NEW YORK (AP) — Japanese star pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano has been posted by the Yomiuri Giants and is available for bidding to major league teams.
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Bruce Bochy isn't quite done managing after all.
Bochy might have just retired after a decorated 25-year career in the dugout with San Diego and San Francisco. But he is...
ROME (AP) — When Mike Piazza was hired to manage Italy's national baseball team, one of the first people he shared the news with was Tommy Lasorda.
NEW YORK (AP) — When the Houston Astros' owner offered Carlos Beltran charter aircrafts to send relief aid to Puerto Rico and evacuate cancer patients from the island after Hurricane Maria, the Puerto Rican slugger quickly thought about "the chat group."
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Toronto Blue Jays manager John Gibbons says Marcus Stroman will make his next scheduled start Monday night against Cleveland.
Stroman departed after three innings, his shortest start in three years, in the Blue Jays' 8-6 loss to the New York Yankees on Wednesday night because of tightness in his right armpit.
"Said he's good to go," Gibbons said before Friday night's game at Tampa Bay. "Said he's feeling good."
NEW YORK (AP) — Given a four-run first-inning lead, Toronto's Marcus Stroman allowed his first two batters to reach base, then a three-run homer to Matt Holliday. Pitching two days after his 26th birthday, the right-hander kept trying to stretch his pitching arm.
Stroman was gone after three innings, his shortest start in three years, removed from the Blue Jays' 8-6 loss to the New York Yankees on Wednesday night because of tightness in his right armpit.
DETROIT (AP) — The Cleveland Indians are still being aggressive with reliever Andrew Miller — and the tall left-hander is showing no ill effects from his impressive workload.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Kendrys Morales gave the Blue Jays a much-needed lift after Toronto started the regular season with consecutive losses.
Morales hit his fourth career grand slam, Marcus Stroman pitched 6 1/3 effective innings and the Blue Jays beat the Tampa Bay Rays 5-2 on Thursday night.
"It was just a matter of time before the guys started heating up," Toronto manager John Gibbons said.
Adam Jones provided perhaps the best highlight of the World Baseball Classic, when he took a home run away from Manny Machado with a spectacular catch in center field.
Now Jones and Machado are just teammates again.
"Pretty cool catch, pretty great moment," Jones said. "Sorry it had to be my boy Manny, but it's part of the game, part of that process."
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Houston Astros manager A.J. Hinch will have to wait at least one more day to get his complete lineup into a Grapefruit League game.
Shortstop Carlos Correa, back with the club after a stirring World Baseball Classic, complained of midsection soreness brought on by extensive coughing and requested one more day off.
JUPITER, Fla. (AP) — For slugger Giancarlo Stanton, the World Baseball Classic gave him a feeling he'd never experienced but wants to feel again in about six months.
The tournament, which concluded with Team USA winning the gold medal on Wednesday, is the closest Stanton's come to playing postseason baseball.
"For me it was not watching a playoff game on TV, for once," Stanton said.
Miami hasn't played postseason baseball since 2003, well before Stanton's big league debut in 2010.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The eagle has landed on top.
The United States routed Puerto Rico 8-0 to win its first World Baseball Classic in four tries on Wednesday night behind six hitless innings from Marcus Stroman.
The Americans planted their eagle statue mascot on the mound in celebration, a blue cap jauntily hanging from one of its large wings.
Team USA Wins World Baseball Classic
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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Even before the United States took the field to face Puerto Rico for the World Baseball Classic championship on Wednesday night, Rob Manfred was confident in declaring this sometimes troubled tournament to be a smashing success.
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Pharmacies and beauty stores across Puerto Rico are running out of hair dye with even a top economist joining men going blond in support of the island's baseball players who bleached their hair ahead of the World Baseball Classic.
New York Yankees shortstop Didi Gregorius is expected to miss the first month of the regular season after straining his right shoulder while away at the World Baseball Classic.
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said Tuesday that Gregorius is likely to be sidelined six weeks. Opening day for the Yankees is April 2 at Tampa Bay.
Gregorius was hurt when he turned a double play for the Netherlands on Saturday in an exhibition game against Arizona in preparation for the WBC semifinals.
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — New York Yankees shortstop Didi Gregorius is expected to miss the first month of the regular season because of a strained right shoulder.
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said Tuesday that Gregorius is likely to be sidelined six weeks. Opening day for the Yankees is April 2 at Tampa Bay.
"It's not what I wanted to hear," Gregorius said. "It is what it is now."
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Carlos Correa was 17 and watching the World Baseball Classic on television four years ago, too young to participate.
When his chance came around this time, the Houston Astros' star shortstop was up to the task.
Correa hit a two-run homer in the first inning and scored the winning run in the 11th to give Puerto Rico a dramatic 4-3 victory over the Netherlands on Monday night.
New York Yankees shortstop Didi Gregorius has a bruised right shoulder, ending his time at the World Baseball Classic and leaving his status for opening day in doubt.
Yankees manager Joe Girardi didn't put on a timetable on a return, only saying, "He's going to be sidelined for a bit." The Yankees start the regular season April 2 at Tampa Bay.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Tanner Roark is getting a chance to redeem himself in the World Baseball Classic.
The Washington Nationals pitcher will start for the United States against Japan in the semifinals at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday night. The Americans are trying to reach the championship game for the first time in four editions of the WBC.
The Netherlands was set to face Puerto Rico on Monday night for the other spot in Wednesday's final.
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — New York Yankees shortstop Didi Gregorius has a bruised right shoulder, ending his time at the World Baseball Classic and leaving his status for opening day in doubt.
Yankees manager Joe Girardi didn't put on a timetable on a return, only saying, "He's going to be sidelined for a bit." The Yankees start the regular season April 2 at Tampa Bay.
Miami Marlins third baseman Martin Prado is expected to miss the start of the regular season after straining his right hamstring at the World Baseball Classic.
Marlins manager Don Mattingly already has ruled out Prado playing in any exhibition games.
SAN DIEGO (AP) — The United States is going to the semifinals of the World Baseball Classic for the second time thanks to another impressive home run by Giancarlo Stanton at Petco Park and a spectacular catch at the fence by hometown favorite Adam Jones.
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Carlos Correa, Carlos Beltran and Team Puerto Rico are heading up the freeway in fine shape.
Already assured a spot in the World Baseball Classic semifinals, Puerto Rico beat Venezuela 13-2 Saturday for its sixth straight tournament win. Mike Aviles got four hits and drove in three runs to pace the team's 17-hit attack at Petco Park.
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Puerto Rico is squeezing every bit of fun it can out of this World Baseball Classic.
Come Monday night, the party moves on to Dodger Stadium.
Yadier Molina and Puerto Rico advanced to the WBC semifinals after scoring four runs in the first inning and then holding on for a wild 6-5 win against the United States on Friday night.
SAN DIEGO (AP) — The Dominican Republic took a step toward a repeat title in the World Baseball Classic thanks to impressive home runs by Nelson Cruz and Gregory Polanco.
The Dominicans also got some nice pitching in a 3-0 victory Thursday night that pushed Venezuela to the brink of elimination.
"We understand the importance of this game and what we had to do," Nelson said after he hit his third homer of the tournament. "We woke up. We needed to start moving."