Derek Jeter portrays Don Mattingly's job safe for 2019 season

With the Miami Marlins trying to avoid their third 100-loss season in franchise history, CEO/part-owner Derek Jeter on Thursday portrayed manager Don Mattingly's job as safe for the 2019 season.

When asked by reporters before Miami's home game against the Cincinnati Reds about his skipper's job status for next season, with the team entering Thursday owning a 59-92 record, Jeter replied, "Is he going to be back in 2019? He's under contract. Yeah."

Next year marks the final season of Mattingly's four-year contract. In his three seasons, the Marlins have not finished with a winning record. However, expectations entering this season were lowered after an offseason spent shedding higher-priced veteran players as the organization underwent a rebuild.

"I've been preaching patience," Jeter said, per the Miami Herald. "I've been finding I don't have much of it. But we're making progress and we're taking steps in that direction. It was an organization that had been broken. We have to fix that. I'd like for it to happen overnight."

--International Tennis Hall of Famer Billie Jean King and partner Ilana Kloss have become members of the Los Angeles Dodgers' ownership group, the team announced.

The 74-year-old King, who won 12 Grand Slam singles titles and 39 overall in a legendary career on and off the court, grew up as a Dodgers fan in Long Beach, Calif., and expressed her excitement to become minority owners along with her partner Kloss. The team will introduce the pair during a news conference Friday.

"I'm totally going to pinch myself ... I'm pinching myself already,'" King told the Los Angeles Times Thursday from her New York residence. "When you're born and raised a Southern California kid, you dream your dreams of coming back, but how could I have ever dreamed of something like this? Joining the Dodgers is my life coming full circle.'"

--Detroit Tigers right-hander Michael Fulmer underwent surgery to repair meniscus damage in his right knee, the team announced.

Orthopedic surgeon James Andrews didn't find extensive issues inside the knee. Fulmer is expected to be fully recovered by the time pitchers report to spring training in mid-February.

Fulmer underwent surgery on the same knee in 2013 when he was a member of the New York Mets' organization. The 25-year-old struggled through a poor season, going 3-12 with a 4.69 ERA in 24 starts. His last seven decisions were all losses.

--New York Mets infielder Wilmer Flores will miss the rest of the season with soreness in both knees, manager Mickey Callaway told reporters.

Callaway said that Flores has early-onset arthritis in both knees and will undergo injections. The 27-year-old hit .267 with 11 homers and 51 RBIs in 126 games this year.

"It's not like surgery is recommended at this time," Callaway told reporters before the Mets' game against the Washington Nationals. "I think rest and a couple injections is supposed to knock this out pretty good."

--Seattle Mariners slugger Nelson Cruz knows that his time with the franchise may be over soon with less than a dozen games left in the regular season.

The 38-year-old Cruz is a free agent following his latest standout campaign, and he said the Mariners have made no overtures toward keeping him with the team. That leaves the nagging thought that Cruz's tenure with the club may not continue in 2019.

Cruz has 359 career homers and 1,004 RBIs over 14 big league seasons, but there is no telling what the Mariners might decide after a strong start disintegrated into what will become the franchise's 17th straight season of missing the postseason, the longest such drought among the four major North American sports.

--Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Chad Kuhl underwent Tommy John surgery, the team announced.

The Pirates said the ulnar collateral ligament elbow reconstruction will sideline Kuhl approximately 14 to 16 months.

Kuhl went 5-5 with a 4.55 ERA in 16 starts this season with his final appearance occurring on June 26. He is 18-20 with a 4.37 ERA in 61 career starts over three seasons.