SAN DIEGO (AP) — Wil Myers is back. While Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado have grabbed most of the attention on the playoff-bound Padres, Myers’ comeback performance has also been instrumental in returning San Diego to postseason play for the first time since 2006. Myers’ six-year sojourn with the Padres has been twisted and often dismal, both at the plate and as a player on a team that lost with regularity. The longest-tenured Padres player, Myers has bounced back from his worst season and is putting up impressive numbers in the pandemic-shortened season. The outfielder is hitting .291 with 14 homers and 38 RBIs in 52 games. Fittingly, Myers hit a big three-run home run in the Padres’ playoff-clinching, 11-inning victory against the Seattle Mariners on Sunday. “Throughout my entire career I’ve hit some home runs, but this one the other day was pretty big,” he said. “To be able to have a hit that helped push us to get there was really cool.” In January 2015, Myers sat on a stage at... [More]

CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) — The Detroit Tigers have reassigned veteran catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia to their minor league camp.The Tigers brought back Saltalamacchia on a minor league contract on March 9 to add depth behind James McCann and John Hicks.Saltalamacchia has hit .233 with 110 homers and 381 RBIs over an 11-year big league career. He played in 10 games last season for Toronto and had one hit in 25 at-bats.The 32-year-old played in 93 games with the Tigers in 2016, hitting .171 with 38 RBIs. He began his career in 2007 with Atlanta and has also played for Boston, Miami and Arizona.Also sent Thursday to the minor league camp were catcher Derek Norris, infielders Pete Kozma and Ronny Rodriguez, and outfielders Jim Adduci and Chad Huffman.Left-handers Chad Bell and Blaine Hardy were optioned to Triple-A Toledo.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

LAKELAND, Fla. (AP) — Ron Gardenhire put on a glove and took some grounders at first base, tossing the ball to pitchers covering the bag and barking out words of encouragement.The manager certainly seemed to be enjoying himself Wednesday, when the Detroit Tigers had their first workout for pitchers and catchers at spring training. Gardenhire won over 1,000 games with the Minnesota Twins, but this opportunity with the Tigers is his first chance to manage since 2014, and he had a hop in his step and even some jitters."I just caught myself speaking really fast to the team," Gardenhire said. "I could tell I was really talking fast, and I normally try to keep myself calm, and it was hard, because I was really excited to be in front of a group again."Gardenhire's new team isn't facing much pressure as the season approaches. The Tigers finished tied for the worst record in baseball a year ago, and not much is expected in 2018 from what is now a rebuilding franchise . When spring training starts,... [More]

C Derek Norris was designated for assignment after C Wilson Ramos was activated from the disabled list Saturday. Norris went 3-for-3 with a two-run homer on Friday,

C Derek Norris went 3-for-3 with a two-run homer on Friday, though his time with the Rays will be short-lived. Wilson Ramos will be activated from the disabled list Sunday, and it will be at Norris' expense. Norris will be designated for assignment Saturday. Norris went into the game hitting just .188 but had been somewhat productive with 22 RBIs in 52 games.

C Derek Norris hit one of the Rays' five home runs off Tigers pitching. Norris is sharing catching time with Jesus Sucre at the moment but with C Wilson Ramos coming off the disabled list soon there will be an alteration of how things play out behind the plate. The Sunday home run was the eighth of the season for Norris.

C Derek Norris hit two home runs, his sixth and seventh of the season and had three RBIs. It is Norris' third multi-HR game of his career with his last coming on June 28, 2015 as a member of the Padres. Norris entered Thursday's game in a 2-for-34 slump.

C Derek Norris went 0-for-3 on Wednesday. The MLB announced it is investigating allegations of domestic abuse against Norris made by his ex-fiance Kristen Eck. Norris denied the allegations through a statement that said they "could not be further from the truth." The Rays have said they will keep Norris on the active roster and let MLB officials determine the course of action.

C Derek Norris left Saturday's game in the middle of the eighth inning after lining out to center field. Manager Kevin Cash said Norris suffered back spasms. "It's more in the muscle so we expect he'll be OK." With an afternoon game Sunday, Cash said Norris was going to get a day off.

C Derek Norris drove in two runs and was 1-for-3 on Saturday, snapping his four-game hitless streak. Norris drove in a run in the second inning with an RBI single and added another RBI with a sacrifice fly in the fourth. He had gone hitless in his previous 12 at-bats and had one hit in his last 20 at-bats.

C Derek Norris went 1-for-3 with a solo homer in the fifth inning off C.C. Sabathia in Sunday's loss to the Yankees. All four of Norris' home runs this season have been solo shots and he's hitting .304 (17-for-56) since April 26.

C Derek Norris went 2-for-4 with a key RBI to extend the Rays lead late, providing a spark to help Tampa Bay end a three-game losing streak. Norris is only hitting .200, but picked up his fifth RBI and did so with two outs as well.

C Derek Norris came through with a clutch two-out, two-run single, then had a rare stolen base -- the first by a Rays catcher since 2014 -- to set himself up to score on a two-out single Wednesday against the Yankees. Norris is hitting just .182 so far, but he has handled the Rays pitchers well in his first three games with the team.

C Derek Norris: Counting an offseason with the Nationals, he's on his fourth team in four seasons, trying to regain his All-Star numbers from 2014. The Rays got him on a modest, incentive-laden deal -- they've lacked consistent hitting from the catcher position -- but he'll have a chance to show off his power after hitting 14 home runs in each of the last two seasons in San Diego.

C Derek Norris is hitting only .184 this season. But he hit a two-run homer off Madison Bumgarner on Saturday night to match his previous career high of 14 homers. And he has a lifetime .289 batting average against Bumgarner (11-for-38) with two home runs.

C Derek Norris who left the game Saturday night in the bottom of the fifth inning with a sprained left middle finger, the result of getting hit with a foul ball, was announced as a pinch hitter in the ninth but replaced when the Rockies made a pitching change. Before the game, Norris said, "It's just a jammed finger. I just went to close my glove, and the ball tipped it. It kind of took off on an upward angle and kind of just hit it at a direct angle and just jammed it pretty good. We just wanted to make sure nothing was broken, and I'm glad nothing was. If something goes on today, I'm sure I can throw some tape on it, rub some dirt on it. Played through worse, but I'm just glad nothing's broken."

C Derek Norris was not in the lineup but available after leaving Saturday night's game in the fifth inning with a sprained left middle finger, the result of getting hit with a foul tip.

C Derek Norris left the game on Saturday in the bottom of the fifth inning with a sprained left middle finger, the result of getting hit with a foul ball. X-rays were negative. Norris was listed as day to day and will be re-evaluated Sunday.

C Derek Norris left Saturday's game in the fifth with a sprained left middle finger.

C Derek Norris was available Friday despite leaving Thursday night's game in the ninth inning after taking a foul tip off his right clavicle. X-rays were negative. Earlier in Thursday's game, Norris hit his 13th homer and first since July 10. Before the homer, Norris was in a 4-for-46 drought with 23 strikeouts.