7:31 PM ET Associated Press GOODYEAR, Ariz. — – Cincinnati Reds outfielder Shogo Akiyama returned to spring training after a week away to be with his wife, who was seriously injured when a tree fell on her in a park in Ohio. Akaya Akiyama was hospitalized after being injured by the tree last week while

6:16 PM ET Associated Press NORTH PORT. Fla. — Atlanta Braves pitcher Max Fried won’t make his first scheduled start of spring training because of a potential exposure to someone with COVID-19. Braves manager Brian Snitker said Thursday that Fried hasn’t tested positive for the virus, but the team is taking no chances. The left-hander

11:43 AM ET Five of 789 professional athletes infected with COVID-19 were later found to have suffered inflammatory heart disease in the largest study to date on the cardiac impact of the virus in sports. In data published Thursday in JAMA Cardiology, doctors affiliated with six U.S.-based leagues followed the 789 infected players last year

7:00 AM ET In 1997, the Chicago White Sox famously made what is known as the “White Flag Trade.” Pitchers Wilson Alvarez, Danny Darwin and Roberto Hernandez were dealt to the San Francisco Giants at the trade deadline for a slew of prospects, effectively ending any chance the White Sox had at the postseason. The

2:30 PM ET ESPN News Services New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone is taking an immediate medical leave of absence after having surgery Wednesday to get a pacemaker, the team announced. The team said Boone’s surgery went “as expected” and that he’s in the recovery room at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tampa, Florida. General manager

12:09 PM ET Former major league manager Joe Altobelli, who guided the 1983 Baltimore Orioles to a World Series title, has died at the age of 88, the team announced Wednesday. He was 88. “The Orioles are saddened to learn of the passing of former manager Joe Altobelli, who led Baltimore to a World Championship

7:44 PM ET Associated Press CLEARWATER, Fla. — After playing in his first game with the Philadelphia Phillies since his arrest on domestic violence charges two years ago, Odubel Herrera apologized and vowed he’s a better person. “I feel sorry because I made a big mistake,” Herrera said Tuesday. “I know some people are not

6:05 PM ET Jeff PassanESPN Close ESPN MLB insiderAuthor of “The Arm: Inside the Billion-Dollar Mystery of the Most Valuable Commodity in Sports” Major League Baseball teams will operate alternate sites similar to those used during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, delaying the beginning of the Triple-A season by at least a month, sources familiar with

12:13 PM ET The Cleveland Indians were made aware of complaints about Mickey Callaway’s sexually inappropriate behavior during his tenure as their pitching coach, despite the team’s public statements to the contrary, according to a report by The Athletic. Indians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti, in response to an earlier report by The Athletic

5:48 PM ET Associated Press Garrett Richards had gotten only one out during his first spring training start, loading the bases and walking in one run before the Red Sox stopped the inning after 23 pitches. Then he went back out for a 1-2-3 second inning. “It’s building blocks man,” he said after being rescued