Astros pick up 2021 option on Baker

The Astros picked up the option for the 2021 season on manager Dusty Baker’s contract.

Baker was hired in January to replace AJ Hinch, who was fired by the team after he and general manager Jeff Luhnow were initially suspended for one year by Major League Baseball for their roles in the team’s sign-stealing scandal. Luhnow also was fired.

Baker, 71, is in his 23rd year as a manager after starting in 1993 with the San Francisco Giants. A three-time National League Manager of the Year, Baker came to the Astros after managing the Nationals, who let him go after a 97-65 season in 2017.

Baker is thrilled to get another year on his contract after managing a season more than once without a deal for the next year.

“I’ve been a lame-duck manager probably four or five times,” Baker said. “I was one of the lamest ducks walking around. So it feels pretty good not to be a lame duck, and this is the best that I’ve been treated in quite a while.”

Baker’s 1,865 career wins are first among active managers and rank 15th in major league history.

“Dusty has been a perfect fit for our ball club,” general manager James Click said. “His knowledge of the game and experience have been invaluable to us in his first few months with the club. We’re excited to see him in an Astros uniform again next year.”

Mets sign Maxwell: The Mets have agreed to a minor league contract with catcher Bruce Maxwell, the first major league player to kneel during the national anthem to protest racial injustice, according to a person familiar with the deal.

The person spoke to AP on condition of anonymity because the agreement had not been announced and was pending the completion of a physical and intake testing for the coronavirus. The deal was first reported by Newsday.

Maxwell began kneeling during the anthem late in his rookie season with the Athletics in 2017, about a year after 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick sparked the protest movement in the NFL.

Maxwell, 29, who is Black, was the only major leaguer to take a knee before this season. Numerous players and coaches have since taken up the protest amid nationwide discourse this summer over social justice, and Black players have expressed regret that they didn’t do more to support Maxwell in 2017.

Harvey lands with Royals: The Royals signed former All-Star pitcher Matt Harvey to a minorleague contract.

The Royals announced the move before Tuesday night’s game against the Tigers. Harvey, 31, has struggled to recapture the form that made him a key member of the Mets when they faced the Royals in the 2015 World Series.

Harvey went 3-5 with a 7.09 ERA in 12 starts for the Angels last year. The right-hander made 28 starts the previous season for the Mets and Reds.

Harvey was an All-Star in 2013 and helped the Mets to the World Series two years later after returning from Tommy John surgery. He hasn’t had a winning season since and has struggled to stay healthy.

Extra innings: The Dodgers placed LHP Alex Wood on the injured list with shoulder inflammation. The team recalled RHP Josh Sborz ahead of its game against the Astros. Wood joins fellow LHP Clayton Kershaw, who went on the IL last week after tweaking his back during a weight-room workout. Wood made his first start with the Dodgers since 2018 in a 5-4 loss Saturday to the Giants . ... Francisco Lindor and Bradley Zimmer each homered and drove in two runs, propelling the Indians to a 4-3 victory over the White Sox in the first game of a doubleheader on Tuesday. White Sox manager Rick Renteria, who had been isolated in a downtown hotel after experiencing cold-like symptoms Monday, returned to the team during batting practice after testing negative for the coronavirus . ... The Indianapolis Indians, the Triple A affiliate of the Pirates, said it will form a committee to consider changing the team's longtime name. Team officials issued a two-paragraph statement that said the name is derived from Indiana, which translates to “land of the Indians,” and Indianapolis, which the team said translates to “city of Indians.”