Cortes and Wainwright are 'All In' for Team USA

LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers and infielder Miguel Rojas have agreed to a contract extension that will keep the 33-year-old in Los Angeles through at least the 2024 season, the club announced on Saturday. The deal includes a $5 million salary for 2024 and a $5 million club option for...

ODENTON, Md. -- Austin Hays was in a situation Sunday afternoon he never could have predicted happening at any point in his life. Not even after he became an MLB player. He was standing behind a bar, wearing his Orioles jersey and holding a baby. Considering it happened at Crooked...

It's about that time again. With baseball's return just around the corner, we can't help but throw around predictions for the 2023 season. This year, more projections than usual are likely to center around home run totals -- after all, this time last year, did anyone have Aaron Judge hitting 62?

This story was excerpted from Todd Zolecki’s Phillies Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox. Johnny Bench might be the greatest catcher in baseball history. Consider the resume: Hall of Famer, two-time National League MVP, 14-time NL All-Star,...

CHICAGO -- The White Sox acquired bullpen depth on Friday by trading for right-handed reliever Franklin German from the Red Sox in exchange for Minor League right-hander Theo Denlinger. To make room for German on the 40-man roster, Chicago designated right-hander Jason Bilous for assignment. The White Sox 40-man roster...

World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) star Hulk Hogan is "paralyzed" from the waist down, at least according to another legendary wrestler, it has been revealed. Kurt Angle, speaking on an episode of his top-rated podcast on Sunday, said that he and Hogan, 69, spoke backstage when they both appeared at the 30th Anniversary special for WWE’s program “Monday Night Raw.”

There have been a number of sad reports coming out of the world of professional wrestling in recent weeks, with former stars passing away, both during their career and following it.

KANSAS CITY -- A major question the Royals will try to answer in 2023 is whether Bobby Witt Jr. will be their everyday shortstop of the future, and they’ve committed to giving the 22-year-old as many innings at the position as possible this season. Witt, the centerpiece of the...

This story was excerpted from John Denton’s Cardinals Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox. The impact that Major League Baseball’s balanced schedule could have on the Cardinals in 2023 might be evident as soon as Opening Day.

SAN DIEGO -- Padres manager Bob Melvin likened it to a playoff crowd when he pulled up to Petco Park on Saturday and noticed throngs of fans wrapped around the block. Trent Grisham needed to pull down the bill of his cap to make it through those crowds to the ballpark. Fernando Tatis Jr. stopped to sign a fan's thigh.

CHICAGO -- Justin Jirschele’s seventh season as a manager in the White Sox system features a move from Double-A Birmingham to his first stint at the helm of Triple-A Charlotte. So, much like Minor League players do at this level, it makes sense for the highly regarded 32-year-old to...

This story was excerpted from Jordan Bastian’s Cubs Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox. As Ian Happ became a more established hitter in the Major Leagues, growing into a regular part of the Cubs’ lineup and reaching All-Star status last year, the outfielder started to notice things changing in front of him as he stepped into the box and surveyed opposing defenses.

The wildest game in recorded Major League history was a mere one-run victory. It was also an absolute mess. The game featured 11 pitchers, and all 11 of them allowed at least one run -- no one made it through unscathed. Five of them suffered a blown save, to this day still tied for the most ever. Fourteen of the 18 half-innings saw a run cross the plate. The visitors hit six home runs, including three on back-to-back-to-back pitches in the second inning, had a lead with two outs in the ninth inning -- and still lost.

Home runs have captivated baseball fans ever since Babe Ruth emerged just over a century ago, changing the game forever with his towering drives that traveled farther than anyone had seen before. Watching a ball land over the fence can be exhilarating, especially in a big moment. But there’s something...

This story was excerpted from Anthony DiComo’s Mets Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox. Upon signing his $50 million extension with the Mets, Jeff McNeil made Pete Alonso one of his first phone calls. The two met...

ANAHEIM -- Angels general manager Perry Minasian said on Saturday he’s excited that owner Arte Moreno isn’t selling the club and that he’s still exploring improving the club, with the start of Spring Training just a little more than a week away. The Halos have had a...

MINNEAPOLIS -- Right around now is when scouts around the baseball world start ramping up for the long season ahead -- which, of course, means that Mike Radcliff would already be out and about. Former general manager Terry Ryan, his longtime boss, figures Radcliff would maybe take only a day or two off until November.

ARLINGTON -- Mitch Garver hasn’t played in a live baseball game since July 10. He hasn’t caught a game since May 8, due to an injured flexor tendon in his right arm that resulted in season-ending surgery. After a long six months of rehab and physical therapy following...

SAN FRANCISCO -- Logan Webb was among the Giants players who took part in the club’s recruiting pitch to Aaron Judge earlier this offseason. After meeting with Judge at Oracle Park in late November, Webb spent a week texting Joc Pederson -- “my inside source for everything” -- to try to glean more information on the reigning American League MVP’s preferred landing spot.

LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers announced on Saturday that the organization will retire Fernando Valenzuela’s No. 34 jersey this summer during a three-day “Fernandomania” celebration. The weekend will start on Friday, Aug. 11, which is when Valenzuela’s No. 34 will be unveiled at Dodger Stadium. There will...