NEW YORK — Former All-Star catcher Gary Sánchez is back in the major leagues, this time with the Mets.
Sánchez, who spent the first seven seasons of his career with the Yankees, joined the Mets on Friday when his contract was selected from Triple-A Syracuse.
“It feels good to be back here in New York after all those years I was with the Yankees,” Sánchez said through an interpreter.
Sánchez, 30, hit .308 with one home run, five RBIs, nine walks and 10 strikeouts in eight games at Syracuse. His deal calls for a $1.5 million salary while in the major leagues.
“Good teammate, really got after it there,” Mets manager Buck Showalter said.
Unsigned during the offseason, Sánchez agreed to a minor league contract with the San Francisco Giants on April 1, a deal that called for a $4 million salary if he was added to the 40-man roster. Sánchez hit .164 (9-for-55) with zero home runs, eight RBIs, one double, 11 walks and 19 strikeouts in 55 at-bats at Triple-A Sacramento. He had a May 1 opt-out provision, was released the following day and signed a minor league contract with the Mets on May 9.
“We’re very respectful of what the Yankees and Minnesota and San Francisco have tried to do,” Showalter said. “They also didn’t have room for him. So we’ll see. We made room, and we’re going to take a look at it.”
Sánchez joins what could become a crowded depth chart. Omar Narváez, signed as a free agent by the Mets to a two-year, $15 million contract, hasn’t played since April 5 because of a strained left calf.
Entering Friday, Tomás Nido and rookie Francisco Álvarez have combined to hit .165 with four home runs and 10 RBIs. Nido batted .118 (6-for-51) with one RBI but hasn’t played since May 5 because of dry-eye syndrome. Álvarez was in Friday’s lineup against the Cleveland Guardians, hitting a solo home run as part of his two-hit night.
Nido started a minor league injury rehabilitation assignment Friday at Class A St. Lucie, going 1 for 3. Michael Pérez, who went 4-for-7 in a pair of games, was optioned to Syracuse to make room for Sánchez.
“I hope we are here shortly with four healthy catchers — five, counting Michael,” Showalter said. “I wouldn’t [say it’s] a tryout or audition. He’s got a chance to play in the big leagues when it looked like it might not happen for him again. I think he understands that that opportunity [is] one he needs to take advantage of. I think that’s something that’s positive that we have going for us with this. The challenge for me now is to get him some opportunities to do that.”
Sánchez made the All-Star Game in 2017 and 2019 during a seven-year stint with the Yankees. He hit .299 with 20 homers in 2016 and .278 with 33 homers and 90 RBIs in 2017.
He batted .186 in 2018 and .147 in 49 games in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. He improved in 2021 to .204 with 23 homers and 54 RBIs.
New York traded Sánchez to Minnesota in March 2022 with Gio Urshela for Josh Donaldson, Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Ben Rortvedt. Sánchez hit .205 with 16 homers and 61 RBIs in 128 games for the Twins last year while making 80 starts at catcher.
“As long as you’re healthy and as long as you have the opportunity to play baseball, you can do a lot of good things,” Sánchez said.
The Mets opened a spot on their 40-man roster by returning outfielder Tim Locastro from his rehab assignment and transferring him to the 60-day injured list because of a sprained right thumb.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
CHICAGO — Kyle Tucker had the fans on their feet, roaring and pumping their fists as he rounded the bases after hitting the go-ahead two-run homer in the eighth inning. His screaming line drive cleared the right-field wall with plenty of room to spare.
The Chicago Cubs went from giving up 10 runs in the eighth to scoring six in the bottom half and beating the Arizona Diamondbacks 13-11 on Friday in one of the wildest games on record.
The two teams combined for 21 runs in the seventh and eighth innings, with the Cubs scoring 11 runs and the D-backs plating 10. It was the first nine-inning game in MLB history in which both teams scored 10 or more runs from the seventh inning on, and the third game overall, according to ESPN Research.
“That’s kind of baseball,” Tucker said. “There’s a lot of ups and downs in this game, especially with how many games we play.”
There haven’t been many games like this, though.
The Cubs are just the seventh team in at least the past 125 seasons to allow 10 or more runs in an inning and win. They are also the fifth team to give up 10 or more runs and score six or more in the same inning.
The 16 combined runs in the eighth were the most in an inning at Wrigley Field, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
“If you’ve seen that one, you’ve been around for a while,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said with a laugh. “It was crazy. You know, we gave up 10 runs in an inning and we won. So it was a wild game, but we kept going, and, you know, there’s 27 outs in a game and this kind of proves it, and you’re just happy to get out with a win.”
On a warm day with the ball carrying, Carson Kelly homered twice. Ian Happ belted a grand slam and Seiya Suzuki went deep, helping the Cubs open a weekend series on a winning note.
“You’ve seen it early — having some tough losses, coming back winning the next day,” Happ said. “Losing the first game of the series, winning the series. Little things like that. Today’s a great example of professional hitters going out there and continuing to have really good at-bats.”
The way things transpired in the final two innings was something to see.
Kelly hit a two-run homer in the second against Corbin Burnes, and Happ came through with his grand slam against Ryne Nelson as part of a five-run seventh. But just when it looked as if the Cubs were in control with a 7-1 lead, things took a wild turn in the eighth.
The crowd of more than 39,000 let the Cubs hear it, but their team regrouped in the bottom half. Bryce Jarvis hit Nico Hoerner leading off and walked Pete Crow-Armstrong before Kelly drove a three-run homer to center. Tucker, the Cubs’ prized offseason addition, came through after Happ singled with one out. Suzuki followed with his drive against Joe Mantiply to give the Cubs a 13-11 lead.
Arizona, which had won five straight, became just the third team over the past 50 seasons to lose a game in which it had a 10-run inning at any point, according to ESPN Research.
“You just got to stay locked in,” Kelly said. “Obviously, you don’t want to … give up 10 in an inning. Obviously, you don’t want to do that. I think the biggest thing is coming back, regrouping and continuing to fight.”
Major League Baseball suspended New York Yankees infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. for one game and fined him an undisclosed amount, the result of his actions during Thursday night’s win against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Chisholm was ejected in the seventh inning by plate umpire John Bacon for arguing after a called third strike on a full-count pitch from Mason Montgomery that appeared low.
Minutes later, he posted on his X account, “Not even f—ing close!!!!!” then deleted the post.
“I didn’t think before I had anything that I said was ejectable but after probably,” Chisholm said after the game. “I’m a competitor, so when I go out there and I feel like I’m right and you’re saying something to me that I think doesn’t make sense, I’m going to get fired up and be upset.
“I lost my emotions. I lost my cool. I got to be better than that. … I’m definitely mad at myself for losing my cool.”
Michael Hill, the league’s senior vice president for on-field operations, said Friday’s discipline was for Chisholm’s “conduct, including his violation of Major League Baseball’s Social Media Policy for Major League Players.”
MLB regulations ban the use of electronic devices during games. The social media policy prohibits “displaying or transmitting content that questions the impartiality of or otherwise denigrates a major league umpire.”
Chisholm did appeal the decision, allowing him to play in Friday night’s 1-0 win against the Rays. He started at second base and went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
Manager Dave Roberts said before the Dodgers’ series opener Friday night against the Rangers that Ohtani was with his wife and going on MLB’s paternity list.
“He and Mamiko are expecting at some point. That’s all I know,” Roberts said. “I don’t know when he’s going to come back and I don’t know when they’re going to have the baby, but obviously they’re together in anticipation.”
The 30-year-old Ohtani posted on his Instagram account in late December that he and his 28-year-old wife, a former professional basketball player from his native Japan, were expecting a baby in 2025.
“Can’t wait for the little rookie to join our family soon!” said the Dec. 28 post that included a photo showing the couple’s beloved dog, Decoy, as well as a pink ruffled onesie along with baby shoes and a sonogram that was covered by a baby emoji.
Ohtani can miss up to three games while on paternity leave. The Dodgers have a three-game series in Texas before an off day Monday, then play the Cubs in Chicago on Tuesday.