If it weren’t for Oakland’s division title in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Houston would have a streak of seven straight AL West championships.

Minnesota Twins shortstop Carlos Correa has been cleared from the concussion protocol and reinstated from the 7-day injured list before the beginning of a three-game series against Kansas City.

Boston Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet had a close call when a line drive skipped off his glove and nose on its way to second base for a groundout.

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on Friday will face more international rebuke than at any time in his 12 years in power.

The Astros welcomed first baseman Christian Walker to the team in one of two moves that almost certainly marks the end of Alex Bregman’s time in Houston.

Andrés Giménez singled home José Ramírez from second base in the 10th inning as the Cleveland Guardians clinched a playoff berth in dramatic, fitting fashion, beating the Minnesota Twins 3-2.

The Minnesota Twins have a new home run celebration — and players and fans are going crazy over it.

José Abreu homered for the third time in two games for the Houston Astros in a 3-2 win over the Minnesota Twins.

José Abreu hit a three-run homer for Houston in a four-run first inning against Sonny Gray and piled on with a two-run shot in the ninth to power the Astros past the Minnesota Twins 9-1.

Carlos Correa had three hits and three RBIs and Pablo López pitched seven shutout innings, helping the Minnesota Twins beat the Houston Astros 6-2 in Game 2 of their AL Division Series.

Justin Verlander pitched six shutout innings, Yordan Alvarez homered twice and the Houston Astros held on for a 6-4 win over the Minnesota Twins in their AL Division Series opener.

Houston manager Dusty Baker admitted this week that Carlos Correa is one of his favorite players.

The Minnesota Twins swept the Toronto Blue Jays in their AL Wild Card Series with a 2-0 win in Game 2.

The average time of a nine-inning major league game dropped to 2 hours, 40 minutes in the first year of the pitch clock, a 24-minute decrease in a season of change that resulted in a spike in batting average and the most stolen bases in nearly 40 years.

Justin Verlander is scheduled to start for the Houston Astros against former teammate Carlos Correa and the Minnesota Twins in Game 1 of their AL Division Series on Saturday.

The Minnesota Twins have clinched the AL Central title with an 8-6 victory over the Los Angeles Angels.

The education of robot umpires has been complicated by an open secret in baseball for the past 150 years: The strike zone called on the field doesn’t match the one mapped out in the rule book.

Carlos Correa took a postgame dig about his past in stride.

It has been more than three years since Major League Baseball issued its report on an electronic sign-stealing scheme by the Houston Astros.

Gerrit Cole pitched a two-hitter with 10 strikeouts for his fourth career shutout and the second complete game in the majors this season, leading the New York Yankees to a 2-0 victory over the Minnesota Twins.

The average Major League Baseball salary was up 11.1% to a record $4.9 million to start this season, the biggest jump for the sport since 2001, according to a study by The Associated Press.

In an era dominated by WAR and OPS, Carlos Correa’s free-agent destination was decided by MRIs.

Carlos Correa finally has a deal done.

A person familiar with the negotiations says Carlos Correa has agreed to a $200 million, six-year contract that keeps him with the Minnesota Twins after failing to complete deals with the New York Mets and San Francisco Giants.

The New York Mets and Carlos Correa’s agent are having discussions over the infielder’s physical days after similar concerns from the San Francisco Giants led to a collapse of their agreement with All-Star.

Outfielder Michael Conforto has agreed to a $36 million, two-year contract with the San Francisco Giants, a deal that includes an opt out after the first season.

Agent Scott Boras says the San Francisco Giants asked for more time to investigate and discuss medical records of Carlos Correa and let a 1 p.m. PST deadline Tuesday pass to finalize that deal.

It has been an epic holiday season already for several major league teams and players a year after baseball trudged through an ugly labor dispute.

Fans of the San Francisco Giants spent a week reveling in the news that Carlos Correa was coming to the Bay Area on a $350 million, 13-year deal.

Carlos Correa has agreed to a $315 million, 12-year contract with the free-spending New York Mets after his pending deal with the San Francisco Giants came apart over an issue with his physical.

The Chicago Cubs and Dansby Swanson have agreed to a $177 million, seven-year contract, adding the All-Star shortstop to the team's rebuilding project.

Star shortstop Carlos Correa and the San Francisco Giants have agreed to a $350 million, 13-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations has told The Associated Press.

Aaron Judge is returning to the New York Yankees on a $360 million, nine-year contract, and the other contenders for the AL MVP in free agency are moving on.

Aaron Judge remains a free agent as baseball's winter meetings continue in San Diego.

The Philadelphia Phillies have landed Trea Turner, agreeing to a $300 million, 11-year contract with the dynamic shortstop.

First baseman Anthony Rizzo became a free agent again when he declined his $16 million option with the New York Yankees for 2023.

Jacob deGrom, Carlos Correa, Xander Bogaerts and Carlos Rodón turned down player options, joining a free agent market that includes Aaron Judge, Trea Turner and Dansby Swanson.

Minnesota Twins shortstop Carlos Correa has formally opted out of his contract to become a free agent.

The Philadelphia Phillies hope their run to the World Series is just the start of a championship window.

The Houston Astros just won their second World Series in six years and have been a consistent presence in the playoffs.

Aaron Judge, Edwin Díaz, Trea Turner, Dansby Swanson and Xander Bogaerts were among 131 players who became free agents as baseball’s business season began just hours after the final out of the World Series.

Jeremy Peña became the first rookie position player to win a World Series MVP after hitting.

Houston Astros rookie shortstop Jeremy Peña put on quite an all-around performance Thursday night in Game 5 of the World Series.

Justin Verlander struck out 11 in six strong innings and Yuli Gurriel, Chas McCormick and Jeremy Peña all homered to power the Houston Astros to a 4-2 win over the New York Yankees in their AL Championship Series opener.

When Justin Verlander takes the mound for the Houston Astros in Game 1 of the AL Division Series on Tuesday against the Seattle Mariners, it will have been almost three years since his last playoff appearance.

Minnesota’s Luis Arraez finished with the lowest average for an American League batting champion since 1968, and the Mets’ Jeff McNeil won the National League title.

Minnesota rookie Joe Ryan and reliever Jovani Moran combined to pitch no-hit ball until Bobby Witt Jr. doubled with one out in the ninth inning as the Twins beat the Kansas City Royals 6-3.

Aaron Judge started the first-game comeback with his major league-leading 55th home run, Isiah Kiner-Falefa hit a go-ahead grand slam in the nightcap and the New York Yankees swept a doubleheader from the Minnesota Twins 5-4 and 7-1.

Justin Verlander was pulled after pitching six no-hit innings in his major league-leading 16th win and the Astros beat the Minnesota Twins 4-2 in Carlos Correa’s return to Houston.

The Baltimore Orioles have the first pick in the amateur draft for the second time in four years -- and they’ll be looking for someone who can join 2019 top pick Adley Rutschman in the core of their next contender.

There were 15 MLB players who signed new contracts worth $100 million or more before this season.

Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner realizes there is a chance the price may be going up to sign Aaron Judge to a long-term contract after the star slugger’s outstanding first half.

Andrés Giménez hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning and the Cleveland Guardians beat the Minnesota Twins 5-3 for their second straight walk-off win against their AL Central rivals.

Oscar Gonzalez tied the game with a two-run single and scored on Owen Miller’s go-ahead sacrifice fly as the Cleveland Guardians rallied for four runs in the ninth inning to stun the Minnesota Twins 11-10.

Minnesota’s Luis Arraez, Byron Buxton and Carlos Correa became the seventh trio of teammates to open a game with three straight home runs, starting a barrage of five long balls in 2 1/3 innings against New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole.

The Minnesota Twins have reinstated shortstop Carlos Correa from the COVID-19 injured list.

Free falling toward a dreadful bit of team history, the Angels fired manager Joe Maddon on Tuesday and appointed third base coach Phil Nevin to the role on an interim basis.

The struggling Minnesota Twins have arrived in Toronto without regular right fielder Max Kepler and relief pitchers Emilio Pagán, Caleb Thielbar and Trevor Megill.

Carlos Correa has been placed on the COVID-19 injured list by the Minnesota Twins a day after the team said the shortstop had tested positive.

Noah Syndergaard pitches in New York for the first time since leaving the Mets during the offseason, starting the Los Angeles Angels’ series opener at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday night.

Carlos Correa has tested positive for COVID-19, the Minnesota Twins said after a 7-5 loss to the Detroit Tigers.

Justin Verlander missed out on his fourth no-hitter by five outs but still faced the minimum through eight innings, and the Houston Astros beat the Minnesota Twins 5-0 for their eighth straight win.

Justin Verlander and the Astros try for their eighth straight win when they visit Joe Ryan and the first-place Twins in a matchup of American League contenders with identical 18-11 records.

Carlos Correa and the Minnesota Twins dodged a major problem this past week.

Susan G.

A day after six major league games were rained out, the weather could still cause scheduling problems in some places this weekend.

The Minnesota Twins avoided a daunting injury when it was determined star shortstop Carlos Correa’s right middle finger is not broken as was initially feared after he was hit by a pitch this week.

The Minnesota Twins have avoided a scare with star shortstop Carlos Correa.

Minnesota Twins star Carlos Correa may have a broken finger after he was struck by a pitch in Baltimore.

Yankees slugger Aaron Judge has hit five home runs in his last five games, part of a surge that’s helped New York win nine in a row.

The average salary in the major leagues rebounded to $4.4 million on opening day, boosted by a frenzy of free agent signings before and after the 99-day lockout, according to a study of baseball contracts by The Associated Press.

Clayton Kershaw took a perfect game through seven innings for the Los Angeles Dodgers in his season debut before being pulled.

Gary Sánchez hit a grand slam into the third deck and Carlos Correa launched his first homer for the Minnesota Twins in a 10-4 victory over the Seattle Mariners.

Rachel Balkovec is set to become the first woman to manage a minor league affiliate of a major league team Friday when her Class-A Tampa Tarpons in the New York Yankees’ organization face the Lakeland Flying Tigers in the Florida State League.

Framber Valdez outpitched Shohei Ohtani with 6 2/3 dominant innings of two-hit ball, and the Houston Astros tied the longest opening day winning streak in major league history with a 3-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels.

Cubs veteran Kyle Hendricks is set to deliver the first pitch of the season against Corbin Burnes and Milwaukee at Wrigley Field just past 2:20 p.m. EDT, the first of seven games still on the calendar amid rainy forecasts across the country.

There's a lot to catch up on from a bizarre baseball offseason before the 2022 season officially begins with first pitch at Wrigley Field.

Carlos Correa hit his first spring homer with the Twins, providing a preview of what he could provide Minnesota’s lineup this season.

Many familiar faces with impressive resumes are in new places following one of major league baseball’s wildest free agent frenzies.

Carlos Correa has declared the postseason “his time,” and the Minnesota Twins hope all that October experience can turn around the fortunes of a snake-bitten franchise.

Major League Baseball’s free-agent frenzy was fun while it lasted.

Star shortstop Carlos Correa and the Minnesota Twins have agreed to a $105.3 million, three-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations tells The Associated Press.

Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Judge and the rest of baseball’s biggest stars are due at spring training Sunday for the first official day of preseason training following the end of Major League Baseball’s 99-day labor lockout.

Cleveland ace Shane Bieber limbered up in Guardians gear, Toronto Blue Jays star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. began taking grounders and new St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol signed autographs as spring training camps in Florida and Arizona finally opened to big leaguers.

With a possible lockout on the horizon, it’s been mostly business as usual on the free agent market — so far.

New York Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner said he voted for Major League Baseball’s proposal to lower the luxury tax threshold, a plan opposed by the players’ union with the sport on the brink of its first work stoppage on 26 years.

Justin Verlander reached a $25 million deal to remain with the Houston Astros as he comes back from Tommy John surgery, and Brandon Belt accepted an $18.4 million qualifying offer from the San Francisco Giants.

Despite an offseason that figures to be different than any since baseball’s last labor stoppage in 1994-95, the general manger meetings went on as planned in Southern California.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have extended qualifying offers to free agent All-Stars Corey Seager and Chris Taylor, but not Clayton Kershaw.

Dusty Baker will return as manager of the Houston Astros for a third season after agreeing to a one-year contract with the AL champions.

World Series MVP Jorge Soler, Freddie Freeman and Eddie Rosario of the champion Atlanta Braves are among 160 players who became free agents as an uncertain offseason started with a lockout threat looming.

Atlanta’s 7-0 victory over Houston in Game 6 to win the World Series could mark the end of an era for the Astros.

Carlos Correa and the Houston Astros broke out the bats just in time to extend this World Series.

Carlos Correa had three hits, Martin Maldonado found three different ways to drive in runs and pinch-hitter Marwin Gonzalez blooped a tiebreaking, two-run single in the fifth inning to lead the Houston Astros over the Atlanta Braves 9-5 and cut their World Series deficit to three games to two.

Game 5 of the World Series between the Houston Astros and Atlanta Braves might have represented a historic moment for Major League Baseball.

There are plenty of stars at this World Series, from Freddie Freeman to Jose Altuve.

Time and time again, the Houston Astros put runners on base.

The Houston Astros are still waiting for all their stars to break loose after a 2-0 loss to Atlanta in Game 3 of the World Series.

Atlanta Braves lefty Max Fried had a stretch in his first World Series start when he looked like the ace he has been most of the season.

Rookie Jose Siri sparked a team whose biggest stars took a while to shine, sending the Houston Astros to a 7-2 victory over the Atlanta Braves that evened the World Series at one game apiece.