TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Danny Farquhar has been reassigned by the New York Yankees to their minor league camp.The 32-year-old right-hander, who collapsed in the Chicago White Sox dugout on April 20 because of a ruptured aneurysm and brain hemorrhage, appeared in three spring training games.Farquhar gave up six runs, four hits and five walks over two innings. He did have a hitless inning against the Philadelphia Phillies last Thursday in his second outing."I think he just needs to pitch," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. "We saw enough that suggest he can get back to where he was. He just needs to go out and not be in a hurry to do it because he's a lot closer than it may appear."Farquhar signed a minor league deal with the Yankees during the offseason.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

TAMPA, Fla, (AP) — Chris Davis went 1 for 2 in his return from a strained left hip flexor as the designated hitter for the Baltimore Orioles against the New York Yankees on Tuesday night.Coming off a dreadful season, Davis is 2 for 14 with eight strikeouts in six spring games.He took a called third strike from Jonathan Loaisiga in the first and lined an opposite-field second-inning RBI single to left off the right-hander.Davis agreed to a $161 million, seven-year contract with the Orioles in January 2016. The two-time AL home run champion saw his production decline in 2017, and last season he hit .168 with 16 homers in 470 at-bats.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/tag/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Adam Jones had been climbing Camelback Mountain and hitting at Grand Canyon University for the past two weeks, waiting for a major league team to give him a job. On Tuesday, he officially joined the Arizona Diamondbacks, the only team that Jones says showed any real interest in the 33-year-old outfielder.A free agent after playing the last 11 seasons with the Orioles, Jones signed a one-year, $3 million contract with the D-backs."I was in San Diego and a lot of the baseball players I trained with, they all came to spring training," Jones said. "I'm sitting there looking around at the stars. It made sense to come here and be with my friends who are unsigned. I've been out here working out with the guys who are still looking for jobs."Other players voiced their support of Jones on social media, including Arizona outfielder Steven Souza Jr., who posted on Twitter: "How does Adam Jones not have a job right now, you can't tell me this man doesn't help anyone's ball club?!""It... [More]

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Yankees left-hander CC Sabathia threw 20 pitches Tuesday during his first batting practice session since a heart procedure in December.Sabathia, expected to miss his first two or three regular-season starts, is slated to throw a simulated game Saturday.The 38-year-old, who is retiring after the season, had a stent inserted Dec. 11 after a blockage was found in an artery from his heart. He has had chronic right knee problems that required several operations."He's really responded well to everything," Yankee manager Aaron Boone said. "He's doing well."Sabathia also is suspended for five games for hitting Tampa Bay's catcher Jesus Sucre with a pitch on Sept. 27.The 2007 AL Cy Young Award winner with Cleveland, Sabathia is 246-153 with a 3.70 ERA and 2,986 strikeouts in 18 major league seasons. He was 9-7 with a 3.65 ERA in 29 starts last season. This will be his 11th year with the Yankees.Center fielder Aaron Hicks, who hurt his back during batting practice March 1, got... [More]

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — A trip to Japan helped Robinson Chirinos get to Houston.Texas declined its $4.5 million option on the catcher shortly before the 34-year-old traveled to Japan last November with a big league all-star team. He developed a friendship with the squad's pitching coach, Houston's Brent Strom. Less than a month later, the Astros agreed to a $5.75 million, one-year contract."When I signed, he called me and he was saying, 'I told you you were coming here,'" Chirinos said of Strom.During the Japan trip, Chirinos liked the way Strom worked to improve pitchers who weren't even on his major league team."It showed a lot of the kind of person he is," Chirinos said. "He cared about the pitchers."Meanwhile, Strom relayed information about Chirinos' character to his bosses."Just the personality and the presence, not necessarily the catching," Houston manager A.J. Hinch said.Catchers Brian McCann and Evan Gattis had left the Astros as free agents. Chirinos impressed against Houston... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Injured Houston Astros pitcher Francis Martes has been suspended for 80 games following a positive test for the banned performance-enhancing drug Clomiphene.The anti-estrogen substance is used in fertility treatments and is employed by men to accelerate testosterone production. It is taken along with steroids to inhibit estrogen problems.Houston says in a statement "we hope that Francis can learn from this experience and that he returns to have a successful career."A 23-year-old right-hander, Martes was considered the Astros' top prospect entering 2017 and made his major league debut that June. He was 5-2 with a 5.80 ERA in four starts and 28 relief appearances for the Astros, striking out 69 and walking 31 in 54 1/3 innings.He made four starts last April for Triple-A Fresno, hurt his elbow, and made a one-inning injury rehabilitation appearance for the Gulf Coast Astros on Aug. 2. He had Tommy John surgery on Aug. 15 and was expected to miss most or all of this season.Martes' suspension, announced Tuesday, was the second this year under the major league drug program after Kansas City pitcher Eric Skoglund. Nine players have been suspended this year under the minor league program.___For more AP baseball coverage: https://apnews.com/apf-Baseball and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

KISSIMMEE, Fla. (AP) — When Ronald Acuna Jr. returned to the Atlanta clubhouse, Braves star Freddie Freeman playfully told the NL Rookie of the Year there still was work to do."You should have kept going," Freeman kidded, "and gone for the cycle."Acuna went 3 for 3 with a long home run and double off St. Louis opening day starter Miles Mikolas in Atlanta's 5-0 exhibition win Tuesday. Good enough that former Braves great Dale Murphy sheepishly asked Acuna for his autograph, demonstrating the stature the 21-year-old outfielder has achieved after less than a full season in the big leagues."I've felt good from the day we started camp, but as the games progressed I've felt even better," Acuna said through a translator. "I think with these last at-bats, just a little extra patience has gone into it. I've had good at-bats even if the results weren't what we would have wanted, but things are progressing quickly and we kind of see the results now."Acuna hit .293 with 26 home runs in 111 games last... [More]

KISSIMMEE, Fla. (AP) — The Atlanta Braves sent eight players to the minors on Tuesday, including left-hander Kolby Allard, who was competing for a spot in the rotation.Allard, the 14th overall pick in the 2015 amateur draft, was 0-2 with a 6.75 ERA in four games, including three starts.Among other contenders for the No. 5 spot in the rotation are right-handers Kyle Wright, Touki Toussaint, Mike Soroka and Bryse Wilson and left-hander Max Fried.Allard, left-hander Grant Dayton, catcher Alex Jackson and right-hander Jacob Webb were optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett before Tuesday's game against St. Louis. Three left-handers, Thomas Burrows, Corbin Clouse and Tucker Davidson, were assigned to the minor league camp.Following the game, infielder Luis Marte also was assigned to the minor league camp.___For more AP baseball coverage: https://apnews.com/apf-Baseball and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

KISSIMMEE, Fla. (AP) — When Ronald Acuna Jr. got back to the Atlanta Braves' clubhouse after getting his third hit of the game, Freddie Freeman acted surprised."You should have kept going," Freeman told him, "and gone for the cycle."Acuna went 3 for 3 with a long home run and double off St. Louis opening day starter Miles Mikolas in Atlanta's 5-0 exhibition win Tuesday. It was the kind of performance the Braves have come to expect from the 2018 NL Rookie of the Year, and the kind of day Acuna expects from himself.Good enough that former Braves great Dale Murphy sheepishly asked Acuna for his autograph, demonstrating the stature the 21-year-old outfielder has achieved after less than a full season in the big leagues."I've felt good from the day we started camp, but as the games progressed I've felt even better," he said through a translator. "I think with these last at-bats, just a little extra patience has gone into it. I've had good at-bats even if the results weren't what we would have... [More]

BRADENTON, Fla. (AP) — Corey Dickerson came to the Pittsburgh Pirates with the reputation of being a good hitter and poor defender.The starting designated hitter for the AL in the 2017 All-Star Game while with Tampa Bay, Dickerson was used in the outfield in only 93 games last year.Traded to the Pirates, he committed one error in 266 total chances last year and won a Gold Glove award for his play in left field."People don't know the hundreds of hours I put in during the offseason, working on my defense," Dickerson said at Pirates' training camp. "I work on weaknesses and my strengths. It's important mentally to know I can go out there and perform. I knew I could do it and take it to the next level. As the year went on, my confidence just grew and grew. It's about growing and continuing to get better. If you're not, you may as well hang them up. I'm always trying to get better."Dickerson made a great first impression in Pittsburgh last season."He showed us he's a motivated man," manager... [More]

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) — The New York Mets will finish spring training with a workout inside Syracuse University's Carrier Dome.The team announced Tuesday the practice on March 26 will be held from noon to 2 p.m. It's free and open to the public.Syracuse is the new home of the Mets' Triple-A affiliate where Tim Tebow is expected to start the season.Mets chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon says in a release the organization "is thrilled the Syracuse community will have a chance to connect with our players up close and personal."Among the Mets players scheduled to work out on the Carrier Dome turf are opening day starter Jacob deGrom, Robinson Cano and Noah Syndergaard. The Mets open the regular season on March 28 at Washington against the Nationals.Pete Sala, vice president and chief facilities officer at Syracuse University, says the practice will be the first time baseball will be played in the Carrier Dome. The dome is home to Syracuse basketball and football.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (AP) — Tim Tebow has been reassigned to minor league camp by the New York Mets after hitting .267 with one RBI in eight spring training games.The 31-year-old outfielder attended big league camp for the second straight year and is expected to start the season at Triple-A Syracuse. The 2007 Heisman Trophy winner for 4 for 15 with no extra-base hits in 18 plate appearances during spring training.Tebow batted .273 with six home runs, 14 doubles and 36 RBIs in 84 games for Double-A Binghamton last year.New York also optioned right-handers Paul Sewald and Jacob Rhame to Syracuse on Tuesday and re-assigned right-hander Arquimedes Caminero, infielder Andres Gimenez, infielder Dilson Herrera, outfielder Rymer Liriano and catcher Ali Sanchez to minor league camp.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (AP) — Tim Tebow has been reassigned to minor league camp by the New York Mets after hitting .267 with one RBI in eight spring training games.The 31-year-old outfielder attended big league camp for the second straight year and is expected to start the season at Triple-A Syracuse. The 2007 Heisman Trophy winner for 4 for 15 with no extra-base hits in 18 plate appearances during spring training.Tebow batted .273 with six home runs, 14 doubles and 36 RBIs in 84 games for Double-A Binghamton last year.New York also optioned right-handers Paul Sewald and Jacob Rhame to Syracuse on Tuesday and re-assigned right-hander Arquimedes Caminero, infielder Andres Gimenez, infielder Dilson Herrera, outfielder Rymer Liriano and catcher Ali Sanchez to minor league camp.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

KISSIMMEE, Fla. (AP) — The Atlanta Braves have sent seven players to the minors, including left-hander Kolby Allard, who was competing for a spot in the rotation.Allard, the 14th overall pick in the 2015 amateur draft, was 0-2 with a 6.75 ERA in four games, including three starts.Among other contenders for the No. 5 spot in the rotation are right-handers Kyle Wright, Touki Toussaint, Mike Soroka and Bryse Wilson and left-hander Max Fried.Allard, left-hander Grant Dayton, catcher Alex Jackson and right-hander Jacob Webb were optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett. Three left-handers, Thomas Burrows, Corbin Clouse and Tucker Davidson, were assigned to the minor league camp Tuesday.___For more AP baseball coverage: https://apnews.com/apf-Baseball and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Kyle Seager will be absent next week when the Seattle Mariners play the major league opener in Japan. Mike Foltynewicz will miss opening day for Atlanta, too.Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw, meanwhile, is on the mend.The Mariners said Monday that Seager needs surgery on his left hand, sidelining the third baseman through at least April. The former All-Star and Gold Glove winner rolled his glove going for a grounder in a spring training game last week.Seattle is likely to move first baseman Ryon Healy across the diamond to third. The Mariners and Oakland begin the regular season on March 20 in Tokyo.The Braves had hoped Foltynewicz could start on March 28 when the NL East champions open at Philadelphia, but a sore elbow has slowed the All-Star righty.Foltynewicz has yet to make an appearance in an exhibition game because of discomfort that began about two weeks ago."We're just trying to figure out at what point do we get him up to five innings?" general manager Alex Anthopoulos said. "He's not... [More]

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Shohei Ohtani got a modest raise from the Los Angeles Angels after winning the AL Rookie of the Year award, agreeing to a one-year contract that boosts his pay to $650,000 from last year's minimum of $545,000.Los Angeles announced agreements Monday with 22 players not yet eligible for arbitration. Ohtani has a split contract with a salary of $272,500 while in the minor leagues.The 24-year-old two-way star went 4-2 with a 3.31 ERA in 10 starts as a pitcher and played 104 games overall as a rookie, hitting .285 with 22 homers and 61 RBIs. He had surgery Oct. 1 to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament, and the Angels think the earliest he could be ready to hit in games is in May. He isn't expected to pitch this year.Ohtani left the Nippon Ham Fighters of Japan's Central League after the 2017 season and signed with the Angels for a bonus of $2,315,000. He will not be eligible for salary arbitration until after the 2020 season.He will earn considerably more than Tampa Bay pitcher Blake Snell, last year's AL Cy Young Award winner. The Rays renewed his contract Sunday for a salary while in the majors of $573,700, a raise of $15,500 and a figure $18,700 above the major league minimum, which rose to $555,000.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) — Blake Snell is focused on pitching and not his minuscule salary increase.The AL Cy Young Award winner threw a called third strike past Bryce Harper with a 96 mph fastball in the first inning of the Tampa Bay Rays' 8-2 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday.Snell's contract was renewed Sunday for a salary while in the majors of $573,700, a raise of $15,500 and a figure $18,700 above the major league minimum, which rose $10,000 to $555,000. His deal calls for a $291,000 salary in the unlikely event he is in the minors.The 26-year-old left-hander likely will be eligible for salary arbitration next winter. He declined to discuss his contract.Snell struck out two over two perfect innings."Their lineup is nasty," Snell said. "I really don't key in on a guy. It's a lefty, it's righty, it's what I focus on. I've got to attack the zone. They're going to do what they do. I'm going to do what I do."Snell is slated to start Tampa Bay's March 28 against Justin Verlander and the Houston Astros.Tampa Bay also renewed the contracts of reliever Ryne Stanek ($564,200 in majors, $223,978 in minors) and infielder Joey Wendle ($570,400 in majors and $273,450 in minors).___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Shohei Ohtani got a modest raise from the Los Angeles Angels after winning the AL Rookie of the Year award, agreeing to a one-year contract that boosts his pay to $650,000 from last year's minimum of $545,000.Los Angeles announced agreements Monday with 22 players not yet eligible for arbitration. Ohtani has a split contract with a salary of $272,500 while in the minor leagues.The 24-year-old two-way star went 4-2 with a 3.31 ERA in 10 starts as a pitcher and played 104 games overall as a rookie, hitting .285 with 22 homers and 61 RBIs. He had surgery Oct. 1 to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament, and the Angels think the earliest he could be ready to hit in games is in May. He isn't expected to pitch this year.Ohtani left the Nippon Ham Fighters of Japan's Central League after the 2017 season and signed with the Angels for a bonus of $2,315,000. He will not be eligible for salary arbitration until after the 2020 season.He will earn considerably more than Tampa Bay pitcher Blake Snell, last year's AL Cy Young Award winner. The Rays renewed his contract Sunday for a salary while in the majors of $573,700, a raise of $15,500 and a figure $18,700 above the major league minimum, which rose to $555,000.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

GOODYEAR, Ariz. (AP) — The Cleveland Indians were waiting for the right time to turn Cory Kluber loose in spring inning.Kluber made his first Cactus League start Monday, pitching 3 2/3 innings against Cincinnati and giving up three runs and six hits, including a homer by Yasiel Puig.Indians manager Terry Francona wanted to limit the intensity for Kluber as he was building his pitch count in a controlled environment. The plan was for Kluber to pitch in intrasquad games and live batting practice to build to 50 pitches before launching him into game experience.The two-time Cy Young award said he kept under control."It is different from pitching on the back fields for sure," Kluber said. "You have the scoreboard and the fans that give you the extra little kick of adrenaline. That's the reason we, I don't want to say slow play it, but we wait until now to control the intensity a bit."The Indians have held Kluber out of games early in the spring since 2017, the year after Kluber pitched deep... [More]

GOODYEAR, Ariz. (AP) — Reliever Michael Lorenzen has begun the Cincinnati Reds' mound-to-outfield experiment, pitching one inning and then moving to center field Monday in a game against the Cleveland Indians. It didn't take long for the ball to find him.Lorenzen chased Jose Ramirez's leadoff double in the bottom of the sixth inning of a 5-5 tie, his biggest test during his first time in the outfield."It was fun," Lorenzen said. "I didn't necessarily get any fly balls but I had a couple hit to me. Hopefully next time I get to run one down."The Reds are exploring options for replacing center fielder Billy Hamilton, who signed with the Royals. Lorenzen was a center fielder at Cal State Fullerton who also closed games on occasion. The Reds drafted him as a pitcher in 2013, and he has lobbied for a dual role in the majors.He finally got his chance Monday.Lorenzen came on to pitch the bottom of the fifth inning and retired all three Indians, two by strikeout. Instead of heading off to ice his... [More]