NEW YORK — Over the past five seasons, the only year that two-way sensation Shohei Ohtani didn’t win MVP of his respective league was 2022.

Topping Ohtani required a historic feat, as the Yankees’ Aaron Judge set an American League single-season record with 62 home runs that year.

Even then, Ohtani received two of the 30 first-place ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — With the Twins slipping out of the playoff race, the club is hoping prized outfield prospect Walker Jenkins can help save their season.

Jenkins was promoted to the major leagues and will join the Twins for Friday’s series opener against the Chicago White Sox at Target Field. Jenkins, 21, is the consensus top-rated prospect in ...Read more

NEW YORK — Aaron Judge has not played in a baseball game since May 31. He would like his next one to come in the major leagues.

The Yankees superstar, currently progressing through baseball activities after being sidelined by a stress fracture in his first right rib, said that he is “hoping not to do a rehab [assignment]” on Thursday. The...Read more

ATLANTA — Lefty Tarik Skubal hasn’t had time to fully reflect on his time in Detroit. When he learned at the beginning of the month that he was being traded to the Dodgers, he had one night of emotional goodbyes, before shifting his focus the next morning to preparing to face the Cubs in a few days.

Friday won’t be the right time either. ...Read more

SEATTLE — Cal Raleigh fidgeted with his hands and looked at his feet. He rocked back and forth a little, weighing his answer and how much he really wanted to share.

It was like a dentist asking him how regularly he flossed.

Raleigh wasn’t being asked about anything negative in a season filled with plenty to be pessimistic about.

No, he ...Read more

ST. LOUIS — The Orioles this week took two of three from the Cardinals for Baltimore’s third series win in four tries.

However, they’re now in a worse position in the American League wild-card race than they were before.

After taking the first two games against the Cardinals, the Orioles lost, 7-5, on Thursday. Trevor Rogers gave up two ...Read more

The Rockies’ trip to Nationals Park brought some ugly baseball, with a couple of solid games sandwiched in between.

Colorado got destroyed in the series opener on Monday, 13-3, to set a season high of seven straight losses. But the Rockies bounced back with wins in the next two games of the series, 3-1 on Tuesday and a 13-1 rout on Wednesday,...Read more

CHICAGO — The Chicago Cubs on Monday announced their 150th anniversary team, which includes the usual suspects and some curious omissions.

Suffice to say it’s not a true representation of 150 years of the franchise, considering few of the fans who voted probably watched anyone from 1876-1975, the first century of Cubs baseball.

It would’...Read more

NEW YORK — Juan Soto is no closer to returning to action for the Mets, but he’s no further either. The slugger took batting practice outside Wednesday afternoon, facing minor league pitching at Citi Field ahead of the Mets’ game against the Milwaukee Brewers. Soto has been doing only light activities since going on the injured list with a ...Read more

ATLANTA — The gathering on the Truist Park mound kept growing. At first, Dodgers right-hander Roki Sasaki was visited by pitching coach Mark Prior and catcher Hunter Feduccia, with the help of interpreter Will Ireton. Then, Prior summoned head athletic trainer Thomas Albert. Then, they called out manager Dave Roberts, who eventually made the ...Read more

ST. LOUIS — A loss would’ve been perhaps the Orioles’ worst of the season. Instead, the win counts all the same.

After winning by 12 runs Tuesday, the Orioles sprinted out to a seven-run lead in the second inning Wednesday in what looked like another cruise-control victory. But Orioles starter Kyle Bradish lost his command and was hit ...Read more

The Twins’ West Coast road trip started with some hope of the team gaining ground in the AL wild card race.

It ended Wednesday night in Sacramento with a 7-4 loss to the A’s, the fifth defeat on the six-game swing.

The Twins are four games behind in the wild-card standings as they head home to start a series with the White Sox on Friday.

...Read more

The Kansas City Royals’ nine-game winning streak came to an end Wednesday night against the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Royals struggled offensively while posting just six hits against the Blue Jays pitching staff at Rogers Centre. Toronto utilized seven pitchers in a bullpen game and registered eight strikeouts.

KC didn’t have many chances.

...Read more

LOS ANGELES — An investment firm owned by the two youngest sons of late Lakers owner Jerry Buss has bought into the new ownership group of the San Diego Padres.

Buss Sports Capital, which was started in September by Jesse and Joey Buss, joins a Padres ownership group that includes husband-and-wife controlling owners José E. Feliciano and ...Read more

PHOENIX — Pete Crow-Armstrong was still fuming two hours after the controversial call.

The Chicago Cubs hadn’t done much against Arizona Diamondbacks left-hander Eduardo Rodríguez when Crow-Armstrong doubled to lead off the sixth inning Wednesday. In a scoreless game, Crow-Armstrong advanced to third on a groundout, putting the Cubs in ...Read more

ANAHEIM, Calif. — The loss that ensured the Angels’ 11th straight losing season was the perfect encapsulation of their latest miserable year.

The starting pitching was good enough, but the offense and the bullpen couldn’t do enough to complete the victory.

Despite taking an early three-run lead and getting quality work from starter ...Read more

SEATTLE — Take a few minutes, maybe Thursday when the Phillies don’t play, and gaze at the numbers.

— .338 average

— .509 on-base percentage

— .600 slugging

— Five homers

— 28 walks

— 19 strikeouts

That’s Bryce Harper in August.

“He’s impressive,” interim manager Don Mattingly said Wednesday — before Harper ...Read more

PHOENIX — The Chicago Cubs hoped right-hander Ben Brown could return to the pitching staff by the end of the season and be a potential multi-inning weapon in the playoffs.

A setback is creating uncertainty for that vision.

Sidelined by a stress reaction in his neck since June 21, Brown threw his live batting practice Tuesday morning at Sloan...Read more