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Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Felix Hernandez was scratched from his start Friday night against the division-rival Los Angeles Angels due to an illness.

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Hernandez’s Status Uncertain After Scratch

Friday, April 22

The Mariners announced Hisashi Iwakuma will start Friday instead of Hernandez. No further information about the ailment or how long it could keep the starter sidelined was immediately disclosed.

Hernandez remains the ace of Seattle’s staff and one of the most reliable starters in baseball. Few pitchers have matched his overall impact across the past decade. The Mariners hope that trend is able to continue for the foreseeable future.

The 30-year-old right-hander has made at least 30 starts in every season dating back to 2006. The team did shut him down one start early last year, but that was more for precautionary reasons than any major health concerns.

If the latest ailment forces him to miss more than a few days, the Mariners will need Iwakuma and Taijuan Walker to step up to lead the staff. While those other starters aren’t proven aces, they are certainly capable of stringing together several strong starts in a row.

Of course, the Seattle rotation is nowhere near as imposing without Hernandez leading the way.

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Washington Nationals outfielder Jayson Werth was held out of the lineup against the Miami Marlins on Thursday after suffering a hamstring injury Wednesday night. However, he has been cleared to return.

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Werth Active vs. Twins

Friday, April 22

The Nationals announced Werth was in the starting lineup against the Minnesota Twins on Friday.

Werth Hitting Stride After Shaky Start

Werth started the season with one hit in his first 16 at-bats across five games. He went a more reasonable 7-for-27 with two home runs in the eight contests prior to the injury.

Getting him back on track is one of the biggest keys to the Nationals’ season. He’s smashed 200 career home runs and reached the 20-homer plateau five times in his career, but he’s coming off an injury-plagued 2015 season that saw him finish with just 12 long balls.

The health concerns don’t come as a surprise anymore, though. He’s appeared in more than 140 games just twice in his previous five seasons in Washington. He plays the game hard, and that tends to take a collective toll on his body during the course of a year.

It makes sense for the Nationals to play it safe by sitting Werth for a game, as exacerbating the injury could have led to a lengthier issue for the outfielder.

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Baltimore Orioles outfielder Adam Jones is dealing with a stomach virus that forced him to leave Tuesday’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays.

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Jones Active vs. Blue Jays

Wednesday, April 20

John Meoli of the Baltimore Sun reported Jones was starting and batting third Wednesday against Toronto.

Jones Crucial to Orioles Offense 

Jones has emerged as one the American League‘s most important players over the past handful of seasons. The slugger has earned five All-Star Game selections and four Gold Glove Awards while helping Baltimore end an extended playoff drought with two postseason trips in the last four years.

The 30-year-old center fielder has also remained highly durable during that stretch. He’s played at least 135 games in six consecutive campaigns dating back to 2010. He did previously miss some time this season due to ribcage soreness, though.

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New York Mets starting pitcher Jacob deGrom was been placed on Major League Baseball’s family emergency list due to complications after his wife, Stacey, gave birth to their newborn son, Jaxon.

Anthony DiComo of MLB.com passed along the news on Saturday. DiComo also provided comments from Mets manager Terry Collins about the situation: “We’re all praying and pulling for him.”

Marc Carig of Newsday noted Collins wouldn’t provide any further information about the extent of the complications or comment on whether it’s a life-threatening situation.

Mike Puma of the New York Post provided more details on deGrom‘s son given to him by a person who talked with the pitcher:

According to Carig, Collins said deGrom told him on Saturday night that Jaxon‘s condition has improved. On Monday, Adam Rubin of ESPN reported deGrom and his wife took the baby home from the hospital and that he will throw a simulated game on Tuesday.

Per Rubin, Collins “is not ruling out a return to a major league game next weekend at Atlanta, but it could be during the subsequent homestand instead.”

DeGrom, who’s made just one start this season, has been dealing with a lat injury. Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News noted deGrom couldn’t complete a scheduled bullpen Friday, which left his status in further question. And now there’s obviously a far greater concern than when he’ll return to the mound.

Eric Campbell will fill the open spot on the roster for the time being, per Rubin.

DeGrom can remain on the league’s family emergency list for between three and seven days, according to SportsCenter.

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Kansas City Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer doesn’t want to be called a hero despite saving a teenage girl from possibly being trampled following a Justin Bieber concert this week.

Hosmer went to the performance Wednesday night with a group of teammates, including Alex Gordon, Mike Moustakas and Wade Davis, according to ESPN.com. They were mobbed outside the Sprint Center in Kansas City, and one girl got knocked to the ground amid the chaos.

“I think that happened before we all realized what was going [on],” Hosmer said. “Just helped her up real quick. Just doing what a guy should do. You see someone fall, you should help her up.”

He added: “I just saw a girl fall in front of me, and I helped her up. It wasn’t anything heroic or anything like that.”

Hosmer also noted it came as a surprise to the players that they were recognized and approached by so many people after the concert.

“I guess that’s what happens when you win a world championship: You become more popular,” he said, per ESPN.com.

Meanwhile, the Royals’ title defense is off to a solid start with two wins in their first three games. They edged the Minnesota Twins 4-3 on Friday night. The 26-year-old first baseman is hitting .300 with a .417 on-base percentage in the early going.

Hosmer clearly wants any recognition he receives to come for his on-field work. But he prevented a potentially dangerous situation from getting out of control Wednesday night and deserves credit for that, even if he tried to downplay the importance of his actions.  

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Chicago Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein confirmed he’s in discussions with the organization on a contract extension and expects a deal “sometime soon.”

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Epstein, Cubs Discuss Recent Extension Talks

Tuesday, April 5

Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reported Epstein, whose current contract is set to finish at the end of the 2016 season, and Cubs owner Tom Ricketts both expect a new agreement in the near future. The architect of one of the league’s most talented rosters said it hasn’t been a top priority. 

“We had good, productive conversations,” Epstein said. “Neither one of us had a ton of time to focus on it. No cause of concern. We had good talks. We both feel like it will get done sometime soon.”

Ricketts added: “We talked about it at spring training. I think we’ll get to a conclusion pretty soon.”

Epstein, 42, joined the Cubs in late 2011 and has proceeded to oversee a comprehensive rebuilding project. The fruits of that labor finally began to show last season as Chicago, which finished last in the NL Central in each of his first three years, advanced to the National League Championship Series.

The Cubs opened the 2016 campaign Monday night with a 9-0 victory over the Los Angeles Angels. It marked the start of what should be another highly successful season, led by budding stars like Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, Addison Russell and Kyle Schwarber.

Rebuilding is often a painful process, especially in a city like Chicago, where the Cubs have gone more than 100 years without a World Series title. But Epstein never wavered from the course, adding free agents like Jason Heyward while waiting for the organization’s prospects to reach the big leagues.

Cubs Insider highlighted the vast difference in lineup strength as a result:

Now, just like Epstein’s stint with the Boston Red Sox, his efforts have put the team in position for long-term success and, in a perfect world, multiple championships.

Getting him locked into a contract extension so he can see the process through is crucial. While the overhaul of the organization is complete, it’s still going to take some tweaks along the way to keep the Cubs on an upward trajectory, and he’s proven as adept as any front office executive at that.

With the Red Sox, he added cornerstones like David Ortiz and Curt Schilling. But he also picked up players like Kevin Millar and Bill Mueller to fill key voids. That’s going to become the task for the Cubs for the next handful of years: finding the right fits to complete the roster each season.

Ultimately, it doesn’t sound like Epstein or the Cubs have any concern about getting an extension done. That could change if an agreement isn’t in place within the next few months, though.

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Major League Baseball reportedly suspended veteran catcher Taylor Teagarden for 80 games Friday.

T.J. Quinn of ESPN passed along the news and noted Teagarden was the only athlete caught on tape in Al Jazeera‘s documentary on performance-enhancing drugs in December.

Teagarden, 32, is a free agent. He appeared in eight games for the Chicago Cubs last season, picking up three hits in 15 at-bats. He’s also spent time with the Texas Rangers, Baltimore Orioles and New York Mets during his career.

In January, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com noted the catcher appeared on an undercover video in the Al Jazeera report discussing PED use and being worried about a drug test. The situation caught Cubs President Theo Epstein off guard.

“Completely surprised,” Epstein said. “I don’t know anything about it other than what I’ve heard about the report. I don’t want to try a guy from afar, but if the allegations are true it’s really disappointing.”

MLB previously announced it was working alongside the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) and the NFL to investigate the claims the documentary made. Christian Red of the New York Daily News passed along comments from Dan Halem, MLB’s chief legal officer, about the effort.

“USADA has expressed a willingness to work with us, which we are very happy about, and hopefully we make some progress,” Halem said. “We treat all things with a sense of urgency.”

A.J. Perez of USA Today reported Ryan Howard of the Philadelphia Phillies and Ryan Zimmerman of the Washington Nationals, who were also named in the report, filed defamation lawsuits against Al Jazeera America in federal court.

Teagarden, a career .202 hitter with 21 home runs in 180 games, has remained on the market since entering free agency in November.

The suspension will make it more difficult for him to find a landing spot with the 2016 season set to get underway Sunday. It’s unclear whether he plans to appeal the punishment.

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The New York Yankees‘ bullpen has suffered another setback as Bryan Mitchell is expected to miss at least three months due to a toe injury.  

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Mitchell Out Until Midseason Due to Toe Ailment

Thursday, March 31

Jared Diamond of the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that Mitchell has a fractured toe on his left foot, but it’s unclear whether surgery will be necessary. Jack Curry of the YES Network stated it’s a “Grade 3 turf toe,” which will require a minimum of 12 weeks to recover.

Word of the setback comes just days after Mitchell was informed he earned a spot on the 25-man roster for Opening Day. Ryan Hatch of NJ Advance Media passed along comments from the right-handed reliever after he first suffered the injury Wednesday: “I honestly don’t know what to feel right now. I’m just trying to stay positive and hopefully when I wake up tomorrow it feels 10 times better than it does. Just trying to stay positive right now.”

The bullpen was expected to become a major part of the Yankees’ success coming into spring training. Now, it’s suddenly become a question mark with the regular-season opener scheduled for Monday afternoon against the Houston Astros.

Projected closer Aroldis Chapman was suspended 30 games under the league’s new domestic violence policy. Andrew Miller, who was expected to fill the closer void for the time being, also faces an uncertain status due to a wrist injury, per Mark Townsend of Yahoo Sports.

Mitchell had shined during spring training with a 0.57 ERA across six appearances with 12 strikeouts in 15.2 innings. He also posted a 0.64 WHIP, and his batting-average against was just .132.

That success, combined with the suddenly unstable New York bullpen, made him a candidate to pitch some high-leverage innings early in the campaign. That seemed like a long shot at the start of camp after he finished last season with a 6.37 ERA in 20 games.

Joel Sherman of the New York Post noted the injury is a double whammy for the organization:

Looking ahead, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reported Miller hopes to pitch through the pain despite the injury to his non-pitching hand, but the Yanks are awaiting details form a hand specialist. If he’s unavailable, Dellin Betances will be the last member of the team’s star pen trio left standing.

Chasen Shreve, Johnny Barbato and Kirby Yates are among the other relievers who will need to step up while the Yankees wait for Chapman, Miller and Mitchell to assume their expected roles.

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Boston Red Sox manager John Farrell announced Thursday that Travis Shaw has won the starting job at third base over Pablo Sandoval. 

Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe passed along word of the decision from Farrell, who met with both players Thursday morning to inform them of the decision.

“I’m not going to take this opportunity for granted,” Shaw said after learning of his spot in the starting lineup, per Tim Britton of the Providence Journal.

Shaw has outperformed Sandoval at the plate during spring training, hitting .333 with a .377 on-base percentage across 20 games. Sandoval has a .244 average and .279 OBP in 16 games.

That said, Farrell noted “defense became a deciding factor” in the final decision as well, per Britton.

Sandoval admitted “it’s the right decision to help the team win,” and because of that, he’s happy despite heading to the bench for the time being, according to Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald.

However, Sandoval’s agent Rick Thurman didn’t agree, saying ““if you want to win, why leave the ferrari in the garage?” per Jon Heyman of MLB Network.

While all of the on-field signs point to Shaw being the right choice, it’s still a bit surprising given the financial commitment the Red Sox made to Sandoval last offseason. Barry Svrluga of the Washington Post spotlighted the money still owed to the 29-year-old infielder:

Sandoval has provided almost no bang for that buck. He posted a career-low .292 OBP during his first season in Boston while hitting just 10 home runs. Pictures of him early in spring training this year became a viral sensation, as he looked out of shape.

Though the former San Francisco Giants star has never been a physical specimen, the extra weight started to have an impact on his ability to defend third base. His minus-11 Defensive Runs Saved figure last season tied the worst mark of his career, according to FanGraphs.

Looking ahead, the Red Sox would probably love to rid themselves of Sandoval, even if it meant eating a sizable portion of his remaining contract. Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reported Monday the San Diego Padres were scouting the third baseman.

Otherwise, they’re stuck with an extremely high-priced bench player for the foreseeable future. Shaw has been the better player throughout spring training, and he shined with 13 homers in just 65 games as a rookie last season, so the team will stick with him as long as he keeps slugging.

It’s been a rapid fall from grace for Sandoval, who won three World Series titles and got selected to the All-Star Game twice while with the Giants. Now, his future is a mystery as he prepares to watch the start of the new season from the dugout.

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The Kansas City Royals have denied a report saying they’re seeking retribution against the New York Mets on Opening Day for a Noah Syndergaard fastball that went over the head of Alcides Escobar during last season’s World Series.

Marc Carig of Newsday reported “multiple industry sources” confirmed that the Royals kept the moment in mind and could look to retaliate Sunday night. However, Syndergaard isn’t slated to start the game with Matt Harvey in line for the start instead, per Anthony DiComo of MLB.com.

However, a Royals official told MLB.com’s Jeffrey Flanagan that “the only retribution planned for the Mets on Opening Night is a 30-second tribute video.”

Royals manager Ned Yost said, “Some buffoon writes something and you guys are gonna jump like little monkeys in a cage for peanut,” per Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City-Star.

The 23-year-old starter began Game 3 of the World Series with a pitch high and tight on the Royals’ leadoff hitter. Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com noted afterward that multiple members of the Kansas City roster spoke out against the pitch, but the Mets ace didn’t back down.

“If they have a problem with me throwing inside,” Syndergaard said, “then they can meet me 60 feet, six inches away. I’ve got no problem with that.”

Mets first baseman Lucas Duda didn’t seem too worried about the report when asked by Mike Puma of the New York Post “Whatever they want to do, they are not going to bully us, they are not going to scare us,” Duda said. “They are not going to scare us by hitting us. You can talk to all 15 position players that we have, and I’m pretty sure none of them are scared.”

Game 3 was the only one the Mets won as the Royals went on to capture the championship in five games. But if the report is to be believed, raising the trophy and a long offseason of celebration weren’t enough to make the Royals move past the incident.

Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News reported earlier Tuesday that Matt Harvey is back in line to start the opener after passing a blood clot that affected his bladder, which initially left his status in question and led to speculation that Syndergaard could start.

In the bigger picture, this is another issue relating to a clash of the old school and the new school. The conflict was on full display earlier in spring training when New York Yankees legend Goose Gossage called out several players, including Toronto Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista, for showboating.

Baseball has more so-called “unwritten rules” than any other sport. It’s led to a lot of self-policing over the years, where the players themselves handle problems rather than wait for the league to step in.

Whether it’s the right approach for the modern game is certainly up for debate. But Kansas City won the World Series using an old-school approach on the field, and now it appears the team may have been planning to settle its lingering dispute with the Mets the same way Sunday night.

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