Baseball – Winnipeg Free Press

Canada's Denzel Clarke slides head first into third base on a single by Tyler Black off Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Angel Bastardo during the third inning of an exhibition baseball game Tuesday, March 3, 2026, in Dunedin, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Guerrero honoured to represent Dominican Republic at WBC; 12 Blue Jays in tournament

John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 8:23 PM CST

Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero Sr. never got to represent his native Dominican Republic at the World Baseball Classic.

Guerrero had committed to play at the inaugural tournament in 2006 but, after three of his cousins died in a car crash, he withdrew from the event.

He did, however, get to tell his son Toronto Blue Jays superstar Vladimir Guerrero Jr., that he would get to suit up for their country at this year's WBC.

"That's the main thing for me, that I want to be there so he can see me," said the younger Guerrero through Blue Jays translator Hector Lebron. "He can be there. He can see me play for the Dominicans."

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Ace right-hander Hunter Greene leaves Reds camp and is scheduled to have MRI on stiff right elbow

The Associated Press 2 minute read Preview

Ace right-hander Hunter Greene leaves Reds camp and is scheduled to have MRI on stiff right elbow

The Associated Press 2 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 6:49 PM CST

GOODYEAR, Ariz. (AP) — Right-hander Hunter Greene has left the Cincinnati Reds' spring training camp due to right elbow stiffness.

Manager Terry Francona and president of baseball operations Nick Krall told reporters on Wednesday that Greene will have an MRI in Cincinnati and be examined by team orthopedic consultant Dr. Timothy Kremchek. Greene also will consult with Los Angeles Dodgers head team physician Dr. Neal ElAttrache.

Expected to be the Reds' ace, Greene added more lower-body work to his offseason routine in hopes of avoiding injuries.

Greene went 7-4 with a 2.76 ERA last year, helping Cincinnati earn an NL wild card for its first playoff appearance since 2020. Greene, whose 99.5 mph average four-seam fastball velocity led the major leagues among those throwing at least 1,250 pitches, was limited to a career-low 19 starts and 107 2/3 innings. Still, his 296 pitches of 100 mph or higher were second in the major leagues behind Mason Miller's 422.

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Updated: Yesterday at 6:49 PM CST

FILE Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Hunter Greene throws to a Los Angeles Dodgers batter during the first inning in Game 1 of the National League Wild Card baseball playoff series, Sept. 30, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, file)

Braves manager says he’s disappointed about Profar but the suspension creates opportunity for others

Charles Odum, The Associated Press 4 minute read Preview

Braves manager says he’s disappointed about Profar but the suspension creates opportunity for others

Charles Odum, The Associated Press 4 minute read Yesterday at 12:39 PM CST

Atlanta Braves manager Walt Weiss said Wednesday he was disappointed but determined to keep a positive outlook after Jurickson Profar's suspension for the 2026 season.

Profar was suspended by Major League Baseball on Tuesday following his second positive test for a performance-enhancing drug.

Profar, an outfielder and designated hitter, was expected to be a regular, perhaps as the No. 2 hitter behind Ronald Acuña Jr., in Atlanta's lineup. Weiss, speaking to reporters before Wednesday's exhibition game against Team Colombia in North Port, Florida, said the Braves could overcome losing Profar just as they won the 2021 World Series after losing Acuña to a knee injury.

“The moral of the story is something good is likely to come from the bad news,” Weiss said. “It just tends to happen that way. Someone’s gonna step up, someone’s gonna get an opportunity. In 2021, the day we lost Ronald, nobody’s picking that option. And nobody’s taking this option. But guess what, and I truly believe that something good will come of this.”

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Yesterday at 12:39 PM CST

Atlanta Braves manager Walt Weiss (22) walks in the dugout during a rain delay before a spring training baseball game against the Minnesota Twins in North Port, Fla., Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Red Sox prospect Erik Rivera pitches in Boston uniform for Puerto Rico in exhibition

The Associated Press 2 minute read Preview

Red Sox prospect Erik Rivera pitches in Boston uniform for Puerto Rico in exhibition

The Associated Press 2 minute read Tuesday, Mar. 3, 2026

FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — Red Sox minor league left-hander Erik Rivera pitched in his Boston uniform Tuesday night for Puerto Rico against his major league team in a preseason exhibition.

The Red Sox made some players available to Puerto Rico because that team was short on personnel. One those included Rivera, a Puerto Rico native.

Rivera entered with two outs in the sixth inning and didn't record an out. He faced three batters, walking two and allowing a hit before being removed in Puerto Rico's 5-3 victory.

That was one of several games between major league clubs and teams from different countries as players prepare for the World Baseball Classic that begins Thursday.

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Tuesday, Mar. 3, 2026

Boston Red Sox players hold their hats to their hearts for the national anthem before a spring training baseball game against the Minnesota Twins in Fort Myers, Fla., Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Brunson and Towns’s double-doubles power Knicks past Raptors 111-95

John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press 2 minute read Preview

Brunson and Towns’s double-doubles power Knicks past Raptors 111-95

John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press 2 minute read Tuesday, Mar. 3, 2026

TORONTO - Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns each had a double-double to help the New York Knicks fend off the Toronto Raptors 111-95 on Tuesday.

Brunson finished with 26 points and 10 assists as New York (40-22) won its third consecutive game. Towns added 21 points with 13 rebounds. Former Raptor OG Anunoby added 15 points and five rebounds.

Immanuel Quickley had a double-double with 13 points and 12 assists for Toronto (35-26). Brandon Ingram led all scorers with 31 points.

RJ Barrett of Mississauga, Ont., scored 20, with nine points in the fourth quarter, as the Raptors mounted a late comeback.

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Tuesday, Mar. 3, 2026

Toronto Raptors' Jamal Shead (left) battles for the ball with New York Knicks' Jalen Brunson (11) during first half NBA basketball action in Toronto on Tuesday, March 3, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

Braves outfielder Jurickson Profar suspended 162 games by Major League Baseball following a second positive drug test

The Associated Press 1 minute read Tuesday, Mar. 3, 2026

NEW YORK (AP) — Braves outfielder Jurickson Profar suspended 162 games by Major League Baseball following a second positive drug test.

Red Sox’s Brendan Rodgers likely headed for shoulder surgery, Alex Cora says

The Associated Press 2 minute read Preview

Red Sox’s Brendan Rodgers likely headed for shoulder surgery, Alex Cora says

The Associated Press 2 minute read Tuesday, Mar. 3, 2026

FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — Boston Red Sox second baseman Brendan Rodgers, who suffered a shoulder injury Feb. 25, likely will undergo surgery.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora, according to the Boston Herald, said Rodgers did not receive positive news after recent MRI and CT scans and will ask for a second opinion.

“What type of surgery? I don’t know,” Cora said. "We’ll wait and see what he has to say, but that’s probably what’s going to happen.”

Rodgers, who played his first six seasons at Colorado and last year at Houston, had hoped to win the starting job at spring training. He was a Gold Glove winner in 2022. He is a career .261 hitter with 47 home runs and 208 RBIs.

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Tuesday, Mar. 3, 2026

Boston Red Sox second baseman Brendan Rodgers (5) is tended to by a team trainer and manager Alex Cora (13) after being injured in the fourth inning of a spring training baseball game against the Minnesota Twins in Fort Myers, Fla., Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

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Phillies outfielder Johan Rojas contesting possible 80-game drug suspension, AP source says

Ronald Blum, The Associated Press 2 minute read Preview

Phillies outfielder Johan Rojas contesting possible 80-game drug suspension, AP source says

Ronald Blum, The Associated Press 2 minute read Tuesday, Mar. 3, 2026

NEW YORK (AP) — Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Johan Rojas is contesting a possible 80-game suspension by Major League Baseball following an alleged failed test for a performance-enhancing substance, a person familiar with the process told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the positive test had not been announced.

Under MLB's drug agreement with the players' association, the appeals process for an initial positive test for a performance-enhancing substance takes place before a public announcement of discipline.

A 25-year-old who made his major league debut in 2023, Rojas was dropped from the Dominican Republic's World Baseball Classic roster, team general manager Nelson Cruz told reporters Monday.

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Tuesday, Mar. 3, 2026

FILE - Philadelphia Phillies' Johan Rojas warms up before a spring training baseball game, Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026, in Clearwater, Fla. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File)

Tirotta hits three-run homer, Blue Jays beat Canada 10-7 in WBC tune-up

The Canadian Press 3 minute read Preview

Tirotta hits three-run homer, Blue Jays beat Canada 10-7 in WBC tune-up

The Canadian Press 3 minute read Tuesday, Mar. 3, 2026

DUNEDIN - Riley Tirotta hit a three-run homer in the eighth inning as the Toronto Blue Jays defeated Canada's national baseball team 10-7 in an exhibition game Tuesday afternoon.

Tirotta's homer came after Canada came back to tie the game after giving up seven runs over the first two innings.

It was the first of Canada's two games against Major League Baseball opposition as it prepares for the World Baseball Classic.

Jesús Sánchez drove in three runs and Kevin Gausman pitched two scoreless innings to stake the Blue Jays to an early lead.

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Tuesday, Mar. 3, 2026

Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Kevin Gausman (34) pitches to Canada during the first inning of an exhibition baseball game Tuesday, March 3, 2026, in Dunedin, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Dodgers’ Gavin Stone has inflammation but no structural damage in his throwing shoulder

The Associated Press 1 minute read Preview

Dodgers’ Gavin Stone has inflammation but no structural damage in his throwing shoulder

The Associated Press 1 minute read Tuesday, Mar. 3, 2026

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Gavin Stone won’t throw for the next couple of weeks as he deals with a discomfort in his throwing shoulder.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters Tuesday that a scan showed inflammation but no structural damage, an encouraging sign in Stone’s comeback.

Stone, 27, didn’t pitch last season after shoulder surgery on Oct. 9, 2024. The right-hander went 11-5 with a 3.53 ERA in 25 starts in 2024 before the shoulder injury shut him down.

___

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Tuesday, Mar. 3, 2026

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Gavin Stone (35) delivers in the first inning a during spring training baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Mets’ Nolan McLean says he’s feeling better after experiencing vertigo-like symptoms last week

The Associated Press 2 minute read Preview

Mets’ Nolan McLean says he’s feeling better after experiencing vertigo-like symptoms last week

The Associated Press 2 minute read Tuesday, Mar. 3, 2026

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (AP) — New York Mets pitcher Nolan McLean says he’s feeling better as he prepares to join the U.S. in the World Baseball Classic after experiencing vertigo-like symptoms last week.

“I’m definitely feeling better these last couple of days,” McLean told reporters Tuesday. “I haven’t missed any days of throwing. I kind of grinded through a little bit last week, still feeling the vertigo symptoms, but this week I’m feeling really good.”

McLean said he started feeling the symptoms early last week. He noted that he had a vertigo spell in high school that passed quickly, but the symptoms lingered a little longer this time.

“Just standing still, I would get dizzy out of nowhere,” McLean said. “We kind of came to the conclusion it was inner-ear stuff.”

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Tuesday, Mar. 3, 2026

FILE - New York Mets starting pitcher Nolan McLean throws against the Chicago Cubs during the first inning of a baseball game in Chicago, Sept. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)

Atlanta Braves’ Jurickson Profar suspended for 2026 season following second positive drug test

Ronald Blum, The Associated Press 4 minute read Preview

Atlanta Braves’ Jurickson Profar suspended for 2026 season following second positive drug test

Ronald Blum, The Associated Press 4 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 10:49 AM CST

NEW YORK (AP) — Atlanta Braves outfielder Jurickson Profar was suspended for the 2026 season by Major League Baseball on Tuesday following his second positive test for a performance-enhancing drug.

Profar tested positive for exogenous testosterone and its metabolites, the commissioner's office said, which means testosterone that was not produced by his body. Because it was a second offense, the length of Profar's suspension was 162 games.

The players' association filed a grievance at Profar's request to appeal to baseball’s independent arbitrator, Martin F. Scheinman, a person familiar with the process told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity, because no announcement had been made.

An All-Star in 2024, Profar was suspended for 80 games last March 31 following a positive test for Chorionic Gonadotrophin (hCG), a hormone that helps production of testosterone. He issued a statement then saying: "I would never willingly take a banned substance, but I take full responsibility and accept MLB’s decision.”

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Updated: Yesterday at 10:49 AM CST

Atlanta Braves Drake Baldwin is greeted by Jurickson Profar after hitting a solo home run in the third inning of a spring training baseball game against the Minnesota Twins in North Port, Fla., Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Scherzer calls daughter’s letter to Blue Jays ‘the cutest thing you can possibly imagine’

The Associated Press 4 minute read Preview

Scherzer calls daughter’s letter to Blue Jays ‘the cutest thing you can possibly imagine’

The Associated Press 4 minute read Tuesday, Mar. 3, 2026

DUNEDIN, Fla. (AP) — Max Scherzer says the note his daughter composed asking the Toronto Blue Jays to re-sign the three-time Cy Young Award winner arose as his kids were writing letters to Santa Claus in December.

After Scherzer agreed last week to a $3 million, one-year contract to return to the Blue Jays, his wife posted on Instagram the handwritten note from their 8-year-old daughter, Brooke.

“It’s the cutest thing you can possibly imagine when you read that, how much it meant to her to be in Toronto,” Scherzer told reporters Tuesday after his deal was finalized.

Scherzer said his kids were writing letters expressing what they wanted from Santa when Brooke approached him and his wife, Erica May-Scherzer. The 8-year-old asked for a stamp and then put it on a sealed envelope that she handed to her parents.

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Tuesday, Mar. 3, 2026

FILE - Toronto Blue Jays' Max Scherzer (31) looks on before batting practice Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, in Toronto, a day ahead of Game 6 in baseball's American League Championship Series against the Seattle Mariners. (Sammy Kogan/The Canadian Press via AP, File)

Royals sign Starling Marte to a $1M deal; Dairon Blanco designated for assignment

The Associated Press 2 minute read Tuesday, Mar. 3, 2026

SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals signed two-time All-Star Starling Marte on Monday to a $1 million deal for the upcoming season, hoping that the right-handed-batting veteran can provide some help off the bench or against left-handed pitching.

The Royals designated outfielder Dairon Blanco for assignment in a corresponding roster move.

The 37-year-old Marte, who also can earn up to $2 million in roster and performance bonuses, has hit .285 with 163 homers, 667 RBIs and 361 stolen bases over 14 seasons with the Pirates, Diamondbacks, Marlins, Athletics and Mets.

He would get $150,000 for 30 days on the active roster, $200,000 each for 60, 90 and 120, and $250,000 for 150. Marte would receive $125,000 for 100 plate appearances and each additional 50 through 450.

Max Scherzer doesn’t wait before throwing bullpen in spring training for Blue Jays

The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview

Max Scherzer doesn’t wait before throwing bullpen in spring training for Blue Jays

The Associated Press 3 minute read Monday, Mar. 2, 2026

DUNEDIN, Fla. (AP) — Max Scherzer threw a bullpen session in spring training Monday for the Toronto Blue Jays, even before the reigning American League champions formally agreed to terms with the American League champions.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Scherzer will throw again Wednesday, and said the 41-year-old right-hander could pitch in an exhibition game next weekend. The manager said Scherzer had been throwing to free-agent hitters on his own.

“Good catching up with gramps,” Schneider told reporters. “Nice to have him back.”

Scherzer's 8-year-old daughter wrote a letter to the team in December in hopes of him returning to the Blue Jays.

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Monday, Mar. 2, 2026

Jays slugger Barger hits grand slam in pre-season loss to Red Sox

The Canadian Press 2 minute read Preview

Jays slugger Barger hits grand slam in pre-season loss to Red Sox

The Canadian Press 2 minute read Monday, Mar. 2, 2026

DUNEDIN - Addison Barger hit a grand slam and starter Cody Ponce worked two innings as the Toronto Blue Jays dropped a 7-6 decision to the Boston Red Sox in pre-season play on Monday afternoon.

Barger went deep off Red Sox reliever Patrick Halligan in Toronto's five-run fifth inning at TD Ballpark.

Ponce allowed one earned run and four hits while striking out a pair in his second start of the spring.

Nathan Hickey hit a go-ahead two-run homer for the Red Sox (6-4) in the eighth inning off Devereaux Harrison (0-1).

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Monday, Mar. 2, 2026

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