Milwaukee Brewers president of baseball operations Matt Arnold says the back surgery that Christian Yelich underwent Friday should enable the 2018 NL MVP to be ready for the start of the 2025 season.

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich will have season-ending back surgery.

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich has gone on the 10-day injured list with lower back inflammation.

Christian Yelich and Blake Perkins both homered, had three hits and drove in three runs as the Milwaukee Brewers defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 9-2 Sunday to snap a seven-game losing streak at Dodger Stadium.

Kyle Tucker homered twice to tie for the major league lead with 15 and drove in four runs, leading the Houston Astros over the Milwaukee Brewers 9-4 for their ninth win in 11 games.

Rookie Bobby Miller tossed six innings of one-run ball and the Los Angeles Dodgers won their ninth straight game, beating the Milwaukee Brewers 6-2 in a matchup of NL division leaders.

Matt Olson drove in five runs with two homers, including a go-ahead, two-run blast in the eighth, and the Atlanta Braves beat the Milwaukee Brewers 8-6 to cap their sweep of the high-scoring series.

Wade Miley pitched six strong innings and the Milwaukee Brewers made a first-inning run stand up in a 1-0 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday.

Major League Baseball's pitch clock has made games go faster, but players and coaches believe it also is leading to better fielding.

Infuriated about the plate umpire and the ballpark roof, Chicago Cubs manager David Ross let loose after Tuesday’s wild extra-inning win over the Milwaukee Brewers.

Newly signed Jahmai Jones hit a pinch-hit, three-run double in his first big league appearance since 2021, helping the Milwaukee Brewers rally for an 8-6 win over the Chicago Cubs.

All but one big league team will celebrate Pride Night this season, yet the sport remains hampered by ongoing issues around LGBTQ+ inclusivity.

Chicago Cubs right-hander Marcus Stroman committed Major League Baseball’s first pitch-clock violation in the third inning of an opening day game against the Milwaukee Brewers.

David Stearns is stepping down as the Milwaukee Brewers’ president of baseball operations.

Devin Williams blew a ninth-inning lead and the Milwaukee Brewers squandered a great opportunity to pull even in the race for the final National League playoff spot, losing 4-3 to the Miami Marlins.

Max Scherzer was pulled from his 200th win with a perfect game intact, and the New York Mets clinched their first playoff berth in six years by beating the Milwaukee Brewers 7-2.

Max Scherzer pitched six perfect innings for the New York Mets in his return from the injured list before Milwaukee Brewers star Christian Yelich doubled in the seventh off reliever Tylor Megill.

Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina made history with the first pitch of the game, then the record-setting battery helped the St. Louis Cardinals extend their NL Central lead by beating the Milwaukee Brewers 4-1.

St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright and catcher Yadier Molina have made their 325th career start together, setting a major league record for most as a battery.

Mike Yastrzemski hit a game-ending grand slam off major league saves leader Josh Hader for San Francisco’s third homer of the ninth inning, and the Giants rallied from a three-run deficit to stun the Milwaukee Brewers 8-5.

The Milwaukee Brewers placed a ceremonial jersey in their dugout Friday to honor an 8-year-old fan of the team who was wounded during the July Fourth mass shooting in a Chicago suburb.

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Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber and Odúbel Herrera homered as interim manager Rob Thomson and the streaking Philadelphia Phillies won their season-high seventh straight game, beating the sagging Milwaukee Brewers 8-3.

Aaron Nola pitched eight sharp innings and the surging Philadelphia Phillies hit four home runs to rout the scuffling Milwaukee Brewers 10-0.

Josh Hader escaped a ninth-inning jam in his 37th straight scoreless appearance and the Milwaukee Brewers held off the St. Louis Cardinals 4-3 for their third straight win.

Christian Yelich hit for a record-tying third cycle — all of them against Cincinnati — but the Milwaukee Brewers’ rally fell short in the ninth inning in a 14-11 loss to the Reds.

Willy Adames hit two of Milwaukee’s six homers, and the Brewers beat the lowly Cincinnati Reds 10-5.

Javier Báez has agreed to a $140 million, six-year contract with Detroit, giving the Tigers a dynamic bat for the middle of their order.

Milwaukee Brewers president of baseball operations David Stearns says nobody has been able to figure out the cause of Christian Yelich’s hitting struggles over the past couple of seasons.

At least the Milwaukee Brewers came out swinging.

Boosted by a sharp start from Ian Anderson, Braves pitchers have now thrown 19 straight scoreless innings against Milwaukee in the NL Division Series.

The Milwaukee Brewers have picked the worst time of year to go ice cold at the plate.

Joc Pederson enhanced his “Joctober” nickname with a three-run, pinch-hit homer and the Atlanta Braves shut down Milwaukee once again, beating the Brewers 3-0.

Max Fried pitched six sharp innings and Atlanta’s bullpen held on after manager Brian Snitker’s quick hook, sending the Braves over the Milwaukee Brewers 3-0 to tie their NL Division Series at a game apiece.

Clayton Kershaw starts at Dodger Stadium against Milwaukee to begin a season-ending, three-game series in a possible playoff preview.

The Milwaukee Brewers clinched their second NL Central title in four years, beating the sloppy New York Mets 8-4 behind Willy Adames’s two-run homer and three RBIs.

Cardinals closer Giovanny Gallegos fanned pinch-hitter Pablo Reyes for the final out and St. Louis won its 10th straight game, increasing its playoff lead by holding off the division-leading Milwaukee Brewers 2-1.

Toronto left-hander Robbie Ray leads the majors with 233 strikeouts, tops the AL with a 2.64 ERA and is 12-5 going into this start at Tampa Bay.

Daniel Vogelbach delivered a pinch-hit grand slam off Alex Reyes to cap a five-run rally in the ninth inning that gave the Milwaukee Brewers a 6-5 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.

Brandon Belt hit his second homer of the night during a four-run outburst in the 11th inning as the San Francisco Giants rallied to beat the Milwaukee Brewers 9-6 in a wild Saturday night matchup between division leaders.

Miguel Cabrera’s 500th career homer could be just a few swings away.

Anthony Rizzo and the New York Yankees host surprising Seattle in the opener of a four-game series between AL wild-card contenders Thursday night.

The NL Central-leading Brewers are again shuffling their pitching staff with reliever John Axford now out for the season because of elbow trouble and starter Eric Lauer joining the team’s growing COVID-19 injured list.

The Milwaukee Brewers’ pitching staff has taken a couple more hits with John Axford now out for the season with elbow trouble and Eric Lauer joining the COVID-19 injured list.

José Altuve, Carlos Correa and the Astros have been heckled at Yankee Stadium, Cleveland, Phoenix and many other parks, the result of their sign-stealing scheme.

Kris Bryant is expected to make his debut for the NL West-leading Giants on Sunday when they host Houston.

Milwaukee Brewers pitchers Jake Cousins and Hunter Strickland have tested positive for COVID-19 and will be placed in quarantine.

The Milwaukee Brewers have acquired All-Star third baseman Eduardo Escobar from the Arizona Diamondbacks for two prospects.

Tyler Anderson pitched seven sparkling innings and the Pittsburgh Pirates ended Milwaukee’s 11-game winning streak with a 2-0 victory over the Brewers.

After a historic June homer binge, Kyle Schwarber’s July got off to a less promising start.

Nolan Arenado will return to Coors Field for the first time since the Colorado Rockies traded the disgruntled third baseman to St. Louis over the offseason.

Willy Adames and Keston Hiura each hit a three-run homer during a 10-run outburst in the eighth inning that lifted the Milwaukee Brewers a 14-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs.

Burly slugger Daniel Vogelbach hobbled home on one leg when Arizona’s defense fell asleep, and the Diamondbacks dropped back into a rut with a 5-0 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers.

Rafael Devers and the Red Sox go for a three-game sweep at Yankee Stadium in this week’s Sunday night matchup.

Two-way star Shohei Ohtani makes his sixth pitching start of the season Wednesday when the Angels face Aaron Civale and the Indians.

Angels star Mike Trout could be out past the All-Star break after straining his right calf on the bases Monday night.

Ian Anderson took a no-hit try into the seventh inning, Freddie Freeman hit the 250th home run of his career and the Atlanta Braves beat the Milwaukee Brewers 5-1.

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich is going back on the injured list just one day after getting activated.

Athletics left-hander Jesús Luzardo will be off the mound for a while.

Athletics left-hander Jesús Luzardo will be off the mound for a while.

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Oakland tries for its 14th consecutive victory when the Athletics play Baltimore at Camden Yards.

Houston second baseman José Altuve says he’s tested positive for COVID-19 but hasn’t felt badly and hopes to return to the lineup soon.

Jake Marisnick homered and matched a career high with five RBIs, and the Chicago Cubs pounded the Milwaukee Brewers 15-2 for their fourth straight victory.

Willson Contreras struck back after getting plunked again by the Brewers, hitting a two-run homer in the eighth inning as the Chicago Cubs rallied past Milwaukee 3-2 on Tuesday night.

Brandon Woodruff of the Milwaukee Brewers has a no-hitter through six innings against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on Wednesday afternoon.

The Vancouver Canucks now have 17 players in the NHL COVID-19 protocol with the addition of rookie forward Nils Hoglander.

In the final spring training game of the year, Betts hit two home runs Tuesday night and the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Los Angeles Angels 6-4. GOOD SIGNOn the final day of spring training, former All-Star pitcher Mike Soroka took a big step toward getting back on a regular-season mound. Ad“It was a perfect way to end a really good spring training on a positive note,” manager Brian Snitker said. Kolten Wong hit a two-run homer and Christian Yelich singled to finish spring training with a .393 batting average. AdDIAMONDBACKS 3, INDIANS 2At Phoenix, Diamondbacks starter Taylor Widener struck out seven over 5 2/3 innings, allowing four hits.

He was 2-1 with a 6.35 ERA in three spring starts, including allowing six earned runs against Cincinnati on Friday. Alec Bohm had two hits, including his fourth double. AdFreddie Freeman had two hits, including a double and his first homer — a two-run shot in the sixth. Victor Robles had three hits, including his sixth double, with an RBI, and Kyle Schwarber doubled and walked three times. Adalberto Mondesi singled and homered and Jorge Soler had two hits, including a double.

A day after Tatis walked off the field during an exhibition game in a worrisome scene, the Padres said the discomfort in his left shoulder had improved. In fact he was lobbying to get in the lineup today, so I thought that was very encouraging,” Tingler said. I think everybody’s kind of expecting him to be back in the lineup in the next day or two. AdMichael Pineda was roughed up in his second start for Minnesota, surrendering five runs on nine hits in five innings. Ian Anderson went six innings in his fourth start, allowing four runs on eight hits and a walk.

Harris has a blood clot in his right arm and is leaving spring training camp to be examined by a specialist, manager Dave Martinez said Friday, March 19, 2021. (Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via AP)Washington Nationals reliever Will Harris has a blood clot in his right arm and the team doesn't expect him to be in the bullpen on opening day. Carlos Martínez struggled in his fourth start for St. Louis. DODGERS 7, RANGERS 2Julio Urías made his fourth start for Los Angeles, allowing two hits in four shutout innings, striking out three. Adrian Houser made his fourth start.

The reigning World Series champions already had a pair of Cy Young Award winners in Clayton Kershaw and David Price. Darvish has twice finished runner-up for a Cy Young Award, including last season when he was 8-3 with a 2.01 ERA in 12 starts. Lester is a three-time World Series champion, winning twice with Boston and once with the Cubs. He’s part of a rotation led by three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer, 2019 World Series MVP Stephen Strasburg and lefty Patrick Corbin. Bradley was a Gold Glove winner in 2018 when the Red Sox won the World Series.

Bradley would have the right to opt out after one year and $13 million, allowing him to become a free agent after after this season. Bradley turns 31 on April 19 and is regarded as a top defensive center fielder. He won a Gold Glove in 2018 and led the American League in assists by a center fielder in 2014, 2016, 2018 and 2019. AdThe Brewers already have 2019 Gold Glove center fielder Lorenzo Cain, who opted out after playing five games last season but is back in spring training camp now. They traded right fielder Mookie Betts to the Dodgers last year and sent left fielder Andrew Benintendi to the Kansas City Royals last month.

The two-time AL Central champion Twins are hoping Happ can give them a veteran presence at the back of their rotation. Ian Anderson pitched two scoreless innings, allowing three hits and a walk. Houston piggy-backed a pair of starters with Framber Valdez yielding McNeil's homer in the first two innings, striking out two. AdBLUE JAYS 4, PHILLIES 2 (6)Steven Matz allowed a hit in two scoreless innings, striking out three without a walk. CUBS 3, ROYALS 2 (7)Outfielder Rafael Ortega, who signed a minor league deal with Chicago after playing 34 games for Atlanta last season, hit a bases-loaded triple.

(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)Right-hander Kevin Gausman’s impressive day at spring training had nothing to do with any of the usual statistics, like strikeouts or innings pitched. Batting practice for San Francisco's pitchers took on a non-traditional look Thursday at Scottsdale Stadium in Arizona. But the stands won't be empty — or full — when the Giants host their spring training opener Sunday. Scottsdale Stadium will have the lowest capacity at 9%, which is about 1,000 fans for Giants home games. Spectators at Scottsdale Stadium may get to see Gausman throw his lively fastball, but not a look at his Fungo golf skills.

The Los Angeles Dodgers celebrate a 4-2 win over the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 1 of a National League wild-card baseball series Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2020, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers' powerful lineup went mostly quiet against the Milwaukee Brewers. Mookie Betts had two hits and an RBI and Corey Seager homered in the Dodgers' 4-2 victory in the opener of their NL playoff Wednesday night. The eight-time NL West champion Dodgers capitalized early in a bullpen game for the Brewers and can wrap up the best-of-three series Thursday. “A walk is just as good as a hit sometimes, which we showed in the first inning,” Seager said.

(AP Photo/Aaron Doster)A look at what's happening around the majors Wednesday:___CRAZY EIGHTHow’s this for wild: MLB is set to stage eight postseason games on the same day for the first time. National League clubs will open their best-of-three wild-card series, while four American League teams are already facing elimination after starting Tuesday. With the expansion of the first round from a pair of wild-card games to eight best-of-three series, there are a maximum 65 possible postseason games this year. In the 1960s, there were 66 postseason games in the entire decade, with league championship series starting in 1969. Dallas Keuchel (6-2, 1.99 ERA) starts Game 2 following a successful first season with Chicago.

Members of the St. Louis Cardinals celebrate after defeating the Milwaukee Brewers in a baseball game to earn a playoff birth Sunday, Sept. 27, 2020, in St. Louis. That’s when the Brewers, at 29-31, open their series against Los Angeles ace Walker Buehler at Dodger Stadium. In a win-and-you’re-in game, St. Louis clinched by beating Milwaukee 5-2. That’s how you see it,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. St. Louis played a total of 58 games — it was prepared for a doubleheader in Detroit on Monday if needed to settle the playoff picture.

San Francisco is still breathing, but needs help. San Francisco (29-30) needs a victory over the visiting Padres and a Brewers loss. “We just have to keep our head up and try to win,” San Francisco pitcher Johnny Cueto said. 2 seed in the AL — with a win at home against Cincinnati or a White Sox loss at home to the Cubs. Anthony Rizzo and the Chicago Cubs clinched the NL Central crown Saturday night even while losing to the crosstown White Sox.

If St. Louis loses and San Francisco wins, the Cardinals would make up two games against Detroit on Monday that were postponed this season due to St. Louis' coronavirus outbreak. Brewers (29-30) — Qualify with a victory over St. Louis, or with losses by the Giants and Phillies. If the Giants and Cardinals win, San Francisco needs St. Louis to lose both games against the Tigers on Monday. A career .279 hitter, he had 244 home runs and 942 RBIs for Houston, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Texas. “He had a tremendous career, did a ton for the community in San Francisco and obviously for the San Francisco Giants,” Kapler said.

Cleveland Indians' Cesar Hernandez, center, is mobbed by teammates after hitting an RBI-single in the ninth inning in a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers, Saturday, Sept. 5, 2020, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)CLEVELAND Milwaukee closer Josh Hader allowed his first hit of the season, and then gave up Csar Hernndezs game-winning single in the ninth inning as the Cleveland Indians beat the Brewers 4-3 on Saturday night. Oscar Mercado, who scored on Hernndezs liner through a five-man infield, led off the ninth with a double, ending Haders major league-record streak of 12 hitless appearances to start the season. The right-hander gave up an RBI double to Daniel Vogelbach in the fourth and Hiuras homer. Indians: RHP Shane Bieber (6-0, 1.20 ERA) faces Milwaukee for the first time in his three-year MLB career.

Milwaukee Brewers' Eric Sogard celebrates after hitting a walk off two-run home run during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates Saturday, Aug. 29, 2020, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)MILWAUKEE Eric Sogard bailed out All-Star closer Josh Hader by hitting his first career walkoff home run, a two-run shot that lifted the Milwaukee Brewers over the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-6 on Saturday night. Something you probably wont see again out of Hader, kind of a fluke thing," Sogard said. Entering Saturday, the left-handed Hader was 7-for-7 in save opportunities and had not allowed a run or a hit all season. UP NEXTPirates LHP Steven Brault (0-1, 4.80 ERA) faces Brewers RHP Brandon Woodruff (2-2, 3.19 ERA) in game three of the four-game series.

Minnesota Twins pitcher Kenta Maeda of Japan throws against the Milwaukee Brewers in the first inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2020, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)MINNEAPOLIS Kenta Maeda lost a no-hitter in the ninth inning for the Minnesota Twins, who blew a three-run lead but came back to beat the Milwaukee Brewers 4-3 in 12 innings. Maeda's no-hit bid was ended by Eric Sogard's soft single that soared just over the glove of a leaping Polanco at shortstop. Maeda retired 21 straight batters in a stretch from the first to the eighth innings and finished with 12 strikeouts. Opponents are 0 for 22 against Hader this season, with four walks and one hit by pitch 12 strikeouts in 7 1/3 innings.

Milwaukee Brewers' Avisail Garcia (24) celebrates with teammates Christian Yelich (22) and Ryan Braun (8) after scoring on a Justin Smoak two RBI double during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs Saturday, Aug. 15, 2020, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)CHICAGO Avisail Garcia doubled home the go-ahead run in the 10th inning and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Cubs 6-5 Saturday, handing Chicago its first two-game losing streak this season. Garcia doubled to deep right off Jeremy Jeffress (1-1) to score automatic runner Christian Yelich from second base to start the 10th. Uras had three hits and Ryan Braun and Garcia added two hits apiece for the Brewers, who beat Chicago 4-3 on Friday night. Braun doubled, advanced on Casey Sadlers wild pitch and scored the go-ahead run on second baseman Jason Kipnis fielding error in the sixth.

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Yu Darvish delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2020, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Jeff Haynes)CHICAGO Yu Darvish of the Chicago Cubs is pitching a no-hitter through six innings against the Milwaukee Brewers at Wrigley Field. Darvish has struck out nine, allowed three baserunners and thrown 92 pitches in his third straight dominant start. Darvish signed a $126 million, six-year contract with the Cubs as a free agent in February 2018, but has been hampered by elbow and triceps injuries since coming to Chicago. Darvish has twice come within one out of a no-hitter, both times with the Texas Rangers.

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Yu Darvish delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2020, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Jeff Haynes)CHICAGO Yu Darvish took a no-hitter into the seventh inning in his third straight dominant start, and the major league-leading Chicago Cubs defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 4-2 on Thursday night. But after a rocky first outing this season, against the Brewers on July 25, Darvish has been in a groove. BREWERS MOVESThe Brewers optioned LHP Eric Lauer to their alternate training site in Appleton, Wisconsin. UP NEXTBrewers: RHP Brandon Woodruff (1-1, 2.53 ERA) faces Cubs RHP Tyler Chatwood (2-1, 5.40) on Friday night.

Minnesota Twins' Eddie Rosario, Byron Buxton and Jake Cave celebrate after a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2020, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)MILWAUKEE Byron Buxton hit two solo home runs and Miguel San added another as the Minnesota Twins jumped to an early lead and routed the Milwaukee Brewers 12-2 on Wednesday night. The victory gave the AL Central-leading Twins a 2-1 series win over the Brewers, who dropped to 2-6 at home. Minnesota starter Kenta Maeda (3-0), in his first season with the Twins after being acquired from the Dodgers in February, retired the first 11 batters he faced. Brewers: In Chicago facing Cubs RHP Yu Darvish (2-1, 2.12 ERA), who has thrown 16 strikeouts in 17 innings.

Milwaukee Brewers' Christian Yelich, right, celebrates with manager Craig Counsell after hitting an inside-the-park home run against the Chicago White Sox during the fifth inning of a baseball game in Chicago, Thursday, Aug. 6, 2020. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)CHICAGO Christian Yelich hit his first career inside-the-park homer and walked four times, helping the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Chicago White Sox 8-3 on Thursday night. Jedd Gyorko homered and drove in three runs for Milwaukee, and Mark Mathias had two hits with two RBIs. The Brewers and White Sox split a home-and-home series, with each team winning two games in their opponent's ballpark. Rookie phenom Luis Robert went 0 for 4 with four strikeouts as the White Sox dropped their second straight game game after winning six in a row.

(AP Photo/Morry Gash)A look at what's happening around the majors on Thursday:OFF BASEStar hitters Christian Yelich, Gary Sanchez, Hunter Pence and others are slumping badly in a season where hitters across the majors are struggling to find base hits. The sides decided Tuesday that rosters will remain at 28 through the World Series, instead of dropping to 26 on Aug. 20 as initially planned. He said his hamstring problem first showed up a week ago, went away, then showed up again Tuesday when he was sprinting. The Nationals already are missing World Series MVP Stephen Strasburg, who has a nerve issue in his pitching hand. CATCH-UP CARDSThe Cardinals expect to have another workout at Busch Stadium while getting ready to resume their virus-interrupted season.

(AP Photo/Morry Gash)A look at what's happening around the majors today:OFF BASEStar hitters Christian Yelich, Gary Sanchez, Hunter Pence and others are slumping badly in a season where hitters across the majors are struggling to find base hits. Its the lowest mark ever, below the .237 average posted in 1968, despite the addition of the designated hitter to the NL. The Nationals already are missing World Series MVP Stephen Strasburg, who has a nerve issue in his pitching hand. The Miami Marlins, thats who. St. Louis hasnt played since June 29 -- at 2-3, its next game is scheduled for Friday night at home against the Cubs.

Yelich also has struck out 12 times going into the series opener at home against Jack Flaherty and the Cardinals. Former World Series MVP George Springer (.048), two-time batting champ Jose Altuve (.174) and former All-Star Game MVP Alex Bregman (.174) will look to break loose when the Astros visit the Angels. TORONTOS TRAVELSVladimir Guerrero Jr. and the wandering Blue Jays will figure out where to spend this weekend after a three-game series in Philadelphia was called off because two Phillies staffers tested positive for the virus. Bo Bichette, Cavan Biggio and the Jays will stay in DC and work out at Nationals Park. The Blue Jays eventually will play home games in Buffalo at the stadium of their Triple-A affiliate.

The Milwaukee Brewers star is 1 for 27 to start the season, an .037 average that's worst among qualified hitters. Coming off a condensed preseason camp for a 60-game season truncated by the coronavirus pandemic, hitters are stumbling out of the batter's box. The league-wide batting average after Wednesday's games is .229, down from .252 last season even though the National League adopted the designated hitter for this season. And although hitters often start slowly in March and April, this collective slump is far worse than anything seen in recent years. Many indicators of the offensive struggles, including a rise in strikeouts and drop in batting average, are continuations of trends already underway.

Puig agreed to a one-year deal pending a physical, a person with knowledge of the agreement told The Associated Press. Glasnow re-joined the Rays on after missing the first 11 days of summer camp following his positive test. Outside of briefly losing his sense of taste and smell, the 26-year-old Glasnow said he didnt experience any noticeable symptoms of COVID-19. I had maybe really mild cold symptoms for maybe a day, Glasnow said, wearing a mask during a Zoom call. It would always be at a weird time of the day, and it had to be nobody there, Glasnow said.

Baseball players got a sense of what the game will be like without fans in the stands upon returning for workouts last week. ... just sitting behind the dish at a major league stadium with major league players on the field and no one else there and playing in competition, Milwaukee Brewers general manager David Stearns said Thursday. Baseball returned for workouts last week after the season was interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic during spring training. The season will start without fans in the stands and will likely remain that way for a while as coronavirus hotspots continue to pop up across the country. "In terms of the actual game and the way that the game played out, I think it looked like normal baseball."

Behavior away from the ballpark will be a big factor in determining whether Major League Baseball's attempt to salvage the 2020 season can succeed. And as Major League Baseball attempts to salvage the 2020 season, behavior away from the ballpark will help determine the outcome. Just like on the field, success will depend on how many players are safe at home. There's also worry regarding what happens when players are away from work and beyond whatever bubble can be created at the ballpark. Theyre in a sense bullet-proof, Marlins manager Don Mattingly said.

MILWAUKEE Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich acknowledges he benefited from fortunate timing in his contract negotiations. Youre going to have guys with different outlooks on this virus, Yelich said. This year is unique in the aspect of you just dont know what youre going to get from anybody, Yelich said. Youre going to see really good players have really bad years. You dont have that large sample size for everything to even out, so if you get off to a tough start or a bad start, youre really behind the eight ball."

The decision came a day after Snitker announced that four-time All-Star first baseman Freddie Freeman, premier reliever Will Smith and two other Atlanta players tested positive for the virus. Reliever Brett Martin tested positive on intake and allowed the Rangers to disclose that Friday. Pittsburgh manager Derek Shelton said outfielder Socrates Brito and pitcher Blake Cederlind tested positive for the coronavirus and allowed their names to be released. Seven players have tested positive, including the players who forced the shutdown of the teams spring training complex a few weeks ago. The Chicago White Sox said two players tested positive and are asymptomatic.