Jacoby Ellsbury touches down in Yankee town for spring  —  Jacoby Ellsbury was sighted in the Yankees clubhouse Sunday morning.  The outfielder who missed all of last season because of injuries arrived at the complex to begin his introduction to baseball activities after dealing …

Yasiel Puig homers twice in Cincinnati Reds' 9-9 tie against Cleveland Indians  —  GOODYEAR, Ariz. - Yasiel Puig hit a pair of home runs, including a fourth-inning grand slam, to highlight the Reds' offense in a 9-9 tie against the Cleveland Indians at Goodyear Ballpark on Sunday.

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 …

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.

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.

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.

‘We want to carry the innings load’: Cubs starters vow to relieve brittle bullpen  —  Chicago Tribune  —  Relief may be on the way for the Cubs' fragile bullpen.  —  That aid could come from within the organization in the form of an invigorated starting rotation that often failed to pitch …

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 …

5 takeaways from Cubs spring training, including Addison Russell's spring challenges and letting Javier Baez do his thing  —  Chicago Tribune  —  Here are five takeaways from Cubs spring training Sunday:  —  Russell's playing time in spring training will decrease soon …

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.

Dodgers fall to Brewers despite early homers by Joc Pederson and Chris Taylor  —  THE GAME: The Milwaukee Brewers rallied for four runs in the eighth inning, coming from behind to hand the Dodgers a 9-8 defeat Sunday afternoon at Camelback Ranch.  —  NOTE: Dodgers manager Dave Roberts left …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Here's how a serious injury to Mendez could affect the Rangers' Opening Day roster  —  It wasn't just Bloody Sunday at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum.  —  The empty Texas Rangers injury report now has three players on it less than two weeks from the season opener, and they aren't players no one knows.