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5:55 AM ET, March 17, 2018

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 Top News: 
Ben Frederickson / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
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.
Discussion: Federal Baseball
RELATED:
Rick Hummel / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Molina has two homers, a single and a double  —  • Along about the fourth inning of Friday's exhibition game, acting Cardinals manager Mike Shildt asked catcher Yadier Molina if he wanted to come out of the game when starter Michael Wacha exited.  Wacha whipped through six innings in 65 pitches …
Rick Hummel / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:   Molina homers twice, has four hits to spark 4-2 Cards win over Marlins
Derrick Goold / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:   Bader races headlong after Cardinals bench spot
Ben Frederickson / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:   Gyorko homers; Mikolas scoreless through three
Ben Frederickson / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:   New Cardinal Mikolas will face old Cardinal Adams
Bill Plunkett / Daily News:
Cody Bellinger homers but Dodgers lose to Diamondbacks 4-1  —  THE GAME: Cody Bellinger hit his second home run of the spring but the Dodgers lost 4-1 to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday afternoon at Salt River Fields.  —  PITCHING REPORT: RHP Walker Buehler retired six of the seven batters …
Discussion: AZ Snake Pit
RELATED:
Nick Piecoro / Arizona Republic:
Arizona Diamondbacks spring training - 2018 … Right-hander Zack Greinke's next step as he works his way back from a right groin strain remains unclear.  What seems more evident, however, is that Greinke's injury does not appear to be particularly significant.
Nick Piecoro / Arizona Republic:
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 …
Discussion: MLB Trade Rumors
Associated Press:
Baseball notebook: Altuve, Astros add $151 million to contract  —  A person familiar with the negotiations says American League MVP Jose Altuve and the World Series champion Houston Astros have agreed to a contract that guarantees him an additional $151 million over five seasons from 2020-24.
RELATED:
Thomas Lott / Sporting News:
Jose Altuve reportedly to sign huge 5-year extension with Astros
Jon Heyman / FanRag Sports:
Altuve agrees to extension with Astros
Pete Caldera / Daily Record:
Jacoby Ellsbury isn't likely to be ready for Yankees opener, Clint Frazier progressing  —  TAMPA, Fla. - Less than two weeks before opening day, it's doubtful that Jacoby Ellsbury will be ready to break camp with the Yankees.  —  “That's possible,” manager Aaron Boone said Friday of the chance that Ellsbury …
RELATED:
Jeff Todd / MLB Trade Rumors:
Twins Acquire Jake Cave, Designate Kennys Vargas
Daily Record:   Yankees trade Jake Cave to Twins, acquire pitcher Luis Gil
Mark Gonzales / Chicago Tribune:
White Sox's Reynaldo Lopez learning to pitch through rough patches  —  Chicago Tribune  —  A White Sox-Cubs exhibition game might mean more only to the fanatics that have invested heavily in the fates of their prospects.  —  But for Reynaldo Lopez, the lessons that he learned Friday eventually …
RELATED:
Mark Gonzales / Chicago Tribune:
Yu Darvish gets a taste of hitting and baserunning against White Sox  —  Chicago Tribune  —  With his first regular-season start for the Cubs two weeks away, Yu Darvish got the opportunity to bat Friday in an American League park.  —  Darvish struck out trying to bunt in his first at-bat …
Mark Gonzales / Chicago Tribune:   Cubs send reliever Dillon Maples, outfielder Mark Zagunis to Triple A
Kristie Ackert / New York Daily News:
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.
RELATED:
Kristie Ackert / New York Daily News:   Although Jacob deGrom won't pitch Opening Day, Mets know he deserves the honor
Kristie Ackert / New York Daily News:   Mets send Jason Vargas for X-rays after lefty hit in glove hand
Anthony Fenech / Detroit Free Press:
Daniel Norris just OK; Detroit Tigers tie Phillies in spring training … CONNECT  —  At Joker Marchant Stadium, Lakeland, Fla.  —  What happened: The Detroit Tigers tied with the Philadelphia Phillies, 6-6. ...  Daniel Norris made the start, throwing plenty - if not too many - strikes in four innings.
Discussion: MLB Trade Rumors
RELATED:
Anthony Fenech / Detroit Free Press:   Detroit Tigers' Daniel Norris solid in latest pitch for rotation spot
Matt Breen / Philly.com:
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.
RELATED:
Jerry CrasnickESPN Senior / ESPN:   Phillies' Eickhoff expected to miss 6-8 weeks
Matt Breen / Philly.com:
Ping-pong champ Tommy Hunter and '93 player Dave Hollins helped Phillies land Jake Arrieta
Associated Press:
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.
John Fay / Cincinnati.com:
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 …
Discussion: Red Reporter
RELATED:
Keith Jenkins / Cincinnati.com:   Scott Schebler looking to expand role in his second full season with Cincinnati Reds
Jon Meoli / Baltimore Sun:
Orioles' Machado calls Judge tampering saga ‘blown out of proportion’ as hot spring continues  —  Orioles shortstop Manny Machado had been quiet for two days on the hoopla surrounding New York Yankees star Aaron Judge admitting and then being reprimanded for telling the free-agent-to-be that he'd look good in pinstripes.
RELATED:
New York Daily News:
Manny Machado calls Aaron Judge ‘a great kid’ and says tampering talk ‘blown out of proportion’
Discussion: Sports Illustrated
Dylan Hernandez / Sacramento Bee:
Extending Dodgers manager Dave Roberts should be a no-brainer  —  The Los Angeles Dodgers should have taken care of this over the winter, but didn't.  They should resolve this before opening day, but haven't offered any indication they will.  —  So it's entirely possible Dave Roberts …
RELATED:
Matthew Moreno / DodgerBlue.com:
Dodgers Spring Training: Josh Fields On Board With Light Workload To Help Keep Fresh
Discussion: True Blue LA
Todd Rosiak / JSOnline:
Brewers prospect Trent Grisham changes name, seeks to write a new chapter in 2018  —  PHOENIX — The 2018 season will serve as a fresh start for Milwaukee Brewers prospect Trent Grisham in a couple ways.  —  First and most obvious is the last name.  He was known as Trent Clark when the Brewers …
Tommy Stokke / Locked On MLB:
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 …
RELATED:
Associated Press:   Eugenio Suarez agrees to 7-year, $66M deal with Reds
CTVNews:
Blue Jays pitching prospect Pannone suspended 80 games after positive test  —  NEW YORK — Toronto Blue Jays left-handed pitching prospect Thomas Pannone received an 80-game suspension without pay after testing positive for the performance-enhancing substance Dehydrochlormethyltestosterone (DHCMT).
Kevin Sherrington / The Charlotte Observer:
Why Jeff Banister is turning Rangers pitching staff into a radical guinea pig  —  SURPRISE, ARIZ.  —  The first thing you should know about a six-man rotation is not to call it any such thing in a conversation with Jeff Banister or bring it up at all around Cole Hamels.
 
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 More News: 
Mark Gonzales / Chicago Tribune:
Cubs like the way their bullpen is coming together
Mike Mazzeo / New York Daily News:
Yankees may have a dangerous lineup, but their rotation has nothing on the Astros'
Keith Jenkins / Cincinnati.com:
Milwaukee Brewers 16, Cincinnati Reds 13
Mark Gonzales / Chicago Tribune:
Casey Gillaspie among cuts as White Sox trim spring roster to 38
 Earlier Picks: 
Tommy Birch / Des Moines Register:
Des Moines native Jeremy Hellickson finds new team
Marc Topkin / Tampa Bay Times:
Rays journal: Sigh of relief over Faria, roster cuts, injury news, Kiermaier-Purdue love
Marcus Hayes / Philly.com:
Pat Gillick dampens expectations for 2018 Phillies | Marcus Hayes
 

 
From WeSmirch:

TMZ.com:
Kate Middleton Seen in New Video Enjoying Windsor Farm Shop with William

Richard Simmons:
I have some news to tell you.  Please don't be sad.  I am ....dying.  Oh I can see your faces now. …

Victoria Ward / Telegraph:
Portrait of late Queen with royal children was manipulated

 
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