MLB

Chicago Cubs rookie Matt Shaw was M.I.A. from the lineup on Sunday -- a 1-0 loss to the Reds -- the third baseman reportedly attended Charlie Kirk's memorial service in Arizona.

Cubs manager Craig Counsell told reporters postgame that Shaw was "unavailable" for the series finale against Cinci because he was "attending the funeral of a friend."

The Athletic later reported the funeral was that of Kirk, who was assassinated less than two weeks ago during an event on the campus of Utah Valley University.

It's the final chapter in Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw's legendary career -- the team just announced the 11-time All-Star will retire at the end of the 2025 season.

The defending World Series champions shared the news with the baseball world Thursday afternoon ... saying the three-time Cy Young winner will make the announcement official later in the day, and his final regular-season start at Dodger Stadium will take place on Friday.

"On behalf of the Dodgers, I congratulate Clayton on a fabulous career and thank him for the many moments he gave to Dodger fans and baseball fans everywhere, as well as for all of his profound charitable endeavors," Dodgers owner Mark Walter said.

The New York Mets broadcast paid tribute to Robert Redford just hours after the legendary Oscar-winning actor and director died on Tuesday, recreating his iconic home run from "The Natural!"

It all went down in Queens, NY, during the top of the first inning during the Mets' tilt against the San Diego Padres, which saw The Amazins' third baseman Brett Baty uncork a 416-foot bomb to right field to cap off a five-run inning.

As he rounded the bases, the cameras panned up to the Citi Field lights, which gave off a fireworks/explosion-like effect.

The Philadelphia Phillies celebrated winning the NL East like it was the World Series ... 'cause there wasn't a dry spot left in the locker room after Monday night's party in honor of clinching the division!!

The rager kicked off after the Phils' 6-5 win over the Dodgers in extra innings. Manager Rob Thompson got things started with a quick little speech before catcher J.T. Realmuto set the tone.

Despite it not being October just yet, the team went all-in with their postgame shindig. At one point, a booze funnel found its way into the room ... with Kyle Schwarber drinking from it as champagne got doused all over him.

Ken Rosenthal is revisiting his viral mishap from over the weekend ... saying he "felt awful" after knocking a photog to the ground in an attempt to dodge a postgame Gatorade celebration -- and apologizing for the whole ordeal.

Rosenthal addressed the matter on his "Fair Territory" podcast ... claiming the video making rounds after the Milwaukee Brewers celebrated a walk-off win against the St. Louis Cardinals wasn't as bad as it looked -- but his focus was on making sure he did his job.

"I must admit, though, when I looked at the video, I was surprised at how upset I appeared," Rosenthal said. "I was more confused than anything. Now I had to continue the interview. We were live folks, on national television, couldn't stop!"

Officials have conducted a raid at the Costa Rican hotel where former New York Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner's son, Miller, died ... as investigators look into whether the matter is a manslaughter case.

According to ESPN -- which spoke to prosecutor Kenneth Alvarez -- a three-hour search of the Arenas Del Mar Beachfront & Rainforest Resort in Manuel Antonio took place on Thursday to collect more evidence -- both physical and digital.

14-year-old Miller died on March 21 after falling ill while vacationing with his family ... and an autopsy determined carbon monoxide was the cause.

Hunter Pence is hunting for a buyer for his stunning Southern California mansion ... as TMZ Sports has learned the two-time World Series champion just put the Malibu pad up for sale.

We're told the ex-San Francisco Giants All-Star listed it on Wednesday ... for a whopping $39 million.

The price tag is high, but the place -- listed by Linda Joy Kanner of Compass -- is gorgeous ... it's got 7,356 square feet of living space featuring five bedrooms, six and a half bathrooms, a home office, a gym and a media room.

The New York Yankees honored Charlie Kirk just before their game Wednesday ... remembering his life with a jumbotron message and a moment of silence.

The Yankee Stadium homage came just hours after Kirk was shot and killed while he was speaking with students and others on the Utah Valley University campus about political issues.

New York officials put up his picture on the team's centerfield scoreboard ... and added the words, "Remembering Charlie Kirk."

Wander Franco was detained by police and taken to a clinic for a "mental health situation" ...  with video showing the disgraced MLB star streaming on social media as he spoke with officers.

Franco -- who was found guilty earlier this year of sexually abusing a minor -- was detained after his family issued the request ... a police spokesperson told a local outlet.

Part of the interaction was caught on camera while the suspended Tampa Bay Rays shortstop was live on Instagram. In the video, you can see an officer motion toward Franco. You hear some screaming before the phone is picked up and the stream ends.

Aaron Nola never faced adversity pitching against the NY Mets Monday night in Philadelphia ... that was until he entered his own locker room after the game, where a teammate ripped ass in the middle of his postgame presser, and it was hilarious!

Nola was speaking with the media after The Fightin' Phils defeated their NL East rivals 1-0 -- where he struck out seven, only allowing three hits -- when the fart heard around the locker room was captured on camera.

It was loud and caught everyone off guard ... both players and the media. Cue the laughter.

The dad caught in the middle of a Phillies fan meltdown is speaking out ... explaining why he gave up his son’s prized home run ball after being berated by a viral "Karen."

Drew Feltwell told NBC10 Philly he had no choice Friday night, when an older Phillies fan chased him down after he grabbed Harrison Bader's homer. He says he sprinted for the souvenir fair and square, dropping it into the glove of his son Lincoln as an early birthday gift ... only to be confronted seconds later.

"She just yelled in my ear, 'That's my ball!' super loud," Feltwell said. "I jumped out of my skin ... I pretty much just wanted her to go away."

The hosts of ESPN's SportsCenter are weighing in on Friday's viral baseball moment -- and are they ever pissed at the woman who snatched a home run ball from a young Phillies fan.

Nicole Briscoe and Michael Eaves were doing their Friday night segment, “So This Happened,” inside the studio after the Philadelphia Phillies destroyed the Miami Marlins 9-3.

The hosts were clearly beside themselves after watching video of the woman — who Briscoe dubbed a "Karen" — take the home run ball from the cute kid, who appeared to be with his father in the stands.

A Phillies fan went viral for all the wrong reasons Friday night -- the "Karen" stole a home run ball from a young boy!

Check out the bizarre video to see how the shocking situation unfolds  -- you can see a few fans going after Phillies slugger Harrison Bader's home run ball in the stands at the Miami Marlins' LoanDepot Park.

A male ends the hunt victorious and gives the ball to a young boy -- possibly his son -- and hugs him. However, their excitement is quickly bulldozed over after the angry woman stomps over to the pair and begins berating the older male.

Davey Johnson -- a well-known MLB player and manager -- has died ... according to the New York Mets' public relations office.

Jay Horwitz -- a longtime Mets employee -- announced the news on X ... revealing Davey's wife, Susan, told him about his friend passing away.

Johnson died at a hospital in Sarasota, Florida on Friday. Horowitz did not reveal a cause of death.

Anthony Rizzo almost lost his World Series ring at the bottom of a massive lake ... but fortunately for the former Cubs superstar, a famed Chicago diver saved the day.

Yohei Yamada -- an experienced swimmer who makes a living helping those retrieve items they've lost in Lake Michigan -- told Block Club Chicago he once gave Rizzo a big hand when it came to his championship bling.

Yamada explained Rizzo's hardware had slipped off his hand after he had lost some weight ... and once it disappeared in the water, the baseballer called Yamada for an assist.

Freddie Freeman sat out Wednesday's game, but he was still spotted at Dodger Stadium putting in work ... on his nose hair, that is!!

The Los Angeles first baseman got the night off of L.A.'s tilt against the Reds because of a neck issue -- and, unfortunately for the nine-time All-Star, cameras were still locked in on him as he was relegated to the dugout.

In the fifth inning -- as the home team was up 4-1 -- Freeman was seen clearing out some hair from his nose ... and it sure looked painful.