LOS ANGELES — It was just last month when 63-year-old Fernando Valenzuela, the beloved Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher who sparked Fernandomania, died from a mysterious illness.

A newly published copy of his death certificate dispels much of the mystery: According to that document, Valenzuela's underlying cause of death was possibly related to a ...Read more

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Tropicana Field can be repaired in time for the Rays’ 2026 season for about $55.7 million, according to the damage assessment report sent to St. Petersburg City Council members on Tuesday.

The report, which does not include all items to be repaired, estimates that Hurricane Milton caused $39 million in damage and an ...Read more

UNCASVILLE, Conn. — Manny Ramirez turned to the man next to him, his former captain, and shared a little secret.

“When I came to Boston, I watched you and I looked up to you,”: Ramirez told Jason Varitek. “When you went 4 for 4 or 0 for 4, you worked hard. It made me a better player.”

It was a poignant moment during an evening of ...Read more

LEXINGTON, Ky. — As the night deepened on Oct. 30, Walker Buehler was summoned from the Los Angeles Dodgers bullpen with his team needing three New York Yankees outs to claim the 2024 World Series championship.

It was to be the Lexington native’s first appearance as a relief pitcher since 2018.

In the stands at Yankee Stadium, the pitcher�...Read more

ATLANTA — Braves starting pitcher Chris Sale is a finalist for the National League Cy Young Award, voted on by members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.

This is no surprise. The only surprise would be if Sale did not win the award.

The other finalists are Pirates rookie phenom Paul Skenes and Phillies ace Zack Wheeler.

The ...Read more

NEW YORK — Francisco Lindor heard chants of “MVP” in nearly every ballpark the Mets played in over the second half of the 2024 season. The shortstop is getting some recognition for the way he carried the Mets into the postseason as a finalist for the NL MVP Award.

The league announced the finalists for the major awards Monday with Lindor ...Read more

When the television company that airs Angels games filed for bankruptcy last year, the team appeared to be faced with a stark choice: take less money to stay on its longtime broadcast home or take much less money now in the hope that a streaming-first alternative would pay off later.

Either way, the prospect of lower revenue raised the prospect...Read more

TAMPA, Fla. — Rays shortstop Wander Franco, already facing a December trial on charges stemming from a relationship with a minor, was arrested Monday in the Dominican Republic following a gun-related incident.

Franco was involved in an altercation Sunday in San Juan de la Maguana in which guns were drawn in the parking lot of an apartment ...Read more

CHICAGO — Kyle Hendricks figured he would be sitting around all offseason and wait it out before finding his next big-league opportunity.

Instead, Hendricks’ first experience with free agency didn’t even last a week — he finalized a one-year, $2.5 million contract with the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday. Although all signs pointed to ...Read more

The Dodgers' World Series-winning coaching staff won't remain entirely intact next season.

On Sunday, the Miami Marlins hired Dodgers first base coach Clayton McCullough to be their new manager, as ESPN first reported, creating the first opening on the Dodgers' coaching staff in two seasons.

A 44-year-old former minor-league catcher, ...Read more

SAN DIEGO — There’s no doubt Padres manager Mike Shildt and president of baseball operations A.J. Preller are in lockstep, beyond the two-year extension that will carry the dugout boss through 2027.

How do we know?

The Zoom call with media Wednesday that announced the deal felt bro-huggy to the point of wondering if a tailgate bash was ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA— A world-class pitcher reached the cusp of free agency Saturday with the announcement that Roki Sasaki will be made available by his team in Japan.

But unlike most free agents, all 30 teams figure to have interest, including the Phillies, who scouted Sasaki this season, according to two sources.

In a statement, the Chiba Lotte ...Read more

SAN DIEGO — Roki Sasaki is coming to Major League Baseball.

He could be coming to San Diego.

The Padres would seem to have as good a chance as any to sign the 23-year-old Japanese pitching phenom. They might have a better chance than most.

Sasaki’s NPB team, the Chiba Lotte Marines, announced they will begin the process of posting Sasaki,...Read more

LOS ANGELES — On the first day of October, two Dodgers executives were on the other side of the world.

Shortly after the end of the regular season, president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and vice president of player personnel Galen Carr were in Japan on a scouting trip.

The center of their attention: phenom pitcher Roki Sasaki.

...Read more

SAN DIEGO — Between now and baseball’s summer trade deadline, Padres president of baseball operations A.J. Preller will devote considerable time to landing a number of starting pitchers.

Really, it’s a job that never ends for any baseball team’s team-builder.

Never have so many pitchers been needed to win a World Series. Pitchers are ...Read more

The Angels and the Diamond Sports Group have reached an agreement on a new deal that will allow fans to watch games on the FanDuel Sports Network, via cable providers or by subscribing to a streaming service, a source said.

The FanDuel Sports Network was previously known as Bally Sports.

The deal is expected to be announced in the coming days....Read more

ATLANTA — In the latest twist involving a dispute about the home plate and the bases from Hank Aaron’s historic 715th home run, former Braves employee Ben Acree has filed a counterclaim against the team, alleging it has damaged his reputation.

In a filing Wednesday, responding to the Braves’ lawsuit against him, his father Bill Acree and ...Read more

NEW YORK — Aaron Boone is officially back.

The Yankees exercised the manager’s 2025 club option on Friday morning, an expected move after Boone took the team to the World Series for the first time as skipper this past season. The 2025 campaign will mark the 51-year-old’s eighth season at the helm.

“I am grateful for the trust placed in...Read more

PITTSBURGH — With the MLB offseason underway, Pirates general manager Ben Cherington and his staff have begun their quest to improve the club's roster. Following a disappointing 2024 campaign, Cherington himself admitted that changes must be made to put the organization in a better position to compete for the postseason.

While free agency ...Read more