SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) — Texas Rangers pitcher Yohander Mendez could return from his elbow injury around midseason.The team's fear that Mendez might miss the entire year was allayed Monday when an MRI revealed the 24-year-old lefty has a Grade 1 sprain of the ulnar collateral ligament."It's really good news. I think we dodged a bullet," assistant general manager Shiraz Rehman said. "There's some inflammation and some fluid in there, but no surgery at all. At this point, six weeks of no throw, and then we'll build him back up."That timetable calls for an April 29 return to throwing, beginning on flat ground from a close distance. By the time Mendez is ready to pitch in a game, it is likely to be another six weeks, probably in mid-June."Think of him as a second-half pitcher for us at this point, because we want to be conservative with it," Rehman said.Mendez left Sunday's Cactus League game against the Diamondbacks after striking out the first batter he faced in the third inning."It hurt on... [More]

BRADENTON, Fla. (AP) — Jung Ho Kang and Erik Gonzalez have won starting jobs in the infield with the Pittsburgh Pirates.General manager Neal Huntington said Monday that Kang has beaten out Colin Moran at third base and Erik Gonzalez has won the shortstop competition over Kevin Newman."It was not an easy decision because all four guys, in their own way, had legitimate claims to be the regular," Huntington said.Kang is just 5 for 28 (.185) with 13 strikeouts this spring but all five hits have been solo home runs. Moran was 6 for 28 (.214) with a double and a homer through the weekend.Moran, however, had committed four errors while Kang had two."The power has been real," manager Clint Hurdle said of Kang. "It's spring training, but it's five homers. We don't have anybody else that's hit five homers."Kang missed the entire 2017 season and the beginning of 2018 because he was unable to secure a work visa to travel from his native South Korea following a third DUI arrest. He then underwent wrist... [More]

SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) — Clayton Kershaw won't start for the Los Angeles Dodgers on opening day because of the sore shoulder that's slowed him at spring training, ending his streak of pitching eight straight openers.Dodgers manager Dave Roberts announced the decision Monday.Kershaw has dealt with left shoulder inflammation this spring, and has yet to pitch in a game. The left-hander is scheduled to throw live batting practice on Wednesday, but there are no plans in place after that.Roberts said it's unlikely Kershaw would open the season on the active roster. Right-hander Ross Stripling will have a spot in the rotation.The team has not announced a starter for the March 28 opener at home against Arizona, but Roberts did say it will not be Walker Buehler because his rest days don't line up.Buehler has also had a sore shoulder and is scheduled to make his first Cactus League appearance Tuesday, when he's set to throw three innings against the Cleveland Indians.Increasingly, it appears left-hander... [More]

SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) — Clayton Kershaw won't start for the Los Angeles Dodgers on opening day because of a sore shoulder, ending his streak of pitching eight straight openers.Dodgers manager Dave Roberts announced the decision Monday.Kershaw has dealt with left shoulder inflammation during spring training, and has yet to pitch in a game. The left-hander is scheduled to throw live batting practice on Wednesday, but there are no plans in place after that.Roberts said it's unlikely Kershaw would open the season on the active roster. Right-hander Ross Stripling will have a spot in the rotation.The team has not announced a starter for the March 28 opener at home against Arizona, but Roberts did say it will not be Walker Buehler because his rest days don't line up.Buehler has also had a sore shoulder and is scheduled to make his first Cactus League appearance Tuesday, when he's set to throw three innings against the Cleveland Indians.Increasingly, it appears left-hander Rich Hill will get the... [More]

BRADENTON, Fla. (AP) — Jung Ho Kang and Erik Gonzalez have won starting jobs in the infield with the Pittsburgh Pirates.General manager Neal Huntington said Monday that Kang has beaten out Colin Moran at third base and Erik Gonzalez has won the shortstop competition over Kevin Newman."It was not an easy decision because all four guys, in their own way, had legitimate claims to be the regular," Huntington said.Kang is just 5 for 28 (.185) with 13 strikeouts this spring but all five hits have been solo home runs. Moran was 6 for 28 (.214) with a double and a homer through the weekend.Moran, however, had committed four errors while Kang had two."The power has been real," manager Clint Hurdle said of Kang. "It's spring training, but it's five homers. We don't have anybody else that's hit five homers."Kang missed the entire 2017 season and the beginning of 2018 because he was unable to secure a work visa to travel from his native South Korea following a third DUI arrest. He then underwent wrist... [More]

GOODYEAR, Ariz. (AP) — The Cincinnati Reds expect left-hander Alex Wood to open the season on the injured list as he recovers from a sore back that has limited him during spring training.Wood was part of the trade that brought outfielders Yasiel Puig and Matt Kemp to Cincinnati from the Los Angeles Dodgers. He made one spring training start before his back tightened, and had a setback when he resumed throwing last week.Reds manager David Bell said Monday that it's likely Wood will miss the first couple weeks of the season as he tries to catch up."It will be mid-April, if everything is perfect," Bell said.Bell and his staff haven't decided whether Wood will stay in Goodyear for extended spring or bring him to Cincinnati to continue his throwing. The Reds open the season March 28 at Great American Ball Park against the Pirates.Right-hander Tyler Mahle, who was one of five rookies on last year's opening day roster, is the likely replacement in the rotation. Mahle made 23 starts for Cincinnati... [More]

KISSIMMEE, Fla. (AP) — The New York Yankees reached into the remainder of the free-agent market to bolster their ailing rotation, agreeing Monday to a minor league contract with Gio Gonzalez.If added to the 40-man roster, the 33-year-old left-hander would get a $3 million salary while in the major leagues and the chance to earn performance bonuses. He was a far cheaper alternative to higher-priced options such as Dallas Keuchel."Being a couple guys down, to have a guy like him still available, a luxury to be able to add him just for some depth," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. "He's certainly good enough to be very much in the mix of things. But we'll see how far along he is and if we're at a point where he's in play actually for the next couple, few weeks."New York ace Luis Severino is sidelined by right shoulder inflammation and will not be available until May at the earliest. In addition, CC Sabathia is likely to miss the first week or two as he recovers from an offseason that included... [More]

KISSIMMEE, Fla. (AP) — Gio Gonzalez and the New York Yankees agreed to a minor league contract Monday.If added to the 40-man roster, the 33-year-old lefty would get a $3 million salary while in the major leagues and the chance to earn performance bonuses.New York had been seeking more pitching following a shoulder injury to ace Luis Severino, who will not be available until May at the earliest. In addition, CC Sabathia is likely to miss the first week or two as he recovers from an offseason that included knee surgery and the insertion of a stent after a blockage was found in an artery from his heart.Right-hander Masahiro Tanaka heads a rotation that includes lefties James Paxton and J.A. Happ. Jonathan Loaisiga, Luis Cessa and Domingo German are competing for two open rotation spots.Gonzalez was 10-11 with a 4.21 ERA last year for Washington and Milwaukee, which acquired him on Aug. 31. He was 3-0 in five starts for the Brewers down the stretch, then started Games 1 and 4 of the NL Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was pulled after two innings of the opener and one inning of his second appearance, allowing one run in each.Gonzalez is a two-time All-Star and was 21-12 in 2012, his first season with the Nationals. He just finished the second option season of a contract that wound up being worth $65.5 million over seven seasons.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

KISSIMMEE, Fla. (AP) — A person familiar with the negotiations tells The Associated Press that left-hander Gio Gonzalez and the New York Yankees have agreed to a minor league contract.The person spoke on condition of anonymity Monday because the agreement had not yet been announced.If added to the 40-man roster, the 33-year-old Gonzalez would get a $3 million salary while in the major leagues and the chance to earn performance bonuses.New York had been seeking more pitching following a shoulder injury to ace Luis Severino, who will not be available until May at the earliest. In addition, CC Sabathia is likely to miss the first week or two as he recovers from an offseason that included knee surgery and the insertion of a stent after a blockage was found in an artery from his heart.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) — The Texas Rangers' fear that pitcher Yohander Mendez would miss the entire 2019 season was allayed on Monday when an MRI revealed the 24-year-old had a Grade 1 sprain of the left ulnar collateral ligament."It's really good news. I think we dodged a bullet," assistant general manager Shiraz Rehman said. "There's some inflammation and some fluid in there, but no surgery at all. At his point, six weeks of no throw, and then we'll build him back up."That timetable calls for an April 29 return to throwing, beginning on flat ground from a close distance. By the time Mendez is ready to pitch in a game, it is likely to be another six weeks, probably in mid-June."Think of him as a second-half pitcher for us at this point, because we want to be conservative with it," Rehman said.Mendez left Sunday's Cactus League game against the Diamondbacks after striking out the first batter he faced in the third inning.The Rangers have three projected starters, Shelby Miller, Drew Smyly... [More]

Bryce, Manny and Ichiro. London calling, and Cleveland rocks. Lots of intrigue on the baseball schedule this summer.Here are a handful of dates to mark on the calendar:WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20Seattle Mariners at Oakland Athletics: Ichiro Suzuki returns to his native Japan when Seattle and Oakland open the season with a two-game set at the Tokyo Dome. The 45-year-old Suzuki, a 10-time All-Star, is nearing the end of his storied career after he hit .205 in 15 games last year before moving into Seattle's front office. But the lure of playing another game or two in his home country helped draw him back to the field this spring. The Mariners and Athletics also faced each other in the last opening series at Tokyo, splitting two games in 2012.TUESDAY, APRIL 2Philadelphia Phillies at Washington Nationals: Bryce Harper doesn't have to wait very long to get his first game against Washington out of the way. Harper played for the Nationals for seven seasons, winning the NL MVP award in 2015 and making the... [More]

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Clayton Kershaw won't be starting for the Los Angeles Dodgers on opening day, ending his streak of pitching eight straight openers.Manager Dave Roberts announced the decision on Monday.Kershaw has dealt with left shoulder inflammation during spring training, and has yet to pitch in a game. The left-hander is scheduled to throw live batting practice on Wednesday, but there are no plans in place after that.Roberts says it's unlikely Kershaw would open the season on the active roster.The Dodgers are considering Walker Buehler and Rich Hill as opening day starters. However, Buehler has had a sore shoulder and he won't make his first spring appearance until Tuesday, when he's set to throw three innings.The Dodgers open the season on March 28 at home against Arizona.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

GOODYEAR, Ariz. (AP) — The Cincinnati Reds expect left-hander Alex Wood to open the season on the disabled list as he recovers from a sore back that has limited him during spring training.Wood was part of the trade that brought outfielders Yasiel Puig and Matt Kemp to Cincinnati from the Dodgers. He made one spring training start before his back tightened, and he had a setback when he resumed throwing last week.Manager David Bell said Monday that it's likely Wood will miss the first couple weeks of the season as he tries to catch up."It will be mid-April, if everything is perfect," Bell said.Bell and his staff haven't decided whether Wood will stay in Goodyear for extended spring or bring him to Cincinnati to continue his throwing. The Reds open the season March 28 at Great American Ball Park against the Pirates.Right-hander Tyler Mahle, who was one of five rookies on last year's opening day roster, is the likely replacement in the Reds rotation. Mahle made 23 starts for Cincinnati last... [More]

TOKYO (AP) — This is the Ichiro effect.Richard Snitzer had never been to Japan. What finally drove the Japanese-American to travel here from his home in Hayward, California, was Ichiro Suzuki; not family ties, not pure wanderlust, but a chance to see a player he called "simply the best."And get this. He's not even a Mariners fan, which he's advertised by wearing his A's jersey around the Tokyo Dome.He'll be there Wednesday when Major League Baseball opens the 2019 season with Seattle facing Oakland to start a two-game series. The 45-year-old Ichiro is expected to play in both. What happens next? Ichiro isn't saying.One thing is sure. It will be great theater."I'll have my phone ready to go, and I'll shoot and stand up and applaud when he bats," Snitzer said. "I just hope he doesn't get the winning hit against the A's. If he hits a home run that doesn't affect the game, I'll be thrilled."A's pitcher Liam Hendriks probably spoke for both teams."We're just happy to be along for the ride,"... [More]

TOKYO (AP) — Amid all the hoopla surrounding Ichiro Suzuki's return to Japan with the Seattle Mariners, it's been easy to overlook something else: the Oakland Athletics are here, too.The A's are used to being seen as the also-rans, and even relish it. They were a playoff team last season — not the Mariners. And when "Ichiromania" subsides after the season-opening games in the Tokyo Dome on Wednesday and Thursday, the A's will again be under-the-radar favorites."The A's have always been an underdog organization no matter how you put it," A's pitcher Liam Hendriks said. "We enjoy proving people wrong."Teammate Stephen Piscotty, who is playing for his childhood team, put it a different way."I don't think we care too much about how that's viewed," he said. "Last year's expectations weren't all that high, and we showed why that was wrong. We're out this year to take down the division and just play our brand of baseball."Hendriks might be the quintessential Oakland A's player.He grew up in Perth,... [More]

MESA, Ariz. (AP) — It does not take Javier Baez long to show off his magic tricks, even in a spring training game.The Chicago Cubs star singled in the first inning on Sunday against the Colorado Rockies and stole second, escaping a tag by shortstop Garrett Hampson with a deft swim move."I wasn't planning on doing it — I just reacted to it," Baez said. "I got a good jump but I took forever to be full speed and the ball beat me. I saw it and just reacted to it. That's my first attempt to steal a bag in spring training. I just did it. We'll see how it goes."It was just Javy being Javy. Last season, the infielder known as "El Mago" — Spanish for 'The Magician' — set career highs with a .290 batting average, 34 home runs, 40 doubles, 21 stolen bases and a league-leading 111 RBIs."I had a great year," Baez said. "I still think I can have a better year."Baez, 26, finished second in the NL MVP voting behind the Milwaukee Brewers' Christian Yelich last season. Baez ranked among the top 20 NL hitters... [More]

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Jacoby Ellsbury expects to play again following a hip injury, but when that will be is not clear."It's hard to say," the 35-year-old New York Yankees center fielder said Monday. "We're putting a plan together right now. But definitely headed in the right direction."Ellsbury reported more than a month late to spring training due to a rehab program in Arizona for left hip surgery performed last August. He also had issues with plantar fasciitis in the right foot during the offseason."The hip's good," Ellsbury said. "After surgery, just building up right now. Just in the beginning stages of baseball activities."He is running, playing short-range catch and hitting off a tee.Ellsbury hurt his right oblique early in spring training last year and eventually spent the entire season on the disabled list."You want to be out there, for sure," Ellsbury said. "That's why I put in the time, put in the work. You want to contribute, you want to be part of the team. Stay optimistic and just put the work in."Ellsbury is guaranteed $21,142,857 annually through 2020 as part of a $153 million, seven-year contract that includes a $21 million team option for 2021 with a $5 million buyout.Ellsbury hit .264 with seven homers and 39 RBIs in 112 games in 2017.___More AP baseball coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

JUPITER, Fla. (AP) — Jack Flaherty has done the math, and it all adds up. The young St. Louis pitcher is in line to start the Cardinals' home opener."Freakin' cool," the 23-year-old Flaherty said, sporting a huge grin. "To put it as forward as I can, it would be freakin' sweet."Other than announcing Miles Mikolas as the opening day starter March 28 at Milwaukee, manager Mike Shildt has yet to make public his starting rotation, nor has he discussed it with Flaherty.But with one Grapefruit League start remaining, Flaherty is in position to make the Cardinals' second start of the season. And if that schedule plays out as expected, his second turn figures to be the home opener on April 4 against San Diego."We know Jack's commitment, that's really evident," Shildt said. "We know Jack is athletic, that's on display. We know Jack's got all the pitches. We know Jack competes really well."The right-handed Flaherty throws a mid-90s mph fastball, a curve and a changeup, but it's a hard-biting slider... [More]

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Among various sheets of paper thumbtacked to the corkboard in Dave Martinez's spring training office — Florida Kitchen Staff, Important Dates, Pitchers Work Groups — there's one in the upper-left corner entitled Face Fear Like Bison.The Washington Nationals' manager came across its three-sentence message this offseason: "When a storm brews on the horizon, most animals run away from it. But bison instinctively run directly toward storms to minimize the amount of time they're exposed to the elements. So face adversity head-on and power through whatever comes your way."That, Martinez explained in an interview, captures the way he plans to approach his second season as a major league skipper, which begins when the Nationals host the New York Mets on March 28."When I first saw it, I read it. I read it again. And I read it again. And I was like, 'I get that.' Sometimes you need to have a tough conversation or face a tough situation," he said, punching his left palm... [More]

KISSIMMEE, Fla. (AP) — Atlanta Braves right-hander Julio Teheran is set to make his sixth straight start on opening day.The Braves said Monday that Teheran will face the Phillies on March 28 in Philadelphia.Teheran's run ties Hall of Famer Warren Spahn (1957-62) for the longest in Braves' franchise history during the modern era. Teheran is 1-1 with a 2.73 ERA on opening day.Earlier this spring, it had been thought Mike Foltynewicz might start on opening day for the Braves. But he's likely to be out until at least mid-April with a sore right elbow.New Phillies slugger Bryce Harper is expected to make his debut in the opener. He's had a lot of career success against Teheran, going 18 for 40 (.450) with eight homers and 19 RBIs.Teheran went 9-9 last season with a 3.94 ERA in 31 starts.