MLB

Luke Voit didn't have to give away his number to Gerrit Cole for free ... the NY Yankees stud tells TMZ Sports the team's new ace coughed over a SOLID prize for No. 45!!

"He hooked me up with something cool," Voit said.

Luke rocked the digits the past two seasons in New York ... but when Cole came over on a 9-year, $324 MILLION deal in free agency -- he asked the 29-year-old first baseman for the uni.

Turns out, Voit says Cole didn't come empty-handed either!!

As for what he got, Voit -- who ended up switching to No. 59 -- tells us he can't say exactly ... but did joke, "I should've had him buy me a house or something. Or, a car."

We also talked to Voit about his superhuman strength -- remember, the guy benched a 145-pound barbell with ONE ARM in 2018 -- and he tells us he's the strongest guy on the team.

In fact, he says his 2-rep max on the bench press is 365!!!

By the way, Luke also spoke with us about his new children's book, "Luke's Baseball Story" ... and the story sounds SUPER-cool.

Baltimore Orioles star Trey Mancini underwent surgery Thursday to remove a cancerous tumor from his colon ... and team officials say the procedure was successful.

The 27-year-old left the team last weekend to deal with an undisclosed medical issue ... and in a statement, the Orioles explained doctors discovered the outfielder had a tumor during a colonoscopy.

The team added there is currently no timetable for a return to the diamond for Trey.

Mancini released a statement after the operation, saying, "The outpouring of love and support I have received has made an extremely tough week so much better. I have the best family, friends, fans, and teammates imaginable."

Trey added, "I would like to thank everyone for their prayers and kind words, which have furthered my excitement to get back to playing the game I love."

Mancini has been one of the bright spots for the Orioles the last couple seasons ... he's become one of the game's premier power hitters, slugging 35 home runs in 2019.

He's also posted a career .276 batting average ... and was expected to compete for his first-ever All-Star nod this season.

Jerry Seinfeld says there's no way he'll ever try to buy his beloved New York Mets ... telling TMZ Sports it's WAY more fun to watch the game as a fan!

Jerry can definitely afford an ownership stake in the Mets -- dude's loaded. Forbes says he made $41 mil in 2019 alone ... not including the fortune he raked in from "Seinfeld."

There's been a lot of drama surrounding Mets team ownership lately -- with the Wilpon family looking to sell. They had a deal in place with minority owner Steve Cohen (he currently owns 8% of the team) who was looking to buy an 80% stake. The deal would have made the Mets valuation around $2.6 BILLION -- but the deal fell through.

Now, more potential buyers are popping up ... there are even reports Alex Rodriguez is interested. A-Rod has said he was a big Mets fan as a kid and he's reportedly considering putting an investment group together to try and make the purchase.

So, when we saw Seinfeld out in NYC we asked if A-Rod would be a great owner -- or if Jerry himself would be interested in buying a piece of the team -- and that's when Jerry broke it down for us right there on the street.

"No! The highest level of sports appreciation, particularly baseball, is a hotdog, a beer and a seat," Jerry said.

"There's nothing higher. That's the pinnacle ... People think that owning the team is more fun, it's actually LESS fun."

He's got a point ... but unfortunately, the fans are gonna have to wait for that meal -- with MLB suspending all action over the coronavirus scare.

There could be a baseball Hall of Famer between the pipes when the Colorado Avalanche plays on Sunday ... 'cause none other than Larry Walker will be the official emergency goalie!!!

Of course, the chances are slim the 53-year-old ex-MLB slugger will see any PT ... but it's not impossible. Walker would just have to beat out the other 2 goalies on the roster.

Remember, just 2 weeks ago, 42-year-old David Ayres -- the Carolina Hurricanes Zamboni driver -- had his name called after the team's 2 goalies got injured ... and the dude helped secure the win!!!

As for Walker, the guy ended up playing a sport with a different kinda stick and was damn good at it -- he won the National League MVP in 1997, 7 Gold Gloves and 3 Silver Sluggers.

But, baseball wasn't the only first love for the Canadian ... he grew up playing street hockey and had dreams of being an NHL goalie.

Texas Rangers outfielder Willie Calhoun has been hospitalized after getting hit square in the kisser with a fastball nearing 100 MPH.

The left fielder got up to bat in the first inning Sunday against the Dodgers for a Spring Training game, and pitcher Julio Urias sent a heater from the mound that apparently got away from him and swerve up to Calhoun's face. It hit him flush in the mouth.

You can clearly see it was mistake on Urias' part -- he reacts as if he's upset with himself and the situation as Calhoun's teammates come out to attend to him. It was a pretty frightening scene, especially after you see it from different angles ... and in slow motion too.

Luckily, reporters on the ground say he was able to get to his feet and was then carted off the field while holding a towel on his face. He was later taken to a nearby hospital for further evaluation. His condition is unknown at the moment, but hopefully he's okay.

Crazy enough ... Callhoun used to be Dodger prospect, but was traded to the Rangers in 2017. So a lot of those guys are probably pulling for him right now.

World Series champ Matt Holliday is parting ways with his incredible Florida mansion ... and the new buyer copped the pad for a whopping $8.5 million!!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... Holliday's old home was custom-built in 2013 ... in a Jupiter neighborhood that's currently home to superfamous athletes like Serena Williams, Rickie Fowler and Brooks Koepka.

We're told the 7-bed, 7-bath waterfront estate is fully decked out with a gourmet chef's kitchen, home theater, elevator, wine cellar, awesome pool and spa and an 8-car garage.

If that ain't enough, the property also comes with a 2-bed, 2-bath guest house!!!

The lucky buyer -- repped by Billy Nash of Illustrated Properties -- is the CEO of a publicly-traded company ... but the name was not revealed. Whoever it is, they rich.

As for Holliday ... he made more than $163 MILLION in his 15-year MLB career ... so we're guessing the next pad is probably just as nice.

A man posing as ex-MLB star Tim Lincecum scammed a Baltimore Ravens player out of autographed gear ... and he almost got away with it if it weren't for the NFLer's agent -- this according to cops.

Here's the deal ... authorities in Monroe County, PA say former NFL 1st-round pick Hayden Hurst contacted them last month to report he had been scammed.

Cops say Hurst told them that on or around May 19, 2019 -- he was contacted by a Twitter account he believed belonged to former SF Giants superstar pitcher Lincecum.

Hurst told cops the account had the verified blue checkmark ... so when it asked the TE for some signed memorabilia for a charity donation -- he sent over some swag no problem.

Cops say Hurst mailed 2 jerseys to the Lincecum imposter ... including one from a Ravens-Bills game on Dec. 8, 2019 that he personally inscribed, "My guy! 12/9/19 game used, 3 rec 73 yards 1 TD."

The issue? Cops say Hurst's agent, Phillip Walls, later saw the jerseys up for sale online ... and blew the cover off the whole scheme.

Cops say after an investigation ... they tracked down a man named Michael Daily in Stroudsburg, PA. -- and officials claim Daily fessed up to the whole scam.

Police say the 25-year-old told them he used several different accounts in the scheme to obtain NFL jerseys, cleats, gloves, balls, hats, pictures and even WWE championship belts.

Daily was arrested and reportedly hit with multiple charges in the case ... including identity theft, theft by deception and unlawful use of a computer.

Horrible news for Yankees fans ... NY manager Aaron Boone announced superstar slugger Aaron Judge has a broken rib that could require surgery to remove the bone altogether.

Judge hasn't played at all this spring ... and, finally, on Friday, Boone revealed why -- telling reporters, "He has a stress fracture of the first right rib."

FYI, that's a bone located near the upper chest/shoulder area ... and Boone says if a couple weeks of rest doesn't help heal it, Judge could have a procedure to take the rib out of his body.

"You could do surgery at some point to remove the rib," Boone says. "I wouldn't say that's off the table."

But, the Yanks manager is hopeful some good R&R will help ... although he said there's no timetable at all for any decision on Judge's injury just yet.

Boone says the team thinks Judge suffered the injury way back in September ... when the 27-year-old dove for a ball in the outfield.

It's a terrible break for the Bronx Bombers ... Judge is one of the league's brightest young stars -- he hit .272 with 27 home runs in just 102 games last season.

The public bashing of the Houston Astros is still going strong ... Anthony Rizzo just trolled the hell out of the team during a mic'd up at-bat in a spring training game!!

The Chicago Cubs superstar was talking with ESPN commentators live in an AB against the L.A. Angels on Monday ... when he was asked what pitch he thought was coming next.

"I have no idea," the first baseman said. "I wish I knew. Someone bang for me."

HAAAAAAAAAAA!!!

Of course, the Astros were busted by the MLB just a few weeks ago after they were found to have relayed illegally stolen signs to batters using banging noises from their dugout.

MLB players have RAILED against the 'Stros for the cheating ... with everyone from Cody Bellinger to Aaron Judge blasting the team for the cheating scheme.

In fact, it seems some players have already taken it upon themselves to punish the 'Stros ... because as of last week -- they had been hit by pitches SEVEN different times already this spring.

Clearly, Rizzo ain't much of a fan of what the Astros did either ... but at least he's down to have some fun with it -- and we're all grateful for it.

Ex-Astros pitcher Ken Giles says he's absolutely devastated by Houston's sign-stealing scandal ... and despite having no idea his teammates were cheating, he's willing to return his World Series ring.

Giles -- now a member of the Toronto Blue Jays -- revealed his feelings over the bombshell scandal, saying he was hurt to find out through the commissioner's report.

"It crushed me to learn about the stuff that went on when I was there," Giles said via the Toronto Sun.

"I had no idea. I had no clue whatsoever. I was blindsided by the commissioner's report. Up until then, I honestly didn't believe it. Just crazy."

Of course, bullpen pitchers rarely make it to the dugout with the other players ... so the findings of the investigation floored Giles.

There have been players and fans calling for the 'Stros to relinquish the 2017 World Series title ... and Giles says he's willing to give up his championship ring.

"Whatever they ask, I would oblige. Because what was going on at the time, was not OK."

Suspended Yankees star pitcher Domingo German was involved in a car crash in the Dominican Republic on Thursday ... NY manager Aaron Boone confirmed.

The right-hander was NOT, however, injured ... Boone says.

"Germán is fine," the Yanks head man told reporters at NY's spring camp. "He was in the car, in the back seat on the driver's side. He's been to the complex in the D.R., he's been checked over, and he's fine.”

German has been training in the DR away from his Yanks teammates in Florida, because he's still in the middle of an 81-game suspension he was hit with for violating the MLB's domestic violence policy last year.

It's unclear if others were injured in the accident -- Yankees officials have still not released a formal statement on the matter.

Tim Tebow ... NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Heisman Trophy winner turned Mets farmhand had a chance to be a hero in NY's spring training game Friday ... but instead, he tripped over his own shoes!!

The sad scene all went down in the Mets-Cardinals exhibition game ... where Tebow's squad was up 3-2 in the top of the ninth inning.

With two outs left in the game, Tim could've closed everything down by catching a lazy pop fly to left field -- but he fell to the ground before he could make the grab!!

The vid is pretty depressing ... Tim takes a solid route to the ball, camps underneath it, but then gets his feet tangled in his shoelaces and goes crashing to the grass.

SO CLOSE!!!

The ball landed just a few feet from him ... allowing the game-tying runner to advance to second base.

To make matters worse, Tebow -- the No. 9 hitter for the day -- was 0-for-2 on the afternoon with 2 strikeouts. YIKES!!!

Fortunately for the ex-NFL QB, the Mets were able to get the next batter to fly out to right to end the game ... but social media is already ROASTING poor Timmy for the effort!!

Of course, it hasn't been all bad news bears for Tebow this spring ... he just hit his first home run of camp earlier this week, but clearly, this ain't going to help make the Mets' opening day roster.

Well, Alex Bregman better get used to this ...

The Houston Astros superstar was just DRILLED for the first time since he was revealed to be a cheater ... and it all begs the question -- HOW MANY MORE TIMES WILL IT HAPPEN THIS YEAR?!

The 3rd baseman stepped up to the plate in the 5th inning of Houston's spring training game against the Cardinals on Wednesday ... and he WORE one right in the back.

Bregman said afterward he didn't think it was intentional -- "It was a splitter. It just got away from him" -- but, COME ON!!!!!!

The HBP sure seemed fishy to us ... you can see the pitch -- on a 3-2 count, nonetheless -- plunked Bregman SQUARELY between the shoulder blades.

And, as you can tell from Bregman's reaction ... it wasn't exactly a lollipop!!

Of course, the 'Stros are likely going to face this all season long after the MLB announced it found they cheated their way to a World Series title in 2017.

In fact, ex-MLB star Aubrey Huff told us just a few days ago he sees this happening REGULARLY to the 'Stros in 2020.

And, according to the unofficial counter on Twitter ... Bregman's hit by pitch marked the SEVENTH time a 'Stros player has been plunked so far this spring.

Announcer: "Now batting ... Jose Altuve."

Fans: BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That's how it went down at Spring Training in West Palm Beach on Monday when the Houston Astros star made his first plate appearance since the cheating scandal.

Shocked, right?!?

Altuve didn't seem fazed by the chilly reception -- in fact, the guy hit an RBI double against the Detroit Tigers all by himself without any help from high-tech cameras and trash cans!

There was another awkward moment in the game ... Altuve was technically hit by a pitch -- though it was truly accidental. He was clipped in the foot by a breaking ball in the dirt.

Remember, Astros manager Dusty Baker has expressed concern about pitchers throwing at Altuve and other Houston players involved in the cheating scandal -- he doesn't want vigilante justice.

But, again, that didn't seem to be the case this time around ... but it's a loooong season.

Derek Jeter's New York Yankees jersey from the legendary shortstop's FIRST Major League Baseball game just sold for $369,000 ... a record-setting sale price!!

21-year-old Jeter made his debut for the Yankees on May 29, 1995 ... when the Bronx Bombers took on the Mariners at the Kingdome in Seattle.

DJ batted 9th in the order ... and went 0-for-5 with a strikeout. The Yankees lost the game 8-7.

The NYY grey road uniform that DJ wore was recently put on the auction block at Goldin Auctions ... where a (very rich) fan paid $369k.

The uni is signed by Jeter ... and is also inscribed with "Game Used, 5-29-95 MLB Debut".

Jeter only played 14 more games in the '95 season ... and didn't have much success. He hit .250 with no home runs and 11 strikeouts.

But, EVERYTHING changed the next year -- Jeter became a superstar in 1996 ... hitting .314, batting in 78 runs and winning the A.L. Rookie of the Year.

Jeets also helped lead the Yankees to their 1st title in almost 20 years ... his 1st of 5 titles.

The Philadelphia Phillies debuted a new look for their beloved mascot, the Phanatic, this weekend -- but in very anticlimactic fashion ... he appears to have not changed very much.

The lovable, green monster furball trotted out onto the field Sunday ahead of the team's game against the Pirates in Clearwater, FL -- where they're hosting their Spring Training home opener. The buzz was that the costume would look a bit different ... for legal reasons.

Long story short ... Phillies brass are in the middle of this legal sitch with the original creators of the Phanatic's design, Bonnie Erickson and Wayde Harrison, who drew up what fans have come to enjoy for decades now. Well, the rights expire this summer ... and the two designers want their fair cut in order to have the mascot continue being used by the team.

It doesn't appear the Phillies wanna pay Erickson and Harrison though, so they've come up with this new design that's supposed to be different enough to avoid having to pony up potentially millions. This is what they came up with, and frankly ... kinda the same, no?

ACTUALLY ... there are slight modifications to the suit. The nose is a bit shorter and more evenly rounded, and it looks ol' Phanatic here dropped a few pounds too. The new mascot also has different colored socks, shoes and a bigger caboose -- plus, wings along the arms.