YADIER MOLINA

Aaron Judge, Edwin Díaz, Trea Turner, Dansby Swanson and Xander Bogaerts were among 131 players who became free agents as baseball’s business season began just hours after the final out of the World Series.

All-Star third baseman Nolan Arenado will not exercise the opt-out clause in his contract with the Cardinals.

Adam Wainwright will pitch for the St. Louis Cardinals next season, choosing to return for an 18th with the franchise while longtime teammates Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina head into retirement.

Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina have played their final games with the Cardinals, who were eliminated by the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League wild-card series.

The Philadelphia Phillies are en route to the National League Division Series against their NL East rivals and defending World Series champion Atlanta Braves.

Aaron Nola pitched four-hit ball into the seventh inning, Bryce Harper’s homer gave Philadelphia an early lead, and the Phillies held off the St. Louis Cardinals 2-0 to sweep their National League wild-card series.

The Phillies scored six times in the ninth inning off the stingy St. Louis bullpen, highlighted by a bases-loaded single by Jean Segura, and Philadelphia beat the NL Central champion Cardinals 6-3 in the opening game of their National League wild-card series.

The entire Major League Baseball playoff picture is now set.

Albert Pujols slammed his 702nd career home run and drove in three runs in the Cardinals' 7-5 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday.

St. Louis Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols hit his 702nd career homer in the third inning of Sunday's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Pujols drove a 0-1 pitch from Roansy Contreras deep to center for a solo shot. The 42-year-old Pujols is fourth on the career home run list behind Babe Ruth (714), Hank Aaron (755) and Barry Bonds (762).

Yadier Molina hit a two-run drive while Albert Pujols went hitless in his quest for 700 homers, and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Cincinnati Reds 5-1 in the first game of a doubleheader.

Yadier Molina hit a two-run drive while Albert Pujols went hitless in his quest for 700 homers, and the St. Louis Cardinals swept a doubleheader from the Cincinnati Reds 5-1 and 1-0 in 11 innings on Saturday. Pujols started at first base in the opener and hit second for the first time this season. St. Louis manager Oliver Marmol said playing Pujols so frequently is a no-brainer despite his age of 42.

Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina made history with the first pitch of the game, then the record-setting battery helped the St. Louis Cardinals extend their NL Central lead by beating the Milwaukee Brewers 4-1.

St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright and catcher Yadier Molina have made their 325th career start together, setting a major league record for most as a battery.

Albert Pujols hit his 696th home run, tying Alex Rodriguez for fourth place on the career list, and the St. Louis Cardinals rallied past the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-5.

Yadier Molina homered twice on a day he paired with St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright to tie the major league record fof 324 starts by a battery in an 11-6 loss to the Washington Nationals.

St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright and catcher Yadier Molina have made their 324th career start.

Tommy Edman was confused. The St. Louis infielder thought he had made the final out. Instead, his long drive to left field nicked off the glove of outfielder Alex Call for a two-run, two-out double to cap St. Louis' five-run ninth inning in a 6-5 victory over the Washington Nationals on Wednesday night.

Albert Pujols hit his 695th career home run in the eighth inning and Miles Mikolas tossed eight scoreless innings to help the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Chicago Cubs 2-0.

Bally Sports Ohio's Barry Larkin was frank about a missed opportunity during the 11th inning of the Reds' loss to the Cardinals on Wednesday.

Paul Goldschmidt slugged his 32nd and 33rd homers to highlight a five-RBI performance, Corey Dickerson set a franchise record for consecutive hits and the St. Louis Cardinals rolled to an 8-3 win over the Chicago Cubs.

Javier Assad pitched four scoreless innings in his major league debut and combined with four relievers on a five-hitter as the Chicago Cubs cooled off the St. Louis Cardinals 2-0 in the first game of a doubleheader.

Albert Pujols hit career homer No. 693, Jordan Montgomery pitched a one-hitter and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Chicago Cubs 1-0 for their season-high eighth straight victory.

Albert Pujols hit career homer No. 693, Jordan Montgomery pitched a one-hitter and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Chicago Cubs 1-0 on Monday for their season-high eighth straight victory. Pujols led off the seventh with a drive to left-center for his seventh homer in his last 10 games and No. 14 overall in his final big league season. Drew Smyly became the 449th pitcher to surrender a homer to the 42-year-old Pujols, who matched Barry Bonds for the major league record.

Yadier Molina rejoined the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday after traveling to his native Puerto Rico for the end of his basketball team's championship run. The 40-year-old Molina owns the Vaqueros de Bayamón, who play in the Baloncesto Superior Nacional league. Bayamón beat San Germán 75-61 on Saturday to clinch its 16th BSN title.

The St. Louis Cardinals are one of the few teams with too many options. The jumbo digs were eventually assigned to Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina, and who could really argue? Across the room was 34-year-old Paul Goldschmidt, one of the game's best first basemen who is a seven-time All-Star and in the midst of an MVP-caliber campaign.

Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols blasted two more homers, pushing his career total to 692 and helping St. Louis beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 16-7.

St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina was put on the restricted list Saturday and is expected to miss the next two games. Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said Molina left for “business matters” and is expected to return to the team on Monday. Marmol added that the star previously asked permission to leave for the weekend and the request was granted.

Nolan Arenado and Paul DeJong both homered and drove in four runs to help the St. Louis Cardinals outlast the New York Yankees 12-9, completing a three-game sweep.

Adam Wainwright pitched seven spotless innings with longtime catcher Yadier Molina back behind the plate, and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Chicago Cubs 6-0.

The Juan Soto sweepstakes come down to the wire, with baseball’s trade deadline fast approaching at 6 p.m. EDT.

When Juan Soto turned down a $440 million, 15-year deal to stay with the Washington Nationals, it ensured Tuesday’s trade deadline would have a little juice.

St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado and first baseman Paul Goldschmidt won’t travel to Toronto for a short series with the Blue Jays because they haven’t received the COVID-19 vaccination.

Tommy Edman hit a two-run homer with two outs in the ninth inning for the first walkoff RBI of his major league career, lifting the St. Louis Cardinals over Cincinnati 5-4 in yet another Reds bullpen collapse.

Tommy Edman hit a two-run homer with two outs in the ninth inning for the first walkoff RBI of his major league career, lifting the St. Louis Cardinals over Cincinnati 5-4 on Saturday in yet another Reds bullpen collapse. “Off the bat, I honestly didn't think it was going to get out,” Edman said. St. Louis pitcher Adam Wainwright and catcher Yadier Molina made their 316th start together, tying the Boston and Milwaukee Braves’ Warren Spahn and Del Crandall for second-most behind the 324 of Detroit’s Mickey Lolich and Bill Freehan.

Shane McClanahan pitched eight superb innings to win his fifth consecutive start and the Tampa Bay Rays completed a three-game sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals with a 2-1 victory.

Josh Hader escaped a ninth-inning jam in his 37th straight scoreless appearance and the Milwaukee Brewers held off the St. Louis Cardinals 4-3 for their third straight win.

Minus injured slugger Giancarlo Stanton, the ailing New York Yankees open a four-game series at Tampa Bay — the first meeting this year between the heated AL East rivals.

A pair of Cy Young Award winners are on the mound when Corbin Burnes and the Milwaukee Brewers visit Blake Snell and the San Diego Padres in a matchup between two of the National League's top teams Tuesday night.

The St. Louis Cardinals placed star catcher Yadier Molina on the bereavement list on Monday. The Cardinals also announced that right-hander Alex Reyes is going to have shoulder surgery later this month. The 27-year-old Reyes met with Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles on Monday.

First, Albert Pujols.

Albert Pujols hit two home runs, then caught the warmup tosses when star catcher Yadier Molina made his first pitching appearance to close out the St. Louis Cardinals' 18-4 romp over the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Albert Pujols hit two home runs, then caught the warmup tosses when star catcher Yadier Molina made his first pitching appearance to close out the St. Louis Cardinals' 18-4 romp over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday. Molina gave up a pair of homers and four runs while working the ninth inning, eventually completing the Cardinals' three-game sweep. Starter Steven Matz lasted only four pitches before being pulled with stiffness in his left shoulder.

Hours after the Mets learned Max Scherzer will join fellow ace Jacob deGrom on the injured list, Pete Alonso kept New York rolling with a two-run homer in the 10th inning for a 7-6 win over the St. Louis Cardinals.

Mets ace Max Scherzer is scheduled for an MRI a day after pulling himself from a start with discomfort in his left side.

Marcus Stroman is set to come off the COVID-19 injured list and start for the Cubs against Arizona.

Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina set a major league record for wins by a starting battery as the St. Louis Cardinals routed the San Francisco Giants 15-6 in a game that ended with longtime slugger Albert Pujols on the mound.

Yadier Molina homered and drove in four runs and Adam Wainwright tossed six effective innings to lead the St. Louis Cardinals to a 15-6 win over the San Francisco Giants on Sunday night that ended with veteran slugger Albert Pujols on the mound. Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado each added a two-run homer for the Cardinals, who took two of three in the series after losing two of three to Baltimore. Goldschmidt drove in three runs.

Phillies star Bryce Harper is scheduled to get a platelet-rich plasma injection to help with a small tear in his right elbow, causing him to miss the series finale at Dodger Stadium.

Dakota Hudson and a quartet of relievers combined to help the St. Louis Cardinals stop San Francisco’s six-game winning streak, blanking the Giants 4-0.

Rylan Bannon became just the third Baltimore player since 2000 to get a hit on the first pitch of his big league career, Jorge Mateo and Anthony Bemboom homered and the Orioles beat the St. Louis Cardinals 3-2.

Adam Wainwright pitched seven innings of one-hit ball, Nolan Arenado hit a three-run shot and finished with five RBIs, and the Cardinals beat the Royals 10-0 to take their four-game season series.

Adam Wainwright pitched seven innings of one-hit ball, Nolan Arenado hit a three-run shot and finished with five RBIs, and the St. Louis Cardinals routed the Kansas City Royals 10-0 on Wednesday to take their four-game season series. Wainwright (3-3) allowed just a one-out single to Michael Taylor in the third against the weak-hitting Royals, whose only other baserunners against the 40-year-old right-hander came on a fielder's choice, an error and a walk. Tyler O'Neill hit a two-run homer for St. Louis and finished with three RBIs, one of them coming against struggling Royals starter Kris Bubic (0-3), who retired just one batter before he was pulled after 24 pitches.

Bobby Witt Jr. hit his first major league home run, Brad Keller pitched shutout ball into the seventh inning and the Kansas City Royals beat the St. Louis Cardinals 7-1 to end a four-game losing streak.

Adam Wainwright pitched six scoreless innings, Tyler O’Neill hit a three-run homer and drove in a career-high five, and the St. Louis Cardinals celebrated Albert Pujols’ return with a 9-0 season-opening win over the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Winners of the Roberto Clemente Award will wear his No. 21 on the back of their caps for the rest of their major league careers.

Cubs veteran Kyle Hendricks is set to deliver the first pitch of the season against Corbin Burnes and Milwaukee at Wrigley Field just past 2:20 p.m. EDT, the first of seven games still on the calendar amid rainy forecasts across the country.

There's a lot to catch up on from a bizarre baseball offseason before the 2022 season officially begins with first pitch at Wrigley Field.

Albert Pujols will be in the starting lineup for the St. Louis Cardinals against the Pittsburgh Pirates when he begins his final big league season Thursday in what should be an emotional return to Busch Stadium.

Primed to become the most prolific battery in baseball history, St. Louis Cardinals stars Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina didn’t always agree on everything. During one of their earliest outings at Triple-A Memphis, Wainwright kept shaking off Molina’s signs. After the game, Wainwright said the catcher got in his face.

The young man calling in the shots in the St. Louis Cardinals' dugout is new this season. In fact, the return of erstwhile slugger Albert Pujols to a clubhouse that still includes longtime St. Louis stalwarts Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina gives the club a decidedly old-school, nostalgic feel heading into the new season. "Oh, he's got something left," said Oliver Marmol, the youngest skipper in the big leagues at 35 years old, when asked about the return of the 42-year-old Pujols following more than a decade playing for the Dodgers and Angels in Los Angeles.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have so many stars this season that Clayton Kershaw is just one of the guys.

The full Shohei Ohtani experience will be on display when the Los Angeles Angels take the field on opening day.

Eager to get back to where he was, Justin Verlander says he still needs to get sharper.

Yadier Molina is back, and both he and the St. Louis Cardinals couldn’t be happier. After missing the first week of camp for personal reasons, the 39-year-old Molina arrived at the Cardinals' complex on Monday for what will likely be his final spring training. “It’s been tough the last couple of months but everything is all right right now,” Molina said.

It may look a little weird for a few days, but Freddie Freeman is officially wearing Dodger blue and Kris Bryant is donning the purple and black of the Colorado Rockies.

There are no more bargaining sessions on the calendar.

Harrison Bader and the St. Louis Cardinals clearly recognize their record is impressive. The Cardinals set a franchise mark with their 15th straight win, boosted when catcher Yadier Molina and center fielder Bader helped pull off a wild double play Saturday in an 8-5 win over the Chicago Cubs. “It’s hard to do something in this organization that’s never been done,” manager Mike Shildt said.

Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina appreciated the magnitude of the career milestone they reached Friday night. The longtime teammates formed St. Louis' starting battery for a 300th time and played key roles in the Cardinals' 15-4 blowout of the NL Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers. “Just a great moment, just a great day for me and Waino,” Molina said.

Getty ImagesJustin Verlander will start on three days of rest as the Astros try to put away the Rays in Game 4 of their AL Division Series at Tampa Bay. It will be Verlander's second career start on short rest - the other came after a one-inning, rain-shortened appearance in the 2011 ALDS. Never know what can happen," Verlander said after the Astros' 10-3 loss in Game 3 on Monday. "You can't put all your eggs in one basket and say if we lose tomorrow, we've got Justin and Gerrit (Cole) for Game 5. OTHER PLAYOFF NEWS The Cardinals and Braves are off before Wednesday's decisive Game 5 in Atlanta.