Jurickson Profar to have surgery  —  Jurickson Profar had been throwing out to 105 feet with no major discomfort.  He has been having MRIs every 3 weeks to monitor his situation.  The MRI taken on Tuesday in Arlington showed increased strain on the subscapularis muscle in his right shoulder from the previous MRI.

Cuban wunderkind Yoan Moncada, whose free agency is about the most interesting thing in baseball right now that doesn't involve Alex Rodriguez, has moved into the “contract phase” of the process, according to Moncada's agent David Hastings.  —  That means Moncada and his representative are done …

After injury last year, starter expected to follow regular program through Spring Training  —  Yankees pitcher Masahiro Tanaka threw a short bullpen session at the team's Minor League complex during Spring Training  —  TAMPA, Fla. — A crowd of about a dozen coaches and other observers clustered behind …

Sandoval on weight, photo: ‘Let them talk’  —  FORT MYERS, Fla. — Red Sox third baseman Pablo Sandoval, no stranger to comments about his weight, dismissed recent social media criticism Thursday that stemmed from an unflattering portrait of him on Boston.com.

Lackey aiming for World Series trifecta  —  JUPITER, Fla.  • Cardinals veteran John Lackey posted a double-figure win total last year for the 12th consecutive season in which he has been healthy at the big-league level.  —  Excluding the 2012 season, which he missed for Boston …

The K Zone  —  The key to the composition of the Royals bullpen is both a familiar face and an unknown commodity.  They retained Luke Hochevar because they trusted his potential for dominance as a reliever, but his readiness on Opening Day as he returns from Tommy John surgery is still a mystery.

Mariners notebook: Wilhelmsen's arbitration case is Friday in Florida  —  PEORIA, Ariz. — The Mariners remain pointed toward their first salary-arbitration hearing in 12 years barring a late agreement with reliever Tom Wilhelmsen.  —  The two sides are scheduled to present their case Friday …

To be up front about it, top hitter in 2-hole a smart play  —  3/24/13: Joe Mauer blasts a towering three-run homer in the bottom of the first inning to give the Twins a 3-0 lead  —  It's far from a full-blown trend, but an interesting little blip has appeared in some Major League lineups in the first week of the season.

Danny Almonte Defends Jackie Robinson West: Everybody Does the ‘Same Thing’  —  CHICAGO — The player at the center of the last Little League scandal 14 years ago said Jackie Robinson West shouldn't have been stripped of its Little League U.S. title and suspects race might have been a factor in the outcome.