Baseball

TOKYO (AP) — It's only two games to start the Major League Baseball season — the World Series-champion Dodgers against the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday and Wednesday at the Tokyo Dome. For the record, the MLB regular season consists of almost 2,500 games.

TOKYO (AP) — The spotlight will be on slugger Shohei Ohtani this week when the superstar returns to Japan and leads the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers against the Chicago Cubs in the first two games of the Major League Baseball s

SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) — Texas Rangers left-hander Cody Bradford will start the season on the injured list because of soreness in his throwing elbow.

NEW YORK (AP) — The 143 free agents who have signed, with name, position, former club if different, and contract. The contract information was obtained by The Associated Press from player and management sources.

NEW YORK (AP) — The 31 remaining free agents: AMERICAN LEAGUE BALTIMORE (1) — James McCann. BOSTON (1) —James Paxton, lhp. CHICAGO (1) — Dominic Leone, rhp. KANSAS CITY (2) — Robbie Grossman, of; Will Smith, lhp.

DUNEDIN — Daulton Varsho hit a two-run homer to power the Toronto Blue Jays to a 6-4 win over the Baltimore Orioles in pre-season play Thursday at TD Ballpark.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — The Tampa Bay Rays withdrew Thursday from a $1.3 billion project to construct a new ballpark adjacent to Tropicana Field, citing a hurricane and delays that likely drove up the proposal's cost.

FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — The Boston Red Sox will open the season with three starting pitchers on the injured list after right-hander Lucas Giolito strained his left hamstring.

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (AP) — New York Mets All-Star infielder Jeff McNeil will open the season on the injured list because of a strained right oblique.

JUPITER, Fla. (AP) — Right-handed reliever Phil Maton and the St. Louis Cardinals agreed Thursday to a $2 million, one-year contract. Maton was traded from Tampa Bay to the Mets on July 9 and finished 3-3 with a 3.