The Houston Astros swept the Rangers in a Texas-sized rout.

The AL East could be headed to a historic season.

Los Angeles will be well represented in the July 19 All-Star Game at Dodger Stadium.

The Tampa Bay Rays came into the season with Wander Franco at shortstop, Brandon Lowe at second base and Mike Zunino behind the plate.

Astros manager Dusty Baker tries for his 2,000th win as a major league manager when Houston hosts Seattle.

Coronavirus restrictions in Canada and New York have assured that baseball will again be affected by COVID-19 in 2022.

Major League Baseball drew 45.3 million fans this year as fans gradually were allowed to return, down from 68.5 million over 2019 in the last season before the coronavirus pandemic.

First-year Tigers manager A.

First-year Tigers manager A.

TORONTO, ONT – The Canadian government is reviewing a proposal from the NBA and the Raptors to play in Toronto amid the pandemic. This is not a next week type thing.”The Raptors and the NBA need an exemption to a requirement that anyone entering Canada for nonessential reasons must self-isolate for 14 days. We are reviewing a proposal from the NBA and the Toronto Raptors for the resumption of NBA basketball in Canada.”The NBA season is set to open Dec. 22, with training camps beginning in about two weeks. The Canadian government requites a comprehensive public health plan and written support from local health officials. The plan is being reviewed by the Public Health Agency of Canada.

San Diego Padres' Jurickson Profar, right, reacts after scoring on a fielder's choice in the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Monday, Sept. 14, 2020, in San Diego. Prized rookie Deivi García (1-1, 3.06 ERA) pitches for the Yankees, who have won five straight following a 5-16 slide. New York expects to get third baseman Gio Urshela and right-hander Jonathan Loaisiga back from the injured list. WILD WESTThe surging San Diego Padres go for their ninth straight victory and try to close within a half-game of the West-leading Dodgers when the NL's top two teams square off again at Petco Park. Lamb homered and doubled in his Athletics debut Monday, a 9-0 victory at Seattle that gave his new team a doubleheader split.

Ryu is an ace, and hell give the Blue Jays a chance to win every time he takes the mound. All three of the Blue Jays deadline acquisitions have been very good in the past and could be so again, but theyre far from safe. Of the seven relievers who have made at least 10 appearances for the Blue Jays, six have sub-3.00 ERAs. As good as Soto and Cisnero have been, the edge has to go to the Blue Jays. Add in the much easier remaining schedule and it looks like itll be a tall task for the Tigers to overcome the Blue Jays for the final wild card spot.

Right now, its a three-team race between the Tigers, Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles, who are 1.5 games out of the No. The Blue Jays have the most talented lineup with the likes of Cavan Biggio, Vlad Guerrero Jr., Teoscar Hernandez and a red-hot Randal Grichuk. The Blue Jays have the best roster and the easiest schedule, and theyve already improved their team through a trade. The Blue Jays got Daniel Vogelbach, the Padres got Yonder Alonso and the Giants got Daniel Robertson, all for cash considerations. Norris, on the other hand, is coming off his best season as a pro and is showing increased velocity.

Laureano charged toward Houston bench coach lex Cintrn after being hit by a pitch Sunday at the Coliseum. The skirmish came months after Houstons sign-stealing scandal was brought to light by Oakland pitcher Mike Fiers. Less than two weeks ago, Dodgers reliever Joe Kelly was suspended by MLB for eight game after throwing two pitches near the heads of Houston hitter. NEW NESTVladimir Guerrero Jr. and the Blue Jays might take a look around their new home for the rest of the season -- thatll be Sahlen Field in Buffalo. There have been 27 games postponed by Major League Baseball because of the coronavirus, 13 of them involving the Cardinals.

Yelich also has struck out 12 times going into the series opener at home against Jack Flaherty and the Cardinals. Former World Series MVP George Springer (.048), two-time batting champ Jose Altuve (.174) and former All-Star Game MVP Alex Bregman (.174) will look to break loose when the Astros visit the Angels. TORONTOS TRAVELSVladimir Guerrero Jr. and the wandering Blue Jays will figure out where to spend this weekend after a three-game series in Philadelphia was called off because two Phillies staffers tested positive for the virus. Bo Bichette, Cavan Biggio and the Jays will stay in DC and work out at Nationals Park. The Blue Jays eventually will play home games in Buffalo at the stadium of their Triple-A affiliate.

Were drinking out of a fire hose on all this stuff right now, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said. The Marlins season has been suspended through Sunday after the club registered at least 15 players with positive coronavirus tests. NOT-QUITE-HOME OPENERThe Blue Jays play their first home game of the season in Washington after officially being the visitors in DC for games Monday and Tuesday. The truth is, theres no place like home, Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo said. We feel comfortable playing at home, but thats not going to happen.Nationals ace Max Scherzer is set to face Blue Jays right-hander Nate Pearson, making his major league debut.

Were drinking out of a fire hose on all this stuff right now, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said. The Marlins season has been suspended through Sunday after the club registered at least 15 players with positive coronavirus tests. NOT-QUITE-HOME OPENERThe Blue Jays play their first home game of the season in Washington after officially being the visitors in DC for games Monday and Tuesday. The truth is, theres no place like home, Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo said. We feel comfortable playing at home, but thats not going to happen.Nationals ace Max Scherzer is set to face Blue Jays right-hander Nate Pearson, making his major league debut.

Miami Marlins' Brian Anderson, right, celebrates his two-run home run with Francisco Cervelli, left, during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Sunday, July 26, 2020, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)The Miami Marlins and Cincinnati Reds are waiting to see how COVID-19 affects them heading into the second series of the season. The Marlins planned to arrive in Miami hours before their home opener against Baltimore, unsure how many players might remain quarantined in Philadelphia. The Reds were without second baseman Mike Moustakas and center fielder Nick Senzel for a 3-2 loss to the Tigers in Cincinnati. Both felt sick a day after teammate Matt Davidson went on the injured list after testing positive for the coronavirus.

Canada denied the Blue Jays request to play at Rogers Centre because the regular-season schedule would require frequent travel back and forth from the United States, where COVID-19 cases are surging. The other 29 major league teams plan to play the pandemic-shortened, 60-game season in their home ballparks, without spectators. Pirates President Travis Williams confirmed the talks with the Blue Jays on Monday and sounded ready to welcome club if it could be done safely amid the pandemic. Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said the team has more than five contingency plans and was in talks with other clubs. Atkins said if the Blue Jays cant find a major league park, their Triple-A affiliate in Buffalo would be their most likely site for home games.

(Cole Burston/The Canadian Press via AP)TORONTO, ONT The Blue Jays are talking to several teams about sharing a major league ballpark this season after Canadas government barred Toronto from playing in its home stadium amid the coronavirus pandemic, general manager Ross Atkins said Monday. We would much rather be in a major league facility, Atkins said. He declined to identify the teams but said the Blue Jays have more than five contingency plans. Players have told management they want to be in a major league park. Blue Jays president Mark Shapiro said Saturday that player health is a concern in Florida.

An additional three cases were brought into the country from overseas, increasing Chinas total number of confirmed cases to 83,660 with 4,634 reported deaths. At least 23 of those asymptomatic cases were in Urumqi, although China does not include those in the numbers of confirmed cases. It is too busy.___JOHANNESBURG South Africa now ranks fifth in the world for confirmed coronavirus cases caseload as the African continent faces the pandemics first wave head-on. The addition brought the state total to 32,248 confirmed cases and exceeded Missouris previous one-day high of 936 on Tuesday. As of Saturday, the seven-day average of new cases reported by the state is 731, up from 560 a week ago.

The other 29 major league teams plan to play the pandemic-shortened, 60-game season in their home ballparks, without spectators. I just said, Look, we want to play in a major league ballpark. That was pretty much echoed throughout the clubhouse that we want to be in a major league ballpark, wherever that is. Outfielder Teoscar Hernndez also said he would prefer a major league park. I bet every team in this division hopes its a big league park, but if not, they have no choice, Montoyo said.

TORONTO, ONT The Blue Jays will find out Saturday whether the Canadian government allows them to play regular-season games in Toronto amid the coronavirus pandemic. The team had been given clearance by city and provincial governments to play regular-season games at Rogers Centre and awaited approval from Canadas federal government. Such a request is asking a lot because allowing games in Toronto means frequent back-and-forth travel to the U.S., where COVID-19 cases are surging. The Blue Jays are scheduled to start the season July 24 at Tampa Bay and play their home opener five days later against Washington. The Blue Jays received an exemption for training camp, during which the players agreed to isolate in the hotel attached to Rogers Centre and create a quarantine environment.

Fake cheers meant to encourage the hometown Nationals accidentally piped through the stadium as the Philadelphia Phillies shortstop rounded the bases. In some ways, this is very much a dress rehearsal for the new world were in, Yankees manager Aaron Boone said before an exhibition at the crosstown Mets. At Nationals Park, two people watched from a building balcony far beyond the left field wall. The 30-year-old first-year Phillie is one of a handful of players who has said he'll wear a mask full-time this season. Reserve players watched from under large awnings build behind both dugouts.

TORONTO, ONT The Blue Jays are moving players to their spring training facility in Florida while they await word from the Canadian government about playing in Toronto amid the coronavirus pandemic. Ford said he was in talks with Blue Jays President Mark Shapiro all weekend. The Blue Jays are hopeful to stage training camp and play regular-season home games in Toronto and will continue to work through this possibility." Anna Maddison, a spokesman for the Public Health Agency of Canada, said the federal government continues to be in discussion with the Blue Jays. Maddison said Toronto Public Health and Ontario Ministry of Health are also actively engaged with the Blue Jays.