WASHINGTON (AP) — By the time Bryce Harper gets to the plate at the All-Star Game, Max Scherzer could already be out of the game.Harper is batting sixth in his fifth All-Star start, the lowest he has been in the National League lineup since the No. 9 spot in 2013. Scherzer getting the start against Boston's Chris Sale is no surprise as the hometown ace, but Harper faces a much different dynamic knowing this could be the final time he's honored on a big stage by Nationals fans when he trots out to center field on Tuesday night.In a contract year that could be his last with Washington, Harper is hitting .214 with a .365 on-base percentage, .468 slugging percentage, 23 home runs and 54 RBIs. That batting average is 60 points lower than the next-closest NL All-Star hitter, while his HR total is one shy of the league lead."I look up there and see my average as well, and I look up there and go, 'Aw man, well that sucks,'" Harper said Monday, hours before taking part in the Home Run Derby. "But... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — David Ortiz can now laugh, sort of, at the shifting culture of baseball. For J.D. Martinez, Nolan Arenado, Aaron Judge and every other All-Star hitter, dealing with different defensive alignments is just part of the game.Tune in Tuesday night and no telling where fans will see fielders. Especially in what's become merely an exhibition — why not try a five-man outfield?To Big Papi, these overloaded infields are reshaping the sport. Not in a good way, either."It seems crazy, it seems like it's taking some fun part of the game away," the retired Red Sox slugger said Sunday at Nationals Park, site of this week's All-Star action."It seems like there are 20 guys playing defense against you," Ortiz said, playfully estimating shifts took away "like 500 hits away from me."His idea: "So I would take my chances, if MLB wanted to. Just saying to play normal, like the game is supposed to be played since Day One, just to see how that plays out."Of course, Max Scherzer, Jacob deGrom,... [More]

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. (AP) — Denard Span concedes he's hesitant to get comfortable with the idea of playing for his hometown team.The Tampa Bay Rays acquired the veteran outfielder this winter, but are trimming payroll and building for the future.That leaves the 33-year-old Span, who's due to make $11 million this summer, uncertain what uniform he'll be wearing on opening day."I'm excited for the opportunity. I'm not sure what's going to happen, but I can't control that," said Span, acquired along with infielder Christian Arroyo and two minor leaguers in a trade that sent Evan Longoria to the San Francisco Giants.A native of Washington, D.C., Span moved to Tampa when he was 3 years old. He's maintained his offseason home in Florida throughout a 10-year major league career that includes stints with the Minnesota Twins and Washington Nationals."It's really surreal to be able to put this uniform on and live in my own house and stay in my own bed. I drive familiar streets that I've driven on... [More]

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Twins have hired former starting pitcher Jim Kaat as a special assistant to the organization.The Twins announced Thursday that the 79-year-old Kaat will be involved in various community and business initiatives in Minnesota as well as the Fort Myers area in Florida where the team's spring training facility and minor league headquarters are located.Kaat spent 25 seasons in the major leagues, including 13 years with the Twins from 1961-72. He is the club's all-time leader with 189 wins and 2,959 innings.The Twins have Rod Carew, Kent Hrbek, Tom Kelly and Tony Oliva in similar roles. They've also hired former players Michael Cuddyer, Torii Hunter, LaTroy Hawkins and Justin Morneau from the next generation as special assistants.___For more AP baseball coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Twins have hired the recently retired Justin Morneau as a special assistant.The team said Wednesday Morneau will become the fourth former Twins player from his generation to get the job, joining Michael Cuddyer, Torii Hunter and LaTroy Hawkins.The 36-year-old Morneau will be involved in the amateur draft and be a resource for player acquisitions.Morneau was drafted by the Twins in the third round of the 1999 First-Year Player Draft and played 14 seasons in the majors, including 11 with the Twins from 2003-13. He also played for Pittsburgh, Colorado and the Chicago White Sox.Morneau won the American League MVP Award in 2006. The four-time All-Star played 1,278 games for Minnesota, hitting .278 with 221 home runs and 860 RBIs.

OF Torii Hunter, a five-time All-Star and nine-time Gold Glove winner, announced his retirement Oct. 26 at age 40."I'm sad because it's all I've known for half of my life," Hunter told the Minneapolis Star Tribune. "But mentally, I think it's time. I still love the game, but time has taken a toll on me mentally and physically."In 139 games this year, Hunter hit .240 (his lowest mark for a full major league season) with a .293 on-base percentage, a .409 slugging percentage, 22 homers and 81 RBIs. For his 19-year career, Hunter posted a .277/.331/.461 batting line with 353 homers, 1,391 RBIs and 195 stolen bases in 2,372 games.

Outfielder Torii Hunter, a five-time All-Star and nine-time Gold Glove winner, announced his retirement Monday at age 40.Hunter played 19 years in the major leagues, the first 11 and the last one with the Minnesota Twins."I'm sad because it's all I've known for half of my life," Hunter told the Minneapolis Star Tribune. "This great game of baseball has done so much for me. I have learned a lot of lessons. They say baseball is life and life is baseball, and I used baseball and applied it to my life. So I got through a lot of hardships and a lot of hard times and I learned from them and I made adjustments, which you have to do in the game of baseball as well as the game of life. So baseball taught me a lot."But mentally, I think it's time. I still love the game, but time has taken a toll on me mentally and physically."Hunter played for the Twins from 1997-2007. In November 2007, he signed a free agent deal with the Los Angeles Angels, and he played five seasons in Anaheim. Hunter then signed... [More]

Hunter is out of the lineup Sunday against the Royals, Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

The veteran Hunter will join many of the other regulars on the bench for the final day of the regular season. Max Kepler will receive the start in right field in his place, batting third for the Twins.

Hunter smacked his 22nd homer of the year in Thursday's loss to Cleveland.

You'd figure that a 40-year-old would tire down the stretch, but September's been one of Hunter's best months of this season, as he's hitting a terrific .329/.356/.543 with four homers in 18 games. It's too bad that he put together three mediocre-to-awful months in between his big May and September efforts, as that inconsistency has done significant damage to Hunter's season stats.

Hunter went 2-for-5 with his 20th homer, three RBI and two runs against the Angels on Thursday.

At age 40, Hunter's now reached 20 homers for the first time since 2011 and the 11th time in his career. Still, the early success that Hunter achieved faded away in a midseason slump, with his OPS dropping from .792 at the end of June to a low point of .686 on the second day of September. He's heated up recently, though -- Hunter's on a six-game hitting streak and has racked up 15 hits (including three doubles and two homers) in his last 37 at-bats. That's a .405 clip. Hunter's surely been cut loose in the majority of shallower formats by now, and it's worth grabbing him while he's hot.

Hunter went 2-for-4 with his 19th home run in Sunday's win over the White Sox.

Hunter has faded in the second half of the season (hitting .192 with a .555 OPS after the All Star game before Sunday), but he's turning things around lately by going 10-for-25 with a home run over his last six games.

Hunter is out of the lineup Saturday, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press reports.

Hunter will get a scheduled day off Saturday, as the Twins go with Aaron Hicks in right, Byron Buxton in center and Eddie Rosario in left.

Hunter is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the White Sox.

The veteran outfielder has really displayed his age in the second half, hitting .164 with four home runs in 122 at-bats. Eddie Rosario and Shane Robinson will man the corner outfield spots Thursday.

Hunter is out of Sunday's lineup against the Astros, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Hunter continues to receive consistent days off, and he'll get another one Sunday following a 0-for-9 stretch at the plate over the past three games. Eddie Rosario will shift over from left field to start in right, while Shane Robinson instead will enter the lineup in left.

Hunter is expected to be on the bench for Wednesday's game against the Rays, LaVelle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

Hunter continues to receive ample rest as the season wears on, and that's the case again Wednesday. He'll be protected from Rays ace Chris Archer, but the veteran outfielder should return to the lineup within the next few days.

Hunter is out of the lineup Sunday against the Orioles, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Hunter has made three straight starts in right field, but will be relieved by Shane Robinson for the afternoon contest. Calling Hunter's recent stretch a slump would be putting it lightly, as the veteran has slashed just .127/.210/.273 in the month of August, causing him to lose regular playing time to the likes of Robinson and Eddie Rosario.

Hunter is out of the lineup Wednesday against the Yankees, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

The veteran Hunter continues to receive regular days off due to his age, and that's the case once again Wednesday. Eddie Rosario will move over from left field to start in right, while Shane Robinson will enter the lineup in left field, batting ninth for the Twins.

Hunter went 1-for-5 in Monday's loss to the Yankees to end an 0-for-17 slump.

Hunter is hitting just .172 since the All Star break and is in danger of losing playing time the final six weeks if the Twins fall out of the playoff hunt.

Hunter is out of the lineup Sunday against the Indians.

Hunter will get a regular day off after starting back-to-back games, giving way to Eddie Rosario in right field while Shane Robinson draws the start in left. The early-season magic has worn off for Hunter, who owns a .111 batting average on the month and is hitless since Aug. 7.

Hunter is out of the lineup Thursday, the Star Tribune's Phil Miller reports.

This is just a standard day off for Hunter in a day game following a night game where he went 0-for-4 for the second night in a row. Eddie Rosario will start in right field with Shane Robinson starting in left field Thursday.