The pitcher Roberto Hernandez, formerly known as Fausto Carmona, told The Associated Press he hopes to obtain a judicial pardon and return to the Cleveland Indians this season. Hernandez was placed on baseball's restricted list after he was arrested in the Dominican Republic on false identity charges last month.
Bobby Abreu says he wants to be an everyday player and thinks the Los Angeles Angels should trade him if he is going to spend most of his time on the bench this season. In a statement given to ESPNdeportes on Tuesday, Abreu says trading him is the right thing for the Angels to do if there is no full-time position for him.
An injured Ryan Howard clutching his leg and writhing in pain on the ground was the lasting image for the Philadelphia Phillies' disappointing 2011 finish. The big slugger is doing much better now, and he was all smiles after taking batting practice Wednesday for the first time since surgery to repair his torn left Achilles tendon.
Ronald Belisario spent last season in Venezuela instead of with the Los Angeles Dodgers due to visa problems. The reason? A positive test for cocaine. Belisario says he only used the drug once, but doesn't remember when he tried it, when he tested positive or who administered the test. He said he must serve a 25-game suspension -- Major League Baseball has not announced any discipline.
Kelly Shoppach's preparation for his first season as a catcher with the Boston Red Sox includes more than just getting to know the pitching staff. He practically has to learn a different language. He has to learn how to speak Varitek. For 15 years, Jason Varitek was the voice in the Boston pitching staff's ear, and the target behind the plate, giving the Red Sox their hard-nosed, gritty...
Last summer, Carlos Beltran offered to foot the bill if then-Mets teammate Jonathan Niese received a nose job. Now it's time to pay up. "Carlos and I were joking around about it and he said he wanted me to get a new nose," Niese said Wednesday. "Yeah, he'll pay. I sent him the bill." The surgery, performed last October, didn't straighten the 25-year-old pitcher's...
Texas Rangers president and CEO Nolan Ryan says the team assembling for this spring training is his best. At a packed news conference Wednesday, the Hall of Fame pitcher spoke of how impressed he is with the team's expensive addition from Japan, right-hander Yu Darvish, then talked of the addiction struggles of outfielder Josh Hamilton and his high expectations for this team.
The Cleveland Indians have signed infielder Cristian Guzman to a minor league contract. Guzman didn't play last season because of a shoulder problem, but the 33-year-old passed a physical with the Indians on Tuesday and will have a chance to win a job during training camp. A two-time All-Star, Guzman is a career .271 hitter in 12 seasons with Minnesota, Washington and Texas.
Former Yankees manager Lou Piniella has been hired by the team's YES Network as a special contributor. Piniella will help with 20-30 events this year, including some game telecasts. He also is with the team as a spring training instructor in Tampa, Fla., near his home. A member of the Yankees' World Series-winning teams in 1977 and `78, Piniella managed them from 1986-87, was general manager...
The Royals have agreed to terms with relievers Louis Coleman and Greg Holland for this season, leaving five unsigned players on the 40-man roster. Holland will make $497,150 and Coleman will make $491,750. Both of them had fewer than three years of service time, which meant the Royals could set their contracts.
