John Smoltz and Al Leiter are not making in-studio appearances for MLB Network after refusing to get the coronavirus vaccine, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press on Wednesday because they aren’t at liberty to publicly discuss personnel matters.
The MLB Network’s policy making it mandatory for all employees to be vaccinated took effect Wednesday. Smoltz and Leiter will still do analysis for studio shows, but it will be remotely instead of from the network’s Secaucus, New Jersey, studio.
The New York Post was the first to report the story. MLB Network declined to comment in an email to the AP.
Smoltz, 54, is also the lead analyst on Fox’s coverage of the MLB, making the calls on the biggest games, including the World Series.
Leiter, 55, is also a Mets advisor.
Leiter has been a part of MLB Network since it went on the air in 2009. Smoltz joined MLB Network the following year and has been a part of Fox’s top MLB team since 2016.
DIAMONDBACKS: Blake Snell blew through seven no-hit innings, making things tough on the Arizona batters – and his own manager.
San Diego skipper Jayce Tingler pulled Snell after 107 pitches with a no-hitter in progress Tuesday night, and the Diamondbacks broke up the bid in the eighth during the Padres’ 3-0 victory.
“It’s not what you want to do,” Tingler said. “But I felt it was the right thing to do.”
Pinch-hitter David Peralta blooped a one-out single to shallow left field off reliever Pierce Johnson for the Diamondbacks’ first hit.
Snell was disappointed he didn’t finish the game, but didn’t blame his manager for cutting his solo no-hit bid short, especially with the Padres in the middle of an intense playoff race.
“There’s a lot of things I need to do better to allow myself the opportunity to get to the ninth and be able to finish it,” Snell said. “107 pitches through seven … it’s going to be pretty tough to say, ‘let’s go’ unless we’re at the end of the season and it’s all or nothing.”
Mark Melancon gave up two singles in the ninth before striking out Pavin Smith for his 36th save. The Padres were trying for the ninth no-hitter in the big leagues this season, which would have broken a record set in 1884, the first year overhand pitching was allowed.
Snell (7-5) struck out 10 and walked two but the pitches piled up. The performance came just six days after he threw a season-high 122 pitches against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Tingler’s decision was certainly understandable, but the sizable Padres crowd at Arizona’s Chase Field booed Tingler for the decision after Johnson came into the game and booed even more after Peralta’s single.
It’s the second time in less than a year that Snell has been pulled from the mound during a stellar outing. He was rolling in Game 6 of the World Series last season for the Tampa Bay Rays before Kevin Cash controversially made the decision to take him out of the game.
The Dodgers ended up rallying to win the game and the championship.
BRAVES: All-Star second baseman Ozzie Albies of the Atlanta Braves fouled a ball off his left knee in the fifth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers and had to be carried off the field Tuesday night.
The team said X-rays were negative. Albies was facing an 0-2 count against Walker Buehler when he suddenly went down, clutching his knee.
Manager Brian Snitker and a trainer came out to check on Albies, who stayed on the ground. Albies was carried back to the dugout when it became apparent he couldn’t put any weight on his leg. Albies is batting .260 for the NL East-leading Braves. He leads the National League in extra base hits with 63. He was hitless in his first two at-bats when he got hurt.
POSTPONED: The Philadelphia Phillies’ game at the Washington Nationals scheduled for Wednesday night was postponed because of rain as the remnants of Hurricane Ida passed through the Mid-Atlantic.
The game, the NL East rivals’ final meeting this year, will be made up Thursday at 1:05 p.m.
METS: The New York Mets say they are “surprised and deeply disappointed” to learn acting general manager Zack Scott was arrested on charges of driving while intoxicated.
Scott was arrested on a DUI charge around 4:15 a.m. Tuesday in suburban White Plains, New York. Police found him asleep at the wheel of his SUV at a traffic light and determined he was intoxicated, White Plains police Capt. James Spencer said. He said Scott refused a breathalyzer test.
Scott, 44, was booked and released and is due in court Thursday morning.
The Mets said Wednesday that Scott was at a fundraiser for the team’s Amazin’ Mets Foundation at owner Steve Cohen’s house in Connecticut on Monday night, which was also attended by players. Scott left when the event ended around 8:30 or 9 p.m.
“We were surprised and deeply disappointed to learn this morning about an alleged DUI involving Zack Scott,” the Mets said in a statement. “We take this matter very seriously. Zack will not be traveling with the team for our upcoming road trip while we learn more and determine next steps.”
Scott was hired as the Mets’ assistant general manager last offseason to work under close friend and former colleague Jared Porter. Scott was promoted to acting GM in January after Porter was fired following revelations that he sent sexually explicit text messages and images to a female reporter in 2016 while working for the Chicago Cubs.
MARINERS: The Seattle Mariners have promoted GM Jerry Dipoto to president of baseball operations and signed Manager Scott Servais to a multiyear contract extension, keeping the pair locked in to see oversee the completion of the franchise rebuild started three years ago.
Seattle has the longest postseason drought of any team in North American sports in the four major leagues, last reaching the postseason in 2001.
Dipoto, who also received a multiyear extension as part of his promotion, has rebuilt the Mariners farm system with a bevy of top prospects, some of which have become contributors this season.
NATIONALS: Vice President Bob Boone has informed the club he’s resigning rather than comply with the organization’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate, a person with knowledge of the situation said.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because nothing was announced by the team.
Boone, 73, has been with Washington since 2004 and moved into his role as VP and senior adviser to GM Mike Rizzo after the 2015 season. He was assistant GM and vice president of player development from 2006-2013.
The father of New York Yankees Manager Aaron Boone was a four-time All-Star catcher during his 19-year major league career. Bob Boone also managed the Kansas City Royals and Cincinnati Reds.
Washington won the World Series in 2019, the first championship in franchise history.
The Nationals said employees were notified of the policy Aug. 12 and had until Aug. 26 to provide proof of full vaccination or one dose or apply for an exemption.
TWINS: Right-hander Kenta Maeda had season-ending Tommy John surgery in Dallas, the team said.
The 33-year-old right-hander from Japan was placed on the 10-day injured list Aug. 24 with right forearm tightness. Texas Rangers orthopedic surgeon Keith Meister performed the surgery.
Meister added an internal brace to the arm, a recent development in the Tommy John technique that could help speed the rate of recovery, which is traditionally at least a year. The Twins hope Maeda could return in 9-to-12 months.
WEDNESDAY’S GAMES
YANKEES 4, ANGELS 1: Gerrit Cole racked up a season-high 15 strikeouts over seven excellent innings to earn his AL-leading 14th victory, and visiting New York snapped a four-game losing streak.
Aaron Judge hit his 30th homer and Luke Voit had a two-run single for the Yankees, who had won 13 straight before their skid.
CARDINALS, REDS SPLIT: Nick Castellanos drove in six runs with a grand slam and a two-run shot in the first two innings, and host Cincinnati beat St. Louis 12-2 to split a doubleheader.
Cincinnati rocked starter J.A. Happ (8-7) and regained a half-game lead over San Diego for second in the NL wild-card race. St. Louis slipped into a tie for fourth with Philadelphia.
Paul Goldschmidt gave St. Louis the lead with his second homer of the game as the Cardinals won the opener, 5-4. The Cardinals trailed 4-3 before Goldschmidt drove his third homer of the series into the last section of seats in deep right-center field with Tommy Edman on first base in the fourth.
ROCKIES 9, RANGERS 5: Brendan Rodgers’ two-run double put Colorado ahead during a five-run ninth inning, and the Rockies rallied from an early 5-0 deficit to beat host Texas.
DIAMONDBACKS 8, PADRES 3: Josh VanMeter homered in a six-run third inning as Arizona knocked out Yu Darvish on the way to a win at Phoenix.
Luke Weaver (3-3), making his first start in 3 1/2 months, took a shutout into the sixth inning. Pavin Smith and Ketel Marte had three hits apiece.
Arizona, which was held hitless for seven innings by Blake Snell on Tuesday, busted out with 13 hits to snap a five-game skid, prevent a series sweep and keep the Padres from gaining ground in the NL wild-card race.
MARINERS 1, ASTROS 0: Rookie right-hander Logan Gilbert and four relievers combined to shut out Houston for the second straight day and J.P. Crawford score the lone run on a sacrifice fly as Seattle won at home.
Seattle took 2 of 3 in the series from the AL West leaders, and if not for a late collapse in the opener, it may have come away with a sweep.
TIGERS 8, ATHLETICS 6: Miguel Cabrera hit a two-run homer, No. 502 of his career, and drove in the go-ahead run with a single in the seventh inning as host Detroit snapped a four-game skid.
Akil Baddoo and Harold Castro homered and drove in two runs apiece for Detroit, which had lost 12 straight at home to Oakland.
JAYS 5, ORIOLES 4: Randal Grichuk hit a tie-breaking sacrifice fly in the eighth inning as Toronto won at home.
Marcus Semien hit a solo home run and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. had two hits and two RBI to help the Blue Jays take 2 of 3 from the Orioles.
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