FORT MYERS, Fla. — About a month ago, Minnesota Twins shortstop Jorge Polanco learned he had tested positive for a performance-enhancing substance. The news of his 80-game suspension, including ineligibility for postseason play, hit the Twins hard on Sunday after their exhibition game. “We don’t want it in our game. We want a clean game.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — AL MVP Jose Altuve and the World Series champion Houston Astros have finalized a $163.5 million, seven-year contract that guarantees an additional $151 million over five seasons. The 27-year-old second baseman had been among baseball’s best bargains. He agreed in 2013 to a deal that originally guaranteed $12.5 million from

NEW YORK — Minnesota Twins shortstop Jorge Polanco has been suspended 80 games after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance. The commissioner’s office announced the penalty Sunday. Polanco tested positive for stanozolol and became the sixth player to be banned this year under the major league drug program — one more than last year. Polanco

TAMPA, Fla. — New York Yankees rookie Miguel Andujar will start the season in the minors rather than at third base in the majors. The Yankees optioned Andujar to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Sunday, clearing the way for Brandon Drury to claim the spot. The move allows the 23-year-old Andujar, who hit .262 with four homers

New York Mets left-hander Jason Vargas has a broken bone in his non-pitching hand and will visit a specialist later Sunday, the team announced. Vargas suffered a non-displaced fracture of the hamate bone in his right hand Saturday when he attempted to catch a line drive in a minor league game. Initial X-rays showed no

SARASOTA, Fla. — Baltimore Orioles shortstop Manny Machado says that a recruiting pitch by Yankees star Aaron Judge was no big deal. “I think it was just blown out of proportion,” Machado said. Earlier this week, when the Orioles and Yankees played a spring training game, Judge told Machado that he’d look good in pinstripes.

Blue Jays ace Marcus Stroman, who has been slowed this spring by a shoulder injury, said Saturday he expects to make his regular-season debut in Toronto’s fourth game of the season on April 1. The Blue Jays announced Monday that Stroman, who has been dealing with inflammation in his pitching shoulder, would not be ready

FORT MYERS, Fla. — Chris Sale had reached the iron-pumping portion of his offseason workout. So, the Boston Red Sox ace figured he would get started by reaching for one of the heaviest weights at his feet. “Oh, no,” said Rick Lademann, Sale’s longtime strength coach, “that one goes on Big Boy’s bar.” Well, at

Right-hander Jeremy Hellickson has joined the Washington Nationals on a minor league contract and an invitation to spring training in the majors, sources told ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick. The Houston Astros and reigning American League MVP Jose Altuve have agreed to a five-year, $151 million extension, a source confirmed to ESPN. Shohei Ohtani was rocked for

TEMPE, Ariz. — Shohei Ohtani was rocked for seven runs over 1⅓ innings in his second spring training start for the Los Angeles Angels, allowing long home runs to the Colorado Rockies’ Ian Desmond and Nolan Arenado on Friday. The 23-year-old Japanese two-way star made his first big league exhibition appearance since Feb. 24, when