The Los Angeles Chargers placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on outside linebacker Melvin Ingram on Monday night. Ingram is a pass-rushing dynamo with 18+ sacks over the past two seasons, and he also excels as an edge rusher for the Chargers. The South Carolina product has spent his entire career with the Chargers, who drafted him in the first round in 2012.
A person with knowledge of the details says the New York Giants have told defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul that he will be made a franchise player. The league source with direct knowledge of the move spoke on condition of anonymity because the Giants had not announced the decision. The Giants have to designate Pierre-Paul a franchise player by 4 p.m. on Wednesday.
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (AP) -- Tim Tebow quickly got into the swing of spring training, hitting nine home runs in batting practice Monday during his first workout with the New York Mets.
The Chicago Cubs hope to meet with city officials in the next few months to plan a bid for the 2020 All-Star game. During a City Club of Chicago luncheon Monday, Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts reiterated the team's desire to host the game at Wrigley Field. Mayor Rahm Emanuel helped bring the NFL draft to Chicago in 2015 and 2016 after decades in New York.
For the St. Louis Cardinals, seeing Lance Lynn back on the mound facing major league hitters was a win, no matter the results. Out of the big leagues last year while recovering from Tommy John surgery, Lynn pitched two innings Monday as a Cardinals split squad beat the Washington Nationals 5-4. ''I threw the ball really well for it being February,'' Lynn said.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have placed an exclusive rights franchise tag on Pro Bowl running back Le'Veon Bell, ensuring he'll remain with the team in 2017. The tag gives the Steelers time to work out a long-term deal with Bell, who could have become a free agent next month. The 25-year-old led the NFL in average yards from scrimmage last season and became the first player in NFL history to average at least 100 yards rushing and 50 yards receiving per game.
Josh Hamilton has had another surgery on his balky left knee, ending any chance of the 2010 AL MVP making the Texas Rangers' opening day roster. The arthroscopic procedure Monday was to repair some damaged meniscus cartilage in his left knee. Hamilton had left spring training in Arizona and returned to Houston for the second time in less than a week to be examined by Dr. Walt Lowe, who also performed Hamilton's season-ending surgery last June.
The Arizona Cardinals have placed a non-exclusive franchise tag on outside linebacker Chandler Jones after failing to reach a long-term deal with the player. The ''non-exclusive'' tag allows the Cardinals to continue negotiating with Jones through July 15. If another team makes him an offer, Arizona can either match it or receive two first-round draft picks.
MESA, Ariz. (AP) -- Danny Salazar breezed through his first outing for the Cleveland Indians. No extra adrenaline from facing the Chicago Cubs. No interest in revisiting the World Series.
Texas Rangers slugger Josh Hamilton went to Houston on Sunday, facing the possibility of another knee surgery in his bid to return to the majors. Hamilton will be examined Monday by Dr. Walt Lowe, who performed reconstructive surgery on the former AL MVP's left knee last June. The Rangers acknowledge Hamilton might require arthroscopic knee surgery.
The head of the baseball players' union says ''that page has been turned'' in the spat regarding New York Yankees President Randy Levine and what he said about reliever Dellin Betances' agents. Levine had called Betances a victim of ''over-the-top demands based on very little sense of reality'' by his representatives at an arbitration hearing on Feb 18. The Yankees beat Betances in the case, and he will be paid $3 million rather than his $5 million request.
Baltimore outfielder Michael Bourn hasn't played football since his sophomore year in high school. Bourn, who signed a minor league contract on Feb. 20, will be out for four weeks, making it difficult for him to be ready for Baltimore's April 3 opener. Another veteran major league outfielder, Craig Gentry, signed two days before, plus the Orioles want to take long looks at Rule 5 outfielders Anthony Santander and Aneury Tavarez.
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- Baltimore Ravens safety Matt Elam faces marijuana, oxycodone and reckless driving charges after being arrested in Miami Beach.
GOODYEAR, Ariz. (AP) -- Cleveland Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis has a strained rotator cuff and will stop throwing for a couple days.
UCLA's Eddie Vanderdoes barrels toward the orange cone, plants his left foot outside it to make a cut, then slides his right foot to the inside before finishing the drill. ''Do that at the combine and you'll have to do it over again,'' EXOS trainer Victor Hall tells Vanderdoes. Players who earn invites to the NFL combine are the elite of college players, finely tuned athletes accustomed to pushing themselves to the edge in the weight room and on the field.
Brady Gustafson sits in a conference room at Test Football Academy and breaks down film with former NFL quarterback Scott Brunner. How did Matt Ryan make that throw to Julio Jones? What defensive coverage did Tom Brady see on this touchdown pass?
Except for the few who already have donned cap and gown, most of the 330 prospects heading to the NFL Combine next week have put their pursuits of a college degree on hold so they can focus on their football futures. The Air Force cadet and NFL hopeful who led the nation in yards per catch last year is carrying six courses while working out with ex-Stanford star Christian McCaffrey and 27 other pro football hopefuls at the Landow Performance training facility in suburban Denver. ''I'm a 23-year-old student in the dorm room,'' said Robinette, who makes the roughly 100-mile round-trip commute from the Air Force Academy six days a week, hitting the books in the morning and the weights in the afternoon.
Michael Bourn had a major setback in his attempt to make the Baltimore Orioles, breaking a finger while playing catch with a football during a team workout. Orioles manager Buck Showalter said Saturday that Bourn will miss about four weeks. The 34-year-old outfielder injured his right ring finger Friday after signing a minor league contract with the team Monday.
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) -- The New York Jets on Saturday released Nick Mangold, the longest-tenured member of the team.
Adam Duvall is hard at work in the Arizona desert, looking for an encore to his breakout season for the Cincinnati Reds. ''You don't try to repeat anything,'' Duvall said. Duvall was a pleasant surprise for lowly Cincinnati last year, leading the last-place Reds with 33 homers and 103 RBIs.
MESA, Ariz. (AP) -- The Chicago Cubs and reliever Pedro Strop have agreed to an $11.85 million, two-year contract that includes a club option for 2019.
CleveIand Indians outfielder Michael Brantley took regular batting practice for the first time in training camp this year, a significant step in his latest comeback from a shoulder injury. Brantley took 120 swings in an outdoor batting cage Friday as several Cleveland coaches and medical director Lonnie Soloff watched intently. Brantley had been limited to soft-toss workouts, but he was able to take full cuts against normal pitches.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- The Chiefs have signed veteran running back C.J. Spiller, providing depth behind Spencer Ware in a move that could mean Jamaal Charles will be cut in a cost-saving move.
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- The Washington Nationals have announced their agreement with free-agent catcher Matt Wieters.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston, who was accused of raping another student when he was in college, says he made a ''poor word choice'' in comments about women in a recent talk to students at a Florida elementary school. The Tampa Bay Times (http://bit.ly/2mkiPhJ ) reports Winston spoke to third- through fifth-grade students at Melrose Elementary in St. Petersburg on Wednesday, telling them about his three rules of life. Winston was accused of raping a student in 2012 when they were both Florida State University students.
A new book and a major motion picture are in the works about the New England Patriots' star quarterback and the ''Deflategate'' suspension he overcame to earn an unprecedented fifth Super Bowl ring. ''The Tom Brady movie is such a bad idea! The dude is so uninteresting and has everything,'' said Trevor Twidwell, a Kansas City Chiefs fan from Tucson, Arizona, capturing dislike for Brady and the Patriots outside New England. Bestselling author Casey Sherman and Boston writer Dave Wedge are collaborating on the book under the working title ''Let's Go!'' - Brady's rallying cry.
Wade Davis was a promising starting pitcher when he made his major league debut for Joe Maddon and the Tampa Bay Rays almost eight years ago. Then he was a reliever, and then a starter again and then a reliever. Now he gets the ball from Maddon once again - only this time as the closer for the Chicago Cubs.
The head of the Major League Baseball Players Association says it will be difficult for big leaguers to participate at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Baseball returns to Olympics after a 12-year absence for the Tokyo Games, which are scheduled for July 24-Aug. 9 - in the middle of baseball's season. ''There are challenges with the schedule, and there are challenges with major leaguers being involved,'' Clark said Thursday at the Baltimore Orioles' spring training camp.
Minnesota Vikings general manager Rick Spielman says Adrian Peterson's status has not been decided, two weeks before the deadline for exercising an option on the running back's contract that would cost the club $18 million in 2017. Spielman addressed reporters Thursday for the first time since the Vikings finished 8-8 after a 5-0 start in 2016. Peterson's hefty hit to the salary cap, which includes a $6 million roster bonus, has made his return uncertain.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Pete Rose is on the ballot for the Philadelphia Phillies' wall of fame, his first association with the team since he was banned from baseball in 1989.
San Diego Padres first baseman Wil Myers landed the biggest raise of all the hefty salary increases in arbitration. The 168 players eligible for arbitration as of mid-December averaged a 113 percent raise, according to a study by The Associated Press on Thursday. St. Louis right-hander Carlos Martinez was next with a 18-fold hike from $539,000 to an average of $10.2 million in a $51 million, five-year deal, followed by Atlanta outfielder Ender Inciarte with an 11-fold raise from $523,000 to an average of $6.1 million in his five-year deal worth $30,525,000.
Eduardo Nunez finally got a chance to play regularly last season - and made the most of it. After five years in predominantly a utility role off the bench, Nunez got regular time in Minnesota at both third base and shortstop and was named an All-Star for the first time. Then the Twins traded him to the San Francisco, where Nunez took over at third base.
Mets pitcher Steven Matz (pictured) and Sean Gilmartin caught, you guessed it, a shark. On Tuesday, Matz and Gilmartin were on the waters attempting to catch some big game. They had some success too, as evidenced by this photo of the duo pulling a shark from the water.
There are all sorts of ways to give baseball a much-needed boost of speed. ''All of it is stupid,'' Atlanta Braves second baseman Brandon Phillips said Wednesday. Over the last 35 years, the length of a regular-season game has increased by nearly a half-hour - much of that extra time consumed by batters stepping out of the box between every pitch for the always-thrilling helmet tug, enough meetings on the mound to bring about world peace, and so many pitching changes one can only assume managers are investing in companies that make bullpen door hinges.
From now until the World Baseball Classic begins on March 6, we’ll be helping you get to know each team involved in baseball’s global tournament. As the 2017 World Baseball Classic is set to begin, Team China is keeping expectations low. Former Kansas City Royals pitcher Bruce Chen is the only player with major-league experience. There are some players on the roster who have minor-league experience, but none of them have a future in the majors.
Addison Russell was laying on his mom's bed in the house he bought the family in Pensacola, Florida, with his signing bonus. ''That's when all the memories from this past year, from spring training to the middle of the season, then the World Series run,'' the Chicago Cubs shortstop recalled. The 23-year-old Russell, acquired in the July 2014 trade that sent Jeff Samardzija to Oakland, made his Cubs debut in April 2015.
Addison Russell was laying on his mom's bed in the house he bought the family in Pensacola, Florida, with his signing bonus. ''That's when all the memories from this past year, from spring training to the middle of the season, then the World Series run,'' the Chicago Cubs shortstop recalled. The 23-year-old Russell, acquired in the July 2014 trade that sent Jeff Samardzija to Oakland, made his Cubs debut in April 2015.
BOSTON (AP) -- New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick (BEHL'-ih-chik) has been added to a list of people who could be called to testify at the double murder trial of former player Aaron Hernandez.
Here's a change or, ahem, a change-up: Andrew Miller has the Indians feeling nervous. The nastier-than-nasty left-hander, who makes his living fooling hitters and whose ability to pitch extended innings in October carried Cleveland to within one victory of a World Series title last season, will leave spring training next month to play for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic. ''We fully support him and we're proud of him,'' manager Terry Francona said.
NEW YORK (AP) -- The players' association has agreed to Major League Baseball's proposal to have intentional walks without pitches this year.
Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Jung Ho Kang appeared in a South Korean court on Wednesday as judges began hearing arguments in a trial over charges that the baseball star fled the scene after slamming a car into a guardrail while driving under the influence of alcohol. A friend of Kang also attended the Seoul Central District Court on Wednesday after being charged for falsely telling police that he, not Kang, was driving the vehicle. It wasn't immediately clear how long the trial will take or when Kang will be able to join the Pirates for the new season.
Drew Storen is comfortable with his catcher, and that's important for a former closer who is trying to earn the role with the Cincinnati Reds. Storen attended high school in Indiana with Reds catcher Tucker Barnhart, who lobbied for him to join Cincinnati in the offseason. Storen agreed to a one-year, $3 million deal and will be in competition for the closer spot.
Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred came down solidly on the side of the Arizona Diamondbacks' ownership in the team's court battle with Maricopa County. The Diamondbacks have sued the county, seeking to remove a clause from their stadium lease to allow the team to look to move elsewhere. The team contends in the suit that the county has failed to allocate some $187 million for maintenance and improvements at Chase Field.
Michael Brantley has clashed with self-doubt and depression while pushing his body. Brantley's comeback from right shoulder surgery has been grueling for the Indians' best all-around player, far tougher than he or the team imagined. ''He's had to fight that thought that this injury can win,'' said Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis, among Brantley's closest friends.
The value of Tom Brady's missing Super Bowl jersey is listed as $500,000 on a Houston Police Department report. The New England Patriots quarterback is listed as the complainant in the report dated Feb. 6, the day after the Patriots came back from a 25-point deficit to defeat the Atlanta Falcons 34-28 in overtime. A Houston police officer was stationed outside the locker room on the day of the game, but access to the location was controlled by Patriots team security.
Major League Baseball intends give the players' association the required one-year advance notice that would allow management to unilaterally change the strike zone, install pitch clocks and limit trips to the pitcher's mound starting in 2018. Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred made the announcement Tuesday after union head Tony Clark said he did not foresee players agreeing to the changes for 2017. Under baseball's labor contract, management can make changes to playing rules only with agreement from the union - unless it gives one year notice.
The Panthers began restructuring their roster on Tuesday, releasing three-time Pro Bowl fullback Mike Tolbert and backup defensive tackle Paul Soliai. The versatile Tolbert was utilized as a blocker, runner and receiver during his five seasons with the Panthers, but the 31-year-old's production tailed off last season. Tolbert carried 35 times for 114 yards with no touchdowns with 10 receptions for 72 yards and one touchdown in 2016.
