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Philadelphia Phillies reliever Jose Alvarado, who is nearing completion of his 80-game suspension for violating MLB’s performance-enhancing drugs policy, apologized to his teammates and fans Tuesday on Instagram.

“I am fully aware that using prohibited substances is wrong and I would never intend to do so because I have always had great respect for the game, my organization, my teammates and the fans, all of whom I want to offer my sincere apologies,” Alvarado posted.

“I made a mistake and therefore, I have faced the consequences set forth by MLB. Going forward, my focus is on working hard to help the team win.”

The hard-throwing left-hander tested positive for exogenous testosterone, which is a performance-enhancing substance, and was suspended on May 18. Alvarado can begin a minor league assignment before he’s eligible to return Aug. 19, but he is ineligible to pitch in the postseason for the Phillies, who lead the National League Central by 1½ games entering Tuesday’s action.

Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski has said the positive test was caused by a weight loss drug Alvarado took during the offseason.

“There is always a lesson to be learned in every mistake,” Alvarado wrote Tuesday.

Alvarado, who returned to Citizens Bank Park on Tuesday, is 4-1 with seven saves and a 2.70 ERA in 20 appearances this season. He has 25 strikeouts and four walks in 20 innings pitched.

Philadelphia acquired closer Jhoan Duran from the Minnesota Twins at the trade deadline.

“I think they’ve done pretty well without him, to tell you the truth,” manager Rob Thomson said of the Phillies’ bullpen. “We’ve won a lot of games without him. But [Alvarado] certainly is going to bring more energy, and he’s going to bring another really, really good arm.”

As a result of the suspension, Alvarado will lose $4.5 million, half his $9 million salary this year, as part of a $22 million, three-year contract he signed in 2023. Philadelphia has a $9 million option on Alvarado for 2026 with a $500,000 buyout.

Alvarado is 19-26 with a 3.40 ERA in 399 relief appearances and one start over nine major league seasons with Tampa Bay (2017-20) and the Phillies (2021-25). He has 52 saves in 68 appearances and appeared in 21 postseason games over the last three seasons.

Alvarado is 19-26 with a 3.40 ERA in 399 relief appearances and one start over nine major league seasons with Tampa Bay (2017-20) and the Phillies (2021-25). He has 52 saves in 68 appearances and appeared in 21 postseason games over the last three seasons.

The Phillies made a roster move Tuesday, reinstating reliever Joe Ross from the injured list and optioning Seth Johnson to Triple-A.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Zilisch breaks collarbone in scary Victory Lane fall

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Zilisch breaks collarbone in scary Victory Lane fall

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. — NASCAR Xfinity Series points leader Connor Zilisch broke his collarbone after a hard fall in Victory Lane at Watkins Glen International.

After his series-leading sixth victory, Zilisch was climbing onto the roof of his No. 88 Chevrolet to celebrate. He slipped after apparently getting his left foot caught in the driver’s side window netting and tumbled awkwardly onto the asphalt.

Zilisch, 19, was taken on a backboard to the trackside medical center and then transported to a hospital for further evaluation. He posted on X about two hours later that he had a broken collarbone and that CT scans showed no head injury.

“Thank you everybody for reaching out today,” Zilisch posted. “I’m out of the hospital and getting better already. Thankful for all the medics for quick attention and grateful it wasn’t any worse.”

Zilisch will not be available for the Cup race Sunday at Watkins Glen. After racing in the Truck and Xfinity Series the past two days at the road course, he was scheduled to complete a tripleheader by making his fourth Cup start this season for Trackhouse Racing.

The scary incident capped an eventful day for Zilisch, who drives for Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s JR Motorsports team.

After starting from the pole position, Zilisch wrecked teammate Shane van Gisbergen’s car while battling for the lead on Lap 65. After being bumped from the lead to fifth on a restart, Zilisch retook first and led the final four laps.

“He did such a great job of getting back through the field and getting the lead,” crew chief Mardy Lindley told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio after the race. “Praying for Connor right now that he’s OK. I think he’s going to be fine.”

Zilisch missed a race earlier this season at Texas Motor Speedway after suffering a back injury during a crash at Talladega Superspeedway. He has 11 consecutive top-five finishes and five wins since his return.

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White Sox nail tribute to former owner Veeck

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White Sox nail tribute to former owner Veeck

CHICAGO –The White Sox threw a party that would have made Bill Veeck proud.

The club celebrated its quirky former owner with Bill Veeck Night on Saturday by bringing back some of the stunts, tricks and exhibitions that added to the lore of the legendary showman and Hall of Famer.

There was a pregame petting zoo and a roving circus with — what else? — a clown to entertain fans entering Rate Field. There was ice sculpting on the concourse in the outfield and a chance to get a photo taken with a 50-foot hot dog, along with an offer of free haircuts. The first 15,000 fans received a Veeck bobblehead, and postgame fireworks were planned.

Another highlight was what the team described as a “married in a minute” event, with two White Sox fans tying the knot in a 60-second ceremony officiated by 1983 American League Rookie of the Year Ron Kittle.

Veeck’s son, Mike, threw out the ceremonial first pitch before the White Sox took on the Cleveland Guardians.

The fun wasn’t limited to fans in the stands. White Sox players turned back the clock by wearing pinstriped shorts during pregame warmups and batting practice. The team wore those unusual shorts — along with collared uniform tops — for some games during the 1976 season.

Veeck was a two-time owner of the White Sox, first from 1959-61 and again from 1975-81. His tenure was marked by memorable and forgettable stunts to enhance the fans’ game-day experience through entertainment.

His stunts included an exploding scoreboard in 1960 and a disastrous disco demolition night in 1979, when a crate of disco records was blown up between games of a doubleheader. The playing surface at Comiskey Field was so damaged by the blast and fans who rushed the field after the stunt that Chicago was forced to forfeit the second game to Detroit.

Another of his famous acts was signing 3-foot-7 Eddie Gaedel to be a pinch hitter in 1951, when Veeck owned the St. Louis Browns. Gaedel, who had a miniscule strike zone, walked on four pitches.

Veeck died in 1986 at 71 and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1991.

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Athletics put P Severino on IL with oblique strain

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Athletics put P Severino on IL with oblique strain

Right-hander Luis Severino, who recently has pitched like the high-priced free agent the Athletics signed in the offseason, was placed on the 15-day injured list Saturday because of a left oblique strain.

The move is retroactive to Wednesday.

The A’s called up left-hander Hogan Harris from Triple-A Las Vegas in a corresponding transaction.

Severino signed a $67 million, three-year contract in December with the A’s, but he can opt out after next season. It was largest-ever contract for the typically low-spending A’s, though they since made other similar deals with Brent Rooker ( $60 million over five years ) and Lawrence Butler ( $65.5 million over seven years ) in anticipation of their scheduled move to Las Vegas in 2028.

Unless he agrees to an extension, the 31-year-old Severino likely won’t be part of those plans.

He started slow this season, but in his past five starts went 4-1 with a 2.93 ERA and 30 strikeouts over 27 2/3 innings. That improved his record to 6-11 with a 4.82 ERA.

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