Steven Matz mimics Jacob deGrom and more Mets observations  —  Steven Matz got back to work earlier than usual this year.  —  The Mets left-handed pitcher took a page out of Jacob deGrom's book and practiced throwing the entire offseason.  The ‘no time-off’ mentality showed early results in his Grapefruit League debut Wednesday.

Sources: Bryce Harper, Giants have discussed 10-year contract  —  All along, the Giants have been viewed as a short-term solution for Bryce Harper.  That's not actually the case.  —  The Giants and Harper's team have discussed a 10-year contract, NBC Sports Bay Area has learned.

Diamondbacks' Rubby De La Rosa hits 99 mph in return to mound  —  Diamondbacks 5, Padres 5 (nine innings)  —  On the mound: RHP Rubby De La Rosa, seeing game action for the first time in 18 months after undergoing a second Tommy John surgery in 2017, threw a scoreless inning with one walk.

Tigers' Michael Fulmer pain-free, not worried about decreased velocity  —  LAKELAND, Fla. —Walking out to the pitcher's mound for his first game action since September, Michael Fulmer had one worry.  —  It was not his health, nor was it the right knee brace he's been wearing all spring …

‘Oh my god!’  What prompted Woodward to say that after watching Volquez pitch for Rangers?  —  The first pitch Edinson Volquez threw Wednesday, in his first meaningful game against a real major-league batter since August of 2017, registered 95 mph on the Surprise Stadium radar gun.

Chance Sisco hits two homers in Orioles' 7-6 Grapefruit League victory over Red Sox  —  Orioles catcher Chance Sisco appears hell-bent to make everyone forget last season as quickly as possible.  —  He homered in his first at-bat of the Grapefruit League exhibition season Saturday and blasted …

Switch-pitcher Venditte psyched for rule change  —  SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — San Francisco Giants pitcher Pat Venditte figures he has an advantage if Major League Baseball and the players' association adopt a three-batter minimum for pitchers starting in 2020: The 33-year-old reliever is a switch-pitcher.

Freeing Shin-Soo Choo will give Rangers an opportunity to really live up to their rebuild credo  —  SURPRISE, Ariz. — Shin-Soo Choo was back Wednesday, and the good news is he can still hit after an anti-inflammatory shot in his sore left shoulder.  —  The bad news is it's his second shot in seven months.

Shane Bieber excited to get full year under his belt with Indians in 2019  —  Starting pitcher Shane Bieber is excited to get a full year under his belt with the Cleveland Indians in 2019.  —  CLEVELAND — The 2018 season was a bit of a whirlwind for Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Shane Bieber.

Danny Farquhar's surreal comeback takes next step at Yankees camp  —  Danny Farquhar threw his second simulated game Wednesday, another step in his dramatic comeback.  Farquhar suffered a brain hemorrhage during an April game with the White Sox, requiring life-saving, emergency surgery.

Kenny Lofton blasts A-Rod, MLB cheaters in Hall of Fame rant … Kenny Lofton makes movies now, and perhaps this topic might be meaty and personal enough for him to tackle for his next project.  —  The former All-Star outfielder — whose latest film, an MMA/murder story titled “Chokehold …