Baseball

9:56 AM PT -- Yasiel Puig and his agent are addressing the brawl ... insisting he was trying to play peacemaker in the scuffle, and only defended himself when he was hit in the face.

Ex-MLB star Yasiel Puig found himself in the middle of a bench-clearing brawl during a professional baseball game in Venezuela this week ... throwing punches and getting hit as both sides duked it out.

The chaos broke out during Game 2 of the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League's championship series at University of Caracas Stadium on Wednesday ... when Puig's Tiburones de La Guaira teammate Maikel Garcia knocked a two-run dinger in the bottom of the 8th inning to put their team up 10-8 over Cardenales de Lara.

As Garcia rounded the bases, he appeared to hot dog in front of the opposing team's bench ... running his mouth and slowly trotting before reaching home.

Naturally, the Cardenales players took issue with the showboating ... and one player started clapping back at Garcia.

The heated confrontation led both squads to leave their dugouts ... and a scrap broke out.

Puig -- who played in the MLB for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland from 2013-19 -- ended up right in the middle of the violent altercation ... throwing hands and getting hit in the process.

After a few minutes, the action died down ... and both teams made it back to their dugouts.

Surprisingly, no one was ejected for the impromptu fight ... and Puig's team held on to win the contest, 12-10.

Fun fact -- another MLB star was supposed to be on the field ... as Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. was playing for La Guaira prior to the tournament, but has been sitting out recently to prepare for the 2024 season.

The baseball world is rallying behind Chicago Cubs great Ryne Sandberg ... who just revealed Monday he is receiving treatment after being diagnosed with cancer.

The 64-year-old Hall of Famer shared the health update on his social media just minutes ago ... saying, "Last week, I learned that I have been diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer. I have begun treatment, and I am surrounded by my loving wife Margaret, our incredibly supportive family, the best medical care team, and our dear friends."

Despite the battle ahead, Ryno said he will remain in good spirits and "fight to beat this."

"Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time for me and my family," he added.

The comments section under Sandberg's post has been flooded with words of encouragement from fellow Cubs like Dexter Fowler and David Ross ... as well as countless others.

Sandberg played the majority of his career with the Cubbies from 1982-1997 ... earning 10 All-Star appearances, nine Gold Gloves, seven Silver Sluggers and National League MVP honors in 1984.

His No. 23 jersey was retired in 2005 ... the same year he was enshrined in Cooperstown.

Following his playing career, Ryno managed the Philadelphia Phillies from 2013-15.

The Cubs addressed Sandberg's diagnosis in a statement ... saying, "We cannot imagine how incredibly tough it is right now for Ryne and his family, but we do know Ryne is one tough competitor and a winner."

Tom Brady never netted a dollar playing professional baseball ... but a card of him in uniform just made one seller a boatload of cash.

A baseball card of the seven-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback sold for $158,600 online Saturday after a contentious bidding war on the site Goldin.

As we previously reported ... the happy seller is a Minnesota card collector who pulled the one-of-a-kind signed Bowman Tom Brady Montreal Expos Superfractor card ... talk about a lucky draw!

TB12 played catcher for his high school baseball team, and the Montreal Expos (now the Washington Nationals) took him in the 18th round, 507th overall ... not high enough to entice Tom away from his University of Michigan scholarship.

The rest is history ... Brady's gone down as the greatest QB of all time, a surefire Hall of Famer -- though it hasn't stopped people from imagining what could've been.

Topps put out a commercial reimagining Brady's life as an MLB player instead ... guy ended up being the G.O.A.T. in a different sport (no surprise there).

Trevor Bauer is making drastic changes to his intimacy preferences after years of fighting serious assault allegations made by a former fling ... revealing he's swearing off "rough sex acts" for good.

The former L.A. Dodgers pitcher spoke on his new sex life with OutKick's Tomi Lahren ... just months after settling a lawsuit with a woman who had accused him of sexually assaulting her on two occasions in 2021.

Other women came forward alleging sexual assault against the pitcher in 2022 and 2023.

Bauer never admitted wrongdoing and claimed it was just kinky sex ... something he has now apparently outlawed.

"I've stopped having, like, casual sexual relationships," the 32-year-old told Lahren. "Stopped agreeing to engage in rough sex acts."

"I'm looking for more people that add value to my life instead of something that I'm doing for a couple of hours on a night and then kind of forget about," he added.

For now, however, the former Cy Young Award winner says dating isn't remotely near his center of attention.

"I have other things that I'm focused on," he said. "I'd like to go back to work. I have a job, I run a business."

"Maybe I go back to dating at some point in the future but not something I'm focused on right now."

The one-time All-Star has not played in the MLB since the allegations surfaced in '21. He did, though, just pitch one season for the Yokohama DeNA BayStars, where he logged a 2.76 ERA with 130 strikeouts in 19 games.

Alex Rodriguez isn't a pro athlete anymore, but don't tell his abs ... the legendary slugger shared a shredded shirtless photo, posing with his equally jacked girlfriend, and they look incredible!

48-year-old A-Rod and his fitness trainer boo Jaclyn Cordeiro are on vacation in the Dominican Republic ... and the couple shared some snaps from the trip. Alex's daughter Ella is also on the vacay.

Rodriguez last played baseball in 2016 as third baseman for the New York Yankees, before hanging up his glove and leaving the sport as one of the most feared hitters ever.

Despite being an immortal player, A-Rod admittedly let himself go a bit in retirement, so much so his family expressed concern for him in late 2021, saying he "looked unhealthy."

Rodriguez decided to make some changes to his life (more plants, less red meat, intermittent fasting, and walking) ... and he says it made all the difference.

In 2023, Alex revealed, with help and support from Jac, he'd lost 32 pounds!

Rodriguez didn't spend the whole trip posing without a shirt (though could you blame him?) ... he also spent some quality time with his fam, from some fun in the sun to a chess game with his daughter.

¡Alex Rodríguez ya no es un atleta profesional, pero no se lo digan a sus abdominales! El legendario bateador compartió una foto sin camiseta con su novia y se ven increíbles.

A-Rod, de 48 años, y novia y entrenadora de fitness Jaclyn Cordeiro están de vacaciones en República Dominicana y compartieron algunas fotos de su viaje. La hija de Alex, Ella, también está de vacaciones con ellos.

El atleta jugó al béisbol por última vez en 2016, como tercera base de los Yankees de Nueva York, antes de colgar el guante y dejar el deporte como uno de los bateadores más temidos de la historia.

A pesar de ser un jugador inmortal, A-Rod admitió que se dejó llevar un poco más de la cuenta durante su retiro, tanto que su familia expresó preocupación por él a finales de 2021, diciendo que "parecía poco saludable".

Rodríguez decidió hacer algunos cambios en su vida (más vegetales, menos carne roja, ayuno intermitente y caminar) y dice que hizo toda la diferencia.

En 2023, Alex reveló que, con la ayuda y el apoyo de Jac, ¡había perdido 32 libras!

Rodriguez no se pasó todo el viaje posando sin camiseta (¿podrían culparlo?), también pasó un buen rato con su familia, desde tomar un poco de sol hasta jugar ajedrez con su hija.

LeBron James says he's got next after a mysterious Fortnite session popped up on the Fenway Park scoreboard this week ... calling on his fellow Boston Red Sox owners to let him use the big screen to get in some Madden action of his own!!

A clip from outside the historic stadium made rounds on social media on Thursday ... showing an unidentified enthusiast playing the popular video game on the massive outfield display.

King James -- who owns an undisclosed amount of Fenway Sports Group, which includes the Sox -- got wind of the epic moment ... and he wants to flex his skills on the jumbotron, too!!

"Ayyyyeee!! Let me get some Madden games going on there! @FenwaySportsMgt @RedSox 🤣🤣👑," the Los Angeles Lakers superstar said on X.

Of course, James has a history of using scoreboards for his gaming hobby -- as we previously reported, he got in a Madden sesh on SoFi Stadium's scoreboard during an early birthday celebration in 2022.

Shohei Ohtani is already putting some of his new Dodgers contract to good use ... revealing Thursday he and his team are donating at least $1 million to victims of this week's devastating earthquake in Japan.

The Dodgers announced they and Guggenheim Baseball are putting up $1 million on their own ... while the designated hitter -- who just inked a $700 million pact with LA -- is forking over "his own personal contribution."

All of it is being given with the wish that it will help cities in Ohtani's home country rebuild after a 7.6 magnitude quake leveled homes on Monday, killing dozens.

"My hope is that we continue to come together to support those whose lives have been upended," the two-way superstar said. "I hope for the rapid rescue of missing persons and the reconstruction of the disaster-stricken areas."

The natural disaster struck around 4 PM on New Year's Day ... and as of Friday morning, hundreds of people still remain missing in the rubble.

Ohtani is clearly hurting for those who are struggling to survive ... as are the Dodgers, who said in a statement Thursday, "Our thoughts are with all of Japan in wake of this tragedy."

If you're a baseball fan with a quarter of a million dollars lyin' around -- you're in luck ... 'cause an ultra-rare bat that Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente once used and signed is about to go on sale!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... the Hillerich & Bradsby signature model U1 bat that Clemente swung during the 1971 season is hitting Heritage Auctions in February -- and it's awesome.

The 36-inch, 35.5-ounce relic has been photo-matched ... and it's also been autographed by Clemente himself.

The inscription -- which Clemente made out to famed memorabilia collector Carey Diab -- reads, "To my friend Carey, Best Wishes Always, Roberto Clemente." It also has the No. 21 written on the knob.

Experts at Heritage Auctions expect it to go for $250K when it ultimately sells ... explaining, "It is one of a tiny handful of known photo-matched Clemente gamers."

Clemente was the first Caribbean and Latin-American MLB player to be inducted into the Hall of Fame after playing 18 seasons in the pros. In his career, he logged 3,000 hits and 240 home runs.

He also won two World Series with the Pittsburgh Pirates and became a 15-time All-Star, a four-time NL batting champ, and an NL MVP. Clemente also won 12 Gold Gloves.

Shohei Ohtani is not only rich, he's strategically brilliant, because he figured out an instant way of ingratiating himself with his new teammates, and it involves a Porsche!

The Dodgers star gifted an awesome Porsche to the wife of teammate Joe Kelly. Why, you ask? Turns out she mounted a full-on campaign to get Ohtani to sign with her hubby's team.

Check out the video ... Ashley Kelly is stunned as she peers out her front door and Joe tells her the car parked on the curb next to their house ... well, the car is now hers!!!

Ashley was on a relentless campaign to snag Ohtani, telling her Insta followers she changed the name of her 7-month-old child from Kai to ShoKai. Not true, but funny -- and effective. She did a ton more, including offering up her husband's number as an incentive. An offer Ohtani took her up on!

In turn, Shohei showed his appreciation for the number swap with the brand-new whip.

Shohei can certainly afford it ... he signed a 10-year contract worth $700 million earlier this month, although he's deferring almost all of it for years. It's the biggest contract in the history of sports.

Mookie Betts is on the move, but he ain't leaving the Dodgers ... TMZ Sports has learned he's now got a giant new house to live in!!

Real estate sources tell us ... the MLB superstar just copped a $15 million pad this month in Encino -- just a few miles away from Dodger Stadium.

We're told the place is sweet ... featuring super sleek and modern lines.

Unclear of how many beds, baths and bells and whistles it all officially comes with -- though it sits on 2 acres ... so there's plenty of room for Mookie to work on his base-running skills if he wants.

Of course, Mookie's been living in L.A. for a while now -- he was traded to the City of Angels prior to the 2020 season -- though after having his second child earlier this year ... seems he was in need of an upgrade.

We're told Craig Knizek and Scott Gorelick of The Agency repped the seller ... while Morgan Trent of AKG | Christie's International Real Estate repped the baseball player in the sale.

Mookie Betts está en movimiento, pero no está dejando a los Dodgers ... ¡¡¡TMZ Sports ha indagado que tiene una nueva casa gigante para vivir!!

Fuentes de bienes raíces nos dicen que la superestrella de la MLB acaba de comprar un palacio de $15 millones este mes en Encino, a pocos kilómetros de distancia del Estadio de los Dodgers.

Nos dicen que el lugar es dulce, con líneas super elegantes y modernas.

No está claro cuántas camas, baños, campanas y silbatos tiene, pero cuenta con 2 acres, así que hay un montón de espacio para que Mookie trabaje en sus habilidades de base-running si quiere.

Por supuesto, Mookie ha estado viviendo en Los Ángeles desde hace un tiempo. Fue traspasado a la Ciudad de los Ángeles antes de la temporada 2020, aunque después de tener a su segundo hijo a principios de este año parece que necesitaba una actualización.

Nos dicen que Craig Knizek de The Agency representó al vendedor, mientras que Morgan Trent de AKG | Christie's International Real Estate representó al jugador de béisbol en la venta.

Shohei Ohtani has only been a Dodger for about a week, but he's already getting the superstar treatment in L.A. ... with brand-new murals popping up all over the city!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... famous street artist Jonas Never -- who has done work featuring LeBron James and Anthony Bourdain in the past -- decided to welcome Ohtani to the Dodgers by whipping together a new piece near downtown L.A.

JN used the Prociety shop as his canvas ... and we're told the whole thing took a day and a half to complete.

Of course, Ohtani is no stranger to the area -- after all, he spent the first six years of his MLB career with the Angels.

Jonas also had help from fellow artist Droyce on the project ... and we gotta say, it came out great!!

Former MLB GM Dan Duquette -- who was inducted into the Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2022 -- tells TMZ Sports if he were in the Dodgers' front office ... he would've had some reservations about signing Shohei Ohtani to a $700 million contract.

The ex-Boston exec explained that while he believes the two-way star is truly one of the most unique talents the MLB's ever seen ... the elbow surgery he recently underwent would make Duquette nervous.

"I was a little uncomfortable with the values given the injury," Duquette said.

Ohtani, of course, had the procedure back in September ... the second major one his throwing arm's undergone since 2018.

Both the player and the Dodgers don't seem too concerned about it -- they each expect him to take the mound again in 2025 ... but Duquette told us it's a risky situation he might not have wanted to be a part of if he were making decisions in LA.

"This guy is a huge player," Duquette said, referencing Ohtani's 6-foot-4, 210-pound frame. "He hit a couple of home runs, he pitched a really good game, and then he got hurt."

"I don't know that the performance at the top-end of the scale for these great big guys is sustainable. Because there's so much power and force going into a pitch, going into a swing."

However, one thing Duquette was fine with was the structure of the deal -- which will reportedly pay Ohtani $20 million for the next 10 years ... before it gives him $680 mil from 2034-2043.

Duquette told us the deferrals will benefit everyone -- from the team, to the player, to the league as a whole.

After a ton of speculation, Shohei Ohtani is finally spilling the beans on what he named his dog ... and as it turns out, it has nothing to do with his new team, the Los Angeles Dodgers.

His name is Decoy!!

The 29-year-old Japanese superstar met with the media as a Dodger for the very first time just minutes ago ... where he talked all about topics like his decision to take his talents to L.A., winning aspirations and recent surgery.

But the one question everyone wanted the answer to -- what the heck is your dog's name, dude?!?!

Of course, the phenomenon started after Ohtani accepted his 2023 MVP award ... when reporters claimed Shotime's team refused to disclose any information about the four-legged friend who made an appearance with him in a video interview.

The secrecy led to a bunch of rumors -- and some even claimed it was because Ohtani chose a namesake related to his next destination.

But the two-way athlete put an end to all that talk on Thusday ... saying he decided on Decoy -- or the Japanese version, Dekopin.

As for when he knew he would be a Dodger, Shohei said he came to the decision the night before he announced his next move on Instagram.

Metro Boomin was the guest of highest honor in his St. Louis hometown on Thursday ... presented with a Key to the City for his years of giving back to single mothers.

TMZ Hip Hop got pics of Mayor Tishaura O. Jones bestowing the key to Metro on Thursday inside City Hall, surrounded by dozens of St. Louis community figures, elected officials and his 4 siblings.

This year marks Metro's 7th "Single Moms Are The Real Superheroes" campaign and we're told the annual event is now being reimagined as "Leslie Joanne Single Mothers And Caregivers Appreciate Day" to honor his late mother, who died in 2022.

Little did he know, the city also had a gift for him -- December 14 will officially be "Leland 'Metro Boomin' Wayne Day" going forward.

The Diamond-selling producer teamed up with Amazon Access and Rung for Women for this year's function ... set up to assist single mothers with career coaching, skills training, and additional needed resources.

It was an emotional day, capping off Metro's amazing year ... he helmed the "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" soundtrack, partnered with the St. Louis Cardinals and earned a Producer of the Year Grammy nomination.