MLB notebook: Greinke (groin) exits start

[March 15, 2018]  Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Zack Greinke exited his spring training start against the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday because of tightness in his right groin.

Greinke left after allowing a hit and striking out two in a scoreless first inning.

Considered the D-backs' ace, Greinke had yet to be named the team's Opening Day starter after he expressed concern with his velocity following an outing against minor-leaguers last week.

--The reigning NL Rookie of the Year and his predecessor both had their contracts renewed by the Los Angeles Dodgers.

First baseman Cody Bellinger, who won the award last season, will get $585,000 for 2018 (or $233,900 should he somehow wind up in the minors). Shortstop Corey Seager, the 2016 winner, gets $605,000, which drops to $287,500 in the minors.

Considering Bellinger hit an NL-rookie record 39 home runs and drove in a team-leading 97 RBIs and that Seager hit .295 with 22 home runs and 77 RBIs, it seems likely they'll stay up with the big club.

--Miami Marlins third baseman Martin Prado experienced a setback with his surgically repaired right knee and will begin the 2018 season on the disabled list, the team announced.

Prado felt discomfort in the back of the knee during a team workout on Tuesday, according to manager Don Mattingly.

The club was hoping Prado would be ready to play before mid-April. There isn't an immediate updated timetable for his return.

--Milwaukee Brewers catcher Stephen Vogt is expected to be unavailable for the team's Opening Day game against the San Diego Padres on March 29.

Vogt got a second opinion on his injured right shoulder Tuesday that confirmed a strained capsule. He will be shut down indefinitely.

"We're basically going to have to slow everything down," manager Craig Counsell told reporters. "It was not a new diagnosis. We're just going to have to go a little slower. We've got to get him pain-free before he can start throwing."

--Tampa Bay Rays right-hander Jose De Leon underwent Tommy John surgery performed by Dr. James Andrews on Tuesday, the team announced Wednesday.

De Leon will miss the entire 2018 season while recovering. He was diagnosed with a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing elbow last week.

De Leon, 25, was once considered a consensus top-30 prospect in all of baseball and is still viewed as a top-10 prospect in the Rays' system. His stock took a hit in 2017, as he only managed to pitch in 10 games (eight starts) at the minor league level, spending multiple stints on the disabled list for various injuries, including two to his arm.

 

--The New York Yankees released veteran first baseman Adam Lind, less than two weeks after signing him to a minor league contract.

The 34-year-old Lind was facing long odds to earn a roster spot. He went 3-for-15 in spring training in limited action.

--Dylan Bundy and the Baltimore Orioles reportedly agreed on a one-year contract worth $1.64 million to keep the right-handed pitcher with the team at his same salary from a season ago.

Bundy, 25, is entering his third full major league season after going 13-9 with a 4.24 ERA and 152 strikeouts in 28 starts last season. He has an overall record of 23-15 with a 4.13 ERA in 66 career MLB appearances.

Bundy is not eligible for arbitration until next winter.

--John Farrell is back in the majors, but in a different capacity.

The former Boston and Toronto manager was hired as a scout by the Cincinnati Reds, nearly five months to the day he was dismissed as the Red Sox's skipper.

Farrell, 55, will begin by scouting the entire Reds organization, according to The Athletic.

Farrell is expected to report to Reds camp on Thursday.

--Minor League Baseball is rolling out new rules to shorten extra-innings games and likely speed up the action in all games.

The biggest change involves starting all extra innings with a runner on second base. That runner will be the player in the batting order position one spot ahead of the scheduled leadoff batter of the inning.

Also, Triple-A and Double-A pitchers will be allowed 15 seconds to begin their windup or the motion to come to the set position when no runners are on base. It becomes a 20-second clock with runners on base. Minor league games will also have a cap on the number of visits to the mound by coaches and position players.

--Field Level Media

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