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Derek Jeter and Hannah Davis were reportedly married during a ceremony Saturday in St. Helena, California, per People‘s Lindsay Kimble. 

The New York Daily News confirmed the event: 

According to Kimble, the couple dated for three years before becoming engaged last November.

During his playing career with the New York Yankees, Jeter earned a reputation for his dating habits. ESPN’s Darren Rovell shared the famous SportsNation graphic that built an entire defensive nine made up of his reported girlfriends:

In a March interview with Maxim (via EOnline.com’s Kendall Fisher), Davis explained what drew her to the 14-time All-Star.

“Trying to impress you with material things? I think that’s lame,” she said. “I wanted someone whose family is a big, important part of their life.”

Davis, a model who has been in Sports Illustrated, also explained how she and Jeter wanted to keep their relationship out of the public eye as much as possible: “I feel like I have to share every other part of my life. It’s that one part that’s a little bit of a mystery to people, but that’s the way we want it. The only way to protect it is not to talk about it.”

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During a rain delay prior to Thursday’s matchup between the Atlanta Braves and Chicago Cubs, a fan appeared to fall from the outfield bleachers onto Wrigley Field. 

The Chicago Sun-Times‘ Gordon Wittenmyer posted a photo of medical personnel attending to the fan:

Tommy Deeter, who was in attendance at the game, shared a photo of the fan being placed on a stretcher:

According to the Associated Press (via FoxSports.com), the fan lay face down on the warning track before medics ran onto the field and checked his pulse. Cubs pitching coach Chris Bosio and outfielder Albert Almora Jr. also ran into the outfield to check on his status.

The fan’s condition remains unknown.

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The Cleveland Indians designated veteran reliever Joba Chamberlain for assignment Monday, per USA Today‘s Bob Nightengale. 

Chamberlain provided a statement on Twitter:

Chamberlain has appeared in 20 games and posted a 2.25 ERA. His ERA isn’t a true indicator of his actual performance, though. According to FanGraphs, the 30-year-old had a 3.82 FIP and a 4.25 xFIP. His 4.95 walks per nine innings were also highest on the team among relievers with at least 10 innings pitched.

Nightengale reported Cleveland also designated Tom Gorzelanny for assignment, with T.J. House and Mike Clevinger joining the 25-man roster. It’s unlikely a coincidence that the Indians made these moves only a few days after their 19-inning win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday.

Having exhausted all of his bullpen options, manager Terry Francona had no other choice but to bring on starting pitcher Trevor Bauer, who pitched the final five innings. As a result, the Indians had to start Zach McAllister in place of Bauer the following day.

Clevinger and House are both more equipped for a long relief role or an emergency start, depending on the situation.

Another team is likely to add Chamberlain off waivers or wait for him to become a free agent and then sign him. Both MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch and the New York Daily News‘ Mark Feinsand argued for a reunion in the Big Apple:

While he’s no longer the dominant flamethrower he was in his first two years with the New York Yankees, Chamberlain is still a productive MLB reliever.

Following a dreadful 2015 season in which he allowed five earned runs in six games with the Kansas City Royals, Chamberlain has done more than enough to warrant getting another chance in the league.

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The Los Angeles Angels appropriately began the Fourth of July holiday weekend with a bang, defeating the Boston Red Sox 21-2 on Saturday at Fenway Park.

Fox Sports: MLB might have discovered the source of Los Angeles’ explosion:

The bulk of the Angels’ scoring came in the top of the seventh inning, when they dropped 11 runs on Boston. C.J. Cron and Carlos Perez both hit two-run home runs in the frame, while Albert Pujols drove in three runs with a double.

SportsCenter shared the play-by-play of the destruction:

What was perhaps the most surprising was that the Angels scored 20-plus runs without Mike Trout bringing a single runner home. Trout went 2-for-5, and Sporting News’ Jesse Spector couldn’t believe the 2014 American League MVP didn’t get in on the fun:

Cron tied a franchise record, going 6-for-6 with two homers, five RBI and five runs scored. According to Stats researcher Anthony Masterson, Chone Figgins is the only other Angels player who has posted six hits in a nine-inning game.

Perez finished one hit short of matching Cron, going 5-for-6 while leading the team with six RBI. Pujols tacked on another five RBI while going 2-for-5.

The Angels’ rout couldn’t have come at a worse time for Red Sox starter Clay Buchholz, who had allowed seven combined earned runs in his last two starts. He exited Saturday’s contest after 4.1 innings, having surrendered six runs, three of which were earned.

ESPN.com’s Scott Lauber thinks Boston’s earlier optimism about the veteran right-hander is looking worse as the season progresses:

While the heavy defeat counts for only one loss, it’s not the kind of response Red Sox fans wanted to see after the team went 10-16 in June.

At least Boston has the chance to move on quickly, as the Red Sox and Angels will wrap up their series Sunday at 1:35 p.m. ET.

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Cincinnati Reds outfielder Billy Hamilton exited Wednesday’s game against the Chicago Cubs in the first inning after being hit with a deflected fly ball. However, he is ready to return, according to C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer. 

Continue for updates.

Hamilton Active vs. Nationals

Thursday, June 30

Mark Sheldon of MLB.com noted Phillips is in the lineup against Washington and is batting seventh.

Hamilton Is Slowly Improving at the Plate

When he was coming up through the Reds’ system, Hamilton earned a reputation for his prodigious baserunning and impressive defense. While those abilities have carried over to the majors, the 25-year-old also brought his lack of pop at the plate to Cincinnati.

According to FanGraphs, Hamilton had the third-lowest slugging percentage (.289), the fourth-lowest isolated power (.063) and was tied for the third-worst in weighted runs created plus (52) among batters with at least 400 plate appearances.

In 2016, however, Hamilton is making positive strides. He has a .255/.296/.385 slash line with three home runs and 12 runs batted in in 200 plate appearances.

Ground balls have been part of Hamilton’s success this year. A little under half (48.3) of his batted balls are ground balls, per FanGraphs, which allows him to fully utilize his greatest asset—his speed. In addition, he’s hitting more line drives, which further increases his chances of getting on base.

Hamilton previously missed time earlier in the year while recovering from a concussion. Almost immediately after making his return to the field, he made one of the catches of the year in Cincinnati’s 5-4 defeat to the Houston Astros on June 18:

Durability has been an issue with Hamilton the last two years. He only played in 114 games in 2015 and had shoulder surgery last September. Before the concussion, a nagging thumb injury also briefly kept Hamilton out of action in 2016.

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On Monday, Major League Baseball unveiled the last All-Star voting update before it reveals the starters next month.

Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez is the American League’s top vote-getter (3,754,594), while Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo (2,630,049 votes) owns a slim lead over teammates Ben Zobrist (2,474,852 votes) and Kris Bryant (2,459,704) in the National League.  

Below are the leaders at each position:

Both lineups remain unchanged since the fourth round of voting updates, and only a small handful of positions look to be up for grabs before voting closes.

Lorenzo Cain is only 93,891 votes behind Mookie Betts for the final outfield spot in the American League. With the way Kansas City Royals fans have mobilized in the last few years to send their favorite players to the All-Star Game, closing that kind of gap in a few days isn’t impossible for Cain. Granted, a little over 31,000 votes separated Cain and Betts in the fourth update, so Betts’ advantage may only continue to grow.

In the NL, Yadier Molina is a little over 5,000 votes ahead of Buster Posey after having enjoyed a roughly 75,000-vote cushion in the fourth update.

Posey is arguably the more deserving candidate. According to FanGraphs, the San Francisco Giants star leads all NL catchers in WAR (2.3), while Molina is last (0.4) among qualified players at his position. In 68 games, Posey is batting .285 with eight home runs, 36 RBI and a .458 slugging percentage.

Besides Posey, Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager and Colorado Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado are among the biggest snubs. They both have a 3.5 WAR, tied for eighth-highest among all position players, per FanGraphs. Seager is third in the voting at shortstop, while Arenado is second behind Bryant at third base.

Cleveland Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor should also be getting more respect from the fans, at least relative to his performance. Not only has Lindor flashed a dazzling glove at short, he’s also batting .311 with 10 homers, 39 RBI and 12 stolen bases. Few can disagree with Xander Bogaerts being the AL’s starting shortstop, but Lindor not even being in the top five defies explanation.

Fan voting for All-Star starters closes at 11:59 p.m. ET on Thursday, and the starting lineups will be announced on ESPN on July 5.

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Texas Rangers starting pitcher Colby Lewis will miss up to two months after suffering a strained lat muscle, per T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com.

Continue for updates.

Lewis Won’t Begin Throwing for at Least 4 Weeks

Wednesday, June 22

According to Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, the 36-year-old will start his throwing program only after undergoing an MRI in roughly a month.

Lewis’ injury came Tuesday night during his start against the Cincinnati Reds. He pitched five innings and allowed six earned runs in an 8-2 defeat for Texas:

Losing the veteran right-hander for an extended period of time is a major blow for the Rangers. According to FanGraphs, Lewis’ 1.3 WAR is highest among Texas’ qualified starting pitchers, and his 4.24 FIP is lowest in the rotation.

The Rangers own the highest playoff chances (90.9 percent) of any team in the American League West, per Baseball Prospectus. That figure is bound to drop in the coming weeks. USA Today‘s Bob Nightengale noted how depleted Texas’ staff is quickly becoming:

A.J. Griffin looks close to stepping back on the mound for the first time since May 7. Wilson reported he’s in line to start Friday against the Boston Red Sox. Having Griffin back will help alleviate Texas’ injury problems, but manager Jeff Banister will still need to find replacements for both Lewis and Derek Holland.

Banister may have little choice but to call up Kyle Lohse. The 37-year-old had a 5.85 ERA in 37 appearances for the Milwaukee Brewers in 2015, and in seven minor league starts, he’s 2-4 with a 5.09 ERA. Relying on Lohse to fill a major league rotation spot is a last resort, but Banister is running out of options.

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Both the NHL and the NFL are reportedly toying with the idea of a franchise in Las Vegas, and MLB may be hopping aboard the bandwagon.   

In an interview Tuesday morning on The Michael Kay Show (via YES Network), MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred explained that putting a team in Sin City isn’t as inconceivable as it once was:

Last Tuesday, the Associated Press’ Greg Beacham reported the NHL selected Las Vegas as the home of its next expansion franchise, “provided organizers can come up with a $500 million fee.” Hockey may not be the only game in town either. USA Today‘s Jarrett Bell reported in May that Oakland Raiders owner Mark Davis is steadfast in his desire to move the team to southern Nevada.

Any potential MLB expansion is likely years down the road, and Manfred has already gone on record saying Mexico City and Montreal would be among his preferred destinations:

Considering the league’s past history with gambling, an MLB team potentially playing its home games in Las Vegas may raise some eyebrows. Two of the biggest scandals in baseball history centered on gambling—the 1919 Chicago Black Sox and Pete Rose’s lifetime ban.

Beyond the optics, Manfred would have to consider whether there’s enough of a market to support a team in Vegas. According to MiLB.com, the Triple-A Las Vegas 51s are averaging 5,048 fans a game, a little over 54 percent of Cashman Field’s capacity.

Vegas has no shortage of entertainment options, and if MLB is the second or third league to get a team there, maintaining a steady fanbase may prove difficult in a city where tourism is such a significant revenue generator.

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Major League Baseball released the fourth All-Star voting update for the American and National Leagues on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez is the leading vote-getter in the AL. With 2,744,293 votes, he owns a commanding lead over Baltimore Orioles catcher Matt Wieters. First baseman Anthony Rizzo of the Chicago Cubs leads the NL voting with 2,202,494 votes.

Below are the leading AL vote-getters at each position:

And the NL leaders:

Only one position has changed since the third update for AL All-Star voting. Mookie Betts surged ahead of Lorenzo Cain and Mark Trumbo to occupy the third outfield position in the American League. He gained a little over 365,000 votes in a week, though he has the slimmest advantage for any starter (27,023 votes).

For the most part, the fans have done a good job of rewarding the best players in the AL. Omar Infante is still the biggest outlier. The Royals designated the veteran second baseman for assignment on June 15, and he has the fourth-most votes (807,443) at his position.

Kansas City third baseman Mike Moustakas is still among the highest vote-getters despite the fact that he’s going to miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL. The 27-year-old appears to be slipping, though. He dropped from second to third in the voting behind Toronto Blue Jays star Josh Donaldson.

Texas Rangers outfielder Ian Desmond is arguably the biggest snub so far. He ranks seventh in the American League in WAR (3.1) on FanGraphs. The 30-year-old has rebounded in a big way following his disappointing 2015 season. Through 70 games, Desmond is batting a career-high .312 with 11 home runs and 46 runs batted in.

Desmond is making up some ground. Whereas he sat 11th in the third round of voting, he has moved up to ninth. He needs to close a gap of 746,754 in order to overtake Betts in third place.

The National League isn’t nearly as diverse as the junior circuit, with five Chicago Cubs currently leading their respective positions, and all five have sizable leads.

Dexter Fowler, who is currently on the disabled list with a hamstring injury, has the smallest lead with just under 180,000 more votes than Washington’s Bryce Harper. Even if Harper closes the gap, Fowler will need a monumental collapse to drop out of the top three spots to start the game. 

The only argument against any of the Cubs currently leading is shortstop Addison Russell, who is hitting just .237/.331/.375 and ranks seventh among qualified NL shortstops in FanGraphs‘ wins above replacement. 

Los Angeles Dodgers rookie Corey Seager leads all NL shortstops in FanGraphs‘ WAR (2.9) and is hitting a robust .283/.343/.505 with 15 home runs. He’s currently in third place behind Russell and Colorado’s Trevor Story, but Russell has more than twice the votes Seager does at this stage of the voting. 

Anthony Rizzo, Ben Zobrist and Kris Bryant are all having terrific seasons and are deserving of their spots on the team. 

The best race in the NL is at catcher between Yadier Molina of the St. Louis Cardinals and Buster Posey of the San Francisco Giants with just over 75,000 votes separating them. Based on the strength of those two fanbases, that margin figures to get tighter before the voting ends at the end of this month. 

The next round of voting results will be released on June 28, which is the final look fans will get before starting lineups are announced. Voting will close on June 30.

The 2016 MLB All-Star Game will take place in San Diego on July 12.

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The Tampa Bay Rays announced Monday night that outfielder Mikie Mahtook suffered a fractured left hand in their 7-4 defeat to the Cleveland Indians. 

Continue for updates.

Mahtook Placed on 15-Day DL

Tuesday, June 21

Mahtook injured his hand after getting hit by a pitch from Indians starting pitcher Josh Tomlin in the top of the second inning. He briefly remained in the game before being replaced by Taylor Motter in right field in the bottom of the third.

The Rays announced Tuesday they placed Mahtook on the 15-day disabled list, with Nick Franklin taking his spot on the active roster.

The injury comes at a terrible time for Tampa Bay. The team already has three outfielders—Brandon Guyer, Kevin Kiermaier and Steven Souza Jr.—on the 15-day disabled list. The Rays are also in the midst of a five-game losing streak. Baseball Prospectus gives them an 11.2 percent chance of reaching the postseason.

“We’re shaking our heads,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said, per the Associated Press and ESPN.com. “It’s a frustrating time right now, there’s no doubt about it.”

Jaff Decker is the likeliest candidate to take over for Mahtook in right on a temporary basis. Franklin and Motter will also be options for Cash going forward.

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