MLB News Blog

Cy Young Award winner Zack Greinke missed his first scheduled bullpen session Wedenesday for the Kansas City Royals because he had to get two teeth pulled. Greinke left camp with puffiness in his right jaw after he said he had a wisdom tooth and a broken tooth extracted. Greinke said he would play catch Thursday [...]

Pitcher Wandy Rodriguez has gone to a salary arbitration hearing against the Houston Astros, asking to be paid $7 million this year instead of the team’s $5 million offer. The 31-year-old left-hander was 14-12 last season with a 3.02 ERA, ninth in the NL among qualifiers. He struck out a career high 193, also ninth, [...]

Left-hander Ron Villone is staying with the Washington Nationals, agreeing to a minor league contract. The 40-year-old would get a $900,000, one-year contract if added to the 40-man roster and would have the chance to earn an additional $700,000 in performance bonuses. Villone agreed to a minor league deal before the 2009 season and went [...]

Philadelphia Phillies closer Brad Lidge says he is pain free. A year after converting all 48 save chances, Lidge led the major leagues with 11 blown saves last season. He had surgery to repair his right elbow in November and right knee in January. Now as spring training is about to start, the 33-year-old is [...]

Mark McGwire’s first day on the job ended with another apology for using steroids. The St. Louis Cardinals’ new batting coach got time in the batting cage with hitters on Wednesday, sat in on a lengthy staff meeting and then spoke with reporters at the team’s spring training complex in Florida.

Some faces change. Expectations always remain the same. That’s the way it is with the New York Yankees. The defending World Series champions began assembling for the start of spring training on Wednesday, the eve of the first workout for pitchers and catchers. Manager Joe Girardi doesn’t expect complacency to be an issue for an [...]

Cliff Lee has new spring training address in Arizona, the Seattle Mariners’ complex, but it likely will be another week or more before he can pitch. Acquired from Philadelphia in the biggest trade of the offseason, Lee has a bandage around his left foot following Feb. 5 surgery to remove a bone spur.

The Chicago Cubs haven’t yet held their first official workout of spring training. But a bunch of Cubs were on hand Wednesday in Mesa, Ariz., taking grounders, limbering up and working on their batting strokes. The Cubs are determined to bounce back from a disappointing 2009 season that followed back-to-back Central Division titles.

Getting ready for Friday’s start to his final spring training as a major league manager, Atlanta’s Bobby Cox insists he will not attempt to savor this visit to Florida more than any other. He announced last September that he plans to retire after this season. Not that the cigar-smoking, tough-talking 68-year-old was looking for a [...]

Former major league pitcher Jim Bibby has died. He was 65. Community Funeral Home in Lynchburg said Wednesday that Bibby died Tuesday night at Lynchburg General Hospital. The cause was not disclosed. The family asked for privacy but said a statement would be released later. Bibby played 12 years in the majors and pitched the [...]