Category: MLB

Dodgers manager Joe Torre told the team’s Web site that catcher Russell Martin had an MRI exam on his sore groin Saturday.

Martin, who added about 25 pounds this offseason in hopes of regaining his power stroke, caught five innings of Friday’s Cactus League game.

The Web site noted that Russell has been known for his durability, having caught more innings than anyone in the majors last season and having averaged 150 games played over the past three seasons.

Kansas City Royals preview By Ryan Fagan

The 2009 season was a different kind of disappointment for the Royals. Coming off a 75-win campaign in 2008 — their highest win total since 2003 — there was hope that they would contend in the wide-open AL Central. When Kansas City started 18-11 and held a three-game lead on May 7, it looked like the franchise finally was turning the corner. But the Royals went 5-16 to end May and finished in a last-place tie in the division.

Will Zack Greinke have a better supporting cast this year?

Three questions

1. What impact will the free agents have?
Rick Ankiel, Jason Kendall and Scott Podsednik join the starting lineup. Kendall is a below-average hitter who was brought in to improve the defense behind the plate. Podsednik revived his career with the White Sox last season (.353 on-base percentage) and will lead off. Ankiel will take over center field.

"Obviously we have a lot of acreage in our ballpark in the outfield, and we need a player who’s experienced and has good reads and good routes," Royals manager Trey Hillman said. "Rick has shown that in his short center field career. And he helps us if we can get his bat back to his offensive numbers of a couple of years ago." Ankiel hit 25 homers in 2008 and was just starting to heat up in 2009 before crashing into the outfield wall at Busch Stadium. He posted just a .285 on-base percentage last season and hit .110 (10-for-91) in his first at-bat against that game’s starting pitcher.

2. Will the supporting cast be more supportive?
The Royals have a trio of promising young stars in Zack Greinke, Joakim Soria and Billy Butler. Greinke, 26, is the reigning AL Cy Young award winner. Soria, who turns 26 in May, is 72-for-78 in save opportunities the past two seasons. Butler, who turns 24 in April, led the Royals in homers (21), RBIs (93), batting average (.301), on-base percentage (.362), OPS (.853) and doubles (51).

Still, the Royals finished with just 65 wins. Five of the nine players in this season’s projected lineup hit .245 or worse last season. Of the five projected starters, four had ERAs of 4.73 or higher. Those performances must improve for Royals to contend past May.

3. Will Alex Gordon claim the third base job?
The Royals would like Gordon to win the job with a huge spring, then establish himself as a rising star during the season. One AL scout thinks that is possible: "Gordon has a chance to be that (breakout) guy this year. He had a chance to be that guy last year, except for the injuries." The No. 2 overall pick of the 2005 draft, Gordon hit .247 with 15 homers as a rookie in 2007, then .260 with 16 homers in ’08. In an injury-marred ’09, Gordon hit .232 with six homers in 49 games.

Gordon is the front-runner at third, but the Royals have a backup plan in Josh Fields. Fields hit 23 homers in just 100 games for the White Sox as a rookie in 2007. He spent much of 2008 in the minors and began 2009 as the starter. But he lost the job to rookie Gordon Beckham after struggling offensively (.222 average).

Projected lineup
1. LF Scott Podsednik: .304 AVG, 30 SBs for White Sox in ’09.
2. 2B Chris Getz: .261 AVG, 25 SBs as White Sox rookie last season.
3. RF David DeJesus: ’08: 12 HRs, 73 RBIs; ’09: 13 HRs, 71 RBIs.
4. 1B Billy Butler: 1.027 OPS at home; .679 on road.
5. CF Rick Ankiel: HRs dropped from 25 in ’08 to 11 in ’09.
6. DH Jose Guillen: Injuries limited him to 81 games, 9 HRs.
7. 3B Alex Gordon: Career .250 AVG in three MLB seasons.
8. SS Yuniesky Betancourt: Impatient: career high is 21 BBs.
9. C Jason Kendall: Has hit .242, .246, .241 past three seasons.

Projected rotation
1. RHP Zack Greinke: Cy Young winner had 2.16 ERA, 242 K’s.
2. RHP Gil Meche: 5.09 ERA, only 23 starts in injury-marred season.
3. RHP Brian Bannister: 3.66 ERA in first half; 6.63 ERA after break.
4. RHP Luke Hochevar: 5.17 ERA at home; 8.14 on the road.
5. RHP Kyle Davies: Righthanders hit .284 vs. him; lefties hit .239.

Projected closer
RHP Joakim Soria: Career 2.09 ERA, 10.0 K’s per 9 IP.

Grades

Offense: D. The Yankees had a team .362 on-base percentage last season; Butler’s .362 OBP led the Royals. Alberto Callaspo, who hit .300 with a team-high 79 runs and had more walks (52) than strikeouts (51) will move to the bench in favor of Chris Getz, a superior defensive player. There is much work to do.

Pitching: C. Even with A-plus guys Greinke and Soria, this unit is a concern. If Gil Meche is healthy, that would be a big plus; he won 23 games with a 3.82 ERA in his first two seasons with K.C. Trying to convert Kyle Farnsworth from a setup man to a reliever is a long shot at this point in his career.

Bench: B. Callaspo should be an offensive asset, assuming the demotion doesn’t affect him. Brian Anderson and Mitch Maier can cover all three outfield spots, and Willie Bloomquist and Mike Aviles — when healthy — can play multiple infield spots.

Manager: C. After the 75-win season and the strong start to the 2009 season, things came crashing down for Trey Hillman. The challenge this season is to not only get off to another strong start, but to learn from the mistakes of last season and maintain it.

Sporting News prediction: The Royals have a great young core with Greinke, Butler and Soria, but there aren’t many other reasons to expect better than a fourth-place finish in the AL Central.

Coming Monday: Cardinals preview.

Ryan Fagan is a staff writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at rfagan@sportingnews.com.

Responding to criticism from Mariners outfielder Milton Bradley, Cubs manager Lou Piniella told the Chicago Tribune that the team never tried to turn Bradley into a power hitter in 2009.

"We never put any expectations on Milton," Piniella said. "I don’t really have anything else to add to that. … I think getting off to a struggling start didn’t help him. … I think he tried to make up for it with one swing of the bat."

Earlier this week, Bradley told The New York Times that the Cubs tried to turn him into something he wasn’t. "I never hit more than 22 homers in my career, and all of a sudden I get to Chicago and they expect me to hit 30. It doesn’t make sense. History tells you I’m not going to hit that many. Just a lot of things that try to make me a player I’m not."

And Bradley didn’t stop there, saying there was no communication in Chicago and that he was disrespected there.

"Two years ago, I played and I was good," Bradley told The New York Times. "I go to Chicago, not good. I’ve been good my whole career. So, obviously, it was something with Chicago, not me."

Bradley hit .257 with 12 homers and 40 RBIs for the Cubs last season and was suspended by the team for the final two weeks of the season because of his conduct. He was traded to Seattle in the offseason.

PHOENIX—For players returning from injury-marred 2009 seasons, the start of the exhibition schedule means it is time to put spring training optimism to the test.

Ben Sheets will make his Oakland debut by facing his former team, Milwaukee.

Five rehabbing players who could help shape this season’s playoff races:

Ben Sheets, SP, A’s

2009 injury: Elbow surgery
Last pitched: September 2008
Status: Sheets will face his old team, the Brewers, Friday. "I’m not worried about who I’m facing," said Sheets. "I’m just worried about getting back out there and back in the swing of things." The normally thrifty A’s gave Sheets a one-year, $10 million contract and named him their opening day starter. "I’m ready to get out there," he said.

Brandon Webb, SP Diamondbacks

2009 injury: Shoulder surgery
Last pitched: Opening day 2009
Status: Throwing off mound. The 2006 N.L. Cy Young award winner isn’t expected to make his spring debut for about two weeks but hasn’t reported any setbacks.
Next step: Webb will throw live batting practice.

Josh Hamilton, OF, Rangers

2009 injuries: Back, ribs, abdomen
Last played: September 2009
Status: Sidelined by bruised shoulder. He was limited to 89 games last season and finished with 10 homers, 54 RBIs and a .741 OPS. Hamilton should make his Cactus League debut next week. "He can crush the ball," Mariners closer David Aardsma said. "If he’s healthy."

Troy Glaus, 1B, Braves

2009 injury: Shoulder surgery
Last played: October 2009
Status: In action. He hit .172 in 29 at-bats for the Cardinals last season after debuting in September. Glaus, on the same workout schedule as his new teammates, is hoping the move from third base to first will decrease the wear and tear.

Jose Reyes, SS, Mets

2009 injury: Hamstring surgery
Last played: May 2009
Status: In action. Reyes is running at full speed and has reported no problems. He was scheduled to play his first Grapefruit League game Thursday but didn’t because he needed follow-up work on his physical. He should debut Friday. UPDATE: Reyes is returning to New York for tests and is not expected to take part in any physical activity while he is gone.

Stan McNeal is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at smcneal@sportingnews.com.

Sporting News’ Stan McNeal’s six-day stint in Arizona ended Thursday. Next up: an extended tour of the Florida’s Grapefruit League.

Jose Lopez really could end up at third base.

Jose Lopez might be able to hide his defensive liabilities better at third base.

When the Mariners said they would give Jose Lopez some work at third base in spring training, I figured they were planning for in-season emergencies. Maybe not.

Now I’m thinking the Mariners would like to move Lopez to third because he would do less harm than he did at second (15 errors in 2009). Wherever he is, Lopez will be a defensive liability on a club built around defense and pitching. With first base occupied, third becomes the logical option. At third, Lopez wouldn’t need to range far to his left because the Mariners have Jack Wilson at shortstop.

For more than a week, Lopez has been playing third base and Chone Figgins second in Mariners’ infield drills. When the team began Cactus League play Wednesday, Lopez was at third and Figgins at second. General manager Jack Zduriencik said the club plans to keep them there for at least a couple of weeks, and then will talk seriously about a potential change.

The Mariners know Figgins can excel at second or third, and he said he is fine playing either. He doesn’t want to go back and forth, however, and wants to be sure Lopez is "happy" with the move. "If we’re comfortable, that’s good for the team," Figgins said.

Lopez is not yet comfortable at third but said he is working on it. The Mariners want Lopez somewhere in the lineup because he is their only projected regular other than Ken Griffey Jr. to hit more than 22 homers in a season.

Tim Lincecum rolls with the punches

To say Tim Lincecum had an eventful offseason would be like saying the Yankees have a lot of resources. He won his second NL Cy Young award, made headlines for possession of marijuana and signed a two-year, $23 million contract after making $650,000 in 2009.

After he struggled in his spring training debut Wednesday, I wasn’t sure how he’d handle his post-outing media scrum. Well, I was more than a little impressed.

First, Lincecum signed autographs for at least 15 minutes — no exaggeration, he must have signed 100. He was on one side of the fence and the hounds were on the other. For a while, no one from the team was present to orchestrate the event.

Lincecum was polite and patient as he pumped out the signatures. Then he turned around and saw a dozen media types. He answered all the questions — he really knows how to analyze his mechanics, too — and then sat smiling through a somewhat ridiculous interview with a Japanese TV station. "Tim, I know we asked you this last year, but how is your dog?" "Tim, could you write your motto (Roll with the Punches) on this whiteboard, then look at the camera and read it?"

It is difficult to imagine many players who would sit through such a session, much less a two-time Cy Young winner. Then Lincecum went out and did his running.

An aside: In the middle of his media session, Lincecum was properly awestruck when Ken Griffey Jr. interrupted to introduce himself as he was heading back to the Mariners’ clubhouse. Lincecum grew up in Seattle and never had met the all-time great Mariner. (This, by the way, said something about Griffey, too).

As for Lincecum’s struggles, he wasn’t concerned. He said his release point and his balance were off, which isn’t unusual for this time of year. He says he had the same problems last spring because his delivery has so many moving parts and takes awhile to get tuned properly.

Even so, he wouldn’t have given up three runs and been forced to throw 33 pitches in his lone inning if Aubrey Huff had handled a throw at first and not allowed Ichiro Suzuki to reach. Eric Byrnes added to Lincecum’s workload, too, by fouling off about six consecutive two-strike pitches. Lincecum eventually struck him out with a changeup. "Finally got one down," he said.

The A’s are going to run more often

Oakland’s days of waiting for three-run homers might be history. The A’s led the majors in stolen bases after the All-Star break last season, after ranking 14th in the first half. The more they ran, the more they scored. They finished fourth in the majors in runs after the break, compared to 25th in the first half.

They’re working on bunting, too. Rickey Henderson and bench coach Tye Waller had a few players, including Rajai Davis, out for early work Thursday. Davis had a .360 on-base percentage and stole 41 bases after Oakland picked him up off waivers last April. Henderson believes the speedster could steals 70 bases this season — if he gets on base often enough. Davis had only one bunt hit in 2009.

Stan McNeal is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at smcneal@sportingnews.com.

Fifteen seasons into his major league career, Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter is a New York institution. Not only does he have five World Series rings, but he’ll most certainly enter the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.

Jeter joined Mike Francesa of WFAN in New York to talk about getting older and the upcoming baseball season.

To listen to Derek Jeter on WFAN, go to Sports Radio Interviews.

Derek Jeter says he takes each baseball season as it comes.

What does he do in preparation for the season?

Jeter: I worked real hard at moving around a lot better and strengthening my legs. My whole thing is, I just want to healthy. Last year I felt pretty good the entire season. If you work hard and make adjustments from year-to-year, it pays off.

How was last year different from years past?

Jeter: We pitched. Bottom line. I’ve been saying it for years. Everyone looks at me like they are tired of what I am saying. If you have guys that go out there and throw the ball well you have a chance to win every day — especially in the post-season because there are not a lot of high scoring games. Our pitching staff was unbelievable. We scored a lot of runs. We hit well. But bottom line is that our pitching carried us.

Can Jeter be the an elite offensive shortstop and spend his entire career at the position?

Jeter: My goal is to play this season. I don’t sit around and think about where I’m going to be playing or what I am going to be doing six, seven, eight years from now. If you say no one has ever done it, then it’s about time someone does… I never sit here and try to project what is going to happen. My entire career I have gone one year at a time and try to help the team win that particular year. I’m not a fortune teller.

Some people thought his defense last season was better than it’s ever been. Is there a reason for that?

Jeter: You work hard. You have to make adjustments. If anyone has any advice [to help me] improve, then I’ll try to do it because the better I play, the better the team is. I’ve never shied away from trying to make adjustments, and I’m sure I’ll have to make more throughout the years.

Did Jeter like playing in the new Yankee Stadium? Jeter: I loved it. At the beginning of the season, players and fans, everyone came to see the stadium.

Maybe a month or two into the season, the fans started to come to watch the team and the team went out there to focus on playing. It’s almost like if you build a new house. It takes a little while to get adjusted to it, but I don’t have any complaints… They did a good job of replicating the old Stadium into the new one.

More from SRI

Taylor Mays says he doesn’t believe eight other players ran faster than him at the combine
David Ortiz says he wants to continue playing for the Red Sox

Just a couple of seasons removed from an ALCS loss to the Red Sox, the Indians are back in rebuilding mode. Last year’s 97-loss campaign left Cleveland in a last-place tie with Kansas City in the A.L. Central. The Indians have a new manager this season, will have a new general manager after the season and have plenty of offensive potential, but their biggest problem from 2009 remains a glaring weakness in 2010: pitching.

Having a healthy Jake Westbrook is important for the Indians.

1. Will the rotation get some veteran leadership?
There isn’t a CC Sabathia or a Cliff Lee, but there is a Jake Westbrook. A two-time 15-game winner, Westbrook missed the 2009 season after Tommy John surgery. But the better Westbrook pitches this season, the more likely it is that he will follow Sabathia and Lee out the door. Westbrook is in the final year of a contract that will pay him $11 million in 2010.

After going 19-8 with a 3.06 ERA in 2007, Fausto Carmona is 13-19 with a 5.89 ERA since. Further regression can’t be tolerated, especially with a group of still-developing arms behind the two veterans. "Having Jake Westbrook healthy is huge for us. I think he proved in winter ball that he’s ready to go. … Not only him staying healthy, but for Fausto to come back and pitch well for us. He made some adjustments in winter ball and looks like he’s on the right path," manager Manny Acta said.

2. Is it wise to remove Grady Sizemore from the leadoff spot?
All it took to make Sizemore’s long-anticipated drop in the batting order a reality was a managerial change. Acta announced last week that Sizemore would hit second, after serving as the team’s primary leadoff man the past five seasons. Given Sizemore’s power — he averaged 27 homers per season from 2005-08 before injuries limited him to 18 last season — he no longer was an ideal fit atop the order.

Sizemore, who is fully recovered from groin and elbow surgeries, will get more RBI opportunities — his career high is 90 RBIs — and better pitches to hit with emerging slugger Shin-Soo Choo hitting behind him.

3. How much does Pronk have left?
Travis Hafner drove in 100-plus runs each season from 2004-07 and hit 42 homers in 2006, but then came the shoulder problems that resulted in surgery. Although his power rebounded last season (16 homers), Hafner played in only 94 games. "He’s two years removed from that surgery. We’re anticipating him being able to be on the field more often," Acta said. "The fact that he’s healthy, it’s going to be a big lift for our lineup."

With a healthy Sizemore, the power-hitting Choo and new addition Russell Branyan, the Indians’ offense has potential to post some impressive production. Getting 130 games and 25 homers from Hafner would boost it even more.

PROJECTED LINEUP
1. SS Asdrubal Cabrera: .301 AVG, .340 OBP leading off in ’09.
2. CF Grady Sizemore: .216 AVG, .309 OBP vs. lefties in ’09.
3. RF Shin-Soo Choo: Only Indian with 20 HRs, 20 SBs last season. 4. DH Travis Hafner: .873 OPS at home; .768 on road in ’09.
5. 3B Jhonny Peralta: 11 HRs last season: career-low for full season.
6. 1B Russell Branyan: 28 HRs at Progressive Field (most at any park).
7. LF Matt LaPorta: Battling Michael Brantley for starting job.
8. 2B Luis Valbuena: Just a .298 OBP last season.
9. C Lou Marson: Soon could give way to Carlos Santana.

PROJECTED ROTATION
1. RHP Fausto Carmona: Since ’08: 140 BBs, 137 Ks.
2. RHP Jake Westbrook: Career 1.38 WHIP is troubling.
3. RHP Justin Masterson: 4.32 ERA in career as SP; 3.28 as RP.
4. LHP Aaron Laffey: 2.85 ERA at home in ’09; 5.98 on road.
5. LHP David Huff: Allowed .317 AVG vs. lefties as rookie in ’09.

PROJECTED CLOSER
RHP Kerry Wood: 5.28 ERA in first half of ’09, 2.96 ERA after break.

GRADES

Offense: B. Even with Sizemore and Hafner banged up and only one 20-homer hitter, the Indians finished 12th in the majors in runs scored and 10th in on-base percentage last season. With continued maturation from LaPorta and the addition of Branyan, there is room for improvement. The bottom of the order can’t be a black hole, however.

Pitching: F. The Indians’ 5.06 ERA was 29th in the majors, and the struggles were staff-wide. The starters’ 5.30 ERA ranked 28th; the relievers’ 4.63 ERA was 27th. Cleveland’s 25 saves tied for last in the majors, and the rotation’s 45 wins were 27th. The staff was 28th in baserunners allowed per nine innings and 29th in opponents’ batting average. And that was with four months of Cliff Lee.

Bench: D. The loser of the left field competition is expected to return to Class AAA, leaving second-year Trevor Crowe as the fourth outfielder. Disappointing Andy Marte provides corner-infield depth, with light-hitting Brian Bixler replacing Jamey Carroll in a super-utility role. Backup catcher Mike Redmond is around for his mentoring ability, not his bat.

Manager: C. Fired during the 2009 season by the last-place Nationals, Acta takes over the last-place Indians. As in Washington, he must try to find a way to boost a pitching staff that ranked among the majors’ worst — and wasn’t upgraded during the offseason. Acta will have a better offense in Cleveland, with several more promising prospects on the way.

Sporting News prediction: The rebuilding process rarely is a quick (or enjoyable) one, and even in a balanced division, the Indians once again will sink to the bottom.

COMING FRIDAY: Royals preview.

Chris Bahr is a senior editor for Sporting News. E-mail him at cbahr@sportingnews.com.

Cardinals manager Tony La Russa told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch he isn’t counting on shortstop Brendan Ryan (wrist surgery) being ready for the season opener. In fact, La Russa said the team would be willing to play without Ryan for the entire month of April if it means having him healthy for the other five months of the season.

"You don’t know how strong his wrist is going to be," La Russa told the newspaper. "Once he gets it strong and ready, then he’s got to take enough at-bats where he’s got timing. He can’t rush in there, take four days and say, ‘Hey, I’m ready,’ then all of a sudden he hits .210 and somebody else is playing instead of him."

La Russa did not say who would fill in for Ryan, but the Cardinals have Julio Lugo and Felipe Lopez on the roster. The Post-Dispatch, however, speculates Lugo could be expendable after the Cardinals’ recent signing of Lopez.

Mets center fielder Carlos Beltran and shortstop Jose Reyes told the New York Daily News that the FBI’s investigation into Canadian sports physician Tony Galea is focused on HGH.

Beltran and Reyes are among the players the FBI already spoke with or plans to speak with about Galea. Both Mets stars claim they weren’t involved with the banned substance.

According to the Daily News, Galea has been charged in Canada with several crimes, including conspiring to smuggle HGH and the drug Actovegin into the U.S. In addition to Beltran and Reyes, the FBI also plans to speak with Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez and Rockies closer Huston Street.

Nationals first baseman Adam Dunn, who is entering the final year of his contract, told The Washington Post that he has no desire to become a full-time DH.

"I like playing the field," Dunn said. "DH-ing is awesome during interleague, because it gives you a little break. But I couldn’t do it full time. I won’t do it full time. You can write that out right now."

Dunn added that he would like to sign an extension with Washington before the end of spring training.

In December, Nationals president Stan Kasten told Dunn in a radio interview that he needed to improve his defense at first base or accept going to the AL and becoming a DH.