Outfielder Juan Soto, pitchers Corbin Burnes, Walker Buehler and Max Fried, first baseman Pete Alonso, third baseman Alex Bregman, outfielder Anthony Santander and shortstop Willy Adames were among 136 players who became free agents.

The Houston Astros left three-time Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander off the roster for their AL Wild Card Series against Detroit but did include injured slugger Yordan Alvarez.

Pavin Smith homered in first three at-bats for his first multi-home run game and drove in a career-high eight runs, helping the Arizona Diamondbacks rout the Houston Astros 12-6 on Sunday night to end a three-game losing streak.

Aaron Judge hit his major-league leading 48th homer and Gerrit Cole allowed one hit in six innings to become the fourth active pitcher to reach 150 career wins as the New York Yankees beat the Cleveland Guardians 6-0.

Houston’s Justin Verlander is scheduled to come off the injured list and start the finale of a three-game series against the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday.

Velocity training is the rage in baseball from the youth levels up through the majors.

Houston Astros ace Justin Verlander was scratched from his scheduled start against the Detroit Tigers because of neck discomfort.

José Berríos turned 30 years old on Monday, giving up an obscure crown in the process.

Charlie Morton just surpassed 2,000 career innings during another win for the Atlanta Braves.

The final cost of the Mets’ sorry 2023 season has been totaled: $420 million.

San Diego cut payroll by $96 million in the past year, the New York Mets by $50 million and the Los Angeles Angels by $49 million, among nine teams that slashed spending in a tepid free-agent market that sparked player unrest.

Ronel Blanco’s brilliant start to the season is about the only thing going right for the Houston Astros.

Ronel Blanco of the Houston Astros threw the first no-hitter in the major leagues this season, blanking the Toronto Blue Jays 10-0.

A person familiar with the negotiations tells The Associated Press that two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell and the San Francisco Giants have agreed to a $62 million, two-year contract.

There is a bridge that runs from Tommy John and Dr. Frank Jobe in 1974, all the way to Justin Verlander and Bryce Harper.

New York Mets closer Edwin Díaz is set to appear in a game for the first time since tearing a patellar tendon during the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

Three big-name starting pitchers are dealing with injuries that could cause them to miss the beginning of the regular season — and potentially more.

Houston Astros ace Justin Verlander will open the season on the injured list after dealing with right shoulder inflammation during the offseason.

It didn’t take long for spring training to provide its first injury reports.

Houston Astros ace Justin Verlander says he is “a little bit behind schedule” due to offseason shoulder inflammation that could prevent him from being ready to pitch on opening day.

The New York Mets must pay a record luxury tax of nearly $101 million after a fourth-place finish in their division, among an unprecedented eight teams that owe the penalty for the 2023 season.

Shohei Ohtani’s jaw-dropping $700 million, 10-year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers has some similarities to other contracts for the world’s biggest sports stars, including soccer icons Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, along with NFL quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

Coming a win shy of reaching the World Series would be considered a successful season for most teams.

Jose Altuve hit a three-run homer in the ninth inning and the Houston Astros, after getting into another bench-clearing scuffle with the Texas Rangers, rallied for a 5-4 victory in a wild and testy Game 5 of the AL Championship Series.

Jordan Montgomery shut down the Houston Astros and Leody Taveras homered as the Texas Rangers did just enough against Justin Verlander to get a 2-0 win in the opener of the AL Championship Series Sunday night.

Houston dominated Texas during the regular season, winning nine of 13 matchups.

José Abreu homered for the third time in two games for the Houston Astros in a 3-2 win over the Minnesota Twins.

Justin Verlander pitched six shutout innings, Yordan Alvarez homered twice and the Houston Astros held on for a 6-4 win over the Minnesota Twins in their AL Division Series opener.

Houston manager Dusty Baker admitted this week that Carlos Correa is one of his favorite players.

For the first time in nine years, baseball’s postseason won’t include a New York team.

Justin Verlander is scheduled to start for the Houston Astros against former teammate Carlos Correa and the Minnesota Twins in Game 1 of their AL Division Series on Saturday.

Justin Verlander began his second stint with the Houston Astros by pitching seven solid innings, but he gave up a go-ahead homer to Jake Bauers that sent the New York Yankees to a 3-1 victory.

New York Mets owner Steve Cohen met with player and team personnel in Kansas City prior to the team's game Wednesday.

The arms race in the AL West began with Lucas Giolito and quickly escalated.

Framber Valdez threw the 16th no-hitter in Houston Astros history Tuesday night in a 2-0 victory over the Cleveland Guardians.

Houston’s Framber Valdez has not allowed a hit through seven innings against the Cleveland Guardians on Tuesday night.

Justin Verlander is headed back to the Houston Astros, who reacquired the three-time Cy Young Award winner from the New York Mets in a trade-deadline blockbuster.

Ace pitcher Justin Verlander was shipped from the New York Mets to Houston ahead of the trade deadline, returning to the Astros after he helped them win the World Series last year.

Pete Alonso homered twice and drove in a season-high five runs, Justin Verlander pitched six shutout innings and the New York Mets beat the New York Yankees 9-3 in their Subway Series opener.

Francisco Lindor homered and drove in five runs, and Max Scherzer pitched eight fantastic innings for his longest outing with the New York Mets in their 11-1 victory over the skidding Houston Astros.

Brandon Nimmo hit a game-ending double in the 10th inning and the New York Mets recovered from a string of mental and physical errors to beat the New York Yankees 4-3 for a two-game Subway Series split.

Chris Bassitt took the mound after a 91-minute rain delay, ready to rush back to Toronto as his wife went into labor, and shut down his former team on three hits to lead the Blue Jays over the New York Mets 3-0.

Bryce Harper and Justin Verlander are back from injuries for the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets.

Justin Verlander gave up back-to-back home runs in his New York Mets debut and Eduardo Rodriguez threw eight scoreless innings as the Detroit Tigers completed a three-game sweep with a 2-0 win Thursday.

Justin Verlander was roughed up early before settling in and having some success in his New York Mets debut.

New York Mets star pitchers Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer are returning to the mound in Detroit against a team both of them played for.

The average Major League Baseball salary was up 11.1% to a record $4.9 million to start this season, the biggest jump for the sport since 2001, according to a study by The Associated Press.

The New York Mets placed Justin Verlander on the injured list with a strained upper back muscle on opening day, sidelining the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner before his first appearance with the team.

Players and coaches in the NCAA Tournament may be breathing life into a new controversy: Inflategate.

Team USA fielded a World Baseball Classic roster brimming with All-Star names from Trea Turner to Mookie Betts to Mike Trout.

Major league hitters are working with the sport's brightest minds to close the gap on a technology-driven pitching renaissance.

Miami Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara has received his NL Cy Young Award trophy for the second time, and this time he has no reason to give it back.

There were some familiar faces in new places as teams picked up the pace on the second day of spring training.

Baseball's 2023 season begins with another celebration for the Houston Astros, and Jacob deGrom returns to New York on another big day on this year's major league schedule.

Spring training opens Monday in Florida and Arizona.

In yet another nod to technology, Major League Baseball will permit pitchers in spring training to wear wristbands that will let them signal to the catcher what’s coming next.

Justin Verlander says owner Steve Cohen and his willingness to spend his hedge-fund fortune on building a World Series-contender is the reason he joined the New York Mets.

Dusty Baker finally got his elusive championship with the Houston Astros, garnering his first World Series ring in 25 years as a manager in one of the most memorable moments of the year in sports.

Japanese pitcher Kodai Senga and the New York Mets have agreed to a $75 million, five-year contract, according to a person familiar with the negotiations.

Justin Verlander is going to the New York Mets.

A person familiar with the negotiations says Justin Verlander has agreed to an $86.7 million, two-year contract with the New York Mets.

Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred confirmed Thursday that Major League Baseball is looking into potentially improper communication between the New York Mets and Yankees regarding star free agent Aaron Judge.

Houston’s Justin Verlander in the American League and Miami’s Sandy Alcantara in the National League are both unanimous selections for the Cy Young Award.

Justin Verlander has declined a $25 million option with the Houston Astros to become a free agent.

Oz Ocampo already sees a similarity between the Miami Marlins and the two teams that just played in the World Series.

Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani and Yordan Alvarez are the finalists for American League MVP in voting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.

The Houston Astros just won their second World Series in six years and have been a consistent presence in the playoffs.

Aaron Judge, Edwin Díaz, Trea Turner, Dansby Swanson and Xander Bogaerts were among 131 players who became free agents as baseball’s business season began just hours after the final out of the World Series.

Dusty Baker has been here before.

Houston Astros center fielder Chas McCormick and fill-in first baseman Trey Mancini both made key defensive plays in the late innings that helped preserve a 3-2 win over the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 5 of the World Series.

The Philadelphia Phillies continued to struggle in the clutch in a 3-2 loss to the Houston Astros in Game 5 of the World Series.

Justin Verlander overcame an early jolt to grit out the World Series win that long eluded him, rookie Jeremy Peña hit a go-ahead home run and the Houston Astros beat the Philadelphia Phillies 3-2 to head home with a 3-2 lead.

Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber put a sudden end to that record-tying hitless streak by Houston pitchers.

Justin Verlander has a very tough act to follow.

Cristian Javier and Houston’s bullpen combined on just the second no-hitter in World Series history, silencing a booming lineup and boisterous ballpark as the Astros blanked the Philadelphia Phillies 5-0 Wednesday night to even the matchup at two games each.

Phillies fans had to hand it to Justin Verlander.

Game 3 of the World Series between the Philadelphia Phillies and Houston Astros has been postponed because of rain with the matchup tied 1-1, pushing the entire Fall Classic schedule back one day.

Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. wasn’t born in Houston, but he sure loves it now.

Framber Valdez made a five-run lead stand up after Houston’s lightning first-inning burst, Alex Bregman homered and the Astros beat the Philadelphia Phillies 5-2 to tie the World Series at one game apiece.

The Astros and Phillies travel Friday to Texas, where Game 6 of the World Series will be played a night later.

Kyle Tucker got the fans jumping with a leadoff homer in the second inning.

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Even with a 5-0 lead, Justin Verlander couldn’t get his first World Series win.

Aaron Nola was nowhere near perfect for the Philadelphia Phillies in Houston for Game 1 of the World Series.

That is the real Chas McCormick playing center field for the Houston Astros in the World Series.

Justin Verlander remains in search of his first World Series win after going 0-6 with a 5.68 ERA in seven Series starts.

Bryce Harper and the Philadelphia Phillies are set to play the Houston Astros in the World Series.

Yordan Alvarez and Alex Bregman delivered big hits and the Houston Astros advanced to the World Series again, finishing a four-game sweep of New York in the AL Championship Series with a 6-5 victory aided by another defensive gaffe from the Yankees.

Alex Bregman hit an early three-run homer, Framber Valdez pitched seven strong innings and the Houston Astros edged the New York Yankees 3-2 to take a 2-0 lead in the AL Championship Series.

Justin Verlander struck out 11 in six strong innings and Yuli Gurriel, Chas McCormick and Jeremy Peña all homered to power the Houston Astros to a 4-2 win over the New York Yankees in their AL Championship Series opener.

Major League Baseball views expanded playoffs as the more the merrier.

Houston Astros star Jose Altuve has long been a postseason powerhouse.

Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge staggered Cleveland with early homers, and the New York Yankees rocked past the Guardians 5-1 in the decisive Game 5 of their AL Division Series to set up another rematch with Houston for the pennant.

Astros starters Framber Valdez and Luis Garcia look like naturals on the mound, but they've gotten an artificial boost from the barber shop.

Yordan Alvarez smashed a game-ending, three-run homer with two outs in the ninth inning off Robbie Ray, wrecking Seattle’s strategy of using a Cy Young Award winner in a rare relief role and vaulting the Houston Astros over the Mariners 8-7 in their playoff opener.

Astros reliever Phil Maton says he broke his right pinkie when he punched a locker in frustration after Houston’s regular-season finale and will miss the postseason.

When Justin Verlander takes the mound for the Houston Astros in Game 1 of the AL Division Series on Tuesday against the Seattle Mariners, it will have been almost three years since his last playoff appearance.

Minnesota’s Luis Arraez finished with the lowest average for an American League batting champion since 1968, and the Mets’ Jeff McNeil won the National League title.

The entire Major League Baseball playoff picture is now set.

Justin Verlander and the Houston bullpen have not allowed a hit through eight innings against the Philadelphia Phillies.