MLB

Chicago White Sox minor league outfielder Duke Ellis prepares for batting practice during a minor league baseball spring training workout Thursday, March 10, 2022, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Test for MLB players will be how their new deal looks to them in 2026

Agreement reached Thursday raises the competitive-balance tax threshold by $34 million

Chicago White Sox minor league outfielder Duke Ellis prepares for batting practice during a minor league baseball spring training workout Thursday, March 10, 2022, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred outside Roger Dean Stadium on Monday, Feb. 28, 2022, in Jupiter, Fla., after a labor negotiating session with baseball players. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

MLB cancels opening day after sides fail to end lockout

Commissioner Rob Manfred is canceling first two series of a season that was set to begin March 31

Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred outside Roger Dean Stadium on Monday, Feb. 28, 2022, in Jupiter, Fla., after a labor negotiating session with baseball players. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
New Texas Rangers infielder Marcus Semien adjusts his hat as he gets ready to answer questions at a press conference at Globe Life Field Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2021, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Richard W. Rodriguez)

Busy November provided some clarity for Blue Jays, now team must wait

MLB’s first work stoppage threatens plans for spring training and opening day on March 31

New Texas Rangers infielder Marcus Semien adjusts his hat as he gets ready to answer questions at a press conference at Globe Life Field Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2021, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Richard W. Rodriguez)
The Atlanta Braves celebrate after winning baseball’s World Series in Game 6 against the Houston Astros Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2021, in Houston. The Braves won 7-0. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

MLB: Braves crush Astros 7-0 to capture first World Series title since 1995

Atlanta’s Jorge Soler earns MVP honours

The Atlanta Braves celebrate after winning baseball’s World Series in Game 6 against the Houston Astros Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2021, in Houston. The Braves won 7-0. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Tampa Bay Lightning and Toronto Maple Leafs players stand for the national anthem prior to NHL hockey action in Toronto on Tuesday, January 2, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn

Ontario increases sporting events capacity, ahead of baseball playoffs, NHL season

Ontario is opening the door wider for fans at sporting events, just…

Tampa Bay Lightning and Toronto Maple Leafs players stand for the national anthem prior to NHL hockey action in Toronto on Tuesday, January 2, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn
Larry Walker Jr. has been inducted into Cooperstown. (National Baseball Hall of Fame)

B.C.’s Larry Walker inducted into Baseball Hall of Fame

Cooperstown ceremony held on Wednesday afternoon

Larry Walker Jr. has been inducted into Cooperstown. (National Baseball Hall of Fame)
American League’s Vladimir Guerrero Jr., of the Toronto Blue Jays, runs out his solo home run during the third inning of the MLB All-Star baseball game, Tuesday, July 13, 2021, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Blue Jays slugger Guerrero named MVP as AL rolls to 5-2 win in MLB All-Star Game

Toronto star rips 468-foot homer, Ohtani earns pitching victory

American League’s Vladimir Guerrero Jr., of the Toronto Blue Jays, runs out his solo home run during the third inning of the MLB All-Star baseball game, Tuesday, July 13, 2021, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Toronto Blue Jays Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) celebrates with Blue Jays Teoscar Hernandez after Hernandez hit a game-tying solo home run off New York Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole during the sixth inning of a major league baseball game on opening day at Yankee Stadium, Thursday, April 1, 2021, in New York. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

Play ball! Blue Jays beat Yankees 3-2 in 10 innings in 2021 MLB opener

Grichuk rips RBI double to lead Toronto past New York

Toronto Blue Jays Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) celebrates with Blue Jays Teoscar Hernandez after Hernandez hit a game-tying solo home run off New York Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole during the sixth inning of a major league baseball game on opening day at Yankee Stadium, Thursday, April 1, 2021, in New York. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)
Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Madison Bumgarner (40) throws during the first inning of a spring training baseball game against the Oakland Athletics Tuesday, March 16, 2021, in Scottdale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Welcome back, fans! MLB openers bring stars, hope and crowds

Crowd sizes will vary around the majors

Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Madison Bumgarner (40) throws during the first inning of a spring training baseball game against the Oakland Athletics Tuesday, March 16, 2021, in Scottdale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Los Angeles Dodgers celebrate after defeating the Tampa Bay Rays 3-1 to win the baseball World Series in Game 6 Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2020, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

L.A. Dodgers beat Rays 3-1 to win 1st World Series title since 1988

National League champs claim crown in six games

Los Angeles Dodgers celebrate after defeating the Tampa Bay Rays 3-1 to win the baseball World Series in Game 6 Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2020, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette tags out Tampa Bay Rays’ Randy Arozarena (56) as he gets caught attempting to steal second base during the sixth inning of Game 2 of an American League wild-card baseball series Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2020, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)

Game over: Toronto Blue Jays ousted from MLB playoffs after 8-2 loss to Rays

Tampa Bay sweeps wild-card matchup in two straight games

Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette tags out Tampa Bay Rays’ Randy Arozarena (56) as he gets caught attempting to steal second base during the sixth inning of Game 2 of an American League wild-card baseball series Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2020, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
Tampa Bay Rays’ Randy Arozarena slides into third base with a triple as Toronto Blue Jays’ Cavan Biggio, left, waits for the throw during the fourth inning of Game 1 of a wild card series playoff baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2020, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)

Rays dump Jays 3-1 in MLB wild-card playoff series opener

Tampa takes 1-0 lead over Toronto in best-of-three clash

Tampa Bay Rays’ Randy Arozarena slides into third base with a triple as Toronto Blue Jays’ Cavan Biggio, left, waits for the throw during the fourth inning of Game 1 of a wild card series playoff baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2020, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
Toronto Blue Jays players, coaches and staff celebrate a 4-1 win over the New York Yankees in a baseball game in Buffalo, N.Y., Thursday, Sept. 24, 2020. Toronto clinched a postseason berth with the win. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)

Blue Jays dump Yankees 4-1 to clinch MLB post-season berth

Guerrero, Ryu lead Toronto to first playoff spot in 4 years

Toronto Blue Jays players, coaches and staff celebrate a 4-1 win over the New York Yankees in a baseball game in Buffalo, N.Y., Thursday, Sept. 24, 2020. Toronto clinched a postseason berth with the win. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)
A server pulls a pint of beer at Station Sports bar in Montreal, Saturday, July 25, 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues in Canada and around the world. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes

Return of baseball, basketball brings customers back to sports bars

Sergakis said bars will need government help to get through the coming months to avoid major closures in Montreal

A server pulls a pint of beer at Station Sports bar in Montreal, Saturday, July 25, 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues in Canada and around the world. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes
The Cleveland Indians and the Pittsburgh Pirates play an exhibition baseball game at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Saturday, July 18, 2020. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

UPDATE: Pennsylvania won’t allow Toronto Blue Jays to play at PNC Park in Pittsburgh

Canada already denied Jays’ request to play 2020 MLB home games Toronto

The Cleveland Indians and the Pittsburgh Pirates play an exhibition baseball game at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Saturday, July 18, 2020. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
Toronto Blue Jays play an MLB intersquad baseball action in Toronto on Friday, July 17, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

Blue Jays can’t play home games in Toronto after federal government rebuffs plan

MLB season slated to start next week

Toronto Blue Jays play an MLB intersquad baseball action in Toronto on Friday, July 17, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred. (AP Photo/LM Otero, File)

Baseball’s back: MLB sets 60-game schedule

Play to resume July 23 or July 24 in empty ballparks

Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred. (AP Photo/LM Otero, File)
FILE - In this Feb. 19, 2017, file photo, Major League Players Association Executive Director Tony Clark, answers questions at a news conference in Phoenix. Commissioner Rob Manfred says there might be no major league season after a breakdown in talks between teams and the union on how to split up money in a season delayed by the coronavirus pandemic. The league also said several players have tested positive for COVID-19. Two days after union head Clark declared additional negotiations futile, Deputy Commissioner Dan Halem sent a seven-page letter to players’ association chief negotiator Bruce Meyer asking the union whether it will waive the threat of legal action and tell MLB to announce a spring training report date and a regular season schedule. (AP Photo/Morry Gash, File)

MLB talks stall with start date in flux; 40 players, staff test positive for COVID-19

Players want 70 games and $275 million more than teams are offering

FILE - In this Feb. 19, 2017, file photo, Major League Players Association Executive Director Tony Clark, answers questions at a news conference in Phoenix. Commissioner Rob Manfred says there might be no major league season after a breakdown in talks between teams and the union on how to split up money in a season delayed by the coronavirus pandemic. The league also said several players have tested positive for COVID-19. Two days after union head Clark declared additional negotiations futile, Deputy Commissioner Dan Halem sent a seven-page letter to players’ association chief negotiator Bruce Meyer asking the union whether it will waive the threat of legal action and tell MLB to announce a spring training report date and a regular season schedule. (AP Photo/Morry Gash, File)
FILE - In this Nov. 21, 2019, file photo, baseball commissioner Rob Manfred speaks to the media at the owners meeting in Arlington, Texas. The chance that there will be no Major League Baseball season increased substantially Monday, June 15, 2020, when the commissioner’s office told the players’ association it will not proceed with a schedule amid the coronavirus pandemic unless the union waives its right to claim management violated a March agreement between the feuding sides. (AP Photo/LM Otero, File)

Commissioner says there might not be an MLB season this year

Issues include union-league talks and COVID-19

FILE - In this Nov. 21, 2019, file photo, baseball commissioner Rob Manfred speaks to the media at the owners meeting in Arlington, Texas. The chance that there will be no Major League Baseball season increased substantially Monday, June 15, 2020, when the commissioner’s office told the players’ association it will not proceed with a schedule amid the coronavirus pandemic unless the union waives its right to claim management violated a March agreement between the feuding sides. (AP Photo/LM Otero, File)
FILE - In this July 4, 2019, file photo, an American Flag is unfurled in the outfield during the playing of the National Anthem before the start a baseball game between the Chicago White Sox and the Detroit Tigers in Chicago. Major League Baseball owners gave the go-ahead Monday, May 11, 2020, to making a proposal to the players’ union that could lead to the coronavirus-delayed season starting around the Fourth of July weekend in ballparks without fans, a plan that envisioned expanding the designated hitter to the National League for 2020. (AP Photo/Mark Black, File)

MLB owners approve plan to start season in July, source says

Spring training would start in early to mid-June

FILE - In this July 4, 2019, file photo, an American Flag is unfurled in the outfield during the playing of the National Anthem before the start a baseball game between the Chicago White Sox and the Detroit Tigers in Chicago. Major League Baseball owners gave the go-ahead Monday, May 11, 2020, to making a proposal to the players’ union that could lead to the coronavirus-delayed season starting around the Fourth of July weekend in ballparks without fans, a plan that envisioned expanding the designated hitter to the National League for 2020. (AP Photo/Mark Black, File)