Baseball

It's been smooth sailing for the Dodgers on the field in the second half of the MLB season, but off the field, two of the team's biggest stars have had a much tougher time, having to deal with some scary break-ins at their homes.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ Sports ... at least two burglars got into Max Muncy's L.A.-area residence last week. And, about a month prior, Freddie Freeman's place was hit too.

In the Muncy case, authorities tell us the infielder was with his family on the way home from a game at Dodger Stadium earlier this month when his alarm company alerted him that thieves had broken into his place. We're told they were seen on video ransacking the unit -- but they took off before cops arrived.

It's unclear what was taken.

Back in July, law enforcement sources tell us a similar incident happened at Freeman's L.A.-area pad ... though it's not yet known if the two burglaries were related.

We're told cops are investigating both matters -- and are actively trying to see if the burglars were targeting athletes, or if they were simply just random break-ins.

Baseball prodigy Paul Skenes says the rumors are true -- he is, in fact, dating LSU star gymnast Olivia Dunne ... and now, he's calling on all their fans to stop bugging her at his games.

The Pirates draftee opened up on his relationship with the social media superstar in an interview with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette this week ... saying they both bonded over being so popular that going out in public is a real "pain in the butt."

"If one of us went out in Baton Rouge by ourselves, there’s probably gonna be someone there asking for something -- picture, autograph, whatever," Skenes told the outlet.

As we previously reported, there was a ton of speculation surrounding the couple recently ... especially after Livvy started popping up at his games.

Her appearance at Skenes' Single-A debut in Bradenton on Tuesday resulted in so much commotion, she had to move from her seat behind home plate to the broadcast booth just so she could get some peace.

Skenes -- the top pick in the 2023 MLB Draft -- said despite being able to relate to each other on the hype surrounding them, he wishes people would leave her alone at the ballpark.

"I do wish she could come to a baseball game and just enjoy it," he added. "It does irk me. I don’t have any control over it. She really doesn’t either. I’m sure it’ll get better as I go up levels, but that’s something I want for her."

As for how they met, Skenes said it was a "small-world type of thing" -- his best friend was dating Dunne's roommate and fellow LSU gymnast, Elena Arenas.

All of the professional sports teams in Los Angeles have come together to help those affected by the wildfires in Hawaii ... pooling up $450,000 to send to the Red Cross to support the victims.

The Lakers announced the generous donation Thursday morning ... saying they and the other teams in the City of Angels wanted to do what they could to make sure Hawaiians are getting aid during their time of need.

In addition to the Lakers -- who had previously held their training camps in Hawaii for more than two decades -- the Clippers, Angels, Angel City Football Club, Chargers, Dodgers, Anaheim Ducks, L.A. Galaxy, LAFC, Kings, Rams and Sparks all contributed.

"Despite California and Hawaii being separated by more than 2,000 miles," the Lakers said in a statement, "the two states are very connected with a robust Hawaiian community calling Southern California home."

More in the sports world have also recently pitched in, including Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, whose been consistently speaking with organizations in Hawaii with the hopes of getting people to donate to the Hawaii Community Foundation Maui Fund.

Legendary surfer Kelly Slater told us last week he and the surfing community also plan on helping out by sending money and supplies.

Ex-NFL star Doug Flutie stepped outta retirement to suit up for a Savannah Bananas baseball game on Wednesday ... and if you're a fan of shenanigans, this is the clip for you.

Of course, the Georgia-based exhibition team is known for wacky antics and entertaining contests ... and on Wednesday, the squad enlisted the former Heisman winner during its stop in Brockton, Massachusetts.

Flutie fit right in during his appearance ... entering the game by flailing around a box of his signature cereal, Flutie Flakes, and gathering his teammates together for a huddle and lining them up in formation on the mound before throwing a deep pass into the outfield.

The older fans in attendance loved the cameo ... but it wasn't the only one of the night -- ex-MLB star Johnny Damon also threw on an all-yellow jersey to try to help get the Nanners a win.

Painful night at the ballpark for Lars Nootbaar ... the St. Louis Cardinals star foul-tipped a ball so hard into his man region -- he had to leave the game.

The incident happened in the fifth inning of the Red Birds' Wednesday night tilt with the Oakland A's ... when Nootbaar was trying to send a changeup over the outfield wall.

Instead, however, his bat barely got a piece of the baseball as it crossed the dish ... and it, unfortunately, bounced off the ground and ricocheted right into his junk.

At first, the game's announcers believed it had smacked off one of his shins -- but when the replays showed it went directly into his family jewels ... they knew exactly what was going down.

Nootbaar, meanwhile, was in a world of pain ... he writhed on the ground for several moments -- before he somehow got up. He would go on to strike out during the at-bat ... and then leave the game to get all checked out.

It's unclear exactly how the guy is now doing ... the Cards only said afterward he was removed "due to a lower abdomen contusion."

To add insult to injury, Nootbaar's Cardinals lost 8-0.

Terrifying moment for Christian Vazquez during the Twins game Wednesday ... he was struck in the helmet by a foul ball while he was standing in the on-deck circle -- but somehow, he ended up being OK.

The crazy scene happened just minutes ago while Donovan Solano was up to bat against Tigers pitcher Reese Olson.

The Minnesota first baseman took a big hack on a slider, but he just missed barreling it up -- and the ball went foul ... making a beeline right for Vazquez's head.

The baseball ended up clanking off the Twins' catcher's helmet with force -- though, miraculously, Vazquez emerged unscathed.

You can see in a replay from the game's broadcast, the ball just barely caught the brim of Vazquez's helmet ... saving him from a potentially gnarly injury.

Vazquez would go on to fly out to right field ... a frustrating result no doubt made much easier to swallow given how bad things could have been just seconds prior.

The rumored romance between Olivia Dunne and Paul Skenes appears to be very real ... 'cause the star gymnast attended the pitcher's important minor league game Tuesday night -- and she couldn't have seemed more smitten.

Skenes made his much-anticipated Single-A debut for the Bradenton Marauders -- just over a month after the Pittsburgh Pirates took him with the No. 1 overall pick in the MLB draft -- and Dunne had maybe the best seat in the house for the contest.

Livvy -- who's dropped hints she's been dating Skenes for the last few weeks through posts on her social media pages -- was in a box seat ... and looked as happy as ever to be there.

And, Skenes certainly didn't disappoint her or the thousands of other Pirates fans who were tuned into the action ... he looked brilliant in his one inning of work, striking out two -- while hitting 100 MPH on the radar gun.

Dunne, meanwhile, was seen cheesin' after nearly every pitch.

It's the second time the 6-foot-6 righty has taken the mound since he was drafted ... he also threw an inning for the Rookie-level Florida Coast League Pirates last week -- and impressed there too.

As for his relationship with Dunne ... the two met at LSU -- and while neither has publicly confirmed they're an item, Livvy has made it clear through her attendance at Tigers games this past season and through her new Pirates attire that there's at least something going on between the athletes.

Quavo's swinging for the fences with his new album ... using the Atlanta Braves' stadium as his stage to give ATL a taste of the project!!!

The Atlanta rapper hyped the crowd inside Truist Park ahead of the Braves vs. Yankees game with his unreleased single "Who Wit Me?" ... a chant he got the crowd repeating on command.

The track will appear on Quavo's "Rocket Power" album that drops Friday -- the title being a nod to his late nephew Takeoff, who Quavo also honored by wearing the commemorative merchandise he recently launched to celebrate Takeoff's birthday.

This may be one of the greatest catches you'll ever see in a baseball game -- albeit, totally unnecessary -- but still, amazing!

It all went down during the Savannah Bananas -- an exhibition baseball team known for their crazy and fun on-field antics -- world tour in Hartford, CT on Monday night.

The Bananas were taking on the Party Animals, who were at the plate in the 2nd inning. With the count 3 and 1, an Animals player hit a routine pop-up to center field.

But, the catch was anything but routine.

Centerfielder DR Meadows settled under the ball, but instead of simply making the easy out, Meadows busted out a backflip that'd make Simone Biles blush, catching the ball in the same motion, landing with the ball in his glove.

The Savanah Bananas are the most fun team in baseball ... and the catch is just the latest example. There was the bat on fire. Or, the hit by pitch. The in-field dance routine, and the list goes on and on.

Bunk beds at the Little League World Series are out for good ... the tandem sleeping units will be permanently removed from the prestigious event going forward after a player was seriously injured in one of them last year.

Little League officials said in a statement to the Associated Press on Monday ... the decision was made after Easton Oliverson suffered a fractured skull and brain bleed while falling from a top bunk inside the LLWS' dormitory complex in Williamsport, Penn. in 2022.

"Out of an abundance of caution," the officials said, "we placed all beds individually on the floor during last year’s World Series, and in preparation for the 2023 Little League International Tournament, Little League decided to provide its participants with single, one-level beds for all of their player housing at each of its tournament locations, including those in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, where the dormitories can accommodate all 14 single beds."

This year's version of the event is slated to begin later this week.

As we previously reported, Oliverson nearly died following a fall at last year's LLWS ... with his family saying the 12-year-old tumbled from a top bunk to the floor while he was asleep.

Oliverson was rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery ... but, thankfully, he survived.

The player's family went on to sue Little League Baseball over the fall, alleging the beds were not safe. Little League officials never publicly commented on the allegations in the suit.

Wander Franco will not play baseball for the Rays while MLB investigates a claim made on social media that he had an inappropriate relationship with a minor.

"The Tampa Bay Rays and Wander Franco have mutually agreed that he will go on the Restricted List and take leave from the Club for the duration of the current road trip," the team announced in a statement Monday morning.

A player on the Restricted List is still part of the team, but is not eligible to play.

Major League Baseball has launched an investigation into Rays star Wander Franco ... after social media posts emerged over the weekend that allegedly showed him in an inappropriate relationship with a minor.

Franco did not play during Tampa Bay's game on Sunday as the posts on X went viral. Fans at Tropicana Field 14 and younger had received Wander Franco Snapback Hats as part of the pregame promotion.

His coach, Kevin Cash, said the afternoon off was simply a routine rest day for the shortstop -- though the manager told reporters he "was aware of the speculation" surrounding the 22-year-old.

The Rays, meanwhile, said in a statement they're taking the allegations against Franco "seriously."

"During today’s game, we were made aware of the social media posts that are circulating regarding Wander Franco," the org. said. "We take the situation seriously and are in close contact with Major League Baseball as it conducts its due diligence."

Franco was in the team's dugout during its 9-2 loss to the Guardians ... though he left in the fifth inning. According to ESPN's Jeff Passan, he did not get on the team plane as the squad headed to San Francisco on Sunday evening for its upcoming series with the Giants. Passan added Franco could be placed on the restricted list as the probe continues.

Franco is considered one of baseball's brightest young players -- he signed an 11-year, $182 million deal with Tampa in 2021 ... and made his first-ever All-Star team this season.

It's been five years since Derek Jeter booted the infamous home run sculpture from LoanDepot Park in Miami ... but the man who initially put it in the stadium is still apparently bitter as hell over The Captain's decision -- blasting the Hall of Famer over it in a recent interview.

Jeffrey Loria -- the former Marlins honcho who sold Jeets the team in 2017 -- unloaded on DJ for the decision to remove the centerfield sculpture while speaking with the Miami Herald ... accusing the Hall of Famer of "destroying public art."

"Jeter came in and destroyed the ballpark,” Loria said ... before adding that removing the piece "was a horrible thing to do."

Loria put the 7-story, $2.5 million sculpture in the arena in 2012. It featured fish, flamingos and water ... and it lit up every time the Marlins blasted homers.

Jeter, though, hated it -- only saying of it after he purchased the team in 2017, "It's big. Yeah. It's big. It's big." Several months later, he was able to get out of the park -- relocating it to a plaza outside of the venue.

Loria is still clearly pissed over that choice ... saying he actually tried to get it back from Jeter -- though his attempts were ultimately unsuccessful.

"Now it will rot outside where it is," Loria said, "condemned to neglect and outdoor decay."

Loria also expressed disdain for Jeter over the way he made other changes to the park -- such as covering up colorful tiles and doing away with behind-the-plate fish tanks.

There's more ... the 82-year-old also blasted Jeter for some of the roster moves he made -- while also accusing him of firing a longtime scout while the man was in the hospital recovering from colon cancer surgery.

NY Mets owner Steve Cohen's wife is showing out for her hubby's baseball team in a big way ... Alex Cohen was gifted an insane, iced-out, 14-karat white gold chain with 30 carats of diamonds, and we're told it's worth $65,000!

TMZ Sports has learned Alexandra -- who married Cohen in 1992 -- initially met celeb jeweler Will Selby at Citi Field while he was delivering a chain to an NBA star ... and that's when he began designing the piece.

"I was dropping off a piece for Donovan Mitchell and bumped into her at the owner's suite at The Mets game," Selby told us, "and the rest has been history."

The necklace features two Mets logos and the interlocking "NY
on the chain. Selby collabed with OMI Jewelry ... who helped put together the piece.

All told, the chain/pendants total 30 carats of VS1, F colored diamonds ... and it's Amazin'.

We're told the bling is worth $65k ... but the jewelry was a gift. Regardless, it's a drop in the bucket to Cohen, the richest owner in baseball, with a reported net worth of $16.5 billion (Forbes).

Fun fact, the two met on a dating service back in 1991. Coincidentally, Alex was a Mets fan before Steve even became the minority owner in 2012. Years later he purchased a majority of the team once it became available. Alex is currently the president of the Amazin’ Mets Foundation.

Cole Tucker made his first Big League start of the 2023 season on Wednesday and Vanessa Hudgens was there for every second of it ... fangirling out over every pitch her future hubby saw at the dish!!!

Tucker -- who the Rockies called up from the minor leagues on Monday -- made the start for Colorado in the outfield during their game against the Brewers in Milwaukee ... and Hudgens had some sweet seats for it.

The "High School Musical" star was right near the plate ... and when her 27-year-old fiancé came up to bat for the first time, she was smitten.

She got up out of her chair and pulled out her iPhone -- and even though Tucker grounded out to third during the at-bat, she clearly couldn't have cared less.

Tucker, though, ended up playing a solid game despite the first AB ... he went 1-for-4 and nearly scored a key run in the 10th inning of the Rockies' 7-6 loss.

It's safe to expect Hudgens will be in attendance for the rest of Tucker's games this week too ... Colorado's now off to Los Angeles -- a city the actress knows all too well -- for a series with the Dodgers until Sunday.

After that -- a wedding between the two shouldn't be too far away ... you'll recall, the couple got engaged in late 2022, so a ceremony's gotta be right around the corner after the MLB season ends.

Rough night at the minor league ballpark for Blue Jays pitcher Chad Green ... the reliever was drilled in the head by his own catcher's throw -- and he was in so much pain afterward, he had to leave the game.

The wild incident all went down while Green was making a rehab appearance for Toronto's triple-A affiliate, the Buffalo Bisons.

In the fifth inning of the tilt against the Worcester Red Sox, Green threw a heater for a ball ... but his catcher, Tyler Heineman, popped up immediately to try to gun down a runner who was trying to steal second base.

Unfortunately for Green, the baseball didn't make it to its intended target ... 'cause it struck the pitcher right in the back of the head.

Green was in obvious pain as the ball caromed off his dome and ricocheted several feet away ... and while he tried to shake it off, he eventually had to exit the contest.

No word on if Green -- who's been trying to make his way back to the Big Leagues after undergoing Tommy John surgery last season -- suffered any serious ailments from the play ... although he was able to walk off under his own power.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone absolutely lost it on an umpire during New York's game Monday night ... becoming so enraged, he actually mocked the guy in front of the entire stadium at home plate.

The wild scene all happened in the eighth inning ... as the Pinstripes were down 2-1 to the visiting Chicago White Sox.

Laz Diaz -- who's zone had been questioned by Yankees players and coaches throughout the evening -- called Anthony Volpe out on strikes ... and that's when Boone blew a gasket.

NY's bench boss initially began barking at Diaz from the dugout ... but he left to get into Diaz's face. The guys then traded words for several moments, before Boone went to the dish to embarrass the 60-year-old.

He drew a line in the dirt where he thought Bryan Shaw's last pitch went ... and then he mocked Diaz with an over-the-top punchout gesture.

Boone's tirade, though, didn't stop there ... 'cause he got in Diaz's face once more -- and appeared to tell him repeatedly, "You stink!"

Boone was given the boot ... and, mercifully, he went back to the clubhouse to let the game continue.