Jun 9, 2021 NEW YORK — Mets first baseman Pete Alonso said Wednesday that he disagrees with MLB’s crackdown on pitcher-friendly foreign substances, and that the larger issue facing the sport is the league’s manipulation of baseballs depending on free-agent class — a theory he presented as “fact.” “The biggest concern is MLB manipulates the

Jun 9, 2021 Gerrit Cole was perhaps a little more pumped up than usual for a start in early June against a last-place team from a different division — even if he was reluctant to admit it. Thrust into the position as the face of baseball’s burgeoning controversy over the application of foreign substances to

7:00 AM ET Ten weeks into the MLB season, we have the fourth No. 1 team of the 2021 campaign atop our MLB Power Rankings. Which American League team is playing well enough to bump the San Diego Padres from the top spot? Which National League club managed to pass the Padres in the Senior

11:43 AM ET ESPN News Services The class of 2020 — Derek Jeter, Marvin Miller, Ted Simmons and Larry Walker — will have to wait a little bit longer to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame this summer, it was announced Wednesday. The induction ceremony, which had been scheduled for July 25

10:00 AM ET ESPN News Services PITTSBURGH — Ke’Bryan Hayes forgot to touch ’em all. The Pittsburgh Pirates rookie third baseman missed first base while running out a home run Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Dodgers and was called out after a replay review. Hayes stung an opposite-field line drive in the first inning

7:16 AM ET Editor’s note: From rising strikeout totals and unwritten rules debates to connecting with a new generation of fans and a looming labor battle, baseball is at a crossroads. As MLB faces these challenges, we are embarking on a season-long look at The State of Baseball, examining the storylines that will determine how

9:54 PM ET Associated Press ARLINGTON, Texas — Brandon Crawford played in his 1,326th game at shortstop for the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday night, breaking a tie with Hall of Famer Travis Jackson for the most in franchise history. Jackson was a shortstop in 1,325 games for the New York Giants from 1922 to

5:53 PM ET Associated Press BALTIMORE — – New York Mets manager Luis Rojas said Tuesday that he expects infielder Jeff McNeil to begin a rehab assignment by the end of the weekend. McNeil hasn’t played since May 16 because of a strained left hamstring. He’s hitting .242 with three home runs and eight RBIs

6:45 PM ET Associated Press DENVER — Former Colorado Rockies sluggers Larry Walker and Vinny Castilla will play in the All-Star celebrity softball game following the Futures Game at Denver’s Coors Field on July 11 along with Cy Young Award winner CC Sabathia, former All-Star Hunter Pence and Olympic gold-medal-winning softball player Jennie Finch. Seattle

Jun 6, 2021 ESPN News Services San Francisco Giants third baseman Evan Longoria will be sidelined for an estimated four to six weeks after suffering a sprained left shoulder in a collision with shortstop Brandon Crawford on Saturday. Longoria was placed on the 10-day injured list Sunday after being hurt in the collision, which happened