MLB news roundup: Johan Santana reportedly near deal with Orioles
Here is the latest on Santana, Russell Wilson’s big day with the Rangers, Cameron Maybin’s bicep injury and more.
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The Orioles are still looking for pitching, and they are reportedly close to signing Johan Santana to a minor league deal, according to Chris Cotillo. Santana was spotted at O's camp earlier in the day.
The veteran southpaw will turn 35 next week and reportedly did not have much on his fastball while throwing for scouts earlier in the winter. Even if Baltimore signs him, it is likely Santana will need a lot of time in the minors before he is ready to face big league hitters.
Gibbons makes first instant replay challenge
Monday's exhibition between the Blue Jays and Twins was historical. On a disputed call at first base, Toronto manager John Gibbons had the umpires turn to instant replay to check whether or not the first baseman's foot came off the bag.
Screen shot of umps on headsets eagerly awaiting ruling from replay central pic.twitter.com/YEVSG02hgy
— Jayson Stark (@jaysonst) March 3, 2014 After reviewing the play with replay officials in New York -- it two minutes and 34 seconds, about a minute longer than Joe Torre hopes for -- it was ruled the correct call was made.
Russell Wilson debuts at Rangers camp
There was a serious buzz out in Arizona as Super Bowl champion Russell Wilson made his spring debut with the Rangers. Hundreds of fans showed up for autographs and to get a glimpse of him as he took infield practice.
Wilson was originally drafted by the Orioles out of high school, but he elected to play at North Carolina State instead. He was then drafted by the Rockies in the fourth round of the 2010 draft. He played with Colorado's minor league affiliates for parts of two seasons before eventually taking his talents to the NFL. Needless to say, he probably took the right career path.
Maybin out 2-3 months with ruptured bicep
The Padres just can't catch a break these days. The bad news continued to roll in on Monday when it was revealed that center fielder Cameron Maybin tore his left bicep while laying out to make a spectacular catch against the Dodgers on Sunday afternoon.
Maybin appeared in just 14 games last season due to a wrist injury, and he probably won’t see regular action in San Diego until May at the earliest.
Namath visits Jeter
Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Namath made a visit to Yankees camp to see Derek Jeter and the rest of the pinstriped boys. In addition to speaking with the Yankees captain for quite some time in the dugout, Namath also threw out the first pitch.
He wasn’t the only big name to be at the game on Monday. Jets head coach Rex Ryan sat next to the Yankees’ dugout and stayed for all nine innings. Andy Pettitte was also at the game and briefly spoke in YES Network’s television booth.
San Fran's top prospect impresses against Cubs
The Giants never seem to run out of pitching. With top prospect Kyle Crick waiting in the wings, it was his turn to take the mound in Mesa against the Cubs. Andrew Baggarly of CSN Bay Area has the latest on his outing.
Crick struggled with location in his first inning, allowing a run on two hits (one was a bunt single) and a stolen base while throwing plenty of heat at the letters. He settled down in his second inning while striking out the side, including a couple of fastballs he blew past top hitting prospects Kris Bryant and Jorge Soler.
"Even though it was a B game, it was still a major league game to me," Crick said. "I was disappointed I couldn't get a grip faster. I was worrying about hitting spots. ... In the second inning, I just started throwing the ball and not worrying about where it ended up."
Crick will likely begin the season in the minors to continue developing, but as long as he keeps turning out outings like the one he had Monday, it won’t be long before he’s hurling fastballs at AT&T Park.
Duda dealing with leg stiffness
Lucas Duda left Monday's game against Atlanta early with stiffness in his leg. While it does not seem to be a serious issue, the Mets seem to have a player dealing with a new nagging injury every day in camp.
Duda is battling for playing time at first base and the outfield. He put together a pretty impressive season in 2013, hitting .223 with a .767 OPS, 15 home runs and 33 RBI in just 100 games.
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