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MLB notebook: Dodgers' Seager eyes Opening Day return

[February 13, 2019] The Los Angeles Dodgers are confident that shortstop Corey Seager, out for most of last season after elbow and hip surgeries, will be back in the lineup for Opening Day.

"He looks really good," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Tuesday of the National League's Rookie of the Year in 2016, when he batted .308 with 26 home runs and 72 RBIs.

Roberts, speaking to reporters in his first spring training availability, hopes Seager, who is throwing at 90 feet, can get 50 to 60 at-bats before being cleared for Cactus League action.

Seager played in only 26 games in 2018 before undergoing season-ending Tommy John surgery on May 4. On Aug. 7, he opted for another arthroscopic surgery on his left hip.

--The Los Angeles Angels hope to have designated hitter Shohei Ohtani back in the lineup by May, says manager Brad Ausmus.

The 2018 American League Rookie of the Year is recovering from Tommy John surgery on his right elbow on Oct. 1. He became the first player since Babe Ruth in 1919 to make at least 10 pitching appearances and hit 20 or more home runs in the same season.

"We're thinking May, sometime in May, but that's assuming everything goes well," Ausmus said.

--San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey sees no reason why he won't be in the Opening Day lineup against the San Diego Padres on March 28.

The six-time All-Star and former MVP had his 2018 season shortened by a hip ailment that required surgery in late August, but he feels good about his health as the Giants prepare to start spring training.

"I'm able to hit, throw, run and everything's feeling good," Posey said. "Having said that, it's still not the same as getting on the field for live (batting practice) or the games in spring training."

--New York Mets ace Jacob deGrom has given the club a deadline of Opening Day to reach a contract extension, asserting that he won't negotiate during the season, according to reports.

The reigning National League Cy Young Award winner earned a $17 million contract in arbitration for 2019 and is under team control for two more seasons.

DeGrom, 30, is coming off one of the greatest seasons in Mets history, posting a 1.70 ERA and striking out 269 in 217 innings.

--Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada are teammates once again.

Jeter, now the CEO of the Miami Marlins, brought Posada on board as special adviser of baseball operations, according to Craig Mish of Sirius XM.

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Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager (5) hits a single against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the third inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

The two New York Yankees greats spent more than 20 years together in the organization. They joined Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera in the "Core Four" and won five World Series in the Bronx between 1996 and 2009.

--More than two years since right-hander Yordano Ventura died in an automobile accident, the Kansas City Royals reportedly still have not paid his estate the guaranteed $20.25 million remaining on his contract.

A 13-game winner for the 2015 World Series champions, Ventura was 25 when he perished in a single-car crash in his native Dominican Republic on Jan. 22, 2017.

According to the Kansas City Star, Ventura's 5-year-old daughter is listed as the sole heir to his estate, and the estate is now broke.

--The Miami Marlins agreed to a one-year deal with veteran reliever Sergio Romo for $2.5 million plus incentives, pending a physical, MLB.com reported.

The 35-year-old right-hander made 73 appearances for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2018, posting a 3-4 record with 25 saves and a 4.14 ERA.

--Left-hander Brett Anderson is returning to the Oakland Athletics, pending a physical, MLB.com reported.

Anderson started 17 games last season for the A's and posted a 4.48 ERA with a 4-5 record.

--Veteran outfielder Eric Young Jr. signed a minor league contract with the Baltimore Orioles and will report to spring training, the team announced.

Young, 33, hit .202 with eight RBIs and five steals in 41 games last year with the Los Angeles Angels.

--The San Francisco Giants signed veteran outfielder Gerardo Parra to a minor-league contract, according to published reports.

Parra, 31, batted .284 with six homers and 53 RBIs in 142 games last season for the Colorado Rockies.

--Field Level Media

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