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SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Tony Clark has never had more clout as executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association.

Clark, 50, helped the union navigate a tumultuous stretch that included a pandemic-shortened 2020 season and a new labor deal in March that not only saved a full 162-game season but also was viewed as at least a modest win for the players and their pocketbooks.

Now, there’s a relative calm during a baseball offseason that hasn’t been seen for a few years.

Baseball fans are probably enjoying that normalcy, but for Clark, there’s not much time to celebrate.

“The preparation for the next agreement never stops,” he said.

Clark was in Arizona on Wednesday afternoon, shuttling between appointments at the MLBPA’s winter meetings. Two days before, the union voted to extend Clark’s contract five more years through 2027, putting him in position to lead players through the entirety of their current labor agreement with owners that expires in December 2026.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity,” Clark said. “Suffice it to say, I’m humbled to be in a position to advocate for the guys.”

Now that the big league financials are settled for the next few seasons, Clark’s attention can turn to more than 5,000 new union members. The sport’s minor league players elected to join the MLBPA in September, paving the way for potentially better pay and playing conditions for those at the lower levels of professional baseball.

Clark — who had a 15-year MLB career — said conditions haven’t improved much for those minor leaguers since he was working his way up to the big leagues in the early 1990s. He said the MLB portion of the union has been supportive because the vast majority of those players have spent time in the minors.

There are numerous issues to address.

“Salary is one of them. That’s the one that jumps off the page and one that’s experienced by guys from top to bottom of the minor league system,” Clark said. “When you get beyond that, there are a number of things: housing, food, training.”

Players with major league contracts average more than $4 million per year and have a $700,000 minimum salary while in the big leagues, but salaries for most minor league players are far lower.

MLB raised weekly minimum salaries for minor leaguers in 2021 to $400 at rookie and short-season levels, $500 at Class A, $600 at Double-A and $700 at Triple-A.

Some have argued that those low salaries have made it hard for professional baseball to attract top athletes. Top collegiate programs in the SEC, ACC, Pac-12, Big 12 and other conferences often have better facilities and travel arrangements than their minor league counterparts.

The NCAA’s new eligibility rules, allowing players to make money on name, image and likeness deals, have also made college sports a more lucrative enterprise.

“We hope that any number of improvements that we’re able to make here, will make it a little more enticing then it might have otherwise been,” Clark said. “As much as it may have been romantic to ride on the buses, and the experiences you get in the minor leagues, going back to ‘Bull Durham,’ the opportunity both at the collegiate level and in other sports are a little different.”

Regarding the recently negotiated big league deal, Clark said the next step is to find out what’s working and what isn’t.

It brought major changes that included expansion of the DH to the National League, increasing the postseason from 10 teams to 12, advertisements on uniforms, a balanced schedule that reduces intra-division play starting in 2023 and measures aimed to incentivize competition and decrease strip-down rebuilding, such as an amateur draft lottery.

Major League Baseball’s 30 teams have appeared to navigate the turbulent COVID-19 era with the sport’s financial resources intact. One example: MLB recently sold its remaining share of a streaming service technology company called BAMTech to the Walt Disney Co. for $900 million.

“I’ll say this — the industry is doing well,” Clark said. “And the industry, I believe, is better when all 30 teams are competing to be the last team standing. We believe that the system is designed to provide that support.”

Clark said he’ll keep a close eye on free agency, which has started with a steady stream of deals.

“We think there’s been a healthiness to the conversations early,” Clark said. “We’re interested to see how that manifests itself over the long haul. But with the game having rebounded already, from a financial standpoint, we remain optimistic that things will continue to progress positively.”

Clark took over as union head in late 2013 following the death of Michael Weiner. Clark also led the union during labor negotiations in 2016 before helping broker the recent deal in March that followed a 99-day lockout.

He said he believes the union’s in as strong a position as it has been in decades. Considering his new five-year deal, it’s apparent the membership agrees.

“I tip my hat to our group,” Clark said. “Their engagement, their involvement, their energy and interest in protecting the game and protecting their fraternity and leaving the game better moving forward, it’s as strong and committed of a group as we’ve seen.”

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Braves’ Riley on IL; Holmes passes on TJ surgery

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Braves' Riley on IL; Holmes passes on TJ surgery

Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley on Monday was placed on the 10-day injured list for the second time in two months with a strained lower abdominal muscle.

Right-hander Grant Holmes, meanwhile, has opted to rehab his injured right elbow rather than undergoing Tommy John surgery, manager Brian Snitker told reporters.

Riley suffered the injury while tagging out Cincinnati’s Elly De La Cruz near home plate in the Braves’ 4-2 win on Sunday in the rain-delayed MLB Speedway Classic at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Riley also landed on the IL on July 12 with a strained abdomen. He returned on July 25.

The Braves recalled infielders Nacho Alvarez Jr. and Jonathan Ornelas from Triple-A Gwinnett before opening a home series against Milwaukee on Monday night. The team optioned outfielder Jarred Kelenic to Gwinnett following Sunday’s game.

Riley is hitting .260 with 16 homers and 54 RBIs.

Snitker said Holmes, who has damage to his UCL, made the decision to not have surgery at the present time after consulting with two doctors. The pitcher could also reconsider and have surgery after the season.

Snitker did not give a timeline as to when Snitker, who was placed on the 60-day injured list on July 27, will begin throwing again. He is not eligible to be activated until Sept. 26.

Holmes is 4-9 with a 3.99 ERA and 123 strikeouts this season. He had 15 strikeouts in a game against the Colorado Rockies in June.

The Braves’ other Opening Day starters also are all on the injured list, with AJ Smith-Shawver out for the season after having Tommy John surgery.

Snitker said All-Star left-hander Chris Sale threw a bullpen session as he works his way back from a fractured rib. He is next scheduled to throw live batting practice.

Reynaldo Lopez, who was placed on the IL on March 29 with shoulder inflammation after one start, is playing catch, but Snitker said there is no timetable for his return.

Spencer Schwellenbach, who is recovering from a fractured elbow, has not resumed throwing.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Astros’ Paredes to forgo season-ending surgery

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Astros' Paredes to forgo season-ending surgery

Houston Astros third baseman Isaac Paredes has opted to forgo season-ending surgery on his strained right hamstring and instead will rehab the injury in an effort to return this season, general manager Dana Brown told reporters Monday.

The 26-year-old Paredes, who is hitting .259 with 19 home runs and 50 RBIs this season, was placed on the injured list on July 20 after he was hurt while running to first base. Brown said the injury was “severe.”

Paredes has received a platelet-rich plasma injection and has had multiple rounds of imaging. His rehab stint, which will mostly take place in Houston around the team, will begin after a “long period” of letting the hamstring rest before beginning any sort of exercise, Brown said.

If Paredes undergoes surgery, he likely wouldn’t be able to return for at least six months.

“His whole opinion on this is, he wants to work hard to try to get back this season,” Brown said Monday. “Of course, he’s going to dedicate himself to getting back.”

The Astros were proactive at the trade deadline, acquiring infielder Carlos Correa from the Minnesota Twins. Correa, a Rookie of the Year and two-time All-Star in his prior stint with the Astros, has agreed to move from shortstop to third base while Paredes is out of the lineup.

The Astros (62-50) currently lead the AL West with around 50 games remaining in the regular season.

“He’s doing well and he’s working hard,” Astros manager Joe Espada said of Paredes. “He’s in good spirits, and I know he would rather be on the field. We hope for the best.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Yankees sign veteran Maeda to minor league deal

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Yankees sign veteran Maeda to minor league deal

NEW YORK — The New York Yankees signed right-hander Kenta Maeda to a minor league deal.

New York announced the move Monday. The 37-year-old Maeda had been pitching for Triple-A Iowa, the top minor league affiliate for the Chicago Cubs, but he was released Saturday.

The Yankees assigned Maeda to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Maeda had a 7.88 ERA in seven relief appearances for Detroit before he was designated for assignment on May 1. He went 3-7 with a 6.09 ERA in 17 starts and 12 relief appearances in his first year with the Tigers after agreeing to a $24 million, two-year contract in November 2023.

Maeda pitched well in his last two starts with Iowa, giving up one run and five hits in 12 innings. He went 3-4 with a 4.85 ERA in 12 starts with the Triple-A team.

Maeda made his major league debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2016, going 16-11 with a 3.48 ERA in 32 starts. He went 6-1 with a 2.70 ERA in 11 starts for Minnesota during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, finishing second in AL Cy Young Award balloting.

Maeda, who sat out the 2022 season because of Tommy John surgery, is 68-56 with a 4.20 ERA in 226 major league games, including 172 starts.

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