Detroit Tigers designated hitter Victor Martinez took batting practice Monday for the first time since undergoing knee surgery in February.
MLB news roundup: Victor Martinez likely to be ready for Opening Day
Victor Martinez is progressing well in his recovery and hopes to be ready for the start of the season, while the Giants welcomed Matt Cain back to the mound Monday.
Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
The 36-year-old told Jason Beck of MLB.com that he was unsure if he would be ready for the start of the regular season, but acknowledged that everything is going well so far. Martinez had a torn meniscus in his left knee and is currently four weeks into what the Tigers expected to be a 4-6 week recovery process.
Last season, Martinez posted career-best numbers over 151 games for Detroit. He batted .335/.409/.565 with 32 home runs and finished second in the AL MVP voting.
Cain makes strong return for Giants
The 30-year-old needed just 20 pitches to complete two perfect innings against the Dodgers, and he told Alex Pavlovic of CSNBayArea.com afterward that the outing "went really good." Cain topped out at 92 mph and utilized all four of his offerings to get six straight outs against the Dodgers' MLB starting lineup, per Pavlovic.
Cain’s health and effectiveness this year will be a big storyline in San Francisco, which will need solid contributions from the righty to compete in the NL West. The three-time All-Star struggled in his last full season back in 2013, posting a 4.00 ERA in 30 starts. He didn’t fare much better in 15 starts before undergoing elbow surgery in July, finishing with a 4.18 ERA and 4.58 FIP in 15 outings.
Even still, that Cain appeared fully healthy Monday is a positive sign for the Giants.
Cecil cleared to throw
Blue Jays reliever Brett Cecil is expected to resume throwing Tuesday after being shut down for a week with shoulder soreness, according to Ben Nicholson-Smith of SportsNet.
Toronto pitching coach Pete Walker told Nicholson-Smith that Cecil "feels good," and the club believes the lefty was simply suffering from minor inflammation.
If Cecil is healthy and ready to go once Opening Day rolls around, he is expected to be Toronto’s closer to begin the season. The 28-year-old compiled a 2.70 ERA and 2.34 FIP in 53⅓ innings pitched out of the Blue Jays’ bullpen in 2014. He recorded 76 strikeouts against 27 walks.
Floyd suffers another injury setback
Gavid Floyd has been unable to stay healthy for the better part of two seasons, and the right-hander underwent an MRI on Monday after experiencing shoulder soreness over the weekend, according to Nick Camino of WTAM.com.
Floyd has made just 14 total starts over the past two years, missing time with multiple elbow injuries. He did impress over nine starts with the Braves in 2014, posting a 2.65 ERA and 3.79 FIP, but saw his season come to an end when he fractured his elbow.
The Indians took a flyer on Floyd this offseason, signing him to a one-year, $4 million deal with the hope he might finally stay healthy. That Floyd is already in need of an MRI is obviously a bad sign.
Mariners sign veteran Correia
The Mariners signed righty Kevin Correia to a minor-league contract Monday, according to Greg Johns of MLB.com.
Correia will help add some veteran depth to the club's rotation, though Seattle will have to endure a few pitching injuries for him to make the team out of camp. The 34-year-old has found little success in MLB in recent seasons, finishing with a 5.44 ERA over 32 outings for the Twins and Dodgers in 2014.
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