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 ... [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 structur... [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... [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 countr... [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 w... [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 yo... [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 ... [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 an... [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 th... [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 ha... [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 m... [More]

Garrett Richards had gotten only one out during his first spring training start, loading the bases and walking in one run 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,” he 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 you want to make all the outs that you’re outing requires,” he said. “So, yeah, it was a little frustrating.” Richards told reporters from 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 today’s outing is not what you’re going to see from me on a regular basis, I’ll tell you that... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — At 25, Sandy Alcantara says he's old enough to be the Miami Marlins' ace. The Marlins agree. Alcantara has pitched less than 300 innings and has a career record of 11-19, but Miami is counting on him to lead a parade of talented young starting pitchers who are considered the team's strength. “That’s what the Marlins are looking for from me, and that's what I want,” said the Dominican right-hander, who pitched two scoreless innings against the Mets in his first spring training start Monday. “There are a lot of young guys behind me. I have to show them they can be like me. “It doesn’t matter how young I am. I have experience. I've been in the big leagues for four years now.” On Miami's staff, that's a lot. The other right-handers expected to help make up the rotation include Pablo López, Elieser Hernández and Sixto Sánchez. Four pitchers are contending for the last spot — left-hander Trevor Rogers and Daniel Castano, and right-handers Nick Neidert and Br... [More]

The Milwaukee Brewers’ big trade from the fall of 2019 certainly didn’t work out in the short term. They’re still hopeful it will help them over the long run. The Brewers acquired infielder Luis Urías and left-handed pitcher Eric Lauer from San Diego in a November 2019 trade that sent outfielder Trent Grisham and pitcher Zach Davies to the Padres. Urías and Lauer struggled in 2020 while Grisham and Davies flourished. But a new season represents a fresh start for both Urías and Lauer. The Brewers are giving the 23-year-old Urías a chance to win their starting shortstop job. If Urías (prounounced oo-REE-us) has a solid season as a full-time player, it could lead to some reassessments of a trade that seemed lopsided in San Diego’s favor last fall. Urías says he isn’t putting any extra pressure on himself to prove the Brewers made the right move in acquiring him. But he understands what’s at stake. “Obviously I want to prove something, that I can really play,” Urías ... [More]

The Milwaukee Brewers’ big trade from the fall of 2019 certainly didn’t work out in the short term. They’re still hopeful it will help them over the long run. The Brewers acquired infielder Luis Urías and left-handed pitcher Eric Lauer from San Diego in a November 2019 trade that sent outfielder Trent Grisham and pitcher Zach Davies to the Padres. Urías and Lauer struggled in 2020 while Grisham and Davies flourished. But a new season represents a fresh start for both Urías and Lauer. The Brewers are giving the 23-year-old Urías a chance to win their starting shortstop job. If Urías (prounounced oo-REE-us) has a solid season as a full-time player, it could lead to some reassessments of a trade that seemed lopsided in San Diego’s favor last fall. Urías says he isn’t putting any extra pressure on himself to prove the Brewers made the right move in acquiring him. But he understands what’s at stake. “Obviously I want to prove something, that I can really play,” Urías ... [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 an... [More]

Kyle Farmer reported to spring camp early with pitchers and catchers but traded in his backup catcher's number (52) for an infielder's number (17), part of his campaign to become the Cincinnati Reds' regular shortstop. Farmer can play anywhere and hits nearly .300 against left-handed pitching, which has made him a valuable utilityman for the Reds the past two seasons. He let manager David Bell know last spring he wanted a chance to prove himself at shortstop, which is where he played for four years as a University of Georgia star. The opportunity is here for the 30-year-old Farmer, who may be the Reds' best option since they let Freddy Galvis leave to sign with the Baltimore Orioles and didn't splash into the free-agent pool for a replacement. Farmer started 10 games at shortstop last season and another in the playoffs. “Trust me, I was on Twitter every day seeing if they were going to sign a shortstop,” Farmer said earlier in the spring. In the opening spring exhibition game Sunda... [More]