Aaron Judge has already returned to the New York Yankees lineup as a designated hitter, but the MVP candidate took another significant step toward outfield action on Wednesday.

Prior to the game against the host Texas Rangers, Judge threw from about 60 feet while playing catch with Giancarlo Stanton — his first time throwing since landing on the injured list late last month with a right elbow flexor strain.

Judge came away from the warm-up with a positive outlook.

“Felt good to get out there. We’ll see what I can do (Thursday),” Judge said. “You’ve got a flexor strain. Like a hammy, the first time you run on a hammy, it’s going to be sore. But I didn’t feel like I did when I hurt it.”

Judge saw his first action with the Yankees on Tuesday after returning from the 10-day IL, going hitless in three at-bats with two strikeouts. He leads the majors with a .339 batting average. Entering Wednesday, he was tied for fourth in home runs (37) and fifth in RBIs (85). Judge went 1-for-3 with a strikeout and a walk as the Yanks’ designated hitter on Wednesday, a 3-2 New York win.

Asked about soreness in his arm, Judge said that “eventually it will get better and we’ll be good to go and forget about it in a couple of weeks.

“We’ll see,” he added. “I’ve never had this. Would be easier if I had a quad or a hammy or oblique, I could kind of give you a better estimate of what we’ve got.”

–Field Level Media

Davis Schneider hit two of Toronto’s five home runs to back seven strong innings by Kevin Gausman as the Blue Jays routed the Colorado Rockies 20-1 in Denver on Wednesday afternoon.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette and Ernie Clement also went deep, while Ty France reached six times, with four hits and twice being hit by a pitch. Clement and Guerrero added four hits apiece, and Bichette, Addison Barger, Tyler Heineman and Myles Straw had two hits each for Toronto, which posted a season-high runs total for the second time in the series.

Schneider, Bichette and Nathan Lukes had four RBIs each.

Toronto, which swept the three-game series, scored in double digits in all three games, finishing with 45 runs, 13 home runs and 63 hits in the series.

Gausman (8-8) improved to 3-2 in his home state with another solid outing. He scattered three hits, fanned eight and didn’t allow a runner past second base after the first inning.

Ezequiel Tovar had two of Colorado’s three hits in the game.

The Rockies took the lead in the first when Tyler Freeman led off with a single and scored on Tovar’s one-out double.

Bichette hit a three-run homer in the third, his 16th of the season and third in two games, and the Blue Jays padded their lead in the fifth on Lukes’ two-run triple.

Jaden Hill relieved Kyle Freeland and gave up an RBI single to Heineman. Freeland (2-12) allowed six runs on seven hits and struck out four in 4 2/3 innings.

Toronto put it away in the sixth inning. Schneider led off with his first homer of the day, France had a run-scoring double and Barger followed with an RBI single.

Guerrero led off the eighth with his 18th home run, France and Barger singled before France scored on a groundout.

The Jays then put up eight runs in the ninth inning.

With Colorado catcher Austin Nola on the mound, Guerrero and Bichette had RBI doubles before Barger and Lukes hit sacrifice flies. Schneider added a three run-homer, his seventh of the season, and Clement hit his sixth homer of the season to increase the lead to 19 runs.

–Field Level Media

Paul Goldschmidt’s pinch-hit solo home run in the seventh inning was the difference as the New York Yankees held on for a 3-2 win over the Texas Rangers on Wednesday afternoon to salvage the finale of a three-game series in Arlington, Texas.

The Yankees snapped a five-game losing streak and finished their six-contest road trip to Miami and the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex with one victory.

Goldschmidt’s round-tripper over the left-field fence against Texas left-hander Robert Garcia (1-7) put New York in front for good.

Mark Leiter Jr. (5-6), in his second appearance since being reinstated from the injured list on Tuesday, was the beneficiary of Goldschmidt’s homer after pitching a perfect sixth inning.

Tim Hill and Yerry De los Santos each worked 2/3 of an inning for New York before the newly acquired David Bednar pitched the final 1 2/3 innings. Bednar worked through a two-on, two-out situation in the ninth to earn his 18th save of the season.

Ezequiel Duran had three hits to lead the Rangers, who had an eight-game home winning streak snapped. Six different batters had the six hits for New York, including a single by Aaron Judge, his first hit since returning from the IL on Tuesday.

The Rangers grabbed the lead in the third inning, with Duran leading off the frame with a double and then coming across on a single by Sam Haggerty.

New York leapfrogged in front in the fourth inning off Texas starter Jack Leiter. Cody Bellinger and Jasson Dominguez walked, and Bellinger scored on a one-out single by Anthony Volpe that also allowed Dominguez to reach second base.

Dominguez and Volpe followed with a double steal, with Dominguez sprinting home to make it 2-1 when the throw to third by Rangers catcher Kyle Higashioka got away.

Texas took advantage of some wildness from Yankees starter Carlos Rodon to knot up the game 2-2 in the fifth. Duran reached on an infield single, which was followed by a walk to Haggerty and a bloop single by Corey Seager. Marcus Semien then lifted a sacrifice fly to center that brought home Duran.

That set the stage for Goldschmidt, who blasted a 395-foot homer to left field to put the Yankees ahead for good.

–Field Level Media

Rookie Cade Horton threw 5 2/3 shutout innings to lift the host Chicago Cubs to a 6-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday.

The win allowed the Cubs to avoid getting swept for the first time since losing twice to the Los Angeles Dodgers in Tokyo to open the season.

Horton (6-3) allowed two hits, no walks, and struck out six on 67 pitches. The right-hander threw 56 strikes for a rate of 83.6 percent.

His 23 1/3 scoreless innings streak is the longest by a rookie in Cubs history.

Cubs relievers Drew Pomeranz, Andrew Kittredge and Brad Keller retired all eight batters they faced after Horton left the game. Daniel Palencia then closed out the game despite giving up a run in the ninth inning.

Andrew Abbott (8-2) put forth a quality effort but took the loss. The left-hander, who was 2-0 against the Cubs this season, went 6 2/3, giving up seven hits and four runs. He walked two and struck out three on 100 pitches.

The Cubs started the scoring in the third when Nico Hoerner and Justin Turner led off with singles. Seiya Suzuki followed with a line-drive shot to left-center that looked like it was headed to the gap. Jake Fraley, however, was able to make a diving catch. Hoerner tagged up and scored for a 1-0 Cubs lead.

The Reds managed to get runners to second base twice against Horton. Spencer Steer reached second when Matt Shaw missed his pop-up behind third. Horton struck out Elly De La Cruz and retired Austin Hays on a fly-out to end the threat.

Hays doubled with two outs in the fourth, but Horton struck out Gavin Lux to end the inning.

The Cubs added insurance runs in the sixth and seventh innings when Suzuki and Dansby Swanson hit leadoff home runs, their 27th and 18th home runs of the year, respectively.

The Cubs rallied for a fourth run with two outs in the seventh. Turner doubled to chase Abbott, Suzuki walked, and Carson Kelly singled in Turner.

Ian Happ hit his 16th home run of the season in the eighth inning, and Hoerner drove in Matt Shaw with two outs to cap the scoring for the Cubs.

The Reds scored their lone run in the ninth when TJ Friedl scored on a Hays groundout.

–Field Level Media

Luke Keaschall doubled twice and knocked in three runs, Thomas Hatch tossed 4 1/3 innings of scoreless relief, and the visiting Minnesota Twins topped the Detroit Tigers 9-4 on Wednesday afternoon.

It was Keaschall’s second consecutive three-RBI game since coming off the injured list. Brooks Lee and Alan Roden each had two hits, including solo home runs, and two runs. Austin Martin notched his first homer of the season, while Ryan Jeffers added two hits, a run scored and an RBI.

Hatch (1-0) allowed only two hits and a walk while striking out three. Minnesota starter Pierson Ohl surrendered four runs and four hits in 2 2/3 innings. The Twins took two of three games in the series against the American League Central leaders.

Kerry Carpenter belted a two-run home run for the Tigers, his 20th of the season. Spencer Torkelson and Zach McKinstry also supplied solo long balls.

Detroit starter Jack Flaherty (6-11) gave up six runs (five earned) and eight hits in 4 2/3 innings. Coupled with Cleveland’s victory over the New York Mets, the Tigers’ lead in the division is now down to six games from a season-high 14.

Minnesota led 3-1 after two innings, but the Tigers rallied with three runs in the third. McKinstry hit an opposite-field shot that bounced off the glove of left fielder Kody Clemens and over the left-field wall. Colt Keith then reached on a one-out single before Carpenter launched a homer to right field.

The Twins regained the lead with two runs in the fifth inning. Matt Wallner reached on a Gleyber Torres error and scored on a Jeffers double. One out later, Keaschall smacked a ground-rule double to bring home Jeffers.

Minnesota extended its lead to 8-4 in the sixth inning off Tyler Holton as pinch-hitter Martin ripped his second career homer over the left-field wall. Roden then followed suit, clubbing his second-career homer to right-center.

Tommy Kahnle issued three straight walks in the seventh, and Mickey Gasper grounded out against Brant Hurter to bring in Royce Lewis and push the Twins’ lead to 9-4.

–Field Level Media

Gavin Williams was two outs away from the Cleveland Guardians’ first no-hitter in 44 years as the visitors took down the New York Mets 4-1 to complete the sweep on Wednesday afternoon.

After striking out Francisco Lindor to open the bottom of the ninth inning, Williams’ no-hit bid was spoiled when Juan Soto belted a solo home run to dead center.

Williams (7-4) struck out six and walked four before he was removed after throwing 126 pitches over 8 2/3 innings. Hunter Gaddis recorded the final out for his second save of the season.

Williams was attempting to become the first Cleveland player to throw a no-hitter since Len Barker tossed a perfect game against the Toronto Blue Jays on May 15, 1981, a span of 6,987 games.

Williams was at 75 pitches through five innings, 89 through six, 97 through seven and 111 through eight. His season high was 109 pitches on May 26 against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

David Fry and Angel Martinez each homered for the Guardians, who have won seven of eight.

New York left-hander David Peterson (7-5) allowed four runs and five hits in six innings. He struck out seven and walked two in his first loss since June 27.

The Mets have lost four in a row and eight of nine to fall out of first place in the National League East.

Peterson sped through an eight-pitch first inning, but Fry jumped on a 1-2 fastball to lead off the second and homered deep over the fence in left-center field for a 1-0 lead.

Steven Kwan singled up the middle on an 0-2 pitch to start the third for the Guardians. Martinez then turned on a slider and lined it over the fence in left for a two-run homer, snapping an 0-for-19 skid and giving Cleveland a 3-0 advantage.

Carlos Santana walked with two outs in the sixth for Cleveland, and Gabriel Arias tripled into the right-center field gap to score Santana for a 4-0 lead.

Williams knocked down a line drive back to the mound by Lindor in the first and then threw him out. He then caught a soft line drive back to him from Pete Alonso to end the inning.

Williams walked Brandon Nimmo on seven pitches to lead off the second. While a wild pitch over the head of Mark Vientos moved Nimmo to second, the Mets stranded runners on the corners.

Cleveland right fielder C.J. Kayfus made a diving catch off the bat of Vientos with one out in the seventh to keep the no-hitter intact.

–Field Level Media

Dominic Smith’s go-ahead RBI double in the ninth inning propelled the San Francisco Giants to a 4-2 victory over the host Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday afternoon.

Smith’s double followed a one-out double by Jung Hoo Lee off reliever Dennis Santana (3-4), and led to the Giants’ second consecutive victory over the Pirates, who have lost four of their past six.

Patrick Bailey had two hits, and his second drove in an insurance run in the ninth, scoring Smith from second.

Randy Rodriguez pitched a scoreless ninth to pick up his third save and second since the All-Star reliever transitioned to the closer role for San Francisco following the trade deadline.

The Giants trailed 2-1 in the top of the eighth before loading the bases on a single by Bailey, a walk Isaac Mattson issued to Rafael Devers and a single by Willy Adames.

Bailey then scored on a sacrifice fly by Matt Chapman to tie the game.

The Pirates lost for only the fourth time this season in 41 games in which they led after seven innings.

San Francisco’s comeback picked up starter Robbie Ray after a solid start in which he allowed two runs on six hits and two walks and struck out eight over six innings.

Ryan Walker (4-4) struck out the side in the eighth inning, including an inning-ending strikeout of pinch hitter Oneil Cruz after Pittsburgh put runners on first and second.

Nick Gonzales had three hits and an RBI and Andrew McCutchen had two hits to lead the Pirates. Gonzales’ first hit drove in Liover Peguero with a single in the first inning to put Pittsburgh ahead 1-0.

The Giants tied the game in the fifth when Jerar Encarnacion hit his second home run in as many games off Pirates starter Andrew Heaney, who went 4 2/3 innings, allowing that lone run and two hits. He had one strikeout and did not issue a walk.

Pittsburgh took a 2-1 lead in the bottom half of the inning on a sacrifice fly by Tommy Pham that scored Isiah Kiner-Falefa.

–Field Level Media

Trevor Rogers logged six solid innings and Coby Mayo hit a three-run homer to guide the visiting Baltimore Orioles to a 5-1 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday.

Rogers (5-2) struck out six while working around eight hits and a pair of walks for Baltimore, which had dropped the first two games of the series by a combined margin of 18-3. Mayo finished with two hits for the visitors in this one, as did Adley Rutschman.

Ranger Suarez (8-5) allowed five runs and nine hits over 6 1/3 innings for Philadelphia, which saw its three-game winning streak come to an end. Trea Turner went 3-for-4 with an RBI in a losing effort.

The Phillies failed to inflict much damage against Rogers despite recording at least one hit in every inning he pitched. Perhaps the most pivotal sequence for the Baltimore left-hander came in the third inning, when he struck out Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper after Turner tripled with one out.

Riding the momentum from that escape, the Orioles scored four runs against Suarez in the top of the fourth.

After Gunnar Henderson and Rutschman reached on singles to open the inning, Jeremiah Jackson laced a double into the left-field corner for his first-career RBI. One pitch later, Mayo launched a changeup from Suarez deep into the left-field seats for his fourth home run of the season.

Philadelphia got on the board in the fifth, but Rogers limited the damage. After surrendering a walk and two hits to begin the frame — including Turner’s RBI single — the southpaw retired Schwarber, Harper and Nick Castellanos to keep the score at 4-1.

The hosts threatened again in the sixth, putting two runners on with two outs. But Rogers induced Rafael Marchan into an inning-ending grounder.

Suarez allowed a one-out double to Alex Jackson in the seventh, followed by Jackson Holliday’s run-scoring single that ended Suarez’s night with the scoreboard reading 5-1.

Philadelphia again had a scoring opportunity in the seventh, as Turner led off with a double. However, he never moved from second base as Dietrich Enns struck out Schwarber, Harper and Castellanos in succession.

Enns fanned two more hitters in the eighth before Keegan Akin took care of things in the ninth.

–Field Level Media

Jen Pawol will become the first woman to umpire a Major League Baseball regular-season game when she works this weekend’s series between the Miami Marlins and host Atlanta Braves.

Pawol, 48, will be on the bases in both contests of Saturday’s doubleheader at Truist Park before venturing behind the plate in the series finale on Sunday, MLB announced Wednesday.

A fifth umpire was needed for the crew because of the doubleheader. Saturday’s first contest serves as a makeup for the originally scheduled contest on April 6 that was postponed.

Pawol has been a minor league umpire since 2016 and previously worked spring training games in 2024 and 2025. She is one of 17 current Triple-A call-up umpires eligible to substitute in MLB games.

–Field Level Media

Outfielder Roman Anthony and the Boston Red Sox completed an eight-year, $130 million contract extension on Wednesday.

The deal, which is unofficial pending a physical, includes a club option that would keep Anthony in Boston through the 2034 season.

Anthony said before the Red Sox lost 7-3 to the visiting Kansas City Royals on Wednesday evening, “We’re playing such great baseball. I didn’t want to be a distraction to anyone. But I knew that this is where I wanted to be, and I’m having a blast. And I just wanted to continue that.”

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said of the 21-year-old, “The future of the organization is in great hands.”

Anthony created a buzz before he suited up with the Red Sox by launching a 497-foot grand slam for Triple-A Worcester on June 7.

Called up to Boston two days after that blast, Anthony is batting .276 with a .392 on-base percentage, a .417 slugging percentage, two homers, 15 doubles and 19 RBIs through 47 games with the Red Sox.

He had hit safely in each of his past eight games before sitting out on Monday and Tuesday due to tightness in his back. Anthony returned to go 0-for-4 while batting leadoff for Boston on Wednesday.

Anthony was selected by the Red Sox in the second round of the 2022 draft.

–Field Level Media