AROUND THE HORN
Guardians: Major League Baseball approved the sale of a minority stake in the Guardians to David Blitzer, whose sports holdings include ownership shares in the NBA’s 76ers and the NHL’s Devils. Blitzer initially will have 25-30% ownership and will have the right to increase his stake to a controlling interest in several years. Guardians owner Paul Dolan has been seeking a minority investor in his franchise for several years. His interest began when previous minority investor John Sherman bought the Royals for $1 billion in 2019. In December, Dolan said the team had “meaningful discussions” with Blitzer, a 52-year-old equity investor and co-chairman of the 76ers and Devils. Blitzer is also a general partner with Crystal Palace Football Club.
Red Sox: LHP Chris Sale threw 32 pitches in a simulated game at Fenway Park on Thursday. With teammates watching from different areas of the ballpark, the 33-year-old Sale faced the same three batters twice — in two separate innings — and sat in the dugout after the first. “Good, 94, 95 (mph). Good changeup,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said after Sale was done. Sidelined since spring training after suffering a fracture in his rib cage, Sale could be a huge boost for a Red Sox rotation that also is missing RHP Nathan Eovaldi because of a back injury. Sale, signed through 2024 in a five-year, $145 million deal, is 114-74 with a 3.03 ERA and 2,059 strikeouts over 321 big league appearances. But the seven-time All-Star has thrown just 42 ⅔ innings for the Red Sox since the end of the 2019 season. Last season, he went 5-1 with a 3.16 ERA in nine starts in his return from Tommy John surgery, relying mostly on his fastball and slider.
Yankees: RHP Luis Severino was scratched from his start against the Rays and placed on the COVID-19 list. “He’s just on the list now,” manager Aaron Boone said. “Last night he got sick, had a fever and chills and all that. Doing a lot better today but we’ll know (later).” Severino, 28, is 4-1 with a 2.80 ERA . ... The Yankees told MLB they want to be one of the teams for the sport’s first games in continental Europe at the Stade de France outside Paris during 2025, The AP reported. The stadium in France, at Saint-Denis, was built for the 1998 World Cup and was the site of this year’s Champions League final. It has a soccer capacity of about 80,000.
Extra innings: All-Star OF Jesse Winker and the Mariners avoided a salary arbitration hearing when they agreed to a two-year, $14.5 million contract. Winker, 28, gets $6.25 million this year and $8.25 million in 2023. He’s hitting 214 with four HRs and 24 RBIs and leads the AL with 38 walks this season . ... Paul Blackburn continued his road success by pitching into the sixth, Christian Bethancourt hit a two-run single and the A’s held off the Red Sox 4-3 for just their second win in 15 games. Chad Pinder added an RBI single for the A’s, who closed their nine-game road trip at 2-7. Blackburn (6-2) gave up a run and eight hits, with four strikeouts and two walks in 5 ⅓ innings, increasing his road ERA from 0.91 to 1.00. He entered with the majors’ lowest ERA away from home.