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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Juan Soto was back in the New York Yankees‘ lineup as the designated hitter against the Kansas City Royals on Monday night after missing a three-game series versus the Los Angeles Dodgers over the weekend because of left forearm inflammation.

Aaron Judge, who started the Yankees’ first 67 games, was given a night off from the starting lineup in the opener of the four-game set against the Royals.

Soto was in the No. 2 slot and slumping Anthony Rizzo was left out of the lineup for the second straight game. It’s the 15th start of Soto’s career at DH and the first instance this season.

Soto is batting .318 with 17 home runs, 53 RBIs and a 1.027 OPS. The 25-year-old outfielder, acquired in December from the San Diego Padres, can become a free agent after the World Series.

A scan Friday did not reveal any problems with his elbow, the Yankees said.

“We’ve just kind of been basing it on how he was coming in each day, where the improvements are, how he’s feeling — so hopefully, this will kind of get him in and get him back in the outfield, hopefully, in this series,” Aaron Boone said.

The Yankees manager said the overnight arrival after a Sunday night game in the Bronx against the Dodgers factored in the decision not to start Soto in the outfield.

“I want to make sure he gets out and playing again, full throwing, and just kind of a way of easing him in,” Boone said.

Judge, the Yankees captain, is batting .305 with an MLB-leading 24 homers, 59 RBIs and a big-league-leading 1.139 OPS. He was named American League Player of the Week earlier Monday.

“Obviously, he’s playing out of this world,” Boone said, “but having played every day, getting to this time of year, you’re a little bit beat up too, so I think it’s important to give him — especially getting in at 3 in the morning — this was kind of one I had marked down.”

Rizzo, in a 1-for-29 slide this month, is hitting .224 with seven homers and 25 RBIs. Boone said the two days off were to provide a mental break in addition to time to work on hitting mechanics.

“Something I was kind of leaning toward going into yesterday,” Boone said of Rizzo’s consecutive nights off. “We’re going to circle up each night.”

Boone said Cy Young Award winner Gerrit Cole will make a third minor league injury rehabilitation start on Friday.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

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D-backs star Marte’s home robbed during break

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D-backs star Marte's home robbed during break

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — A home belonging to Arizona Diamondbacks star Ketel Marte was burglarized during the Major League Baseball All-Star break, according to police.

Scottsdale, Arizona, police confirmed that the department is investigating a “high-dollar residential burglary” that is believed to have happened on Tuesday night, which is when Marte was playing for the National League in its All-Star game win in Atlanta.

Numerous personal items and jewelry were stolen. No one was at home when the burglary occurred.

Police said the home is “reportedly” owned by Marte. Maricopa County Assessor’s Office records show Marte owns a home on the block near the investigation.

Police say the investigation is ongoing.

Marte hit a two-run double in the first inning of the NL’s win, which was secured after a home run contest at the end of the game after the score was tied after nine innings.

The burglary is the latest in a series of thefts from the homes of high-profile athletes across the country this year. Players have been targeted because of the high-end products believed to be in their homes and sometimes the thefts occur when they are away with their teams for road games.

The FBI has warned sports leagues about crime organizations targeting professional athletes. The NFL and NBA have issued security alerts to athletes.

A Seattle man was charged last month in connection with a string of burglaries at the homes of prominent active and retired professional athletes in the area.

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Cubs icon Sandberg ‘continuing to fight’ cancer

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Cubs icon Sandberg 'continuing to fight' cancer

Chicago Cubs legend Ryne Sandberg said Wednesday he is “continuing to fight” cancer and is prioritizing time with those closest to him.

He posted a letter addressed to his fans and extended baseball family on Instagram.

“I wanted to share an update regarding my health,” wrote Sandberg, 65. “It’s been a challenging few months as I have been going through treatment on a regular basis.

“While I am continuing to fight, I’m looking forward to making the most of every day with my loving family and friends.

“I haven’t been to Wrigley Field as much as I hoped in the first half but I’m watching every game and am excited for the second half.”

He threw out the first pitch, surrounded by fellow Cubs greats, before the home opener on April 4.

In January 2024, Sandberg announced he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer, then last August announced he was cancer-free. In December, he said the cancer had recurred and spread. He vowed to “continue to be positive, strong, and fight to beat this.”

Sandberg spent 15 of his 16 major league seasons with the Cubs, along with 13 games at the start of his career for the Philadelphia Phillies (1981).

Sandberg was the 1984 National League MVP, when he batted a career-high .314 with a major-league-leading 19 triples and 114 runs scored as well as 19 home runs, 84 RBIs and 32 stolen bases.

The second baseman also earned the second of his nine career Gold Glove awards that year. He was a 10-time All-Star selection and a seven-time Silver Slugger honoree, batting .285 with 282 home runs and 1,061 RBIs in his 2,164-game career.

Sandberg, who was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005, also spent parts of three seasons (2013-15) as the Phillies’ manager.

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Rangers give All-Star bonus to snubbed Eovaldi

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Rangers give All-Star bonus to snubbed Eovaldi

Despite an excellent first half to the season, Texas Rangers starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi wasn’t selected as an All-Star this year, but the team made sure that he’ll be paid like one.

Despite the snub, Eovaldi was given the $100,000 All-Star bonus in his contract by the Rangers after he posted a 1.58 ERA with 94 strikeouts over 91 innings. Teammate Jacob deGrom, who was selected as an All-Star, also received a $100,000 bonus.

Eovaldi, in his 15th major league season, would lead the majors in ERA, but after missing a month due to a triceps injury, he fell six innings short of the necessary 97 innings to qualify among leaders for individual statistical categories.

Eovaldi, a two-time All-Star, won his third straight game on Sunday to improve to 7-3, giving up five hits and a run with eight strikeouts in 7 2/3 innings against the Houston Astros.

The right-hander ranks second only to Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal among MLB starting pitchers in WHIP (0.85) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (6.71). Opposing batters are hitting a paltry .194 with a .237 on-base percentage, .286 slugging percentage and .523 OPS against Eovaldi.

Eovaldi is scheduled to make his first start of the second half at home on Sunday against Skubal and the Tigers at Globe Life Field.

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