MLB News Blog

St. Louis starter Brad Penny absorbed a line drive off his pitching elbow and Mets closer Francisco Rodriguez was perfect in his spring debut Monday during New York’s 6-5 win over the Cardinals. Penny stuck up his right elbow to block a liner off the bat of Jason Bay in the first inning. After a few practice tosses, Penny stayed in the game.

St. Louis starter Brad Penny absorbed a line drive off his pitching elbow and Mets closer Francisco Rodriguez was perfect in his spring debut Monday during New York’s 6-5 win over the Cardinals. Penny stuck up his right elbow to block a liner off the bat of Jason Bay in the first inning. After a few practice tosses, Penny stayed in the game.

Milwaukee Brewers closer Trevor Hoffman expects to make his spring training debut on Friday. The 42-year-old career saves leader has been brought along slowly in camp. The Brewers are hoping to keep him fresh for the season and injury-free. Hoffman threw 35 pitches to batters on Monday. He faced six hitters on the minor league side of the Brewers’ training facility and mixed in his change up and…

Daisuke Matsuzaka said Sunday he’s feeling better but is waiting to make a decision on when he’ll have his first throwing session of spring training. A day after he was scratched from throwing batting practice because of a stiff neck, the Red Sox right-hander played catch for about 10 minutes from 60 feet.

Johan Santana resembled the pitcher on Sunday that many call the premier left-hander in the game the last six years. Santana pitched four scoreless innings against the Marlins, allowing three hits in his second spring training start since undergoing surgery on his left elbow in September. Santana and fellow Venezuelan Anibal Sanchez left a scoreless game before the Marlins did all their scoring in…

Stephen Strasburg pitched three scoreless innings and the Washington Nationals fell to 0-10 in exhibition play with Sunday’s 7-3 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. Strasburg, the top overall pick in last year’s draft who signed a record $15.1 million contract, allowed two singles and a walk in his second spring training start.

CC Sabathia struggled while pitching into the fifth inning of his third spring start, giving up a home run to Aki Iwamura in the New York Yankees’ 10-5 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday. Sabathia left after Andy LaRoche lined a one-out single to center that glanced off his glove and put runners on first and second.

Kansas City Royals outfielder Rick Ankiel will miss at least a week of spring training with a right ankle injury. Manager Trey Hillman said Sunday he would hold Ankiel out of spring training games for another six to seven days with the sore right ankle. Ankiel was scratched from the lineup Friday with the injury and Hillman was optimistic Ankiel could return after a couple of days rest, but the…

Former major league infielder Dallas McPherson was among the 10 players the Oakland Athletics reassigned to their minor league camp on Sunday. The team also reassigned right-handed pitchers Sam Demel and Matt Wright, left-handed pitcher Cedrick Bowers, catchers Joel Galarraga and Max Stassi, and infielders Grant Green, Jemile Weeks, Matt Whitney and Corey Wimberly.

Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts is returning to Baltimore to see a specialist for an ailing back that has kept him out of games this spring. “I’m just going there to see a back doctor and just make sure we’re progressing in a way we need to be and if we need to ramp it up and do anything else, then we will,” Roberts after taking infield practice with the team on Sunday…