Series preview: Cardinals at New York Mets  —  • Two of the hardest throwers in the majors will face off in Thursday's series opener when New York's Noah Syndergaard, who touches 100 mph twice as often as any other pitcher, will oppose the Cardinals' Carlos Martinez, who occasionally hits that level.

Troy Tulowitzki placed on 60-day DL with bone spurs in heel  —  The Toronto Blue Jays placed shortstop Troy Tulowitzki on the 60-day disabled list Thursday as they set their 25-man roster for Opening Day.  —  Tulowitzki has been dealing with bilateral heel bone spurs and was scheduled to see a specialist on Wednesday.

Rusty Staub, beloved Mets icon, dead at 73  —  In every way, Rusty Staub, the beloved Mets' hitting icon, who passed away early Thursday morning at age 73, was bigger than life — a bigger-than-life baseball personality, humanitarian, gourmet chef, wine connoisseur, friend-to-all and …

Grease fire causes smoke inside Tropicana Field before Rays opener  —  A small grease fire in the upper deck of Tropicana Field on Thursday caused a smoky haze to fall over the playing field five hours before the first pitch of the regular-season opener between the Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox.

Japanese baseball stars returning home from MLB to extend careers … Daisuke Matsuzaka says he still has something to prove.  —  Koji Uehara wants to help his former team regain its past glory.  —  The two former U.S. major leaguers are among several Japanese stars that will be looking …

Cubs wear Stoneman Douglas T-shirts to honor Parkland victims before Opening Day game  —  The Cubs have kicked off their season by supporting Majory Stoneman Douglas High School.  —  Chicago manager Joe Maddon addressed reporters while wearing a “#MSDStrong” T-shirt before Thursday's Opening Day game against the Marlins.

New-look Royals open versus White Sox  —  Kansas City Royals lost a couple key contributors during the offseason when  —  San Diego Padres and Lorenzo Cain joined the  —  Milwaukee Brewers.  —  Then the Royals learned this week that they lost five-time All-Star catcher

All-Star closer Greg Holland, Cardinals agree to one-year deal  —  It took until Opening Day for the All-Star closer to find a home, but Greg Holland and the St. Louis Cardinals agreed to a one-year deal, according to a baseball official with direct knowledge of the deal.

Chicago sportswriter vowed to jump in Lake Michigan if Ian Happ led off with homer, and well ...  Chicago Tribune  —  Apparently, anybody who doubts Ian Happ's power can just go jump in the lake.  —  Just before the Cubs' opener at Miami on Thursday, Bleacher Nation reporter Michael Cerami promised …

Ryan Court ‘very impressive’ to Joe Maddon despite not being named to Cubs' 25-man roster  —  Chicago Tribune  —  The Cubs' opening day roster didn't include infielder Ryan Court, but the versatile Dundee-Crown High School alum made a favorable impression on manager Joe Maddon.

Giants place closer Mark Melancon on 10-day DL with elbow injury  —  The San Francisco Giants placed closer Mark Melancon on the 10-day disabled list Thursday with a right elbow flexor strain.  —  The move was made retroactive to March 26.  Right-hander Reyes Moronta was recalled from Triple-A to fill his roster spot.

Why new baseballs are bringing more home runs: Kent study  —  Are the baseballs behind the recent uptick in homers?  Kent State University joins USC and FiveThirtyEight to investigate.  —  KENT, Ohio — A new season of Major League Baseball is beginning, which means home runs will start flying out of ballparks across the country.

After brutal month, Sox season springs up  —  No doubt for many Metrowest residents that March, in just a matter of a devilish few weeks, became the least favorite month on the calendar.  March mauled us.  It knocked our brains out, not to mention our electricity.  It snowed and snowed, it howled and howled.

Ex-MLB executive sues, claiming breach of contract, fraud  —  NEW YORK (AP) — A former top official of Major League Baseball's digital company has sued Baseball Advanced Media and BAMTech, claiming he wasn't paid for equity he was owed when The Walt Disney Co. took majority control of BAMTech.

Enemy Lines: Opposing Scouts Size Up the American League  —  Created with Sketch.  — What does every American League team look like through the eyes of a big league scout?  We've got you covered.  —  Opening Day is finally here, so brush up by reading about every team from behind enemy lines.

Analysis: Why the Mariners will end the drought this season, and why they won't  —  The Mariners have the pieces to field their most potent lineup in years, but there's more than just a lack of starting pitching that could extend their playoff drought to 17 seasons.  —  Three reasons why...