major league baseball

major league baseball

News & notes

Chicago Cubs: Third baseman Kris Bryant was reassigned to the Cubs’ minor league camp on Monday despite hitting .425 in spring training with nine homers and 15 RBIs in 40 at-bats.

If Bryant spends 12 or more days in the minor leagues, Chicago would delay him from becoming eligible for free agency until after the 2021 season, according to baseball’s collective bargaining agreement. Bryant 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 decision. 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.”

Cleveland Indians: The Tribe will honor the late Al Rosen this season by wearing his No. 7 jersey number on their jersey sleeves.

The AL’s MVP in 1953, Rosen died on March 13 at 91. He spent his entire career with Cleveland (1947-56) and went on to have a successful career as a baseball executive with Houston, the New York Yankees and San Francisco. In his MVP season, Rosen batted .336 with 43 home runs and 145 RBIs. He just missed winning the Triple Crown as Washington’s Mickey Vernon hit .337.Rosen is the only person to have earned the MVP honors as a player and executive of the year as a member of a front office. He was a member of the Indians’ 1948 World Series title team, but only played in five games. He took over as Cleveland’s everyday third baseman in 1950.

Detroit Tigers: 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.

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.

Milwaukee Brewers: The club released Chris Perez, ending the former All-Star closer’s bid for a setup job in the Milwaukee bullpen. The 29-year-old right-hander was with the Brewers on a minor league contract. He was released after Milwaukee’s 7-0 loss on Sunday night to Oakland, when Perez retired the only batter he faced in the game. Perez was 1-1 with a 2.70 ERA in 10 games in spring training with Milwaukee. He has 133 career saves, with most of them coming while with the Cleveland Indians from 2009-13.

Associated Press