3:56 PM ET Los Angeles Angels slugger Mike Trout is the consensus betting favorite to win the MVP award entering the 2021 season, but dual-threat teammate Shohei Ohtani is attracting the most action at some sportsbooks, including one giant bet that could pay nearly $1 million. At Caesars Sportsbook by William Hill, Trout is the
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5:11 PM ET Associated Press Mike Soroka surrendered a homer while working two innings for the Atlanta Braves in his 2021 debut Tuesday, a big step in the former All-Star’s comeback from a torn Achilles tendon. Soroka, 23, got into the Braves’ final game of spring training at Fort Myers, Florida, taking over in the
3:12 PM ET Associated Press ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Ji-Man Choi will have arthroscopic surgery on his right knee and is expected to be sidelined at least three to five weeks. Manager Kevin Cash said Tuesday that the AL champions should have a better idea of how long Choi might
7:00 AM ET After a shortened 60-game 2020 schedule in 2020, Major League Baseball returns to a full 162-game season in 2021. The Los Angeles Dodgers ruled last year’s unusual campaign, beating the Tampa Bay Rays in six games for L.A.’s first World Series title since 1988, but are they still the team to beat
3:05 PM ET With the slightly tweaked baseballs in play, scoring and home runs are down in spring training. Through Sunday, spring training games are averaging 9.4 runs, the lowest-scoring output in the preseason since at least 2015 and down more than one run from 2019 spring training (10.5 per game). In each of the
1:51 PM ET Major League Baseball issued a memo to teams on Monday outlining relaxed protocols for vaccinated players, coaches and staff members, creating a path for them to gather indoors, eat at restaurants, bring family members with them on the road and mostly restore their normal lives after nearly a full year of stringent
7:00 AM ET The Millville Meteor. Kiiiiid. Trouty. God of WAR. King Fish. No matter what you call Mike Trout, you’ve also called him the unquestioned best player in baseball for nearly a decade now. In fact, Trout has held the top spot in our annual ESPN MLB Rank top 100 for eight consecutive seasons.
5:43 PM ET Associated Press MIAMI — Highly regarded prospect Jazz Chisholm was declared the winner of the spring competition for the Miami Marlins‘ second base job Sunday, and he’ll be in the lineup on Opening Day. Chisholm batted .268 with three homers and four stolen bases in spring training. He was competing with Isan
8:00 AM ET The intimidating rotation that lifted the Washington Nationals to a championship in 2019 is mostly intact, with Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, et al. Right fielder Juan Soto is a popular pick to win his league’s Most Valuable Player Award. Washington also added the thump of Kyle Schwarber, who seems to be clicking
9:16 PM ET Associated Press CLEVELAND — The Indians traded right-hander Adam Plutko to the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday, a move that brings some clarity to their bullpen situation. Cleveland will get a player to be named or cash in return for Plutko, who was out of minor league options and seemed to be destined
7:05 PM ET Associated Press Carter Kieboom, a first-round draft pick and the expected starting third baseman for the Washington Nationals, was sent to the minor leagues on Saturday. Drafted in 2016, Kieboom has struggled at the plate in limited opportunities in the majors, batting .181 in 44 games over two seasons with Washington. Kieboom
1:19 PM ET Associated Press TAMPA, Fla. — Major league home run champion Luke Voit needs knee surgery to repair a partial meniscus tear, an injury that opened a New York Yankees roster spot for Jay Bruce on Saturday as a converted first baseman. Voit will not have any baseball activities for three weeks after
12:32 AM ET Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was hoping Clayton Kershaw could complete five innings in his final tune-up start before Opening Day on Friday, perhaps even log some pitches in the sixth. Instead, Kershaw recorded 10 outs and was charged with eight earned runs. His Cactus League ERA: 10.22. “It hasn’t been
7:33 PM ET Associated Press TAMPA, Fla. — The New York Yankees‘ starting rotation appeared to fall into place when Deivi Garcia was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Friday following a poor spring training. New York’s decision left Domingo German as the likely fifth starter behind Gerrit Cole, Corey Kluber, Jameson Taillon and Jordan Montgomery.
2:30 PM ET Major League Baseball Players Association executive director Tony Clark said Friday that he “would look forward” to discussing moving the All-Star Game from Atlanta in the wake of Georgia’s decision to overhaul how its state elections are run. “Players are very much aware,” Clark told the Boston Globe in an interview. “As
10:18 PM ET Associated Press JUPITER, Fla. — Reigning NL batting champion Juan Soto left Washington’s 7-3 exhibition loss against the Miami Marlins in the middle of the first inning Thursday with what manager Dave Martinez said was a cramp in his right calf. “I didn’t want to take any chances,” Martinez said. The Nationals
10:22 PM ET ESPN News Services ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Tampa Bay Rays reliever Nick Anderson has a partially torn ligament in his pitching elbow and likely will be sidelined beyond the All-Star break, according to multiple reports. Anderson, who is not expected to need surgery, has been a key component of Tampa Bay’s bullpen
7:00 AM ET What do you do with Jose Altuve when you are ranking the top 100 MLB players for 2021? MVP in 2017, All-Star in 2018, a career-high 31 home runs in 2019 … and then came the sign-stealing scandal, the pandemic and a terrible 2020 season in which he hit .219 (only to