Aces set to collide in Spring Training duel
(Sun, 14 Mar 2010 18:21:00 EDT)
It may only be a Spring Training game, but the pitching matchup for Monday's Cactus League game between the Mariners and D-backs reads like one for Game 1 of a playoff series. Cliff Lee vs. Dan Haren.

Carlson nursing sore left knee
(Mon, 15 Mar 2010 12:20:00 EDT)
Blue Jays left-handed reliever Jesse Carlson indicated that he is currently nursing a sore left knee, which has kept him off a mound for much of the past week.

Strasburg throws zeros in second start
(Sun, 14 Mar 2010 19:00:00 EDT)
Making his second start of the exhibition season, Nationals right-hander Stephen Strasburg allowed the Cardinals just two hits in three scoreless innings on Sunday afternoon.

Logan, Ring doing their best to impress
(Mon, 15 Mar 2010 11:54:00 EDT)
The competition between Boone Logan and Royce Ring to serve as the Yankees' second bullpen left-hander might not be the most glamorous fight in camp this spring, and it might not be an official battle at all.

Young shows off arm -- from mound
(Sun, 14 Mar 2010 16:14:00 EDT)
Now pitching for the Rangers ... No. 10 ... Michael Young. Don't laugh. That's what happens when infielders have to wait around for the pitchers to show up for the bunt defense drills. Young wasn't going to sit around and do nothing on a cool Sunday morning on the Rangers' back fields.

Gammons: Mets hold on to modest hopes
(Sun, 14 Mar 2010 16:35:00 EDT)
March is the month when teams, as Shawn Colvin put it, smoke a lot of hope. Only for the Mets, their smoke comes from fires as irrational, inexplicable and seemingly unfair as those that rage in the California foothills most falls.

Beckett scratched, will start on Friday
(Sun, 14 Mar 2010 17:39:00 EDT)
Josh Beckett did not make his scheduled start on Sunday against the Twins, his turn scratched because of illness. The plan is for him to stay on his regular day, which means a start next Friday.

Aybar, Abreu out for precaution
(Sun, 14 Mar 2010 15:07:00 EDT)
The Angels' lineup against the Cubs on Sunday was about as close to full strength as it's been all spring, with Bobby Abreu and Erick Aybar missing action.

Hernandez has solid spring debut
(Sun, 14 Mar 2010 20:32:00 EDT)
Mariners right-hander Felix Hernandez didn't pitch quite as long he wanted Sunday afternoon in his first Cactus League start, but he stuck around long enough to get a good workout and gave himself a passing grade.

Lind no longer looking over shoulder
(Sun, 14 Mar 2010 19:15:00 EDT)
There were times last season when Adam Lind felt he could be sent back to the Minors, but after crushing AL pitching all year, the Jays slugger has more important things to think about.

Rodriguez to debut, recalls indoctrination
(Sun, 14 Mar 2010 19:00:00 EDT)
Set to make his spring debut on Monday after a bout of pink eye, Mets closer Francisco Rodriguez said Sunday that at some point during his outing, he'll likely harken back to a tough-love lesson during his rookie season from former manager Mike Scioscia.

Chipper, McCann tempering enthusiasm
(Sun, 14 Mar 2010 17:00:00 EDT)
As Brian McCann prepared to talk to reporters about the two homers he hit in Sunday's 8-5 loss to the Astros, Chipper Jones stood a few feet away and playfully told him to give the credit to his veteran teammates.

Dodgers pitchers shine in Taiwan finale
(Mon, 15 Mar 2010 00:24:00 EDT)
The Dodgers' 12 1/2-hour return flight from Taiwan landed in Phoenix early Sunday night with manager Joe Torre saying he will give his jet-lagged split-squad Monday off, while he reconvenes with the coaching staff he left behind for an update on Cactus League developments.

Sore ankle may sideline Ankiel a week
(Sun, 14 Mar 2010 16:10:00 EDT)
Royals center fielder Rick Ankiel will be out much longer than expected. Manager Trey Hillman revealed on Sunday that Ankiel, who has a sore right ankle, could be out of Cactus League games for another week.

Roberts slated to see back specialist
(Sun, 14 Mar 2010 17:55:00 EDT)
Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts was scheduled to fly to Baltimore on Sunday night to be evaluated by back specialist Dr. Lee Riley of The John Hopkins Hospital on Monday.

Helton 'feels fine' after Cactus debut
(Sun, 14 Mar 2010 20:47:00 EDT)
Todd Helton, the Rock among all Rockies, past and present, stepped into the batter's box for the first time in a Cactus League game on a sunny Sunday afternoon and displayed excellent vision.

Orioles cut seven from spring roster
(Mon, 15 Mar 2010 09:23:00 EDT)
The Orioles announced seven Spring Training roster cuts on Monday, bringing their spring roster to 54 players. Right-hander Brandon Erbe and lefty Troy Patton were reassigned to Triple-A Norfolk

Healthy Robertson refines his game
(Sun, 14 Mar 2010 21:02:00 EDT)
After two surgeries and two offseasons of rigorous workouts, the old Nate Robertson might finally be back. But it still might be a new Nate Robertson as a pitcher.

Strasburg, Nieves becoming capital duo
(Sun, 14 Mar 2010 20:36:00 EDT)
Stephen Strasburg loves when catcher Wil Nieves is behind the plate. For the second time this spring, Strasburg and Nieves were batterymates and the results were successful.

Danks gets first blemish on spring work
(Sun, 14 Mar 2010 21:40:00 EDT)
It's a good sign for the White Sox that John Danks was seemingly more concerned about the Sunday seeding of his beloved Texas Longhorns than his first semi-rough outing in the Cactus League

Peralta ready to start fresh at third base
(Sun, 14 Mar 2010 21:35:00 EDT)
Jhonny Peralta grew up in the Dominican Republic wanting to be a Major League shortstop. But not initially. Peralta's first sporting dream was actually to be a basketball star. The sport was his first love.

Cano ready for heart of Yankees' order
(Sun, 14 Mar 2010 17:32:00 EDT)
Robinson Cano is the youngest regular on the Yankees, but that only counts for so much on one of the league's oldest teams. Just ask manager Joe Girardi, who considers Cano -- now with five full seasons to his credit -- a veteran.

Many making case for Giants' bench spots
(Sun, 14 Mar 2010 21:36:00 EDT)
The absence of competition for position-player starting roles makes the composition of the bench one of the Giants' few sources of intrigue as they approach the second half of the Cactus League schedule.

Selig mum on San Jose rights issue
(Sun, 14 Mar 2010 18:04:00 EDT)
Commissioner Bud Selig had little to say Sunday about the simmering ballpark controversy involving the Giants and Oakland A's, noting that he's awaiting a report from the committee he appointed to study the situation.

Anderson takes Dodgers debut in stride
(Sun, 14 Mar 2010 20:29:00 EDT)
In his first competitive at-bat in 161 days, Garret Anderson ripped a sharp single into the right-field corner on Sunday in a solid start to his debut with the Dodgers.

Gwynn looking to add speed to Padres
(Sun, 14 Mar 2010 20:43:00 EDT)
It was a Tony Gwynn kind of day Saturday against the Oakland A's, or at least the one the Padres outfielder would like to have more of -- in Spring Training and the regular season.

A's Chavez relishing the opportunity
(Sun, 14 Mar 2010 20:08:00 EDT)
So far, so good for Eric Chavez, who took the latest baby step in his return to the A's by playing in back-to-back games over the weekend. But he realizes nothing is a sure thing any more.

Lehr knows there are no guarantees
(Sun, 14 Mar 2010 22:59:00 EDT)
Justin Lehr isn't likely to win the Reds' fifth-starter spot, there just aren't enough innings for him this spring. But with improved arm strength, he plans on staying around as an option.

Maine pleased by outing despite results
(Sun, 14 Mar 2010 20:30:00 EDT)
If ever there were an indication of how little proven players concern themselves with results in Spring Training games, it came Sunday afternoon during and after the cameo appearance of John Maine in the Mets' game against the Marlins.

Heavy workload in Varitek's spring debut
(Sun, 14 Mar 2010 18:07:00 EDT)
Sunday's goal was to get Jason Varitek a pair of at-bats and that did occur, though it meant the catcher did a little more squatting than initially anticipated.

Bauman: For Reds, the time to win is now
(Sun, 14 Mar 2010 20:44:00 EDT)
The time for the Cincinnati Reds to have a winning season is overdue, not just on the calendar, but in terms of the quality on the Reds roster.

Oswalt's focus on the here and now
(Sun, 14 Mar 2010 13:45:00 EDT)
There are times when Roy Oswalt feels he doesn't want to do this anymore. He's got a growing family at home in Mississippi and sometimes believes he's had enough of the late-night flights, the hotel food and the toll the game takes on his body.

Berkman's goal is Opening Day start
(Sun, 14 Mar 2010 16:45:00 EDT)
With the start of the regular season a little more than three weeks away, Lance Berkman remains hopeful he will be in the lineup when the Astros faces Tim Lincecum and the Giants on Opening Day.

'Everything feels better' for LA's Furcal
(Sun, 14 Mar 2010 19:38:00 EDT)
Dodgers shortstop Rafael Furcal felt like he was playing on pins and needles in 2009, agonizing over the possibility of reinjuring his lower back. He was playing a shell game, and now he is ready to come out of his shell.

Fans cheer for D-backs, Rox in Mexico
(Sun, 14 Mar 2010 15:06:00 EDT)
Colorado's Jim Tracy's Mexican homecoming was one of many reunions during the D-backs' 8-7 victory against the Rockies on Sunday.

Improved command shows in CC's outing
(Sun, 14 Mar 2010 18:24:00 EDT)
In Sunday's outing, CC Sabathia retained command of his fastball, which in turn improved his other pitches. He allowed just three hits in 4 1/3 innings, striking out two.

Aramis to resume throwing this week
(Sun, 14 Mar 2010 16:39:00 EDT)
Cubs third baseman Aramis Ramirez, who was lifted from Saturday's game because of a sore right triceps, said on Sunday his arm is fine, and he's expected to resume throwing in a couple days.