MLB

7:00 AM ET Major League Baseball’s plan to play through a public health crisis is outlined in a handbook that encompasses more than 100 pages, every single one of which emphasizes the notion that professional baseball in 2020 will be unlike anything anybody has ever experienced. Players are advised to wear sandals in the shower

7:30 AM ET To find Bruce Maxwell‘s America, you first have to leave it, as he did, by crossing over into another country, into an exile both self-imposed and voluntary. It is to journey 165 miles southwest of the U.S. border at Laredo, Texas, into the Mexican city of Monclova, and look back at the

7:00 AM ET Despite a global pandemic and a contentious labor fight, Major League Baseball is, in fact, on track to return this year, in one form or another. But baseball’s reach is far greater than its highest level. Countless other people — in high schools and throughout college campuses, from youth teams and travel

8:00 AM ET Major League Baseball is scrambling to get the 2020 season off the ground, with considerable concerns about travel, safety and logistics during the coronavirus pandemic. Also hovering over the game is the question of how it will face a new sensibility about race in America. Being neutral is no longer an option.

10:00 AM ET ESPN.com staff As Major League Baseball attempts to start a 60-game 2020 MLB season during the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of players have announced that they will not be participating as their teams begin training camp with Opening Day scheduled for July 23 and 24. Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Mike Leake was the

7:00 AM ET The Tampa Bay Rays are going to win the 2020 World Series. Honestly, it seems a little silly to be making predictions in this most unpredictable of seasons for Major League Baseball, but assuming we do play ball and get through 60 games and the playoffs without cancellation, the Rays will be

12:15 AM ET The annual release of the Major League Baseball schedule is usually a pretty fun night. You get to see what’s lined up for Opening Day. You see how specialty games — such as the one in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, or the once-planned series this year in London — fit onto the calendar. Most

7:00 PM ET We all know the 2020 MLB season will be unlike any other (assuming it gets off the ground in the first place), with the usual 162-game marathon being replaced by a 60-game sprint. And now that the abbreviated schedule has been announced, we’ve got some actual games to talk about. How it

4:31 PM ET Associated Press CINCINNATI — With so few Black players in the major leagues, Cincinnati Reds reliever Amir Garrett was afraid to talk openly about racial discrimination. He kept his thoughts — and his stories — to himself. He wouldn’t speak of the time in high school in California when he and another

8:00 AM ET The Tampa Bay Rays‘ Tyler Glasnow was on the Baseball Tonight podcast recently and reported enthusiastically that when the shortened season begins — when summer camp, which kicked off this past weekend, begins — he’ll be ready to go, full speed. An evaluator with another team listened to that and thought to

8:11 PM ET Associated Press SAN FRANCISCO — Pablo Sandoval’s size and round middle have ignited the internet and brought out the body critics as baseball begins again. Manager Gabe Kapler said Sunday the San Francisco Giants fully expect their “Kung Fu Panda” to be ready and in game shape to contribute by opening day

11:50 AM ET Frank Robinson made his major league debut five years after Willie Mays’ first season, two years after Henry Aaron broke in, one year after Roberto Clemente joined the Pittsburgh Pirates, and there wasn’t a lot of leftover stage among those peers, who went on to become all-time greats. Yet Robinson wedged his

5:09 PM ET LOS ANGELES — David Price, the former Cy Young Award winner who was heading into his first season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, became the latest player to opt out of the 2020 season on Saturday, alluding to health concerns because of the coronavirus pandemic. Price joins Ryan Zimmerman and Joe Ross

7:00 AM ET It was Wednesday afternoon and a veteran relief pitcher was in his car, driving to his team’s home city with the intention of playing baseball in the midst of a pandemic. He spent the prior days in a remote location wondering whether he should drive north to his house or head west

8:00 AM ET Sam MillerESPN.com Close ESPN baseball columnist/feature writerFormer editor-in-chief of Baseball ProspectusCo-author of “The Only Rule Is It Has To Work” Even great athletes will tell you about a day when their career almost didn’t happen: a time early when they considered quitting their sport, an injury that was almost more serious, an

8:44 PM ET The Cleveland Indians will “determine the best path forward” regarding their team name amid renewed calls for racial equality and social justice, the team announced in a club statement Friday. The move comes hours after the NFL’s Washington Redskins announced they will “undergo a thorough review” of their nickname amid renewed pressure.

8:45 PM ET ESPN News Services San Diego Padres outfielder Tommy Pham has tested positive for the coronavirus, general manager A.J. Preller announced Friday. Pham is asymptomatic and self-isolating, Preller said, adding that he has been in contact with Pham every day. Preller said the team is following contact tracing protocols and testing protocols. Pham

9:30 AM ET Jeff PassanESPN Close ESPN MLB insiderAuthor of “The Arm: Inside the Billion-Dollar Mystery of the Most Valuable Commodity in Sports” Training camps around Major League Baseball officially open Friday, marking another step toward the game’s return. As momentous as that might sound, as positive as that might seem, Friday is a vital