SHEETS TO START ON OPENING DAY (10:45 p.m. ET)
Right-hander Ben Sheets will be the Brewers' Opening Day starter in Chicago on March 31, manager Ned Yost said Saturday.
It will be the sixth such assignment for Sheets in seven years. Sheets did not start Opening Day 2006 because he was on the disabled list after shoulder surgery.
"It's still a rush [to pitch on Opening Day]," said Sheets. "Believe it."
Yost also said he would follow Sheets with veteran right-hander Jeff Suppan in the second game against the Cubs. Yost said he had not decided how the rest of the rotation would work out.
-- The Associated Press
PONSON SENT TO MINORS (9:12 p.m. ET)
A day after he suffered a mild right ankle strain, the Texas Rangers on Saturday assigned right-hander Sidney Ponson to minor league camp.
Ponson, making his second start after signing a minor league contract March 9, had to leave Friday's game with the Los Angeles Angels in the top of the fourth.
Ponson stretched awkwardly trying to beat Angels third baseman Chone Figgins to first base leading off the fourth. Ponson hopped twice before sitting down just outside the first-base coach's box and then limping off the field.
Ponson, 31, had hoped to crack the starting rotation for the Rangers.
He last pitched in the majors on May 12 for the Minnesota Twins, who released him 10 days later. He was 2-5 with a 6.93 ERA in seven starts last season.
-- The Associated Press
BACKE'S GOAL: STAY HEALTHY (8:53 p.m. ET)
Brandon Backe,
Houston's right-hander, is returning to form after missing most of the last two seasons with an elbow injury. He allowed two earned runs and six hits in five innings of the Astros' 6-5 win over Cincinnati on Saturday.
Backe was 10-8 with a 4.76 ERA in 25 starts in 2005, but played just 13 games the last two seasons because of Tommy John surgery.
"I've been struggling to find my release point or what angle my arm should be at and today I was pretty consistent with it and I felt good, especially with the fastballs," Backe said.
He struck out three and walked one in his longest outing of the spring. The 29-year-old said his sinker and slider were both working well for him. He threw 84 pitches, 57 for strikes.
"I just want to get innings in and hopefully I can just stay where I was today," he said. "I would be really happy if could repeat what I did with my last start going into the season."
-- The Associated Press
NATS NAME PEREZ OPENING DAY STARTER (8:35 p.m. ET)
Odalis Perez, a veteran right-hander who agreed to a minor-league contract in February, has been named the opening day starter for the Nationals.
"He won more games [eight] than any one of our starters last year in the big leagues," Manager Manny Acta told The Washington Post Saturday. "He's the only one of our staff who has won 15 games before [in 2002]. And he has pitched well in spring training, too."
Perez will start the first game in the new Nationals Park in Washington, D.C on March 30 against the Atlanta Braves.
He finds himself in the unexpected position to be the Nationals' opening-day starter after right-hander John Patterson was released earlier in March.
CAIN AVOIDS 'GOOFY' START (8:15 p.m. ET)
Matt Cain avoided a "goofy" start and turned his final outing in the desert into a gem.
A day after Barry Zito threw his best outing, Cain followed suit with a five-hitter over six innings. He walked one and struck out eight in the San Francisco Giants' 8-1 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday.
"It all starts with me mentally and getting the first guy out," Cain said. "Sometimes I have a goofy start. I felt pretty consistent with my delivery today. It's going to be nice to get everything started and get back to night games."
Cain's next scheduled start comes on the first day of the Bay Bridge Series in San Francisco on Thursday against the Oakland Athletics.
"We played good defense," Cain said. "Guys picked me up. You feel comfortable when guys are playing that kind of defense."
-- The Associated Press
KENT PLAYS IN SIMULATED GAME (8:07 p.m. ET)
Dodgers second baseman Jeff Kent played in a simulated game Saturday and also did some light running, but likely won't be ready to play until next week at the earliest.
Manager Joe Torre said Kent is not yet running freely.
"He was disappointed, because he thought he'd have more freedom that he did," Torre said.
Kent declined to comment on his running, but did say that "hitting's not a problem" for him.
Torre said he did not expect Kent to play in a game until next week at the earliest. Kent had not run since receiving a cortisone shot in his right hamstring Monday.
-- The Associated Press
PINIELLA CHOOSES CUBS' OPENING DAY LINEUP (5:13 p.m. ET)
Chicago Cubs manager Lou Piniella said Saturday that Kosuke Fukudome will bat fifth, Alfonso Soriano will remain in the second spot and, barring a trade, the opening day lineup is set.
Those comments came a day after the manager said he might try batting the struggling Fukudome second before camp breaks. But after sleeping on it, the manager gave up on that plan. Having Fukudome bat fifth gives the Cubs a left-handed batter in the middle of the lineup and, Piniella said, more protection for Aramis Ramirez.
"I thought about it last night," Piniella said before Saturday's game against the Chicago White Sox. "I think right now with the way we're situated, Fukudome offers the best protection for Ramirez."
Piniella, who thinks Fukudome's best spot would be second, had considered flip-flopping him with Soriano. Another option was moving Fukudome up to second and dropping Soriano, Derrek Lee and Ramirez one spot. Either option would give the Cubs five straight right-handed batters, which made Piniella uncomfortable.
"I know that probably the two hole is more suitable for the young man, but right now, the way we're put together, I just feel that Ramirez out of the four hole will get more protection with Fukudome behind him. I talked to my coaches and they feel the same way, so we're going to stay that way unless a deal is made."
-- The Associated Press
CANO HELD OUT WITH STIFF BACK (3:56 p.m. ET)
Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano didn't start Saturday against the Blue Jays because of back stiffness.
The contest was rained out in the bottom of the second, with the Blue Jays leading 6-0.
Cano is expected to play in Sunday's game against Pittsburgh.
"I'll be ready to play tomorrow," Cano said. "I feel good. Got some treatment."
-- The Associated Press
HENDRICKSON IS MARLINS' OPENING DAY STARTER (3:44 p.m. ET)
Mark Hendrickson will start for the Marlins on Opening Day against the New York Mets.
Through four starts this spring, the 33-year-old has a 1.69 ERA. Over 16 innings, he has allowed 15 hits, two earned runs, walked two and struck out nine. In his last outing March 18 against the Los Angeles Dodgers, the 6-foot-9 lefty gave up three hits in six scoreless innings.
"It's a nice honor. It's not something that many pitchers can say they got an opportunity to do. For me, I'm just going to approach it like any other start," Hendrickson said.
One of 11 players to suit up in both the NBA and Major League Baseball, Hendrickson was 4-8 with a 5.21 ERA for the Dodgers in 2007. He signed a $1.5 million, one-year deal with the Marlins in January to add an innings-eating veteran to a young rotation.
-- The Associated Press
SANCHEZ HAS SHOULDER WOES AGAIN (3:18 p.m. ET)
Pirates second baseman Freddy Sanchez is having pain in his surgically repaired right shoulder again.
He played five innings against the Yankees on Wednesday and played six innings against the Reds on Friday, but complained of pain following Friday's game. Sanchez has yet to make a difficult throw in a game. The one ground ball he had hit to him against the Yankees was a weak roller by Hideki Matsui and didn't have a ball hit to him in the game against Cincinnati.
Before his appearances this week, Sanchez had not played in the field since Sept. 25 in a 6-5 win over Arizona at PNC Park. Three days later, he had arthroscopic surgery on his right acromioclavicular joint in his shoulder, a relatively routine procedure.
"I was hoping that, after the first day, that this one would be easier, and I'd be able to work through it a little better, but then it kind of seemed like it was worse, and it gets me concerned," Sanchez told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. "Even if it was a little better than a couple days ago, it would be a different story, but we'll see what happens."
Sanchez will get a second opinion on his shoulder from Dr. James Andrews on Monday.
GUTHRIE GETS OPENING DAY START FOR O'S (3:02 p.m. ET)
Orioles manager Dave Trembley has chosen Jeremy Guthrie to start March 31 against Tampa Bay, rewarding him for a breakthrough 2007 with the Opening Day assignment at Camden Yards.
"The guy certainly showed us what he can do last season. He's had a tremendous spring," Trembley said Saturday before the Orioles and Marlins were rained out. "I think it's the right thing to do. I think it sets up the rest of the rotation the best possible way."
A year ago, Guthrie fought his way onto the Orioles' staff after being claimed on waivers from Cleveland during the offseason. He moved into the Baltimore rotation by May, finishing the year at 7-5 with a 3.70 ERA in 32 appearances, including 26 starts.
"It's a great honor ... to have the confidence of [Trembley], and I felt the same from my team, from my teammates -- that they feel if I'm out there, we have a chance to win," said Guthrie, who struck out 123 in 175 1/3 innings in 2007. "That's the most important thing, to know that they're putting me out there knowing that we have a chance to win the game."
-- The Associated Press
EDMONDS IMPROVING (1:58 p.m. ET)
Jim Edmonds' recovery from a strained calf muscle took a step forward when the Padres outfielder ran and took batting practice on Friday, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported.
"It was very basic, but I felt good," Edmonds said, according to the newspaper. "I can't feel optimistic yet, but I'm hoping I'll be ready for Opening Day."
San Diego general manager Kevin Towers said Edmonds, who strained his calf March 6, is "still a ways from being in a game" and that it's possible he could start the season on the disabled list, the newspaper reported. He could be placed on the DL retroactive to March 31 and miss as little as five regular-season games, as long as he doesn't appear in a major league exhibition game.
"Having Jim play in minor league games is something we've discussed, although we haven't discussed it with Jim yet," Towers said, according to the report.
LOPEZ DEMOTED, MULLS RETIREMENT (12:21 p.m. ET)
Javy Lopez said he may retire after being reassigned to the Atlanta Braves' minor league camp on Saturday along with Jo-Jo Reyes and Brandon Jones.
The three-time All-Star catcher hit only .188 this spring in his attempt to become Brian McCann's backup. He didn't play last season after he was cut by the Rockies last spring.
"It didn't happen in spring training," Lopez said. "This is the only chance I get. They give me the opportunity to come back and prove to myself that I can still play. I had the chance and didn't do what I'm supposed to do, or at least not good enough."
Braves manager Bobby Cox said he's hopeful that Lopez will stay in the organization, get some at-bats at Triple-A and see what happens. Lopez said he expects to decide on accepting the minor league reassignment by Sunday.
"I haven't made up my mind yet," Lopez said. "It's something I need to sit down and think about, whether I continue playing in Triple-A if there's a chance or if I just call it quits."
-- The Associated Press
SO THAT'S WHY THEY CALL IT THE CACTUS LEAGUE (11:32 a.m. ET)
Royals pitcher Jimmy Gobble has been taking some needling about an episode involving a game of golf, a cactus and his right foot.
Last month, while Gobble was golfing near the Royals' Arizona spring home, a cactus needle jammed under his right big toe.
"It hurt like the dickens," Gobble told the Kansas City Star, "and we couldn't even tell if there was something still in there or not."
But there was. And while a visit to the doctor determined that antibiotics and time would be treatment enough, it kept hurting. It hurt enough that it affected Gobble's delivery and performance as he pitched through the pain, which he thought would eventualy go away by itself.
The situation came to a head on March 7, when, after a poor outing against the Rockies, Gobble finally exploded.
"[I] blew up this clubhouse. That's not how I pitch. I was furious. I try not to get mad anymore, but I threw my chair ... I mean I was ticked," he told the Star.
That night, Gobble realized something was still under his toenail. The next morning, he conferred with Royals trainer Nick Swartz, and five minutes and a pair of tweezers later, the offending needle was gone.
While the episode resulted in a new name for Gobble -- "Jimmy Cactoe" -- manager Trey Hillman says he's impressed by the reliever's mental toughness.
"There had to be more [pain] than he let on," Hillman told the Star. "Jimmy is tough. A lot of people might look at him and think he's just a tall, skinny guy. But he's a tough guy. He was going to pitch through it no matter what."
REDS ROTATION SHAPING UP (11:08 a.m. ET)
Dusty Baker won't say whether he's settled on a starting five for his Opening Day pitching staff. But it appears the Reds will go with a rotation of Aaron Harang, Bronson Arroyo, Johnny Cueto, Josh Fogg and Edinson Volquez.
"It's not set," Baker said, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. "We've still got some action. It's pretty set, except for that fifth spot. I hate to tell young kids that they're there too soon. Then if something happens, you've got to go back on your word. You want to keep them motivated and driven through the end of spring training."
With Matt Belisle is out of the picture with a sore right arm, that leaves Harang, Arroyo, Cueto, Fogg, Volquez and Homer Bailey as the healthy starters still in the mix for the rotation. Bailey could possibly take the place of Fogg or Volquez.
KENT'S STATUS STILL UNCERTAIN (10:50 a.m. ET)
Jeff Kent, who has a strained right hamstring, hasn't played since March 4, and with third baseman Nomar Garciaparra sidelined by a broken bone in his right hand, the Dodgers have to figure out how to plug the holes.
"It may be debatable whether he has enough at-bats," manager Joe Torre said of Kent's readiness. "I know Opening Day is in sight. We have to evaluate how much is enough and make that decision."
The replacement options for Kent are Tony Abreu and Chin-lung Hu, who also have been vying for the starting spot at third base.
TIMLIN GETS SOME STITCHES (10:35 a.m. ET)
Mike Timlin, who got hit in the hand on a comebacker to the mound on Wednesday, isn't likely to pitch in the season opener against the Athletics in Tokyo.
Timlin ended up with two stitches on the ring finger of his pitching hand from the exhibition game against the Blue Jays. He might not have to go to the disabled list, however, because of the way the schedule is laid out.
''I don't know yet,'' Timlin told reporters, according to the Boston Globe. ''We have to check it out. I can play catch. The ball hit me off the end of the finger. I tried to get my hand out of the way, actually. I wasn't trying to reach and catch the ball.''
SUZUKI GETS SOME LOVE, TOO (10:20 a.m. ET)
Almost lost in the shuffle of all the media attention on the Boston-Oakland series in Tokyo is Athletics catcher Kurt Suzuki, who is of Japanese ancestry and has drawn the attention of Japanese photographers and autograph-seekers.
Suzuki's grandparents are from Nagoya, and he has great aunts and cousins who live in Japan, some of whom he's hoping to meet for the first time, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
Suzuki, 24, who became the Athletics' everyday catcher midway through last season, is looking forward to his first major-league Opening Day, and not so much to the media crush that has enveloped him at times.
"I'm more excited just to play and to play in a couple of games that count," he said in the Chronicle. "That's really what I'm thinking about. I think people will know who I am, because of my last name, but that's really why -- it's the most common name in Japan."
IS IT THE HEAT, OR LACK OF HUMIDITY? (9:26 a.m. ET)
It turns out Ichiro hasn't been the only one putting up some strange numbers (0-for-21) in spring training. Newly acquired starter Erik Bedard has given up seven homers in 18 innings.
If you factor that
out over 182 innings -- the number of innings he pitched with the Baltimore Orioles last season -- that would end up being 70 homers in a season.
"This has to be a record," Bedard said, according to the Seattle Times.
Mariners manager John McLaren is blaming it on the arid Arizona climate. "I would think that would have a lot to do with it," McLaren told The Times.
Mariners pitcher Carlos Silva, who has tried spitting on his fingers and using sweat from his forehead, has been frustrated by the dry air as well, saying it makes getting a proper grip next to impossible, according to The Times.
CAUTIOUS, BUT OPTIMISTIC ABOUT SMOLTZ (9:06 a.m. ET)
On Friday afternoon, manager Bobby Cox allowed there is the possibility of pitcher John Smoltz starting the season on the disabled list, but still believed that move can be avoided.
Cox scratched Smoltz from his scheduled start Friday after Smoltz felt tightness in the trapezius muscle in his right shoulder and neck area, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
"He wants to have a strong year and make it through the whole season," Cox said in the Journal-Constitution. "So I don't see any reason to push him right now."
It apparently is the soreness felt by an aging man, and not something more disastrous, such as a rotator cuff injury.
"So many people the last few years have just been waiting to say, 'This is it,' " Smoltz said to the Journal-Constitution. "I will let everyone know when it's 'it.' That's not a problem."
