A look at what's happening all around the majors Tuesday:BEST OF 19Giancarlo Stanton and J.D. Martinez get their first swings in the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry when aces Luis Severino and Chris Sale start at Fenway Park in the opener of 19 games between the AL East powers. Boston has won eight in a row but is minus shortstop Xander Bogaerts, put on the 10-day disabled list because of a cracked bone in his left ankle. Stanton is still looking for his stroke — the NL MVP is hitting .167 with 20 strikeouts in 42 at-bats in his first year with New York.SHO HIMShohei Ohtani could return to the lineup when the Los Angeles Angels visit Texas. The two-way star from Japan pitched perfect ball into the seventh inning Sunday, then didn't start Monday. Ohtani has homered in his last three games as a designated hitter. He's batting .389, and is 2-0 on the mound.WRIGLEY WREADYThe Chicago Cubs try again to play their home opener, a day after a winter scene at Wrigley Field forced a snowout. The Cubs are... [More]

BALTIMORE (AP) — The Orioles have recalled 2013 first-round pick Hunter Harvey from Double-A Bowie to bolster their weary bullpen.Harvey, the son of former big league pitcher Bryan Harvey, has never pitched above Class A. The 23-year-old right-hander missed the 2015 season with an arm injury and had Tommy John surgery in July 2016.Harvey pitched a 18 2/3 innings last season for three low-level minor league teams.Baltimore's top pitching prospect arrived Monday after the Orioles played extra-inning games against the Yankees on Friday and Sunday. He replaces lefty Tanner Scott, who pitched Sunday and was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk.Manager Buck Showalter said Harvey "provides the only right-handed length that we have at this point."Harvey was scheduled to start Monday for Bowie. Since being drafted 22nd overall in 2013, Harvey is 7-8 with a 2.56 ERA in 38 games, all starts.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

SARASOTA, Fla. (AP) — Alex Cobb's comfort and familiarity with the AL East was the deciding factor in his decision to sign with the Baltimore Orioles."They used the AL East and the success I've had in it to their advantage," the 30-year-old right-hander said Wednesday after finalizing a $57 million, four-year contract. "They kept challenging me with it and I love the challenge of pitching in this division and they know that over the times we talked. They did a really good job of making me feel like this is where I need to be."Cobb gets $14 million in each of the first three seasons and $15 million in 2021, and he would earn a $500,000 bonus in each year he pitches 180 innings. Baltimore will defer $6.5 million from this year's salary and $4.5 million in each of the next three seasons.He gets $2 million of the deferred money on Nov. 30, 2022, and $1.8 million annually on Nov. 30 from 2023-32. If he doesn't pitch at least 130 innings in 2020, an additional $5.25 million of the final's year... [More]

The bullpen cart is back in the big leagues.Nearly a quarter-century since relievers stopped catching rides to the mound, the Arizona Diamondbacks said Tuesday they will use a buggy — topped by the requisite oversized team cap — to transport pitchers from both bullpens at Chase Field."I don't know how it will be getting driven in, but I think it's a cool idea and we'll have some fun with it," Diamondbacks closer candidate Archie Bradley said.With Major League Baseball looking for ways to speed up things, it's hard to tell whether this will save any time. But it's certain to be a hit with fans, especially the kids the game is trying to attract."I love it. I love it. I love," Cleveland manager Terry Francona said. "It brings a little personality. We're probably the only sport that can do something like that."The last known time a team in the majors used a motorized vehicle — some clubs had actual cars — to relay relievers was 1995, when the Milwaukee Brewers shuttled them in a motorcycle... [More]

The bullpen cart is back in the big leagues.Nearly a quarter-century since relievers stopped catching rides to the mound, the Arizona Diamondbacks said Tuesday they will use a buggy — topped by the requisite oversized team cap — to transport pitchers from both bullpens at Chase Field."I don't know how it will be getting driven in, but I think it's a cool idea and we'll have some fun with it," Diamondbacks closer candidate Archie Bradley said.With Major League Baseball looking for ways to speed up things, it's hard to tell whether this will save any time. But it's certain to be a hit with fans, especially the kids the game is trying to attract."I love it. I love it. I love," Cleveland manager Terry Francona said. "It brings a little personality. We're probably the only sport that can do something like that."The last known time a team in the majors used a motorized vehicle — some clubs had actual cars — to relay relievers was 1995, when the Milwaukee Brewers shuttled them in a motorcycle... [More]

SARASOTA, Fla. (AP) — The Baltimore Orioles began spring training on Wednesday with 35 pitchers and much uncertainty. Since last season ended, Baltimore shed four of its starters from the 2017 rotation: right-handers Jeremy Hellickson, Ubaldo Jimenez and Chris Tillman and left-hander Wade Miley.Who'll replace them and slot in behind right-handers Dylan Bundy and Kevin Gausman in 2018 is a mystery.Manager Buck Showalter said that eight pitchers could work in Grapefruit League games as starters. They include Bundy, Gausman, right-handers Miguel Castro, Hunter Harvey, Mike Wright and Gabriel Ynoa. Two Rule 5 draftees left-hander Nestor Cortes and right-hander Jose Mesa are also under consideration.Harvey, who was Baltimore's top draft pick in 2013, but had Tommy John surgery in 2016, won't start the season in the major leagues, though he could pitch for the Orioles later in the season.Castro was impressive in long relief last year and got a start on the next-to-last day of the 2017 season.Wright,... [More]

Harvey (elbow) is scheduled to visit Dr. James Andrews on Oct. 5, Eduardo Encina of the Baltimore Sun reports.

During the visit, the Orioles are expected to learn whether or not Harvey will require Tommy John surgery to address his chronic elbow discomfort, which sidelined him for the entire 2015 season. If such a procedure is necessarily, Harvey would likely be out of commission until 2017, putting a significant damper on his long-term outlook as a prospect.

Harvey has been shut down with elbow discomfort, MASN's Roch Kubatko reports.

The highly touted pitching prospect has had chronic elbow issues since July 2014, and now a trip to visit Dr. James Andrews is on tap. The order of events here certainly leads one to believe Tommy John surgery could be on the table. This would be devastating as Harvey would then be in line to go roughly three years without pitching in games -- a setback in his development that could take a good deal of his future potential off the table.

Harvey (elbow) is progressing nicely and will begin throwing off flat ground, MASN's Roch Kubatko reports.

The Orioles think Harvey could be ready to pitch in the Arizona Fall League, which would be huge for his prospects for 2016. When fully healthy, Harvey is one of the most electric, projectable starting pitchers in all the minor leagues. Unfortunately his owners in dynasty leagues have been playing the waiting game this season as Harvey has been out all season with a flexor mass muscle strain in his elbow. While it does not sound like Harvey will pitch in a minor league game this season, this news is still excellent for his long-term value.

Harvey (elbow) will begin a throwing program Sunday, Eduardo Encina of the Baltimore Sun reports.

It was feared earlier this season that Harvey would require Tommy John surgery after experiencing tightness in his right elbow in early May, but it appears the Orioles will try to circumvent that potential outing by taking the rest-and-rehab route with their young hurler. With Harvey already having been shelved for the past couple of months, it appears he's now feeling well enough to start working out again, in what figures to be a lengthy process. Don't expect to see him pitch in a competitive game setting for a few more weeks, if not longer.

Harvey (elbow) received a platelet-rich plasma injection Monday and will be shut down for six weeks, Roch Kubatko of MASN reports.

Harvey, who has strained flexor mass, sought a second opinion on his elbow from Dr. James Andrews, who prescribed the PRP injection. He'll be re-evaluated after the six weeks are up, at which point a more accurate return timetable should be available. The hope is that the prospect will avoid dreaded Tommy John surgery.

Harvey (elbow) will receive a second opinion from Dr. James Andrews on Monday, Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports reports.

The Orioles initial recommendation for Harvey's mass flexor strain was rest, but he'll receive multiple opinions to ensure the long-term health of his arm. The young prospect posted another solid season in 2014, but the hope avoiding Tommy John surgery would be the best-case scenario.

Harvey was diagnosed with a strain of the flexor mass muscle in his elbow and he will be out indefinitely, the Baltimore Sun's Dan Connolly reports.

While the team is saying that they still don't believe surgery will be necessary, it's hard to share their optimism. Considering how far Harvey is from the big leagues, this will have zero impact on his 2015 value, but in dynasty leagues there is a chance that this elbow issue could push back his big-league ETA by a year or more. Fellow O's pitching prospect Dylan Bundy is a good test case if Harvey does end up needing Tommy John surgery, as the team has been extremely cautious in bringing Bundy back.

Harvey (elbow) will be out indefinitely with tightness in his right elbow, The Baltimore Sun reports.

The Orioles don't think Harvey will require surgery for his elbow injury, but they are going to shut him down for a period of time and see how his shoulder responds. The team will seek a second opinion, but manager Buck Showalter thinks Harvey will still be able to pitch again at some point this season. Just if and when that will occur are uncertain at this point following Harvey's latest setback.

Harvey will be examined by doctors Wednesday after feeling elbow tightness following his last start at extended spring training, the Baltimore Sun's Eduardo Encina reports.

He was working his way back from a hairline fracture in his right shin that he suffered in spring training and he left Sunday's start after just two innings. The hope was that Harvey was getting close to joining a minor league affiliate, but his status is now very much up in the air. Harvey flew to Baltimore on Tuesday and will see team orthopedist Dr. Michael Jacobs on Wednesday, at which point an MRI will also be performed to see if there is any structural damage. He was shut down for the final month of 2014 with elbow tightness and was diagnosed with a flexor mass strain but was given a clean MRI in October and cleared to resume a regular offseason throwing program. Harvey is the Orioles' second best prospect behind Dylan Bundy, and a top-30 prospect in dynasty leagues when healthy, however if he ends up requiring Tommy John surgery that would drop him out of the top-50 prospects in baseball given how much his major-league ETA would be delayed.