DETROIT (AP) — No. 1 overall pick Casey Mize agreed Monday to a minor league contract with the Detroit Tigers that includes a $7.5 million signing bonus, the highest for any drafted player since 2011.Detroit didn't go into much detail about its 2018 plan for Mize, but it certainly sounds as if he'll pitch in the organization at some point soon."We pretty much know what we're going to do," said Scott Pleis, the team's director of amateur scouting. "We're going to figure that out — how many innings, how that's going to work out, when he's going to do it. So all the stuff will be mapped out."Alex Faedo, a right-hander drafted by the Tigers in the first round last year, did not start his minor league career until this season. He's at Double-A Erie now.In 17 starts at Auburn this year, Mize went 10-6 with a 3.30 ERA. The 6-foot-3 junior averaged 12.24 strikeouts per nine innings. The Tigers took him with the No. 1 draft pick earlier this month . His bonus in the highest for a player since Aug.... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — No. 1 overall pick Casey Mize agreed Monday to a minor league contract with the Detroit Tigers that includes a $7.5 million signing bonus, the highest for any drafted player since 2011.Detroit didn't go into much detail about its 2018 plan for Mize, but it certainly sounds as if he'll pitch in the organization at some point soon."We pretty much know what we're going to do," said Scott Pleis, the team's director of amateur scouting. "We're going to figure that out — how many innings, how that's going to work out, when he's going to do it. So all the stuff will be mapped out."Alex Faedo, a right-hander drafted by the Tigers in the first round last year, did not start his minor league career until this season. He's at Double-A Erie now.In 17 starts at Auburn this year, Mize went 10-6 with a 3.30 ERA. The 6-foot-3 junior averaged 12.24 strikeouts per nine innings. The Tigers took him with the No. 1 draft pick earlier this month . His bonus in the highest for a player since Aug.... [More]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Opening day is supposed to be a time when smiles come easy, when managers and players look to the long and daunting grind ahead with a profound sense of hope and optimism.Royals skipper Ned Yost wasn't having any of it.He'd lost All-Star catcher Salvador Perez for up to six weeks because of a freak knee injury. One of the key pieces in his bullpen, Nate Karns, is headed to the disabled list with elbow inflammation. And two of the club's top prospects expected to help sooner than later, infielder Adalberto Mondesi and outfielder Bubba Starling, are likewise headed to the disabled list.The Royals were also forced to designate for assignment erstwhile top prospect Kyle Zimmer, a hard-throwing pitcher whose troubling injury history has prevented him from realizing his potential.Throw in the fact that Yost prefers to get into the day-to-day grind, rather than sit through the pomp and circumstance of opening day, and he was in a particular grim mood Thursday."You kind... [More]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Royals have placed All-Star catcher Salvador Perez, right-hander Nate Karns and two others on the disabled list in a series of roster moves ahead of their opener against the White Sox.Infielder Adalberto Mondesi and outfielder Bubba Starling also went on the DL on Thursday, while veteran pitcher Wily Peralta and top prospect Ryan Zimmer were designated for assignment.The moves created space for the Royals to select the contracts of right-hander Blaine Boyer and infielder Ryan Goins, and recall catcher Cam Gallagher from Triple-A Omaha.Perez is expected to miss up to six weeks after hurting his knee Tuesday night while carrying luggage in his house. Karns has elbow inflammation, Mondesi has a right shoulder impingement and Starling has a left oblique strain.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — This was supposed to be the season that the Kansas City Royals, after spending the last half decade in contention, were finally forced to rebuild as their core group of players hit free agency.Turns out half of them came back.With the market soft across the board, the Royals were able to bring back shortstop Alcides Escobar and third baseman Mike Moustakas on club-friendly, short-term deals. So while first baseman Eric Hosmer signed a seven-figure contract with the Padres and outfielder Lorenzo Cain struck it big with the Brewers, the Royals still have enough pieces that they could compete into the summer.If that happens to be the case, all bets are off."We're fortunate that it happened for us the way it did, and that's as simple as I can say it at this point," Royals general manager Dayton Moore said.What if the Royals are far out of the race in July? Well, all those pieces they brought back could become useful trade chips, allowing Kansas City to jumpstart its... [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) — The Kansas City Royals have plugged a hole in center field by agreeing to sign Jon Jay.Jay agreed to a $3 million, one-year contract Tuesday, and could earn another $1.5 million in performance bonuses. Kansas City made room for Jay by placing pitcher Jesse Hahn on the 60-day disabled list with an elbow injury.With Lorenzo Cain leaving to sign with the Milwaukee Brewers, the Royals lacked an experienced center fielder to cover the spacious Kauffman Stadium grass.Jay has a .996 career fielding percentage, the highest of any active major league outfielder with a minimum of 500 games. He has appeared in 648 games in center during his eight-year career with the St. Louis Cardinals, San Diego Padres and Chicago Cubs.Jay did not commit an error in 141 chances last season and enters this season with a 189-game errorless streak."Without knowing him, the more homework I do on him, the more I like him," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "The more people I talk to, the more it's... [More]

SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals have plugged a hole in center field by agreeing to sign Jon Jay.Jay agreed to a $3 million, one-year contract Tuesday, and could earn another $1.5 million in performance bonuses. Kansas City made room for Jay by placing pitcher Jesse Hahn on the 60-day disabled list with an elbow injury.With Lorenzo Cain leaving to sign with the Milwaukee Brewers, the Royals lacked an experienced center fielder to cover the spacious Kauffman Stadium grass.Jay has a .996 career fielding percentage, the highest of any active major league outfielder with a minimum of 500 games. He has appeared in 648 games in center during his eight-year career with the St. Louis Cardinals, San Diego Padres and Chicago Cubs.Jay did not commit an error in 141 chances last season and enters this season with a 189-game errorless streak."Without knowing him, the more homework I do on him, the more I like him," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "The more people I talk to, the more it's... [More]

SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) — Former All-Star outfielder Michael Saunders has ended his two-day stay with Pittsburgh, instead seeking a better chance to play with the Kansas City Royals.Saunders arrived at the Royals' camp on Saturday after signing a minor league contract. He will receive $1.5 million if he is put on the big league roster and could earn another $500,000 in performance bonuses.The Pirates had signed Saunders to a minor league contract Wednesday and he reported to their spring training complex in Bradenton, Florida. When Pittsburgh acquired outfielder Corey Dickerson in a trade with Tampa Bay on Thursday, Saunders was given his release to pursue other opportunities. The Royals promptly picked up the 31-year-old.Saunders hit a combined .202 last season with the Blue Jays and Philadelphia Phillies, and Toronto released him after the season. He is a career .232 hitter in 775 major league games over nine seasons, the first six with Seattle.The Kansas City outfield remains in a state... [More]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Ned Yost strode through a ballroom inside Bartle Hall, where the Royals were having their annual fan festival, unsure of who will be in his lineup when spring training begins next month.The often-crusty manager was smiling, anyway.The reason was twofold: Yost is excited about the future of the organization, which is expected to rebuild around a wave of young players after the old core became free agents, and he's feeling good after a terrifying fall from a hunting stand last November left him with a broken pelvis and other injuries."I'm still supposed to be in a wheel chair right now," Yost said, "so I'm way ahead of schedule."Yost was checking the stands on his Georgia farm when one of them suddenly buckled, sending the avid outdoorsman on a perilous 20-foot drop. The fracture pelvis led to so much bleeding that surgeons wondered whether he would survive, and four broken bones only complicated the healing process.For weeks, the only movement Yost was allowed was... [More]

Starling (hamstring) was activated from the disabled list at Double-A Northwest Arkansas on Saturday.

Were it not for his extreme tools, Starling would have been written off as a bust already (and he probably already was written off by many). But prior to his hamstring injury Starling was finally starting to show some promise as a prospect. The fifth overall pick in the 2011 draft was slashing .316/.409/.547 with five home runs and three steals in 27 games between High-A and Double-A before the injury, and he will look to continue his success this year now that he is back and healthy.

Starling will miss 3-to-4 weeks with a strained hamstring, MLB.com's Jeffrey Flanagan reports.

Starling was putting together his best professional season at the time of his injury, but he will now be sidelined until sometime in June. Expect him to resume playing for Double-A Northwest Arkansas, with whom he posted an .846 OPS in his first 15 games at the level, once he has recovered from his setback.

Starling exited Sunday's game with Double-A Northwest due to a strained hamstring, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports.

Starling's injury appears to be minor but it could cost him a couple days. He started the season hot at High-A Wilmington, hitting .386/.471/.614 with two home runs and 12 RBI over the first 12 games, but cooled off after joining Double-A Northwest. He's currently hitting .255/.356/.490 with three home runs at the level in 15 games as he looks to continue climbing the organizational ladder.