Jeff Passan

Atlanta Braves outfielder Jurickson Profar will miss the entire 2026 season after his appeal of a positive PED test was resolved. He will serve a 162-game suspension for testing positive a second time and will be ineligible for postseason play.

@MitchIntille It was my pleasure! It's so interesting, though, that my camera roll seems to have a different photo than yours.

@JeffPassan I appreciate you flicking up with me outside the WS in 2021!

Baseball is the world's game. If you don't believe that, listen to Bryce Harper, who spent some time after his incredible home run and painful loss telling me why the WBC is so great and how different baseball cultures enrich the game. Column free at ESPN: espn.com/mlb/story/_/id…

Venezuela is a magnificent baseball country, rich with history, full of life, with a love and passion for the game that makes it better. Their players have been moved to tears with good reason. Baseball means everything to them. This means everything to them.

FINAL: Venezuela 3, United States 2 Venezuela wins the World Baseball Classic in a game that lived up to the tournament’s name. Superlative pitching, excellent defense, clutch swings -- the biggest of them Eugenio Suárez’s go-ahead double in the ninth inning. An incredible show.

And Venezuela takes the lead right back. A leadoff walk from Garrett Whitlock, a Javier Sanoja stolen base and an Eugenio Suárez double into the left-center gap puts Venezuela ahead, 3-2, in the top of the ninth. No outs, either, so Venezuela can tack on more.

A swing of beauty.

Bryce Harper, American hero. An absolute tank to center field off Andrés Machado, replete with an end-over-end bat flip and the entire United States dugout emptying, ties the WBC finals 2-2 in the eighth inning. One of the most epic home runs you're ever going to see.

Through seven innings, Team USA has two hits and hasn't gotten a runner past first. A disaster of a night offensively -- and a continuation of the United States' greatest a weakness throughout the World Baseball Classic. They've got six outs to remedy that. Venezuela leads, 2-0.

Wilyer Abreu just took Nolan McLean out to dead center. A monster shot from one of the purest swings in baseball. Venezuela leads the U.S., 2-0, and Eduardo Rodriguez has carved through four innings, allowing only one hit.

First blood goes to Venezuela. A looping single to right by Salvador Perez, a walk by Ronald Acuña Jr., a wild pitch by Nolan McLean to advance them and a one-out sacrifice fly by Maikel Garcia gives Venezuela a 1-0 lead over Team USA in the World Baseball Classic finals.

Team USA will wear game-worn U.S. Olympic hockey sweaters to LoanDepot Park today for the WBC final against Venezuela. Center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong and Olympic gold medalist Jack Hughes are partners with Fanatics, which delivered the jerseys for every member of Team USA.

FINAL: Venezuela 4, Italy 2 Venezuela, one of the world’s most baseball-rich countries, will face Team USA for the World Baseball Classic championship Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET after a comeback win to end Italy’s spirited run. LoanDepot Park is going to be a madhouse tomorrow night.

Venezuela is clutching up big-time in the WBC semifinals. Trailing 2-1 to Italy, Ronald Acuña Jr., Maikel Garcia and Luis Arráez all laced two-out RBI singles to give Venezuela a 4-2 lead in the seventh. LoanDepot Park, filled with Venezuelans, is going nuts. Amazing atmosphere.

Another possibility for Italy, per sources: Aaron Nola and Michael Lorenzen both pitch tonight -- and, if they advance, manager Francisco Cervelli goes full bullpen game in the finals against Team USA. At this point in the WBC, it's an all-hands-on-deck approach for the Italians.

Aaron Nola is starting for Italy tonight in its WBC semifinal game against Venezuela, sources tell ESPN. A change in plans, pivoting from Michael Lorenzen, who would go in a potential final against Team USA -- which he beat in pool play. @DanielAlvarezEE was first on the news.

“I think you ask any guy in this clubhouse, on both sides, it was definitely a special game tonight.” On a night that lived up to the hype, and a game-ending call that left a baseball-loving nation in heartbreak. … espn.com/mlb/story/_/id…

"100% it was a ball." The spectacular USA-Dominican Republic WBC semifinal game was marred by blown calls -- including one that ended the game. I spoke with Geraldo Perdomo, Juan Soto and DR GM Nelson Cruz about it. Here's what they said, free at ESPN: espn.com/mlb/story/_/id…

FINAL: United States 2, Dominican Republic 1 Team USA advances to the World Baseball Class final in a tremendous, tense game where all three runs came on homers. Roman Anthony provided the game winner, and the U.S. bullpen made it hold up with 4.2 shutout against a juggernaut.