Baseball's back: MLB sets 60-game sked, opens July 23 or 24  —  NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball issued a 60-game schedule Tuesday night that will start July 23 or 24 in empty ballparks as the sport tries to push ahead amid the coronavirus pandemic following months of acrimony.

MLB predictions: Who will thrive, struggle in 60-game season?  —  With the final hurdles cleared for a 2020 MLB season, the likes of which we've never seen before, we asked ESPN's baseball writers, reporters and editors for their best guesses as to what we'll witness during this abbreviated campaign.

New MLB Operations Manual Offers Glimpse into Negotiations for 2020 Season  —  After an initial 67-page draft circulated in mid-May, the MLB Operations Manual for the 2020 season is now 101 pages.  Comparing the two documents sheds some light on just how much has been worked out since the first vision of pandemic baseball.

Mariners To Sign Emerson Hancock  —  The Mariners have agreed to terms with No. 6 overall pick Emerson Hancock, reports Jim Callis of MLB.com (via Twitter).  The University of Georgia righty will receive a $5.7MM signing bonus that closely aligns with his $5,742,900 slot value.

Texas Rangers Manager Chris Woodward Announces Lance Lynn as Opening Day Starter  —  In his first Zoom call with local reporters since baseball officially returned, Texas Rangers manager Chris Woodward didn't wait very long to grab everyone's attention.  —  The line of questioning concluded …

Aaron Judge could be ready for opener, along with other injured Yankees  —  When spring training restarts toward the end of next week, the Yankees will be better off than they were in mid-March, when all big-league camps were shuttered because of the COVID-19 pandemic.  —  At least from a physical standpoint.

Arizona Diamondbacks sign top pick Bryce Jarvis  —  The Diamondbacks have finalized a contract with top pick Bryce Jarvis, signing the right-hander out of Duke to a deal that includes a $2.65 million signing bonus.  Jarvis has passed his physical exam.  —  The bonus is considerably less …

Sources: MLBPA agrees to report July 1, still discussing health and safety protocols  —  The Major League Baseball Players Association has agreed to report to training camps by July 1 and play a 60-game season, but it is still discussing health and safety protocols with the league, sources confirmed to ESPN's Jeff Passan on Tuesday.

Cubs Sign Three Draft Picks  —  The Cubs announced Thursday that they've signed three of their five picks from the 2020 amateur draft: left-hander Burl Carraway (second-round), left-hander Luke Little (fourth) and right-hander Koen Moreno (fifth).  Chicago announced early this week …

Quick Hits: Exhibition Games, 60-Man, Scouting, D-backs, Dodgers, Twins  —  There has been some question as to whether the second version of spring training will include any games, but that's no longer the case.  Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that Major League Baseball …

Brooks Koepka will also withdraw from Travelers after his caddie tests positive for coronavirus  —  World No. 4 Brooks Koepka has told Golfweek that he is withdrawing from the Travelers Championship after his caddie, Ricky Elliott, became the latest to test positive for coronavirus on the PGA Tour.

Multiple Blue Jays players and staff test positive for COVID-19  —  By subscribing, you are agreeing to Yahoo's  —  Shi Davidi of Sportsnet reports that “multiple BlueJays players and staff have tested positive for COVID-19.”  —  Davidi says that the tests are related to the shutdown …