After Mikolas exits, Nationals pounce on Cardinals relievers  —  WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.  • What happened after Miles Mikolas left the mound might have made the starter's five scoreless innings against the Nationals look better, but it didn't look great for the Cardinals.

Mets say Jason Vargas day-to-day, X-rays negative after lefty hit in glove hand  —  PORT ST. LUCIE — Jason Vargas left a minor league game Friday after being hit on his glove hand by a comebacker and is now considered “day-to-day.”  The team said the lefty's X-rays were negative.

Phillies pitcher Jerad Eickhoff out six to eight weeks  —  Jerad Eickhoff will start the season on the disabled list, as he will be sidelined for six to eight weeks because of a strained back muscle.  —  The Phillies likely will fill Eickhoff's rotation spot with Ben Lively or Zach Eflin.

Arizona Diamondbacks spring training - 2018 … Not long after being signed out of Cuba in 2015, Yoan Lopez threw his first bullpen session at Diamondbacks camp.  It was a minor event.  Club executives came out to watch.  Cameras followed his every move.  In a scrum with reporters later that day …

Detroit Tigers' Daniel Norris solid in latest pitch for rotation spot  —  LAKELAND, Fla. — Daniel Norris isn't thinking about how the Tigers' starting rotation is going to shake out because if he did, he would be up all night thinking about it.  —  Honestly, he said, he has no idea.

Cincinnati Reds manager Bryan Price lists who's in the starting rotation ... sort of  —  GOODYEAR, Ariz. - Reds manager Bryan Price started to go there.  He seemed to be ready to say who was in the rotation.  —  Since the injuries to Anthony DeSclafani and Brandon Finnegan …

Sources - Reds agree to extension with Eugenio Suarez  —  Cincinnati Reds top prospect Nick Senzel is coming, but third baseman Eugenio Suarez isn't going anywhere.  —  Suarez, 26, has agreed to a 7-year deal guaranteeing him $66 million with an option that can bring the deal to $79 million …

Twins Acquire Jake Cave, Designate Kennys Vargas  —  The Twins have acquired outfielder Jake Cave from the Yankees, per Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press (via Twitter).  Righty Luis Gil goes to the Yankees in return.  In a corresponding move, Minnesota has designated slugger Kennys Vargas for assignment.

Manny Machado calls Aaron Judge ‘a great kid’ and says tampering talk ‘blown out of proportion’  —  Just leave our conversation on the field.  That's the message Manny Machado had for Aaron Judge.  —  Machado finally weighed in Friday after the Yankee slugger was reprimanded …

Angels' Shohei Ohtani gives up 7 runs against Rockies  —  TEMPE, Ariz. — Shohei Ohtani was rocked for seven runs over 1 1/3 innings in his second spring training start for the Los Angeles Angels, allowing long home runs to Colorado's Ian Desmond and Nolan Arenado on Friday.

Des Moines native Jeremy Hellickson finds new team  —  Jeremy Hellickson will have to prove himself again.  —  The Des Moines native could have an opportunity to pitch his way into the Washington Nationals' starting rotation after reportedly signing a minor-league contract with the team Friday.

Ed Charles, Infield Sage of the Miracle Mets, Is Dead at 84  —  Ed Charles, the heart and soul of the Miracle Mets of 1969, died on Thursday at his home in East Elmhurst, Queens.  He was 84.  —  His daughter-in-law, Tomika Charles, confirmed the death, saying he had been ill for several years.

Cubs send reliever Dillon Maples, outfielder Mark Zagunis to Triple A  —  Chicago Tribune  —  Manager Joe Maddon is confident that reliever Dillon Maples will join the Cubs at some point.  —  But Maples and outfielder Mark Zagunis were optioned to Triple-A Iowa for more seasoning …

Rays journal: Sigh of relief over Faria, roster cuts, injury news, Kiermaier-Purdue love  —  FORT MYERS — As much reason as second-year RHP Jake Faria had to be concerned through his first three spring outings, his much-improved showing in Friday's 11-1 win over the Twins led to a sigh of relief.