LEGENDARY CUBS 2B RYNE SANDBERG DIES AT 65
Baseball Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg, a longtime Chicago Cubs star who was one of the game’s greatest-ever second basemen, died on Monday at age 65.
Sandberg battled prostate cancer for more than a year.
The Cubs tweeted, “With great sadness, we share that Ryne Sandberg has passed away today.”
After getting six at-bats for the Philadelphia Phillies in 1981, Sandberg was traded to the Cubs and became a fixture in Chicago for 15 seasons.
The 10-time All-Star was an all-around performer, as proven by his nine Gold Gloves and seven Silver Slugger awards.
Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement, “Ryne Sandberg was a legend of the Chicago Cubs franchise and a beloved figure throughout Major League Baseball. He was a five-tool player who excelled in every facet of the game thanks to his power, speed and work ethic. …
“Ryne remained active in the game he loved as an ambassador for the Cubs, a manager for the Phillies and in the Minor Leagues, and a frequent participant at the Hall of Fame. His many friends across the game were in his corner as he courageously fought cancer in recent years. We will continue to support the important work of Stand Up To Cancer in Ryne’s memory.”
Jane Forbes Clark, chairman of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, added in a statement, “Ryne Sandberg had a relentless work ethic and an unshakable positive outlook. With it, he inspired all those who knew him. He always emphasized his respect for the way the game should be played, for his teammates and for the Hall of Fame, especially during his 2005 induction speech.”
Sandberg, affectionately called “Ryno,” was selected the National League’s Most Valuable Player in 1984, when he hit .314 with league-high totals of 114 runs and 19 triples to go with 19 homers and 84 RBIs. He topped the NL with 40 homers in 1990.
In 2,164 career games, Sandberg hit .285 with a .344 on-base percentage, a .452 slugging percentage, 282 home runs, 1,061 RBIs and 344 stolen bases. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2005, and a statue of Sandberg was unveiled outside Wrigley Field last year.
Longtime Cubs teammate Mark Grace said, “When you examine the offense and defense, you’ll find some years where he was the best player you’ve ever seen in your life.”
The Cubs got to the playoffs just twice in his career, losing in the NL Championship Series in 1984 and 1989. Sandberg logged a career .385 average (15-for-39) with a home run, six RBIs, six walks and three steals in 10 postseason games.
He went on to manage the Phillies from August 2013 to June 2015, compiling a 119-159 record.
GUARDS’ ALL-STAR EMMANUEL CLASE PLACED ON PAID LEAVE AS PART OF MLB SPORTS BETTING INVESTIGATION
Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase has been placed on non-disciplinary paid leave as part of a Major League Baseball investigation into sports betting.
Clase, a three-time All-Star, becomes the second Guardians pitcher to be placed on leave in connection with a sports gambling probe. Luis Ortiz also is on non-disciplinary leave through Aug. 31.
It was unclear if the cases were related in any way. The Guardians said in a statement that they “have been informed that no additional players or club personnel are expected to be impacted.”
The 27-year-old Clase is 5-3 with 24 saves in 48 games this year, but he also has a career-high 3.23 ERA. The right-hander led the AL in saves in each of the previous three years and was speculated to be sought after in trades ahead of this week’s MLB trade deadline.
MLB said in a statement that Clase had been placed on leave per an agreement with the players’ association while the league “continues its sports betting investigation.” It declined further comment.
Cleveland was slated to begin a three-game series against Colorado on Monday night. The Guardians are second in the AL Central with a 52-53 record.
The Ortiz investigation is related to in-game prop bets on two pitches thrown by the right-hander that received higher activity than usual during his starts at Seattle on June 15 and against St. Louis on June 27. The gambling activity on the pitches was flagged by a betting-integrity firm and forwarded to MLB.
The situation with Clase and Ortiz comes after MLB suspended five players for gambling in June 2024, including a lifetime ban for San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano. MLB said Marcano placed 387 baseball bets totaling more than $150,000 with a legal sportsbook in 2022 and 2023.
Athletics pitcher Michael Kelly and three minor leaguers — San Diego pitcher Jay Groome, Arizona pitcher Andrew Saalfrank and Philadelphia infielder José Rodríguez — received one-year suspensions.
Umpire Pat Hoberg was fired by Major League Baseball in February for sharing his legal sports gambling accounts with a friend who bet on baseball games, and for intentionally deleting electronic messages pertinent to the league’s investigation.
BREWERS ACQUIRE RAYS C DANNY JANSEN FOR MINOR-LEAGUER
The Milwaukee Brewers made a move Monday night to add power at the catcher position, acquiring Danny Jansen and cash from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for minor league infielder Jadher Areinamo.
Jansen, who has 11 homers this year, will take the roster spot of Milwaukee backup catcher Eric Haase, who was designated for assignment as part of the transaction.
Jansen, 30, grew up in Appleton, Wis.
“I don’t live too far (from Milwaukee), so that’s going to be something that my wife and I have never experienced as a family,” Jansen said, according to MLB.com. “I’m definitely excited to meet the new organization, and I’ve heard nothing but great things about them as well. I’m super grateful for my time here, and I’m excited for the next chapter as well.”
In 73 games for Tampa Bay this year, Jansen hit .204 with a .314 on-base percentage, a .389 slugging percentage and 29 RBIs.
Across 574 major league games for the Toronto Blue Jays (2018-24), the Boston Red Sox (2024) and Tampa Bay (2025), Jansen has a career hitting line of .218/.309/.415 with 85 home runs and 249 RBIs.
Haase, 32, hit .228/.278/.396 with two home runs and nine RBIs in 30 games for the Brewers in 2025. In 383 games for Cleveland (2018-19, 2023), Detroit (2020-23) and Milwaukee (2024-25), he owns a .228/.278/.396 slash line with 48 homers and 160 RBIs.
Areinamo, 21, was ranked as the Brewers’ 24th-best prospect by MLB Pipeline. He hit .297/.355.463 with 11 homers, 51 RBIs and 15 stolen bases this season for high Class-A Wisconsin, which plays in Appleton.
BASEBALL COMMISSIONER ROB MANFRED CONFRONTED BY BRYCE HARPER DURING MEETING, AP SOURCE SAYS
CHICAGO (AP) — Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred and Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper had a spirited exchange during a question-and-answer session between the commissioner and the team, according to a person with direct knowledge of the conversation.
The person spoke to the AP on Monday on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation. Phillies slugger Nick Castellanos previously confirmed some details from the meeting in interviews with The Bandwagon and ESPN.
Manfred met with the Phillies and Red Sox during their series last week in Philadelphia. The session with the Phillies lasted for more than an hour.
Manfred spoke with the NL team about the media landscape and working together to grow the sport, according to the person with knowledge of the conversation. At some point, Harper told Manfred if he was there to talk about a salary cap, he could “get the (expletive) out” of the clubhouse.
Baseball’s collective bargaining agreement expires Dec. 1, 2026, and some players are concerned about a possible management push for a salary cap. Harper is a two-time NL MVP and one of the game’s marquee names, making his confrontation with Manfred more noteworthy.
Manfred and some owners have cited payroll disparity as one of baseball’s biggest problems, while at the same time MLB is working to address a revenue decline from regional sports networks. Unlike the NFL, NBA and NHL, baseball has never had a salary cap because its players staunchly oppose one.
BRAVES ADD RHP CARLOS CARRASCO IN DEAL WITH YANKEES
The Atlanta Braves acquired veteran right-hander Carlos Carrasco from the New York Yankees on Monday in exchange for cash considerations.
Carrasco, 38, had been designated for assignment by the Yankees in May before accepting an assignment to remain with the organization and join the roster at Triple-A Scranton.
Carrasco was 2-2 with a 5.91 ERA in eight appearances (six starts) with the Yankees and 4-2 with a 3.27 ERA in 11 appearances (10 starts) at Triple-A this season.
The move comes one day after the Braves added right-hander Erick Fedde, who was designated for assignment by the St. Louis Cardinals.
In 16 major league seasons, Carrasco is 112-105 with a 4.18 ERA in 332 appearances (283 starts) for the Cleveland Indians (2009-2020), the New York Mets (2021-23), Cleveland Guardians (2024) and Yankees.
The Braves are dealing with pitching injuries to Chirs Sale (ribs), Grant Holmes (elbow), Reynaldo Lopez (shoulder), Spencer Schwellenbach (elbow) and AJ Smith-Shawver (elbow).
MLB ROUNDUP: AFTER RAIN DELAY, TWINS WALK-OFF RED SOX
Brooks Lee hit a walk-off, two-run single in the bottom of the ninth inning, lifting the Minnesota Twins to a 5-4 win over the Boston Red Sox on Monday night in Minneapolis.
The game was delayed by violent storms before the start of the bottom of the ninth. The teams resumed after more than an hour delay, and the Twins promptly rallied for the victory.
DaShawn Keirsey Jr. singled before Red Sox reliever Jordan Hicks (1-7) hit back-to-back batters with pitches. Boston got a forceout at home before Lee singled to left.
Keirsey went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer. Christian Vazquez also drove in a run for the Twins, and Royce Lewis had two hits. Alex Bregman went 2-for-5 with a three-run homer for Boston. Roman Anthony went 2-for-3 with an RBI, and Wilyer Abreu had three hits.
Angels 6, Rangers 4
Kevin Newman and Luis Rengifo hit two-run homers and Taylor Ward added a solo shot, leading Los Angeles to a victory over Texas in the opener of a three-game series at Anaheim, Calif.
Gustavo Campero went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases and a run for the Angels, who snapped the Rangers’ six-game winning streak by logging their third victory in four games. Kenley Jansen pitched 1 1/3 innings of hitless, scoreless relief to notch his 19th save.
Josh Jung homered and Josh Smith tripled and scored for Texas, which took just its second loss in 10 games. Jacob deGrom (10-3) gave up a season-high five runs on seven hits over 5 1/3 innings while striking out eight and walking one. It was deGrom’s first loss since May 26.
Padres 7, Mets 6
Elias Diaz’s two-out RBI single in the bottom of the ninth inning lifted San Diego to a wild win over visiting New York.
Robert Suarez (3-4) got the win despite blowing the save when Ronny Mauricio cracked a one-out solo homer in the top of the ninth to tie the game.
Padres starter Dylan Cease gave up five runs on five hits and five walks in 4 2/3 innings, striking out nine. Mets starter Frankie Montas left after 4 1/3 innings, permitting eight hits and five runs while walking two and fanning three.
Mariners 3, Athletics 1
Luis Castillo pitched seven strong innings and Josh Naylor smacked his first homer with the Mariners to help Seattle post a victory over the Athletics in West Sacramento, Calif.
Naylor had two hits and scored twice for the Mariners, who are three games behind the first-place Houston Astros in the American League West. Cal Raleigh notched two hits and an RBI and Ben Williamson produced two hits, one run and a big defensive play for Seattle. Castillo (8-6) allowed one run and five hits.
Brent Rooker had an RBI for the Athletics, who were coming off a four-game road sweep of the Astros. A’s starter JP Sears (7-9) gave up three runs (two earned) and five hits over 4 1/3 innings. Athletics All-Star shortstop Jacob Wilson (left hand) sat out his third straight game.
Brewers 8, Cubs 4
Christian Yelich had a two-run homer and Milwaukee overcame a shaky first inning from All-Star rookie Jacob Misiorowski to rally for a victory over visiting Chicago in the opener of the three-game series between the National League Central leaders.
The Brewers, who moved into first place one game ahead of the Cubs, erased a 3-0 first-inning deficit with four runs in the third off Matthew Boyd (11-4). Andrew Vaughn had a solo homer, his ninth, in the fifth and Sal Frelick had a solo shot, his eighth, an inning later to make it 6-3. Misiorowski finished his 80-pitch outing with three scoreless innings, allowing three runs, two earned, on three hits.
The Cubs took a 3-0 lead in the first with the aid of a wild pitch and throwing error in a 40-pitch inning against Misiorowski.
Tigers 5, Diamondbacks 1
Dillon Dingler had a solo homer and two singles, and Troy Melton pitched seven shutout innings to collect his first career victory as host Detroit downed Arizona to open a three-game series.
In his second career start since being promoted from Triple-A Toledo, Melton (1-1) surrendered five singles without issuing a walk for the Tigers. Andy Ibanez, also recalled from Toledo earlier in the day, added a home run, a double and two runs.
Diamondbacks starter Eduardo Rodriguez (3-7) gave up five runs and eight hits in six innings. Alek Thomas hit a solo shot for the Diamondbacks, who have lost six of their last seven contests.
Rays 4, Yankees 2
Junior Caminero hit a two-run homer and the Rays pulled back above .500 with a victory over the host Yankees.
Rays starter Drew Rasmussen (8-5) allowed a pair of run-scoring walks in the first inning before pitching five innings, holding the Yankees scoreless the rest of the way.
Yankees rookie Cam Schlittler (1-1) allowed three runs on seven hits in 4 1/3 innings during his third career start. The hard-throwing right-hander struck out five and walked four.
Nationals 2, Astros 1
Riley Adams clubbed a two-out, tiebreaking home run in the seventh inning, and visiting Washington edged reeling Houston.
Adams socked his sixth homer of the season to right field off Astros reliever Bryan King (3-2). Reliever Konnor Pilkington (2-0) got two outs in the sixth, and Kyle Finnegan recorded his 20th save with a perfect ninth.
The Astros took their sixth consecutive home loss, their fifth straight defeat overall. The Nationals won their third game in a row. Houston starter Framber Valdez fanned 12 in six innings.
Cardinals 7, Marlins 1
Andre Pallante allowed one hit in seven scoreless innings as St. Louis defeated visiting Miami.
Pallante (6-7) struck out four and walked one while enjoying quite a turnaround from his previous three starts, when he allowed 18 runs, 17 earned, on 25 hits in 15 2/3 innings. Masyn Winn went 3-for-4 with two doubles, a run and three RBIs for the Cardinals, who won for just the fourth time in 11 games since the All-Star break. Alec Burleson had a homer, two runs and two RBIs.
Marlins starter Edward Cabrera (4-5) allowed two runs, one earned, on four hits in six innings.
Braves 10, Royals 7
Ronald Acuna Jr. and Marcell Ozuna each hit a two-run homer, Austin Riley homered and drove in four, and visiting Atlanta emerged with a win over Kansas City.
The Royals tied a franchise record by issuing 14 walks, a mark reached four times previously. The Braves’ offense matched its best-ever walk total, equally a record achieved twice before. Riley broke things open with a three-run double in the eighth for the Braves, who snapped a five-game losing streak. Atlanta’s Spencer Strider (5-8) allowed two first-inning runs but no more while grinding into the sixth.
Rich Hill (0-2) walked six and allowed four runs and three hits in four innings during his second start for Kansas City, which had won five of the previous seven.
Dodgers 5, Reds 2
Yoshinobu Yamamoto allowed just one run with nine strikeouts over seven innings, and Shohei Ohtani hit a two-run double to send the visiting Dodgers to a win over the Reds.
Yamamoto (9-7) matched a season-high seven innings, allowing just four hits and one run. The right-hander improved his road record to 6-3 in 11 starts. The only blemish on his slate was an RBI groundout by former Dodger Gavin Lux in the first inning.
Ohtani walked twice and cashed in a pair of runners to break a 1-1 tie with a double to center field off Cincinnati starter Chase Burns (0-3).
Pirates 6, Giants 5
Andrew McCutchen broke a tie with a seventh-inning homer, the Pittsburgh bullpen threw seven innings of two-run ball and the Pirates ran their winning streak to three in a row with a triumph at San Francisco.
Nick Gonzales also homered for the Pirates. Yohan Ramirez (1-0) pitched 2 1/3 shutout innings, and David Bednar recorded his 17th save despite allowing a run in the ninth.
Willy Adames totaled three hits and two RBIs for the Giants, who have lost four straight, all at home. Reliever Carson Seymour (0-1) permitted two runs in three innings.
Orioles 11, Blue Jays 4
Cedric Mullins and Coby Mayo belted back-to-back homers and Adley Rutschman had a big night at the plate in his first game off the injured list as Baltimore topped visiting Toronto.
Ramon Laureano and Colton Cowser also homered and Jordan Westburg joined Rutschman and Mayo with three hits apiece. The Orioles finished with 16 hits as they won their third game in a row. Corbin Martin (1-0) pitched 1 2/3 innings of shutout relief for his first win since 2019.
Bo Bichette had four hits and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Nathan Lukes homered for the Blue Jays, who have lost two games in a row for the first time since the All-Star break.
White Sox 6, Phillies 2
Colson Montgomery and Luis Robert Jr. homered and Davis Martin pitched 5 2/3 sharp innings to help host Chicago to a victory against the Phillies.
Chicago has won the first game in each of its four series since the All-Star break and is 7-3 out of the break overall.
Robert connected for a go-ahead, two-run blast to the opposite field in the fourth as Chicago struck against Phillies left-hander Cristopher Sanchez, a National League Cy Young award contender, in key spots. Sanchez (9-3) had allowed just four earned runs with 31 strikeouts in 30 1/3 innings over his past four starts entering Monday.
Rockies 8, Guardians 6
Tyler Freeman had three RBIs against his former team and Hunter Goodman homered and drove in two runs over the last two innings, giving visiting Colorado a wild victory over Cleveland.
Colorado rookie Warming Bernabel homered for the second game in a row. The Rockies scored four times in the ninth to erase a 5-4 deficit against Cade Smith (2-4), who retired one batter and gave up four runs, one earned.
Tyler Kinley (1-3) was the winner, and Seth Halvorsen gave up Nolan Jones’ RBI single in the bottom of the ninth but still earned his 11th save. The game was delayed 2 1/2 hours at the start due to rain.
