Tim Tebow upbeat despite harsh reality check

And on the second day a of spring training games for Tim Tebow, he struck out with two runners on base in the eighth inning of the Mets’ 7-6 loss to the Astros on Friday at First Data Field. “You want to push the envelope and fall down as many times as you can,” Tebow said of this two-game learning experience.

Why Mets pitcher secretly couldn’t swing last year

Robert Gsellman is ready to show off a new weapon in his arsenal this spring: a bat. The Mets pitcher underwent surgery last October to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder and can now swing a bat after spending the first two months of his major league career resigned to bunting and taking pitches.

Jury selection finishing in Cuban ballplayer smuggling case

” Jury selection is wrapping up in Miami federal court for a sports agent and an associate charged with illegally smuggling Cuban baseball players from the communist island to the U.S. A federal judge said final questioning of jurors is scheduled for Wednesday morning in the case of Bartolo Hernandez and Julio Estrada, both of whom have pleaded not guilty. Opening statements are expected Wednesday afternoon.

Current, former major leaguers die in Dominican crashes

This photo released by Dominican Republic Highway Police and Military Commission shows the fatal crash site of Kansas City Royals pitcher Yordano Ventura near Juan Adrian, Dominican Republic, Sunday, Jan. 22, 2017. Ventura, whose electric arm and confident demeanor helped lead Kansas City to a long-awaited World Series championship in 2015, died in the car crash in his native Dominican Republic early Sunday.

Harper, Nationals avoid arbitration with $13.6M deal for ’17

In this May 6, 2015, file photo, Washington Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper watches the ball after hitting a second home run against the Miami Marlins during the third inning of their baseball game at Nationals Park in Washington. Harper, Chicago Cubs pitcher Jake Arrieta, New York Mets pitchers Matt Harvey and Jacob deGrom, and Baltimore third baseman Manny Machado were among 146 players eligible to exchange salary arbitration figures with their teams, though most were expected to reach agreements.