SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) — Salvador Pérez was back behind the plate for the first time since Tommy John surgery.The six-time All-Star caught the first four innings of the Kansas City Royals' 3-1 loss to a San Francisco split squad on Friday."I was super-excited to be back behind the home plate," Pérez said. "I feel great. I feel good. I wasn't nervous."A five-time Gold Glove winner, the 29-year-old had not caught in a game since Sept. 26, 2018.Pérez hurt a ligament in his right elbow during drills in spring training last year, and Los Angeles Dodgers team physician Dr. Neal ElAttrache performed Tommy John surgery on March 6."It was emotional," Pérez said. "It was kind of like opening day -- once you catch the first pitch, it's a regular game. I blocked some balls, threw to second base between innings. It was all great."Trevor Rosenthal struck out two in a perfect inning.Darrin Ruf hit a two-run homer in the second off Ian Kennedy. Jeison Guzman, who turned 21 in October, homered in the ninth.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

PHOENIX (AP) — Clayton Kershaw struck out four batters without allowing a hit in his spring training debut Friday, the first step toward a possible opening day start for the Los Angeles Dodgers.Kershaw, the Dodgers’ longtime ace, faced a Milwaukee Brewers lineup with five expected regulars, including Brock Holt and Keston Hiura at the top of the order. He struck out both on three pitches each to open the bottom of the first.After two walks and a strikeout of the final batter he faced, Kershaw was done after 1 2/3 innings and left with a 1-0 lead. The Brewers came back for a win.“It was awesome. Maybe I didn’t hit one spot, but physically I felt like the ball was coming out, felt like it was breaking the right say,” Kershaw said. “Now just got to figure out how to throw strikes, but other than that, it was a good first step for sure.”Kershaw said his fastballs, which hit up to 93 mph, had life on them as they reached home plate. He left to a standing ovation from the Dodgers fans at American... [More]

JUPITER, Fla. (AP) — Zack Greinke wants to sharpen his slider without neglecting his other pitches.“Sometimes if you spend a lot of time on something new, the stuff you do good sometimes suffers from it,” Greinke said Friday after his first spring training outing. “You've got to, No. 1, make sure your other stuff stays good, then, hopefully, improve in some ways.”Greinke arrived at spring training on Feb. 22, nine days after the voluntary reporting date, preferring to stay on his own program.”Everybody's worried about him not being in camp,” new manager Dusty Baker said. "That shows that he's been working. He came to camp ready.”Greinke mixed about a half dozen sliders into his two-inning, 28-pitch outing for Houston in a 6-4 victory over the Miami Marlins. The 36-year-old right-hander threw 22 strikes.“The second inning was much better than the first inning, slider wise,” catcher Martín Maldonado said.Greinke's fastball approached 90 mph. He struck out three of seven batters, mixing in... [More]

PHOENIX (AP) — Clayton Kershaw struck out four batters without allowing a hit in his spring training debut Friday, the first step toward a possible opening day start for the Los Angeles Dodgers.Kershaw, the Dodgers’ longtime ace, faced a Milwaukee Brewers lineup with five expected regulars, including Brock Holt and Keston Hiura at the top of the order. He struck out both on three pitches each to open the bottom of the first.After two walks and a strikeout of the final batter he faced, Kershaw was done after 1 2/3 innings and left with a 1-0 lead. The Brewers came back for a win.“It was awesome. Maybe I didn’t hit one spot, but physically I felt like the ball was coming out, felt like it was breaking the right say,” Kershaw said. “Now just got to figure out how to throw strikes, but other than that, it was a good first step for sure.”Kershaw said his fastballs, which hit up to 93 mph, had life on them as they reached home plate. He left to a standing ovation from the Dodgers fans at American... [More]

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (AP) — After getting cleared to play by a cardiologist, Brandon Nimmo could joke.“I guess I have a little bit larger heart," the New York Mets outfielder said Friday. “Hey, I’ve got a lot of love to give.”Nimmo was removed from the starting lineup before Wednesday's game against Houston.“They got a report from the cardiologist that they would just like to look at something that had gone on with the physical that we did,” Nimmo said. “This was something that happened in 2016 — something that I had to be pulled aside for. It’s something I had, and they wanted to re-check it.”After a series of tests and monitoring that included 24 hours with a wearable device, the 26-year-old was back in the lineup on Friday against St. Louis.The Mets became cautious when they noticed an irregularity in Nimmo’s electrocardiogram. Nimmo also underwent an echocardiogram to ensure he didn’t have thickened heart walls.“The layman way they put it for me was an ‘irregular heartbeat.’ But it... [More]

FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — His baby face and near constant smile may make him appear younger than his 23 years. But third baseman Rafael Devers already has parts of three seasons and a World Series championship on his resume. And after finishing 12th in American League MVP voting in his breakout 2019, the Red Sox believe Devers hasn't approached his ceiling yet.Devers hit .311 with 32 homers, 115 RBIs, an AL-leading 54 doubles, and a major league-leading 90 extra-base hits last season. He led the Red Sox in games played (156), hits (201), and average. With the departure of Mookie Betts in a trade to the Los Angeles Dodgers, Devers will be an even bigger part of Boston’s offense this season.“Especially as much as he’s improved his game defensively, he’s a huge part,” said manager Ron Roenicke. “The bat is good because of especially where it plays in the lineup and how we can push that lineup deeper makes it tough to pitch to us.”Roenicke expects to bat Devers second this season, behind likely... [More]

JUPITER, Fla. (AP) — Zack Greinke wants to sharpen his slider without neglecting his other pitches.“Sometimes if you spend a lot of time on something new, the stuff you do good sometimes suffers from it,” Greinke said Friday after his first spring training outing. “You've got to, No. 1, make sure your other stuff stays good, then, hopefully, improve in some ways.”Greinke arrived at spring training on Feb. 22, nine days after the voluntary reporting date, preferring to stay on his own program.”Everybody's worried about him not being in camp,” new manager Dusty Baker said. "That shows that he's been working. He came to camp ready.”Greinke mixed about a half dozen sliders into his two-inning, 28-pitch outing for Houston in a 6-4 victory over the Miami Marlins. The 36-year-old right-hander threw 22 strikes.“The second inning was much better than the first inning, slider wise,” catcher Martín Maldonado said.Greinke's fastball approached 90 mph. He struck out three of seven batters, mixing in... [More]

TAMPA. Fla. (AP) — New York Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton is upset over his latest injury, a strained right calf that could sideline him for opening day.“It makes it seem like I didn't take care of myself. which makes it more frustrating." Stanton said Friday. “I can't stop and feel sorry for myself.”Stanton was hurt Tuesday during outfield drills, and an MRI revealed a Grade 1 strain, the least serious on the scale. Stanton said his chance to play in the March 26 opener at Baltimore all depends on his progress "this week, next week.""Kind of get some slower movements the next few days and see where I'm at then," Stanton said.Known for his strenous workouts, Stanton played in just 18 games last season due a number of injuries, and he hit .288 with three homers in 59 at-bats. He had 38 homers in his first year with the Yankees in 2018, one season after hitting a career-high 59 for Miami.New York put a major league-record 30 players on the injured list last year, and there have been more injuries this year.All-Star pitcher Luis Severino had Tommy John surgery Thursday and will miss the entire season. Lefty James Paxton is projected to miss the first two months following back surgery and slugger Aaron Judge has been slowed by right shoulder soreness.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

GOODYEAR, Ariz. (AP) — Shane Bieber and all the young Indians starters have pretty much gotten used to being without stalwarts Corey Kluber and Trevor Bauer in Cleveland's rotation. They got a head start last season on what it would be like without them.“We didn't have much of a choice last year,” said Bieber, the MVP of the All-Star Game in Cleveland last summer. '"I guess that kind of benefits us moving forward in this year because we're already kind of familiar with it, and the roles that we have to step into."Kluber suffered a broken right forearm when struck by a comeback liner in his seventh start last season. That was three months before the Indians traded Bauer in a deadline deal, and two-time Cy Young winner Kluber sustained an oblique injury when close to his return. The unquestioned ace then got traded to Texas the week before Christmas by Cleveland, which initially exercised a $17.5 million contract option for Kluber only days after the season ended. With those All-Star pitchers... [More]

GOODYEAR, Ariz. (AP) — Shane Bieber and all the young Indians starters have pretty much gotten used to being without stalwarts Corey Kluber and Trevor Bauer in Cleveland's rotation. They got a head start last season on what it would be like without them.“We didn't have much of a choice last year,” said Bieber, the MVP of the All-Star Game in Cleveland last summer. '"I guess that kind of benefits us moving forward in this year because we're already kind of familiar with it, and the roles that we have to step into."Kluber suffered a broken right forearm when struck by a comeback liner in his seventh start last season. That was three months before the Indians traded Bauer in a deadline deal, and two-time Cy Young winner Kluber sustained an oblique injury when close to his return. The unquestioned ace then got traded to Texas the week before Christmas by Cleveland, which initially exercised a $17.5 million contract option for Kluber only days after the season ended. With those All-Star pitchers... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Yankees right-hander Luis Severino had Tommy John surgery on Thursday.The procedure was performed by Dr. David Altchek at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. The team said in a statement that the surgery went as planned. Also, an existing bone chip in his right elbow was removed during the procedure.The two-time All-Star will miss all of 2020 after being sidelined for nearly all of 2019.Severino's injury leaves the AL East favorites with a rotation of newly signed ace Gerrit Cole, Masahiro Tanaka, J.A. Happ and two openings. The usual recovery time for Tommy John surgery is a year or more.Severino went 19-8 with a 3.39 ERA in 2018 and was given a $40 million, four-year contract. He was scratched from his first scheduled spring training appearance on March 5 last year because of rotator cuff inflammation in his right shoulder. The Yankees said April 9 he had strained his latissimus dorsi muscle. He did not make a minor league injury rehabilitation appearance until Sept. 1 and did not make his first appearance for the Yankees until Sept. 17.Severino was 1-1 with a 1.50 ERA over 12 innings in three regular-season starts for New York, then was 0-1 with a 2.16 ERA over 8 1/3 innings in a pair of postseason outings.___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

WASHINGTON (AP) — Curt Flood's widow has a simple explanation for why her late husband, who is revered by players for sacrificing his career to advocate for free agency, has not been enshrined in baseball's Hall of Fame.“I think the holdup is that he got on a lot of people's nerves,” Judy Pace Flood said.Flood has some powerful advocates on his side.Members of Congress sent a letter to the Hall of Fame on Thursday asking that Flood be elected in December by the next golden era committee. The recognition would coincide with the 50-year anniversary of Flood's defiant letter to baseball Commissioner Bowie Kuhn in which he wrote, "I do not feel that I am a piece of property to be bought and sold irrespective of my wishes."“What Curt Flood did and championed is resonating throughout professional sports for the past 50 years,” Rep. David Trone, a Maryland Democrat who is leading the push for Flood's enshrinement, said at a news conference.Flood was 31 when he sent that letter on Dec. 24, 1969.... [More]

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Justin Verlander pitched a two-inning simulated game on Thursday in place of what had been scheduled as his spring training debut, a switch made because of groin tightness.“Actually, my dad sent me something last night: An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure,” the Houston Astros ace said.Scratched from Thursday's start, Verlander threw approximately 30 pitches off a back-field mound before the Astros' game against Washington.“It went about as good as I could have felt today,” Verlander said. “Maybe noticed it just a little bit. Once I got on the mound, just kind of tried to pitch and not worry about it too much.”New Houston manager Dusty Baker liked what he saw of the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner. Verlander was 21-6 with a 2.52 ERA last season.“He looked very good," Baker said. “He looked sharp. He wasn't satisfied with some of his pitches, but I was.”The 37-year-old righty disliked his first inning but saw significant improvement in the... [More]

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — The Toronto Blue Jays already have an intriguing young lineup with Bo Bichette, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Cavan Biggio hoping to build off promising 2019 seasons.A hard-throwing pitching prospect could be joining them in the big leagues soon.Right-hander Nate Pearson had a dominant spring debut for the Blue Jays on Tuesday, striking out the side in a one-inning start. The 23-year-old was Toronto's first-round draft pick in 2017 and had a breakout season in 2019, striking out 119 batters over 101 2/3 innings and getting promoted from Single-A to Triple-A by the end of the year.The 6-foot-6, 245-pound Pearson has the upside of a future ace and has a shot to earn a spot in the Blue Jays' opening day rotation alongside newly acquired Hyun-Jin Ryu, who signed an $80 million, four-year deal in the offseason. But even if Toronto decides he needs more experience in the minors, there's little doubt he's a big part of their future plans.Other players who are off to a good... [More]

GOODYEAR, Arizona (AP) — Indians reliever Emmanuel Clase could be sidelined three months with a strained back muscle, another blow to Cleveland's pitching staff.The hard-throwing Clase, the centerpiece of an offseason trade that sent two-time Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber to Texas, experienced upper arm discomfort following a bullpen session last week. He continued to have issues this week and the Indians had him undergo imaging tests Wednesday.An MRI confirmed a moderate strain of the teres major muscle in his upper back. The team said he will be re-evaluated weekly, but the 21-year-old is expected to miss 8-to-12 weeks of game activity.Clase was expected to have a role in the back end of Cleveland's bullpen.It's been a tough start to camp for Indians pitchers as starters Mike Clevinger (knee surgery), Carlos Carrasco (hip flexor) and Aaron Civale (sore groin) are all sidelined. Clevinger is making progress but is not expected to be ready for major league games until at least mid-April.Clase's fastball has been clocked over 100 mph. He made 21 appearances for the Rangers last season and recorded 21 strikeouts in 23 1/3 innings.Before being hurt, he had been impressive this spring. Manager Terry Francona noted after a session earlier in camp that Clase was "throwing 100 mph bowling balls. It was heavy. It looked really heavy.”___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sport s

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Houston's Alex Bregman was hit on the back by a breaking ball from St. Louis reliever Ramon Santos on Wednesday, the seventh Astros player plunked in five spring training games.“It was a splitter,” Bregman said. “It just got away from him.”Some opposing players have called for retaliation against the Astros following Major League Baseball's finding that Houston broke rules against electronic sign-stealing en route to its 2017 World Series title and again in 2018.Dustin Garneau was hit Sunday against Washington, and José Altuve was grazed Monday against Detroit, when Osvaldo Duarte and Alex De Goti also were hit. Aledmys Díaz and Jake Meyers were hit Tuesday by Miami.Santos' 1-0 pitch in the fifth inning struck Bregman on the left shoulder blade. The two-time All-Star trotted to first, then was replaced by a pinch runner.“I think I got hit like 10 times last year, or something like that,” Bregman said. “One of them got me good last year, but that one was just... [More]

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Justin Verlander's spring training debut will be postponed at least a few more days while the Houston Astros ace deals with tightness in his groin.Verlander had been scheduled to start Thursday against Washington. Instead, he will throw a simulated game at the Astros' complex prior to that exhibition.Houston manager Dusty Baker said the tightness first appeared “a couple of days ago.”“He said he's doing good, so we'll just have to keep an eye on him and analyze him,” Baker said.Baker added that he isn't worried about the injury lingering and expects that, if all goes as planned on Thursday, Verlander would make his next scheduled start, likely early next week.“I would think so,” Baker said. “It just depends on how he feels.”Verlander won his second Cy Young Award last season by going 21-6 with a 2.52 ERA. His 225 career wins are the most among active players.The change of plans thwarts what would have been a marquee Grapefruit League pitching matchup.Washington is still planning to send Max Scherzer to the mound on Thursday. Scherzer tossed two scoreless innings at Houston in the Grapefruit League opener for both teams.Right-hander Christian Javier is now expected to get Thursday's start for Houston against Scherzer.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — For the Twins to land free agent Josh Donaldson, Miguel Sano knew what would be asked of him. He didn't hesitate.Instead, Sano sent a video to Donaldson, lobbying the 2015 American League MVP to join the Twins. The key to Sano's pitch: He would happily move across the infield to play first base with Donaldson taking over at third.Understand, too, that Sano has appeared in just 31 games at first base since making his big league debut in 2015, spending the last five seasons working to improve at third."The first time I met him, I saw that he's a really good guy and he's got a lot of energy," Sano said. "He's the kind of player that I love to see. He's positive and he loves the game. He likes to win and play hard. That's something that I see all the time."Just as his teammates saw what Sano did."The teammate that he was to kind of help on the recruiting process of JD, tell him, 'Hey, you can have third base, I'm willing to move to first base' I think needs to be put... [More]

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (AP) — George Springer could only stand there all alone and listen.The Houston Astros leadoff man had no choice when he stepped into the batter's box a bit too early and was showered with loud boos Wednesday at an exhibition game against the New York Mets.Mets pitcher Noah Syndergaard turned and looked at the scoreboard clock that showed 1:09 p.m. — he waited for the minute to change so the game would officially reach the 1:10 start time, leaving Springer nowhere to go as the crowd heckled him.“Cheater! Cheater! Cheater!” one Mets fan along the first-base side chanted at Springer.The normal tranquility of a February game again was broken as a split squad of Astros continued the team's latest stop on their spring training tour of derisive boos and catcalls, the result of their exposed sign-steal scheme.Two days after José Altuve, Alex Bregman, Carlos Correa and Yuli Gurriel got jeered for a game at Detroit's park in Lakeland, it was the Mets' turn to host at newly renovated... [More]

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — New York Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton will likely miss opening day because of a strained right calf, another significant injury for a team that was beset by health problems last season.Manager Aaron Boone said Stanton was hurt near the end of defensive drills on Tuesday. An MRI found a Grade 1 strain."It will probably put us against it a little bit," Boone said Wednesday. "I would say it's time for him to get back, but then getting built up and stuff. We'll see."The announcement came a day after New York said All-Star pitcher Luis Severino needed Tommy John surgery and would miss the entire season. Slugger Aaron Judge and lefty James Paxton already had been slowed this spring by injuries.The Yankees put a major league-record 30 players on the injured list last year, with Stanton missing most of the season.Asked if felt snake-bitten, Boone replied “No.”The AL East champion Yankees open on March 26 at Baltimore.Stanton played in just 18 games due a number of injuries... [More]