A team-by-team look at the American League Central entering spring training, including key players each club acquired and lost, and dates of the first workout for pitchers and catchers, and the full squad:___Cleveland IndiansManager: Terry Francona (seventh season).2018: 91-71, first place, lost to Houston in Division Series.Training Town: Goodyear, Arizona.Park: Goodyear Ballpark.First Workout: Feb. 14/18.He's Here: 1B-DH Carlos Santana, 1B Jake Bauers, C Kevin Plawecki, OF Jordan Luplow, RHP Chih-Wei Hu, RHP Nick Wittgren, LHP Oliver Perez, INF Ryan Flaherty, C Dioner Navarro.He's Outta Here: OF Michael Brantley, DH Edwin Encarnacion, LHP Andrew Miller, RHP Cody Allen, C Yan Gomes, 1B Yonder Alonso, 3B Yandy Diaz, 2B Erik Gonzalez.Going campin': The Indians followed up a third straight AL Central title with another postseason disappointment, getting swept in the Division Series by Houston. The offseason goal was to reduce payroll, and the Indians went at their roster with a wrecking ball.... [More]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Royals have signed right-hander Kyle Zimmer to a one-year contract, and designated infielder Cheslor Cuthbert for assignment.Zimmer was selected by Kansas City in the first round, fifth overall, of the 2012 draft. The 27-year-old has dealt with injuries throughout his career, going 12-19 with a 3.54 ERA in 85 appearances, including 49 starts. He has totaled 310 strikeouts and 90 walks in 259 innings in the minors.Under the deal announced Friday, Zimmer will earn $555,000 if he is in the majors next season, and $124,000 in the minors.The 26-year-old Cuthbert hit .194 with three homers and seven RBIs in 30 games with the Royals last season.___More AP baseball: www.apnews.com/MLB and www.twitter.com/AP_Sports

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals signed infielder Cheslor Cuthbert, left-hander Brian Flynn and right-hander Jesse Hahn to one-year contracts for next season Thursday ahead of baseball's non-tender deadline.Cuthbert will earn $850,000 while Flynn and Hahn will make $800,000. Cuthbert and Hahn could also earn a $50,000 bonus if they are selected to the All-Star Game.Cuthbert appeared in 30 games last season, hitting .194 with three homers and seven RBIs. But he could be in line for more playing time as the Royals look toward the future.Flynn was 3-5 with a 4.04 ERA in 48 games out of the bullpen, while Hahn missed the entire season with elbow trouble before having surgery in late August. He isn't expected to pitch until the summer.___More AP sports: https://apnews.com/apf-sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

CHICAGO (AP) — The Kansas City Royals have placed outfielder Brian Goodwin on the 10-day disabled list with a left groin strain.Goodwin got hurt running the bases in the seventh inning of Saturday night's 5-4 loss to the New York Yankees in the second game of a doubleheader. Goodwin is 8 for 17 with a homer and four RBIs in five games with Kansas City after he was acquired in a trade with Washington.The Royals also promoted first baseman/outfielder Ryan O'Hearn from Triple-A Omaha on Tuesday. Infielder Cheslor Cuthbert, who is out with a lower back strain, was transferred to the 60-day DL.O'Hearn is serving as the designated hitter for Kansas City's series opener against the Chicago White Sox. It's his major league debut.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

BOSTON (AP) — Mookie Betts belted three solo homers and J.D. Martinez also went deep, powering the Boston Red Sox to a 5-4 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday.It was the fourth three-homer game for the 25-year-old Betts, snapping a tie with Hall of Famer Ted Williams for most three-homer games in franchise history.AL East-leading Boston won for the third time in four games after losing 7-6 in 13 innings on Tuesday night.Cheslor Cuthbert homered for Kansas City, and Drew Butera had a two-run double. Danny Duffy (0-4) was tagged for five runs and 10 hits in 6 2/3 innings.Drew Pomeranz (1-1) worked six innings for the win and Craig Kimbrel struck out the side in the ninth for his eighth save.YANKEES 4, ASTROS 0HOUSTON (AP) — Luis Severino pitched a five-hitter and struck out 10 for his first career complete game while Giancarlo Stanton homered twice and drove in all four runs for New York.The Yankees have beaten Houston by the exact same 4-0 score for tow straight days.Severino... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — Mookie Betts belted three solo homers and J.D. Martinez also went deep, powering the Boston Red Sox to a 5-4 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday.It was the fourth three-homer game for the 25-year-old Betts, snapping a tie with Hall of Famer Ted Williams for most three-homer games in franchise history.AL East-leading Boston won for the third time in four games after losing 7-6 in 13 innings on Tuesday night.Cheslor Cuthbert homered for Kansas City, and Drew Butera had a two-run double. Danny Duffy (0-4) was tagged for five runs and 10 hits in 6 2/3 innings.Drew Pomeranz (1-1) worked six innings for the win and Craig Kimbrel struck out the side in the ninth for his eighth save.INDIANS 12, RANGERS 4CLEVELAND (AP) — Edwin Encarnacion homered three times and drove in six runs, helping the Indians to the runaway win.Encarnacion hit a three-homer in the first, a two-run shot in the second and a solo drive in the eighth. The designated hitter leads the team with nine... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — Mookie Betts belted three solo homers and J.D. Martinez also went deep, powering the Boston Red Sox to a 5-4 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday.It was the fourth three-homer game for the 25-year-old Betts, snapping a tie with Hall of Famer Ted Williams for most three-homer games in franchise history.AL East-leading Boston won for the third time in four games after losing 7-6 in 13 innings on Tuesday night.Cheslor Cuthbert homered for Kansas City, and Drew Butera had a two-run double. Danny Duffy (0-4) was tagged for five runs and 10 hits in 6 2/3 innings.Drew Pomeranz (1-1) worked six innings for the win and Craig Kimbrel struck out the side in the ninth for his eighth save.INDIANS 12, RANGERS 4CLEVELAND (AP) — Edwin Encarnacion homered three times and drove in six runs, helping the Indians to the runaway win.Encarnacion hit a three-homer in the first, a two-run shot in the second and a solo drive in the eighth. The designated hitter leads the team with nine... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — Royals slugger Mike Moustakas has left Kansas City's game against the Boston Red Sox after getting hit by a pitch in the first inning.The team says X-rays were negative and Moustakas has a bruised right forearm. He was plunked by Red Sox lefty Eduardo Rodriguez.Moustakas is the Royals' regular third baseman. In a late lineup switch, he started at designated hitter Monday night, with Cheslor Cuthbert playing third.Abraham Almonte pinch-hit for Moustakas in the top of the second inning.Moustakas began the night batting .302 with eight homers and 19 RBIs.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Nick Kingham carried a perfect game into the seventh inning in his major league debut to lead the Pittsburgh Pirates to their fifth straight win, 5-0 over the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday.Kingham, a 26-year-old rookie right-hander, retired 20 straight before Paul DeJong singled down the left-field line with two outs in the seventh. He finished with one hit and nine strikeouts on 98 pitches (72 strikes) after being recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis earlier in the day.He joined Johnny Cueto as the only pitchers in the last 100 years with one hit allowed, at least nine strikeouts and zero walks in a debut.Luke Weaver (2-2) took the loss after allowing four runs and six hits with six strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings.RED SOX 4, RAYS 3BOSTON (AP) — Sandy Leon hit a go-ahead RBI single with two outs in the eighth inning against Tampa Bay closer Alex Colome (2-3), helping the Red Sox snap the Rays' eight-game winning streak.J.D. Martinez had four singles and drove in two runs for... [More]

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Nick Kingham carried a perfect game into the seventh inning in his major league debut to lead the Pittsburgh Pirates to their fifth straight win, 5-0 over the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday.Kingham, a 26-year-old rookie right-hander, retired 20 straight before Paul DeJong singled down the left-field line with two outs in the seventh. He finished with one hit and nine strikeouts on 98 pitches (72 strikes) after being recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis earlier in the day.He joined Johnny Cueto as the only pitchers in the last 100 years with one hit allowed, at least nine strikeouts and zero walks in a debut.Luke Weaver (2-2) took the loss after allowing four runs and six hits with six strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings.RED SOX 4, RAYS 3BOSTON (AP) — Sandy Leon hit a go-ahead RBI single with two outs in the eighth inning against Tampa Bay closer Alex Colome (2-3), helping the Red Sox snap the Rays' eight-game winning streak.J.D. Martinez had four singles and drove in two runs for... [More]

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — For the second consecutive season, the San Francisco Giants will be without injured ace Madison Bumgarner for a while.Bumgarner broke a bone in his pitching hand Friday when it was hit by a line drive off the bat of Kansas City's Whit Merrifield during a spring training game.The Giants said X-rays showed the 28-year-old fractured the fifth metacarpal on the outside of his left hand. Bumgarner said the timeline for recovery is four to six weeks and he will have a pin inserted into his pinkie Saturday."It's tough. But I can handle it," Bumgarner said. "These guys can handle it. This obviously was not what I was expecting out of my last start. But it happened and I can deal with it."Bumgarner, the 2014 World Series MVP, missed nearly three months with a shoulder injury last season after a dirt bike accident on April 20 during an off day in Colorado.His latest setback is a huge blow to the Giants as they try to rebound from a surprising last-place finish in the NL West... [More]

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — For the second consecutive season, the San Francisco Giants will be without injured ace Madison Bumgarner for a while.Bumgarner broke a bone in his pitching hand Friday when it was hit by a line drive off the bat of Kansas City's Whit Merrifield during a spring training game.The Giants said X-rays showed the 28-year-old fractured the fifth metacarpal on the outside of his left hand. Bumgarner said the timeline for recovery is four to six weeks and he will have a pin inserted into his pinkie Saturday."It's tough. But I can handle it," Bumgarner said. "These guys can handle it. This obviously was not what I was expecting out of my last start. But it happened and I can deal with it."Bumgarner, the 2014 World Series MVP, missed nearly three months with a shoulder injury last season after a dirt bike accident on April 20 during an off day in Colorado.His latest setback is a huge blow to the Giants as they try to rebound from a surprising last-place finish in the NL West... [More]

SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) — Mike Moustakas could be back at third base for Kansas City on Saturday, one week after re-signing with the Royals.Moustakas, who set a Royals season record with 38 home runs last year, had some at-bats in a minor league game Thursday."If he feels good, we'll progress him to DHing Friday and maybe Saturday hit the field for maybe four innings," Royals manager Ned Yost said.Moustakas became a free agent, failed to attract a long-term deal he desired, then returned to the Royals for a one-year contract that guarantees $6.5 million.Yost said he wants to use Cheslor Cuthbert some at first base."It's just really lack of experience and playing time over there is all he needs," Yost said. "He's been handling the nuances of the position with no problem."Yost said left-hander Danny Duffy will have his second straight opening-day start, against the Chicago White Sox on March 29, and be followed in the rotation by Ian Kennedy would start the second game.Outfielder Bubba Starling, a 2011 first-round draft pick, almost certainly will start the season on the 60-day disabled list with a pulled oblique."I'll be out for a good four weeks," Starling said. "It will be a few weeks into the season I miss. I'd rather do this than have it gradually get worse. I'll take that over having it mess with me all year."He has not played since March 4, when he injured the oblique on a swing against Cincinnati.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) — There was an unexpected reunion in the Kansas City Royals' camp Saturday: Welcome back, sort of, Mike Moustakas.After setting the Royals' single-season home run record with 38 last season, Moustakas filed for free agency. He rejected a $17.4 million qualifying offer in November.The Royals had been grooming Cheslor Cuthbert as a replacement at third. Manager Ned Yost said he needed to find ways to get Cuthbert at least 500 plate appearances.Moustakas, however, never received the multiyear, mega-million dollar contract he and his agent Scott Boras anticipated. The Royals signed Moustakas to a one-year $6.5 million contract this week with a mutual option for 2019. Moustakas can make another $2.2 million in incentives this year based on plate-appearances, beginning at 225."It's fortunate the way it happened for us the way it did," Royals general manager Dayton Moore said Saturday. "That's as simply as I can say it at this time."Moustakas passed his physical and was in... [More]

Mike Moustakas is staying with the Kansas City Royals in a surprising turn dictated by a historically slow free-agent market.Kansas City agreed Thursday to a one-year contract that guarantees the third baseman $6.5 million, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.The deal could be worth up to $22.7 million over two seasons, the person said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the agreement was subject to a successful physical.Moustakas gets a $5.5 million salary this year and has the chance to earn $2.2 million in performance bonuses based on plate appearances. The agreement, reached exactly three weeks before opening day, includes a $15 million mutual option for 2019 with a $1 million buyout.The 29-year-old infielder turned down a $17.4 million, one-year qualifying offer from the Royals in November. But he found the interest of many other teams dimmed because a deal would have required compensation such as a loss of draft picks and/or international signing... [More]

SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) — It wasn't so much about who was on the field for Kansas City Royals' first full-squad workout of spring training. It was more notable who wasn't there.Several cornerstones of the Kansas City teams that reached the World Series in 2014 and 2015 are in other camps or are still looking for places to play.First baseman Eric Hosmer agreed to a $144 million contract with the San Diego Padres. Center fielder Lorenzo Cain signed with the Milwaukee Brewers. Left-hander Jason Vargas, an 18-game winner in 2017, signed with the New York Mets. Third baseman Mike Moustakas, who hit a franchise-record 38 home runs last year, remains unsigned.The Royals clubhouse is full of young, unproven talent pursing a chance to break into the majors or prove they are everyday players."The opportunity is abundant and they know that," manager Ned Yost said. "There's probably a higher level of excitement because of the new guys. I'm interested and excited to see what they bring to the table.""Normally,... [More]

SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals came to camp Sunday and finally knew for sure: Eric Hosmer was gone.The move was not unexpected, but they had been dreading this day.Hosmer agreed to an eight-year, $144 million contract with the San Diego Padres this weekend, leaving the Royals with a big void at first base and in the clubhouse."I had a pretty good sense about four days ago that it probably wasn't going to work out here," Royals general manager Dayton Moore said. "You still hold out hope. We began to develop a mindset that he is probably going in a different direction."The 28-year-old Hosmer hit a career-best .318 last year with 25 home runs. He is a four-time Gold Glove winner and was the MVP of the 2016 All-Star Game, which was played in San Diego. Hosmer helped the Royals to back-to-back World Series appearances, and they won it all in 2015."Eric Hosmer was a huge part of that," Moore said. "We're forever grateful for his leadership, what he meant and does mean to this organization.... [More]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The offseason Royals fans have been dreading for years has come and gone, and now a team that could bear little resemblance to its championship past is ready to report to spring training in Arizona.Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas could be playing elsewhere. Lorenzo Cain is already headed to camp with Milwaukee. The only core member that reached free agency who will be back is shortstop Alcides Escobar, who agreed to one-year contract with Kansas City with nothing else materialized.One thing the Royals aren't going to do: tank.General manager Dayton Moore insisted they will not regress to their 100-loss past, even if Hosmer and Moustakas also sign with other teams. He's confident that a relatively weak farm system can replace those big names, and that the Royals will at least be competitive by opening day."If anybody thinks we're going to settle for mediocrity," Moore said, "or allow our players to be overmatched on a consistent basis, not put a competitive team on... [More]

3B Cheslor Cuthbert normally would have started in Mike Moustakas' place at third, but he is having a gall bladder issue and was unavailable. Rookie Ramon Torres instead started.

3B Cheslor Cuthbert made his 23rd start at third base. He is hitting .286, 8-for-28, with a home run and seven RBIs in 12 games since coming off the disabled list on Aug. 8. He went 0-for-2 with a walk and scored a run in the Wednesday loss. Manager Ned Yost said he is trying to keep "Cuthbert as sharp as we can."