Jose Guillen has a sore right shoulder and an ingrown nail on his big right toe, limiting his spring training activities with the Royals.While the toe injury has hampered Guillen for a few days, the balky shoulder was revealed before Saturday's workout.
"He's got a sore shoulder," manager Trey Hillman said. "So we're going to back him down from swinging and throwing for the next couple of days. With the toe, it's just a matter of how quickly his body heals. That is still limiting him as far as running."
Guillen, who led the Royals with 20 homers and 97 RBIs last season, was allowed to stretch and participate in some defensive drills, but then was sent to the trainer's room for treatment.
MANUEL KNOWS THE DRILL (7:19 p.m. ET)
Manager Jerry Manuel is trying something new with the Mets, making players take 80 swings at breaking balls off a pitching machine, hitting them to the opposite field. Generally players hit in groups of three or four, taking anywhere from five to 15 swings before rotating.
"You want to be able to hit and handle the bat when you're tired," third baseman David Wright said Saturday. "He wants to mold and shape us into the team he wants us to be and this is a part of that."
Manuel said he got the drill while in the Tigers organization.
"In my upbringing with Detroit and Les Moss, I recollect us going out and doing this every morning," Manuel said. "I saw Kirk Gibson, who was a prospect I think at that time, on that curveball machine every day."
Meanwhile, right-hander Tim Redding, who is competing for the No. 5 spot in the starting rotation, will not throw his first bullpen until late next week at the earliest because of discomfort in his throwing shoulder. The news was better for John Maine, who threw 40 pitches in a live batting-practice session, marking the first time he has faced batters since having surgery in September to shave a bone spur in his pitching shoulder.
TRIBE INK CZECH CATCHER (6:09 p.m. ET)
The Indians signed 16-year-old catcher Martin Cervenka of the Czech Republic to a non-drafted minor league contract Saturday. Peter Gahan, who scouts Europe and Australia for the Indians, discovered the right-handed hitter while evaluating players at Major League Baseball's European Academy in Italy.
Cleveland began scouting the academy about one year ago, assistant general manager John Mirabelli said. But several other teams, including the Twins and Reds, have previously signed other prospects from Europe, a continent where soccer rules and baseball is still in its infancy.
Because he's still in high school, the 6-foot-2, 165-pound Cervenka will continue to play for his club team, Kotlarka, in 2009. Mirabelli said the youngster from Prague will report to the Indians' new year-round Player Development Complex in Arizona during breaks from school -- he won't finish until he's 19 -- and that he will likely play in Australia during the next two summers.
"It will be a while before he plays with us," Mirabelli said. "We might send some of our instructors over there to watch him and work with him. It's a long-term sign, but we like his upside. It's a creative signing. We just feel like there is value in trying to develop a kid like that and see what happens.
"He's young, but we like some of his raw, physical tools."
WILLIS HOPING TO EARN SPOT (6:01 p.m. ET)
Dontrelle Willis reported to spring training last season with high hopes. The Tigers were expecting even more.
A year later, he still hasn't won a game for the Tigers. An injured knee slowed him and he wound up going 0-2 in seven games before rehabbing in the minors.
Willis, who isn't guaranteed a starter's job this season, pitched his first batting practice of the spring Saturday and turned a lot of heads. He threw mostly strikes from a revamped and shortened windup in 10 minutes on the mound. Willis has thrown in the past from a windup that had his elbows and knees flying in different directions, like a man trying to dodge bees.
"Dontrelle looked really good," Detroit manager Jim Leyland said. "This is the best he's been since he came here. He has that big strong arm, and I don't know if I have ever seen him pitch with this kind of velocity."
Willis, who won 22 games for Florida in 2005, is competing with Nate Robertson and Zach Miner for the final spot in a strong rotation that also features Jeremy Bonderman, Justin Verlander, Edwin Jackson and Armando Galarraga.
CARPENTER ON THE HILL (4:02 p.m. ET)
Chris Carpenter was on the mound Saturday morning, and that was enough for St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa.
La Russa watched as the former Cy Young Award winner threw 30 pitches from behind a screen in a 10-minute session, his first time facing batters since September.
"The fact that he's actually on the field is exciting," La Russa said. "We've only seen this how many times? You can count it on less than two hands how many times in the last two years we've actually seen him facing a hitter. So this is a big day, and a fun day."
Though he struggled at times with the location of his fastball, Carpenter snapped off several strong breaking balls.
"My arm felt great," Carpenter said. "My location was off a bit at the beginning, but I felt like the last 10 or so [pitches] I was hitting my spot pretty good. It was just fun to get back out there and be a part of it."
SABATHIA SIDELINED WITH FLU (3:15 p.m. ET)
Yankees left-hander CC Sabathia missed his scheduled batting practice session Saturday because of the flu.
Sabathia was sent home from Steinbrenner Field after it was determined he was too ill for the workout. Manager Joe Girardi didn't rule out that the expected Opening Day starter could take the hill Sunday.
"He said he wanted to throw his BP and he ended up throwing up again," Girardi said. "He just said, 'I'll wait until tomorrow.'"
Sabathia, considered the top free agent during the offseason, signed a $161 million, seven-year deal with the Yankees. He is scheduled to make his first spring training start March 6.
ZIMMERMAN HOPES FOR LONG-TERM DEAL (2:12 p.m. ET)
Third baseman Ryan Zimmerman is optimistic about reaching a long-term deal with the Washington Nationals before Opening Day.
Zimmerman agreed to a $3.325 million, one-year contract Friday and rejoined the Nationals early Saturday morning. He was the last player in the major leagues scheduled for an arbitration hearing.
"It's a difficult process," Zimmerman said Saturday. "It wasn't a strain; it was just back and forth talking, and that's how it gets done, ultimately. I think if we didn't have the relationship we have, where we were so open with each other, I don't know if it would have gotten done the way it got done."
Zimmerman said there could be a multiyear deal in place by Washington's opener at Florida on April 6.
"This is where I want to play, and I think we have a great situation and it's getting better and better each year," he said. "I think we're getting closer and closer every time we talk."
DELLUCCI ONE WEEK BEHIND (12:40 p.m. ET)
Indians outfielder Dave Dellucci will miss at least the first three Cactus League games after cutting his left thumb while packing for spring training.
Dellucci, who throws left-handed, slammed a trailer tailgate on his thumb at his home in Baton Rouge, La., on Feb. 1. He needed three stitches to close the gash, and a hand specialist performed minor surgery.
Dellucci did not reveal the injury to reporters until Saturday. He said he'll be one week behind but was able to throw Friday and hit off a tee without pain.
The 35-year-old outfielder is in the final season of a three-year, $11.5 million contract that has not panned out for Cleveland. Dellucci missed most of 2006 with a torn hamstring and last season batted just .238 in 113 games.
BAD NEWS FOR HALL (10:42 a.m. ET)
An MRI showed Saturday that catcher Toby Hall has a torn labrum, effectively ending his chances to win a spot as the Astros' backup catcher.
According to MLB.com, no surgery has been scheduled, but Hall will miss a month at the minimum.
Hall's injury leaves three catchers vying for two spots on the roster. Humberto Quintero is the favorite to win the starter's job, while J.R. Towles and Rule 5 draft pick Lou Palmisano will likely compete for the backup spot.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
As often happens in a contract year for a productive player, Jermaine Dye's future with the White Sox beyond this season is unclear. The right fielder is happy in Chicago, is well-respected in the clubhouse and has a strong relationship with both manager Ozzie Guillen and general manager Ken Williams.But he doesn't really want talks on a new deal, if there is one, to come up after the season starts.
"If something is going to get done, hopefully it's before the season starts," Dye said in Glendale, Ariz. "I don't want to have to go through talks like that through a season, just worry about playing baseball. Nothing has been talked about, so I take it as I'm going to go play this year and help this team win and do what I can."
Dye, the World Series MVP in 2005 for the White Sox, signed a two-year, $22 million extension late in the 2007 season with a mutual option for next year.
"There may be teams out there that look at me as a player who can help them, but right now I'm with the White Sox and that's all I care about. I want to be here to finish off my career and hopefully I will be," he said.
FRANCO BACK WITH METS -- AS GUEST INSTRUCTOR (3:30 p.m. ET)
Former relief pitcher John Franco is back in a New York Mets uniform.
The Brooklyn native will help as a guest instructor during spring training in Port St. Lucie, Fla., working with the 36 pitchers in camp, then serve in the front office this season -- perhaps in marketing, baseball operations or television.
Franco, who spent the 1990-2004 seasons in New York, has been out of baseball since retiring in 2005 after a short stint with Houston.
"I took some time off to be with family, but now I've got the itch again to come back in little baby steps," he said. "I am delighted [the Mets] have invited me down to come back into the organization to try to give back and try to help out as much as I can, whatever they want me to do. Whether it's on or off the field stuff, I am willing to do it, and I look forward to it."
LHP BRAY REJOINS REDS IN FLORIDA (3:27 p.m. ET)
Reds left-hander reliever Bill Bray, held back from early spring drills because of tendinitis, is back with the rest of the staff in Sarasota, Fla.
"It's good," he said Friday after throwing his first bullpen session.
The 25-year-old said he shouldn't have any problem getting ready for the season as long as he has no setbacks. Taking it slow at the start was really just a precaution, he said.
"I think I'm going to work with a physical therapist on a regular basis to keep stretched out," he said. "And I'll probably play catch rather than not throwing at all."
BALDELLI BIDDING FOR RED SOX SLOT (3:22 p.m. ET)
Rocco Baldelli understands people want to know how he's feeling as he tries to earn a spot on the Boston Red Sox -- he just tired of answering the question.
"I feel pretty good doing what I'm doing," Baldelli said Friday at the club's minor league complex in Fort Myers, Fla. "I'm not overworking myself or anything like that. I was going to make a sign, 'Feeling good, thanks for asking,' and tag it above my locker so I don't have to answer it anymore."
The questions will keep coming, though, until the 27-year-old outfielder proves he can fully overcome a mitochondrial disorder, which slows muscle recovery and causes extreme fatigue.
Baldelli signed a one-year, $500,000 contract on Jan. 9 with the Red Sox. He is trying to make the same team he helped beat last October with the Tampa Bay Rays in the ALCS.
"It didn't really affect me too much, coming over, switching sides," he said. "As a player, you go out there and do whatever you can to win, whatever team you're on. These are my teammates now. I really enjoyed my time in Tampa but I'm not a Ray anymore. Boston's my team, I've got to do whatever I can for Boston."
JAYS' WELLS WON'T PLAY IN CLASSIC (3:15 p.m. ET)
Blue Jays center fielder Vernon Wells will miss the World Baseball Classic.
Team USA begins the first round March 7 with a game against Canada in Toronto. Wells said insurance costs got in the way of him joining the team.
"I guess that was the issue a few weeks ago," Wells said Friday in Dunedin, Fla. "I was looking forward to playing there, seeing a bit of a different reaction from some fans. ... I'm pretty sure I'll be here in camp the whole time."
Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston was all for Wells playing.
"I was hoping he'd go, too, because I know he really wanted to go," Gaston said. "He expressed that to me last year, especially because he feels like it got him off to a great start."
ANGELS 1B MORALES HARD AT WORK (3:06 p.m. ET)
Former Cuban star Kendry Morales said he has put in extra work in Tempe, Ariz., with Angels manager Mike Scioscia and first base coach Alfredo Griffin.
Morales is being counted on by the Angels to take over for two-time Gold Glove winner Mark Teixeira, who signed this offseason with the New York Yankees.
"It took a while defensively. Once he was challenged about what he had to do to get to the major leagues, he's been driven to play at the level he can," Scioscia said of Morales, who defected to the United States and signed with the Angels in 2004. "The guy's got range, good hands, a plus arm. He's going to be good defensively. He's surprised everyone with the level he's reached."
Even so, the 6-foot-1, 225-pound Morales doesn't assume the job is his.
"I don't feel like it's mine. I'm one of the candidates," he said. "There are other people who can play first base. I don't want to think it's my position."
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
Left fielder Carlos Lee is finally in camp. Lee showed up Thursday, two days after the team's reporting deadline for the first full-squad workout. He had told manager Cecil Cooper he simply got his dates confused when arranging to leave Panama.The left pinkie Lee broke last season still has a large bump on it, but he says it has healed. He took batting practice on his first day in camp.
The injury cost Lee the last two months of last season, but he still had 28 home runs and 110 RBIs while hitting .314.
A VOTE FOR MANNY (10:22 a.m. ET)
The Giants' front office hasn't approached Dave Roberts as a job reference for Manny Ramirez. But Roberts, who was Manny's teammate for two months with the Red Sox -- perhaps you remember his stolen base in Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS -- says he'd gladly vouch for Ramirez, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
"He was a great teammate," Roberts said, according to the report. "Just look at the back of his baseball card. I think that he's a guy who'll come to play. He's real jovial. I think it was unfortunate the way things ended for him in Boston because he had a pretty good run over there."
While the end of Manny's run in Boston may be affecting his reputation now -- he's still unsigned, with only the Dodgers on the record as having made him an offer -- Roberts says he's seen enough to trust him.
"I think that the last bit of what happened in Boston is what people remember, but I've been around him a lot and I've been around this game a long time and there's been nothing but great things said about Manny as a teammate," Roberts said, according to the report. "Any team would be very fortunate to have him hitting fourth for them."
KENNEDY SUSPICIOUS OF TIMING (10:02 a.m. ET)
Adam Kennedy is still irked at the way he was released by the Cardinals.
Kennedy, cut loose by the Cardinals earlier this month despite having been named the team's starting second baseman, is currently with the Rays, trying to catch on with the defending AL champs on a minor league deal. He says he understands the Cardinals' decision, but he's still puzzled by the timing. And he pins the responsibility for the decision on Cards manager Tony La Russa.
"Just mentally trying to stay positive after them doing something like that at that time -- not very ideal," Kennedy said in Rays camp on Wednesday, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "The more I think about it, regardless of how Tony felt about me, they could have done this a month ago, two weeks ago, three months ago. That wasn't necessarily up to him; I'm sure he was pushing for that for a while. It's just a little odd on the timing. Knowing how Tony already felt, that wasn't a surprise. It was the timing of the front office doing it."
Kennedy had asked for a trade out of St. Louis last season when his playing time diminished.
BOGGS TO REST SHOULDER (9:47 a.m. ET)
Rangers outfielder Brandon Boggs will be limited in spring training over the next few days following an MRI exam on his right shoulder, The Dallas Morning News reported.
The MRI, taken Wednesday, revealed that Boggs has some inflammation in his shoulder, which bothered him at the end of last season and in spring training, according to the report. He was given an injection and it's not believed that the condition is serious.
Greg Maddux knew it was time to quit pitching. He just wasn't ready to quit baseball altogether.The four-time Cy Young Award winner rejoined the San Diego Padres on Wednesday as a spring training instructor. He pitched for the Padres from 2007 until he was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers in August.
Though his position is only temporary, Maddux hopes it will lead to a permanent coaching job. Maddux, who is eighth all time with 355 career wins, retired in December after 23 big league seasons.
"I love baseball," said Maddux, who was 355-227 with a 3.16 ERA in a career with the Padres, Dodgers, Atlanta Braves and Chicago Cubs.
"It's what I've always done. It's really all I know. I knew it was time to stop playing a couple of years ago," he said. "I know I probably want to get into coaching, somehow, some way later. This happened a little quick. I'm down here trying to get a taste of it and see what the coaches do before the workouts and after workouts. ... There's a lot that goes into it."
CASTILLO WORKING HIS WAY BACK (6:31 p.m. ET)
Mets second baseman Luis Castillo is so driven to make up for a horrendous 2008 season he traveled two hours each day this winter to work out at the team's academy in the Dominican Republic.
"I'm a new man right now," Castillo said Wednesday, when he reported to the team's training camp 17 pounds lighter. "I feel so different than last year. That's why I know I can be better. I want to prove what kind of player I am. Last year was a bad year for me and I know I can play better."
Fresh off signing a $25 million, four-year contract, Castillo reported to spring training last year out of shape after offseason knee surgery, and it was downhill from there.
When he wasn't sidelined with sore knees or an injured quadriceps and hip, Castillo hit .245, the lowest average of his career since his second season. In 87 games, he had just 11 extra-base hits, drove in 28 runs and scored 46 times.
"Last year, that was tough for me," Castillo said. "I signed for four years and I tried to play too soon. That's the mistake I made. I wasn't prepared to start the season. I want to ... focus on this year and try to help the team to win."
BILLINGSLEY GOT 'LUCKY' BREAK (6:29 p.m. ET)
When Chad Billingsley's feet went flying out from under him on the icy porch at his house in Pennsylvania three months ago, he got a lucky break.
"It was just a spiral fracture," he said.
"Just" is a relative term in this case. The Dodgers' young right-hander was left with a plate and screws in his left ankle and a 6-inch scar as souvenirs of his spill.
"After I saw the X-rays, talked to my doctor and surgeon, the good news was that there were no ligaments torn and that the muscles and everything were fine," Billingsley said. "I was kind of bummed that I broke my ankle, but at least there was no severe damage.
"That was a huge relief."
For the Dodgers as well, since Billingsley appears to be emerging as the ace.
Rapidly bouncing back from the injury, he already is throwing off the mound this spring and expects to be ready to go when the regular season begins.
The 24-year-old Billingsley was Los Angeles' winningest pitcher last year with a 16-10 record, including 7-1 over the last 12 of his 32 starts. His ERA of 3.14 ranked seventh in the NL, and his 201 strikeouts were fifth in the league.
TIGERS COUNTING ON LYON (6:26 p.m. ET)
The Tigers desperately needed to add a closer this winter to replace the retired Todd Jones.
Joel Zumaya and Fernando Rodney, the relievers groomed to replace Jones, both failed to instill confidence because they were either hurt or ineffective last year.
So, how important was the signing of Brandon Lyon last month?
"We'll find out," Detroit manager Jim Leyland said Wednesday.
Lyon had a career-high 26 saves for the Arizona Diamondbacks last season, but a late slide led to him losing his job. He had a 2.43 ERA before the All-Star break and an 8.46 ERA after, ballooning with a 12.27 ERA in August.
The Tigers, though, viewed him as the good fit as a closer at the right price.
Lyon signed a $4.25 million, one-year contract -- with the potential to make $500,000 more in bonuses -- after turning down multiyear offers from other teams.
WISH YOU WERE HERE (9:56 a.m. ET)
Carlos Lee is catching some heat from his Astros teammates for not showing up at spring training on time.
Lee explained that he missed the first day of camp because he was confused about the reporting date. But teammate Lance Berkman, asked what he would tell Lee, said "he should have been here today," according to the Houston Chronicle.
"But, I mean, what are you going to do? We're not going to hang the guy or anything. We need him on the team. The reality is no one needs as long as we have to get ready for the season," Berkman said, according to the report. "I don't blame him for not coming. But from the same token from the solidarity standpoint I'd love to see him here. Plus, I'd like to see him. I haven't seen him all offseason."
Astros pitcher Roy Oswalt was amused by Lee's explanation for missing the first day of camp, according to the report. "That's a good one. I ain't heard that one in a while," he said.
BONSER NOT THROWING YET (9:18 a.m. ET)
Twins pitcher Boof Bonser didn't throw a scheduled bullpen session on Tuesday as he continues to fight tendinitis in his right shoulder.
Bonser, penciled in as a potential set-up man for 2009 after losing his spot in the starting rotation last season, took a cortisone shot last week. Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said that another throwing session for Bonser has yet to be slated, according to The (Minneapolis) Star-Tribune.
"Day to day," Gardenhire said of Bonser, according to the report. "He's not throwing. He had an injection. He's doing all the other stuff. I have not gotten an update on when he will start his throwing program. All we have to do is calm down the inflammation in his shoulder. Which, through all the exercises and treatment that he's getting, is going to happen here pretty soon."
SECOND IS ECKSTEIN'S FIRST CHOICE (8:59 a.m. ET)
David Eckstein has spent much of his major league career at shortstop. But he's more than happy to play second base for the Padres, calling it his "natural position."
Eckstein, who signed with the Padres during the offseason, moved from second to shortstop in 2001 with the Angels, who were making room for Adam Kennedy at the time. He's played the position with two World Series champions -- the 2002 Angels and 2006 Cardinals. But he says he's happiest playing second, according to The San Diego Union-Tribune.
"Since I was 12, that was all I played, second base. It's something that comes very natural," he said, according to the report. "It felt really comfortable and I just enjoyed it. When I was talking with other clubs, that's all I really wanted to talk about was second base."
WE JUST DISAGREE (8:38 a.m. ET)
Ex-Dodgers starter Brad Penny and third base coach Larry Bowa might not be exchanging holiday cards next winter -- not after they took shots at each other through the media.
"There were a few people I didn't get along with on the coaching staff that don't respect people," Penny, now with the Red Sox, said of his last season with the Dodgers, according to Yahoo! Sports. "I mean, me and Joe [Torre] got along fine. I just feel like nobody had my back there. You're in the clubhouse and you have players coming up to you saying coaches are saying this to them about you."
Bowa, not one to shrink from a challenge, fired back.
"Is this the same [Brad] Penny that never went to meetings, that came late, left early, was never in shape, always had an excuse when things didn't go right, didn't help the young kids at all?" he said, according to the Los Angeles Times. "Coaches get on players when they're lazy and don't work. I think he should worry about getting hitters out in the American League East and not worry about me."
Giants left-hander Noah Lowry missed his second straight mound session of spring training Tuesday after developing tightness in his shoulder during pre-camp throwing sessions.Lowry, attempting to win a spot in the Giants rotation after missing the entire 2008 season, instead threw off flat ground at the Giants' complex.
"You take a year off, you are bound to have a little tightness," said Lowry, who has not pitched since August 2007.
Lowry had surgery for a rare neuromuscular problem in his left forearm, called exertional compartment syndrome, on March 7, 2008, and then had an arthroscopic procedure to remove a bone spur from his left elbow in September, as he was preparing to pitch in the Arizona Rookie League.
Lowry said he pitched off a mound only twice between his two operations last year.
Manager Bruce Bochy said Lowry is scheduled to throw off a mound Thursday.
JONES SEEKS FRESH START WITH RANGERS (8:26 p.m. ET)
Andruw Jones is anxious to make everyone forget 2008, when he showed up out of shape for the first year of a two-year, $36.2 million deal with the Dodgers, hit just .158 and was eventually sidelined for the season by knee problems.
The Dodgers released him in January even though they still owed him $21 million, and the Rangers signed him to an incentive-laden minor league contract. Now Texas has the same hope Los Angeles did a year ago: that Jones can regain the form that made him a five-time All-Star with the Braves and a player with 371 career home runs in 12-plus seasons.
"After a year like I had last year, it was a really bad year," Jones said Tuesday. "Things didn't go the [right] way with the injury and not being in good [shape]. It was a tough situation, and I think I learned a lot from that and that's why I'm where I'm at right now."
The 31-year-old Jones signed a $500,000 contract with Texas and can make up to $1 million in incentives. He can also become a free agent if he hasn't made the Rangers' major league roster by March 20.
"You've got a reputation," Jones said. "The reputation that you've got is never going to go away. I play the game every day. That's what I do for a living. You just try to keep yourself on a good reputation. I just have to go out there again and show these guys that I'm still the player I've always been."
SORIANO OK WITH LOSING LEADOFF SPOT (6:19 p.m. ET)
Alfonso Soriano has heard this question so many times since he arrived in Chicago two seasons ago: Could he, would he, should he be moved out of the leadoff spot?
There it was again Tuesday as the Cubs held their first full-squad workout. And Soriano answered in much the same way. He'll do whatever manager Lou Piniella asks.
"It's interesting. Every year it's the same question and I'm still batting leadoff," Soriano said. "I don't know, we'll see."
Piniella said this week that the long spring training -- which includes 39 games -- will give the Cubs plenty of time to experiment with different players and combinations, including moving Soriano down to the middle of the order.
Soriano hit .280 with 29 homers and 75 RBIs last year. He had a .344 on-base percentage and 19 steals in 22 tries.
ASTROS AWAITING LEE (6:12 p.m. ET)
Power-hitting left fielder Carlos Lee was a no-show at Astros camp on Tuesday, the deadline for players to report in time for the first full workout.
Lee said in a statement he simply mixed up the dates. Manager Cecil Cooper said he understands the mishap, but that Lee will face consequences.
"I might give him something. Make him run 'til he gets tired or whatever. We'll figure something out," Cooper said.
Sunday is the mandatory reporting date.
Lee missed the last two months of last season with a broken finger but still hit .314 with 28 home runs and 100 RBIs. He has been cleared for all drills this year.
CARDS' GLAUS STILL RECOVERING (5:11 p.m. ET)
Cardinals third baseman Troy Glaus tried all winter to avoid surgery on his right shoulder and yet the pain would not disappear.
So after rest, rehab, tests and injections, Glaus decided arthroscopic surgery was needed. His shoulder was cleaned out and a slight muscle tear was repaired.
"The fact they didn't have to put anything back together or reattach anything was fantastic," said Glaus, who arrived at spring training Tuesday.
The procedure was done Jan. 21, and Glaus still cannot throw or hit. The Cardinals were told he could return sometime late in April, and manager Tony La Russa is being cautious.
"If he's back by the first of May, we're in great shape," La Russa said.
A'S ATTENTIVE TO A-ROD'S STORY (3:44 p.m. ET)
As Alex Rodriguez took his seat 2,500 miles away, the half-dozen players working out in the weight room at the Oakland A's facility here in Phoenix stopped to watch the Yankees' third baseman address the media.
The only thing heard while Rodriguez spoke was the occasional beep of workout machines and some snickering by players. It was clear they were curious about what he was going to say, but also skeptical about some of Rodriguez's answers.
One player in particular didn't think Rodriguez's answer about being young and naive carried much weight.
"That's the worst excuse ever," he said, then added that he was in his early 20s "and I know not to take that [stuff]."
But Gio Gonzalez had a different take. He worked out with Rodriguez this winter in Miami, and said he still thought highly of the third baseman.
"What we saw today was sad, and it breaks your heart," Gonzalez said. "I still admire him; Alex Rodriguez is still the real deal to me."
-- Amy K. Nelson, ESPN.com
GUTHRIE TO PITCH FOR TEAM USA (2:41 p.m. ET)
Two years ago, Jeremy Guthrie was just looking to stick in the major leagues as a long reliever after being claimed off waivers by the Baltimore Orioles.
Next month he will be pitching for Team USA.
By the time the Orioles' staff ace reached his locker Tuesday morning, the right-hander had been named to the final roster for the World Baseball Classic.
Guthrie, who had been included on the provisional roster, will leave the Orioles on March 1 and report to Clearwater, Fla.
"It's a great honor to have been considered and then selected. I'm very excited to wear USA across my chest and to be surrounded by the type of players who will be on our team and the opposing teams," Guthrie said. "I didn't expect it. I was grateful that I was even considered on the provisional roster."
LOWELL SAYS HE'LL BE READY (1:08 p.m. ET)
Mike Lowell is still with the Red Sox and confident he'll be ready by Opening Day following hip surgery.
The team's pursuit of free agent Mark Teixeira very likely would have ended the third baseman's career in Boston. With Teixeira at first base, Kevin Youkilis almost certainly would have moved to third with Lowell likely to be traded.
Lowell says he was hurt that Boston went after Teixeira, especially after Lowell rejected better contract offers to sign a three-year deal after the 2007 season to stay with the Red Sox.
He says it's only normal to feel let down but that his approach to the game and relationship with his teammates won't be affected.
SHEFFIELD KEEPING LOW PROFILE (11:43 a.m. ET)
Gary Sheffield is taking a new approach as he enters his 21st season in the majors: He wants to cut back on controversial remarks.
The Detroit Tigers designated hitter was true to his word Tuesday. He declined comment before the team's first full-squad workout.
A year ago, Sheffield criticized his former agent, Scott Boras. The slugger said he would have more to say when a dispute between them was settled. An arbitrator decided in October that Sheffield owed Boras $550,000 for eliminating a 2004 option that allowed him to become a free agent.
Sheffield is one homer from reaching No. 500.
BELTRE MISSES IBANEZ (9:39 a.m. ET)
Adrian Beltre and the Seattle Mariners aren't exactly on the same page right now.
Seattle is rebuilding all around its Gold Glove third baseman following a 101-loss season. The team trimmed about $20 million off the payroll, choosing not to re-sign RBI and clubhouse leader Raul Ibanez, who signed a $31.5 million, three-year deal with Philadelphia. The Mariners also traded closer J.J. Putz to the New York Mets in the offseason.
"I understand why the front office got frustrated. Last year, you put that much money in your team and you lose that many games, you will probably be disappointed," Beltre said upon arriving Monday, a day earlier than he had to.
"But in my point of view, as a player, I wanted to see Raul here. He was productive every year. He was cheap, I think, for what he was doing. And he's the best guy you can have in a clubhouse, the best veteran you can have around young guys.
"That was a big disappointment for me, because he was the best teammate I've ever had -- by far. ... We were a better team, on paper, last year than this year."
FRANCIS STILL IN LIMBO (9:35 a.m. ET)
Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Jeff Francis is going through workouts with the Rockies, but doesn't know when he will be pitching in a game after battling a strained shoulder since last season.
"The best-case scenario is that I am pitching off the mound in the next three or four days. Hopefully I start to build up and by the end of spring I will be able to be in a game," Francis said Monday. "If all goes well I might be back with the team by May."
The Rockies have not given Francis a timetable to decide if surgery is required. He is not slated to be in the rotation when the regular season begins.
Francis was 4-10 with a 5.01 ERA last year with discomfort in his shoulders, but MRI exams have not shown a clear-cut problem. Bullpen sessions the next few days should tell more.
"I have been told MRIs for throwing athletes are not 100 percent conclusive," Francis said. "You never know there might be something not showing up or just inflammation lingering around."
QUENTIN HOPES TO CONTROL TEMPER (9:31 a.m. ET)
Carlos Quentin is open to suggestions on how to control his temper.
A self-inflicted injury, born of frustration, prematurely ended Quentin's brilliant 2008 season with the Chicago White Sox. The outfielder, angry with himself for fouling off a hittable pitch from Cleveland's Cliff Lee on Sept. 1, slammed his right hand into his bat and broke his wrist. He ended up missing the rest of the season.
"Unfortunately, you can't go back and change things. In my experience, it's been important not to focus on things like that ... on past situations," Quentin said. "I've always felt you learn from something, especially if it's something you wish didn't happen ... and you move on."
Quentin said he knows he needs to learn to express himself in a way that doesn't cause an injury.
"I'm still brainstorming. I'll take any ideas. My teammates are giving me ideas, too," he said. "I'll figure something out."
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
Angels catcher Mike Napoli has been working on everything this spring except throwing as he recovers from arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder."I'm doing everything but catching," Napoli, who got his shoulder fixed in October, said Monday. "I have someone throwing the ball back for me."
Los Angeles would love to have Napoli's bat in the lineup. Manager Mike Scioscia said he could be used in the already-crowded designated hitter role.
Scioscia said he also wants Napoli back behind the plate but his recovery is the top priority.
"It's very important for us that Mike gets physically where he needs to be to be able to catch," he said. "Right now, we're going to err on the side of caution.
"We're looking for Mike to catch not just this year but for a long time."
INDIANS FEELING RIGHT AT HOME (7:39 p.m. ET)
The Indians have a new address.
Unpacked but not completely moved in, they are settling into their new spring home.
After training from 1993 to 2008 in Winter Haven Fla., the Indians have returned to Arizona where they already are enjoying the amenities of the $108 million state-of-the-art training facility and adjacent 10,000-seat ballpark they'll share with the Reds, who will follow them west next spring.
"It's such an upgrade from Winter Haven, it's unbelievable," Indians slugger Travis Hafner said, looking around the spacious clubhouse. "It's got everything: training rooms, weight rooms, hot tubs, batting tunnels. Anything we need is right here. In some ways, this is even nicer than Progressive Field."
BRAVES' GONZALEZ FINALLY PAIN-FREE (6:15 p.m. ET)
Mike Gonzalez feels 22 again. He's lost a few pounds. His left arm is strong and limber. And there's not a lick of pain to mess things up.
It's time to show the Atlanta Braves what they thought they were getting two years ago: one of baseball's most dominant relievers.
"Man, it's been a few years since I felt the way I do now," he said Monday, having just arrived at his locker for the second workout of spring training. "I feel crispy. I lost 10 or 12 pounds. I feel really good. I feel agile."
The Braves are mostly concerned with his left arm, which broke down not long after the Braves acquired him from Pittsburgh in the winter of 2007. The previous year, Gonzalez converted all 24 of his save chances in a breakout season for the lowly Pirates, with 64 strikeouts in 54 innings. But his elbow began hurting, so he shut it down for the final month.
Gonzalez got a clean bill of health before the trade to Atlanta, but it quickly became apparent he was still hurting. He pitched in only 18 games before doctors discovered a torn ligament in his elbow. He underwent the dreaded Tommy John operation, which generally requires at least a year to come back from.
"It's one of those things where you go out there and try to grind through," Gonzalez recalled. "Obviously, I went as far as I could. But you can't compete at 80 mph when you're used to being a guy who throws 90-plus."
WASHINGTON: RANGERS' ROTATION SET (5:22 p.m. ET)
Two days into spring training, Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington says his rotation is set. That doesn't mean the starting pitchers won't be challenged.
The Rangers deviated from their norm by having pitchers throw to hitters during batting practice on the first day of workouts Sunday. A day later, Washington indicated he was ready to roll with Kevin Millwood and Vicente Padilla, followed in no particular order by Scott Feldman, Matt Harrison and Brandon McCarthy.
"The only thing that can unseat it is if one of those guys come up with an injury or something unforeseen happens," Washington said Monday. "But that's where we want to go."
Facing batters so early couldn't have come as a surprise because new pitching coach Mike Maddux made it clear over the winter that his pitchers should arrive in shape and ready for a heavier workload. Last season, the Rangers had the fifth-highest ERA in club history at 5.37.
"Throwing live BP makes you concentrate a little bit more, and you get a little bit more out of it, so that's a good thing," said Millwood, who was 9-10 with a 5.07 ERA in 2008, his second straight year with a 5-plus ERA after 10 seasons without one.
Millwood, the likely Opening Day starter, and Padilla (41-8, 4.74 ERA a year ago) are the known quantities for Washington.
The 23-year-old Harrison posted a 9-3 mark in 15 starts as a rookie after a July callup, although his ERA was a somewhat bloated 5.49. McCarthy hasn't stayed healthy in Texas and made just five starts last season. Feldman was a career reliever before starting 25 times in 28 appearances last year.
In other news, Washington says Frank Francisco "is the guy" right now in a closer battle also featuring former All-Star Derrick Turnbow and C.J. Wilson, who saved 24 games in 28 tries for the Rangers last year before having season-ending elbow surgery.
CHAVEZ ARRIVES EARLY, HOPES HE'S HEALTHY (5:10 p.m. ET)
Eric Chavez arrived at the Oakland Athletics' training camp a few days early hoping to get an answer to one big question: Can he field a ground ball and make the throw from third base without feeling pain in his right shoulder or back?
"I can do pretty much everything else," the six-time Gold Glove winner said Monday. "When you start the year, you start with a clean slate."
Chavez won't be ready to start playing games until March 1 at the earliest. But that's the least of his worries.
"The missing component is getting on the field," Chavez said. "Last year was unrealistic for me."
Chavez missed all but 113 games over the past two years with various ailments. He underwent four operations between September 2007 and August 2008, two of them to repair a torn right shoulder.
He also had surgery on his back and left shoulder.
"Historically we've always had a lot of players come early," Athletics manager Bob Geren said. "Chavez and [Mark] Ellis are on specific programs designed by the medical staff and they are sticking to it."
GUILLEN HOPES FOR BETTER START (5:00 p.m. ET)
Kansas City Royals right fielder Jose Guillen is looking to have a better start to 2009 than he had last season.
So he lost 10-15 pounds this winter.
"I didn't show up with a big stomach like last year," Guillen said Monday. "My pants are falling down. Last year, they were really tight. I'm in a little bit better shape than last year. I just tried to eat better. I was just trying to control my mouth a little bit."
The Royals signed Guillen, who was a free agent, to a three-year $36 million contract before the 2008 season to provide some punch in the middle of the lineup. Instead, he hit just .165 with three home runs in the first 31 games.
"It was not a good first month," Guillen said. "Last year in April I was completely out of shape. It was not good when you are overweight and when you start swinging the bat you are not swinging the bat the way you are capable of swinging. I don't think its going to be an issue this year."
GASTON NOT WRITING OFF SEASON (4:32 p.m. ET)
One of Cito Gaston's first tasks in his first Blue Jays' training camp as manager since 1997 is correcting the misconception that he's writing off this season.
At baseball's winter meetings in Las Vegas, Gaston said he saw 2009 as a rebuilding season for the Jays. But that's not what he meant.
"Maybe that didn't come out right," Gaston said. "It's kind of like regrouping. Nobody likes to use rebuilding. That's a bad word. We're not really rebuilding. We're getting ready for 2010."
Whatever the term, the Jays are hampered by several injuries from the outset.
Right-hander Dustin McGowan underwent shoulder surgery last July. He could rejoin the pitching rotation as early as May or as late as August, and fellow right-hander Shaun Marcum is out for the season following elbow surgery.
THREE-DEER WINTER FOR LEE (4:19 p.m. ET)
Among Cliff Lee's accomplishments this winter bringing down three deer. Lee said the average for him is one a winter, so clearly his luck has extended beyond last season.
"You kill them, you skin them, then you eat them," said Lee, who puts the prized antlers up in his trophy room.
Lee said his favorite dish is covering the deer meat -- which he butchers himself -- in flour and salt and pepper, and then frying it.
He's thrown two bullpens already, and admitted to wanting to face batters, but said he wants to take it slow -- which is what he did last year. He said he thinks as long as the team stays healthy, it has a shot, especially with a healthy Victor Martinez and Travis Hafner.
"It's like we just signed two free agents," he said. "As long as we stay healthy, we got the depth and talent to win the division."
-- Amy K. Nelson, ESPN.com
MAUER TO GO SLOW (4:13 p.m. ET)
While Twins pitchers and catchers finished their first official spring training workout outside, Joe Mauer finished his inside the team's weight room.
Mauer's goal is to be behind the plate when the regular season begins on April 6, but he said he won't be ready to play in the Twins' exhibition opener on Feb. 25. The catcher and reigning AL batting leader had surgery Dec. 22 to remove a blockage from one of his kidneys. He's been told not to run until his abdominal muscles heal.
"I'm on schedule to where I should be," Mauer said Monday. "So that's good. I just have to keep on doing what they're telling me, and I'll be out there soon enough."
Mauer said he wants to be playing by April 1, and Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said he should be able to pick up his pace once the medical staff clears him to play.
"It's going to be a slow process," Gardenhire said. "Our goal is Opening Day, having him ready to go."
PINIELLA TO MOVE SORIANO DOWN? (3:44 p.m. ET)
Cubs manager Lou Piniella dropped a bit of a surprise when he said he would experiment this spring moving Alfonso Soriano out of the leadoff spot and into the middle of the Cubs' batting order.
"If I were to put a lineup out tomorrow to open up the season, he would be leading off," Piniella said. "But we'll take a look at him in a couple of the different spots and just see. As long as he is willing to go along with it and as long as he's comfortable with it, I don't see any problem with it."
Although Soriano has always preferred to lead off, he told Piniella at the team's winter convention last month, he'd be willing to try another spot in the order. The Cubs already have Derrek Lee, Aramis Ramirez and Milton Bradley in the heart of their order at 3-4-5.
Piniella said with such a long spring that includes 39 exhibition games, it would be worth a look, especially since Soriano doesn't run as much as he once did. He has 38 stolen bases and 62 homers combined in those two years, despite trips to the disabled list in both seasons.
Among other potential leadoff hitters are Aaron Miles, Ryan Theriot, Mike Fontenot and perhaps Kosuke Fukudome.
HALL TALKS SPEEDY RECOVERY (3:36 p.m. ET)
Brewers third baseman Bill Hall said his return from a partial tear in his left calf will be sooner rather than later.
The initial prognosis was four to six weeks of recovery, but Hall, who reported to the first day of camp on Sunday for treatment and to do some throwing, said to cut that time in half, according to multiple media reports. Hall said that's because it was more blood vessel damage than muscle tear.
"Once the muscle released and stopped being tense, it was [much better]," Hall said, according to MLB.com. "I'm walking on my own now with no trouble. Two days ago, I felt like I needed crutches."
Milwaukee manager Ken Macha, however, isn't ready to rush Hall back.
"We've got a lot of guys to cover us there," Macha said, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
RAMIREZ FEELS STRONGER AT 225 POUNDS (3:23 p.m. ET)
Hanley Ramirez worked harder this offseason and ate better. Five days a week, his routine included a 2½-hour gym workout, a one-hour swim in his pool at home and a nice dinner.
"I spend $100 a night in the restaurant," the Florida Marlins' All-Star shortstop says with a grin. "I used to spend $5 at Wendy's."
With a fat new contract, the 6-foot-3 Ramirez says he increased his weight 25 pounds to 225, but the calories didn't go to his waist. Instead he's thicker in the chest, shoulders and legs, which he expects to help his durability.
While Ramirez missed only 17 games the past two seasons, a left shoulder injury required surgery in October 2007 and bothered him again late last season.
"I went home and said, 'I'm tired of that,' " the Dominican says. "That was the first thing -- get my shoulder stronger."
LEWIS STILL LAMENTING TRIBE'S SERIES LOSS (3:01 p.m. ET)
Jensen Lewis grew up a huge Indians fan, wearing Omar Vizquel's jersey to school every day, and now is a reliever for the team. He said he remembers sitting in his basement on the couch with his entire family, as they sat stunned at the Indians' 1997 World Series loss to the Marlins.
"I was crying at the end of the game," Lewis said.
He was a junior in high school when Edgar Renteria hit the game-winning single and to this day can recall with total clarity each play of the series. On Monday in the clubhouse not only did he call every play but he was also even quoting the documentary on the Series he and some teammates were watching word for word.
Was he going to cry again?
"No," he said. "Because now I'm in a position to try and change it."
-- Amy K. Nelson, ESPN.com
RHP OWINGS BIDDING FOR REDS SPOT (2:25 p.m. ET)
Reds pitcher Micah Owings, hampered by a shoulder strain after he was acquired from Arizona last season in the Adam Dunn trade, is hoping his pinch-hitting skills and now pain-free delivery will secure him a roster spot.
Manager Dusty Baker said in Sarasota, Fla., that Owings has looked sharp in recent throwing sessions. Owings says he's healthy and able to throw hard.
The right-hander, who was 8-8 with a 4.30 ERA in 2007 but slipped to 6-9 with a 5.93 ERA last year, is a candidate for the fifth spot in Cincinnati's rotation.
Owings didn't make any appearances for the Reds last season because of the hurt shoulder. But as a pinch hitter, the career .319 hitter doubled in the deciding run for Cincinnati in a September win over the Diamondbacks.
MARLINS HAVE GOOD YOUNG HITTERS, TOO (2:08 p.m. ET)
We all know about the great young pitching in the Marlins' system. Now they have a bunch of young position players, from first baseman Logan Morrison to outfielders Scott Cousins and Michael Stanton, who hit 39 home runs last year in Class A ball at age 19.
Marlins coach Bo Porter said Stanton reminds him of Dave Winfield. Others say he's a hybrid of a young Jermaine Dye and a young Pat Burrell.
"The first time I saw him, I thought 'Whoa, we've got something here,' " said Tim Cossins, the minor league catching coordinator for the Marlins, and one of Stanton's former managers.
"I saw him hit balls that I couldn't believe. Then he went out and played center field."
-- Tim Kurkjian, ESPN The Magazine
MADDUX JOINS PADRES AS INSTRUCTOR (1:49 p.m. ET)
Greg Maddux, who retired in December after winning 355 games and 18 Gold Gloves during a 23-year career, has agreed to become a spring training instructor for the San Diego Padres. He's scheduled to arrive in camp on Wednesday.
The four-time Cy Young Award winner, who is eighth on the career wins list, pitched for the Padres from 2007 until August, when he was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Maddux also played for the Chicago Cubs and Atlanta Braves during his long career. He finished with a 355-227 record and a 3.16 ERA.
"Last year a lot of our conversations were about the future," Padres manager Bud Black said Monday. "I said, 'Greg, you have some freedom to explore. I'll tell you what I'm thinking about before, during and after the game.' "
Black said he and Padres general manager Kevin Towers kept in contact with Maddux over the winter about the possibility of returning as a coach. Black said the Cubs also inquired about Maddux returning as a coach.
"His role is undefined," Black said. "It gives me and Kevin and the other coaches a great resource."
YANKEES SET TIME FOR A-ROD NEWS CONFERENCE (10:37 a.m. ET)
Alex Rodriguez, who is scheduled to report with the rest of the
Yankees' position players on Tuesday, will be addressing the
media en masse for the first time since his admission of using steroids
last week.
The team announced Monday that Tuesday's news conference will take place at 1:30 p.m. ET.
PINIELLA TO CUBS: NO PREDICTIONS IN 2009 (9:11 a.m. ET)
The past two seasons, pitcher Carlos Zambrano (2007) and Ryan Dempster (2008) both predicted championships for the Cubs. Manager Lou Piniella already cautioned his team not to repeat the mistake in 2009.
"I told the players: 'No predictions,' " Piniella said, according to the Chicago Tribune. "Let's just go play on the field. What we need is good performance. You don't have to be great. You have to be really good consistently at what you do, and that's going to be one of the themes of our camp this year.
"Last year we won 97 baseball games, so we don't have to get better from that standpoint. We just need to stay longer."
WEBB'S FUTURE IN ARIZONA UNCERTAIN (9:03 a.m. ET)
Diamondbacks ace Brandon Webb and general manager Josh Byrnes agree on one thing, at least. They don't want to talk about Webb's hazy future with the club.
Webb joined the rest of the Diamondbacks' pitchers and catchers for their first spring workout on Sunday, then deflected questions about whether he will get a new contract.
"Basically I've got two more years here in Arizona and then we'll go from there," he said after participating in a long-toss session before making an early exit to attend the NBA All-Star Game in Phoenix. "Other than that, that's where we stand."
Webb, 29, is under contract through the end of this season, with the Diamondbacks holding a club option for 2010. He is set to make $6.5 million in 2009 and $8.5 million in 2010, assuming the team exercises its option for the extra year. That's a bargain for a pitcher who has been one of the best in the National League.
Byrnes said that while the poor economy will play a role in how teams approach business decisions in the near future, the organization is committed to trying to keep Webb at the front of their rotation beyond 2010.
BUEHRLE TO RETIRE AFTER 2011? (8:58 a.m. ET)
White Sox left-hander Mark Buehrle misses his family so much that he's talking about retiring when his contract expires after the 2011 season.
"People may say I'm full of it," Buehrle said, according to the Chicago Tribune. "I don't know. Maybe I am. But as I look at it today, I don't think you're going to see me in a baseball uniform for too many more years. I miss my family too much when I'm away."
Buehrle has an 18-month-old son at home. He said he considers himself a family man and the long baseball season isn't conducive to raising a family. If he retires after the 2011 season, he would be only 32 years old.
"Some people say they want to pitch till they're 50," Buehrle said, according to the newspaper. "They say they want to be like Jesse Orosco, even if it is getting one out at a time. I won't be around until I'm 40. I can guarantee that."
SMOLTZ BITTER OVER BRAVES SPLIT (8:50 a.m. ET)
John Smoltz is bitter how his departure from the Braves was portrayed by his former team.
The ace right-hander said he wanted to stay in Atlanta but the feeling wasn't mutual.
"In a perfect, magical world, I felt that if they wanted you, there would be no reason to ever be a free agent," Smoltz said, according to The New York Times. "And I was a free agent four times. And the fourth time led me to a uniform change."
Smoltz said he passed up more lucrative offers in the past to remain with manager Bobby Cox in Atlanta but this time around he took the biggest offer on the market with the Red Sox, the team he felt really wanted him.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
San Diego Padres reliever Heath Bell was initially bothered by comments from, of all things, a video game console.But now the heir apparent to Trevor Hoffman credits his Nintendo Wii Fit game for helping him lose 25 pounds. Bell, who has been given the first crack at taking over the closing role vacated by Hoffman, reported to camp at a svelte 245 pounds.
After spending the previous 16 seasons in San Diego, Hoffman signed a one-year, $6 million contract with Milwaukee in January.
The opportunity to take over for Hoffman, who is baseball's all-time saves leader, was more than enough motivation for Bell. But Bell, who was 6-6 with a 3.58 ERA in 74 games last season, received an extra boost when he began playing video games with his children this offseason. At the time, Bell weighed 270 pounds.
"It said I was obese," Bell said. "If you're obese, it makes [your character on screen] obese. I was disappointed that I was that big. I literally took the game to heart. I did the work but I kind of credit the Wii Fit."
GIANTS TURN TO BIG UNIT FOR BOOST (7:48 p.m. ET)
The San Francisco Giants hope 45-year-old Randy Johnson will boost their rotation. He grew up in the Bay Area and signed a one-year contract the day after Christmas.
"The perfect scenario was to finish in Arizona. If it didn't work out, and a lot of times it doesn't work out for a player, then the next best option was to stay on the West Coast in the National League West. Because of the familiarity, that accommodates my game," he said Sunday.
Johnson starts the season with 295 career victories.
"Winning 300 is important, but it is not the sole reason I am playing this game," he said. "It will be a great moment in my career. It's only five wins. I hope to get five wins early in the season and move on. When it's over, I would like to do what I came here to do -- help this team win. Hopefully the four or five months after that are really important. I'd like to have people think that I made a difference, that I had an impact in some way."
The five-time Cy Young winner had his second back surgery last year, yet finished 11-10 with a 3.91 ERA. He will begin a spring healthy for the first time since 2006, the second of his two seasons with the New York Yankees.
YANKS' WANG FEELING FINE (7:05 p.m. ET)
Chien-Ming Wang who missed the final 3½ months last season because of a foot injury, is on a restricted running program and will do most of his conditioning work indoors.
"Everything's good," said Wang, who threw off a bullpen mound Sunday.
In other Yankees news, CC Sabathia kept his beard on Day 2 of workouts, but it won't last much longer. The Yankees have rules on allowable facial hair and length of hair.
"Our manager will handle it at some point," general manager Brian Cashman said. "I don't even think we've posted our team rules yet."
PIERRE IN LIMBO WITH DODGERS (5:55 p.m. ET)
Juan Pierre still wants to know if he has a role with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Pierre's situation remains in limbo until Manny Ramirez signs with a team.
Pierre arrived at spring training on Sunday, showing up three days early and feeling the same as he did at the end of last season -- frustrated.
"I kind of feel like I'm in the way around here," he said. "Last year I wasn't helping the team or me. It was torture for me.
"All I want is a chance to compete."
A career .300 hitter whose 429 steals are tops among active players, the 31-year-old Pierre won't know whether he's a starter or a part-timer -- or possibly even with another team -- until Ramirez makes his decision.
Will he request a trade if he's not a regular this season?
"I played 60-something games [last year]. I'm not happy. Use your logic," Pierre said.
Manager Joe Torre can't do much to clarify the outfielder's status.
"Right now as you look at it, he's our regular left fielder until the decision is made on Manny," Torre said. "He certainly has proven he could do that in the past. Last year before he got hurt, he was our regular."
Asked if the Dodgers would accommodate a trade request by Pierre, Torre said, "That's a tough question. He's certainly valuable. We're certainly sensitive to his desires, too. I know Ned [general manager Ned Colletti] also is sensitive to that.
"But until we know for sure who we're going to have on this club, I think that's a little premature right now."
ACTA SEES BRIGHT FUTURE FOR NATIONALS (5:51 p.m. ET)
Manny Acta leaned back in his office chair Sunday and chuckled at the question: Is this the best team the Washington Nationals have brought to spring training since he became their manager?
"Yeah, yeah. This is the first time we have a legit cleanup hitter, power guy, in our lineup. And, man, if all these guys are healthy, without a doubt -- position player wise -- I would say that," he said, one day before Washington's pitchers and catchers hold their first official workout.
"The bullpen, obviously, it's a challenge," he continued. "But this is" -- and here Acta rapped a finger on his desk for emphasis -- "I would say, the best team we've had the three years I've been here."
Minutes later, Acta offered another rosy assessment: "This is going to be probably the best starting rotation we had the last three years."
Not that any of those pronouncements are saying all that much. After all, the Nationals went 73-89 in 2007, Acta's rookie season, enough above expectations that the team picked up his contract option for 2009.
Then the club went 59-102 in 2008, the worst record in the major leagues.
PHILS' KENDRICK GUNNING FOR SPOT (5:09 p.m. ET)
Kyle Kendrick is trying to earn a spot in the Philadelphia Phillies' starting rotation. Despite winning 21 games his first two seasons in the majors, Kendrick entered camp in a four-man race for the No. 5 starter job.
So far, he's the front-runner ahead of veteran Chan Ho Park, rookie J.A. Happ and prospect Carlos Carrasco. But that can change quickly once the exhibition schedule begins.
"For me, he's the leading guy going in because of what he's done for two years," pitching coach Rich Dubee said Sunday. "That doesn't mean my eyes are closed to the other candidates by any means. Kyle's going to have to show he can command his slider, he's willing to use the changeup and that he can get left-handed hitters out better."
Kendrick was 11-9 with a 5.49 ERA in 31 games last season, including one relief appearance. He had success in the first half, going 8-3 with a 4.47 ERA. After the All-Star break, Kendrick was 3-6 with a 7.59 ERA. He was downright awful the final two months, so the Phillies didn't risk using him in the playoffs. The right-hander was 2-4 with a 8.73 ERA in his last eight starts.
GLAVINE, BRAVES REUNION APPEARS LIKELY (2:55 p.m. ET)
There was no contact Sunday between the Braves and free-agent pitcher Tom Glavine. But all signs continue to point toward Glavine re-signing with the Braves any day now.
"I think we've made some progress," GM Frank Wren told ESPN.com Sunday. "I think there's a true desire on both parties to get something done."
Wren said he doesn't believe there's any major hurry to conclude negotiations because Glavine continues to rehab from elbow surgery in Atlanta.
"He wasn't going to be here this week anyway," Wren said. "He's doing his rehab back there anyway. And Dr. [James] Andrews wanted him to do his rehab back there until March 1. So it doesn't really matter. He knows how to get here. And I think he probably knows what he needs to do to prepare. With those two things, I'm not real worried about it."
Manager Bobby Cox said Sunday the Braves wouldn't need a fifth starter until April 19, "and by then, Tommy would be ready -- easily."
-- Jayson Stark, ESPN.com
RAMIREZ TO BAT THIRD FOR MARLINS (1:45 p.m. ET)
Hanley Ramirez is moving from the leadoff spot to third in the batting order this season.
Outfielder Cameron Maybin or infielder Emilio Bonifacio will take Ramirez's place at the top of the lineup.
"I've got to change my approach now," Ramirez said, according to The Miami Herald. "Me, [Dan] Uggla and [Jorge] Cantu -- we've got to drive in runs. And Maybin and [Bonifacio] have to get on base."
CORDERO PASSES FIRST TEST (1:30 p.m. ET)
Reds closer Francisco Cordero has passed
the first big test of spring training.
Cordero threw off the mound Saturday for the first time since Sept. 26, when he underwent surgery to repair a micro-fracture and remove a bone spur from his right foot. He says the foot isn't yet 100 percent.
The injury has nagged at the reliever since at least 2007, when he finished second in the National League with 44 saves while with Milwaukee.
This season will be Cordero's second with Cincinnati. He signed a four-year, $46 million contract last year, going 5-4 with a 3.33 ERA and 34 saves despite the hurt foot.
ROWLAND-SMITH CHOOSES TEAM OVER COUNTRY (1:10 p.m. ET)
Ryan Rowland-Smith chose his livelihood over his country.
As expected, the Seattle Mariners' promising left-hander decided Sunday to stay in spring training rather than play for his native Australia in the World Baseball Classic.
He said Australia's manager, Jon Deeble, was disappointed but understood that Rowland-Smith didn't want to risk a major league job by missing at least 10 days of camp beginning March 2. He told Deeble he definitely wants to play for Australia in the next WBC four years from now.
"I'm better served here," said the brawny 26-year-old, one of seven candidates for five spots in Seattle's rotation. "I didn't want to derail what I'd worked for all offseason. It was a tough, tough, tough decision, but this is what's more important."
POSEY GETS FIRST TASTE OF BIGS (1:04 p.m. ET)
On the first day of Giants camp, manager Bruce Bochy had his pitchers taking fielding practice, including reigning Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum.
Catcher Buster Posey, the team's first draft pick this year, compared bats with veteran Bengie Molina.
In his first at-bat in front of the fans, Posey hit one out to left field.
-- Amy K. Nelson, ESPN.com
HAMELS TO START PHILS' OPENER (12:41 p.m. ET)
Phillies manager Charlie Manuel has been hesitant in the past to name his Opening Day starter early in camp. Not so this year.
To no one's surprise, World Series MVP Cole Hamels will get the nod against the Atlanta Braves on Sunday night, April 5 (8 p.m. ET, ESPN2).
"Oh, you might as well go ahead and pencil him in," Manuel said, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.
K-ROD: METS ARE TEAM TO BEAT (11:36 a.m. ET)
New closer Francisco Rodriguez arrived Saturday and jumped right into the Mets-Phillies rivalry, proclaiming New York "the team to beat" this year thanks to a revamped bullpen that includes setup man J.J. Putz, an All-Star closer in 2007 with Seattle.
"One of the reasons they brought me here is because obviously what happened the last few years. I don't feel like all the weight of the back of the bullpen is on my shoulders at all," Rodriguez said.
K-Rod set a major league record with 62 saves last season for the Los Angeles Angels, then signed a $37 million, three-year contract with the Mets.
"It's going to be fun. I'm not going to lie to you, I'm a little bit anxious," he said. "I know it's going to be difficult to save 63, 65 games."
STAR RED SOX TRIO ARRIVES EARLY (11:29 a.m. ET)
Three key members of the Boston Red Sox
arrived in spring training camp Sunday morning as the team looks to
returning to the playoffs for the third straight season.
American League Most Valuable Player Dustin Pedroia, designated hitter David Ortiz and center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury arrived ahead of the reporting date for position players.
Pedroia said he gave up ice cream over the winter as part of his training program and is in the best shape of his career. He said he's ready to help the team get back to the playoffs after losing to the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series last October.
Ellsbury joined Pedroia and teammate Kevin Youkilis in Arizona as the trio trained together for the 2009 season.
HARANG 25 POUNDS LIGHTER (9:52 a.m. ET)
After a 17-loss season in 2008, Aaron Harang reported to Reds camp 25 pounds lighter.
His dedication impressed manager Dusty Baker.
"If the season started tomorrow, Aaron Harang is the Opening Day pitcher," Baker said, according to the Dayton Daily News.
The 6-foot-7 Harang, who dropped from 280 pounds to 255, said an improved diet, featuring smaller portions and more eating at home, plus better workouts were the key to his weight loss.
REYES MIGHT DROP DOWN IN ORDER (9:09 a.m. ET)
Jose Reyes has a surprise in store when he arrives at spring training.
New York Mets manager Jerry Manuel is pondering the idea of dropping his speedy shortstop from the leadoff spot, one of several tweaks that could be on tap for a team coming off consecutive September collapses.
Luis Castillo might get a shot at the top of the lineup, perhaps with Carlos Beltran batting second and Reyes No. 3. Reyes could also be handed more leadership responsibilities on defense, such as aligning other infielders and visiting the mound.
"My emphasis will be on team vs. individual. I think that message is so critical," Manuel said Saturday.
CUBS CAUTIOUS WITH HARDEN (8:50 a.m. ET)
On the first workout Saturday for pitchers and catchers, Rich Harden practiced his hitting but did his throwing on flat ground, not off the mound like most of his fellow hurlers.
"Don't read anything into it. We've got a much longer spring than normal, so we don't really need to rush anybody," manager Lou Piniella said. "He's been throwing and feels nice and strong and healthy. Basically we're just holding him back a little."
A report in the Chicago Sun-Times says Harden has a tear in his right shoulder.
"Nothing that bad," Harden said without elaborating.
RIVERA CONFIDENT OF REBOUND FROM SURGERY (8:45 a.m. ET)
It wasn't evident when he pitched, but Mariano Rivera's shoulder hurt last season. He had surgery Oct. 7 during which New York Mets medical director Dr. David Altchek shaved down calcification of the A.C. joint on the top of Rivera's right shoulder.
With spring training extended to 7½ weeks this year, the Yankees and Rivera aren't rushing. Usually, he only throws eight-to-10 innings during the exhibition season.
For now, there is no schedule for the nine-time All-Star to begin mound sessions.
"It's going to be a little slower," he said. "My shoulder feels great, but I haven't thrown. Just tossing, playing catch, going gradually to 70, 90, 100 feet."
GIANTS' LOWRY EXPERIENCING TIGHTNESS (8:30 a.m. ET)
Giants left-hander Noah Lowry missed all of last season because of elbow and forearm surgeries. He might not be ready to begin this season either.
Lowry experienced tightness in the back of his shoulder during a mound session Friday.
"We'll be on the side of caution," manager Bruce Bochy said, according to the San Jose Mercury News. "We're not going to rush him."
Even if Lowry is healthy, he'll have to win a competition with fellow lefty Jonathan Sanchez to earn a spot in the Giants' Opening Day rotation.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
Freddy Garcia, a two-time All-Star whose career has been hampered by shoulder woes, is confident he can earn the No. 5 spot in the Mets' starting rotation this spring."Yeah, yeah, 100 percent -- of course I expect to be in the rotation," the right-hander said Friday, according to the New York Post.
Despite pitching just 73 innings the past two seasons, Garcia is looking to beat out Tim Redding and Jonathon Niese for the fifth spot. To do that, he has to prove his shoulder is healthy enough to handle the workload.
"Since I had surgery, I feel like I have a new shoulder," Garcia said, according to the Post. "I don't know how [the Mets] want to treat me, but it feels good."
SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME? (11:02 a.m. ET)
Brett Myers lost more weight during the offseason than Ryan Howard did -- 30 pounds to Howard's 20. But Myers, whose three-year, $25.75 million contract expires after the 2009 season, says the slim-down to 222 pounds wasn't about getting fit for free agency, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
"Winning the World Series was great, but personally I had a bad taste in my mouth this winter because of how badly I pitched in the first half of the season," Myers said, according to the newspaper. "I wanted to feel like I was in better shape and show my dedication to this team so I can go out and pitch better. I need to start stronger. I lost nine games in the first half. It would have made a big difference if I had pitched better."
Myers went 7-4 with a 3.06 ERA in his final 13 starts to help the Phillies win the National League East -- and eventually, the World Series. He says he's not worried about a contract extension, according to the report.
"I'd like to stay in Philadelphia, but ultimately it's going to come down to how I pitch," he said, according to the Inquirer. "If I end up staying here, that will be good for me and my family, because the organization has been great to me and we like living there."
ZAMBRANO ON EYE PROCEDURE: WAIT AND Z (10:42 a.m. ET)
Cubs right-handed starter Carlos Zambrano showed up at spring training with a new horseshoe mustache that manager Lou Piniella thinks looks intimidating and a right shoulder that's feeling stronger, thanks to rest and physical therapy.
''I'm ready to go,'' he said, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
But there is one catch for the Big Z -- the infection that has pushed back the laser surgery he had planned to correct an astigmatism in his right eye. According to the report, Zambrano has been using eye drops to clear the infection and hopes to make a decision on surgery in a few weeks.
''I may do it. I don't know yet,'' Zambrano said, according to the report. ''There's a small chance that I do it right now or do it during the season. Let's see how the drops work.''
JUST LIKE STARTING OVER (10:25 a.m. ET)
Highly touted third baseman Pedro Alvarez has a second chance to make a first impression with the Pirates.
The last time Alvarez, the No. 1 pick in the 2008 draft, arrived at Pirates camp in Bradenton, Fla., it was after a lengthy and contentious contract dispute -- and the delay had taken its toll on his fitness. Friday, he arrived at camp slimmer and trimmer, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported.
Alvarez, listed at 6-foot-3 and 234 pounds, didn't say how much weight he gained or lost. But he acknowledged that tendinitis in both knees, diagnosed after his lengthy holdout, didn't help matters last season, according to the report.
"The entire offseason, I was shut down," he said, according to the report. "It's widely known that when you shut down the running game, you do gain a few pounds. That's why I'm doing everything I can."
In 2006, the Red Sox tried Josh Bard as knuckleballer pitcher Tim Wakefield's catcher. It worked fine in spring training, but not in the regular season. Ten passed balls later, the Red Sox dealt Bard and brought back Doug Mirabelli as Wakefield's backstop.Three years later, Bard is back with the Sox, and Wakefield thinks this time things will be better.
"I said three years ago that I never had somebody work as hard as he did to try to catch me and do the right things," Wakefield said of Bard, according to the Boston Herald. "He was truly a professional with his attitude and his preparation for the way he went about his work. I look forward to working with him again."
"I think with the experience he had in '06, he'll take that into the season. I think his biggest mistake was trying to catch like [Mirabelli] caught me. That wasn't his style. I think this spring he''l be able to create his own style, with his confidence a little better, too."
TEAHEN EYES POSITION SWAP (10:48 a.m. ET)
Mark Teahen moved to the outfield two years ago when the Royals wanted to make room for Alex Gordon at third base. But the arrival of Coco Crisp has Teahen eying another switch, this time to second base -- a position he last played in junior college.
"I think that's the one spot that looks like that could [be available]," he said, according to the Kansas City Star. And I prefer being in the infield. So if I can figure out second base, and play a good big-league second base, everyone's OK with that."
It won't be easy. Teahen will miss time in spring training to play for Canada in the World Baseball Classic. And there are three other players vying for the position. But the team is willing to go along with the attempted switch, since he'll otherwise be a $3.575 million utility player.
"The only thing that bothers me in asking someone [inexperienced] to play second is the fear factor on the blind plays -- the feeds from third base and shortstop," manager Trey Hillman said, according to the Star. "Anybody who knows Mark knows he plays with no fear. So that's not a problem."