Angels contact MLB regarding Bryce Harper's possible tampering with Mike Trout  —  The Angels have contacted Major League Baseball regarding Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Bryce Harper's public recruitment of Angels star Mike Trout, a possible violation of tampering rules.

Injuries may force Yanks to use ‘opener’ in '19  —  TAMPA, Fla. — The “opener,” the phenomenon that swept through major league pitching staffs last season, might finally take hold in the Bronx later this spring.  —  With injuries already ravaging the upper echelon of his starting rotation …

Sources: MLB All-Star ‘Election Day’ planned  —  The first Tuesday in November isn't going to be the only annual Election Day in the United States.  —  As part of sweeping changes to the collective bargaining agreement, which is increasingly likely to be ratified by Major League Baseball …

Cincinnati Reds reliever David Hernandez continues to learn from last season  —  GOODYEAR, Ariz. - Learning from last year, Reds reliever David Hernandez decided to press pause on his pitching schedule after he felt some soreness in his shoulder.  —  Hernandez was supposed to start pitching …

Cards catcher Pena to miss only one week; Molina guns down 3 runners in squad game  —  JUPITER, Fla.  • The forecast of Francisco Pena being out at least 10 to 15 days because of a strained left oblique has been shortened to only a week, according to a Cardinals official …

Boston's Wright suspended 80 games for PEDs  —  Boston Red Sox knuckleballer Steven Wright was suspended 80 games on Wednesday after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance.  —  Major League Baseball said Wright tested positive for growth-hormone-releasing peptide 2 (GHRP-2).

Royals must collectively pick up the slack with Salvador Perez out for the season  —  In the immediate aftermath of the news that All-Star catcher, Gold Glove winner and team leader Salvador Perez will have to sit out this season following surgery, the general tone of the Royals was a mix of sadness for …

The Pete Alonso versus Dominic Smith debate and more Mets thoughts  —  PORT ST. LUCIE - Inside the Mets spring training bubble is a stellar rotation featuring their top pitchers effortlessly clocking in fastballs at 99 mph.  General manager Brodie Van Wagenen walks around Mets camp signing autographs like a superstar.

Jake Lamb's education at first base for Diamondbacks continuing in spring  —  Jake Lamb stood at first base as a coach smashed ground ball after ground ball at him.  These were not low-intensity, go-through-the-motions fungos.  These were rockets, hard one-hoppers, balls that felt as close to the real thing as possible.

Blue Jays finalize minors deal with Bud Norris  —  DUNEDIN, Fla. — Right-hander Bud Norris and the Toronto Blue Jays have finalized a minor league contract, and he will report to major league spring training.  —  Norris, who turned 34 on Saturday, had 47 saves over the past two seasons …

These two things are contributing to Odor's opposite-field pop this spring for Rangers  —  It's not that Rougned Odor has never hit an opposite-field run in a major-league.  He has.  —  But the left-handed hitter has gone deep to left field only six times in his career, which started in 2014.

'Cody's gotta be our guy': Bellinger ready for star turn in L.A.  —  GLENDALE, Ariz. — Cody Bellinger got pitched to differently and struggled initially.  The month of May was coming to an end, the batting average was down in the low .200s and anxiety began to set in.

MLB teams need catchers at spring training.  They just don't want to pay them.  —  TAMPA — Pitch after pitch sizzled in, popping like gunfire as they blasted into catcher Jorge Saez's glove.  —  On a muggy Sunday last month, the day before position players were due to report …