PEORIA, Ariz. (AP) — Seattle Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager will see a hand specialist after rolling his left wrist during a spring training game.Seager was pulled Friday night after jamming his glove into the ground diving for a hard grounder by the Chicago Cubs' Javier Baez. Seager removed his mitt and favored his wrist and hand while Baez ran out a double. He left the game after one more batter.Seager said postgame he was fine, and the Mariners said the former All-Star and Gold Glove winner didn't seek medical treatment Friday night. That changed Saturday, when Seager was sent for X-rays and had the hand heavily wrapped. The X-rays were negative.It's unclear if the injury will risk Seager's status for Seattle's season-opening series in Japan. The Mariners will fly to Japan on Thursday before opening the season with two games against Oakland on March 20-21 at the Tokyo Dome.The 31-year-old Seager has hit at least 20 home runs in seven straight seasons.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) — Bryce Harper drew big cheers, a pair of walks and a most unusual defense in his spring training debut for the Philadelphia Phillies.Both times the slugger with the biggest contract in baseball came to the plate, the Toronto Blue Jays shifted to a four-man outfield, moved the shortstop on the other side of second base and gave the left-handed hitting Harper a wide-open left side of the infield."I've never seen that. That's intense," Harper said, adding he hopes teams don't do that to him often. "If they start playing ball like that, it's definitely different."Phillies manager Gabe Kapler didn't want to discuss shift strategy but shared his advice for Harper."Hit a lot of homers, drive the ball like you're capable of, do exactly what you always do, be Bryce Harper," Kapler said.Harper drew a loud ovation when he walked up to the plate to Will Smith's theme song from "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air."Wearing No. 3 on his uniform, eye black under his eyes and a white armband... [More]

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — On Saturday, San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey played in his fifth spring training game and made his fourth start behind the plate.Told that it seems as if he's catching more than expected coming off hip surgery, Posey agreed."Which is a good thing," Posey said. "I didn't really have expectations coming in. I would say so, too. That's a positive."Posey will be in the Giants' lineup on Sunday as well, but as the designated hitter. It will be the second time he's played in back to back games this spring. Last August, he had surgery to address a hip impingement and repair a torn labrum.Is there anything he can't do because of his hip?"I'd say the best way to describe how I feel is just more free," Posey said. "I don't feel stuck. Like any rehab, it's a little bit like this and for the most part, mine has been a gradual incline. At the same time, I'm aware there might be some soreness and inflammation along the way. I'm hoping to leave here in a couple weeks... [More]

BRADENTON, Fla. (AP) — Lonnie Chisenhall knows his new gig as the Pittsburgh Pirates' starting right fielder is likely temporary.Gregory Polanco is recovering from surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder and the Pirates say he will be out until sometime between mid-April and mid-June. Chisenhall was signed to a $2.75 million, one-year contract in the offseason to serve as the fill-in.The Pirates feel Chisenhall can be a valuable option off the bench once Polanco is healthy. He began his major league career with the Cleveland Indians as a third baseman and is also capable of playing first base as well as the three outfield positions.It will mark the first time in Chisenhall's nine years in the majors that he will be a bench player."Versatility is the way the game is trending now," Chisenhall said. "Guys need to play multiple positions. You have to be able to affect the game in different areas. I'm just trying to stay the course."You have to be open-minded and willing to grow.... [More]

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Even if Trevor Rosenthal isn't closing for Washington, he'll take the mound believing he is."I think that's what ultimately allowed me to be successful as a closer is I just have one mentality, one approach," Rosenthal said. "I approach every single inning kind of like I'm closing. I think that's ultimately allowed me to be successful and I plan on keeping that same approach in the future."Rosenthal saved 93 games for St. Louis in 2014 and 2015 combined, but the Cardinals released him following the 2017 season after he underwent Tommy John surgery.The righty didn't pitch in 2018 and signed a one year, $8 millon contract with the Nationals in October. He arrived at camp ready to fire.In his first appearance of the spring, Rosenthal hit triple digits on the scoreboard's radar gun. The Nationals have encouraged him to back off a bit as he prepares to pitch in a major league game for the first time since August 2017."He's been going great," Washington manager Dave... [More]

CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) — Bryce Harper drew big cheers, a pair of walks and a most unusual defense in his spring training debut for the Philadelphia Phillies.Both times the slugger with the biggest contract in baseball came to the plate, the Toronto Blue Jays shifted to a four-man outfield, moved the shortstop on the other side of second base and gave the left-handed hitting Harper a wide-open left side of the infield."I've never seen that. That's intense," Harper said, adding he hopes teams don't do that to him often. "If they start playing ball like that, it's definitely different."Phillies manager Gabe Kapler didn't want to discuss shift strategy but shared his advice for Harper."Hit a lot of homers, drive the ball like you're capable of, do exactly what you always do, be Bryce Harper," Kapler said.Harper drew a loud ovation when he walked up to the plate to Will Smith's theme song from "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air."Wearing No. 3 on his uniform, eye black under his eyes and a white armband... [More]

CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) — Bryce Harper drew big cheers, a pair of walks and an unusual defense in his spring training debut for the Philadelphia Phillies.Both times the slugger with the biggest contract in baseball came to the plate, the Toronto Blue Jays shifted to a four-man outfield, moved the shortstop on the other side of second base and gave the left-handed hitting Harper a wide-open left side of the infield."I've never seen that. That's intense," Harper said, adding he hopes teams don't do that to him often. "If they start playing ball like that, it's definitely different."Phillies manager Gabe Kapler didn't want to discuss shift strategy but shared his advice for Harper."Hit a lot of homers, drive the ball like you're capable of, do exactly what you always do, be Bryce Harper," said Kapler, who is known for using many shifts.The Cubs, Astros and even the Rockies have employed a four-man outfield but it was quite strange in an exhibition game.No surprise, however, was the loud ovation... [More]

SARASOTA, Fla. (AP) — Masahiro Tanaka will be the New York Yankees' opening day starter March 28 against Baltimore, taking the spot left open by Luis Severino's shoulder trouble.Yankees manager Aaron Boone announced the decision before Saturday night's spring training game with the Orioles.Tanaka is replacing Severino, who will not make the start at Yankee Stadium because of right shoulder inflammation. Severino was scratched from his first planned start of spring training on Tuesday after feeling discomfort after throwing his first slider in a pregame bullpen session."Masa has clearly shown through his life really that he's really good in the big spot," Boone said.Yankees newcomer James Paxton will start the second game and J.A. Happ will pitch the third game against the Orioles.Tanaka discussed what it means to start the opener after his outing Friday night against the Detroit Tigers."Obviously, if you're given the opportunity to pitch on that day, you want to go out and do your best,"... [More]

GOODYEAR, Ariz. (AP) — Presumably, they will all be ready to pitch the first week of the season. Right now, Cleveland's loaded starting rotation is in limbo.With the March 28 opener at Minnesota drawing near, manager Terry Francona has yet to say who he will start against the Twins or how he will configure his starters in the early stages of the season.There is a lot to consider.Potential trades involving two-time Cy Young winner Corey Kluber and All-Star Trevor Bauer never materialized this winter, leaving the lndians with an arsenal of right-handers, including Carlos Carrasco, Mike Clevinger and Shane Bieber. The strength of the rotation is one reason the Indians are predicted to win the AL Central for the fourth consecutive year.Francona and pitching coach Carl Willis are evaluating how to seize momentum in April by lining up the pitchers in the most efficient early season order.One factor is recognizing that only Bauer will have pitched enough in spring training to build up the arm... [More]

PEORIA, Ariz. (AP) — Seattle Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager will see a hand specialist after rolling his left wrist during a spring training game.Seager was pulled Friday night after jamming his glove into the ground diving for a hard grounder by the Chicago Cubs' Javier Baez. Seager removed his mitt and favored his wrist and hand while Baez ran out a double. He left the game after one more batter.Seager said postgame he was fine, and the Mariners the former All-Star and Gold Glove winner didn't seek medical treatment Friday night. That changed Saturday, when Seager was sent for X-rays and had the hand heavily wrapped. The X-rays were negative.It's unclear if the injury will risk Seager's status for Seattle's season-opening series in Japan. The Mariners will fly to Japan on Thursday before opening the season with two games against Oakland on March 20-21 at the Tokyo Dome.The 31-year-old Seager has hit at least 20 home runs in seven straight seasons.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals agreed to a $2.5 million, one-year deal with Martin Maldonado on Saturday, giving them a veteran catcher after losing Salvador Perez to a season-ending injury.The deal includes up to $1.4 million in incentives for games caught, according to a person familiar with the terms, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because Maldonado still must pass a physical for the contract to become official.Maldonado spent last season with the Angels and Astros, hitting .225 with nine homers and 44 RBIs in 119 games. But his biggest strength has been his ability to frame pitches and play defense, and his experience should help what is expected to be a young Royals team this season.In fact, Maldonado's Gold Glove in 2017 broke Perez's streak of four straight.Perez underwent Tommy John surgery last week after tearing a ligament in his throwing arm during a spring training workout. Perez is expected to remain with the club while rehabbing... [More]

CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) — Bryce Harper drew a pair of five-pitch walks on Saturday in his first spring training appearance since signing a record contract with the Philadelphia Phillies.The six-time All-Star outfielder signed a $330 million, 13-year contract last week, the largest deal in baseball history.Batting third as the designated hitter against the Toronto Blue Jays, Harper took four straight pitches after a mighty swing and miss in the first inning. Rhys Hoskins followed with a mammoth two-run homer.Harper fouled off the first pitch he saw in the third before taking another four pitches out of the strike zone. Fans booed the pitcher as Harper jogged to first base and then was replaced by a pinch runner.Wearing No. 3, Harper earned a loud ovation from fans at Spectrum Field when he walked up to the plate to Will Smith's theme song from "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air."The 26-year-old Harper played his first seven seasons for the Washington Nationals. He was the 2015 NL MVP.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) — Bryce Harper drew a five-pitch walk on Saturday in his first spring training plate appearance since signing a record contract with the Philadelphia Phillies.The six-time All-Star outfielder signed a $330 million, 13-year contract last week, the largest deal in baseball history.Batting third as the designated hitter against the Toronto Blue Jays, Harper took four straight pitches after a mighty swing and miss. Rhys Hoskins followed with a mammoth two-run homer.Wearing No. 3, Harper earned a loud ovation from fans at Spectrum Field.The 26-year-old Harper played his first seven seasons for the Washington Nationals. He was the 2015 NL MVP.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) — A person familiar with the deal tells The Associated Press the Kansas City Royals have agreed to a one-year, $2.5 million deal with Martin Maldonado, giving them a veteran catcher after losing Salvador Perez for the season.The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity Saturday because the deal was still pending a physical. It includes up to $1.4 million in incentives for games caught.Maldonado spent last season with the Angels and Astros, hitting .225 with nine homers and 44 RBIs in 119 games. But his biggest strength is his ability to frame pitches and play defense, and his experience should help what is expected to be a young Royals team this season.In fact, Maldonado's Gold Glove in 2017 broke Perez's streak of four straight.Perez underwent Tommy John surgery last week after tearing a ligament in his throwing arm during a spring training workout. The Royals hope the six-time All-Star will be ready by next spring.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

PEORIA, Ariz. (AP) — Left-hander Marco Gonzales will get the opening day start for the Seattle Mariners when they begin the 2019 season in Japan against the Oakland Athletics on March 20. New Japanese pitcher Yusei Kikuchi will get the ball for the second game of the series.Seattle manager Scott Servais announced the starters for the opening series on Saturday. The announcement was expected based on the Mariners' rotation during spring training.Kikuchi already was going to be in the spotlight returning to Japan after signing with Seattle in the offseason, but getting the start in the second game against the A's will only heighten the attention.Gonzales getting the nod for the opener ends Felix Hernandez's run of 10 straight opening day starts for Seattle. Gonzales is beginning his second full season with Seattle and is coming off a 13-9 record and 4.00 ERA.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

GOODYEAR, Ariz. (AP) — Presumably, they will all be ready to pitch the first week of the season. Right now, Cleveland's loaded starting rotation is in limbo.With the March 28 opener at Minnesota drawing near, manager Terry Francona has yet to say who he will start against the Twins or how he will configure his starters in the early stages of the season.There is a lot to consider.Potential trades involving two-time Cy Young winner Corey Kluber and All-Star Trevor Bauer never materialized this winter, leaving the lndians with an arsenal of right-handers, including Carlos Carrasco, Mike Clevinger and Shane Bieber. The strength of the rotation is one reason the Indians are predicted to win the AL Central for the fourth consecutive year.Francona and pitching coach Carl Willis are evaluating how to seize momentum in April by lining up the pitchers in the most efficient early season order.One factor is recognizing that only Bauer will have pitched enough in spring training to build up the arm... [More]

PHOENIX (AP) — Ryan Braun already is seeing a difference in his swing this spring.The longtime Milwaukee Brewers star was the designated hitter in his exhibition debut, going 1 for 3 on Friday against the Arizona Diamondbacks."He's made some swing changes and made an attempt to tweak some little things and try to get in the zone a little bit sooner," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. "He's been really pleased with the results, the batting practice results. Now he has to take it into the game and get some results. He had a good day. It's nice to get the first hit."Braun has noticed the ball is carrying more during batting practice and it's not just because of the dry Arizona weather."We'll see how it translates to game action," Braun said. "Obviously, I've taken batting practice on the same field out here for a long time and the ball is carrying significantly further than it has in a long time, maybe ever. I'm very encouraged by what I've seen so far and how I've felt so far."The Brewers... [More]

JUPITER, Fla. (AP) — Leaving the clubhouse after his first exhibition game this year, St. Louis catcher Yadier Molina got a fist bump from third baseman Matt Carpenter."It's good to have you back," said Carpenter, one All-Star to another.Molina went 1 for 2 as a designated hitter Friday, the 36-year-old's first game since left knee surgery in mid-December. Molina is likely to be behind the plate on Saturday, catching Adam Wainwright against Houston — about a week ahead of the original projection for him to catch."I can't really tell you how happy I am just to be back with Waino," Molina said.A nine-time All-Star and nine-time Gold Glove, Molina singled through the left side off Washington newcomer Patrick Corbin and scored in a three-run Cardinals' first."Just proves yet again he's a special guy," St. Louis manager Mike Shildt said. "Comes in, first at-bat, gets down 0-2 and battles, battles, battles. It's impressive to see a guy that takes a pro at-bat like that — that can work on getting... [More]

PEORIA, Ariz. (AP) — Seattle Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager is not expected to miss any additional time after rolling over his glove hand diving for a groundball during a spring training game.Seager was pulled one batter after jamming his glove into the dirt and bending his wrist awkwardly on a hard grounder by Javier Baez of the Chicago Cubs in the fourth inning Friday night. Seager took off the mitt and favored his wrist and hand while Baez ran out his double.The Mariners say Seager was pulled as a precaution and did not receive medical treatment.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

PEORIA, Ariz. (AP) — Seattle Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager has been removed from a spring training game after appearing to injure his left wrist diving for a groundball.Seager extended toward foul territory but couldn't stop a hard grounder hit by Javier Baez of the Chicago Cubs in the fourth inning Friday night. Seager's glove jammed into the dirt, causing his wrist to bend awkwardly. Seager took off the mitt and favored his wrist and hand while Baez ran out his double.Seager stayed in the game for one batter before exiting during a pitching change. He was replaced by prospect Shed Long.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports