Yankees CF Hicks (back) to miss opening series  —  New York Yankees center fielder Aaron Hicks told ESPN's Coley Harvey that he will miss Opening Day due to the lower back injury he has been dealing with.  —  Hicks said he will not play in the opening series against Baltimore Orioles …

Gorman's homer ignites Cards' rally vs. Nationals  —  WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.  • A young Cardinal who has captured the imagination of an entire fan base heard the news like any 18-year-old would in 2019: from Twitter.  —  Nolan Gorman had returned from the back fields of Roger Dean Stadium …

Philly being Philly as fans hurl threats at pitcher who struck Bryce Harper  —  The Washington Post  —  An errant pitch left Phillies fans hurling dire threats and garden-variety invective at Trent Thornton after he struck the ankle of their prized free agent Bryce Harper mere days into his career in Philly.

Blue Jays acquire pitcher from Kansas City, Travis has knee surgery  —  DUNEDIN, Fla. — There was plenty of news from Blue Jays camp Sunday morning.  —  First, the team announced the hard-luck story of Devon Travis is continuing, as the second baseman had surgery to repair a torn meniscus …

Phillip Ervin hits 3-run homer, Anthony DeSclafani sharp in Cincinnati Reds' 5-2 win over Texas Rangers  —  GOODYEAR, Ariz. - Phillip Ervin and Tucker Barnhart hit back-to-back home runs in the fifth inning and the Reds rolled to a 5-2 victory over the Texas Rangers on Saturday at Goodyear Ballpark.

What you need to know about MLB's new rules  —  MLB and the MLB Players Association have agreed to a deal that will enact several new rules starting in the 2019 and 2020 seasons.  Here are some of the most notable rule changes and what they might mean for the game, both on and off the field.

Seager ‘absolutely’ set for opener, Roberts says  —  GLENDALE, Ariz. — Corey Seager, who spent most of the 2018 season recovering from major elbow surgery, will “absolutely” be ready by Opening Day, Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Sunday morning.

Minter, O'Day likely to start season on DL  —  Braves relievers A.J. Minter and Darren O'Day will likely open the season on the injured list, manager Brian Snitker acknowledged Sunday.  —  The Braves were optimistic through spring that both arms, crucial to the later innings …

Mets lineup must carry early results into regular season  —  JUPITER, Fla. - The Mets productive spring training offense has the burden of proving it's not a fluke.  —  Manager Mickey Callaway recently said we'll be seeing more and more of the Mets regular lineup as Grapefruit League games come to a close.

Ichiro hitless as Mariners beat Yomiuri 6-4 in exhibition  —  TOKYO — Ichiro Suzuki's struggles at the plate have followed him to Japan.  —  Ichiro went hitless in three at-bats on Sunday when his Seattle Mariners beat the Yomiuri Giants 6-4 in an exhibition game ahead of their MLB season-opening series against the Oakland A's.

Column: From a 3-batter minimum to only 1 trade deadline: Will these rule changes improve baseball?  —  Chicago Tribune  —  In the never-ending search to persuade millennials to pay more attention to the national pastime, Major League Baseball and the players union announced a slew of new rules …

Hinch suspended 1 spring game for ump issue  —  Major League Baseball has suspended AJ Hinch for one spring training game after the Houston Astros manager was ejected from a recent game and called umpire Angel Hernandez “unprofessional” and “arrogant” afterward.

Miller wasn't bad, but knows he must be better.  Which ‘simple’ tweak will get him there?  —  That was the kind of weather that people should expect when they come to spring training.  —  Brilliant sunshine, the kind that makes outfielders miss routine flyballs (that happened twice Saturday …

Yankees meet with MLBPA head over work stoppage fears  —  TAMPA — The players are gearing up for a fight.  —  After two straight winters of the free agent market squeezing out veteran and mid-level players, many are getting more involved with the union in preparations of negotiations with the league beginning this season.

Sources: CarGo, Tribe reach minor league deal  —  Outfielder Carlos Gonzalez has agreed to a minor league deal with the Cleveland Indians, sources told ESPN's Jeff Passan, confirming multiple reports.  —  He will receive a base salary of $2 million if he makes the major league roster.