Ozuna to DH against former team in Cardinals' spring opener  —  JUPITER, Fla.  • Former Miami Marlins star Marcell Ozuna is playing, sort of, against his former teammates as the Cardinals open their exhibition baseball season Friday here against the Marlins.

Exclusive: Federal documents detail sweeping potential NCAA violations involving high-profile players, schools  —  Documents and bank records obtained in discovery during the federal investigation into the underbelly of college basketball detail in meticulous fashion the expenditures …

Brent Honeywell injury could be worst Rays news yet  —  PORT CHARLOTTE — It might have seemed that things couldn't get worse for the Rays after an opening week of spring training that included the dumping of two veterans to harshly negative reviews, including from their own players …

Photos: Tigers vs. Yankees in exhibition  —  Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire (15) wears the cap of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School baseball team, the Stoneman Douglas Eagles, before the exhibition game at George M. Steinbrenner Field on Friday, Feb. 23, 2018, to honor the victims of Feb. 14's attack in Parkland, Fla.

Rays, Marlins disorder is unfair to fans and other small-market teams that are trying to win  —  TAMPA — The three-team trade that brought infielder Brandon Drury to the Yankees and sent Tampa Bay Rays favorite Steven Souza Jr. to Arizona has served to further emphasize the tale of two teams …

Next Slide  —  Lakeland, Fla. — Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire did something after the game Thursday that he would very rarely do in the regular season.  He made a point of personally complimenting the home-plate umpire.  —  “Helluva job, very nice,” he said to Jen Pawol, one of two women umpiring in professional baseball.

Cardinals eager to see Martinez take ‘Bull’ by the horns  —  JUPITER, Fla.  • The message was taped to Carlos Martinez's locker in the Cardinals' clubhouse and it didn't contain a single word.  —  The piece of paper stuck there had two pictures, juxtaposed.

Cubs say keeping core of young position players intact ‘a big part of our identity’  —  Chicago Tribune  —  After raising the likelihood in October of a trade to acquire impact pitching, President Theo Epstein managed to keep a core of prized young players together that Cubs fans may treasure …

While the rest of MLB goes young, the Giants are doubling down on players in their 30s  —  SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — The San Francisco Giants sold out 530 straight games before their streak ended in July, and they feel obliged to put a competitive product on the field for all those die-hard ticket holders by the bay.

Lighter, stronger Morales craves bounce-back year with Blue Jays  —  DUNEDIN — Some Blue Jays are fan favorites: Kevin Pillar, Marcus Stroman, Josh Donaldson, Troy Tulowitzki ... it's a pretty big list.  —  Kendrys Morales is not on that list.  —  Not because he isn't a good guy, or anything like that.

MLB to Mandate That Baseballs Are Stored in Air Conditioned Room for 2018  — In a potential effort to combat the surge in home runs, MLB is mandating that each team store balls in an air conditioned and enclosed room for 2018.  —  PHOENIX — For the first time, Major League Baseball …

Dominic Smith scratched from Mets lineup before first spring training game  —  PORT ST LUCIE — Dominic Smith was scratched from the lineup for the Mets' first spring training game Friday, and the first baseman says he wasn't given a reason why.  —  Smith added that he is not injured.

White Sox injury news: Micker Adolfo out at least 6 weeks, Carlos Rodon won't pitch in any spring training games  —  Chicago Tribune  —  On the day the White Sox took the field for their first Cactus League game, they made news off of it.  —  General manager Rick Hahn announced Friday …

Dodgers put 5 games on KTLA; no DirecTV deal expected this season  —  For the fifth consecutive year, the Dodgers will be off the air in a majority of Southern California homes.  —  The team and its television partner announced Friday that five games will be shown on KTLA (Channel 5).

Column: Hope still shines for Corey Ray after disappointing year in Brewers system  —  Chicago Tribune  —  Stillness surrounds the bungalow at the end of Bloomfield Drive, where the rattling wind chimes break the silence to announce a gentle breeze keeping temperatures unseasonably cool.

Braves' hitting leaders return who could carry team in 2018  —  The nucleus of Freddie Freeman, Ender Inciarte and Nick Markakis led the Braves (or were tied for the lead) in 15 categories on offense last season.  Inciarte made the All-Star game, and Freeman appeared on his way to MVP consideration …

Angels' Shohei Ohtani to make spring debut as pitcher Saturday  —  Multitalented Japanese pitcher/hitter Shohei Ohtani will make his spring training debut for the Los Angeles Angels on the mound against the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday.  —  “I feel that this is a big step forward,” Ohtani told reporters Thursday, via an interpreter.

What does a top-5 payroll buy you in baseball?  —  Chicago Tribune  —  With the signing of right-hander Yu Darvish, the Cubs moved into elite company: They now have the fifth-highest payroll in baseball, according to Spotrac.  The last time the Cubs had a top-five payroll, in 2016, they won it all.