Oneil Cruz insists he's a shortstop. One problem: genetics. The Dominican Republic native was 6-foot-1 or so 16-year-old when the Los Angeles Dodgers signed him. The tools — particularly the power and arm strength — were evident. So was the potential. That potential has only grown over the last half-decade plus. So too, however, has Cruz's frame. The 22-year-old has stretched out to 6 feet, 7 inches during his slow steady rise through Pittsburgh's system after being acquired as part of a trade that sent reliever Tony Watson to Los Angeles. And as much as he'd love to follow in the footsteps of the late Tony Fernandez and play shortstop in the big leagues, his body might not give him the chance. Fernandez, a five-time All-Star and a four-time Gold Glover winner during his 17 seasons, dazzled at the position at 6 feet, 2 inches. Cruz blew past that number long ago. “To this day I’m still praying that I stop growing,” Cruz said with a smile on Thursday. It might already be too late. While... [More]

CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) — Five months after elbow surgery, Rhys Hoskins was back in the lineup taking big swings. The Philadelphia Phillies slugger was 1 for 3 with an RBI single as a designated hitter in a 15-0 win over the New York Yankees on Thursday. “I felt strong, felt normal,” Hoskins said. “If you’re asking me, there’s no reason why I won’t be ready for opening day, barring something really weird happening.” Hoskins didn’t hesitate to dive back to first base on a pickoff attempt, landing on his surgically repaired left elbow. “It was nice that I reacted like I normally would,” he said. “I hadn’t really done that yet. I was able to get up and say, ‘There’s another check mark.’” Hoskins anticipates playing first base next week but still has plenty of time to be ready for the season opener on April 1. He’s a major part of an offense that tied for fifth in the majors in runs scored last season. Batting mostly out of the No. 2 spot in the lineup, Hoskins hit .245 with 10 homers, 26 RBIs... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball will hold its first Lou Gehrig Day on June 2, adding Gehrig to Jackie Robinson and Roberto Clemente on the short list of players honored throughout the big leagues. Each home team will have “4-ALS” logos in ballparks to mark Gehrig’s No. 4, and all players, managers and coaches will wear a Lou Gehrig Day patch on uniforms and may use red “4-ALS” wristbands. Teams that are off on June 2 will observe Lou Gehrig Day on June 3. MLB said Thursday that the day will focus on finding cures and raising money for research into amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, which is known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, the legacy of Gehrig and others who died of the progressive disease that attacks nerve cells controlling muscles throughout the body. Oakland Athletics outfielder Stephen Piscotty, who lost his mother Gretchen to ALS almost three years ago, said he's thrilled MLB is honoring Gehrig and raising awareness for the disease. “It's something our organization has been... [More]

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (AP) — New York Mets pitcher Seth Lugo is on track to resume throwing around opening day as the right-hander recovers from surgery Feb. 16 to remove a bone spur from his pitching elbow. Lugo spoke Thursday for the first time since the operation with Mets medical director Dr. David Altchek. New York said Lugo needs about six weeks of recuperation following the surgery before he can throw. Then Lugo will have to work his arm into game shape, a process likely to take a month or more. “Now it feels a lot better, feels pretty normal,” he said. “We’re easing into the rehab stuff and making sure we mark check off all the boxes and go about it the right way.” New York said a bone spur broke during Lugo’s heightened workouts leading to spring training. “The beginning of February, I woke up and my elbow was just swollen and I didn’t have much range, couldn’t flex or extend it. And then I did what I’d usually do for some swelling,” Lugo said. “After it didn’t go down, that’s when... [More]

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — First baseman Brandon Belt has resumed baseball activities with the San Francisco Giants at spring training after dealing with what manager Gabe Kapler called a virus without providing further details — though Kapler did say previously it wasn't COVID-19. The 32-year-old Belt already had been worked in slowly given he had surgery in October to remove a bone spur from his right heel. “He had a virus, and he was sick,” Kapler said. “I don’t know if there’s much more than that, sorry.” Belt did some light baseball work Wednesday at Scottsdale Stadium before going through a more extensive workout Thursday, Kapler said. “Had a nice talk out on the field today with Brandon. He was throwing, he's feeling better,” Kapler said via Zoom call after San Francisco's 3-1 win against the White Sox. “Got some work in the cage as well. We're still pushing toward trying to get Brandon ready for opening day. There's not much of a rush right now. We're still pretty early in March. But... [More]

GOODYEAR, Ariz. (AP) — Cincinnati Reds outfielder Shogo Akiyama returned to spring training after a week away to be with his wife, who was seriously injured when a tree fell on her in a park in Ohio. Akaya Akiyama was hospitalized after being injured by the tree last week while she was walking in Sharon Woods in Cincinnati. Her husband said Thursday that her condition is improving. “I was in the hospital with her, I was spending time with (the) kids,” the 32-year-old Akiyama said through a translator at the team's spring training complex in Goodyear, Arizona. “I think it was the inevitable time that I needed with this week away.” Manager David Bell said Akiyama won't be in the lineup for a spring training game until Sunday. The Reds signed the Japanese player to a three-year, $21 million contract before the 2020 season. He played in 54 games last year, hitting .245. “That’s bigger than baseball,” Reds pitcher Lucas Sims said. “Being able to see him today, it made us all happy and glad to know that she’s doing all right. Hopefully, everything gets back to normal.” ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Diamondbacks starting right fielder Kole Calhoun will have surgery Wednesday on his right knee because of a medial meniscus tear. Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said on Tuesday that he wasn't sure whether the injury would cause Calhoun to miss opening day on April 1. The manager said the injury occurred during offseason training and nagging pain led Calhoun to have an MRI. The 33-year-old Calhoun was one of the D-backs' best players in 2020, finishing with a team-high 16 homers. He is entering the second season of a $16 million, two-year deal. “Obviously concerned," Lovullo said. “I don't want to sugarcoat that, but I know it's going to give an opportunity to some other guys and I'm excited about that as well.” Lovullo said there are several players who could see added at-bats if Calhoun misses extended time, including Pavin Smith, Andy Young, Tim Locastro, Wyatt Mathisen, Daulton Varsho, Trayce Thompson and Josh VanMeter. “We've got some guys who can do it,” Lovullo said. “They're going to get an opportunity. It's up to them to take advantage.” ___ Follow David Brandt on Twitter: www.twitter.com/davidbrandtAP ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Max Scherzer and Juan Soto should make their delayed Grapefruit League debuts this week for the Washington Nationals. Scherzer, a three-time Cy Young Award winner, hurt his left ankle last month while preparing for the start of spring training but could start Washington’s exhibition game against visiting St. Louis on Friday. “If everything goes according to plan, Max will probably do a little bit of a touchy-feely bullpen tomorrow and start the game,” pitching coach Jim Hickey said Tuesday, when Washington did not have a game. “As long as he responds well, and I think that he will.” Soto, the 2020 NL batting champion, fouled a ball off his right foot during live batting practice Sunday. He sat out what was supposed to be his first game Monday, but worked out Tuesday and is expected to play Wednesday against Miami. “He’s fine, he’s good. ... I just wanted to give him a day (to) get back on his feet,” manager Dave Martinez said. “He did some outfield work. Hit.... [More]

It feels very much like Yusei Kikuchi just arrived in the majors after his highly anticipated move from Japan. Yet, the left-hander is already about to start his third season with the Seattle Mariners and easily his most important to date. “I feel that he’s kind of got his arms around where he’s at as a pitcher and hopefully it starts playing out on the field more consistently,” manager Scott Servais said. “We’ve seen it. We’ve seen it in flashes, we just haven’t seen consistent stretches of it.” Kikuchi got in his first work of spring training Tuesday, throwing two innings, allowing one hit, one run and striking out three against the Cleveland Indians. His plan is to build up to five or six innings prior to the start of the season, when Kikuchi seems likely to fit into the six-man rotation behind staff ace Marco Gonzales. And when the season begins, so will the analysis of how and whether the Mariners will move forward with Kikuchi. Kikuchi’s contract is structured so that he and the Mainers... [More]

Freddie Freeman found a way to top the double honors of winning the NL MVP and Hank Aaron Award. The Atlanta Braves first baseman's bigger thrill is having two new baby boys. He describes his babies, Brandon and Maximus Turner, as his “twins with a twist.” The twist is they were born six weeks apart. Freeman's wife, Chelsea, gave birth to Brandon on Dec. 30. A surrogate mother gave birth to Maximus Turner on Feb. 14, delaying Freeman's arrival to spring training by about a week. The boys join Charlie, who is 4, to give Freeman three sons — and an extraordinary story of faith, perseverance and parenthood. “Pretty special offseason, all the way around, baseball and obviously personal life,” Freeman said Tuesday. “We’re a family of five now. It’s pretty amazing.” Freeman said his wife was told she may not be able to have another child following Charlie's birth by emergency cesarean section. The couple tried without luck for two years in their attempt to become pregnant again. “It just wasn’t... [More]

MESA, Ariz. (AP) — The Cubs finalized an $800,000, one-year contract with reliever Ryan Tepera on Tuesday, a deal that allows him to earn up to $1.75 million, and opened a roster spot by designating right-hander Duane Underwood Jr. for assignment. Tepera can earn $800,000 in performance bonuses for games pitched: $50,000 each for 30 and 35, $100,000 apiece for 40 and 45, $150,000 each for 50 and 55, and $200,000 for 60. He also can earn $150,000 in roster bonuses for days on the active roster: $50,000 each for 90, 120 and 150. The 33-year-old also played for Chicago last season, going 0-1 with a 3.92 ERA in 21 games. The right-hander limited lefty batters to a .188 average (6 for 32). Tepera made $323,383 in prorated base pay and $211,212 in earned bonuses for $534,595 in total pay. He became a free agent when the Cubs failed to offer a contract by the Dec. 2 deadline. Tepera spent his first five years with Toronto. He is 12-12 with a 3.66 ERA and 10 saves in 237 career appearances. Underwood, 26, went 1-0 with a 5.66 ERA in 17 games with Chicago during the pandemic-shortened season. He was selected by the Cubs in the second round of the 2012 amateur draft. The team also announced right-hander Robert Stock cleared waivers and was assigned to Triple-A Iowa. He remains in camp as a non-roster invitee to big league spring training. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

MESA, Ariz. (AP) — The Cubs finalized an $800,000, one-year deal with reliever Ryan Tepera on Tuesday, a deal that allows him to earn up to $1.75 million, and opened a roster spot by designating right-hander Duane Underwood Jr. for assignment. Tepera can earn $800,000 in performance bonuses for games pitched: $50,000 each for 30 and 35, $100,000 apiece for 40 and 45, $150,000 each for 50 and 55, and $200,000 for 60. He also can earn $150,000 in roster bonuses for days on the active roster: $50,000 each for 90, 120 and 150. The 33-year-old also played for Chicago last season, going 0-1 with a 3.92 ERA in 21 games. The right-hander limited lefty batters to a .188 average (6 for 32). Tepera made $323,383 in prorated base pay and $211,212 in earned bonuses for $534,595 in total pay. He became a free agent when the Cubs failed to offer a contract by the Dec. 2 deadline. Tepera spent his first five years with Toronto. He is 12-12 with a 3.66 ERA and 10 saves in 237 career appearances. Underwood, 26, went 1-0 with a 5.66 ERA in 17 games with Chicago during the pandemic-shortened season. He was selected by the Cubs in the second round of the 2012 amateur draft. The team also announced right-hander Robert Stock cleared waivers and was assigned to Triple-A Iowa. He remains in camp as a non-roster invitee to big league spring training. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Trey Mancini stepped up to the plate for the first time since discovering a cancer that could have killed him. Tommy Pham got a couple of at-bats in after a stabbing that nearly did kill him. Feel-good stories weren’t hard to find as major league spring training games opened in Arizona and Florida. Mancini’s comeback after a year off to treat his colon cancer left some of us on the verge of tears, while Pham’s return to the Padres' lineup after being stabbed outside a strip club was reason for a smile. And, as always, more players were feeling better about their bank accounts, including third baseman Hunter Dozier, who agreed to a $25 million, four-year contract with the Royals just as the exhibition games began. The best feeling of all? That would be looking into the stands in both states and seeing fans there to watch the games. Actual fans, to be clear, not the cardboard variety that were cute to begin with but now thankfully need to find new homes in closets across the country. There... [More]

Trey Mancini stepped up to the plate for the first time since discovering a cancer that could have killed him. Tommy Pham got a couple of at-bats in after a stabbing that nearly did kill him. Feel-good stories weren’t hard to find as Major League spring training games opened in Arizona and Florida. Mancini’s comeback after a year off to treat his colon cancer left some of us on the verge of tears, while Pham’s return to the Padres lineup after being stabbed outside a strip club was reason for a smile. And, as always, more players were feeling better about their bank accounts, including third baseman Hunter Dozier who agreed to a $25 million, four-year contract with the Royals just as spring games began. The best feeling of all? That would be looking into the stands in both states and seeing fans there to watch the games. Actual fans, to be clear, not the cardboard variety that were cute to begin with but now thankfully need to find new homes in closets across the country. There weren’t... [More]

Garrett Richards had gotten only one out during his first spring training start, loading the bases and walking in one run against the Atlanta Braves before the Red Sox stopped the inning after 23 pitches. Then he went back out for a 1-2-3 second inning. “It’s building blocks, man,” Richards said after being rescued by the new rule this spring training that allows managers to end an inning after a pitcher has thrown 20 pitches, regardless of how many outs or runners on base there are. “Obviously, you want to finish it and you want to make all the outs that your outing requires,” he said. “So, yeah, it was a little frustrating.” Richards told reporters in Fort Myers, Florida, that his pitches were moving well, but he just struggled to keep them in the strike zone. He allowed two runs, three hits and two walks in the first inning before it ended. “By all means, not happy about it. Today’s outing is not what you’re going to see from me on a regular basis, I’ll tell you that right now," he said.... [More]

For Chris Owings' first seven years in the majors, he could pop into the video room to take a look at his at-bats during a game. Then last season, the utility infielder for the Colorado Rockies had to make due with a printout. “You’d come back in the dugout and you’d say, ‘Hey where was that pitch at?’” Owings said Monday. “It would be like it is on the MLB app where it just shows where the pitch crossed the plate. You go from seeing every pitch where it crossed, where your swing was, to just being able to see where the pitch was on a piece of paper.” It was a jarring change for some hitters during a down year for offense during the pandemic-shortened season. But Major League Baseball has cleared the way for the return of in-game video on dugout iPads beginning on opening day, with catcher signals clipped when they are displayed on a computer. Washington Nationals first baseman Ryan Zimmerman, who opted out of last season because of COVID-19 concerns, called video “a huge part of the game.”... [More]

At the plate, Charlie Blackmon is confident he can solve just about anyone he faces. As for this new kid? Now, she's throwing the Colorado Rockies outfielder for quite a curve — in a cute, cuddly way of course. His methodical, ever-thinking approach to hitting is mere child’s play compared to learning the nuances of being a new dad. "It's kind of like trying to figure out a Rubik’s Cube,” said Blackmon, whose daughter was born in January. “You just know you’re never going to do it, but you keep trying.” That could very well apply to mastering the art of hitting, which is Blackmon's constant quest. He's driven not through success, but by failure. “If you want to feel alive, go out there and get your butt kicked — strike out in a big spot or make that error that loses the game. For me, that’s when I feel the most alive,” the 34-year-old Blackmon said. “I hate it and I want to change it. I don’t let it happen again.” The outfielder known for his bushy beard and mullet haircut was off to a... [More]

For Chris Owings' first seven years in the majors, he could pop into the video room to take a look at his at-bats during a game. Then last season, the utility infielder for the Colorado Rockies had to make due with a printout. “You’d come back in the dugout and you’d say, ‘Hey where was that pitch at?’” Owings said Monday. “It would be like it is on the MLB app where it just shows where the pitch crossed the plate. You go from seeing every pitch where it crossed, where your swing was, to just being able to see where the pitch was on a piece of paper.” It was a jarring change for some hitters during a down year for offense during the pandemic-shortened season. But Major League Baseball has cleared the way for the return of in-game video on dugout iPads beginning on opening day, with catcher signals obscured by a computer program. Washington Nationals first baseman Ryan Zimmerman, who opted out of last season because of COVID-19 concerns, called video “a huge part of the game.” “A lot’s been... [More]

Washington Nationals manager Dave Martinez remembers all too well his exact batting average from 53 games in his rookie season in the big leagues as an outfielder for the Chicago Cubs: .139. So he is not about to tell Carter Kieboom he’s lost the right to be Washington’s third baseman, just because his small-sample-size start has not been, um, ideal. “For me to judge a kid, a prospect, after 44 games and 100-some at-bats,” Martinez said, “it doesn’t seem right.” No matter that Kieboom hit .202 last season with zero homers and 33 strikeouts in 99 at-bats — bringing his career numbers to .181 with two homers and 49 K's in 138 AB's in the majors. The job is still his, and there he was on Monday in the Nationals’ exhibition home opener in West Palm Beach, Florida, playing third base and batting fifth. “This game is crazy and works in mysterious ways. Anybody who’s played it knows you’re going to go through a time in your life where you're going to struggle. And happens, and it sucks. But it’s... [More]

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — After having surgery on his right ankle for the second straight offseason, Jorge Polanco has enjoyed a pain-free start to spring training with the Minnesota Twins. Camp came with a position switch for Polanco, too, which won't hinder his goal to put those injury problems in the past. “I feel more comfortable, getting my at-bats, getting my feet down,” Polanco said after his move from shortstop to second base was essentially certified in the team's exhibition opener. “It feels great to be back after the surgery and having had a couple of at-bats.” After making the All-Star team in 2019 while hitting .295 with 40 doubles, seven triples, 22 home runs and a .356 on-base percentage, Polanco had a cleanup procedure — called a debridement — to address a chronic impingement that stemmed from repetitive stress on the joint. Then after playing through further discomfort in the ankle during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Polanco had an operation to remove a mild bone spur and... [More]