Spring training roundup

James McCann
James McCann

CUBS

Bryant to minors

MESA, Ariz. — Third baseman Kris Bryant was reassigned by the Chicago Cubs to their minor league camp on Monday despite an outstanding spring training at the plate, triggering a threat of litigation from the players’ association.

Bryant hit .425 in the exhibition season with 9 home runs and 15 RBI in 40 at-bats. If Bryant, 23, spends 12 or more days in the minor leagues, Chicago would delay him from becoming eligible for free agency by one year, until after the 2021 season, according to baseball’s collective bargaining agreement.

“Today is a bad day for baseball,” the Major League Baseball Players Association said in a statement. “I think we all know that even if Kris Bryant were a combination of the greatest players to play our game, and perhaps he will be before it’s all said and done, the Cubs still would have made the decision they made today. This decision, and other similar decisions made by clubs will be addressed in litigation, bargaining or both.”

Major League Baseball defended the Cubs’ decision.

Bryant, who is not on the 40-man roster, was slowed defensively in the middle of camp by right shoulder soreness.

“It’s always difficult to send young players down because it is news they don’t want to hear,” Cubs President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein said. “We entered camp with the presumptive move of sending him to Triple-A, and it is always the presumptive move for us with young players who haven’t played in the big leagues yet. You see how camp develops and how the roster shapes up to see if there is grounds for an exception to the rule.”

Bryant was not available to discuss the move. His agent, Scott Boras, called it “Ersatz Baseball.”

“MLB is not the MLB without the best players,” Boras said in a text message to The Associated Press. “Kris excelled at every level and earned the right of entry. The CBA is at the apogee of wrongs incentivizing clubs to create a product less than best. Bryant’s situation is the badge for change to the CBA player service structure.”

Preparing for its first season under Manager Joe Maddon, the Cubs also optioned second baseman Javy Baez to Class AAA Iowa and reassigned shortstop Addison Russell were assigned to minor league camp.

Baez, 22, was competing for the starting second-base job. He entered Monday’s game against San Francisco hitting .173 with 20 strikeouts in 52 at-bats

Russell, 21, was acquired from Oakland in the Jeff Samardzija trade on July 5. He hit .324 in 37 at-bats during spring training.

CARDINALS

Martinez 5th starter

JUPITER, Fla. — St. Louis Cardinals Manager Mike Matheny said Monday that right-hander Carlos Martinez will be the team’s fifth starter.

Martinez, Jaime Garcia and Marco Gonzales had been competing for the final starting spot. Garcia was put on the 15-day disabled list because of soreness in his surgically repaired left shoulder.

Martinez, 23, went 2-4 with a 4.03 ERA in 57 games for the NL Central champions last year. The right-hander made seven starts.

Adam Wainwright, Lance Lynn, John Lackey and Michael Wacha are the other starters for St. Louis. The Cardinals play in the major league opener on Sunday night at Wrigley Field against the Chicago Cubs, and Matheny has yet to announce the order of their appearance.

Martinez lost a similar battle last spring to Joe Kelly despite having better spring training numbers.

This spring, Martinez has struck out 16 in 16 innings while posting a 3.94 ERA. Gonzales allowed only two earned runs in 17 1/3 innings.

With four scheduled off-days in the opening 16 days of the regular season, the Cardinals could have opted to go without a fifth starter for the first couple of weeks.

Matheny, however, said Martinez will get every fifth start, which would put him on the mound for the Cardinals’ April 11 game at Cincinnati. With the glut of off-days, Martinez could make his 2015 debut even sooner than that.

ORIOLES

DL likely for Hardy

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. — Baltimore Orioles shortstop J.J. Hardy will likely begin the season on the disabled list because of a strained left shoulder.

Orioles Manager Buck Showalter said Monday that he was optimistic that Hardy wouldn’t miss much time.

The three-time Gold Glove shortstop was hurt Friday when he collided with second baseman Jonathan Schoop while diving for a ground ball.

Everth Cabrera and Ryan Flaherty are the primary candidates to start the season at shortstop.

Baltimore opens its season on April 6 at Tampa Bay.

TIGERS

Verlander to miss starter

LAKELAND, Fla. — Justin Verlander will miss his scheduled spring training start Thursday but hopes to take his first scheduled regular-season turn for the Detroit Tigers on April 8 against Minnesota.

The 2011 AL Cy Young Award winner and MVP left Friday’s exhibition outing with a cramp in his right triceps. He threw on Sunday but still had soreness on Monday.

Tigers Manager Brad Ausmus said he expects Verlander to follow David Price in the rotation and pitch the second game of the season. Ausmus said Anibal Sanchez would move up, if necessary.

“We just have to wait and see,” Ausmus said. “He has to pitch sometime before the regular season.”

Ausmus said it was possible Verlander might throw in a minor league game before the team heads north.

REDS

Maholm released

GOODYEAR, Ariz. — Left-hander Paul Maholm has been released from a minor league contract with the Cincinnati Reds.

Maholm agreed to the deal Jan. 28 and had a 2.19 ERA in five spring-training games, allowing 3 runs, 7 hits and 2 walks in 12 1/3 innings with 5 strikeouts.

Cincinnati, which announced the decision Monday, originally envisioned Maholm competing for a rotation spot after the Reds traded Mat Latos and Alfredo Simon, but the Reds told Maholm in mid-March he was under consideration for a bullpen role.

Under baseball’s collective bargaining agreement, the Reds had until today to give Maholm written notice he would be on the opening-day roster, pay a $100,000 retention bonus or release him. If added to the 40-man roster, he would have received a one-year contract calling for a $1.5 million salary in the major leagues and the chance to earn $500,000 in performance bonuses based on starts: $100,000 each for 10 and each additional five through 30.

Maholm was 1-5 with a 4.84 ERA in eight starts and 22 relief appearances for the Los Angeles Dodgers last year. He injured his right knee covering first base against the Chicago Cubs on Aug. 1 and missed the rest of the season.

— The Associated Press

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