Dodgers expect Seager back for Series opener
Look for Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager to be back in the Los Angeles lineup when the World Series begins Tuesday night in L.A. against the Houston Astros.
The All-Star didn’t play in the NLCS against the Cubs because of a back injury.
But manager Dave Roberts said Sunday the team was “very confident” Seager was ready to return.
Depending on how Seager is feeling, he could be the DH for the Dodgers when the Series shifts to Houston for Game 3.
Seager hit .295 with 22 home runs and 77 RBIs, a season after he was the NL Rookie of the Year.
He went 3 for 11 with four walks in the NLDS against Arizona, but tweaked his back on a slide in Game 3.
Hill taking hill in Game 2
Dodgers left-hander Rich Hill has been picked to pitch Game 2 of the World Series, Roberts announced.
Ace Clayton Kershaw will start the opener against Houston star Dallas Keuchel at Dodger Stadium. Hill will pitch Wednesday against ALCS MVP Justin Verlander.
Yu Darvish will start Game 3 for the Dodgers when the Series shifts to Houston on Friday night.
Hill went 12-8 with a 3.32 ERA in 25 starts this season.
Cora new Bosox skipper
The Boston Red Sox hired Houston Astros bench coach Alex Cora to be their new manager, turning to a player from their 2007 World Series championship roster.
The Red Sox announced the hire a day after Cora’s Astros eliminated the New York Yankees in the AL Championship Series.
Cora replaces John Farrell, who led the Red Sox to the 2013 title and in the last two years claimed the first back-to-back AL East championships in team history.
But Boston also finished last twice in Farrell’s tenure, and the ballclub has won just one playoff game since winning it all in his first season.
A native of Puerto Rico, Cora is the first Hispanic manager in for a franchise that was the last in the major leagues to field a black player. The Red Sox faced renewed racial scrutiny this season after Orioles outfielder Adam Jones reported being subjected to racial slurs at Fenway Park.
Cora, who has never managed before, played 14 years in the major leagues before retiring in 2011, including parts of four seasons with the Red Sox. He was a lifetime .243 hitter with 35 homers and 286 RBIs. In 2003, he led the league in putouts and double plays by a second baseman.
Mets hire Callaway
Looking for a fresh voice to shepherd their prized arms, the New York Mets found it in new manager Mickey Callaway.
New York agreed to a three-year contract with the Cleveland Indians pitching coach, according to a person familiar with the decision. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because no announcement had been made. A news conference to announce Callaway is expected within the next few days.
With his contract set to expire, Terry Collins stepped down at the end of the season after seven years as Mets manager and accepted a position as a special assistant to general manager Sandy Alderson.
The 42-year-old Callaway, who has never managed at any professional level, has done an excellent job as Cleveland’s pitching coach for the past five seasons under highly successful skipper Terry Francona.
Led by Corey Kluber, the Indians led the major leagues with a 3.30 ERA and 1,614 strikeouts this season, one year after reaching the World Series and losing to the Chicago Cubs in seven games.
Callaway spent five seasons as a big-league pitcher with Tampa Bay, Texas and the Angels, going 4-11 with a 6.27 ERA.