Baseball

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.

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 Charleston RiverDogs -- the NY Yankees' minor league affiliate -- has canceled their "OJ Trial" night promotion ... after admitting it was a TERRIBLE idea in the first place!!!

Here's why ... the South Carolina based team promoted the May 26 event as a "juicy spin" on the O.J. Simpson murder trial, where fans would play "jury" in an orange juice-themed stadium game.

Here's how the team marketed the event ...

"The trial of the century gets a juicy new spin. We will finally receive the verdict that everyone has been waiting for … pulp or no pulp?"

"Fans will act as our jury, voting with custom paddles to reach verdicts on various topics throughout the night ... Fans will receive an 'OJ Trial' shirt upon entering the stadium. If the shirt don’t fit, you must ... see if we have a different size."

See what they're doing? They're playing off the "OJ" in the O.J. Simpson murder case! Hilarious and creative right?!!? Yeesh ...

Of course, there was immediate backlash from people who felt the whole promotion was in bad taste ... due to the fact the original "O.J. Trial" centered around the brutal murders of two completely innocent people, Ron Goldman and Nicole Brown.

Eventually, the team agreed it was a bad idea and pulled the plug on the whole thing.

"After taking a step back and having further reflection on the overall message that was being conveyed, it was the responsible thing to do," RiverDogs president Dave Echols said.

Garrett Whitley -- a former MLB first-round pick and current Rays farmhand-- was forced to go to the hospital Monday after he was terrifyingly struck in the face by a foul ball.

During the Tampa Bay Rays vs. Baltimore Orioles spring training game ... O's third baseman Renato Nunez uncorked a foul ball that beelined straight at Whitley.

The Tampa Bay outfielder -- who was at one time considered one of the game's best prospects -- was unable to move out of the way ... and took the ball right near his eye.

You can see in video of the at-bat ... 22-year-old Whitley immediately crumpled and required medical attention.

After the game, Rays manager said Whitley was diagnosed with a facial injury ... and was forced to go to the hospital to undergo further testing.

"[During initial tests] his eyes were moving fine," Cash told reporters. "He stayed coherent the whole time. That was pretty scary."

Whitley was drafted with the No. 13 overall pick by the Rays in 2015 ... but he's struggled to live up to expectations, batting just .236 in his minor league career.

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."

This is the BEST thing you'll see all day.

14-year-old New York Mets superfan Braeden got hooked up with a once in a lifetime experience at spring training in Port St. Lucie, FL this week ... meeting all the players, hanging in the clubhouse and on the field!

Not only did Braeden -- who is battling cystic fibrosis -- hang with guys like Michael Conforto, Jacob deGrom, Jeff McNeil and Tim Tebow ... he also got to take the lineup card to home plate (in full uniform) before the game against the Cardinals on Sunday.

Braeden and his fam got to enjoy the game from the first row, behind home plate ... but the best part of his trip happened when he randomly ran into his favorite player -- Pete Alonso -- at his hotel!!

We're told PA was more than happy to hang with Braeden, take pics and even autograph a ball for his big fan.

“He was so chill,” Braeden said about the encounter “He was just a nice guy.”

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.

Aubrey Huff says there's going to be A LOT of bruises on Astros players' backs this year ... saying the punishment for their cheating scandal is going to be all-out bean wars in 2020!

"I would suggest a lot of those guys -- especially Altuve and Bregman -- wear bulletproof vests up to the plate all year long!" Huff tells TMZ Sports.

Of course, ZERO Houston players were punished for their roles in the 2017 cheating scandal ... and a LOT of people are pissed off about it.

So much so, Huff says pitchers will take matters into their own hands -- regardless of Rob Manfred's rulings -- and hit the Astros at the dish all season.

"Listen, you pay the piper," Huff says. "You reap what you sow. If you're going to go out there and cheat, you're going to get drilled."

As for Huff's thoughts on the Astros' scheme ... he says he's always down for some sign-stealing tricks, but he admits Houston just went way too far.

Billy Corben could have ANOTHER big baseball-themed documentary coming our way ... because the man behind "Screwball" is considering taking on the Houston Astros scandal.

"Screwball" was a massive success for Corben -- he used child actors to tell the unbelievable story about Alex Rodriguez and MLB's Biogenesis scandal.

Now, with MLB in the midst of ANOTHER embarrassing controversy, Corben says he's VERY intrigued about the possibility of a "Screwball 2."

"It's writing itself as we speak right now," Corben tells TMZ Sports ... "And central to that story, as he was to the Biogenesis scandal and the whole A-Rod mess, is Rob Manfred."

As Corben points out ... Manfred was MLB's lead investigator into the Biogenesis scandal -- and now as MLB Commissioner, he's taking a lot of heat for the way he's handling those cheating ass Astros.

What concerns Corben about the Astros cheating scandal is the message it's sending to kids ... that you need to lie, cheat and steal to become successful in baseball.

FYI, Corben is one of the TOP guys in Hollywood when it comes to docs -- he's made huge hits like "Cocaine Cowboys" and did ESPN's 30 for 30 on "The U."

David Ortiz just went OFF on Mike Fiers for blowing the top off the Astros' cheating scandal ... with Big Papi straight-up calling the ex-Houston pitcher a "snitch."

"I'm mad at this guy, the pitcher that came out talking about it, and let me tell you why," Oritz said at Red Sox camp Thursday. "Oh, after you make your money, after you get your ring, you decide to talk about it?"

"Why didn't you talk about it during the season when it was going on? Why didn't you say, 'I don't want to be no part of [this]?' So, now, you look like a snitch."

As we previously reported ... Fiers blew the whistle on his former team just a few months ago in an interview with The Athletic -- revealing the 'Stros cheated their way through the 2017 season.

Of course, the scandal didn't help Fiers personally pitch better -- the scheme only helped hitters at the dish -- but Big Papi is still railroading the guy for not speaking up while it was all going down.

"That's my problem," Papi said. "Why nobody say anything while it was going on?"

For his part, Fiers has seemed to understand the criticism in all of his interviews this month ... saying to the San Francisco Chronicle just this week, "I said from the beginning, 'I'm not away from this.'"

Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez will NOT be denied -- not when they're looking like this on their way into a schmancy Bev Hills boardroom.

The power couple dressed to the nines Tuesday, reportedly for a business meeting. Go ahead ... tell us who's gonna reject whatever they're pitching? We'll wait.

J Lo's never one for modesty -- we all still remember the Super Bowl halftime show, right? She showed off those famous dancer's legs in a mini-skirt and knee-high boots ... while stepping out of their drop-top Bentley.

If this is the new business casual ... go get that MBA, kids!

A-Rod's no slouch ... in his blue blazer, red tie and brown dress shoes, but even he knows his place when it comes to the couple's fashion hierarchy. Bonus points though, Alex, for the stylish bag ... bigger than J Lo's!!!

Okay, so ... who was saying no to them, again? Still waiting.

LeBron James is going scorched-earth on the Houston Astros -- saying if someone ever cheated their way to a title he'd be "f**king irate!"

The NBA superstar is joining the chorus of top athletes blasting both the Astros AND the man in charge of punishing them, MLB commish Rob Manfred.

"Listen here baseball commissioner," Bron said ... "Listen to your players speaking today about how disgusted, mad, hurt, broken, etc etc about this."

"Literally the ball(⚾️) is in your court (or should I say field) and you need to fix this for the sake of Sports!"

Bron added, "I know I don’t play baseball but I am in Sports and I know if someone cheated me out of winning the title and I found out about it I would be F*^king irate! I mean like uncontrollable about what I would/could do!"

Obviously, Bron is referring to the fact the 2017 Houston Astros used technology, bats and trash cans to steal signs and tip-off their hitters about upcoming pitches.

Everyone from Mike Trout to Cody Bellinger, Justin Turner and Aaron Judge have ripped Manfred for not punishing Astros players who participated in the cheating.

A bunch of players also want the MLB to strip the Astros of their 2017 World Series title.

In fact, Atlanta Braves star Nick Markakis says he believes everybody on that team deserves a "beating" for tainting the sport he loves by cheating.