Boston Red Sox

Red Sox star Justin Turner just got drilled in the face by a pitch during a spring training game ... and the blow was so violent, it left him oozing blood at home plate.

The scary incident happened during Boston's exhibition tilt with the Tigers ... when Turner came up to bat with two runners on base in the bottom of the second inning.

Detroit right-hander Matt Manning threw a ball up and in ... and Turner couldn't get out of the way -- and it caught him flush in his face.

The former L.A. Dodgers third baseman immediately dropped to the ground in pain ... and video from the game's broadcast showed he was bleeding profusely from his face.

Red Sox trainers raced out to tend to him, covering his mouth with a towel before ushering him into the locker room.

The Sox -- who acquired Turner last December in free agency -- have yet to announce an update on the 38-year-old's status.

Get a *load* of this ... former Dodgers infielder Kiké Hernandez admitted he crapped on himself on the field during a 2020 playoff game!!

Hernandez's teammate, Justin Turner, who reunited with Kike in Boston with the Red Sox, asked KH for his most embarrassing moment during a Major League Baseball game, and he dropped a bombshell (yes, pun intended).

The Sox utility man told Turner he was taking antibiotics for a tooth infection a few years back, and one of the side effects of the medicine was ... you guessed it, diarrhea.

Kiké recalled the crappy incident, saying he was so pumped after the team got a big out in a pressure-packed situation in the National League Division Series (NLDS), he screamed, "F Yeah!"

"I was DHing and I thought I farted," Hernandez said to Turner. "I went out to lead off the inning. I struck out in three pitches."

He continued ... "When I went in the dugout, I went straight to the bathroom, pulled my pants down, completely sharted."

"So you're saying you misjudged a fart," Turner asked Hernandez. "Uh, no. What I'm saying is I s*** my pants during a game in the playoffs," Hernandez replied to Turner.

The adopted daughter of MLB Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley was arrested in New Hampshire for leaving her baby in freezing temps for over an hour after prematurely giving birth, TMZ has confirmed.

Alexandra Eckersley is facing serious charges ... endangering the welfare of a child, falsifying physical evidence, assault and reckless conduct. Eckersley was arraigned Tuesday and held on $3,000 bail.

Eckersley delivered her baby boy about 3 months early inside a tent in a wooded area of Manchester, NH ... according to NBC Boston. She reportedly was 4 to 5 months pregnant.

Eckersley called police to report she had just given birth, but she initially lied to officers as to the baby's whereabouts -- sending them on a wild goose chase. She was apparently embarrassed she was homeless and living in an encampment with her boyfriend.

As a result, the baby was left inside the tent for 73 minutes in 15-degree weather. Eckersley finally gave the right coordinates and cops found the infant alive, but struggling to breathe. EMS workers performed life-saving measures on the child and rushed him to a hospital, where he was intubated to assist his breathing.

Officials believe Eckersley was high on drugs at the time, although she denies it. When asked why she lied, Eckersley reportedly told cops, "What do they tell when a plane goes down? Save yourself first." Her boyfriend, who was with Eckersley when police first arrived, may also face charges.

The man accused of putting a bullet in David Ortiz's back during a 2019 assassination attempt was sentenced to 30 years in prison this week ... authorities announced Tuesday.

27-year-old Rolfi Ferreras Cruz, who allegedly shot the former Boston Red Sox star at a bar in the D.R. back in June '19, learned his fate at a hearing on Monday.

Nine others were also ordered to spend time behind bars due to their alleged roles in the shooting -- including 28-year-old Alberto Miguel Rodríguez Mota ... who prosecutors said "paid those who carried out the act."

Mota was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

But, the alleged mastermind behind the attack, Víctor Hugo Gómez Vásquez, was acquitted ... due to insufficient evidence.

As we reported, Ortiz was struck by gunfire while he was sitting with friends at the D.R. hotspot ... and was rushed to a nearby hospital.

Officials said his liver and his small and large intestines were damaged by the bullet -- and the former baseball player required multiple surgeries in the ensuing days to fix the issues.

The 47-year-old has since made a full recovery ... returning to his role as an MLB analyst for Fox -- while also making regular appearances at Red Sox games.

Authorities ultimately said they did not believe Big Papi was the intended target of the attack ... instead, revealing they believed a man named Sixto David Fernandez was the man the shooter wanted, allegedly because he'd once ratted out a drug runner to cops.

LeBron James has a new team -- the four-time NBA champ is the newest owner of a professional pickleball team ... and he's teaming up with a group of other hoops stars!

Major League Pickleball announced Wednesday an ownership group, LRMR ventures, led by LeBron James and business partner, Maverick Carter, had purchased a new squad.

Joining the four-time MVP in his latest business venture is his former teammate in Cleveland, Kevin Love, and his good friend and rival over the years, Warriors star Draymond Green.

As MLP expands, the list of high-profile names wanting to associate with the growing sport rises.

Retired NFL quarterback Drew Brees became the owner of the Mad Drops Pickleball Club in July ... joining Lakers co-owner Jim Buss who is a part of the ownership group.

James already has an ownership stake in Fenway Sports Group, the owner of the Boston Red Sox, Fenway Park, and Liverpool F.C., the English Premier League soccer team.

And now, James can add this latest acquisition to his impressive portfolio.

Chris Sale's awful season just got a whole lot worse ... the Boston Red Sox revealed on Tuesday he suffered a broken wrist in a bike accident over the weekend and is now done for the rest of the year.

Sale -- who was nursing a finger injury that he sustained after taking a line drive off his hand on July 17 -- had been riding his bike on Aug. 6 when the accident happened, according to the team.

The 33-year-old was diagnosed with a "right distal radius fracture" ... and the Sox said he had to undergo surgery on Monday in Massachusetts to fix the issue.

Sale will now miss the rest of the season, but Boston said it expects him to be ready for Spring Training next year.

This year is certainly one the lefty pitcher would love to forget -- after starting the season on the injured list with a ribcage injury, he had an infamous meltdown in a rehab assignment, and then broke his finger just a few days later.

A couple of Red Sox fans turned Fenway Park into their own Octagon during Monday night's game ... with two men getting into a violent altercation on the ground -- forcing security to get involved.

The incident went down as Boston hosted the Cleveland Guardians ... and it all seemingly got started over a beverage.

The person who posted the altercation claims the man in red spilled a drink on the fan in white ... which led to both guys duking it out on the stadium floor.

The fan in white throws several punches as the man in red holds him down on the concrete ... before two security guards intervene and diffuse the situation.

No word on whether the guys were arrested -- the video cuts off as the guards swoop in and hold them back.

One fan is heard yelling, "let's f***ing go, woo!!" as the altercation unfolds ... with others watching the action in the distance.

Red Sox star Chris Sale lost his mind following a rocky rehab start Wednesday night ... destroying items and completely trashing a runway in his team's dugout.

The meltdown was all captured on video following the ace's short outing with Boston's Triple-A affiliate, the Worcester Red Sox.

In the short clip, you can see the 33-year-old pitcher -- who was throwing for the WooSox in another effort to make it back to the Big Leagues from a rib injury -- ripping items off the wall and kicking them violently.

Sale was clearly pissed about his 3.2 innings pitched, which featured five walks, five strikeouts and one earned run given up.

According to Worcester Telegram reporter Joe McDonald, one of the items Sale wrecked was a TV ... though the reporter added it had already "been broken for over a month."

No word yet if Sale -- who's in the middle of a five-year, $145 million contract with the Red Sox -- has been asked to pay for repairs.

Despite the blowup, Sale did say after the game he was ready to return to Boston's Big League roster.

"I know today was a little bit of a hiccup but it's nothing that can't be ironed out," he told the Boston Globe. "I just want to be a part of it. I want to get back to doing my job and pulling my weight."

Sale -- who missed the end of the 2019 season and the 2020 season due to Tommy John surgery -- was expected to be a key contributor to the Sox this season before suffering his rib injury in February.

Awful news out of Red Sox nation ... Drago -- the German shepherd who became famous for roaming the field at Fenway Park over the past few years -- has died at 10 years old.

The pup's owner, Red Sox head groundskeeper Dave Mellor, mourned the passing in a message to the Associated Press this week.

"I was blessed he was in my life as he saved my life, changed my life, inspired me, and gave hope to my life in ways I hadn't had in decades and didn’t know were possible,” Mellor said. "I am absolutely heartbroken."

Mellor, a die-hard Red Sox fan and a former star high school pitching prospect, got Drago back in 2014 in order to help deal with the PTSD he was suffering from after he was involved in two horrific car crashes earlier in his life.

The two quickly became inseparable -- and Drago soon joined Mellor at his job tending to the grounds at Fenway Park, where the dog quickly became beloved by Red Sox players, staffers and fans.

Sadly, Drago suffered a stroke before Boston hosted the Oakland Athletics last week, and died two days later.

The Red Sox org. showed a heartfelt message on the video board at the ballpark last Friday when the team played the St. Louis Cardinals ... saying that Drago was a companion who provided countless memories over the years.

"We send love and support to his family, honor his service and recognize a life well-lived," the Sox's tribute read. "We will miss you, Drago.”

Steve Aoki might be able to throw a cake with pinpoint accuracy -- but he sure as hell can't do the same with a baseball, 'cause he absolutely airmailed the ceremonial first pitch at the Red Sox game on Monday night ... and it was truly awful.

The DJ took the mound just minutes before Boston faced off with the Astros at Fenway Park ... and, given the results of the pitch, he's honestly probably wishing he hadn't.

Aoki warmed up his left arm, toed the rubber -- and then heaved a ball that went roughly 20 feet over his catcher's head. It was actually so bad, it rolled over the net behind home plate and fell into the crowd.

Video shot by people in the stadium shows fans were laughing at the pitch -- because it was seriously just that bad.

To his credit, Aoki had fun with the moment ... tweeting after the heave, "i’m gonna stick to throwing cakes."

Of course, Aoki is far from the first celeb to embarrass himself on an MLB diamond ... you'll recall, 50 Cent is known for the worst ever, throwing one sideways in 2014.

And, it ain't like Dr. Fauci's toss in Washington was much better in 2020.

A Boston Red Sox prospect uncorked a haymaker on a pitcher after he was beaned during a game Thursday night ... and the punch was so violent, it ignited an all-out brawl on the field.

The wild scene went down during the Portland Sea Dogs' minor league baseball game against the Binghamton Rumble Ponies ... when Sea Dogs' first baseman and Sox prospect Tyreque Reed was drilled on the arm during the third inning.

You can see in footage of the play, following the hit-by-pitch, pitcher Marcel Renteria -- a New York Mets prospect -- appeared to say something to Reed that set him off.

Reed immediately charged at Renteria ... and then socked him in the face -- sending him crashing to the grass.

All hell broke loose following the punch, with players from both teams racing in to get in on the action.

At one point during the brawl, Renteria appeared to tackle another Sea Dogs player ... but once the fracas died down -- Renteria was clearly hurt.

It's unclear if Renteria suffered any serious injuries in the altercation -- but he was replaced by another pitcher. Reed, meanwhile, was ejected for his role in it all.

The game, thankfully, went off without another hitch following the brawl -- with the Sea Dogs coming out on top, 12-5.

Bill Belichick is just like everyone else in New England, mourning the death of Boston Red Sox legend, Jerry Remy ... who passed away after a year 13-year battle with cancer over the weekend.

The Patriots coach ended his weekly interview on WEEI ... memorializing the 68-year-old former player (infielder) and broadcaster of over 3 decades.

“Before we sign off, I just wanted to say to all of our fans out there, who are mostly Red Sox fans, how much we all are saddened by Jerry’s passing and how much he meant to all of us, the connection that he was to the Red Sox, his voice in the game and (how great) it was for the fans,” Belichick told the guys.

The 6x Super Bowl-winning head coach continues ... “He meant so much to Boston sports as a player and as an announcer, and his commentary of the game and insight into the game."

"We’ll all miss him. I know our fans are Jerry Remy and Red Sox fans, too, so our sympathy goes out to the Remy family. I just want to express my and all of our appreciation for all that he did to make Boston sports enjoyable and exciting for all of us. We’ll certainly miss him.”

The Red Sox also released a statement on Remy's death, with team owner John Henry saying ... "We are saddened by the loss of a beloved player, broadcaster, and 13-year cancer warrior."

Remy -- who played 7 seasons for the Sox as a 2nd baseman -- was inducted into the team's Hall of Fame in 2006.

Jerry -- who was born in Massachusetts -- was last seen at Fenway on October 5 for the Wild Card game against the New York Yankees. He threw out the first pitch to former teammate and broadcast partner, Dennis Eckersley.

This has gotta sting!!

Alex Rodriguez was just trying to talk some baseball during American League Championship Series coverage on Monday ... when Boston fans used it as an opportunity to ruthlessly troll the hell out of him about Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck.

A-Rod -- who's doing analysis for Fox's coverage of the postseason -- was hit with verbal jabs before and after the Red Sox beat the Astros ... with fans in the crowd chanting 'J Lo' and 'Aff-leck' and even more harsh phrases like, "She left you with Ben Affleck!"

Of course, J-Rod split back in April ... with Lopez moving on with her former fiancé. Boston fans -- who absolutely hate the ex-Yankees slugger -- made sure A-Rod didn't forget their Sox superfan is living it up with J Lo now.

There were more NSFW chants, which kept the worker controlling the censor button busy all night ... but no matter what was thrown his way, it appeared A-Rod was unfazed.

Another guy yelled out, "Hey, A-Rod, what's your favorite Ben Affleck movie?!"

The Red Sox will be without one of their best players in their do-or-die game against the Yankees on Tuesday ... and it's all 'cause the dude tripped over 2nd base last weekend.

Seriously.

J.D. Martinez rolled his ankle over the bag while heading to the outfield in Boston's game against Washington on Sunday ... and video revealed it was a complete, freak accident.

Ballpark cameras showed as Martinez was on his way to right field, his left foot caught the base -- causing his lower leg to bend awkwardly.

The injury didn't seem too terrible at the time ... but the team announced Tuesday morning it's apparently is so bad, Martinez will not play in the big American League Wild Card Game against NY.

Of course, it's a huge deal for the Sox ... Martinez has been perhaps the team's best player this year -- batting .286 with 28 home runs and 99 RBI.

With Boston going up against Gerrit Cole -- it's certainly going to miss all of that.

With Martinez out, the Sox are now expected to roll with an outfield featuring Kike Hernandez, Hunter Renfroe and Alex Verdugo, with Kyle Schwarber at designated hitter.

Baseball fans have a chance to straight-up buy an autographed Babe Ruth photo that's over 100 years old ... if they got a solid $54k lying around.

TMZ Sports has learned ... a rare photo of The Bambino has been hidden in a private collection until recently ... and is being sold by Moments In Time.

In the photograph, you can see Ruth rockin' a Red Sox uniform -- when he played for them from 1914 to 1919 ... and we're told experts believe it was signed while he was a member of the Boston organization, which would make this pic 100+ years old!!!

The former outfielder left a message on the bottom left corner of the pic, reading, "To Sal, Sincerely Babe Ruth."

This one-of-a-kind piece can be all yours for only $54,000 -- and, we say "only" because a handwritten letter by Ruth to his mistress sold for over $201k at auction in April.

This is unquestionably a great deal for Ruth fans who want to possess a token from the beginning of his legendary baseball career.

Ruth won his first three of seven World Series in Boston as a left-handed pitcher before becoming a star outfielder with the New York Yankees from 1920 to 1934.

Miguel Sano obliterated a ball into outer space on Wednesday -- crushing the piece of cowhide nearly 500 feet -- and afterward, he dedicated the moon shot to a fan he had drilled in the head earlier in the night.

The story is pretty heartwarming ... before the Twins' game against the Red Sox at Fenway Park -- Sano felt awful after he hit a batting practice homer that cracked a young fan in the head.

28-year-old Miguel felt so bad ... he actually signed a bat for the boy -- and then later, he said he'd get a big hit for him.

And, in the third inning, Sano did just that ... destroying a ball that completely left the stadium!!!

As Sano crossed home plate, he pointed to the fan ... and then gave the kid his jersey after the game as well!

"[The kid] told me to, 'Hit a homer for me and give me your jersey,'" Sano said. "And I said, 'Hey, I'm going to do it and I'm going to try to hit a longer one here and I'm going to give you the jersey.'"

The tape-measure shot was majestic ... and, at 495 feet, it ended up being the longest home run recorded in the MLB this season.

Somehow, though, it was NOT Sano's career longest -- he has a 496-footer on his resume.