MLB

Great news ... Atlanta Braves superstar Freddie Freeman is finally "feeling great" -- this just 1 week after his wife said he was in rough shape after contracting coronavirus.

Last Friday, Chelsea Freeman said her 30-year-old hubby was hit "like a ton of bricks" by COVID-19 ... suffering from fever, headaches, chills and body aches.

In her post, Chelsea sounded VERY concerned for the MLB superstar ... writing, "He is someone who rarely gets sick."

But, Chelsea provided an encouraging update Thursday ... saying Freddie is now "feeling great!"

"Our whole family is healthy," she said. "Thank God!"

Freddie has yet to rejoin the Braves for summer camp, and even though it seems unlikely at the moment he'll be a part of the team for Opening Day later this month -- manager Brian Snitker has said he's still hopeful.

Freddie is one of the best players in the entire sport ... he's a four-time All-Star with a career .293 batting average.

Four-time MLB All-Star Charlie Blackmon says he didn't have many issues in his fight with COVID-19 at all ... telling reporters Monday the flu he had a few years ago was worse.

"My symptoms were what I would consider mild flu symptoms," the Colorado Rockies OF said. "I had a headache, I had a bit of a cough and then I had some body aches. I just felt sick."

But, Blackmon -- who returned to Colorado camp for the first time since contracting coronavirus last month -- says his symptoms went away after only about a day and a half.

"It only lasted for about 36 hours," Blackmon said, "and I would consider it mild compared to the flu. I had the flu proper a couple years ago and I thought that thing was going to wipe me out."

Don't get it twisted ... Blackmon says he knows he's lucky his experience with the virus wasn't much worse -- but he emphasized, "I would consider the symptoms that I felt to be minor."

It's great news for the Rockies and the MLB as a whole ... when Blackmon was diagnosed last month -- there was obviously some concern for the 34-year-old.

But, Charlie told media members he's all good ... and could even be ready for the team's season opener later this month.

S.F. Giants superstar Buster Posey will NOT participate in the MLB's rebooted season ... in order to care for his newborn twin babies who are currently being treated in the NICU.

Buster and his wife have adopted identical twin girls -- they were born prematurely last week and are currently in stable condition in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

It appears the outlook is good -- but as you can imagine, it's an incredibly stressful situation for any parent to endure.

Posey says the decision to opt out of the MLB season in order to be with his family is a no-brainer.

"From a baseball standpoint it was a tough decision," Posey told reporters. "From a family standpoint and feeling like I'm making a decision to protect our children, I feel like it was relatively easy."

While Posey is certainly not the first to make the call -- several others including Nationals' Ryan Zimmerman and Braves' Nick Markakis opted out several days ago -- he's definitely the biggest name so far.

Buster was expected to bat in the heart of the Giants' lineup, as usual, this season ... especially with the National League adopting designated hitter roles for the 2020 reboot.

For their part, the Giants backed their star in a statement Friday, saying, "The Giants fully support Buster's decision."

The 2019 World Series MVP ... Stephen Strausberg?!?!

The Nationals superstar says his name was comically misspelled on the World Series ring box he received Thursday ... but fortunately, Strasburg told reporters the team at least got it right on the ring itself.

"I got a little nervous at first," the Nats ace said, “because on the outside of the box that it came in my last name was spelled wrong. So luckily it was spelled correctly on the ring, so I was pretty happy about that."

Hilarious tale ... considering everything Strasburg did to get Washington its first-ever World Series ring.

The dude was LIGHTS OUT in the Nats' playoff run ... going 5-0, including two huge victories over the Astros in the World Series.

Of course, Strasburg laughed off the box's spelling error ... and said he was stoked to eventually show off the new bling to his family nonetheless.

"You just look at all the little things that they put on the ring to kind of commemorate some of the big moments of the season, and it kind of just takes you right back to that moment," Strasburg said.

Blue Jays player Reese McGuire is breathing easier heading into the MLB's rebooted season ... the catcher just cut a plea deal with prosecutors in his public masturbation case, and received nothing more than a slap on the wrist.

A spokesperson for the State Attorney's Office in Pinellas County, FL tells TMZ Sports McGuire pled nolo contendere to a reduced 2nd-degree misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct on July 1.

In exchange, his punishment was nothing more than fines and court costs ... the spokesperson said.

It's a big deal for McGuire ... the 25-year-old was accused of exposing his penis and masturbating inside his car in a public parking lot in Dunedin, FL back in February.

In the police report, obtained by TMZ Sports, cops say they saw McGuire with his shirt "barely covering his genitals" and his sweatpants around his ankles when they arrived on the scene.

Cops say during questioning, McGuire told them, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, this is really embarrassing." Cops also say McGuire added, "I really shouldn't have been doing that."

McGuire was arrested and initially hit with 1st-degree misdemeanor "exposure of sexual organs" ... and was facing up to 1 year behind bars if convicted.

At the time, the Blue Jays said in a statement, "[McGuire] has been in communication with the club and we are working to gather more information."

"Out of respect for the legal process, neither he nor the club will comment any further at this time."

The team told us they have no further comment when we reached out again Wednesday.

Donald Trump appears to have real issues with the Redskins and Indians for considering name changes ... saying Monday he believes the nicknames are signs of strength for the teams.

Both Washington's NFL franchise and Cleveland's MLB squad announced over the weekend they will have discussions about changing their monikers in the wake of America's social justice movement.

But, Trump seems to have problems with that ... writing on his Twitter account, "They name teams out of STRENGTH, not weakness."

"But now the Washington Redskins & Cleveland Indians, two fabled sports franchises, look like they are going to be changing their names in order to be politically correct."

Trump then renewed an old rivalry with Mass. Senator Elizabeth Warren, adding, "Indians, like Elizabeth Warren, must be very angry right now!"

As we previously reported, the Redskins have faced HEAVY pressure over the past few weeks to change their name ... with both Nike and FedEx expressing concerns over it all.

Also, Fawn Sharp -- president of the National Congress of American Indians (which represents more than 500 tribal nations) recently said the Redskins name is VERY offensive and called for players to boycott.

Owner Dan Snyder said Friday the team will look into it ... and just hours later, the Indians piggybacked on the Redskins' statement, saying they, too, would go forward with internal discussions as well.

Former NL MVP Andrew McCutchen says the Yankees need to consider dropping their haircut policy ASAP ... saying straight-up, "There should be some change there in the future."

The Yanks have a long-standing rule where players CANNOT grow facial hair or have their hair length go below their jersey's collar ... and when Cutch was asked about that this weekend, he said ain't in love with the policy.

The Philadelphia Phillies outfielder -- who played 25 games for the Yankees in 2018 -- said on "The Sports Bubble with Jensen Karp" it's just not right ... especially in today's climate.

"I think -- especially in this year, the year of 2020," McCutchen said, "I just feel like these things should be things that people take at heart and realize we have a way of expressing ourselves in different ways."

McCutchen -- who gained fame early in his career for his signature dreads -- had cut his hair prior to joining the Yankees in '18 ... but he was still forced to shave his beard when he arrived nonetheless.

Andrew says he had a hell of a time playing for NYY, even calling it "an honor" ... but the 33-year-old made it clear, he feels the team's hair policy should be nixed.

"I definitely do think it takes away from our individualism," McCutchen said.

Nails and hair will have to wait for ex-Miss Texas crown-holder Daniella Correa ... her MLB superstar hubby, Carlos Correa, says he's banning her from beauty salons during the rebooted season.

The Houston Astros shortstop says he's urging his pageant queen wife to stay away from the noted coronavirus hot spots just to be extra careful while he returns to work.

"When I talk to my wife, she knows," Correa told reporters over the weekend. "No getting your nails done. No getting your hair done right now. So, we’re going to be home."

Correa has to be super cautious when it comes to COVID-19 ... a positive test will sideline him for multiple weeks during the season, and could endanger his teammates as well.

So, Carlos says that means no unnecessary things for either him or his wife while the MLB returns to action this summer.

"We’re going to focus on the baseball season and once everything is done, then you can go to get your nails done and do everything else," Correa said.

FYI, Daniella is one of the best-looking people on the planet -- famously winning Miss Texas USA honors back in 2016.

In fact, she's said Carlos originally reached out to her on social media when he saw her on TV during a pageant ... and the rest is history.

She also has over 230,000 followers on Instagram -- where she's a self-described "lifestyle/beauty vlogger" ... so, the ban on hair and nails is a pretty big deal.

Cleveland Indians manager Terry Francona is ready to 86 the team's longstanding nickname ... the 61-year-old told reporters over the weekend, "I think it's time to move forward."

In light of social injustice protests all over the nation ... the MLB squad's brass has said it will now look into changing its name and uniforms.

The team -- which had already canned its infamous "Chief Wahoo" logo years ago -- said in a statement, "We are committed to engaging our community and appropriate stakeholders to determine the best path forward with regard to our team name."

Enter Francona -- the Indians' manager since 2013 -- who now says he's ready to accept only one possible outcome over this ... and that's a complete name change.

"I know in the past, when I’ve been asked about whether it’s our name or the Chief Wahoo, I think I would usually answer and say I know that we’re never trying to be disrespectful," Francona said. "And I still feel that way. But, I don’t think that’s a good enough answer today."

Tito continued ... "Even at my age, you don’t want to be too old to learn or to realize that, maybe I’ve been ignorant of some things, and to be ashamed of it, and to try to be better."

The Indians say discussions over a possible new name are "ongoing" ... adding, "The recent social unrest in our community and our country has only underscored the need for us to keep improving as an organization on issues of social justice."

He's bigger than ever -- but Pablo Sandoval's weight gain isn't bothering his boss ... with  SF Giants Manager Gabe Kapler insisting "Kung Fu Panda" can still ball.

Here's the deal ... Giants fans were shocked when the switch-hitting infielder -- listed at 5'10", 268 lbs -- reported to camp last week looking like he let himself go during the offseason.

Sure, there's been some fat-shaming online ... but the big question -- how will the weight gain affect his performance on the field?

According to Kapler, 33-year-old Pablo is still playing like a world-class athlete!

"I think it's understandable that in today's world we focus on weight," Kapler said on Sunday according to MLB.com ... "I get it."

"In this particular case, what we've all noticed about Pablo is that the ball is jumping off his bat, and his throws have nice carry."

"Obviously, we've had concerns about whether he was going to be ready [after Tommy John surgery] and at what point he was going to be ready to play 3rd base and 1st base. He's demonstrated that he's healthy. That's the most important thing."

The Yankees' truncated season got off to a rough start this weekend during batting practice -- one of their pitchers took a baseball to the noggin by one their hardest-hitting sluggers.

Righty Masahiro Tanaka was tossing to Giancarlo Stanton Saturday at Yankees Stadium during the team's first summer workout before they officially play ball later this month. During one of his pitches, Stanton hit a line drive right back at Tanaka ... and it nailed him.

The ball struck Tanaka in the head, knocking off his hat and sending him flying to the ground. Stanton immediately regretted it as he crouched in disgust and worry. The training staff rushed out to attend to their pitcher, and were eventually able to get him to his feet.

As bad as the hit looked on camera, it would appear the guy's gonna be alright -- which is kind of a miracle. The team says, "RHP Masahiro Tanaka was hit in the head with a line drive during today’s sim game. He is currently alert, responsive and walking under his own power." They added that he would undergo further evaluations/testing at a nearby hospital.

Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Mike Leake is the first MLB player to officially opt out of the 2020 season ... with his agent confirming the news Monday morning.

The 32-year-old -- who nearly had a perfect game last season -- released a statement via Danny Horwits ... saying he will not be participating in the league's shortened 60-game plan next month.

"During this global pandemic, Mike and his family had many discussions about playing this season," the agent told ESPN's Jeff Passan.

"They took countless factors into consideration, many of which are personal to him and his family."

Horwits continued ... "After thorough consideration, he has chosen to opt out of playing in 2020. This was not an easy decision for Mike."

The agent did not reveal the reason Leake decided to sit out the season ... but more players are expected to follow leading up to next month's training camp.

"He wishes the best of luck and health for his Diamondback teammates this season and he's looking forward to 2021."

Leake's been a solid pitcher in the league since he made his debut in 2010 ... and won 12 games for the Mariners and Diamondbacks last year.

Aroldis Chapman now has an insane ride to go with baseball's best fastball -- the MLB star just copped a ludicrous custom 6-wheeled Jeep ... that's covered in Kevlar coating!!!

TMZ Sports has learned the New York Yankees closer hit up South Florida Jeeps in Ft. Lauderdale about two months ago to get the custom whip made -- and it came out SICK!!!

Check out the pic of the ridiculous car ... we're told by shop honcho Joseph Ghattas it started out as a cut-in-half Jeep -- and it was all custom built by hand from there.

The ride has 600 horsepower, features blood-red interior from top to bottom ... and according to Ghattas, it's not only "unstuckable" while off-road, it vapor trails down highways as well!!

All told, Ghattas says the project took about 60 days to complete ... and cost Chapman right around $150,000 -- a small price to pay for a dude who just signed a 3-year, $48 MILLION contract with the NYY.

As for Chapman's reaction when he picked up the new whip this week ... Ghattas says he LOVED the creation -- saying, "He doesn't speak a whole lot of English, but 'f**king awesome' is pretty universal!"

Good news, bad news for Colorado Rockies fans ...

The good? BASEBALL'S BACK!!!!

The bad? Three players -- including megastar Charlie Blackmon -- have reportedly come down with coronavirus.

The stud right fielder -- who's been recently working out at Coors Field to gear up for the season -- tested positive late last week ... according to the Denver Post.

Reliever Phillip Diehl and pitcher Ryan Castellani also had positive COVID-19 results.

According to the Post ... only one of the players is showing symptoms -- although it's unclear if that's Blackmon, a 33-year-old, four-time All-Star.

Of course, the league just announced Tuesday it has plans to restart play next month ... but it remains to be seen just how officials will handle the recent outbreaks of coronavirus.

Remember, the Philadelphia Phillies just had at least 8 people test positive ... which ultimately led the MLB to lock down spring training facilities the past few days.

Officials seem confident they've got a sturdy plan in place regardless ... but if tests keep coming back positive -- could it derail the league's newly announced start time??