Diaz’s mother rescued in Venezuela

Pirates catcher Elias Diaz’s mother has been rescued in Venezuela, three days after she was kidnapped.

Ana Soto, 72, had been kidnapped Thursday in San Francisco, in the state of Zulia. Six people have been detained in connection with the kidnapping, including one person who was a neighbor of the Diaz family, according to a report from the Venezuelan newspaper La Nacion.

Kidnappings are on the rise in Venezuela in the wake of the country’s ongoing political instability. In recent years, professional baseball players or their families have often been targeted for kidnapping.

Mets

New York starting pitcher Zack Wheeler said he is ready for the season after undergoing a series of injections to get back to full health following a stress reaction in his right arm that cut his 2017 season short. “I’m just kind of tired of getting labeled as unreliable, as ‘He’s always hurt,’” Wheeler said.