7:00 AM ET August is nearly history, and the 2021 MLB playoff picture is starting to come into focus ahead of September’s stretch run. Are the rampaging New York Yankees — a newly minted member of our top five — making a case for being the best team in baseball? How far have the struggling

11:39 AM ET ESPN News Services St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Jack Flaherty is returning to the injured list with a right shoulder strain, manager Mike Shildt said Wednesday. Flaherty (9-2) left after two-plus innings in Tuesday’s 4-3 loss to the Detroit Tigers. He allowed four runs on four hits with three walks on 46 pitches,

3:48 PM ET Associated Press PITTSBURGH — Arizona Diamondbacks left-hander Caleb Smith has been suspended 10 games and fined an undisclosed amount for having a foreign substance on his glove during a game last week. Smith’s suspension, announced Tuesday, is the second this season as Major League Baseball cracks down on pitchers using sticky substances

4:39 PM ET ESPN News Services Nelson Cruz returned from the COVID-19 list, played first base for the first time in his career and hit a tiebreaking two-run double in the eighth inning for the Tampa Bay Rays, who beat the Philadelphia Phillies 3-1 on Tuesday night. The 41-year-old Cruz, Tampa Bay’s designated hitter who

4:46 PM ET The Milwaukee Brewers placed infielder Eduardo Escobar on the injured list with a strained right hamstring, the team announced Tuesday. Escobar left Sunday’s game against the Washington Nationals with discomfort and had an MRI. Since being acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks at the trading deadline, the switch-hitting Escobar is hitting .280 in

4:50 PM ET Associated Press MIAMI — Highly regarded Miami Marlins pitching prospect Edward Cabrera is scheduled to make his major league debut Wednesday against the Washington Nationals. Cabrera, 23, is 3-4 with a 2.93 ERA in 13 starts at three minor league levels this year. He was sidelined early in the season by a

Aug 22, 2021 Associated Press ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Rays placed designated hitter Nelson Cruz on the COVID-19 injured list on Sunday. The move was announced about one hour before the Rays’ 9-0 victory over the Chicago White Sox in a matchup of AL division leaders. “Woke up not feeling good,” Rays

Aug 22, 2021 ESPN News Services BALTIMORE — The surging Atlanta Braves handed the Baltimore Orioles their 18th straight loss on Sunday, the longest skid in the major leagues since the Kansas City Royals dropped 19 straight in 2005. The 3-1 defeat was one of the more competitive games the O’s have played during the

5:07 PM ET ESPN News Services LOS ANGELES — Javier Baez returned to the New York Mets‘ lineup Sunday after missing 11 games with back spasms. The two-time All-Star was reinstated from the injured list and started at shortstop in the finale of a four-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He batted third and

Aug 20, 2021 This season’s seven City Connect uniforms were polarizing among fans, but Major League Baseball considers them a success. The Nike alternates, according to league officials, are not only here to stay — there will be 23 others by the end of 2023 — they are helping to set the stage for even