NL West

San Diego Padres manager Jayce Tingler defended shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. against allegations that he was sign-stealing against the Los Angeles Dodgers, calling the accusations "ridiculous" in a chat with reporters Tuesday (h/t Bob Nightengale of USA Today).

"I know 100 percent he wasn't peeking at signs," Tingler added.

Tatis was accused of sneaking a glance at Dodgers catcher Will Smith before hitting his second home run off L.A. starting pitcher Trevor Bauer on Saturday. It was Tatis' fourth homer of the series.

Who's your Padre? pic.twitter.com/ocHMhHvGrm

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) April 25, 2021

L.A. won anyway, 5-4, but it lost the four-game home series to San Diego.

Bauer notably broke down his thoughts on the matter in a video (8:20 mark) that also covered Tatis' celebrations:

"That's the type of stuff that would get you hit in other games," Bauer said about Tatis' alleged sign-stealing. "Now, I'm mild mannered about it. ... 

"Flip the bat and do all that stuff, fine. If you're going to look at the signs, not OK, and if you do it again, the team that you're playing probably isn't going to take too kindly to it, and there might have to be some on-field stuff. ... 

"That is disrespecting your opponent, looking at their signs, stuff like that. Whereas the bat flips and celebrating with your teammates is fine, in my opinion."

Padres first baseman Eric Hosmer defended Tatis. 

"That was maybe a little bit of confusion on their part," Hosmer said (h/t AJ Cassavell of MLB.com). "I don't think Tati was looking at signs. I've never really seen him do that. I certainly didn't see it last night."

There is no shortage of juice in the Dodgers-Padres rivalry.

The two teams clearly don't like each other much as they compete for the National League West title, and there have already been some dramatic moments, such as the benches clearing in extra innings and Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw getting into a shouting match with the Padres' Jurickson Profar in mid-April.

The Dodgers and Padres will meet again for a three-game series June 21-23 at San Diego's Petco Park.

The Colorado Rockies announced Monday that executive vice president and general manager Jeff Bridich was resigning, effective immediately, and Greg Feasel was being promoted to club president and CEO. 

The team's full statement follows:

Rockies General Manager Jeff Bridich steps down and Greg Feasel has been named Club President. pic.twitter.com/nk3HyHYBu8

— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) April 26, 2021

Bridich released a statement of his own:

Departing #Rockies general manager Jeff Bridich has released a statement: pic.twitter.com/yyESJe8d8M

— Thomas Harding (@harding_at_mlb) April 26, 2021

Bridich, 43, was in his seventh season as the Rockies general manager. Under his watch, the Rockies reached the postseason twice and had just two winning seasons, and he came under serious heat this past season after trading away franchise cornerstone Nolan Arenado to the St. Louis Cardinals in a deal that was widely panned around baseball given the Rockies' meager return. 

Here's how The Athletic's Jayson Stark described Bridich's reputation around baseball in February:

"We've been searching for just the right word to describe how the rest of baseball looks at the Rockies and their embattled general manager. But how about 'bewildered?' That seems to cover it. Here's one rival exec's all too typical take: 'Nothing personal, but I have no idea how Jeff has kept his job. When you piss off your best player, then you have to push him out the door because he's pissed off and then you also pay the team you're trading him to $50 million to take him, it's hard to think of anywhere else that wouldn't get you fired ... I don't get it."

It was this arrogance that made Bridich so reviled. My text messages when he stepped down were something. Never seen an executive inspire such dislike from so many across the board. #Denver7 #Rockies https://t.co/MqImI226Zg

— Troy Renck (@TroyRenck) April 26, 2021

1/Quick thoughts on Jeff Bridich stepping down as #Rockies GM. It is possible no executive in history fared worse in free agency than Bridich. The money spent to value was atrocious. 2 franchise icons: Tulowitzki/Arenado felt betrayed and left the franchise under bad terms.

— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) April 26, 2021

3/Yet, having offered that, the toughest place to sustain winning is in Colorado and trying to figure out how to play well and stay healthy in high altitude. No team should be spending more on sports science than this one and that is FAR from the case. The Athletic's piece

— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) April 26, 2021

5/love with stars because the big contracts for Tulo/Arenado/Charlie Blackmon did not work well for the club. I have written previously that the Rockies should be the $140M Rays. That the philosophy of having a lot of 40-man talent to withstand the extra rigors of altitude

— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) April 26, 2021

7/well. This all takes time and -- importantly -- a shift in thinking from the top down. Bridich did poorly. But Colorado's MLB worst record this year goes deeper than him. If only the GM is changing for the Rockies, nothing much will change.

— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) April 26, 2021

It's likely, however, that Bridich was in his last season with the team and knew it:

The wording of press release I believe was accurate. Bridich stepped down. Monfort would not have fired him during the season. But it tells me, in talking to sources, Bridich was lame duck. He knew it. And it's why he should have been fired the moment he picked fight w Arenado. https://t.co/UuHUaQo9gp

— Troy Renck (@TroyRenck) April 26, 2021

Given the limited success the Rockies had under Bridich's watch, the Arenado trade and the team's 8-13 start to this season, it's unlikely many Rockies fans are viewing Monday as a sad day. Bridich had likely worn out his welcome in Colorado. 

Madison Bumgarner's seven-inning no-hitter won't be officially recognized, but that won't stop the Arizona Diamondbacks southpaw from treating it like one.

"I didn't give up any hits today," Bumgarner told reporters after holding the Atlanta Braves hitless in a 7-0 victory Sunday. "I'm not in control of how many innings we're playing."

Arizona and Atlanta were playing the second game of a doubleheader.

MLB and the MLB Players Association agreed in February to limit each leg of a doubleheader to seven innings for the second straight season. MLB.com's Matt Kelly noted last August those games would need to extend to at least nine frames for Elias Sports Bureau to consider them in the no-hitter or perfect game categories.

There are plenty examples of a pitcher—Bumgarner included—losing a no-no or perfect game in the eighth or ninth innings.

Bumgarner's achievement has the possibility to become baseball's version of "Is a hot dog a sandwich?" but his comments underline how nobody is beholden to follow the official ruling.

Perhaps the Braves would've gotten a hit on the four-time All-Star. His pitch count had climbed to 98 through seven, and he hadn't gone more than five innings in any of his previous four starts.

But Bumgarner went as far as he possibly could Sunday. If not formally a no-hitter by rule, it certainly qualifies under the spirit of the classification.

Madison Bumgarner is back on track.

The Arizona Diamondbacks southpaw allowed 17 earned runs in his first three starts of the 2021 campaign but bounced back in his fourth while allowing one run in five innings. All he did in his fifth start was throw a no-hitter.

Well, sort of.

Bumgarner threw seven hitless innings in Sunday's 7-0 victory over the Atlanta Braves. Unfortunately for the veteran, it isn't recognized as an official no-hitter. 

IT COUNTS IN OUR BOOK.

MADISON BUMGARNER HAS THROWN A NO-HIT GAME! pic.twitter.com/nRHNWX0DVV

— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) April 25, 2021

Matt Kelly of MLB.com explained in August that when seven-inning doubleheaders were added to the rulebook, Elias Sports Bureau, which is Major League Baseball's official statistician, ruled that an individual or team has to pitch at least nine hitless innings for it to count as an official no-hitter. The decision to enforce the rule in such a way adhered to a 1991 ruling by a committee led by then-Commissioner Fay Vincent.

Sunday's game was the second of a doubleheader.

MLB Network's Jon Heyman noted the official ruling is up for debate:

MLB and Elias are still discussing whether a 7-inning no-hitter is an official no-hitter. MLB seems to be in favor but it’s still not decided officially. So congrats MadBum! (I think)

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) April 25, 2021

It was quite the afternoon for Arizona, which won the first game 5-0 behind a seven-inning shutout from Zac Gallen. Gallen allowed just a single hit and struck out six, while Bumgarner struck out seven and rendered the bullpen moot during the course of an entire doubleheader.

The southpaw's performance would have been an unofficial perfect game, but shortstop Nick Ahmed's error in the second inning allowed Ozzie Albies to reach base.

This is just another accomplishment for Bumgarner, who has three World Series titles, a World Series MVP, a National League Championship Series MVP, four All-Star appearances and two Silver Sluggers on his resume.

Those all came during his time on the San Francisco Giants from 2009 through 2019, and he struggled on his way to a 6.48 ERA during the shortened 2020 campaign in his first year with the Diamondbacks.

He now has a memorable moment in Arizona following Sunday's brilliant showing and will look to write a new chapter by continuing to pitch like he has in his last two starts.

Fernando Tatis Jr. took Trevor Bauer deep twice during Saturday's matchup between the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers, and he wasn't shy about celebrating either dinger. 

TATIS ON THE SECOND PITCH OF THE GAME 😱

Took Trevor Bauer DEEP.

(via @MLB)pic.twitter.com/37ECuVpgrP

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 25, 2021

Tatis goes yard AGAIN on Bauer.

Strutted across home plate after 💰

(via @MLB) pic.twitter.com/KpH050BW0v

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 25, 2021

Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer pitched with one eye closed vs. the Padres in Spring Training.

Fernando Tatis Jr. got revenge after he homered off of him tonight 👀 pic.twitter.com/qPjBdsZVZ6

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 25, 2021

Video of one of the home runs appeared to show Tatis looking down toward the ground, or potentially in the direction of the catcher's mitt, before one of the home runs. Bauer pretty playfully pointed that out on Twitter Sunday, and Tatis quickly responded with a post of his own:

Tranquilo hijo . pic.twitter.com/lRe2hBLmR8

— Fernando Tatis Jr. (@tatis_jr) April 25, 2021

To Bauer's credit, he said he wasn't particularly bothered by Tatis' celebrations following his two moon shots: 

"I’m all for it. I think it’s important that the game moves in that direction."

Trevor Bauer on Fernando Tatís Jr.'s celebrations

(via @BallySportsSD)pic.twitter.com/z1NLmt5OAx

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 25, 2021

It probably helped that the Dodgers won the game 5-4.

Besides, a little bit of trash talk and bad blood between divisional rivals is a good thing for baseball, a sport that has often self-policed such drama out of the game with its archaic unwritten rules. Turns out sports fans like to see athletes showing emotion and talking some smack. There's a reason the NFL was dubbed the "No Fun League" when it imposed stringent touchdown celebrations on its players. 

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer supports celebrations from Fernando Tatis Jr., even if it comes at his own expense.

Bauer discussed the situation after his team's 5-4 win over the San Diego Padres on Saturday:

"I'm all for it. I think it's important that the game moves in that direction and we stop throwing at people because they celebrated having some success on the field." @BauerOutage on Fernando Tatis Jr.'s celebrations.

(via @SportsNetLA)

pic.twitter.com/Cw74UiU5dI

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) April 25, 2021

"You give up a homer, a guy should celebrate it," the reigning NL Cy Young winner said. "It's hard to hit in the big leagues."

The question came after Tatis hit two home runs against Bauer, mocking him by covering one eye while rounding the bases:

Tatis closed one eye after hitting this HR off Bauer 👀

(via @MLB)pic.twitter.com/GSgmLTav7K

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 25, 2021

It was a reference to Bauer pitching with one eye closed against the Padres in spring training.

"I figured if they can't score off me with one eye open, it's going to be difficult to score off me with two eyes open," Bauer said in March. "Just having a little bit of fun."

It opened him up to criticism down the road, but he was fine with the return jab from Tatis.

Not everyone has felt the same about Tatis, who hasn't been shy about displaying emotion during his short career in the majors. He opened questions about the sport's "unwritten rules" last year when he hit a grand slam on a 3-0 count. The Texas Rangers threw at teammate Manny Machado on the next pitch.

It's an issue other places in the league, where celebrating too hard leads to benches being cleared.

Bauer said Saturday pitchers who get upset or throw at opposing batters are "soft," and he appears willing to let players have fun while playing the game.

San Diego Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. credited his father, former major leaguer Fernando Tatis Sr., after he connected on two home runs during Friday night's 6-1 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

All credit to you dad . You created this now we celebrate together 🙏🏾🩸❤️

— Fernando Tatis Jr. (@tatis_jr) April 24, 2021

Tatis' big game came on the 22nd anniversary of his dad's most memorable performance: hitting two grand slams for the St. Louis Cardinals in a single inning on April 23, 1999. That game also took place against the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium.

The younger Tatis said he was aware of the anniversary before the game.

"I told myself, 'Can you imagine if you just hit two home runs today? That would be so crazy,'" he told reporters. "And I feel like the baseball gods were in my favor today. Glad it happened. It's something definitely me and my family are going to celebrate and something that's gonna be in my heart for the rest of my life."

The elder Tatis, a third baseman, spent 11 years in the big leagues with the Cardinals, Texas Rangers, Montreal Expos, Baltimore Orioles and New York Mets. He last played at the MLB level in 2010 and formally retired in 2014.

"It is amazing," Tatis Sr. told Dennis Lin of The Athletic in 2019 during his son's rise toward stardom. "I'm telling you, we've been blessed, this family. Our family."

Now they'll have a memory that lives on forever.

"It's great," Tatis Jr. said. "It's definitely something we're gonna take into our last day in this world."

In addition, Tatis' younger son, Elijah Tatis, is a 19-year-old middle-infield prospect in the Chicago White Sox system.

Mookie Betts and the Los Angeles Dodgers received good news on the injury front, as the X-rays done on his forearm came back negative.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts provided the update Tuesday, per Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register, noting Betts was feeling "pretty good."

Betts suffered the injury during Monday night's contest against the Seattle Mariners, as he was hit by a 95 mph fastball from Rafael Montero in the top of the ninth inning.

"It's kind of a right forearm, a lot of soft tissue," Roberts said after the game. "I'm sure there's going to be some bruising, maybe some swelling, so I just won't know more until he shows up tomorrow."

Los Angeles will take the cautious approach with its star outfielder, holding him out of Tuesday's lineup against Seattle. Chris Taylor will patrol center field, while Zach McKinstry gets the start in right:

Today's #Dodgers lineup at Mariners: pic.twitter.com/nekQFMPrEh

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) April 20, 2021

In his second season with the Dodgers, the 28-year-old picked up right where he left off in 2020. Through 12 games, he's slashing .292/.414/.500 with two home runs, having gotten a hit in 10 of his 11 starts.

In doing so, Betts has helped the Dodgers to a 13-4 record. 

This is not the first time Betts has been sidelined by an injury this season. He missed four games earlier this month due to a stiff lower back. Los Angeles went 3-1 in his absence.

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw and San Diego Padres first baseman Jurickson Profar got into a heated shouting match in the bottom of the fourth inning Saturday.

The @Padres and Dodgers find themselves in another brouhaha!#HungryForMore pic.twitter.com/7ezSadMdPK

— Local Sports San Diego (@BallySportsSD) April 18, 2021

The incident occurred after Profar swung and missed at a Kershaw fastball that initially ended the fourth inning (h/t Jomboy Media). However, the Padres requested a replay for catchers' interference and won upon further review.

Kershaw appeared to accuse Profar of swatting at catcher Austin Barnes' glove to draw the interference on purpose. Profar took exception to the comments as the two angrily jawed at each other from afar. Eventually, emotions cooled, and no one got ejected.

This marks the second time extracurricular activities have taken place in the Dodgers-Padres series.

One night earlier, benches and bullpens cleared after Dodgers relief pitcher Dennis Santana hit pinch hitter Jorge Mateo with a pitch in the bottom of the 10th inning.

Jorge Mateo gets hit... and the benches have cleared in San Diego.#HungryForMore pic.twitter.com/IuPf48DO0h

— Local Sports San Diego (@BallySportsSD) April 17, 2021

Mateo and Santana shared some words before both teams exchanged pleasantries on the field. Nothing came of it, and no one was even ejected. L.A. won 11-6 in 12 innings.

The bad blood continued over into Saturday, however, following the Kershaw vs. Profar conversation. Nothing came of that either, though, as Kershaw got second baseman Jake Cronenworth to fly out to end the frame five pitches later. No one was ejected then either.

The Dodgers vs. Padres series already had a ton of juice even before the two teams took the field in San Diego's Petco Park. L.A. is the defending World Series champion, but the upstart Padres, who lost to the Dodgers in the 2020 National League Division Series, reloaded in the offseason in hopes of taking down their NL West rival. They notably bolstered their rotation with Blake Snell and Yu Darvish.

Thus far, the 12-2 Dodgers have an upper hand on San Diego and the rest of MLB. Only one other team (the Boston Red Sox at 10-4) has 10 or more wins. The Padres are doing well themselves, though, as they sit at 9-6.

The three-game series will conclude Sunday at 4:10 p.m. ET.

San Diego Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. was activated from the 10-day injured list after suffering a partial dislocation of his left shoulder and a partial tear of his labrum April 5 against the San Francisco Giants.

The Padres announced the move Friday afternoon. In a corresponding transaction, San Diego optioned infielder-outfielder Tucupita Marcano to the team's alternate training site.

Tatis will play shortstop and bat second in the Padres' home game against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday.

Tatis suffered the injuries while striking out on a pitch by Giants starter Anthony DeSclafani in the bottom of the third inning.

The 22-year-old was helped off the field, and Ha-Seong Kim replaced him in the lineup.

Tatis has 40 home runs, 99 RBI and a .945 OPS in 148 career regular-season games. His absence was a blow to the Padres, who signed the phenom to a 14-year, $340 million contract in the offseason, but Tatis missed only nine games and the club went 6-3.

Tatis' left shoulder has given him trouble in the past. San Diego manager Jayce Tingler told reporters last month that Tatis has felt left shoulder discomfort since he played rookie league ball in 2016.

He also left a spring training game this year with discomfort but returned two days later.

Tatis hasn't undergone surgery for the shoulder issues, and he'll look to help the Padres in a big series against the Dodgers, who own MLB's best record (11-2).

The 9-5 Padres are 2.5 games back in the National League West but can jump L.A. with a three-game sweep at Petco Park.

First pitch for Friday's game is scheduled for 10:10 p.m. ET. Ryan Weathers will be on the bump for San Diego, and Walker Buehler will take the mound for L.A.