Apr 19, 2022 4 min read

There will be a new pitch on Major League Baseball fields next season.

The San Diego Padres became the first team to announce a deal for ads on their uniforms, saying Tuesday that patches with a Motorola logo will be worn on the sleeves of their jerseys.

The March 10 memorandum of understanding for a new collective bargaining agreement between MLB and the players’ association gave the 30 teams the right to sell patch ads on uniforms and sticker ads on helmets. The sides adopted an Aug. 6, 2021, proposal by MLB to amend a section of the Official Baseball Rules which states: “No part of the uniform shall include patches or designs relating to commercial advertisement.”

MLB’s proposal read: “Notwithstanding the foregoing or anything else in these rules, a club may license to third-party commercial sponsors the right to place their name, logos and/or marks on the uniform, provided that the patch or design is approved in advance by the Office of the Commissioner after consultation with the players’ association.”

MLB decided to launch the uniform ads with the 2023 season and says it may start the helmet ads with this year’s postseason.

The Padres will have the ads on the right sleeves of left-handed hitters and pitchers, and the left sleeves of righties – so as to face cameras more often.

Baseball has had ads in the past for special events.

Among other North American leagues, the NBA started selling sponsorship logos for the 2017-18 season. The NHL launched helmet ads for the 2020-21 season and began jersey advertising this season.

National League

N.Y. Mets 5, San Francisco 4: Francisco Lindor lined a walk-off single in the 10th after a big stretch by Pete Alonso bailed out him and the Mets in the top of the inning, and New York beat the San Francisco Giants 5-4 Tuesday to open a doubleheader.

Lindor ripped a clean single to center against Jarlín García (1-1), scoring automatic runner Brandon Nimmo from third. He was mobbed by teammates in the infield, with Alonso trying to rip off his uniform.

Alonso certainly earned the souvenir. A half-inning earlier, Lindor’s throw on Thairo Estrada’s grounder pulled the first baseman off the bag, apparently allowing Brandon Belt to score from third with two outs.

Replays showed Alonso just barely held the base with his right foot – Alonso jumped for joy when a freeze frame appeared on the video board – and umpires overruled the safe call. The grab kept Adam Ottavino (1-0) in line for the win.

Washington 6, Arizona 1: Victor Robles stepped to the plate batting .045 when his RBI double provided Washington’s first hit off Arizona starter Madison Bumgarner with two outs in the fifth inning, and the Nationals beat the Diamondbacks 6-1 in the opener of a split doubleheader before a record-low announced crowd of 9,261.

Other than in 2020 and 2021, when there were limits on spectators because of the coronavirus pandemic, that was the fewest fans at a Nationals home game since the team moved to Washington from Montreal for the 2005 season. The previous low was 10,999 for a game against Houston in September 2010.

Josiah Gray (2-1) went 5 1/3 innings for Washington, allowing just one run and three hits with two walks and eight strikeouts against Arizona’s struggling lineup.

American League

Red Sox add to COVID list: Boston Red Sox catcher Christian Vázquez and infielder Jonathan Araúz have been added to the COVID-19 related injury list.

The team announced their additions Tuesday, a day after catcher Kevin Plawecki and two staffers tested positive for the virus.

Right-handed pitcher Tyler Danish was recalled from Worcester and Boston selected the contract of outfielder Rob Refsnyder from the Triple-A farm team to take their places on the roster.

Boston opened a three-game series against Toronto on Tuesday night.

After Sunday’s 8-1 victory over the Twins, Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Boston expected to be without multiple unvaccinated players for an upcoming series at Toronto.