SARASOTA, Fla. (AP) — Buck Showalter heard that Lance Lynn was pitching against the Orioles and knew he'd be changing his lineup.The Baltimore manager wasn't concerned about the result of last week's Grapefruit League game against Minnesota, played hours after Lynn officially joined the team. But Showalter figured the right-hander might start when the Twins travel to Camden Yards for a three-game season-opening series later this month.With that in mind, Showalter saw an opportunity.Even in spring training, when wins and losses are meaningless, managers are always hunting for significant matchups. That's especially true along the Florida Gulf Coast, where all five AL East rivals train within about three hours of each other.Picking and choosing spots for players has been key for Baltimore this spring because the Orioles play 14 of their first 17 regular season games against either division foes or the Twins, another regular spring opponent. When Minnesota signed Lynn to a free-agent deal... [More]

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — The reigning National League champion Dodgers are going to be without their red-headed slugger on opening day, and possibly for a while after.Justin Turner has a broken left wrist after being hit by a pitch during Los Angeles' 3-1 victory over the Oakland Athletics on Monday night.Turner was struck by a pitch from right-hander Kendall Graveman in the first inning. Last year's NLCS MVP grunted and winced as he jogged away from the plate toward the dugout, his hand hanging limp at his side. He was quickly visited by a trainer and replaced by Donovan Solano."I was hoping obviously the X-rays would be negative, but there's a small non-displaced fracture," said Turner, who led the Dodgers last year by getting plunked 19 times. "We'll just play it by ear, see how it goes."General manager Farhan Zaidi said the team didn't know yet how long Turner would be out, but players with broken wrists usually miss several weeks. Turner says he'll visit the doctor again Tuesday to hopefully... [More]

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — The Dodgers are going to be without their red-headed slugger on opening day, and possibly for a while after.Justin Turner has a broken left wrist after being hit by a pitch during Los Angeles' 3-1 victory over the Oakland Athletics on Monday night.Turner was struck by a pitch from right-hander Kendall Graveman in the first inning. Turner grunted and winced as he jogged away from the plate toward the dugout, his hand hanging limp at his side. He was quickly visited by a trainer and replaced by Donovan Solano."I was hoping obviously the X-rays would be negative, but there's a small non-displaced fracture," Turner said. "We'll just play it by ear, see how it goes."General manager Farhan Zaidi said the team didn't know yet how long Turner would be out, but it should be a matter of at least a few weeks. Turner says he'll visit the doctor again Tuesday to hopefully learn more.Los Angeles seems likely to slide Logan Forsythe to third base in Turner's absence, with Chase Utley or someone else assuming regular duty at second base."We're not as good of a team without J.T.," Zaidi said, adding "We do feel good about our internal options. There are guys who can move around."The 33-year-old Turner hit .322 with 21 homers and 71 RBIs last season. He also led the team and finished third in the majors by getting plunked 19 times.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

MESA, Ariz. (AP) — Right-hander Trevor Cahill and the Oakland Athletics have finalized a $1.5 million, one-year contract.As part of the deal announced Monday, Cahill would get a $250,000 assignment bonus if traded.The 30-year-old was 4-3 with a 4.03 ERA last season in 14 starts and seven relief appearances for San Diego and Kansas City, which acquired him on July 24. He had a $1.75 million salary and earned a $250,000 assignment bonus but fell short of a $250,000 bonus that would have been triggered by his 15th start.Oakland drafted Cahill in the second round in 2006 with the 66th overall pick. He made his big league debut with the A's in 2009 and was an All-Star in 2010.He has a 73-79 record with a 4.11 ERA in nine big league seasons that include time with Oakland (2009-11), Arizona (2012-14), Atlanta (2015) and the Chicago Cubs (2015-16).To clear a roster spot, Oakland placed 26-year-old right-hander Jharel Cotton on the 60-day disabled list. Cotton is scheduled for Tommy John surgery Wednesday. He was 9-10 with a 5.58 ERA in 24 starts for the A's last year.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

MESA, Ariz. (AP) — Right-hander Trevor Cahill and the Oakland Athletics have finalized a $1.25 million, one-year contract.As part of the deal announced Monday, Cahill would get a $250,000 assignment bonus if traded.The 30-year-old was 4-3 with a 4.03 ERA last season in 14 starts and seven relief appearances for San Diego and Kansas City, which acquired him on July 24. He had a $1.75 million salary and earned a $250,000 assignment bonus but fell short of a $250,000 bonus that would have been triggered by his 15th start.Oakland drafted Cahill in the second round in 2006 with the 66th overall pick. He made his big league debut with the A's in 2009 and was an All-Star in 2010.He has a 73-79 record with a 4.11 ERA in nine big league seasons that include time with Oakland (2009-11), Arizona (2012-14), Atlanta (2015) and the Chicago Cubs (2015-16).To clear a roster spot, Oakland placed 26-year-old right-hander Jharel Cotton on the 60-day disabled list. Cotton is scheduled for Tommy John surgery Wednesday. He was 9-10 with a 5.58 ERA in 24 starts for the A's last year.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Alex Rodriguez thinks the New York Yankees' "breathtaking" offense could break records this season.Rodriguez arrived at spring training Monday and had high praise for a lineup led by Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez and Didi Gregorius. A-Rod is a team special adviser who has worked with a number of New York's younger players."Happy to be back and see so much talent," Rodriguez said Monday night. "It's breathtaking."The Yankees added Stanton, the NL MVP after hitting 59 homers and driving in 132 last season, in a December trade with Miami. Judge had 52 homers and 114 RBIs in winning the 2017 AL Rookie of the Year Award. Sanchez added 33 homers, and Gregorius went deep 25 times."I can't remember a time to see that type of lineup one-through-nine," Rodriguez said.Rodriguez and Yankees managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner worked out a deal during the offseason to keep the former slugger involved with the team."Love to spend the rest of my life as a Yankee," Rodriguez said.

DETROIT (AP) — Detroit Tigers pitching prospect Franklin Perez is expected to miss at least three months with a right lat strain.The Tigers say Perez was injured in a minor league game Sunday. There is no surgery recommended at this point, but the recovery is expected to take a minimum of 12 weeks.Perez, a 20-year-old right-hander, was acquired by Detroit in the trade that sent Justin Verlander to Houston last season. Perez went 6-3 with a 3.02 ERA across two levels of the minors last year. He made 10 starts at Class A and six at Double-A. Baseball America tabbed Perez as Detroit's top prospect this offseason.The rebuilding Tigers aren't expected to contend this year, but Perez figured to be a prospect to watch, no matter where in Detroit's system he ended up pitching.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

Diamondbacks ace Zack Greinke will start this season in the dugout.Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said Monday that Greinke won't pitch on opening day because of what's perceived to be a minor health issue.Greinke exited his latest start after one inning because of tightness in his groin. He's scheduled to pitch again in spring training Wednesday.The Diamondbacks don't want to push him to be ready for their first game March 29 at home against Colorado. Without this wrinkle, Lovullo said Greinke would've started the opener for the third straight year."Every staff has a No. 1 and he fit the bill perfectly," Lovullo said. "He won 17 games last year. He was our staff ace."Lovullo said he wasn't ready to say who would start against the Rockies. The likely candidate is Robbie Ray, who went 15-5 with a 2.89 ERA last year."There's a strategy," Lovullo said. "We don't just look at opening day. We look at opening day and then beyond, so probably five or six days beyond that day. And we want to make... [More]

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Yankees outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury is expected to start the regular season on the disabled list because of an oblique injury that has kept him out of exhibition games since March 1.Ellsbury had been scheduled to play Tuesday against Detroit, but his return was pushed back because he has flu-like symptoms. Ellsbury is projected as a backup outfielder after losing the starting center-field job to Aaron Hicks last season."Just a bummer," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Monday, calling the DL stint "very likely.""Just too hard to get him into enough games," Boone said. "The good thing, at least, we feel like he's totally healed up from his injury."Ellsbury 34-year-old is guaranteed $21,142,857 in each of the next three seasons as part of a $153 million, seven-year contract that includes a $21 million team option for 2021 with a $5 million buyout.Brett Gardner is the starting left fielder, and Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge will rotate between right field and designated... [More]

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — The Washington Nationals' competition for the fifth starter spot could run beyond opening day.The Nationals signed eight-year veteran Jeremy Hellickson to a minor league contract over the weekend, adding him to the mix that already included A.J. Cole and Erick Fedde. He would get a $2 million, one-year deal if added to the 40-man roster and the chance to earn $4 million in performance bonuses."We like the rotation we have," Washington general manager Mike Rizzo said. "This just adds another layer of depth for us."The 30-year-old Hellickson is scheduled to make his first Grapefruit League appearance in one of Friday's split squad games. Cole will start the other game.Depending on how that outing goes, the NL East champions might leave Hellickson behind at the spring training facility when they break camp on Sunday, allowing the right-hander to continue to build arm strength in the minor league camp.Rizzo cited past experiences rushing Joe Blanton and Matt Wieters... [More]

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — The Washington Nationals' competition for the fifth starter spot could run beyond opening day.The Nationals signed eight-year veteran Jeremy Hellickson to a minor league contract over the weekend, adding him to the mix that already included A.J. Cole and Erick Fedde."We like the rotation we have," Washington general manager Mike Rizzo said. "This just adds another layer of depth for us."The 30-year-old Hellickson is scheduled to make his first Grapefruit League appearance in one of Friday's split squad games. Cole will start the other game.Depending on how that outing goes, the NL East champions might leave Hellickson behind at the spring training facility when they break camp on Sunday, allowing the right-hander to continue to build arm strength in the minor league camp.Rizzo cited past experiences rushing Joe Blanton and Matt Wieters through camp as reasoning for not pushing Hellickson, who says he's ready, to join the rotation sooner. With that in mind, the... [More]

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo says Zack Greinke won't be the team's opening-day starter.Lovullo, speaking before Monday's spring training game against the Chicago White Sox, said the tightness that Greinke experienced in his groin in his latest start last Wednesday led him to rule out his ace for his usual opening-day role.If there had been no health issue, Lovullo said, Greinke would be Arizona's opening-day starter for the third straight season. He was a 17-game winner last season.Lovullo said he's not ready to name the starter for the March 29 opener at home against Colorado, although Robbie Ray would seem to be a logical alternative.The Diamondbacks don't believe Greinke's issue is serious. The right-hander said he felt good after a bullpen session on Sunday and he is scheduled to start Wednesday against San Francisco.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota Twins shortstop Jorge Polanco has been suspended for 80 games after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance, a big blow to a team that has made a series of roster-enhancing moves throughout the offseason and into spring training.The commissioner's office announced Sunday that Polanco tested positive for Stanozolol, becoming the sixth player to be banned this year under the major league drug program. That's already one more than last season.Polanco started 127 games at shortstop last year for the Twins, finishing with a .256 batting average, 13 home runs, 13 stolen bases and 74 RBIs in his first full season as a regular in the lineup. His grandfather died in June, and the switch-hitting 24-year-old struggled through the early part of the summer until being benched temporarily in late June.From Aug. 1 through the rest of the season, though, he hit .316 with 10 home runs and 42 RBIs over his last 55 games while taking over the No. 3 spot in the batting... [More]

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (AP) — New York Mets lefty Jason Vargas will have surgery after breaking his right hand in a minor league game.The surgery is set for Tuesday. The Mets said Sunday that Vargas will resume his throwing workouts about five days after the operation, and no timetable was announced for him pitching in a game.The Mets open the regular season on March 29 at home against St. Louis.Vargas was injured Friday when he was hit by a line drive. The Mets signed the 35-year-old free agent on Feb. 18, signing him to a two-year, $16 million contract. He went 18-11 with a 4.16 ERA for Kansas City last season, making his first All-Star team and tying for the major league lead in wins.With Noah Syndergaard and Jacob deGrom set to face St. Louis in the first two games of the season, Vargas had been in line to start the series finale on April 1. Matt Harvey could move into the third spot in the starting rotation.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

JUPITER, Fla. (AP) — When considering where to slot Dexter Fowler in the batting order, St. Louis manager Mike Matheny isn't concerned about last year.There's additional data to consider."He's got a pretty good track record of being successful at the top of the order," Matheny said. "You don't take any small sample and put that in concrete. He's done a nice job over the course of his career of getting on base and making things happen at the top."A career .268 hitter, Fowler batted just .205 in 51 games last season as the Cardinals' leadoff man. That came after hitting .277 from the leadoff spot for the World Series-winning Chicago Cubs the previous year.That performance, the allure of a disruptive force on the basepaths and a good glove in center field prompted the Cardinals to sign Fowler to a five-year, $82.5 million contract prior to the 2017 season.With Fowler and the offense struggling as a whole last season, Matheny juggled the lineup. Not primarily known as a run producer, Fowler... [More]

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (AP) — New York Mets left-hander Jason Vargas is expected to miss four to six weeks after fracturing a bone in his right hand.The Mets acquired Vargas in free agency on Feb. 18, signing him to a two-year, $16 million contract. He went 18-11 with a 4.16 ERA for Kansas City last season, making his first All-Star team and tying for the major league lead in wins.The 35-year-old Vargas was hit on the hand by a line drive during a minor league game Friday.The Mets announced Sunday that he suffered a hamate fracture. He was to see hand specialist to determine his prognosis.With Noah Syndergaard and Jacob deGrom set to face St. Louis on March 29 and 31, Vargas had been penciled in to start the series finale on April 1. Matt Harvey could move into the third spot in the starting rotation.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

MESA, Ariz. (AP) — Jonathan Lucroy's first spring training game in an Oakland Athletics' uniform didn't stand out in the box score. He went 0 for 2 on two groundouts against a Seattle Mariners split squad.Being on a new team, there also was the occasional confusion with a different set of signs. But a closer look at Lucroy's six innings behind the plate Saturday revealed something the A's will be counting on this season — the veteran catcher's presence."It's awesome. He's very well prepared and he definitely takes charge," said Sean Manaea, who started for the A's. "He definitely controls the entire diamond. Having a guy like that, especially with the amount of time and the amount of knowledge that he has is huge."Lucroy, signed to a one-year, $6.5 million contract on Monday, is set to take over as the starting catcher for Oakland despite not signing until well into spring training. If his past is any indication, the offensive numbers will also be there.The 31-year-old two-time All-Star... [More]

SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) — In a story March 13 about Major League Baseball players who have played at least 20 seasons, The Associated Press reported erroneously that about one-thousandth of 1 percent of all players had played that long. The correct number is eight-tenths of a 1 percent.A corrected version of the story is below:Long time: Beltre, Colon only in MLB with 20-plus seasonsTexas Rangers teammates Adrian Beltre and Bartolo Colon are the only current MLB players who have played at least 20 MLB seasonsBy STEPHEN HAWKINSAP Sports WriterSURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) — Adrian Beltre is long past going to spring training trying to make the team. The five-time Gold Glove third baseman with more than 3,000 career hits is quite a rarity.Going into his 21st big-league season, Beltre is one of only two current players who have played at least 20 MLB seasons.The other is his new teammate with the Texas Rangers, 44-year-old pitcher Bartolo Colon."One, they're extremely durable," San Diego Padres pitcher... [More]

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (AP) — New York Mets left-hander Jason Vargas is expected to miss four to six weeks after fracturing a bone in his right hand.The Mets acquired Vargas in free agency on Feb. 18, signing him to a two-year, $16 million contract. He went 18-11 with a 4.16 ERA for Kansas City last season, making his first All-Star team and tying for the major league lead in wins.The 35-year-old Vargas was hit on the hand by a line drive during a minor league game Friday.The Mets announced Sunday that he suffered a hamate fracture. He was to see hand specialist to determine his prognosis.With Noah Syndergaard and Jacob deGrom set to face St. Louis on March 29 and 31, Vargas had been penciled in to start the series finale on April 1. Matt Harvey could move into the third spot in the starting rotation.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (AP) — New York Mets left-hander Jerad Eickhoff is expected to miss four to six weeks after fracturing a bone in his right hand.The Mets acquired Vargas in free agency on Feb. 18, signing him to a two-year, $16 million contract. He went 18-11 with a 4.16 ERA for Kansas City last season, making his first All-Star team and tying for the major league lead in wins.The 35-year-old Vargas was hit on the hand by a line drive during a minor league game Friday.The Mets announced Sunday that he suffered a hamate fracture. He was to see hand specialist to determine his prognosis.With Noah Syndergaard and Jacob deGrom set to face St. Louis on March 29 and 31, Vargas had been penciled in to start the series finale on April 1. Matt Harvey could move into the third spot in the starting rotation.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball