Baseball

Travis Kelce might be a future Hall of Famer on the gridiron, but he's apparently not much of one on the baseball diamond ... 'cause he just threw out the first pitch at the Guardians game -- and it was terrible.

The Kansas City Chiefs star was tapped by his home state squad to perform the ceremonial throw at Cleveland's home-opener against the Mariners ... and there were some big expectations for the toss.

After all, Kelce's one of the best NFL players on the planet ... and he was a H.S. baseball star who some thought could have had an MLB future if he stuck with the sport.

But, Kelce was anything but great on the bump Friday ... hurling the baseball straight into the ground.

The throw was so bad, Shane Bieber -- who was playing catcher -- couldn't even snag it ... and it rolled all the way to the backstop!!

Kelce was pretty embarrassed -- he raced after the pitch immediately after throwing it ... but ultimately stopped to have a laugh with Bieber over it all.

It didn't take long for Kelce's quarterback to get wind of the comically bad throw -- with Patrick Mahomes clowning him over it on Twitter.

Fernando Tatis Jr.'s first homer of 2023 didn't go as well as he would have liked ... he was booed as he rounded the bases -- and then the pitcher who served it up straight up called him a "cheater."

The San Diego Padres star hit the dinger on Wednesday night while down in the minor leagues as he continues to serve his 80-game ban for his positive PED test last season.

The 24-year-old, playing for the El Paso Chihuahuas against the Sacramento River Cats, smacked the baseball deep over the left field wall ... and seemed rather impressed by the tater.

He watched it fly -- then skipped around the bases ... but there weren't many outside of him at the Northern California ballpark who were thrilled to see it.

Check out video of the blast -- he was booed loudly as he came home ... and then following the game, the S.F. Giants prospect who threw the pitch took to social media to rip the guy.

"**cheater hits a homerun on a rehab assignment during a steroid suspension**," the pitcher, Kade McClure, wrote.

McClure -- a 27-year-old righty who was picked in the sixth round of the 2017 MLB draft -- didn't back down from the comment ... later appearing to prod Padres fans who were in his mentions.

Amazing news ... White Sox star pitcher Liam Hendriks has just finished his cancer treatments -- and to celebrate, he rang the victory bell!!

The Chicago closer shared video of the momentous occasion on his social media page on Wednesday afternoon ... and it's awesome.

You can see the three-time All-Star rang the bell with glee ... after he finished up a grueling five months of treatment following his non-Hodgkin's lymphoma diagnosis.

"You never think you will be the one who hears 'you have cancer' but there I was... in shock and fear not knowing what comes next," the 34-year-old said in a caption on the video.

"These past 5 months have been both the quickest and slowest of my life. Being able to ring this victory bell has been one of the most emotional things I've ever done."

Hendriks said he needed treatment every 28 days since January to try to eradicate the disease ... and he thanked his wife, Kristi, for being at his side at "every single appointment."

"You held my hand every step of the way," he wrote in a message to her. "You were my voice of confidence and always made sure I felt loved and safe throughout it all. I love you."

Hendriks also thanked his fans for their support on his journey as well.

"Thank you from the bottom of my heart.💚," he said.

Horrifying moment in the Orioles vs. Rangers game Monday night ... Texas outfielder Josh Smith was drilled in the face by an 89-MPH pitch -- and the damage was so bad, he had to be taken to the hospital to get checked out.

The scary scene unfolded in the third inning of the MLB contest at Globe Life Field in Texas ... when a sinker got away from O's pitcher Danny Coulombe -- and made a beeline right for Smith's face.

Video shows the 25-year-old utility man couldn't get out of the way fast enough ... and was tagged right near the mouth by the baseball.

He immediately crumpled to the ground in pain ... as trainers raced out to tend to him.

Thankfully, he was able to walk off the field under his own power ... and he was ultimately transported to a local hospital for further evaluation.

According to Rangers manager Bruce Bochy, tests fortunately came back "clean."

"So, we got good news there," Bochy told reporters after the game. "He's feeling better as I'm speaking right now. And, tomorrow we'll just reevaluate him and see where we're at."

This is the second time in the last few weeks a batter has been hit in the face by a pitch -- last month, Red Sox star Justin Turner required 16 stitches to close wounds he suffered in a terrifying at-bat. He's since returned to Boston's lineup.

Los Angeles Angels star Anthony Rendon was just punished for his heated altercation with a fan last week ... getting slapped with a 5-game ban and a fine.

Major League Baseball senior VP for on-field operations Michael Hill shared the decision minutes ago ... saying unless Rendon appeals, the suspension will begin immediately, which means he would be eligible to return to the Angels on Sunday against the Blue Jays.

As we previously reported, Rendon grabbed an Athletics fan and attempted to hit him after the Halos' 2-1 loss in Oakland ... seemingly over being called a "bitch."

The interaction caught Oakland PD's attention ... and an investigation was launched.

"Although we are still unaware who the victim is, surveillance video of the incident has surfaced," cops said in a statement. "As a result, OPD created an incident, made a report, and is actively investigating."

Bad news for the dude who stormed the field at Dodger Stadium to propose to his girlfriend last week ... TMZ Sports has learned he's been hit with a 1-year ban for the stunt.

Ricardo Juarez revealed the punishment to us on Monday -- saying he can't go back to Chavez Ravine for 12 more months due to his impromptu proposal -- but, as you can imagine, he wasn't all that upset over it.

After all, he avoided time in jail ... and his girlfriend, Ramona Saavedra, did say yes to his question.

"Yeah, one year," Saavedra said of her future hubby's suspension. "But, I mean, he'll live, right?!"

Things did look a bit dire for Juarez hours after the dust had settled on the situation, though -- because the morning after he took that massive shot from the security guard, he was in a great deal of pain.

Saavedra said she actually had to take him to the hospital -- but, thankfully, he was diagnosed with nothing more than just some bad bruising and is OK now.

Juarez also revealed to us the whole thing was not planned at all -- saying he had initially envisioned poppin' the question in the stands ... but changed his mind when he saw how close they were to the field.

"He always tries to do everything with a lot of love," Saavedra said. "He shows a lot of effort."

The couple -- who've been together for 3 years -- is now planning to say "I do" in August ... and, due to all the exposure the proposal got last week, Saavedra said they've been receiving a ton of offers to help make their dream wedding come true.

She also gave us an up-close view of her diamond ring -- and it's beautiful!

Congrats, love birds ... now see ya at Dodger Stadium in April 2024?!

John Smoltz is all in on the MLB's new rule changes ... telling TMZ Sports he thinks they're going to have a huge, positive impact on the game.

"With the rule changes to get the game action-packed again," the Braves legend said, "I think it's going to be phenomenal."

The league introduced a slew of new regulations for 2023 ... putting a timer on pitchers and hitters, making bases bigger and banning teams from implementing defensive shifts in their infields.

They've only been in place for two days (outside of spring training) ... but Smoltz is already loving what he's seeing.

In fact, the 55-year-old ex-Atlanta closer says he wishes there was a pitch clock back in his day!!

"Everything about what's gone on, and what is going on, is going to be, at the end of the day, people are going to look back and go, 'What an exciting year,'" the Hall of Famer said.

Smoltz also sent a message to the baseball purists who have been upset with the changes -- explaining they're really no different than the implementation of shot clocks in the NBA and play clocks in the NFL.

Angels star Anthony Rendon -- a former World Series champion -- was involved in a heated confrontation with an A's supporter following L.A.'s loss on Thursday ... one where he grabbed the fan and then attempted to take a swipe at the guy's face.

The altercation happened just seconds after the Halos lost at RingCentral Coliseum in Oakland, 2-1 -- when Rendon believed a fan had called him "a bitch" near their dugout.

The L.A. third baseman was so upset over it, he locked his hand around the guy's tee, and pulled him down to the railing.

Video shows Rendon said to the man, while still grabbing his shirt, "You called me a bitch, huh?"

When the guy responded that he did not, the baseball player added, "Yeah, you did. Yeah, you did. Yeah, motherf*****."

Rendon then let go of the man, but made a clear attempt to hit the guy in the face after he released the shirt.

Fortunately, the man pulled away before Rendon could make contact.

The 32-year-old MLB star then said, "Get your bitch-ass out of here" -- before he headed into the locker room without further incident.

It's not known if the Angels are aware of the tiff -- the team told us on Friday morning it had no comment.

The Oakland Police Dept., meanwhile, said Friday it is not investigating the matter ... explaining in a statement, "No victim(s) reached out to the Oakland Police Department regarding this incident."

It's been a frustrating few seasons for Rendon since he left the Washington Nationals in 2019 and inked a seven-year, $245 million contract with L.A. ... as he's battled multiple injuries, which have limited him to just 158 games over the past four years.

Move over, Pete Davidson ... there's a new hunk on Martha Stewart's radar -- New York Yankees superstar Aaron Judge!!

The 81-year-old businesswoman had an up close look at her new crush at the Bronx Bombers' Opening Day game at Yankee Stadium on Thursday ... and she wasn't shy about liking what she saw after Judge hit a dinger in his first trip to the plate.

"No 99 just paid off a fraction of his massive contract," Stewart said on Instagram alongside a pic she shot of the Yankees captain. "Home run on first time at bat opening day!!! Handsome dude!!"

Martha has been pretty open about her feelings toward celebs lately -- remember, she said on "The Drew Barrymore Show" she'd be down to go on a date with Davidson after things with Kim Kardashian fell apart.

Unfortunately for Martha, Aaron's already spoken for -- he's been married to Samantha Bracksieck since 2021 -- but, hey, she can always enjoy the view from her front-row seat!!

Mark Wahlberg is diving head-first into his Houston Astros fandom ... going as far as to say he'd donate one of his thumbs to help superstar Jose Altuve get back from his injury!!

The 51-year-old actor is usually a Boston Red Sox fan, but has been supporting the 'Stros due to their ability to wreck the New York Yankees lately. Mark has been welcomed to the H-Town fanbase with open arms ... and even gave the ceremonial "Play Ball!!!" call at Thursday's Opening Day game against the Chicago White Sox.

Before his big moment, Mark raved about Altuve's teammate, Alex Bregman ... calling him a good friend and his "favorite Yankee killer of all time."

"I am an Astros fan," he added. "Listen, I live in Nevada now, I'm a fan of real talent. And, you know what, they have an amazing team, and he has amazing talent, but he's also an amazing person, so I'm a big fan of his, especially."

As for Altuve -- who is out indefinitely after breaking his thumb playing for Venezuela during the World Baseball Classic -- Wahlberg says he's willing to help out.

"I am also willing to donate either one of my thumbs to Jose Altuve, for sure," Wahlberg told reporters. “So we’re all good. I’m a big fan."

Mark wasn't the only celeb in town for the big game -- Megan Thee Stallion also came through to throw the first pitch!!

As for the game, the Astros lost to the White Sox, 3-2.

An L.A. Dodger fan pulled out all the stops to ask his partner to marry him on Thursday -- running onto the field during the middle of a game to pop the question -- but it might have cost him a few hours in jail ... and perhaps even a night in the hospital.

The wild scene unfolded at Dodger Stadium late in L.A.'s contest against the Arizona Diamondbacks -- when a Mookie Betts supporter hopped the centerfield wall and trotted to the outfield grass.

Video shot by a fan in the stands showed after the man made it to within feet of a D-Backs player, he stopped, got down on one knee, turned to the centerfield seats and pulled out a ring.

But, as he was asking his beau to be his forever lover -- a security guard was having none of it ... and blindsided the dude with a form tackle.

You can see in footage from the scene, the collision was so violent, even Diamondbacks outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. couldn't help but wince.

Two other security guards raced in and piled on the fan ... before he was ushered off the field.

No word yet if he was arrested -- or if he suffered any injuries.

It's also unclear if he left the stadium officially an engaged man ... but after all that trouble, she better have said yes, right?!

Rockies star Daniel Bard will open the season on the injured list ... after he said he's been dealing with anxiety following his struggles at the World Baseball Classic.

The Colorado closer was placed on the 15-day IL on Thursday just before his team's game against the San Diego Padres ... and he explained it's all because he's been having mental health issues in March.

Bard didn't say when exactly they started -- but he had trouble all month long finding the strike zone ... particularly in the WBC against Venezuela, when he broke Jose Altuve's thumb with a wild pitch.

Things didn't get much better for Bard when he returned to spring training ... and now, he said he's planning to use his time on the injured list to get mentally right.

He told reporters Thursday that it all was "a hard thing to admit," but he said the Rockies are supporting him.

Bard has dealt with mental health issues in the past -- he was away from the Majors from 2013 to 2020 while battling the yips on the mound -- but he got through them and became a star for the Rockies the past two seasons ... logging 54 saves.

Adam Wainwright proved he has both a golden arm AND golden pipes on Thursday ... the Cardinals star pitcher sang the National Anthem for his team's Opening Day ceremonies -- and crushed it!!

St. Louis tapped the injured right-hander for the awesome honor just before the Redbirds took on the Blue Jays at Busch Stadium ... and check out video of his performance -- he proved he can saaaang!!!

The 41-year-old seemed very comfortable on the mic ... hitting every note as the crowd in the stands went wild.

It was a cool moment for the pitcher, who announced last year that this will be his last season wearing a Cardinals uniform.

Also, if you think this was a fluke ... don't -- Wainwright showed at his Big League charity event earlier this year he truly has vocals!

A brand new season of Major League Baseball is here ... and players are kicking off the new season in style -- rockin' some wild fits for Opening Day!!

Down in Miami, Marlins centerfielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. held nothing back for his team's Thursday matinee against the Mets ... sporting some loud, orange camo pants. His teammate, Luis Arraez, went with a more muted look, wearing a simple, button-down shirt.

In the opposing locker room, New York star Pete Alonso brought out a pair of flashy pants of his own -- while making sure his belt buckle -- and his mustache!! -- were the stars of his 'fit.

Blue Jays pitcher Alek Manoah, meanwhile, broke out a classic Sandlot jersey for Toronto's opener ... one that featured all of the guys from the iconic movie, including Hamilton "The Babe" Porter. Manoah was also dripped out in some dark shades and a maple leaf chain.

In the Bronx, San Francisco Giants closer Camilo Doval made The Big Apple look like The Wild West ... arriving with a huge cowboy hat on his head. Giants pitcher Logan Webb chose to pay homage to Dennis Rodman with his attire.

Other players opted for a more laid-back approach to the season opener -- with Tigers stars Javier Báez and Eduardo Rodriguez wearing some casual shirts and jeans.

Forget the AL record ... Aaron Judge is now on pace to break the single-season MLB home run mark too -- after he blasted a dinger in his first at-bat on the Yankees' Opening Day Thursday!!

Judge just hit the tater off of SF Giants star Logan Webb -- smashing a baseball 422 feet over the centerfield wall at Yankee Stadium.

The pitch was just the second one Judge had seen all day -- and he was clearly thrilled with how far he sent it ... rounding the bases with a smile on his face.

When he got back to the dugout -- the party was on ... as all of his NY teammates mobbed him!!

Of course, we saw this a helluva lot last season -- Judge hit 62 bombs in 2022, breaking Roger Maris' American League record.

Some, though, wondered if he could keep it up in '23, as the pressure of signing a 9-year, $360 MILLION contract ain't exactly easy to deal with.

But, seems the 30-year-old ain't fazed one bit by the newfound pact with the Yankees -- which also included naming him team captain -- and 74 home runs suddenly appear obtainable.

Young Metro Boomin is fired up to play ball -- he's partnered with MLB Network to be its voice of Opening Day!!!

The diamond-selling superproducer dropped off a video Thursday morning ... detailing the grueling 162-game regular season with shots of MLB stars like the NY Mets' Justin Verlander, NY Yankees' Aaron Judge, Los Angeles Angels' Shohei Ohtani, Miami Marlins' Jazz Chisholm Jr. and more.

Metro's airtime makes good use of his hit songs "On Time" and "Trance" from his Billboard chart-topping "Heroes & Villains" album ... and also doesn't shy away from his allegiance to his hometown St. Louis Cardinals, rocking their ballcap in a recording studio.

MLB Network tells TMZ it's "thrilled to partner with Metro Boomin for Opening Day, and we’ll continue to explore opportunities to work with him throughout the season."

“You can’t beat this time of year," Metro quips in the vid. "Everybody’s staring at 162. 162 chances to make that beautiful music you can’t get anywhere else. Play ball.”