▶ Yasiel Puig, the final big-name free agent yet to sign with a team, agrees to deal with the Braves.
Top free agent finds a home; Rays pitcher returns after COVID
Opening day rosters gained clarity on Tuesday when the Atlanta Braves reached an agreement with Yasiel Puig, while Tampa Bay pitcher Tyler Glasnow provided hopes for teams awaiting players to be cleared following positive tests for the coronavirus.
Puig agreed to a one-year deal pending a physical, a person with knowledge of the agreement told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the agreement is not official until Puig passes the physical.
The 29-year-old Puig, who began his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers, hit a combined .267 with 24 homers and 84 RBIS for Cincinnati and Cleveland in 2019. He also stole 19 bases.
Puig was the last big-name free agent from the offseason who had not signed with a team. He helps the Braves fill a void left when Nick Markakis opted out for the season.
Glasnow rejoined the Rays after missing the first 11 days of summer camp following his positive test. The righthander immediately jumped into a simulated game at
Tropicana Field and threw 49 pitches over 31/3 innings.
Glasnow said he felt fine and expects to be ready to begin the 60-game season on time. The pitcher said he quarantined for 14 days inside his apartment in St. Petersburg, Fla. He was 6-1 with a 1.78 ERA in 12 starts last season.
Mets second baseman Robinson Cano also returned to camp after the 37-year-old missed five straight workouts for undisclosed reasons. He was scheduled to participate in practice, but not the intrasquad game at night.
“We’ll go day by day. I mean, he looks great. He’s in great shape,” manager Luis Rojas said.
Mets relief pitchers Brad Brach and Jared Hughes remained absent.
Also returning was Orioles outfielder Anthony Santander. The team has not provided an explanation for his late arrival. Santander, who hit 20 home runs last year, is a projected starter. The shorthanded outfield is without slugger Trey Mancini, who had colon cancer surgery in March. Dwight Smith Jr. has not yet reported, for reasons not disclosed by the Orioles. Braves: Manager Brian Snitker named Mike Soroka, 22, the Braves’ youngest opening day starter in the modern era. Atlanta opens at the Mets on July 24. Cubs: Anthony Rizzo’s back trouble flared up again after he took batting practice on Sunday, and the Cubs are sending the slugger for tests. Rizzo has been dealing with back tightness during summer camp, a recurring problem throughout his career.
Indians: Outfielder Delino Deshields Jr. says he was taking every necessary precaution and still contracted the coronavirus while in Arizona. “I was doing everything I was supposed to do,” he said Tuesday. Deshields missed the restart of Cleveland’s camp after he experienced COVID-19 symptoms, including a loss of taste and smell. Royals: Left-hander Danny Duffy will start for Kansas City when they open the season against the Indians in Cleveland next week. Yankees: Pitcher Masahiro Tanaka is unsure whether he will be able to take his first turn through the rotation as he recovers from a line drive off his head. Tanaka was hit on the right side near the temple by Giancarlo Stanton’s shot during batting practice on July 4. While the 31-year-old right-hander says he has no concussion symptoms, he has not thrown off a mound since. New York opens the season July 23 at Washington, and Tanaka is projected as part of a rotation behind new ace Gerrit Cole, James Paxton, J.A. Happ and perhaps Jordan Montgomery. He still hopes to avoid missing any starts. Notes: About 10 MLB umpires have opted out this season, choosing not to work games in the shortened schedule because of concerns over the coronavirus. ... A top Canadian health official says the Blue Jays might want to consider hosting an extended stretch of home games in order to get approval to play in Toronto amid the pandemic. Dr. Howard Njoo, Canada’s deputy chief public health officer, said Tuesday that back and forth travel from the U.S., where coronavirus cases are surging, is a major issue that could prevent the government from approving Major League Baseball to play in Canada.