Rendon got one while finishing third. Yelich won the award last year.Trout had season-ending foot surgery in September. The outfielder played just 134 games but still set a career high with 45 homers. He batted .291, led the majors with a .438 on-base percentage and drove in 104 runs. It was just enough to avoid another second-place finish — he’s tied for the record with four runner-ups.The 28-year-old shined even... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Los Angeles Angels star Mike Trout has overcome injury and tragedy to win his third AL MVP Award.Trout got 17 of 30 first-place votes in balloting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America revealed Thursday night. Alex Bregman of the Houston Astros was second with the other 13 first-place votes. That duo combined for all the first- and second-place votes.Trout had season-ending foot surgery in September. The outfielder played just 134 games but still set a career high with 45 homers. He batted .291, led the majors with a .438 on-base percentage and drove in 104 runs.The 28-year-old shined even following the death of close friend and teammate Tyler Skaggs on July 1. Trout smashed a 454-foot homer wearing Skaggs’ No. 45 in the team’s first game back, when LA pitchers threw a combined no-hitter.Trout is the 10th three-time MVP and joins an elite group: Barry Bonds, Yogi Berra, Roy Campanella, Joe DiMaggio, Jimmie Foxx, Mickey Mantle, Stan Musial, Albert Pujols, Alex Rodriguez and Mike Schmidt. Bonds is the only player with more than three MVPs — he won seven.Los Angeles Dodgers slugger Cody Bellinger beat out the Milwaukee Brewers’ Christian Yelich for the NL prize. Yelich won the award last year.___Follow Jake Seiner: https://twitter.com/Jake_Seiner___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

HOUSTON (AP) — Major League Baseball and its players' union are optimistic talks are progressing on testing for opioids following the death of Los Angeles Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs."The dialogue in this has been really positive with the players association, a lot of common ground on addressing the issue," Commissioner Rob Manfred said Wednesday before Game 2 of the World Series. "We understand that our workforce is a microcosm of society. There's a societal problem."Skaggs was found dead in his hotel room on July 1 before the start of a series against the Texas Rangers. The Tarrant County Medical Examiner's Office said the 27-year-old died after choking on his vomit with a toxic mix of alcohol and the painkillers fentanyl and oxycodone in his body.While the joint program of MLB and the players' association has testing with penalties for performance-enhancing drugs and banned stimulants, opioids are included in drugs of abuse and not subject to testing with penalties for players on 40-man rosters.Players with minor league contracts are subject to testing for opioids with discipline."Tyler hit home for a number of guys that knew him and a number of guys that didn't," union head Tony Clark said. "Whether the players know of another player, they may know somebody in the family that's struggling with it. So it still hits close to home."The joint drug agreement has a provision calling for annual updating.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Joe Maddon is back under the halo.Maddon agreed to a three-year deal to become the Los Angeles Angels' manager on Wednesday, reuniting the World Series-winning former bench boss of the Chicago Cubs with the organization where he spent the first three decades of his baseball career."We are thrilled that Joe is coming back home and bringing an exciting brand of baseball to our fans," general manager Billy Eppler said. "Every stop he has made throughout his managerial career, he has built a culture that is focused on winning while also allowing his players to thrive. We believe Joe will be a great asset for our club and look forward to him leading the team to another World Series championship."The Angels will formally introduce the 65-year-old Maddon at a news conference next week, but he already knows his way around Angel Stadium.Maddon signed with the Angels as an undrafted catcher in 1975, and he spent the next 31 seasons working at almost every level of the organization... [More]

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Joe Maddon is back under the halo.Maddon agreed to a three-year deal to become the Los Angeles Angels' manager on Wednesday, reuniting the World Series-winning former bench boss of the Chicago Cubs with the organization where he spent the first three decades of his baseball career."We are thrilled that Joe is coming back home and bringing an exciting brand of baseball to our fans," general manager Billy Eppler said. "Every stop he has made throughout his managerial career, he has built a culture that is focused on winning while also allowing his players to thrive. We believe Joe will be a great asset for our club and look forward to him leading the team to another World Series championship."The Angels will formally introduce the 65-year-old Maddon at a news conference next week, but he already knows his way around Angel Stadium.Maddon signed with the Angels as an undrafted catcher in 1975, and he spent the next 31 seasons working at almost every level of the organization... [More]

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Joe Maddon is back under the halo.Maddon agreed to a three-year deal to become the Los Angeles Angels' manager on Wednesday, reuniting the World Series-winning former manager of the Chicago Cubs with the organization where he spent the first three decades of his baseball career."We are thrilled that Joe is coming back home and bringing an exciting brand of baseball to our fans," general manager Billy Eppler said. "Every stop he has made throughout his managerial career, he has built a culture that is focused on winning while also allowing his players to thrive. We believe Joe will be a great asset for our club and look forward to him leading the team to another World Series championship."The Angels will formally introduce the 65-year-old Maddon at a news conference next week, but he already knows his way around Angel Stadium.Maddon signed with the Angels as an undrafted catcher in 1975, and he spent the next 31 seasons working at almost every level of the organization... [More]

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — The Los Angeles Angels say they don't know whether a longtime public relations official had been providing drugs to late pitcher Tyler Skaggs, as detailed in a report Saturday on ESPN's "Outside the Lines."Eric Kay, a 24-year employee of the Angels' PR department, told the Drug Enforcement Agency he had provided opioids to Skaggs and used them with the pitcher for years, according to ESPN. Kay reportedly watched as Skaggs snorted three lines of crushed pills in his hotel room in Southlake, Texas, on the night before he was found dead.Kay also told the DEA he believes several other Angels players used opioids, ESPN reported."We have never heard that any employee was providing illegal narcotics to any player, or that any player was seeking illegal narcotics," Angels President John Carpino said in a statement. "The Angels maintain a strict, zero tolerance policy regarding the illicit use of drugs for both players and staff. Every one of our players must also abide by... [More]

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — The Los Angeles Angels say they don't know whether a longtime public relations official had been providing drugs to late pitcher Tyler Skaggs, as detailed in a report on ESPN's "Outside the Lines."Eric Kay, a 24-year employee of the Angels' PR department, told the Drug Enforcement Agency he had provided opioids to Skaggs and used them with the pitcher for years, according to the ESPN report Saturday. Kay reportedly watched as Skaggs snorted three lines of crushed pills in his hotel room in Texas, on the night before he was found dead.Kay also told the DEA he believes several other Angels players used opioids, ESPN reported.Skaggs was found dead in his hotel room July 1 before the start of a series against the Rangers. The Tarrant County Medical Examiner's Office said the 27-year-old died after choking on his vomit with a toxic mix of alcohol and the painkillers fentanyl and oxycodone in his body.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — General manager Billy Eppler said the Los Angeles Angels' abrupt firing of manager Brad Ausmus wasn't all about Joe Maddon.In his first comments on the move made after the club finished its worst season since 1999, Eppler flatly denied the Angels already know who will be their second new manager in two seasons.The availability of Maddon, the longtime Angels employee who wrapped up his World Series-winning tenure with the Chicago Cubs last weekend, wasn't a factor in the Angels' move, according to Eppler."We have a hiring process to go through, so I think it's premature to say anything contrary to that," Eppler said. "We're going to collect names this afternoon, and particularly plan on sitting down with a number of candidates. I would not handicap it any other way at this moment in time."Maddon spent 31 seasons working for the Halos, and he was their bench coach when they won their only World Series title in 2002. Maddon and Angels owner Arte Moreno have a cordial... [More]

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Manager Brad Ausmus has been fired by the Los Angeles Angels after just one difficult season in charge.Angels general manager Billy Eppler announced the decision to move on swiftly from Ausmus on Monday, a day after they finished 72-90 for the franchise's worst record since 1999.The dismissal of Ausmus immediately sparked speculation that former Angels bench coach Joe Maddon, who parted ways with the Chicago Cubs one day earlier, will return to the franchise where he spent three decades of his career.A candidate of Maddon's magnitude would be an obvious reason for such an abrupt change of plan by the Angels, who have had four consecutive losing seasons for the first time since 1993-96. Maddon was with the Angels when Arte Moreno bought the ballclub in 2003, and the two have a cordial relationship.Ausmus got a three-year contract last October as the Angels' hand-picked replacement for Mike Scioscia, who spent 19 years on the Angels' bench and won their only World Series... [More]

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Manager Brad Ausmus has been fired by the Los Angeles Angels after just one season in charge.Angels general manager Billy Eppler announced the decision to move on swiftly from Ausmus on Monday, a day after they finished 72-90 for the franchise's worst record since 1999.The dismissal of Ausmus has sparked speculation that former bench coach Joe Maddon, who was let go by the Cubs this weekend, will take over as the Angels' manager.Ausmus was the Angels' hand-picked replacement last October for Mike Scioscia, who spent 19 years on the Angels' bench and won their only World Series title in 2002.After Ausmus was let go by the Detroit Tigers in late 2017 following four seasons as their manager, he spent the 2018 season as a special adviser to Eppler, gaining comprehensive insight into every level of the organization.But that knowledge didn't translate to wins as the 17th manager in the franchise history of the Angels, who regressed in his sole season with a poor pitching... [More]

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Los Angeles Angels star outfielder Mike Trout said he was shocked to hear the details of Tyler Skaggs' death, but that it doesn't change his opinions about his late teammate.A Texas medical examiner said in a report released Friday that Skaggs died of an accidental overdose from a toxic mix of the powerful painkillers fentanyl and oxycodone along with alcohol on July 1. The 27-year-old Skaggs was found dead in his hotel room in the Dallas area before the start of a series against the Texas Rangers. The first game was postponed and later made up last month."It's pretty crazy. Obviously, it doesn't change my view on Tyler," Trout said before Saturday's game against the Boston Red Sox. "He made a big impact on my life and this team."Trout added that he was also surprised to hear that a team employee might have been involved. The Southlake, Texas, police, as well as an attorney hired by the family, are investigating. Major League Baseball said on Friday that it would... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The family of Los Angeles Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs says it was startled to learn that a club employee "may" be part of the investigation into the 27-year-old's death from an accidental drug overdose.A Texas coroner said in a report made public Friday that Skaggs died after choking on his vomit with a toxic mix of alcohol and the powerful painkillers fentanyl and oxycodone in his system.Skaggs was found dead in his hotel room in the Dallas area July 1 before the start of what was supposed to be a four-game series against the Texas Rangers. The first game was postponed before the teams played the final three games."That is completely out of character for someone who worked so hard to become a Major League Baseball player and had a very promising future in the game he loved so much," the family said less than two hours after the coroner's report was made public. "We will not rest until we learn the truth about how Tyler came into possession of these narcotics, including... [More]

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — A person familiar with the deal tells The Associated Press that the Los Angeles Angels are picking up the option on general manager Billy Eppler's contract for next season.The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity Friday because the move has not been announced.Eppler is in his fourth year with the Angels. They began the day with a 64-71 record and appear headed for their fifth straight losing season. The Angels haven't been to the playoffs since 2014.Eppler signed two-time AL MVP Mike Trout to a 10-year, $360 million contract extension before the season. But his free-agent signees for this year — catcher Jonathan Lucroy, pitcher Matt Harvey and reliever Cody Allen — are no longer with the club.Eppler spoke before the Angels' game against the Boston Red Sox about the findings into the July 1 death of pitcher Tyler Skaggs. A Texas coroner said in his report that Skaggs died with a toxic mix of alcohol and the powerful painkillers fentanyl and oxycodone in his system.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — A person familiar with the deal tells The Associated Press that the Los Angeles Angels are picking up the option on general manager Billy Eppler's contract for next season.The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity Friday because the move has not been announced.Eppler is in his fourth year with the Angels. They began the day with a 64-71 record and appear headed for their fifth straight losing season. The Angels haven't been to the playoffs since 2014.Eppler signed two-time AL MVP Mike Trout to a 10-year, $360 million contract extension before the season. But his free-agent signees for this year — catcher Jonathan Lucroy, pitcher Matt Harvey and reliever Cody Allen — are no longer with the club.Eppler spoke before the Angels' game against the Boston Red Sox about the findings into the July 1 death of pitcher Tyler Skaggs. A Texas coroner said in his report that Skaggs died with a toxic mix of alcohol and the powerful painkillers fentanyl and oxycodone in his system.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Latest on the coroner's report involving the death of Los Angeles Angles pitcher Tyler Skaggs (all times local):6:05 p.m. PTLos Angeles Angels manager Brad Ausmus says a coroner's report that pitcher Tyler Skaggs died of an accidental drug overdose "doesn't change" that "we lost a friend, a teammate and we still miss him."A Texas coroner said in a report made public Friday that Skaggs died after choking on his vomit with a toxic mix of alcohol and the powerful painkillers fentanyl and oxycodone in his system.Skaggs missed the 2015 season recovering from reconstructive surgery on his left elbow. He also spent significant time on the injured list each of the past two seasons because of muscle strains.Ausmus says Skaggs hadn't been complaining of any physical pain before he died, but said he "would be the last guy he would come to because he wants to stay in the rotation."___5:30 p.m.Los Angeles Angels general manager Billy Eppler says reports that pitcher Tyler... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The family of Los Angeles Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs says it was startled to learn that a club employee "may" be part of the investigation into the 27-year-old's death from an accidental drug overdose.A Texas coroner said in a report made public Friday that Skaggs died after choking on his vomit with a toxic mix of alcohol and the powerful painkillers fentanyl and oxycodone in his system.Skaggs was found dead in his hotel room in the Dallas area July 1 before the start of what was supposed to be a four-game series against the Texas Rangers. The first game was postponed before the teams played the final three games."That is completely out of character for someone who worked so hard to become a Major League Baseball player and had a very promising future in the game he loved so much," the family said less than two hours after the coroner's report was made public. "We will not rest until we learn the truth about how Tyler came into possession of these narcotics, including... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Latest on the coroner's report involving the death of Los Angeles Angles pitcher Tyler Skaggs (all times local):5:30 p.m. PTLos Angeles Angels general manager Billy Eppler says reports that pitcher Tyler Skaggs died of an accidental drug overdose in Texas was like "a shot to our core" that "brings back a lot of pain for that tragic day."Eppler wouldn't comment on a statement from the Skaggs family that said it was "shocked" to learn that a club employee may be involved in the investigation into the circumstances around the 27-year-old's death.Eppler says the club is cooperating in the investigation by police in the Dallas suburb of Southlake. He was speaking before the team's game in Anaheim against Boston.A Texas coroner said in a report made public Friday that Skaggs died after choking on his vomit with a toxic mix of alcohol and the powerful painkillers fentanyl and oxycodone in his system.Skaggs was found dead in his hotel room in Southlake on July 1 before... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Los Angeles Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs died of an accidental overdose from a toxic mix of the powerful painkillers fentanyl and oxycodone along with alcohol, a Texas medical examiner said in a report released Friday.Skaggs' family issued a statement suggesting a team employee was part of the investigation into the death."That is completely out of character for someone who worked so hard to become a Major League Baseball player and had a very promising future in the game he loved so much," the family said less than two hours after the coroner's report was made public. "We will not rest until we learn the truth about how Tyler came into possession of these narcotics, including who supplied them."The 27-year-old Skaggs was found dead in his hotel room in the Dallas area July 1 before the start of what was supposed to be a four-game series against the Texas Rangers. The first game was postponed before the teams played the final three games.The Tarrant County Medical... [More]