NEW YORK (AP) — The Atlanta Braves say Ronald Acuña Jr. had an MRI on Monday that revealed a mild abdominal strain and that the star outfielder is day to day heading into a series at Yankee Stadium beginning Tuesday. Acuña was injured in the fourth inning of Atlanta's 13-4 win over the Chicago Cubs on Sunday night. He led off the fourth inning with a walk, and pitcher Kyle Hendricks threw over a couple of times while he was on first. It looked as if Acuña did something to his midsection on a dive back to the bag. The All-Star was checked by a trainer while he was on second, but he stayed in. He got up slowly after diving home to score on Travis d’Arnaud’s sacrifice fly, and then was replaced in the field in the bottom half. Acuña is off to a terrific start this year, batting .419 with seven homers and 16 RBIs in 16 games. The outfielder also has scored a major league-high 21 runs. He was honored as the National League's player of the week Monday. The reigning NL East champions have been hit hard by injuries during a rough start to the season. Pitchers Max Fried, Drew Smyly and Sean Newcomb and outfielders Cristian Pache and Ender Inciarte have been placed on the 10-day IL since Wednesday. Atlanta plays the Yankees in the Bronx on Tuesday and Wednesday before opening a home series against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Phillies placed three players on the injured list due to COVID-19 protocols and two more coaches weren't with the team for a game Monday against the San Francisco Giants. Left-handed reliever José Alvarado, lefty starter Matt Moore and infielder Ronald Torreyes went on the injured list. First-base coach Paco Figueroa and assistant Bobby Meacham also entered COVID-19 protocols, joining hitting coach Joe Dillon, third-base coach Dusty Wathan and bullpen coach Dave Lundquist. The team did not say if any of the players or coaches had tested positive for the coronavirus. Infielder Nick Maton and left-handed pitchers Damon Jones and Cristopher Sanchez were recalled from Philadelphia's alternate site. Infield coach Juan Castro served as first-base coach Monday night against San Francisco and Triple-A manager Gary Jones came up coach third base. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) — The two-game suspension of Cincinnati Reds outfielder Nick Castellanos for his role in an on-field brawl during the season’s opening weekend was upheld Monday by Major League Baseball special assistant John McHale Jr. Castellanos will serve the penalty during the first two games of a three-game series against Arizona that starts Tuesday. Michael Hill, MLB's new senior vice president for on-field operations, issued the suspension April 5 and cited Castellanos for “his aggressive actions and for instigating a benches-clearing incident” during a game against St. Louis on April 3. Castellanos did not have to serve the penalty while the appeal was pending. Castellanos, who homered on opening day and hopped out of the batter's box before tossing his bat, was hit by a pitch from Cardinals pitcher Jake Woodford in the fourth inning on April 3. Castellanos retrieved the ball and offered to toss it back to Woodford before flipping it out of play. A wild pitch sent Castellanos scampering... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — Miami Marlins center fielder Starling Marte will be sidelined for at least a few games with a broken left rib. An MRI on Monday revealed a non-displaced fracture, meaning the rib maintained its proper alignment, the Marlins said. Marte will refrain from activity for five to seven days before being evaluated, and he's expected to go on the injured list. Marte grimaced while batting with two outs in the ninth inning of Sunday's loss to San Francisco and left the game. He's batting .316 with an OPS of .912, three stolen bases and two home runs. Last year Marte led the majors by playing in 61 games in the abbreviated season for the Marlins and Arizona. But he broke his left hand in the playoffs when hit by a pitch. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Yankees' players and staff are restless. So are fans. A 5-10 start, the franchise's worst in 24 years, has shaken a team that expects to contend for a World Series title. “Right now we would be a team that an opponent would want to play because obviously we’re not firing on all cylinders,” general manager Brian Cashman said Monday. “So if you have a chance to catch us right now, you’re catching us at the right time, through obviously yesterday’s games, and we look forward to that changing.” Batting, pitching and fielding have faltered. New York’s .210 batting average is next-to-last in the American League, and a team with a dearth of left-handed hitters is batting just .202 against right-handed pitchers. The Yankees’ 55 runs entering Monday tied Detroit for the AL low. Ace Gerrit Cole is 2-1 with a 1.82 ERA and the rest of New York’s starters are 1-6 with a 6.39 ERA. Twelve errors have led to 10 unearned runs. Only the bullpen, which has a 2.43 ERA that is third... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Yankees' players and staff are restlessness. So are fans. A 5-10 start, the franchise's worst in 24 years, has shaken a team that expects to contend for a World Series title. “Right now we would be a team that an opponent would want to play because obviously we’re not firing on all cylinders,” general manager Brian Cashman said Monday. “So if you have a chance to catch us right now, you’re catching us at the right time, through obviously yesterday’s games, and we look forward to that changing.” Batting, pitching and fielding have faltered. New York’s .210 batting average is next-to-last in the American League, and a team with a dearth of left-handed hitters is batting just .202 against right-handed pitchers. The Yankees’ 55 runs entering Monday tied Detroit for the AL low. Ace Gerrit Cole is 2-1 with a 1.82 ERA and the rest of New York’s starters are 1-6 with a 6.39 ERA. Twelve errors have led to 10 unearned runs. Only the bullpen, which has a 2.43 ERA that... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Joey Gallo is getting on base a lot for the Texas Rangers without going out of the park. That is quite a shift for the 6-foot-5 slugger who homered in the only pitch he's faced in an MLB All-Star Game and got to 100 career homers quicker than any player in American League history, at a time when he had only 93 singles. Gallo reached base in each of his first 15 games this season, his only homer being an impressive 450-foot drive to center in the opening series at Kansas City. His other 10 hits were all singles and he had an MLB-high 15 walks. He got on three other times when hit by a pitch and was the only Texas base runner in the game where Joe Musgrove plunked him while throwing the first no-hitter in San Diego Padres history. “When I was younger, I thought it was really cool to hit 40 home runs. And then I remember everyone’s just kind of like bashing me, saying I’m the worst 40 home run hitter,” said Gallo, 27. “And I was like, all right, I guess it’s not that... [More]

A look at what’s happening around the majors on today: ___ WAKE UP! The White Sox and Red Sox begin at 11:05 a.m. at Fenway Park in the annual Patriots’ Day game. Could mean early-morning batting practice for J.D Martinez and José Abreu. The event usually coincides with the Boston Marathon -- in past years, fans in the Green Monster seats would turn around to catch a glimpse of the leaders while others headed over after the final out to cheer on the runners in Kenmore Square, about a mile from the finish line. This year, the famous race has been moved to Oct. 11 due to the pandemic. Chicago ace Lucas Giolito (1-0, 2.55 ERA) is slated to start the series finale against Nathan Eovaldi (2-1, 2.08). STILL WAITING The Twins will continue coronavirus testing and contact tracing with the hope of getting back on the field Tuesday for a doubleheader at Oakland. Minnesota had games against the Angels in Anaheim on Saturday and Sunday postponed. The Twins-Athletics game Monday also was called off.... [More]

The Dodgers and Padres weren't about to pace themselves. The NL West rivals have 19 games scheduled against each other this season, and if the first three were any indication, that should be a treat. The Dodgers took two of three — and there was no shortage of entertainment in this pulsating series that featured star power and hostility. In the opener Friday night, the Dodgers prevailed 11-6 in 12 innings. Los Angeles led 5-3 in the eighth before the Padres tied it on a two-run double by Jurickson Profar. Both teams scored a run in the ninth. Then San Diego left the winning run on third in both the 10th and 11th before Los Angeles broke through. Saturday night's matchup pitted Clayton Kershaw against Yu Darvish, and the Dodgers won 2-0. At one point, Kershaw and Profar started yelling at each other over a disputed play involving catcher's interference, and Los Angeles didn't wrap up the win until Mookie Betts' diving catch in right-center field for the final out — after the Padres put men... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuña Jr. left Sunday night's 13-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs after experiencing pain in his lower abdominal muscles. Acuña led off the fourth with a walk. Kyle Hendricks threw over a couple times while he was on first, and it looked as if Acuña did something to his midsection on a dive back to the bag. He was checked by a trainer while he was on second, but he stayed in. He got up slowly after diving home to score on Travis d'Arnaud's sacrifice fly, and then was replaced in the field in the bottom half. “He’s got an abdominal strain, and we’ll know more tomorrow,” manager Brian Snitker said. Snitker said he isn’t sure if Acuña is going to need a stint on the injured list. “It was so late here that they couldn’t get the test that they wanted, so they’ll get it tomorrow in New York and, like I said, we’ll know more then,” he said. Acuña is off to a terrific start this year, batting .419 with seven homers and 16 RBIs in 16 games. The outfielder... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The last-place New York Yankees lost their fifth straight game as Yoshi Tsutsugo hit a tiebreaking double off Gerrit Cole in the seventh inning that lifted the Tampa Bay Rays to a 4-2 win Sunday and a three-game sweep. Four pitchers combined on the Rays’ second three-hitter of a series in which New York managed 11 hits in all. Cole (2-1) was hurt by slipshod defense that made three mistakes in the third inning alone, two by center fielder Aaron Hicks and one by left fielder Clint Frazier. Joey Wendle added a ninth-inning home run off Darren O’Day. Tampa Bay has won 18 of its last 23 against the Yankees, including in last year’s Division Series. Ryan Yarbrough (2-1) followed opener Andrew Kittredge and allowed one run and two hits in five innings. Diego Castillo got four outs, and Jeffrey Springs pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his first big league save. PADRES 5, DODGERS 2 SAN DIEGO (AP) — Eric Hosmer delivered the tying and go-ahead RBIs in the seventh and eighth innings, helping... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuña Jr. left Sunday night's game against the Chicago Cubs after experiencing pain in his lower abdominal muscles. Acuña led off the fourth with a walk. Kyle Hendricks threw over a couple times while he was on first, and it looked as if Acuña did something to his midsection on a dive back to the bag. He was checked by a trainer while he was on second, but he stayed in. He got up slowly after diving home to score on Travis d'Arnaud's sacrifice fly, and then was replaced in the field in the bottom half. Acuña is off to a terrific start this year, batting .433 with seven homers and 16 RBIs heading into the series finale against the Cubs. The outfielder also had scored a major league-high 20 runs coming into the day. Atlanta has been hit hard by injuries early in the season. Pitchers Max Fried, Drew Smyly and Sean Newcomb and outfielders Cristian Pache and Ender Inciarte have been placed on the 10-day IL since Wednesday. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) — The last-place New York Yankees lost their fifth straight game as Yoshi Tsutsugo hit a tiebreaking double off Gerrit Cole in the seventh inning that lifted the Tampa Bay Rays to a 4-2 win Sunday and a three-game sweep. Four pitchers combined on the Rays’ second three-hitter of a series in which New York managed 11 hits in all. Cole (2-1) was hurt by slipshod defense that made three mistakes in the third inning alone, two by center fielder Aaron Hicks and one by left fielder Clint Frazier. Joey Wendle added a ninth-inning home run off Darren O’Day. Tampa Bay has won 18 of its last 23 against the Yankees, including in last year’s Division Series. Ryan Yarbrough (2-1) followed opener Andrew Kittredge and allowed one run and two hits in five innings. Diego Castillo got four outs, and Jeffrey Springs pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his first big league save. PADRES 5, DODGERS 2 SAN DIEGO (AP) — Eric Hosmer delivered the tying and go-ahead RBIs in the seventh and eighth innings, helping... [More]

A look at what’s happening around the majors on Monday: ___ WAKE UP! The White Sox and Red Sox begin at 11:05 a.m. at Fenway Park in the annual Patriots’ Day game. Could mean early-morning batting practice for J.D Martinez and José Abreu. The event usually coincides with the Boston Marathon -- in past years, fans in the Green Monster seats would turn around to catch a glimpse of the leaders while others headed over after the final out to cheer on the runners in Kenmore Square, about a mile from the finish line. This year, the famous race has been moved to Oct. 11 due to the pandemic. Chicago ace Lucas Giolito (1-0, 2.55 ERA) is slated to start the series finale against Nathan Eovaldi (2-1, 2.08). STILL WAITING The Twins will continue coronavirus testing and contact tracing with the hope of getting back on the field Tuesday for a doubleheader at Oakland. Minnesota had games against the Angels in Anaheim on Saturday and Sunday postponed. The Twins-Athletics game Monday also was called off.... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuña Jr. left Sunday night's game against the Chicago Cubs after experiencing pain in his lower abdominal muscles. Acuña led off the fourth with a walk. Kyle Hendricks threw over a couple times while he was on first, and it looked as if Acuña did something to his midsection on a dive back to the bag. He was checked by a trainer while he was on second, but he stayed in. He got up slowly after diving home to score on Travis d'Arnaud's sacrifice fly, and then was replaced in the field in the bottom half. Acuña is off to a terrific start this year, batting .433 with seven homers and 16 RBIs heading into the series finale against the Cubs. The outfielder also had scored a major league-high 20 runs coming into the day. Atlanta has been hit hard by injuries early in the season. Pitchers Max Fried, Drew Smyly and Sean Newcomb and outfielders Cristian Pache and Ender Inciarte have been placed on the 10-day IL since Wednesday. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) — The last-place New York Yankees lost their fifth straight game as Yoshi Tsutsugo hit a tiebreaking double off Gerrit Cole in the seventh inning that lifted the Tampa Bay Rays to a 4-2 win Sunday and a three-game sweep. Four pitchers combined on the Rays’ second three-hitter of a series in which New York managed 11 hits in all. Cole (2-1) was hurt by slipshod defense that made three mistakes in the third inning alone, two by center fielder Aaron Hicks and one by left fielder Clint Frazier. Joey Wendle added a ninth-inning home run off Darren O’Day. Tampa Bay has won 16 of its last 21 against the Yankees, including in last year’s Division Series. Ryan Yarbrough (2-1) followed opener Andrew Kittredge and allowed one run and two hits in five innings. Diego Castillo got four outs, and Jeffrey Springs pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his first big league save. INDIANS 6, REDS 3 CINCINNATI (AP) — Shane Bieber kept up his record strikeout run, fanning 13 and pitching Cleveland past Cincinnati.... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The last-place New York Yankees lost their fifth straight game as Yoshi Tsutsugo hit a tiebreaking double off Gerrit Cole in the seventh inning that lifted the Tampa Bay Rays to a 4-2 win Sunday and a three-game sweep. Four pitchers combined on the Rays’ second three-hitter of a series in which New York managed 11 hits in all. Cole (2-1) was hurt by slipshod defense that made three mistakes in the third inning alone, two by center fielder Aaron Hicks and one by left fielder Clint Frazier. Joey Wendle added a ninth-inning home run off Darren O’Day. Tampa Bay has won 16 of its last 21 against the Yankees, including in last year’s Division Series. Ryan Yarbrough (2-1) followed opener Andrew Kittredge and allowed one run and two hits in five innings. Diego Castillo got four outs, and Jeffrey Springs pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his first big league save. INDIANS 6, REDS 3 CINCINNATI (AP) — Shane Bieber kept up his record strikeout run, fanning 13 and pitching Cleveland past Cincinnati.... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Jay Bruce had seen enough. Having made the New York Yankees' opening-day roster, he couldn't stomach his poor start to the season. So the three-time All-Star outfielder decided to retire Sunday, just 15 days past his 34th birthday. “Just the consistent underperformance for me,” he said before the game against Tampa Bay, his voice quavering at times. “Felt like I wasn’t able to do it at a level that was acceptable for myself.” Bruce informed Yankees manager Aaron Boone of his decision during a 20-minute meeting in the manager’s office on Friday, then made a public announcement before Sunday’s game. He received an ovation when shown on the video board before the eighth inning but did not get in the game. Bruce went to spring training with the Yankees on a minor league contract and made the major league roster as a first baseman when Luke Voit injured a knee, earning a $1.35 million one-year deal. He hit .118 with one homer and three RBIs in 39 plate appearances this year.... [More]

A look at what’s happening around the majors on Monday: ___ WAKE UP! The White Sox and Red Sox begin at 11:05 a.m. at Fenway Park in the annual Patriots’ Day game. Could mean early-morning batting practice for J.D Martinez and José Abreu. The event usually coincides with the Boston Marathon -- in past years, fans in the Green Monster seats would turn around to catch a glimpse of the leaders while others headed over after the final out to cheer on the runners in Kenmore Square, about a mile from the finish line. This year, the famous race has been moved to Oct. 11 due to the pandemic. Chicago ace Lucas Giolito (1-0, 2.55 ERA) is slated to start the series finale against Nathan Eovaldi (2-1, 2.08). STILL WAITING The Twins will continue coronavirus testing and contact tracing with the hope of getting back on the field Tuesday for a doubleheader at Oakland. Minnesota had games against the Angels in Anaheim on Saturday and Sunday postponed. The Twins-Athletics game Monday also was called off.... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Jay Bruce had seen enough. Having made the New York Yankees' opening-day roster, he couldn't stomach his poor start to the season. So the three-time All-Star outfielder decided to retire Sunday, just 15 days past his 34th birthday. “Just the consistent underperformance for me,” he said before the game against Tampa Bay, his voice quavering at times. “Felt like I wasn’t able to do it at a level that was acceptable for myself.” Bruce informed Yankees manager Aaron Boone of his decision during a 20-minute meeting in the manager’s office on Friday, then made a public announcement before Sunday’s game. Bruce received an ovation when shown on the video board before the eighth inning but did not get in the game. Bruce went to spring training with the Yankees on a minor league contract and made the major league roster as a first baseman when Luke Voit injured a knee, earning a $1.35 million one-year deal. He hit .118 with one homer and three RBIs in 39 plate appearances this year.... [More]