CHECK HIM

The Chicago Cubs might have further word on Yu Darvish after the Japanese ace said he felt soreness in his troubled triceps tendon following a minor league rehab start. Darvish hasn’t pitched in the majors since May 20 because of right triceps tendinitis. He threw five sharp innings for Class A South Bend on Monday [url=http://www.giantsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-saquon-barkley-jersey]Authentic Saquon Barkley Jersey[/url] , and was set to rejoin the Cubs during their series at Dodger Stadium.

”In the triceps there’s likeliness to get more fatigue there, especially if there’s a long gap between innings,” he said through a translator. ”That’s when I feel fatigue there. Not necessarily pain, but I can’t for sure say there is nothing going on in the tricep zone.”

NIMMO NEEDED

The Mets take a seven-game skid into their game against Pittsburgh, but at least they may get their most productive hitter back. Brandon Nimmo has a sore right pinkie after getting hit by a pitch Sunday, but an MRI showed no broken bones and he is day to day. He didn’t start Monday but entered as a pinch-runner in the eighth inning and stayed in the game to play left field. The Mets have also lost 14 of 15 at home and are 13-25 at Citi Field this season.

ACES ALONG I-95

Aces Luis Severino and Jake Arrieta square off as the Yankees continue a series in Philadelphia. Severino (11-2, 2.24) has never faced the Phillies, and Arrieta (5-5, 3.42) is 3-1, 3.83 in seven career starts vs. New York. The Yankees won the series opener Monday in their first appearance at Citizens Bank Park since beating the Phillies in the 2009 World Series. The Yankees improved to 14-14 against the Phillies, leaving the Los Angeles Dodgers as the only team they have a losing record (6-7) against in the regular season.

ON THE SKIDS

Carlos Martinez has lost three straight decisions entering a tough test against Corey Kluber and the Indians. Martinez (3-4, 3.24) hasn’t won since May 2, and St. Louis has dropped his past five starts [url=http://www.thebengalsfootballauthentic.com/billy-price-jersey-authentic]Youth Billy Price Jersey[/url] , a span in which he has a 7.06 ERA. Kluber (11-3, 2.10) pitched seven innings of one-hit ball in a 12-0 victory over the White Sox in his previous outing.

COLLEGES

Oregon State and Arkansas begin the College World Series, a day after the opener in their best-of-three matchup was rained out in Omaha. Luke Heimlich (16-2) starts for Oregon State against the Razorbacks’ Blaine Knight (13-0).

A two-time Pac-12 pitcher of the year, Heimlich was not picked in this month’s Major League Baseball draft. He wasn’t with the team at last year’s College World Series after it was revealed he had pleaded guilty to molesting a young relative when he was 15. He served two years’ probation and went through a treatment program, but later denied wrongdoing in interviews with Sports Illustrated and The New York Times.

Drop into just about any bank or supermarket or sports bar in the Kansas City metro area these days and there’s a good chance you’ll see one of several photographs from just a few years ago hanging on a wall.

It might be Yordano Ventura unleashing a fastball. Or Eric Hosmer sliding into home at Citi Field in New York. Or Wade Davis with his arms thrust high into the air, his blazing fastball having just closed out Game 5 of the World Series and making the Kansas City Royals the world champions.

More than likely, you’ll find the now-iconic photograph of Union Station, where an estimated 400,000 people turned out to celebrate the club’s first title in three decades.

Those photos are reminders of better times. And how quickly things can change.

The Royals, who were indeed baseball royalty in 2015, are now neck and neck with the Orioles for the worst record in baseball. They’ve traded off their star closer, their best players are struggling and the prospects that might one day raise them from the abyss are years away from joining the club.

”The record is what it is. The hitting is what it is. The pitching is what it is,” said Royals manager Ned Yost [url=http://www.officialredwings.com/authentic-adidas-henrik-zetterberg-jersey]Womens Henrik Zetterberg Jersey[/url] , who presided over the rebuild that led to back-to-back World Series appearances. ”I have to continue to lead. We have to make sure this year has not been a waste.”

How did things fall apart so quickly?

To start, the Royals doled out big contracts to players that have not produced. Left fielder Alex Gordon consumes 14 percent of the payroll in the third year of a $72 million, four-year deal, but he’s hitting just .247 with five homers and 15 RBIs. Right-hander Ian Kennedy consumes 11 percent of the payroll in the third year of a $70 million, five-year deal, and he’s 1-8 with a 5.11 ERA.

The few stars that remain on the roster have likewise struggled to produce.

Salvador Perez likely will see his streak of five straight All-Star games end. The catcher, in the third year of a $52 million, six-year deal, is hitting .255 with 11 homers and 33 RBIs.

Good luck winning many games that way.

The Royals were 25-61 heading into their off day Thursday and had lost 24 of their last 28 games. They needed to go 38-38 the rest of the way just to avoid the ignominy of 100 losses.

Making things worse: The Royals are losing that many games with a payroll of about $144 million.

Another reason for the precipitous slide was year after year of poor drafts. Only one of their 13 first-round picks since 2010 is currently on the 25-man roster; Hunter Dozier is hitting .223 in 44 games as he struggles to lock down an everyday job.

”As a young guy you know you’re going to fail, and in some ways we want you to fail because that’s how you’re going to get better,” said Yost, who is going through the same slow learning process with infielder and erstwhile top prospect Adalberto Mondesi.

The son of longtime big leaguer Raul Mondesi, he is hitting .214 in 42 at-bats this season.

”We also don’t want to heap too much on their shoulders [url=http://www.officialducks.com/authentic-adidas-john-gibson-jersey]John Gibson Jersey[/url] ,” Yost said, ”so it’s balancing act.”

Maybe that’s why the Royals have been slow to gut their roster in favor of a complete rebuild, even if that appears to be coming. They’ve already traded utility outfielder Jon Jay to the Diamondbacks and star closer Kelvin Herrera to the Nationals, getting five prospects in return that the Royals hope will help restock a farm system that remains one of the worst in baseball.

More moves could be coming, too. The Royals are hopeful of trading third baseman Mike Moustakas, who signed a one-year deal when no long-term offers materialized last offseason. Versatile infielder Whit Merrifield could land a few solid prospects, and left-hander Danny Duffy and even Perez could be made available, though both have torpedoed their value with poor seasons.

The combination of an old and bad team has been made even worse by the fact that the Royals are, well, pretty boring. They don’t hit an abundance of homers. Their starting rotation includes the first two pitchers to hit 10 losses in the majors. There are no young stars yet worth watching.

As a result, the Royals are drawing an average of 20,283 fans to Kauffman Stadium. That’s a drop of more than 7,000 from last season and more than 13 [url=http://www.officialducks.com/authentic-adidas-josh-manson-jersey]Authentic Josh Manson Jersey[/url] ,000 from their championship season.

Still, for all the gloom, the typically irascible Yost has taken a decidedly optimistic approach to this season. He’s been through these long and painful rebuilds and come out the other side.

It takes patience. It takes smart moves. It takes more patience.

”There’s a lot of things to look at that you’re happy with, even though the record is what it is,” he said. ”There is progress that you’re going to see on the back end, in the light, just as we did in 2013 and 2014, when we turned the corner the last time.”

—

Markakis hit a grand slam [url=http://www.officialavalanche.com/authentic-adidas-gabriel-landeskog-jersey]Gabriel Landeskog Jersey Kids[/url] , Fried took a shutout into the seventh inning and Atlanta beat the St. Louis Cardinals 11-4 on Saturday night.

”You’ve got to give all the credit to Max,” Markakis said. ”He went out and pitched one of the better games I’ve seen. For him, two runs early on was enough for him. It was nice to get some runs and give him a nice cushion there.”

The Braves have won the first two games of the three-game set. The Cardinals have dropped three in a row.

Fried (1-2) stymied the Cardinals on 101 pitches before being pulled with two outs in the seventh. Recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett to start the game, he struck out 11, allowed four singles and walked three.

”My curveball was definitely on tonight,” said Fried, who also recorded his first major league hit with a single in the fifth. ”I was able to throw it for strikes, put it in the dirt when I wanted to. The big thing for me was getting the fastball over. I felt like I was able to get strike one pretty good. That was my main goal.”

Luke Weaver (4-7) went 4 2/3 innings, giving up 10 runs on eight hits, walking two and striking out five. He gave up homers to Markakis in his final inning and a two-run shot to Ronald Acuna Jr. in the second.

”At the end of the day, I was just done on a couple big swings,” Weaver said. ”I thought I threw some pitches in good spots, but it’s got to be executed a little bit better and you’ve just got to flush these types of days.”

The Braves sent 11 players to the plate in the six-run fifth. After Ozzie Albies doubled in Fried, the Cardinals intentionally walked Freddie Freeman to face Markakis. The right fielder hit his ninth homer of the season and fourth career grand slam off a 3-2 pitch.

”To be honest with you, I was just looking to hit something into the outfield and get a run in, and I ended up one of the better at-bats in the season,” Markakis said. ”I looked back at the video and (the pitch) wasn’t exactly where he wanted it, but he threw it somewhere close to the zone and I put a good swing on it.”

He added a sacrifice fly in the sixth to bring in Albies, finishing with five RBI on the day.

Albies went 3 for 5 and has a 10-game hit streak, batting .467 (21 for 47) during that span.

The Cardinals scored all of their runs in the ninth off Matt Wisler, including a leadoff home run from Jose Martinez.

LONGEVITY

Cardinals C Yadier Molina played in his 1,800th game, joining Hall of Famers Stan Musial [url=http://www.officialducks.com/authentic-adidas-jakob-silfverberg-jersey]Jakob Silfverberg Jersey[/url] , Lou Brock, Ozzie Smith and Enos Slaughter as Cardinals to play in at least that many. Molina entered the majors in 2004 and has spent his entire career with St. Louis. He ranks 12th among active players in games played.

MOVES

To make room for Fried, the Braves designated OF Peter Bourjos for assignment. Bourjos, in his first year with the Braves, was batting .205 in 36 games. He also played for St. Louis in 2014 and 2015.

TRAINING ROOM

Braves: RHP Arodys Vizcaino (shoulder inflammation) is expected to come off the 10-day DL on Monday. The Braves closer threw a side session Saturday and is on target for his return to the team. … C Tyler Flowers, who left Friday’s game with a right hamstring cramp after flying out to end the sixth inning, didn’t start Saturday. The Braves said it was part of the regular rotation between Flowers and C Kurt Suzuki. The two have alternated starts for the past 16 games.

Cardinals: RHP Luke Gregerson (right shoulder impingement) is scheduled to begin a rehab stint at Triple A Memphis on Sunday. He has yet to appear with the minor league club since going on the 10-day DL on May 16.

UP NEXT

Braves: RHP Mike Foltynewicz (5-4, 2.14) goes for his first win in a month. After tossing a 4-0 shutout against the Washington Nationals on June 1, he went 0-1 in his final three starts of the month. He failed to get past the fifth in any his final three June outings.

Cardinals: RHP John Gant (2-2, 3.48) is coming off his best start of the season, giving up one hit over seven innings as St. Louis beat the Cleveland Indians 4-0 on Monday. This is his first appearance against his former club since a 2016 trade that saw the Cardinals send starting pitcher Jaime Garcia to the Braves in exchange for three minor leaguers, including Gant.

—

Baltimore Ravens linebacker C.J. Mosley has no problem discussing the gut-wrenching way his season ended.

He’s talked about it with family and friends for nearly a month and openly shared his thoughts with fellow Pro Bowl players this week.

At breakfast. In the locker room. On the practice field.

He’s also gotten plenty of sympathetic support.

After all, the New Orleans Saints, Minnesota Vikings and Jacksonville Jaguars know exactly how Mosley feels.

Players from all those teams are still trying to deal with the way they exited the postseason.

”You talk about it because that’s the life of the NFL,” Mosley said Thursday. ”You fight and fight, and it always comes down to the last two minutes or the last play of the game.”

The Pro Bowl has become a gathering spot for the brokenhearted, a place to laugh, smile and joke through lingering disappointment.

”When it’s the last game of the season, it definitely sticks with you a lot longer,” Mosley said. ”It was tough, but you’ve got to live and learn from it. It just builds calluses, as Coach (John) Harbaugh says, and you try to redeem yourself next season.”

The Ravens looked as if they were headed to the playoffs in the final minute of the final game of the regular season. But Baltimore gave up a crushing [url=http://www.newyorkgiantsteamonline.com/saquon-barkley-jersey]Authentic Saquon Barkley Jersey[/url] , 49-yard touchdown pass with 44 seconds remaining and lost 31-27 loss to Cincinnati. The outcome put Buffalo in the playoffs for the first time since the 1999 season.

”I know they helped us out, but to have pretty much a home playoff game and lose to a team that’s not having a good year, that’s difficult,” Bills guard Richie Incognito said.

Incognito and other Pro Bowlers felt as if Baltimore’s stunning setback took a backseat to others in the playoffs.

New Orleans was poised to beat Minnesota in an NFC divisional game until Case Keenum completed a last-ditch heave to Stefon Diggs, who turned it into a 61-yard touchdown reception that gave the Vikings a 29-24 victory. Rookie safety Marcus Williams whiffed trying to tackle Diggs near the sideline.

”That’s tough to go and do that,” Incognito said. ”You’re in and out of it in a game like New Orleans-Minnesota and then you lose it on the last play. That’s just demoralizing. That’s going to be in that kid’s head forever.”

It dominated conversation in Minnesota for a week – until the Vikings got thumped at Philadelphia while trying to become the first team in NFL history to make the Super Bowl in its home stadium.

”That’s why you keep doing things like this, try to enjoy the moment, live in the moment and actually try to get that game off your mind,” Vikings cornerback Xavier Rhodes said.

”I can’t tell you how long it’s going to take, but it’ll take very long if people keep asking me questions about the game. But eventually it’ll pass.

”We’ve got to look forward to next year and hopefully we’ll go to the Super Bowl.”

Tampa Bay defensive tackle Gerald McCoy said Minnesota’s loss was the toughest to watch in the postseason.

”You have that miracle catch and that happens in the NFC title game,” McCoy said. ”That hurts. I think they just couldn’t get over the fact of how they won and it just didn’t carry over to the next game.”

Jacksonville will carry its collapse into next season, too.

The Jaguars had a 10-point lead at New England in the fourth quarter in the AFC title game. Tom Brady and the defending Super Bowl champs were so desperate to get back in the game that they turned to trick plays.

”You’ve got the champs on the ropes, everything’s flowing, you feel like you’re going to win the game, you’re out-physically them and then Tom Brady takes over,” Incognito said.

Incognito and several Jaguars defenders talked about the loss during breakfast this week, with Incognito identifying the session as ”telling war stories about Tommy.”

All of them – the Jaguars, the Vikings, the Saints and the Ravens – could take solace in knowing it could be worse. The Atlanta Falcons blew a 28-3 lead to the Patriots in the Super Bowl last February.

”It’s takes a while,” Falcons safety Keanu Neal said. ”You’ve got to forget, just get right. It takes a second. It’s going to hurt because the opportunity was there, but time heals everything.”

—

Bills center Eric Wood’s plans to announce his retirement on Monday were sidetracked due to issues arising over what he is owed over the final two years of his contract [url=http://www.oaklandraidersteamonline.com/ryan-switzer-jersey]Authentic Ryan Switzer Jersey[/url] , a person with direct knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press.

Instead of announcing his retirement in front of a large gathering of family, friends and teammates, the nine-year veteran instead spent less than two minutes reading from a prepared statement in which Wood stressed he is still on the team’s roster.

”Thanks to everyone who supported me throughout my career. And because of that, I am here today,” Wood said. ”I’m sure there are a lot of unanswered questions. I hope to address those at a later date. Thanks, and go Bills.”

With that, Wood stepped down from the stage, picked up and kissed his daughter, Grace [url=http://www.newenglandpatriotsteamonline.com/adrian-clayborn-jersey]Authentic Adrian Clayborn Jersey[/url] , and walked away behind a curtain.

Wood will never play again after tests revealed he has two discs he said are ”dangerously close to my spinal cord.”

According to the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement, teams can ask for a portion of bonus money to be returned if a player retires before his contract expires. There is, however, a gray area if a player retires as a result of a career-ending injury.

The person said the question over bonus money was the reason Wood held off on announcing his retirement as had been initially planned shortly after the player learned of his diagnosis following Buffalo’s 10-3 loss to Jacksonville in the AFC wild card playoff on Jan. 7.

The person spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity because neither Wood nor the team commented on the matter that delayed the start of the news conference by nearly an hour.

Wood has been informed by doctors that the injury is so severe he would no longer be cleared to play – even with surgery or further treatment.

Bills general manager Brandon Beane declined to get into specifics when speaking with reporters. He said the lengthy delay in starting the news conference was the result of Wood’s late arrival and also due to a phone call the player had with his agent.

Beane acknowledged a complication by saying the team has no room under the current salary cap to release Wood until the NFL’s 2018 business year opens in mid-March.

”It’s tough. There’s all sorts of things when you’re doing roster management and all that,” he said. ”He’ll be on our roster for a while until we figure things out.”

Wood was entering the final year of his contract before signing a two-year extension in August. He has shied away from using the word retirement since news of his neck injury first surfaced Friday.

In a separate development, the Bills announced defensive line coach Mike Waufle has retired after completing his 20th NFL season and first in Buffalo.

The Bills filled Waufle’s spot by promoting defensive line assistant Bill Teerlinck. They also hired Aaron Whitecotton to take over as Teerlinck’s assistant.

Rather than focus on Wood’s uncertain status, Beane was more interested in discussing the impact the 31-year-old had as a team leader and helping the Bills reach the playoffs for the first time in 18 years.

”This is Eric’s day. It’s about him and a heck of a career he had,” Beane said. ”It’s bittersweet, but we’re just trying to celebrate his career.”

The news conference was held in the Bills’ practice facility rather than the team’s smaller media room to handle a crowd of about 100 people – not including members of the media – attending the event. Guests included Wood’s former teammates such as quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick [url=http://www.greenbaypackersteamonline.com/kenny-clark-jersey]Kenny Clark Jersey[/url] , and current Bills, including defensive tackle Kyle Williams and running back LeSean McCoy.

Also on hand were members of his charitable foundation, The Eric Wood Fund, as well family members of people his foundation has supported.

Wood opened the news conference by apologizing for the delay. He said was ”floored” when informed of the severity of his neck injury.

Wood said he sustained ”a stinger” for the first time in his career during a 20-16 loss at Cincinnati on Oct. 8, and then a second one the following game. He said tests showed no significant damage.

Wood is from Cincinnati and spent four seasons playing at Louisville before being selected by the Bills with their second of two first-round picks in the 2009 draft. Wood earned a starting job entering his rookie season and appeared in 121 career games, including one in the playoff.

Wood was also popular in the community for his charitable work, and was the team’s Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee in 2015 and `16.

Bills fans rallied to Wood’s support by donating more than $30,000 to Wood’s foundation, with the money going toward Buffalo’s Oishei Children’s Hospital.

—

AP NFL website:

TORONTO — Toronto Blue Jays left-hander J.A. Happ will take the mound against Luis Severino on Saturday in a repeat of the Opening Day matchup won by the New York Yankees.

With the July 31 deadline for trades without waivers looking [url=http://www.greenbaypackersteamonline.com/mason-crosby-jersey]Mason Crosby Jersey[/url] , Happ is considered a prime candidate to be dealt and the Yankees would be one of the interested teams, according to speculation.

The possibility of Severino (13-2, 1.98 ERA) and Happ (10-4, 4.03) soon becoming teammates adds another intriguing dimension to their matchup in the second game of a three-game series at the Rogers Centre.

The Blue Jays started the series with a 6-2 victory Friday night with Justin Smoak capping a five-run second inning with a three-run homer.

The Yankees (56-29) are 7-4 against the Blue Jays (41-46) in the season series so far, including a 4-3 record at the Rogers Centre as they complete their third and final series of the season there this weekend.

The win Friday ended the Blue Jays’ four-game losing streak against the Yankees.

Severino is an obvious choice for the All-Star Game to be played at Washington’s Nationals Park on July 17.

Happ is one of the few Blue Jays with a legitimate chance to go to the game.

Severino will be a leading candidate to win the American League Cy Young Award if he continues his current pace. He leads the majors in wins and is second in ERA.

The 24-year-old enters Saturday with a scoreless streak of 13 2/3 innings. He has allowed three runs or fewer in 15 straight starts, the longest such streak by a Yankees pitcher since Ron Guidry had a 15-game streak April 8-June 22, 1978. The only longer streak by a Yankee is 20 set by Russ Ford during the 1910 and 1911 seasons.

“I always feel great when Sevy’s on the mound,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “The record in a lot of ways speaks for itself. The ability to get deep into games. He’s been really good against the elite competition, it seems like [url=http://www.seattleseahawksteamonline.com/rasheem-green-jersey]Authentic Rasheem Green Jersey[/url] , as well.

“He’s putting himself in that conversation as one of the best in the game. There’s no doubt about it.”

Severino is 2-3 with a 4.12 ERA in nine career games (eight starts) against the Blue Jays and 2-0 with a 0.71 ERA in two starts against them this season. In five career starts at the Rogers Centre, he is 1-1 with a 2.81 ERA.

Happ had his worst start of the season Sunday when he allowed seven runs and 10 hits in 5 2/3 innings in a 9-1 loss to the Detroit Tigers.

He did not allow a run until the fifth when Nicholas Castellanos did most of the damage with a grand slam.

“I felt like I was a pitch away from getting out of it,” Happ said after the game. “Again, I look at the hard-hit balls and there was two or three today. I didn’t feel like I was in the middle of the zone getting hurt today, but it is what it is. It’s not a pretty outing.”

His only start against the Yankees this season was a loss on Opening Day, March 29, when he allowed three runs (two earned) in 4 2/3 innings as Severino picked up the win. In 17 career starts against the Yankees, he is 8-3 with a 3.53 ERA.

The Yankees have lost five of their past seven road games and are 23-16 in away games this season. They are 7-8 when visiting American League East cities this season.

The Blue Jays are 13-20 against AL East teams. They are 4-3 on their homestand and are 23-22 at home for the season.