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 …

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.

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.

With ongoing competitions, Cincinnati Reds outfielders standing out during spring training  —  GOODYEAR, Ariz. - It's the elephant in the room that Reds outfielders don't talk about or even try to think about.  —  There are six outfielders with Major League experience and there is only so much playing time to go around.

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 …

Goldschmidt will hit second; Carpenter out with back tightness  —  JUPITER, Fla.  • Paul Goldschmidt, who hit 17 homers, drove in 40 runs and batted .349 while hitting second in Arizona's lineup for 47 games last season, will make his first appearance in that spot this spring on Sunday.

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 …

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.

AP Source: Indians, former All-Star OF Carlos Gonzalez agree to minor deal  —  The Indians have been in need of outfield help since Michael Brantley signed with Houston.  —  CLEVELAND (AP) — A person familiar with the agreement says free agent outfielder Carlos Gonzalez intends to sign …

Another year, another opt-out clause for Andrus.  How concerned should Rangers fans be?  —  The 2019 Texas Rangers, for those who need to be reminded, are Elvis Andrus' team.  —  The shortstop is the longest tenured Rangers player, entering his 11th season at only age 30 …

Teheran impresses again in third spring start  —  The Braves will hope this Julio Teheran shows up in Philadelphia.  —  Teheran, the likely opening-day starter, was sharp in a split-squad 7-4 loss against the Astros on Sunday.  The righty attributes his impressive spring to working …

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 …

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.

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.

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 …