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On the eve of the New York Yankees‘ season opener at Minute Maid Park against the Houston Astros, manager Aaron Boone had a simple directive for his new slugger: It’s your team, too.

Asked how Juan Soto will fit into a team with Aaron Judge as the acknowledged superstar and Anthony Rizzo and Giancarlo Stanton entrenched as veteran leaders, Boone said on a Zoom call with reporters Wednesday, “My message to him is: It’s his clubhouse, too, and we want to learn and grow from you and want you to feel empowered to say and do whatever you feel like you need to do.”

Acquired from the San Diego Padres in a blockbuster offseason trade, Soto brings his powerful bat, elite on-base ability and Soto Shuffle to a lineup that struggled to score runs in 2023. With the Padres, there were reports during the season as the team’s playoff hopes slowly disintegrated that some of the egos in the San Diego clubhouse — Soto, Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. — had clashed, although Soto denied it late in the season.

“Look, anytime you’re a player coming over to a team for the first time, I’m sure you’re toeing the water a little bit, getting a feel for everything,” Boone said. “I do feel like the team from a bonding standpoint has come together really well this spring in short order. I would include Juan in that. He seems very comfortable, he seems happy. I think our leaders do a great job of making guys feel at home. From a leadership and what kind of vocal role he takes, that probably still remains to be seen.”

After a hot start to spring training, with three home runs in his first four games, Soto scuffled a bit toward the end. During the team’s trip to Mexico to wrap up spring training, Soto stayed behind in Tampa, Florida, at the team’s training facility to work on his swing.

“He didn’t get a ton of results here the last couple of weeks, which I often think with a hitter of his caliber isn’t such a bad thing from a timing standpoint,” Boone said. “Every hitter goes through little lulls at different points in the season, so hoping he got that out of the way here, but I think he’s ready to roll. He’s in a great mental state and I can’t wait to watch him go out and tear up the Bronx.”

The Yankees missed the playoffs last season for the first time since 2016, putting Boone, the team’s skipper since 2018, squarely on the hot seat as the manager most likely to be fired first, according to oddsmakers.

“I’m here to try to win the World Series. All of my energy and all of my focus is on trying to help us be the best possible team we can be and our goal is to be a world champion,” Boone said. “I don’t look at like, ‘This has to happen for me to save my job.’ I’m in competition mode.'”

The season kicks off a series with a tough seven-game road trip to Houston and Arizona — and without the injured Gerrit Cole and DJ LeMahieu. In LeMahieu’s absence, Boone said Gleyber Torres will hit leadoff on Opening Day with Soto and Judge hitting second and third.

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Twins no longer for sale; owners eye investors

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Twins no longer for sale; owners eye investors

MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Twins are no longer for sale, executive chair Joe Pohlad announced Wednesday on behalf of his family.

After exploring a variety of options over the past 10 months, the Pohlad family will remain the principal owner of the club and add new investors instead. Carl Pohlad, a banking magnate and the late grandfather of Joe Pohlad, purchased the Twins in 1984 for $44 million.

“For more than four decades, our family has had the privilege of owning the Minnesota Twins. This franchise has become part of our family story, as it has for our employees, our players, this community, and Twins fans everywhere,” Joe Pohlad said in his announcement. “Over the past several months, we explored a wide range of potential investment and ownership opportunities. Our focus throughout has been on what’s best for the long-term future of the Twins. We have been fully open to all possibilities.”

Pohlad said the family was in the process of adding two “significant” limited partnership groups to bring in fresh ideas, bolster critical partnerships and shape the long-term vision of the franchise that relocated to Minnesota in 1961 after originating as the Washington Senators. Details about the new investors will be kept private until Major League Baseball approves of the transactions, Pohlad said.

The Twins are on track for their lowest attendance total in 16 seasons at Target Field, and an ownership-mandated payroll reduction last year, among other factors, has contributed to a dissatisfied customer base. The Twins traded 10 players off their roster leading up to the July 31 deadline, furthering the frustration. Word that the Pohlads are staying put certainly won’t help the morale of Minnesota baseball fans, who’ve been waiting for another World Series title since 1991.

“We see and hear the passion from our partners, the community, and Twins fans. That passion inspires us,” Pohlad said. “This ownership group is committed to building a winning team and culture for this region, one that Twins fans are proud to cheer for.”

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Cards’ Contreras out with foot contusion after HBP

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Cards' Contreras out with foot contusion after HBP

ST. LOUIS — Cardinals first baseman Willson Contreras was not in the lineup Wednesday against the Colorado Rockies a day after he was hit in the foot by a pitch and broke his bat in frustration.

Contreras, listed as day-to-day with a right foot contusion, was hit by Rockies starter Kyle Freeland‘s sweeper in the fourth inning. He then slammed his bat into the dirt and snapped it over his knee.

As he walked toward first base, the 33-year-old threw the two pieces of the broken bat toward the Cardinals’ dugout.

He remained in the game until the sixth inning, when he was replaced by Nolan Gorman.

The Cardinals said X-rays did not reveal any structural damage in Contreras’ foot.

Contreras has been hit by a National League-leading 18 pitches this season, trailing only Randy Arozarena and Ty France.

Contreras leads the Cardinals with 16 home runs and 65 RBIs.

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Rangers’ struggling García to IL with ankle injury

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Rangers' struggling García to IL with ankle injury

ARLINGTON, Texas — The Texas Rangers put struggling slugger Adolis García on the 10-day injured list with a sprained left ankle and activated outfielder Evan Carter.

Texas, which is chasing an American League wild-card berth, made the moves their series finale against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday.

Another outfielder, Wyatt Langford, was held out of the lineup because of forearm stiffness, but manager Bruce Bochy said he could be available to pinch-hit.

García is hitting .224 with 16 homers and 64 RBIs in 116 games. He hit .176 (6 for 34) during the nine-game homestand that ended with Wednesday’s game.

Carter, who turns 23 later this month, missed 10 games because of back spasms. He was in a 4-for-34 slump when he was placed on the IL on Aug. 2. He hit .238 with four homers and 21 RBIs in 55 games before then.

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