MILWAUKEE -- How loaded is the Dodgers’ starting rotation if there isn’t room for Julio Urias? Urias is headed to the bullpen with the return of Hyun-Jin Ryu from the injured list on Saturday, even though Urias didn't allow a hit until the fifth inning Thursday night in the Dodgers’

DENVER -- Beyond the pain of a left elbow sprain, what bothered Ryan McMahon for the 10 games he missed was that the injury occurred just as he was finding his swing. McMahon proved in his return Thursday night that the feeling never left him. McMahon’s three-run homer in the

SAN DIEGO -- Reds first baseman Joey Votto connected for his first career leadoff home run when he drilled an 0-2 pitch from Padres right-hander Chris Paddack to right-center field on Thursday night at Petco Park. With the 394-foot blast, Votto managed to establish a career first in consecutive plate

MINNEAPOLIS -- Blue Jays fans will have to wait at least a few more days before Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is called up to make his Major League debut. Toronto's fan base has been waiting on pins and needles for news of Guerrero's imminent arrival. There was some speculation it might

ANAHEIM -- Shohei Ohtani will take another step in his rehab from Oct. 1 Tommy John surgery, as he will hit on the field with his teammates before Friday’s game against the Mariners. Ohtani has been hitting on the field since March 26 and has been facing fastballs and curveballs

Will Benson, known for his incredible raw power, made history on Thursday night, becoming the first player in Class A Lake County history to homer four times in one night. Benson homered in each of his first four at-bats and finished 4-for-5 with eight RBIs in a 12-6 win over

The Dodgers' fifth straight win, a 3-1 nailbiter over the Brewers on Thursday night, may not have been possible without a sensational assist from rookie outfielder Alex Verdugo, who ended the eighth inning with a perfect throw to the plate to cut down Hernan Perez and preserve what was a

Closer Craig Kimbrel has compiled an impressive resume during his nine seasons in the big leagues, recording a microscopic 1.91 ERA with a 0.92 WHIP, 333 saves and a 14.7 K/9 rate. Below you will find a list of the latest news and rumors surrounding the right-hander, who remains unsigned.

Identifying future closers isn't easy. Mariano Rivera, baseball's all-time saves leader and only unanimous Hall of Famer, began his pro career as a starter. So did Edwin Diaz and Wade Davis, the league leaders in saves a year ago, and many other pitchers who are nailing down the ninth inning

MILWAUKEE -- Cody Bellinger held the National League home run lead for a couple of innings on Thursday night, until Christian Yelich tied up the leaderboard again, as the two sluggers got off to a good start in what could be their own Home Run Derby through the weekend series.

DENVER -- Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado can turn a bad hop into a really sweet one. In the fourth inning of Colorado's 6-2 win over the Phillies on Thursday night at Coors Field, Rhys Hoskins lashed a Kyle Freeland pitch for a two-hopper toward the third-base line. The second

NEW YORK -- Aaron Judge's plate appearances are still the ones that ease traffic at the concession stands and stadium lavatories, but the Yankees right fielder's defense has been just as worthy of attention so far this year. Judge contributed another stellar defensive play in the fifth inning of the

ST. PETERSBURG -- After weeks under a national microscope, Chris Davis mainly spent this week in the shadows, hindered by a stomach virus that’s kept him off the field for days. When he emerged from the Orioles dugout Thursday, it was discreetly -- as an eighth inning defensive replacement in

BOSTON -- Dustin Pedroia's latest setback with his problematic left knee landed him on the 10-day injured list, effective Thursday. To fill Pedroia's spot on the roster, the Red Sox will recall righty Marcus Walden from Triple-A Pawtucket prior to Friday's game against the Rays. Pedroia, 35, exited Wednesday's game

NEW YORK -- One evening after their clubhouse was transformed into the city’s most exclusive nightclub, the Yankees’ icy bats ensured that the fog machine and strobe lights remained unplugged. Domingo Germán permitted a pair of early homers, and the bats were unable to respond in Thursday’s 6-1 loss to

WASHINGTON -- Normally when a team inks a player to a contract as lucrative as the six-year, $140 million deal the Nationals awarded to left-hander Patrick Corbin this winter, that player enters the season as the center of attention. Yet Corbin has managed to fly under the radar at the

NEW YORK -- Right-hander Homer Bailey showed on Thursday night that he could be a candidate for American League Comeback Player of the Year. He pitched six solid innings and helped the Royals defeat the Yankees, 6-1, at Yankee Stadium. The Royals have won five of their last seven games

DENVER -- When the Phillies traded for All-Star catcher J.T. Realmuto last offseason, they acquired one of the hottest names on the market. While the acquisition was overshadowed by Philadelphia’s blockbuster signing of Bryce Harper three weeks later, Realmuto represented a rarity in baseball these days: a catcher who is

DALLAS -- Pedro Sierra was one of the last of the Negro Leaguers, a pitcher for the Indianapolis Clowns in the 1950s. Sierra was hoping to follow in the footsteps of Jackie Robinson and others, but the chance never came. However … “If I had the opportunity to do it

OAKLAND -- Khris Davis fell in love with Oakland the minute he arrived in a trade from Milwaukee in 2016. The slugger made it clear he wanted to remain a member of the A's beyond 2019, and now, it looks like he'll be sticking around a little longer. The A’s

SAN DIEGO -- Fernando Tatis Jr. is one of the Padres' best on-base weapons, and he’s one of their most exciting, aggressive baserunners. He's a seemingly natural fit at the top of the order. For Thursday’s series opener against the Reds, that’s precisely where the 20-year-old phenom was hitting. Tatis

ANAHEIM -- The Angels had a tough time getting out of Texas after Wednesday’s series finale, as a thunderstorm closed down Dallas Fort Worth International Airport after the game, causing players and staff to remain at Globe Life Park until nearly 2 a.m. CT. The plane didn’t take off until

Jeff McNeil came up to the Mets last July 24 and immediately began doing what he has done since he started in Rookie level in 2013. McNeil hit. In this home run time in baseball, he sprayed line drives all over the field and by the end of the season

On Tuesday night, ESPN's David Schoenfield posited an interesting question on Twitter: Is the Tampa Bay relief combo of Jose Alvarado and Diego Castillo the best in baseball? There's certainly a strong argument for it, to be sure. The pair have yet to allow a run in 18 1/3 combined