Oakland Athletics play-by-play announcer Glen Kuiper was fired on Monday by NBC Sports California after using a racial slur during a May 5 broadcast of a game between the A’s and Kansas City Royals.

“Following an internal review, the decision has been made for NBC Sports California to end its relationship with Glen Kuiper, effective immediately,” NBC Sports California said in a statement. “We thank Glen for his dedication to Bay Area baseball over the years.”

Kuiper, who had not worked for NBC Sports California since the incident, used the N-word when discussing the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City.

“I could not be more sorry and horrified by what I said,” Kuiper said in a statement through NBC Sports California after the incident. “I hope you will accept my sincerest apologies.”

On May 5, Kuiper was speaking pregame on NBC Sports California, and referring to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum when he appeared to say, “We had a phenomenal day today. (N-word) League Museum and Arthur Bryant’s Barbeque.”

Prior to the sixth inning, Kuiper said, “A little earlier in the show, I said something, didn’t come out quite the way I wanted it to. And I just wanted to apologize if it sounded different than I meant it to be said. And like I said, I just wanted to apologize for that.”

Kuiper, 60, had been an announcer on A’s games since 2004. His older brother, Duane, is a longtime San Francisco Giants announcer who played 12 seasons as a major league infielder.

–Field Level Media

The Chicago White Sox recalled Jesse Scholtens on Monday and the right-hander is expected to assume a spot in the rotation.

Scholtens, 29, will fill the roster spot of right-hander Mike Clevinger, who went on the injured list Sunday with right wrist inflammation.

Scholtens made two relief appearances with the White Sox this season and delivered a 3.00 ERA in three innings. He made his major league debut April 7. In seven starts for Triple-A Charlotte in 2023, Scholtens is 2-2 with a 3.99 ERA.

Clevinger, 32, is 3-3 with a 4.56 ERA and 40 strikeouts in nine starts in his first season with Chicago. He is 54-33 with a 3.46 ERA in 137 games (123 starts) with the Cleveland organization (2016-20), San Diego Padres (2020, 2022) and White Sox.

–Field Level Media

The Milwaukee Brewers placed left-hander Eric Lauer on the injured list Monday with a right shoulder impingement and recalled right-hander Tyson Miler from Triple-A Nashville.

Lauer, 27, was roughed up Saturday when he gave up three home runs and six runs total over three-plus innings in a loss to the Tampa Bay Rays, dropping to 4-5 in nine appearances (eight starts) with a 5.48 ERA.

His IL move is retroactive to Sunday and leaves Milwaukee with three key starters in the IL to go along with left-hander Wade Miley (shoulder) and right-hander Brandon Woodruff (shoulder).

In six seasons with the San Diego Padres and Brewers, Lauer is 36-36 with a 4.21 ERA over 119 appearances (111 starts).

Miller, 27, had a 1.93 ERA in three relief appearances with Milwaukee earlier this season and had a 1.45 ERA in nine appearances at Nashville.

In three major league seasons with the Chicago Cubs, Texas Rangers and Brewers, Miller is 1-2 with a 7.52 ERA in nine appearances (three starts).

In addition, right-hander Gus Varland, who was a Rule 5 draft pick from the Los Angeles Dodgers, cleared waivers and was returned to L.A. Varland, 26, had an 11.42 ERA in eight relief appearances.

–Field Level Media

The Kansas City Royals on Monday designated infielder/outfielder Hunter Dozier, who’s in the third year of a $25 million contract.

The Royals are on the hook for the remainder of Dozier’s $7.25 million in 2023 and the $9 million he’s owed in 2024.

Infielder Nicky Lopez takes Dozier’s roster spot. The club reinstated Lopez from the 10-day injured list on Monday after a bout with appendicitis.

Dozier, 31, is batting .183 with two home runs and nine RBIs in 29 games (25 starts) this season, his seventh with the Royals. He appeared at first base, third base and corner outfield this season. He’s a career .238 hitter with 73 homers.

Lopez, 28, is batting .200 with seven RBIs in 24 games (18 starts) this season. He’s a career .250 hitter in four-plus seasons with the Royals.

–Field Level Media

Juan Soto returns to Washington on Tuesday when the slumping San Diego Padres open a three-game series against his former team, the Nationals.

It will be Soto’s second trip back since the Nationals traded the outfielder, and first-baseman Josh Bell, to San Diego for six players, including left-handed pitcher MacKenzie Gore and shortstop CJ Abrams.

The 24-year-old Gore (3-3, 3.69 ERA), San Diego’s top prospect at one time, is scheduled to be on the mound in the series opener to face the Padres for the first time since the trade.

Gore is 0-2 with a 4.66 ERA over his past four starts. In his most recent outing, he took the loss Wednesday against the Miami Marlins after allowing four runs on five hits — including a two-run homer by Jorge Soler — over 5 1/3 innings.

“His location was a little bit off, but his stuff is good,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez said. “He couldn’t get his breaking balls over quite as much as he normally does. Slider wasn’t there tonight. He left a couple of balls out over the plate and they took advantage of it.”

The Padres enter off a 7-0 win against the Boston Red Sox on Sunday but have lost nine of their past 11 games and sit fourth in the National League West. San Diego has been plagued by an inability to bring home baserunners, hitting a major league worst .189 with runners in scoring position.

On Sunday they went 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position, but that one hit was a bases-loaded three-run double by Rougned Odor in the first inning and the Padres never looked back.

“It was like coming out of a cave finally,” the Padres’ Fernando Tatis Jr. said. “We’ve been scuffling. We’ve been having trouble. Just glad it happened.”

Designated hitter Matt Carpenter added a two-run homer in the third inning for San Diego, which opens a nine-game road swing that will also include series against the New York Yankees and Marlins.

“At some point you’ve got to stop the bleeding and have a game like today,” Carpenter said. “We can build off some of that momentum we created and get on a tear like we know that we’re capable of.”

Padres right-hander Yu Darvish (2-3, 3.56) is scheduled to start in the series opener. In his last outing, Darvish gave up four runs on six hits over 5 1/3 innings in a loss to the Kansas City Royals. The 36-year-old is 1-2 with a 4.62 ERA in four career starts versus the Nationals.

Washington brings a two-game winning streak into the opener after pounding out 18 hits and holding on for 6-4 win at home against the Detroit Tigers on Sunday.

Back-up catcher Riley Adams had four hits including a homer, two doubles and a single for the Nationals, who led 6-1 after three innings and held on for the victory.

Ildemaro Vargas also homered and Jeimer Candelario had four singles for Washington on an unusual day when Martinez started three backups – including Adams and Vargas – and brought in late-inning reliever Kyle Finnegan to pitch out of a six-inning jam after Detroit began clawing back.

“For me, it was a big turning point right there,” Martinez said of Finnegan’s performance. “They had momentum, and we had to stop the fire.”

–Field Level Media

If the New York Mets are to continue their surge, they likely need Kodai Senga to improve his work on the road.

Meanwhile, a return home might not be enough to help the reeling Chicago Cubs rebound from a rough road stretch.

Senga looks to avoid a fourth straight rough road start while the Mets aim for a season-high sixth consecutive win Tuesday night against the Cubs.

In his first major league season, the Japanese right-hander is 2-1 with a 1.57 ERA in four home starts. However, after allowing a run in 5 1/3 innings at Miami in his first road outing, Senga (4-2, 3.77 ERA) is 1-1 with a 7.98 ERA, with opponents batting .323 in the next three away from home.

That said, Senga should feel confident after he yielded a run, three hits, three walks and set a Mets’ record for Japanese pitchers with 12 strikeouts over six innings against Tampa Bay at home on Wednesday.

“That’s his best command, and I hope it’s a sign of him settling in a little bit,” New York manager Buck Showalter said.

For Senga, his success can be achieved with the right balance of physical and mental execution.

“I just need to make sure to make the right decision on what (the hitters) are looking for, and throw what they’re not looking for,” he said through an interpreter.

New York won just six times over a 22-game stretch before winning two straight against the Rays and sweeping a three-game set with Cleveland on last week’s 5-1 homestand.

“It’s never quite good enough until you’re the last team standing, and that’s what these guys are trying to give themselves a chance to do,” Showalter said.

The Mets scored 33 runs and hit 13 homers on the homestand while their starters posted a 3.75 ERA. However, they totaled just 38 runs, clubbed 10 homers and those starters had a 7.04 ERA while losing nine of the last 12 road games.

Chicago just completed a 2-7 trip to Minnesota, Houston and Philadelphia, when it was outscored 64-27, batted .203 with runners in scoring position, struck out 104 times and posted a 7.51 staff ERA.

The Cubs, 9-20 since opening 11-6, have also dropped eight of their last 14 at home.

“Realistically, we’ve just got to be better,” Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson said. “This game is meant to be played every day and played at a certain level.”

Despite Chicago’s struggles, the versatile Christopher Morel is off to a stellar start. In 11 games since making his season debut on May 9, Morel is batting .370 with eight homers and 14 RBIs. He homered for a fourth straight game in Sunday’s 2-1 loss to the Phillies.

Scheduled Chicago starter Drew Smyly (4-1, 2.86 ERA) allowed a run on four hits and fanned eight in six innings at Houston on Wednesday, but the Cubs blew a late 6-1 lead to lose 7-6. The left-hander, who has yielded three runs over 12 innings of his last two starts, is 2-0 with a 2.21 ERA in four career starts versus New York.

The Mets’ Eduardo Escobar, who is batting .215 on the season, is 8-for-14 with four homers in his career versus Smyly. Francisco Lindor is 5-for-15 against Smyly, and he’s batting .314 with a homer in his last eight games overall.

–Field Level Media

The New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles both can stake claims as the hottest team in a competitive AL East.

Coming off successful weekends, the Yankees and visiting Orioles attempt to keep the good times rolling Tuesday night in the opener of a three-game series at Yankee Stadium.

The Yankees, who took two of three in Baltimore on April 7-9, are attempting to get 10 games over .500 for the first time this season. The Yankees are 14-5 since falling to 15-15 after a loss on May 1 and have won four straight.

During New York’s 19-game hot stretch, it is 6-5 against AL East teams, including taking three of four in Toronto last week as part of a 6-1 road trip. The Yankees completed the trip by finishing off a three-game sweep in Cincinnati on Sunday, when Harrison Bader hit a two-run homer and Gleyber Torres also connected in a 4-1 victory.

New York’s hot streak also coincides with Aaron Judge’s return from a brief absence due to a strained right hip. Judge did not play Sunday, but the Yankees are 10-3 since his return and the slugger is hitting .378 (17-for-45) with seven homers and 18 RBIs since coming back.

“Great trip,” New York manager Aaron Boone said. “Tough stretch, 33 games out of 34 (days). We’ve been beat. We’ve got some guys out. I’m excited by how well this team is competing. Walk in with edge, prepare and compete. They’re doing that at a high level right now.”

Baltimore heads to New York 15 games over .500 for the first time since ending the 2016 season at 89-73.

Since a three-game losing streak May 6-8, the Orioles are 9-3 and 5-1 in their past six, including three straight.

The Orioles are coming off their third series sweep this season after scoring five times in the 11th inning of Sunday’s 8-3 win in Toronto. Baltimore collected 31 hits in the series and Cedric Mullins went 7-for-15.

Mullins was 5-for-6 with three RBIs Sunday and is hitting .320 (24-for-75) in 19 games this month. Austin Hays collected three hits, reached base four times and scored the tiebreaking run in the 11th.

“This was huge,” Mullins said. “We had a couple of battles in this series and we were able to come out on top. It’s a huge confidence boost going into New York.”

Baltimore’s next challenge will be attempting to produce offense against Gerrit Cole (5-0, 2.01), who is coming off four straight no-decisions. Cole allowed nine earned runs over 16 innings in his first three starts in May but pitched six-plus scoreless innings Wednesday in Toronto, a loss to the Jays in 10 innings.

Cole is 5-3 with a 2.33 ERA in 10 career starts against Baltimore. He was 1-2 with a 4.29 ERA in three starts last season against the Orioles.

Kyle Bradish (2-1, 3.90) starts for the Orioles after pitching into the seventh inning for the first time this season. Bradish followed up six scoreless innings in a no-decision against Pittsburgh on May 12 by allowing one run on four hits in 6 2/3 innings of Wednesday’s 3-1 home win over the Los Angeles Angels.

Bradish is 0-1 with a 3.86 ERA in two career starts against the Yankees.

–Field Level Media