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 Oakland Athletics:
Cook, Ryan RHP Ryan Cook worked in a minor league game March 22 and threw 17
pitches, 16 strikes, while retiring four batters. Cook, who did not
pitch in a Cactus League game because of shoulder soreness, will
open the season on the disabled list, but he is expected to return
April 5.
Oakland Athletics: Gentry, Craig
OF Craig Gentry went 3-for-5 with a triple in a minor league game
March 24. Gentry, who missed most of the spring with a back injury,
will open the season on the disabled list but is expected to be
activated the first day he is eligible to return, April 5.
Oakland Athletics: Rodriguez, Fernando
RHP Fernando Rodriguez, who is coming off Tommy John surgery, was
placed on the disabled list and is expected to have a full 30-day
rehab assignment at Triple-A Sacramento. Rodriguez is out of
options, but he is a candidate for the final spot in Oakland's
bullpen when healthy.
Oakland Athletics: Fuld, Sam
OF Sam Fuld, a non-roster player, is expected to make Oakland's
Opening Day roster because of Craig Gentry's back injury. Fuld, who
had an out in his contract before the start of the regular season,
does not have another out clause until June 1. He was batting .300
though the final weekend of play in Arizona.
Oakland Athletics: Burns, Billy
OF Billy Burns will not open the season on Oakland's roster, but the
24-year-old made a major splash in the Athletics' camp. Burns was
batting .313 with a big-league-leading 10 steals through March 24,
and the A's will bring him to the Bay Area for the final three
exhibition games against the Giants. He is likely to start the
season at Triple-A Sacramento after his strong spring. Burns has
just 30 games of experience at the Double-A level, none at the
Triple-A level. He was acquired from the Nationals for LHP Jerry
Blevins in December.
Texas Rangers: Scheppers, Tanner
RHP Tanner Scheppers will begin the season in the starting rotation
after making 76 relief appearances for the Rangers last season.
Scheppers has started just 12 times in 210 professional games all
115 major league appearances have been out of the bullpen. His last
start came in 2011 for Triple-A Round Rock. Scheppers had an
outstanding 1.88 ERA in 2013 and also registered his first
big-league save.
Texas Rangers: Darvish, Yu
RHP Yu Darvish, who has been slowed by a stiff neck, played catch
March 24 but it was unclear when he would be able to throw off a
mound. He is scheduled to start the opener March 31 against the
Philadelphia Phillies but that is now considered questionable.
Darvish finished runner-up to Detroit Tigers right-hander Max
Scherzer in the American League Cy Young Award voting last season
when he went 13-9 with a 2.83 ERA in 32 starts while topping the
league with 277 strikeouts.
Texas Rangers: Choice, Michael
OF Michael Choice, hometown guy who starred collegiately at
Texas-Arlington, was acquired by the Rangers from the Oakland
Athletics in an offseason trade. The Rangers' plan was to have
Choice start the season at Triple-A Round Rock but he will serve as
their fourth outfielder following an injury to rookie Engel Beltre
and likely spell designated hitter Mitch Moreland against
left-handed pitchers.
Texas Rangers: Alfaro, Jorge
C Jorge Alfaro, the 20-year-old Colombian, hit .258 with 16 home
runs at low Class A Hickory in 104 games last season and the Rangers
feel he has yet to come close to reaching his full potential.
Alfaro, who also has a cannon arm, will start this season at high
Class A Myrtle Beach and could reach the major leagues by 2016.
Texas Rangers: Soria, Joakim
RHP Joakim Soria will return to the closer's role with the Rangers
to start the season after saving 160 games for Kansas City from
2007-11. He impressed the Rangers with his velocity this spring
after missing the 2012 season while recovering from Tommy John
reconstructive surgery then making 26 relief appearances in the
second half of last season for Texas.
Texas Rangers: Soto, Geovany
C Geovany Soto will have surgery on his right knee to repair torn
meniscus cartilage and will be out until at least mid-June. He felt
pain while squatting behind the plate during a March 23 game and an
MRI revealed the damage. Soto was expected to be the starting
catcher after being the backup last season to A.J. Pierzynski, who
signed with the Boston Red Sox as a free agent in the offseason. In
2013, Soto hit .245 with nine home runs in 54 games. He was the
National League Rookie of the Year in 2006 while playing for the
Chicago Cubs.
Texas Rangers: Profar, Jurickson
2B Jurickson Profar tore a muscle in his right shoulder while
turning a double play in a March 22 game and will begin the season
on the disabled list. While surgery is not required, it is expected
that the muscle will need 10-12 weeks to heal, which could keep
Profar out through the end of June. The injury is unrelated to him
being unable to throw at the start of spring training because of
soreness in the shoulder. Profar was used as a utility player last
season as a rookie and batted .234 and six home runs in 86 games
after coming into the year rated as the top prospect in baseball by
various sources.
Oakland Athletics: Russell, Addison
SS Addison Russell, 20, is projected to be the Athletics' Opening
Day shortstop in 2015, in part because Jed Lowrie will be a free
agent and in part because Russell is such a mature player for his
age. He is likely to start the season at Double-A Midland but could
move quickly to Triple-A Sacramento. He hit a combined
.269/.369/.495 with 17 homers, 60 RBIs and 21 steals last year in
high Class A and Triple-A.
Oakland Athletics: Reddick, Josh
RF Josh Reddick was bothered by a right wrist injury all last season
and required surgery in the offseason. His homer totals tumbled from
32 in 2012 to 12 last season. Reddick hit well during the spring,
and he showed a much greater ability to cover the plate. After
Reddick batted .226 in 2013, the A's expect that he will be able to
contribute much more offensively in 2014.
Oakland Athletics: Barton, Daric
1B Daric Barton (right hamstring strain) was hurt March 8, but only
missed one week of action. Barton, who is out of options, is likely
to be on the Opening Day roster.
Oakland Athletics: Norris, Derek
C Derek Norris (back tightness) missed a week of action in mid-March
but returned to action with no limitations. Norris was among the top
hitters in Oakland's camp, batting .400 through the final weekend in
Arizona.
Texas Rangers: Ogando, Alexi
RHP Alexi Ogando will begin the season as the Rangers' primary
set-up reliever after being looked at as a starter during Cactus
League play. Ogando made 48 starts and 108 relief appearances during
his four-year career. Last season, he was 7-4 with a 3.11 ERA in 23
games, including 18 starts.
Texas Rangers: Holland, Derek
LHP Derek Holland is tentatively scheduled to throw off a mound
April 2 for the first time since undergoing microfracture surgery on
his left knee in January. The original timetable following the
surgery was for Holland to return at the All-Star break but is so
far ahead of the schedule in his rehab that he might be able to join
the Rangers' rotation in early June.
Texas Rangers: Beltre, Adrian
OF Engel Beltre will begin the season on the disabled list with a
fractured tibia bone in his right leg. The Rangers have no timetable
for when Beltre might return and are unsure exactly how he was
injured, though they believe it might be traced back to being hit by
a pitch while playing winter ball in his native Dominican Republic.
He was slated to be the fourth outfielder this season. The
24-year-old made his major league debut last season and hit .250 in
22 games. He is out of minor league options, meaning the Rangers
would have to pass him through waivers if they tried to send him
down after what figures to be a lengthy injury rehabilitation stint
in the minors.
Houston Astros: Zeid, Josh
RHP Josh Zeid, who earned one save while going 0-1 with a 3.90 ERA
as a rookie last year, was optioned back to minor league camp on
March 24. He entered camp with an outside chance at competing for
the closer's role, but he gave up four runs over 8 2/3 innings this
spring for a 4.15 ERA over seven appearances.
Houston Astros: Chambers, Adron
OF Adron Chambers, who was signed to a minor league contract this
offseason, was reassigned to minor league camp. He hit .250 this
spring and was not considered an option to make the club. With
Chambers gone, it is clear the Astros will start the season with
Robbie Grossman in left, Dexter Fowler in center and L.J. Hoes in
right.
Houston Astros: Appel, Mark
RHP Mark Appel, the top overall pick in the 2013 draft, was expected
to make his second spring appearance March 26. Because he was behind
while recovering from the appendectomy surgery he underwent Jan. 31,
he did not make his spring debut until March 21, a day after he was
reassigned to minor league camp.
Izturis, Cesar
INF Cesar Izturis, the veteran who was brought into camp to compete
for a utility infielder's spot, was released March 24 after he
decided to opt out of his minor league contract. He was informed by
the Astros that he would not make the 25-man roster.
Houston Astros: Williams, Jerome
RHP Jerome Williams, who will make the 25-man roster, likely pitched
himself out of contention for Houston's rotation on March 23 when he
gave up six runs in four innings in a loss to the Cardinals.
Williams likely will serve as a long reliever. "Obviously, I do want
to start," he said. "(But) as long as I go out and contribute any
way possible to help the team win, I'm going to do it."
Houston Astros: Moylan, Peter
RHP Peter Moylan (UCL strain) was hurt in mid-March. He likely will
undergo Tommy John surgery.
Houston Astros: Crain, Jesse
RHP Jesse Crain was an All-Star last year while going 2-3 with a
0.74 ERA with the Chicago White Sox, but he did not pitch after June
29 because of a right shoulder-biceps problem. The Astros signed him
in the offseason in hopes of having him ready by May. If he
recovers, he could be a huge asset to the bullpen.
Houston Astros: Wojciechowski, Asher
RHP Asher Wojciechowski (right lat strain) is expected to miss the
first month of the season. The pitching prospect was not expected to
reach the majors out of camp, but he hoped to make an impression. He
never pitched this spring because of the injury.
Houston Astros: Springer, George
RF George Springer is one of the most exciting prospects in
baseball. He hit 37 homers and stole 45 bases while driving in 108
runs between Double-A and Triple-A last year. If not for service
time decisions, he would have likely made the Astros' Opening Day
roster.
Houston Astros: Correa, Carlos
SS Carlos Correa, the top overall pick in the 2012 draft, was
arguably already the top talent in major league camp even though he
is only 19 years old. He is a superb infielder and amazing hitter.
His goal is to earn a September call-up, and the Astros are not
putting that out of the question. He will start at high Class A
Lancaster, and nobody in the organization is ruling out a few jumps
in the system this year.
Seattle Mariners: Peterson, D.J.
3B D.J. Peterson was the team's first-round pick last June, but a
scary injury in his first few weeks of professional baseball
derailed his debut season. Peterson appears to be fully recovered
from the broken jaw he suffered after getting hit by a pitch last
August, and the Mariners are hoping he can develop into a
middle-of-the-order hitter.
Los Angeles Angels: Lindsey, Taylor
2B Taylor Lindsey is the consensus top prospect in the Angels'
organization, and if he has a good start to the year in Triple-A, it
could make for some interesting opportunities for the Angels, as it
would make Howie Kendrick expendable midseason. Still, it is
unlikely Lindsey will debut before 2015.
Los Angeles Angels: Morin, Michael
RHP Michael Morin is not starting the season on the Angels' roster,
but based on how his last two pro seasons have gone, it would be a
surprise if he is not in the bullpen by August. He will never be a
star and may not even have closer potential, but it is very likely
he will be able to get major league hitters out.
Seattle Mariners: Paxton, James
LHP James Paxton followed up a surprisingly strong performance after
a September call-up with a good spring, and the Mariners are
counting on the 25-year-old southpaw to be a key member of the
rotation this season. In four major league starts last year, Paxton
went 3-0 with a 1.50 ERA.
Los Angeles Angels: Hamilton, Josh
LF Josh Hamilton was not hurt for any long period of time last
season, but a glance at his numbers would lead you to believe he
was. After hitting 43 homers and driving in 128 runs in 2012, he had
just 21 long balls and 79 RBIs last year. The 28 pounds of muscle he
added to his frame indicate he is planning on hitting more for more
power in 2014.
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Seattle Mariners: Ackley, Dustin
LF Dustin Ackley was supposed to be the Mariners' second baseman of
the future, but his three-year struggle at the plate resulted in a
demotion to Triple-A last season and a subsequent position move to
the outfield. Ackley has since re-invented himself and used a spring
to that saw him hit .423 through March 24 to emerge as the leading
candidate for the starting job in left field.
Los Angeles Angels: Richards, Garrett
RHP Garrett Richards has showed a lot of promise this spring with
his self-awareness. He possesses the pitch mix necessary to strike
hitters out at a high rate, but he is now reluctant to waste pitches
and instead tries to induce as much weak contact as possible. That
has earned him praise from Angels pitching coach Mike Butcher.
Los Angeles Angels: McDonald, John
INF John McDonald appears on the verge of making the Angels' 25-man
roster, largely on the strength of his defensive capabilities.
Approaching 40, the journeyman has never been an offensive
contributor, but his smooth glove work — and versatility — allowed
him to beat out the younger Andrew Romine and Grant Green for the
one available roster spot.
Los
Angeles Angels: Alvarez, Jose
LHP Jose Alvarez, acquired from the Detroit Tigers on March 21 for
INF Andrew Romine, made his Angels debut in a minor league game over
the weekend and could pitch next in a Freeway Series game against
the Dodgers, March 27-29. Regardless, he is likely to be optioned to
Triple-A Salt Lake City before Opening Day. But if any of the
Angels' starting pitchers gets hurt, he might be the first-choice
replacement.
Los Angeles Angels: Blanton, Joe
RHP Joe Blanton's apparent improvement after shifting his mound
positioning is no more. The veteran gave up six runs in 4 1/3
innings March 22 and may not get another start in an Angels uniform.
After he struggled all of last year and early in spring, he made
some desperation adjustments and followed them with two good starts,
but as of now he's a prime candidate to be traded or designated for
assignment. The Angels still owe him $8.5 million for 2014 in any
case.
Los Angeles Angels: Maronde, Nick
LHP Nick Maronde suddenly has a great chance to be on the Angels'
Opening Day roster as the lone left-handed reliever, with Sean
Burnett now not likely to return until mid-April and Rule V pick
Brian Moran nursing a tender elbow for much of the last month.
Maronde, a former top prospect, struggled in a brief big-league
stint in 2013 but has had a good spring. "I definitely had my bumps
in the road last year," Maronde said.
Los Angeles Angels: Smith, Joe
RHP Joe Smith, an offseason signee from the Indians, was dependable
for several years in Cleveland. He had a couple rough outings this
spring, but the Angels remain confident he will be their
eighth-inning guy all year.
Los Angeles Angels: Burnett, Sean
LHP Sean Burnett (left elbow surgery in August 2013) experienced a
minor setback with some forearm tightness over the weekend of March
22-23, but he is expected to resume throwing off a mound March 25 or
March 26. He is on track to return to the majors sometime in
mid-April.
Los Angeles Angels: De La Rosa, Dane
RHP Dane De La Rosa (right forearm tightness) could pitch in a game
in the final days of spring training after throwing a successful
bullpen session March 24. Manager Mike Scioscia said it is still
possible De La Rosa will begin the season on the disabled list.
Seattle Mariners: Iwakuma, Hisashi
RHP Hisashi Iwakuma played catch on March 24, during a 43-pitch
session. It marked the first time this spring that Iwakuma has
thrown a ball after he spent most of spring training wearing a
splint to protect a strained tendon in the middle finger of his
right hand. His first scheduled start has still not been determined,
and Iwakuma indicated after his throwing session that he still has a
ways to go.
"It's still stiff," he said of the finger that he injured on a
protective netting a few days before the opening of camp. Iwakuma
was speaking through team interpreter Antony Suzuki. "We're still
working on full flexibility. I don't have that range of motion yet,
but it's getting there."
Seattle Mariners: Cano, Robinson
2B Robinson Cano returned from five days off to attend to a personal
situation by going 4-for-9 with three RBIs in his first three games
back. Cano was going to be the Mariners' starting second baseman and
No. 3 hitter no matter how he performed this spring, but his red-hot
bat has undoubtedly given the high-priced free agent an even bigger
spotlight as he heads into Opening Day.
Seattle Mariners: Hart, Corey
OF Corey Hart is dealing with another minor health issue, leaving
his status as a right fielder in doubt as the Mariners close in on
Opening Day. Manager Lloyd McClendon said that Hart's latest
setback, a sore arm, could force him into DH duty early in the
season. But the Mariners aren't too concerned about Hart's long-term
future because his surgically reconstructed knees appear to be fine.
Hart came to camp with a sore back, then he sat out three
consecutive games with a strained forearm over the weekend. He was
being targeted as the Mariners' starting right fielder, but his
inability to stay on the field could open the door for DH Logan
Morrison or CF Michael Saunders to open the season in right field,
possibly opening the door for Abraham Almonte or veteran Endy Chavez
to be the Opening Day center fielder.
Seattle Mariners: Wolf, Randy
LHP Randy Wolf gave up two home runs in a recent outing, but that
was the only damage he allowed as the veteran vies for a spot in the
Mariners' Opening Day rotation. Wolf and fellow veteran Scott Baker
could be options to fill in for a start or two while RHPs Hisashi
Iwakuma (finger) and Taijuan Walker (shoulder) get into form.
Seattle Mariners: Beavan, Blake
RHP Blake Beavan looked like a possibility to earn an early-season
start, but his seven-run, eight-hit performance that included four
home runs allowed in a March 19 start appears to have closed the
door on that thinking.
Seattle Mariners: Pryor, Stephen
RHP Stephen Pryor made his first start of the spring March 22, when
he threw a scoreless inning of relief against a team of San Diego
Padres minor-leaguers. Pryor is coming off surgery on a torn lat
muscle in August and is well ahead of schedule in terms of his
recovery. "This is the first time my arm has felt right since I got
hurt last year in April," he told The Seattle Times after Saturday's
outing. "It's something to build off of. I feel back to normal."
Seattle Mariners: Rodney, Fernando
RHP Fernando Rodney is beginning to look more ready for the regular
season, although his 10.50 spring ERA through March 24 still left
reason for concern. Rodney recently threw back-to-back scoreless
outings, allowing just one run in two innings of work. The veteran
is expected to be Seattle's closer this season.
Seattle Mariners: Walker, Taijuan
RHP Taijuan Walker (right shoulder soreness) was back throwing in
late March and appeared on track to be ready to pitch sometime in
April. However, he is unlikely to be available for what was supposed
to be his first start in the season.
Seattle Mariners: Maurer, Brandon
RHP Brandon Maurer (sore back) did not pitch March 11-24. It appears
unlikely that Maurer, once considered a possible option for the
rotation, will be up to speed by the time the regular season begins.
Chicago White Sox: Quintana, Jose
LHP Jose Quintana and the White Sox on March 24 agreed to a
five-year contract that includes two club options.
If Quintana, 25, becomes eligible for arbitration after this season,
the new contract would guarantee him $26.5 million. He would receive
$850,000 this year, $3.4 million in 2015, $5.4 million in 2016, $7
million in 2017 and $8.85 million in 2018. The options for 2019
would be $10.5 million and for 2020 at $11.5 million. If the White
Sox decline either option, he would receive a $1 million buyout.
If Quintana is not eligible for arbitration after this year, he
would be guaranteed $21 million. He would receive $850,000 this
season, $1 million in 2015, $3.8 million in 2016, $6 million in 2017
and $8.35 million in 2018. The options and buyout would remain the
same.
Detroit Tigers: Gonzalez, Alex
INF Alex Gonzalez was acquired by the Tigers from the Orioles on
March 24 in exchange for UT Steve Lombardozzi. Detroit lost SS Jose
Iglesias for at least four months due to stress fractures in both
shins, prompting the Tigers to acquire INF Andrew Romine three days
before the Gonzalez trade.
Gonzalez, 37, has played only 27 games at shortstop the past two
seasons and hit .177 in 41 games with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2013,
primarily as a first baseman.
"I just know they lost Iglesias and are looking for somebody else,"
Gonzalez said after the deal was announced.
Baltimore Orioles: Lombardozzi, Steve
UT Steve Lombardozzi was acquired by the Orioles from the Tigers on
March 24 in exchange for INF Alex Gonzalez. Lombardozzi, 25, hit
.259/.278/.338 with two homers and 22 RBIs in 118 games for the
Nationals last season. He was acquired by Detroit in the December
deal that sent RHP Doug Fister to Washington.
Garcia, Freddy
RHP Freddy Garcia was released by the Braves on March 24. Garcia,
37, signed a minor league contract in January to provide rotation
depth, and he would have earned $1.25 million if he made the team.
However, even with starters Kris Medlen and Brandon Beachy
undergoing season-ending Tommy John surgery last week, he failed to
make the roster. In five spring starts, Garcia posted a 4.76 ERA.
Atlanta Braves: Harang, Aaron
RHP Aaron Harang signed a one-year deal with the Braves on March 24,
the same day Atlanta cut RHP Freddy Garcia. Harang, 35, was granted
his release by the Cleveland Indians after he was told he would not
make the team's Opening Day roster. Harang allowed two runs on eight
hits and two walks over nine innings during the spring. Last season,
while pitching for the Seattle Mariners and the New York Mets, he
went a combined 5-12 with a 5.40 ERA with the two clubs.
"Our reports on him in September and this spring have been very
good," Braves general manager Frank Wren said, according to MLB.com.
"We just felt he was a good fit for us."
Tampa Bay Rays: Colome, Alex
RHP Alex Colome was given a 50-game suspension without pay for
violating Major League Baseball's drug policy. MLB announced the ban
after Colome tested positive for Boldenone, a performance-enhancing
substance. Colome is currently on the Rays; 40-man roster as a
member of Triple-A Durham of the International League. His
suspension takes effective at the start of the regular season.
New York Mets: Gee, Dillon
RHP Dillon Gee will be the Mets' starting pitcher on Opening Day
against the Washington Nationals, March 31. Gee, who is 1-0 with a
1.74 ERA in three spring training starts, was 12-11 with a 3.62 ERA
last year in 199 innings, more than any other pitcher on the Mets'
staff. Gee will face right-hander Stephen Strasburg, who was named
the Nationals' Opening Day starter for a third consecutive season.
Cleveland Indians: Bourn, Michael
OF Michael Bourn will open the season on the 15-day disabled list
retroactive to March 21 because of a strained left hamstring, the
Indians announced March 24. Bourn first hurt the hamstring in the
last game of the 2013 regular season. He had surgery to repair it
over the winter, but he strained it again March 16.
[© 2014 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2014 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
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