Astros' Ronel Blanco ejected after foreign substance check  —  HOUSTON — Astros starter Ronel Blanco was ejected at the start of the fourth inning of a 2-1 win over the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday night after umpires found a foreign substance that one called “the stickiest stuff I've felt on a glove.”

A's lefty Ken Waldichuk undergoes reconstructive elbow surgery  —  OAKLAND, Calif. — Oakland Athletics left-hander Ken Waldichuk had reconstructive surgery on his troublesome pitching elbow and will be sidelined all season, another tough injury blow for the pitcher this past year.

Men's Hoops Signs Transfer JJ Taylor  —  “JJ is a very talented player with tremendous upside.  At 6-8, his versatility will allow him to impact the game on both ends of the floor.  He has great athleticism and a terrific skill set.” … Taylor spent his freshman campaign at Memphis …

Bad Bunny's agency claims MLBPA issued ‘death penalty’ for sanctions  —  Rimas Sports, the agency founded by recording artist Bad Bunny, has accused the Major League Baseball Players Association of “placing a death penalty” on the agency through “a discriminatory, biased, and pre-determined investigation” …

Takeaways from new Statcast MLB bat-tracking data  —  Major League Baseball publicly released a trove of bat-tracking data today that offers fascinating insights into what makes the best hitters good — and the worst bad.  With everything from bat speed to swing length to sweet spot contact measured …

Dinner With Bruce Bochy?  Mexican Vacation?  Eric Nadel's Birthday Benefit Auction Is Live  —  Eric Nadel's 12th Annual Birthday Benefit includes a silent auction open to the public online through 9:15 p.m. Thursday.  The auction features all sorts of autographed sports memorabilia …

MLB attorney: Loss of Comcast as TV carrier ‘devastating’  —  Attorneys for MLB, the NBA and the NHL expressed strong concerns with Diamond Sports Group's ability to emerge from bankruptcy during a status conference on Wednesday, less than five weeks after a scheduled confirmation hearing.

Baseball Catchers Keep Getting Whacked by Hitters.  It's No Accident.  —  In a bid to convince umpires that low pitches are actually strikes, catchers have been inching nearer to the batter.  They're now setting up so close that they frequently wind up getting clobbered.

What's next for Donovan Mitchell, J.B. Bickerstaff, Darius Garland and the Cavs?  —  BOSTON — In the second game after they learned in December they'd be without both Darius Garland and Evan Mobley for a while, the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Houston Rockets in overtime.

MLB agrees to multiyear contract with Roku for Sunday games  —  Major League Baseball announced Monday that it has agreed to an exclusive, multiyear contract with the streaming company Roku, which will air one game each Sunday this season from now until the middle of September.  Terms were not disclosed.

Yankees' Clay Holmes has been MLB's best closer  —  The New York Yankees' bullpen, after posting the lowest ERA in the majors in 2023, is a very different group this season.  Key players departed over the winter, replaced by relatively obscure newcomers, while others are out early with injuries.