The Yankees should hand the ball to Masahiro Tanaka on Opening Day  —  TAMPA — Masahiro Tanaka made his case Friday night.  The Yankees right hander would seem to be the obvious choice to be the Opening Day starter, with the two other sensible choices now out of the picture.

Catcher and shortstop, Kyle Farmer's versatility may help him make Cincinnati Reds roster  —  GOODYEAR, Arizona - Kyle Farmer resisted the idea of playing catcher for as long as he could.  He set defensive fielding records playing shortstop at the University of Georgia, but Major League teams wanted to draft him as a catcher.

With plenty of time left in spring, switch-hitting Fowler trying to get right when possible  —  JUPITER, Fla.  • If he wants to get some extra swings from his second side of the plate, Dexter Fowler doesn't have to go far for those at-bats.  —  There's bound to be a live batting practice …

Detroit Tigers spring training observations: Daz Cameron making noise  —  TAMPA — With the Detroit Tigers' starting rotation seemingly set, it could be all for naught, but Spencer Turnbull is showing out this spring.  —  Turnbull, who is likely ticketed for Triple-A Toledo …

King Felix won't start Opening Day for Mariners  —  PEORIA, Arizona - For the first time since 2008, the Seattle Mariners will have a new pitcher on the mound on Opening Day.  On Friday afternoon, manager Scott Servais told Felix Hernandez that he would not be the team's 2019 Opening Day starter.

Inside Mets' Tom Seaver plans that started years ago … PORT ST. LUCIE — Tom Seaver will be honored in multiple ways by the Mets, and one of those ways under consideration is a statue of Hall of Famer Tom Terrific.  —  The Mets have had conversations with the Seaver family and the Hall of Fame pitcher dating back a couple years.

Astros to roll with Verlander on Opening Day  —  Ace Justin Verlander will be the starting pitcher for the Houston Astros on Opening Day against the Tampa Bay Rays, manager AJ Hinch said Friday.  —  It will be the 11th Opening Day start for Verlander, who has a 3-1 record with a 4.03 ERA …

Top draft picks Carlson, Hudson combine to top Astros 6-3  —  WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.  • Twenty-year-old Dylan Carlson and 24-year-old Dakota Hudson, taken back-to-back at Nos. 33 and 34 by the Cardinals in the supplemental first round in the 2016 amateur draft, combined to help defeat the Houston Astros 6-3 Friday night.

From ‘boo’ to ‘Yu’: Darvish wants to win over Cubs fans after rocky 2018 season  —  Chicago Tribune  —  Three takeaways from Cubs spring training Friday:  —  1. Yu Darvish is looking to be loved.  —  Darvish wants Cubs fans to embrace him this season and already has begun seeking their approval.

Cooking too long gives Dodgers' Kelly sore back  —  Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said hard-throwing right-hander Joe Kelly, who was scratched from his scheduled appearance Wednesday night, will throw lightly on Friday and hopes to get in a game in a couple of days.

Robot umps, shift ban coming to Atlantic League  —  Baseball's potential future will be showcased in the independent Atlantic League this year, and it includes robot umpires, a 62-foot, 6-inch distance between the pitcher's mound and home plate, and no infield shifting.

Boston Red Sox's Alex Cora on legal sports gambling: ‘We all have concerns’  —  FORT MYERS, Fla. — In his second year as Red Sox manager, Alex Cora will see a slight change to his daily pregame routine.  —  As first reported by Peter Gammons of The Athletic on Wednesday …

Brodie Van Wagenen made a slick move naming Jessica Medoza and Al Leiter ‘special advisors’  —  Ultimately, Brodie Van Wagenen cannot control what the Mets do on the field, but has already showed the ability to manage the message surrounding his team.  —  Is anyone in the media …