MLB Notes: MLB owners set to approve Mariners sale

Major League Baseball owners were set to vote Thursday on the proposed sale of a controlling stake in the Seattle Mariners from Nintendo of America to a group of minority owners led by John Stanton.

As part of the sale, Stanton will take over as control person from current chairman Howard Lincoln, who is retiring. The agreement was announced in April and approval is expected. The sale could close this week.

Nintendo, which took control of the team from Jeff Smulyan in 1992, is selling all but 10 percent of its stake in the franchise and the regional sports network ROOT Sports. The transition shifts the percentage of ownership shares within First Avenue Entertainment LLLP, which owns the franchise and a majority interest in ROOT Sports, holdings the team said in April were valued at $1.4 billion.

Stanton said then the minority ownership group includes 17 investors, and there will be no majority owner among the group.

Blue Jays brush off dugout spat

Blue Jays slugger Josh Donaldson and manager John Gibbons have brushed off their brief but heated exchange in the dugout at Yankee Stadium.

Donaldson slammed his bat in frustration as he returned to the bench after striking out for the second time against New York’s CC Sabathia. Gibbons took exception to the outburst and approached Donaldson and the two men – both wearing sunglasses – were nose-to-nose for a bit before teammates intervened. Donaldson, the designated hitter Wednesday, was removed after six innings of a 7-4 victory. The team said he jammed his right thumb during his final at-bat in the sixth, a groundout to second.

After the game, Donaldson joked that Gibbons just wanted a whiff of his cologne. Gibbons said the two were simply discussing the game.

Clearing the bases

Rays second baseman Nick Franklin was hit in the head on deck by a teammate’s bat and left the game with a head bruise against the Padres. Franklin passed a concussion protocol test. … The Indians placed righty Josh Tomlin on the family medical emergency list. Tomlin will be on the list for 3 to 5 days. … Catcher Geovany Soto was placed on the 15-day DL by the Angels for the third time this season. Soto was a late scratch from the lineup on Tuesday when his knee swelled.