BOSTON -- Victor Mesa Jr. is about as big a Lionel Messi fan as you’ll find in baseball. He wore a custom-made Messi jacket to Fenway Park on Sunday morning, and the Rays’ social media accounts posted a video message from Mesa to Messi ahead of Argentina’s World Cup Final

Buy or sell? While a number of teams know which side of the fence they’re on, there’s a glut of teams in the middle that probably have no idea what they’re going to do.

NEW YORK -- Two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani will not make his scheduled pitching start on Wednesday in Philadelphia, manager Dave Roberts said Sunday, and could miss additional starts on the mound in order to address the soreness in his left knee that has lingered for more than a month. The

As the baseball calendar creeps closer toward the Trade Deadline on Aug. 3, the rumor mill continues to churn.

TORONTO -- Eight days between starts and the four-day All-Star break did little to cool off White Sox right-hander Sean Burke, who continued a stretch of dominant outings on Sunday at Rogers Centre. Burke was locked in right from the first pitch against the Blue Jays, as he opened the

HOUSTON -- Orioles catcher Samuel Basallo left Sunday’s game at Daikin Park with right shoulder discomfort after grimacing during a second-inning at-bat.

Before he hit the game-winning shot in the 1982 NCAA Men’s Basketball championship game, before he was drafted third overall in the 1984 NBA Draft, before the Rookie of the Year Award, the 14 All-Star selections, the 10 scoring titles, the five MVP Awards and the six NBA titles …

CHICAGO -- Aaron Civale played a part in the Cubs’ bullpen down the stretch last season and then stepped up in a big way when needed in the playoffs. Given the need for pitching depth at the moment, Chicago has once again brought the veteran righty back into the fold

MILWAUKEE – All-Star shortstop Otto Lopez was not in the Marlins’ lineup for Sunday afternoon’s series finale against the Brewers at American Family Field with inflammation in his right ring finger.

CHICAGO -- Anthony Rizzo was merely taking in a game at Wrigley Field on Saturday. Sitting in the right-field bleachers alongside his teammates from the 2016 World Series champions -- who earlier helped dedicate a brand new Champions Gate monument outside the stadium -- the three-time All-Star likely assumed his

The All-Star break is a thing of the past, and the Trade Deadline on Aug. 3 is quickly coming into focus.

MILWAUKEE – Jacob Misiorowski said he’s rested and ready to begin the second half with a high-profile matchup against former teammate Freddy Peralta and the Mets on Monday night at American Family Field.

BOSTON – Wilyer Abreu watched five pitches from Garrett Cleavinger go by, none piquing the Red Sox right fielder’s interest enough to even lift his bat off his shoulder. But when the sixth pitch came his way, Abreu uncorked Saturday’s game-changing swing. Down by one with two outs in the

ANAHEIM -- Tarik Skubal spent his All-Star break in Detroit, bypassing a typical midsummer vacation to get his regular between-starts work at Comerica Park. On Saturday at Angel Stadium, that preparation paid off immediately. Backed by a four-run burst in the first inning, Skubal silenced the Angels' bats, scattering five

SEATTLE -- Lifeless for their first game-and-a-half out of the break, the Mariners finally found liftoff in the late innings of a 4-3, 10-inning thriller over the Giants on Saturday afternoon.

CLEVELAND -- Travis Bazzana raised his right arm into the air and shuffled around the first-base bag. The fly ball he hit landed beyond the center-field fence at Progressive Field, sending the ballpark into a frenzy and the Guardians’ second baseman into a trot every young baseball player has practiced

HOUSTON -- The Orioles are finding different ways to win games these days. On Friday, it was an eighth-inning two-run homer from Taylor Ward that propelled them to victory -- their fifth straight win at the time.

Here's something: Alex Rodriguez, Mets legend. Wait, what? Alas, context is needed. A-Rod was seen at Fanatics Fest on Friday wearing an '80s-era Keith Hernandez Mets jersey. Not only that, but he told Hernandez, who was there signing autographs, that he watched nearly every Mets game during the first baseman's

MLB and the MLBPA held their first bargaining session on May 12 as both parties began working toward the next labor agreement. The CBA expires on Dec. 1. Competitive balance will be a focus during discussions, if not the primary issue. Here’s what you need to know about the state

BALTIMORE -- For the third time in less than a year, the Orioles have agreed to a long-term contract extension with a core player on their roster. On Saturday, Baltimore announced it signed right-hander Kyle Bradish to a five-year extension that covers the 2027-31 seasons. The deal is worth $90

MILWAUKEE – The Brewers placed outfielder Sal Frelick on the 10-day injured list Saturday with a right shoulder strain and scratched second baseman Brice Turang from the starting lineup against the Marlins with a sore right foot. All on the same day that franchise mainstay Brandon Woodruff announced he needs

WEST SACRAMENTO – The Athletics returned from the All-Star break fully believing they are still capable of turning this season around. Before that could happen, they desperately just needed a win, something that had eluded them for over two weeks. Mired in a brutal 10-game losing streak, it was going

ATLANTA -- Brandon Nimmo isn’t shy about quoting one of his favorite shows, “Ted Lasso.” “Be a goldfish,” the fictional soccer coach says in season 1 of the Emmy Award-winning show.

Before Monday’s T-Mobile Home Run Derby at Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Park, fans in the outfield were given oversized gloves to catch incoming dingers. But on Saturday, one fan in Philly didn’t need a glove to make a highlight-reel grab of Kyle Schwarber’s latest long ball.

NEW YORK -- Aaron Judge underwent a re-imaging procedure on his fractured right rib during the All-Star break that revealed signs of healing, but not yet enough to clear the Yankees captain for resumption of baseball activities. Judge had the imaging performed on Wednesday. He is believed to have sustained