Japanese HS phenom Rintaro Sasaki skips NPB, will play NCAA baseball  —  Rintaro Sasaki, the Japanese high school career home run record holder, did not submit his application for the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) draft and has stated his intention to go to an American college to play baseball.

Steve Cohen on Mets: 'I've got to get this right'  —  Owner Steve Cohen has no regrets about the Mets' trade-deadline roster purge, even if it is now helping teams that were on the other end of such deals.  —  Take pitcher Justin Verlander, whom the Mets traded to the Astros in August for two outfield prospects.

Red Sox fire pitching coach Dave Bush and infield coach Carlos Febles  —  The Red Sox have fired pitching coach Dave Bush and third base coach/infield instructor Carlos Febles.  —  Bush had been the pitching coach since the 2020 season, following three years as a Red Sox minor league pitching coordinator.

Austin Riley's home run, Michael Harris' amazing catch rescues Braves in Game 2 of NLDS  —  Once again, it seemed the Atlanta Braves' regular season dominance was no match for the Philadelphia Phillies' playoff brilliance.  —  Yet down to their last four outs before falling into a hole …

With Rangers' sweep, Nathan Eovaldi sets up ‘best-case scenario’ for Texas pitchers  —  ARLINGTON, Texas — Sometime after the seventh inning, right around when Nathan Eovaldi took his curtain call, Chris Young's wife, Liz, turned to him and said, “I guess Christmas Eve was worthwhile.”  —  Liz remembered.

Dodgers' hitters succumbing to the pressure again  —  The injury-plagued starting pitching was always a question mark, but the offense - allegedly the Dodgers' strong suit - has no-showed again and has the team on the cusp of a second consecutive playoff failure  —  LOS ANGELES — Hey, batter, batter, batter!!

Former Dodgers, Padres star Steve Garvey joins U.S. Senate race  —  Former National League MVP Steve Garvey joined the race Tuesday to succeed the late California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, giving Republicans a splash of star quality on the ballot in a heavily Democratic state where the GOP hasn't won a Senate race in 35 years.

Michael King aiming to keep spot in Yankees rotation after late-season taste  —  Last offseason, Michael King was finishing up his rehab for a fractured right elbow and then beginning a careful buildup for the season as a reliever.  —  This winter, he will be preparing to take on a full …

Recent PlaysPhiAtl  —  Castellanos lined into a double play, center fielder Harris II to third baseman Riley to first baseman Olson, Harper out.  —  Top 9th  —  Realmuto flied out to center fielder Harris II.  —  Top 9th  —  Iglesias pitching.  —  Top 9th  —  Harper walked.  —  Top 9th

Rangers slam way past O's, head home with 2-0 lead  —  Garver makes playoffs debut, hits second postseason grand slam in Texas' history  —  BALTIMORE — As the ball left Mitch Garver's bat, Leody Taveras — standing on third base after a leadoff walk — immediately threw his hands in the air.

Does MLB's playoff format already need changes as higher seeds lose advantage?  —  The five-day layoff between the end of the regular season and start of the Division Series is not the reason the Baltimore Orioles trail the Texas Rangers, two games to none.  It is not the reason …

Astros part ways with assistant GM Bill Firkus, farm director Sara Goodrum  —  HOUSTON — The Astros have parted ways with assistant general manager Bill Firkus and farm director Sara Goodrum, The Athletic has learned, representing the first major front-office shakeup under first-year general manager Dana Brown.

The radical calm of Bruce Bochy  —  BRUCE BOCHY SPEAKS in a low rumble, walks like his shoes are three sizes too small and prefers to talk about anything but himself.  He manages a baseball game as if there are actual human beings on the field and not just a collection of numbers designed to dictate all outcomes, big and small.