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There was was one game delayed because of concern about inconclusive tests, and another was delayed by lightning in the region, but for the most part the games have been played on schedule and with no apparent additional absences because of coronavirus-related matters. There have been stars who emerged (notably Toronto forward Ayo Akinola) and others who confirmed their excellence (Diego Rossi of LAFC). Those two are leading the tournament with five goals each....

The Five Stripes have endured a stretch of opponents including Los Angeles FC, New York City FC, Sporting Kansas City and most recently Orlando City, and they managed to suffer only one defeat along the way — to Sporting Kansas City — with last Sunday’s win against Orlando City pushing Atlanta back to the top of the league’s overall standings. The next stiff test for Tata Martino’s men will come from the New York Red Bulls, who have won three straight and have the squad to make things difficult for Atlanta....

That’s what the CONCACAF Champions League has needed people to say since the Champions Cup was rebooted a decade a go. It’s how the tournament needs people to talk if it’s ever going to get anywhere near the level of the UEFA Champions League or even the Copa Libertadores any time in the semi-near future. There have been good games. There have been interesting finals. There have been upsets. But with the reigning champions of each league meeting in one series and the two previous champions in the other, it’s true....

TV: MLB will hold Day 1 of the draft at MLB Network’s Studio 42 in Secaucus, N.J. The draft will begin live on MLB Network and MLB.com at 7 p.m. ET. MLB Network will cover the first 75 picks of the draft. Before the start of the draft, MLB Network will air a preview show, also simulcast on MLB.com, at 6 p.m. Here is the order in which the teams will draft:...

Commissioner Rob Manfred announced the ban and said MLB had completed its investigation into the accusations made by Melisa Reidy. Russell has denied the allegations, which Reidy detailed in a blog post in September. Russell’s unpaid suspension includes the 11 regular-season games he missed after being placed on administrative leave Sept. 21. Russell will be eligible to return on May 3 against St. Louis, barring any postponements, and he will not appeal the suspension....

The 2001 Mariners make an appearance, as does Lenny Dykstra and his car wash. Man, baseball’s weird. Anyway, here’s what you submitted for this week’s MLB mailbag: This is a good thought to ponder, considering the enigmatic and largely underachieving era of David Wright and Jose Reyes has all but ended. With the arrivals of Dominic Smith, Michael Conforto and Amed Rosario (not to mention the much-maligned starting pitching), the Mets are looking to rely on a new core heading into the future....

Jacob deGrom almost paid Johan Santana the ultimate tribute on the anniversary of his no-hitter. DeGrom pitched eight innings, allowing just two hits and zero earned runs, while striking out eight. He carried a perfect game into the sixth inning, but gave up a single to Clint Barmes in the bottom of the frame. The Mets won 7-0. Albert Pujols is closing in on a milestone of his own. After bashing two home runs on Monday, Pujols now sits at 533 for his career, which is only one shy of Jimmie Foxx for 17th all-time....

Tonight, the two teams meet for the beginning of a three-game series at Dodger Stadium where William Hill sports books have Los Angeles as a -200 favorite to take at least two out of three. MORE: Giants fan with no arms throws incredible first pitch | MLB trade rumors This classic series embodies everything a sports fan loves, beginning with a complete dislike for each others’ uniforms — and it’s not just the image of Juan Marichal clubbing Johnny Roseboro with a bat in 1965....

I can’t lay the price on them tonight at -220, but I see a nice opportunity with the total going OVER just because of Jorge De La Rosa who had a very shaky spring allowing 14 runs in 20 innings. His last three starts against the DBacks have all gone OVER. Arizona’s bats also come in with a spring leading .322 batting average and incredible .910 OPS. Pick: OVER 7....

The agreement is a one-year deal worth $3.25 million plus $550,000 in incentives. It's the third consecutive year K-Rod has signed a one-year deal with the Brewers. MORE: NL Central ‘Cold as Ice’ | PHOTOS: Iconic MLB moments The 32-year-old split time between the Brewers and Baltimore Orioles last year. Milwauke traded for infielder Nick Delmonico in a deadline deal with Baltimore, where Rodriguez's ERA jumped from 1.09 to 4....

REPORTED BY: Jerry Crasnick of ESPN THE DETAILS: Suzuki, who is 41, has also drawn interest from the Orioles and the Blue Jays. The Marlins already have Giancarlo Stanton,Christian Yelich and Marcell Ozuna in the outfield, so they would most likely use Suzuki in rotation. LAST SEASON: Suzuki batted .289/.324/.340 with one home run, 22 RBI and 15 stolen bases in 143 games for the Yankees. SN’S TAKE: At this point in Suzuki’s career, he can’t be extremely picky....

Bones of the hands in particular. Since the exhibition season, an all-star team of players — more than a dozen in all, and double the number from a year ago — has been struck by pitches and suffered hand or wrist fractures, including the Cardinals’ Matt Adams and Paul DeJong; the Mariners’ Robinson Cano; the Phillies’ J. P. Crawford; the Blue Jays’ Brandon Drury; the Yankees’ Aaron Judge, the Pirates’ Josh Harrison; the White Sox’s Nicky Delmonico; the Rangers’ Delino DeShields, the Athletics’ Ramon Laurano, the Giants’ Evan Longoria, the Mets’ Kevin Plawecki, the Reds’ Eugenio Suarez and the Dodgers’ Justin Turner....

MLB announced the suspension stems from a July 14 trade in which pitcher Drew Pomeranz was traded from the Padres to the Red Sox. MLB’s Department of Investigations conducted a review, which included interviews with relevant individuals from both clubs. The White Sox, Marlins and an unnamed fourth team also reportedly objected to the Padres apparently withholding medical information on players from the central repository teams use to evaluate potential trades....

RELATED: MLB The Show 22: How To Change Position But there does come a time when gamers start to hit in the sub-.250 range that it’s time to take a step back and rethink things. MLB The Show 22 has a great system for hitting, but it is quite complex and easy to get lost in. Don’t spend the whole season carrying an issue into each at-bat, get it all fixed up....

RELATED: Best Baseball Games That Aren’t MLB The Show New players and veterans alike have eagerly awaited MLB The Show 22, this year’s annual installment of the popular baseball simulator. No matter what modes players are interested in and how they want to design their ballplayer, there is expert information out there to enhance each gamer’s enjoyment. Settings And Gameplay Most players that can’t grasp the game usually find that they have a problem with “getting the hang of it....

Enhanced gaming mechanics and the introduction of a new commentary team were much-needed changes to the baseball franchise, though some were revered more than others. With MLB The Show 22’s debut on the Nintendo Switch, a lot was riding on its success and heavy expectations awaiting its release. RELATED: MLB The Show 22 Releases Mother’s Day Event, New Series For May The reception of the game was mixed, with those loving the game singing its praises while its biggest detractors pointed out every last bug and problem the game suffered from....

As far as announcements go, this is one of the most understated options available to Sony. A Twitter message shared recently confirmed the plan in a single short sentence. “MLB The Show 21 news coming in February,” was the full statement, shared via the game franchise’s official account. No further follow-up information was provided, so MLB The Show fans will just have to wait for Sony for more details....

Los Angeles has acquired lefty Adam Kolarek from the Rays for minor leaguer Niko Hulsizer, the team announced Wednesday. The Dodgers wanted to land Felipe Vazquez from the Pirates, but that deal never came to fruition so they moved on and got another good pitcher. Kolarek, 30, is 4-3 with a 3.95 ERA this season for Tampa Bay. Hulsizer is currently on the injured list in the minors, but he is batting ....

RUMOR: The Toronto Blue Jays are interested in acquiring outfielder Jay Bruce from the New York Mets. REPORTED BY: Jerry Crasnick, ESPN.com DETAILS: The New York Mets just re-signed Yoenis Cespedes to a franchise-breaking four-year, $110 million deal on Tuesday, so they may be looking to offload some money. Bruce was traded to New York form Cincinnati this summer before the trade deadline, but he only has one year left on his contract, and is set to make $13 million this season....