Devers was expected to play March 5 before the Red Sox said he would play Tuesday or Wednesday serving as designated hitter. But on Tuesday, the Red Sox again opted to delay his first game of the spring. Devers has focused on building strength in his shoulders and refining mechanics.

Fifth starter Brayan Bello's shoulder has improved, but he won't break camp with the Red Sox for Opening Day in Texas. Bello was slow to start his daily routine in spring training because of inflammation in his throwing shoulder, but the right-hander is picking up the pace this week, manager Alex Cora said.

"He's behind. So he's not going to be with us for the Opening Day. Just doesn't make sense to push him and rush everything and then something major happens," Cora said. "So he's throwing a live BP tomorrow. He's going to be part of it. But he's behind, so we'll take care of him."

Free agent signee Alex Bregman appears to be the likely starter at third base with Devers beginning the season as designated hitter. The Red Sox maintain no decision has been made, and Cora repeated the call will come only when he has to make it official with the Opening Day lineup card in Texas.

Cora said the delayed debut in game action is not as meaningful for Devers as facing live, quality pitching on the practice fields. Instead of making his planned debut Wednesday, he's scheduled to face Garrett Crochet and Walker Buehler in live BP.

"He's getting there," he said. "But I think the whole progress from when he got here in January to where he's at now, he feels a lot comfortable on the inside pitch. You see it in the way he's driving the ball to left-center, which is is something that he missed [late last year]."

Bregman hasn't played second base in a game this spring but Cora said he will get work there "at one point."

Cole, 34, was in Los Angeles on Monday to meet with Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who will perform the surgery.

The typical recovery for Tommy John surgery is 12-18 months. In a statement on Monday, the Yankees said further updates on Cole's status will be released following the procedure.

Cole, a six-time All-Star, has four years and $144 million left on his nine-year, $324 million contract.

He reported discomfort following his most recent spring outing on Thursday, in which he permitted six runs over 2 2/3 innings against the Twins.

Last March, Cole was diagnosed with right elbow inflammation and edema in his pitching elbow, an injury that delayed his season debut until June. He went 8-5 in 17 starts with 3.41 ERA, 1.126 WHIP and 99 strikeouts over 95 innings. He made five postseason starts, going 1-0 with 2.17 ERA over 29 innings.

The Yankees' rotation will now enter the season without Cole or reigning AL Rookie of the Year Luis Gil, who is expected to miss at least three months with a lat strain.

Max Fried, who signed an eight-year, $218 million deal in the offseason, is expected to get the Opening Day start, joined in the rotation by Carlos Rodon, Clarke Schmidt and Marcus Stroman. Rookie Will Warren, Carlos Carrasco and Allan Winans are among the candidates for the fifth spot in the rotation.

In five seasons with the Yankees, Cole finished fourth (2020), second (2021) and ninth (2022) in American League Cy Young Award voting before taking home the coveted honor in 2023, when he finished 15-4 with 222 strikeouts and an AL-best 2.63 ERA in 209 innings.

Over 12 seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates (2013-17), Houston Astros (2018-19) and Yankees, the six-time All-Star is 153-80 over 317 starts (1,954 innings) with 2,251 strikeouts and 500 walks. In 22 career playoff starts, he is 11-6 with a 2.77 ERA.

Stone Garrett hit a pinch-hit grand slam in the fourth inning for the Nationals to break out to a 7-1 lead. Jesus Sanchez homered in the bottom half before Miami scored four in the fifth on a throwing error, a sacrifice fly, a single by Dane Meyers and a wild pitch.

Mitchell Parker went four innings in his start for Washington, yielding two runs on four hits with four strikeouts. Matt Mervis and Sanchez homered off Parker.

Sandy Alcantara pitched 2 2/3 innings for the Marlins, giving up two unearned runs on four hits with three strikeouts. Washington's Keibert Ruiz homered off Miami's first reliever, William Kempner.

Yankees 10, Tigers 2

Austin Wells, Paul Goldschmidt and Trent Grisham smacked solo homers off Kenta Maeda in the first inning and New York rolled past visiting Detroit in Tampa, Fla.

Reserves Jacob Morales and Alexander Vargas added home runs later to pile on. Will Warren (3-0) allowed two runs (one earned) on two hits and a walk in 3 2/3 innings.

Gleyber Torres had a two-run double against his former team to provide the Tigers' only scoring. Maeda (0-2) was dinged for five runs on seven hits over four innings. He fanned five without a walk.

Rays 4, Braves 3

Brandon Lowe hit a two-run shot and Tampa Bay held off host Atlanta in North Port, Fla.

Joe Boyle (1-0) gave up two runs on two hits and two walks, striking out four in his three-inning start for the Rays. Carson Williams and Jose Caballero drove in runs in the fourth to make it 4-2.

Bryan De La Cruz cut it to 4-3 in the sixth on a run-scoring groundout, but the Braves could not get closer. Matt Olson also had an RBI. Chris Sale (0-1) was charged with four runs on five hits and two walks in 3 1/3 innings.

Blue Jays 8, Astros 3

Bo Bichette (solo) and Addison Barger (two-run HR) went deep for Toronto as it rallied from a 3-0 deficit to defeat visiting Houston in Dunedin, Fla.

The key to the Blue Jays' four-run sixth was Ernie Clement's two-run double that put the Jays in front. Reliever Nick Sandlin (1-0) was credited with the win for a two-strikeout inning and Jake Bloss struck out five in a three-inning save.

Jake Meyers hit a solo shot for the Astros, who scored all their runs in the third. Nick Hernandez (0-1) earned all four runs in the sixth on a walk and three hits.

Phillies 4, Twins 1

Kody Clemens had a triple among his two hits as visiting Philadelphia scored all of its runs in the second inning and held on to beat Minnesota in Fort Myers, Fla.

Clemens' triple was the Phillies' only extra-base hit, but they had nine singles, including by Cal Stevenson (one RBI), Rafael Lantigua (two) and Bryson Stott (one) in the second. Starter Seth Johnson (1-0) threw two innings with a hit and a walk.

The Twins ended the shutout bid in the ninth on Anthony Prato's run-scoring flyout. Starter Pablo Lopez (0-3) gave up four runs on eight hits and three walks in three innings, striking out two.

Per the New York Post, Roberts' new deal will pay him $32.4 million through 2028 and surpasses the average annual value of Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell's five-year, $40 million contract.

Roberts, 52, is entering his 10th season at the helm of the Dodgers, who have won two World Series (2020, 2024), four National League pennants and eight division titles in nine consecutive playoff appearances under his leadership.

"We're at the 1-yard line. ... Things are looking good," Roberts said on Friday about his extension, which the two sides have reportedly discussed since early February. "I'm optimistic. You guys all know, this is where I want to be. I'm excited that things are getting done."

With an 851-507 record, Roberts has the highest winning percentage (.627) in major league history among those who have managed at least 1,000 games.

The Dodgers open the 2025 season in Tokyo with games against the Cubs on March 18 and 19.

Swanson, 31, spent the past two seasons as a key piece of the Blue Jays' bullpen and dealt with right forearm discomfort earlier this spring.

"I think we'll know more after that meeting, in terms of looking at the MRI and plans going forward," Toronto manager John Schneider said.

With Swanson out indefinitely, the Blue Jays must find a reliable reliever to set up for closer Jeff Hoffman. Zach Pop, Nick Sandlin, Yimi Garcia and Chad Green are among the candidates, according to Schneider.

To boost the bullpen, the Blue Jays brought back reliever Dillon Tate on a one-year deal on Monday, per Sportsnet. Tate, a first-round pick of the Baltimore Orioles in 2015, posted a 5.40 ERA in four appearances for Toronto last September.

In six seasons with the Seattle Mariners (2019-22) and Blue Jays, Swanson is 10-16 with 10 saves, a 3.97 ERA and a 1.117 WHIP in 240 games (11 starts) over 260 2/3 innings.

The three-time All-Star told The Athletic he had HGH injected into his troublesome knee in order to continue playing.

"I was trying to do everything I could," Vaughn said. "I knew I had a bad, degenerative knee. I was shooting HGH in my knee. Whatever I could do to help the process."

Vaughn, now 56, rose to stardom as a slugging first baseman with the Boston Red Sox from 1991-98. He made three All-Star teams and was named the 1995 AL MVP after batting .300 with 39 homers and 126 RBIs.

Vaughn spent two seasons with the Anaheim Angels from 1999-2000 before missing the 2001 season with a ruptured biceps tendon. He finished out his career with a two-year stint with the New York Mets from 2002-03.

Major League Baseball did not ban HGH until 2005. In 2007, Vaughn was named in the Mitchell report that looked into the use of performance-enhancing drugs and steroids in baseball.

Vaughn batted .293 with 328 home runs and 1,064 RBIs in 1,512 career games. He appeared on the Hall of Fame ballot in 2009 but received only six votes, or just 1.1 percent.

The report listed the Edward DeBartolo Jr. family, some of whose members own the San Francisco 49ers, and Tampa businessman Dan Doyle Jr. as prospective buyers. Doyle was the lead investor for a group that pursued the team previously before withdrawing from the process in 2023.

Doyle could not be reached for comment, nor could Joe Molloy, a former minority owner of the New York Yankees who is reportedly part of the DeBartolo effort. MLB declined to comment, the Athletic reported.

Reached Sunday, Sternberg said he is "interested to read about what industry partners have told you about our franchise and its future."

After nearly two decades of pursuing a new stadium in St. Petersburg, Sternberg and the city have focused on a $1.3 billion proposal for a new stadium at the site of Tropicana Field, which was severely damaged by Hurricane Milton last year.

The team's home games this season, and perhaps beyond, will be played in Tampa, at the Yankees' minor league complex.

Sternberg reportedly is balking at fulfilling several obligations toward the proposal. For example, while the team planned to provide $700 million to the stadium, Sternberg is blaming the county for a delay in the process that is raising costs.

Getting the team settled in the area takes on extra importance for Manfred, according to the report, because doing so would leave cities like Nashville and Portland, Ore., as potential sites for expansion rather than a new home for the Rays.

Pinellas County commissioner Chris Latvala, who is a critic of Sternberg, envisions the owner selling.

"If Stu walks away from this deal, I think the owners and Major League Baseball will see that he either has an unwillingness to do a new stadium in Tampa Bay, or he has a financial issue that prevents him from doing a new stadium in Tampa Bay and there needs to be an ownership change."

It's not a matter of money, Rays president Matt Silverman said.

"It's not a question of whether we have the funds. We do. The question is whether it's a good use of those funds to commit us and MLB to this ballpark for the next 30 years," Silverman said.

Skubal (1-0) gave up two runs and four hits over the first 3 1/3 innings, striking out four and walking one. He has a 2.16 ERA this spring, with eight strikeouts in three starts covering 8 1/3 innings.

Last season, Skubal finished with an 18-4 record, a 2.39 ERA and 228 strikeouts to earn the pitching Triple Crown and the Cy Young Award.

The Pirates' Tommy Pham hit a solo homer off Skubal in the third on Sunday. For the Tigers, Javier Baez went 2-for-3, including a three-run homer that highlighted the team's four-run third inning.

Orioles 4, Twins 3

Starter Tomoyuki Sugano pitched three perfect innings to help host Baltimore win its split-squad game against Minnesota in Sarasota, Fla.

Sugano (1-0) struck out five and maintained his 0.00 ERA in three spring games (two starts).

Ramon Laureano led the Orioles with two runs, while the Twins scored all of their runs on solo homers -- by Matt Wallner, Edouard Julien and Brooks Lee.

Phillies 12, Orioles 2

Edmundo Sosa went 2-for-3 with a homer and a double as Philadelphia won a rout in Baltimore's split-squad game in Clearwater, Fla.

The Phillies scored nine runs over their final three innings. Sosa's homer came in the third, and Bryce Harper's two-run single made it a three-run inning for Philadelphia. Agnnel Escobar also hit a two-run homer.

Coby Mayo had a double and an RBI for the Orioles.

Cardinals 6, Yankees 5

St. Louis, led by Nolan Gorman's two hits and two RBIs, extended its spring winning streak to three games with the victory over visiting New York in Jupiter, Fla.

Gorman hit a two-run homer in the fourth inning for the Cardinals, who won despite being out-hit 14-10.

For the Yankees, Anthony Volpe, J.C. Escarra and Jazz Chisholm Jr. all hit home runs. Volpe and Chisholm combined for four hits, three RBIs and three runs.

Blue Jays 13, Rays 9

Daulton Varsho and Addison Barger each had two hits as visiting Toronto used a 15-hit attack to beat Tampa Bay, which got four RBIs from Ricardo Genoves in the game in Port Charlotte, Fla.

The Blue Jays scored eight runs over the final two innings. Will Robertson and Jay Harry hit two-run home runs to ignite a six-run eighth and put the Jays in front for good. Damiano Palmegiani also went deep.

The Rays finished with 14 hits. Brandon Lowe hit a three-run shot in the third and Genoves hit a two-run homer in the sixth.

Red Sox 7, Braves 3

Reliever Liam Hendriks overcame a rough outing to improve to 2-0 this spring as host Boston defeated Atlanta in Fort Myers, Fla.

Hendriks, a cancer survivor who missed the 2024 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2023, gave up two runs and three hits in one inning on Sunday to raise his spring ERA to 13.50.

Trayce Thompson and Nate Eaton hit back-to-back homers off Bryce Elder (0-1) to put Boston ahead for good in the fifth. The Braves got a two-run homer from Garrett Cooper off Hendriks in the top of that inning.

Marlins 10, Astros 6

Derek Hill homered, knocked in two, walked twice and scored three runs to lead visiting Miami past Houston in West Palm Beach, Fla.

Hill's home run was a two-run shot in the Marlins' three-run sixth inning. Eric Wagaman also went yard for Miami.

For the Astros, Jeremy Pena went 2-for-3 with two runs, including a solo homer in the sixth. Yordan Alvarez and Zach Dezenzo homered as well.

Mets 7, Nationals 6

Clay Holmes pitched 3 2/3 shutout innings -- giving up only one hit and striking out eight -- to help host New York edge Washington in Port St. Lucie, Fla.

Mark Vientos hit a two-run shot before Jakson Reetz had a grand slam for the Mets in the first inning.

The Nationals scored their six runs in the seventh, a rally capped by Nasim Nunez's two-run single.

Grove suffered the injury during Game 2 of last season's National League Division Series and missed the rest of the postseason.

Two weeks ago, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters that Grove would not be ready for Opening Day.

"Michael is certainly behind schedule. He's working through some things," Roberts said. "I don't see any world where he's ready for opening day. He's got to build up."

A second-round pick in 2018 after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2017, Grove made his debut in 2022, pitching seven games (six starts) with a 4.60 ERA and 24 strikeouts.

However, Grove struggled in 2023 with a career-high 6.13 ERA across 18 games (12 starts). Primarily a starter, he transitioned to the bullpen.

Last season, he pitched in 39 games, including 37 relief appearances. He posted a 5.12 ERA, a 1.216 WHIP and 54 strikeouts.

Grove's advanced metrics rate him higher than his basic statistics. Last season, he performed well in breaking run value (79th percentile), xERA (64th percentile), and xBA (74th percentile).

Grove's slider is his best pitch, earning a +5 run value last season. His fastball has an average velocity of 94.1 miles per hour but had a run value of zero in 2024.

The 23-year-old suffered the injury during batting practice on Saturday.

Alvarez quickly established himself as one of the exciting backstops in the game. In 2023, he burst onto the scene with 25 home runs (second-most among catchers) and 63 RBIs with a .209/.284/.437 slash line.

Last season, Alvarez was limited to 100 games due to injuries, recording 11 home runs and 47 RBIs with a .237/.307/.403 line.

Behind the plate, he ranked in the 88th percentile in framing.

With Alvarez sidelined, Luis Torrens projects to move into the starting lineup. He played 47 games last season, posting a 0.7 WAR. He had three home runs and 15 RBIs with a .229/.292/.373 line.

Defensively, Torres caught 13 runners stealing. He was in the 94th percentile in caught stealing above average.

However, Alvarez and Torres are the only catchers on the Mets' current 40-man roster.

Catcher Jakson Reetz is on a minor league deal with the organization. He has appeared in eight career MLB games, including six last season with the San Francisco Giants. Reetz could become the No. 2 catcher to start the season.

The Mets could also look to add a catcher via free agency.

Scherzer, who signed a one-year, $15 million deal last month to join Toronto's rotation, allowed one hit and no walks to lower his spring ERA to 2.00.

Ernie Clement sparked Toronto's offense, going 2-for-3 with a three-run home run, while Bo Bichette delivered an RBI single.

Detroit starter Jackson Jobe, who is 18 years younger than the 40-year-old Scherzer, delivered 3 2/3 scoreless innings, giving up just one hit and two walks. Brant Hurter yielded five runs (four earned) on six hits in two innings.

Braves 6, Pirates 5

Matthew Batten capped a four-run, ninth-inning comeback with a tiebreaking RBI single to lift Atlanta over visiting Pittsburgh in North Port, Fla.

Marcell Ozuna's two-run double gave Atlanta an early 2-0 lead, but starter Spencer Schwellenbach yielded three runs on six hits in three-plus innings. Ambioris Tavarez, Stephen Paolini and Lizandro Espinoza each had an RBI.

Andrew McCutchen, Endy Rodriguez, Jack Suwinski, Bryan Reynolds and Matt Gorski had RBIs as Pittsburgh built a 5-2 lead. Jaden Woods couldn't close it out, allowing all four Braves runs (three earned) in the ninth.

Twins 9, Red Sox 8

Despite blowing a seven-run lead and falling behind late, host Minnesota rallied to beat Boston on Aaron Sabato's walk-off single in Fort Myers, Fla.

Trayce Thompson's go-ahead grand slam capped a six-run eighth for Boston, which trailed 7-0 entering the seventh. Nick Sogard hit a two-run shot to get the Red Sox on the board in the seventh.

Ty France was Minnesota's hitting star, going 2-for-3 with four RBIs, including a three-run homer in the sixth. Luke Keaschall hit his first spring homer, a solo shot.

Rays 6, Orioles 3

Tre' Morgan capped a five-run seventh inning with a two-run home run as visiting Tampa Bay defeated Baltimore in Sarasota, Fla.

Bob Seymour, Tanner Murray and Jake Mangum notched RBI hits in the seventh before Morgan went deep. Kameron Misner added a solo shot in the ninth.

Charlie Morton was sharp for Baltimore, allowing one hit over three scoreless frames. Jeremiah Jackson drilled a two-run homer and Adley Rutschman, who is hitting .438 this spring, knocked an RBI single.

Cardinals 5, Nationals 3

Ryan Vilade and Michael Helman each drove in a pair as visiting St. Louis posted a win over Washington in West Palm Beach, Fla.

Thomas Saggese went 2-for-3 with two runs and Pedro Pages also scored twice for the Cardinals, who got solid pitching from starter Steven Matz and the bullpen.

For the Nationals, Keibert Ruiz notched a hit and two RBIs and Jacob Young went 2-for-3 with two runs. Starter DJ Herz was touched for four runs (two earned) over 3 1/3 innings.

Phillies 5, Blue Jays 4

Philadelphia build an early five-run lead and held off a late Toronto comeback to post a home victory in Clearwater, Fla.

Alec Bohm belted his third spring homer, a solo drive, to give Philadelphia a 4-0 lead in the third. J.T. Realmuto, Bryson Stott, Kyle Schwarber and Brandon Marsh all collected RBI singles.

Bowden Francis endured a tough start for Toronto, giving up all five Philadelphia runs on seven hits over 2 2/3 innings. Addison Barger, Alan Roden and Eddinson Paulino all went deep.

Per the Tigers, the club option features 2026 performance bonuses for Urquidy, who hasn't pitched since the 2023 season. Should the Tigers exercise the club option, Urquidy could earn up to an additional $3 million in incentives next year, making the contract worth a maximum of two years and $8 million.

Urquidy, who turns 30 in May, underwent Tommy John surgery on June 5, 2024. He was placed on the 60-day injured list Saturday by the Tigers as he continues to work his way back to the mound. It is unclear whether he will play in 2025.

Also Saturday, the Tigers placed right-hander Sawyer Gipson-Long on the 60-day injured list. Gipson-Long is rehabbing his left hip labral repair and recovering from Tommy John surgery.

Urquidy is 27-16 with a 3.98 ERA in 79 games (70 starts) over five seasons with the Houston Astros.

The A's will wear a "Las Vegas" patch on their sleeves, thanks to a three-year sponsorship deal with the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. The A's will be playing the next three seasons at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento, Calif., then are scheduled to move into a new stadium in Las Vegas for the 2028 season.

Unable to secure a stadium deal in Oakland, the A's left the city it had called home since 1968 after last season.

"We're going to be partners for a very, very long time, and we really thought that during these three years of interim play in Sacramento that celebrating coming to Vegas was something that was really important," team owner John Fisher told The Athletic.

The deal will pay the Athletics $2.5 million in 2025, with the amount going up an additional $250,000 in each subsequent year of the agreement, according to Steve Hill, head of the LVCVA, per The Athletic.

The team that makes the most on its sponsorship deal is believed to be the New York Yankees, who earn roughly $25 million a year from their deal with Starr Insurance, according to the report.

Although the A's will display the name of their future home on their sleeves, their jerseys will not bear the name of the city they actually play in, Sacramento, across the front. Before moving to their permanent home, they will be known as just the A's or Athletics.

The Vegas patch will appear on each player's dominant arm. The team will wear a Sacramento patch on the opposite sleeve.

"We're very excited to be opening the season shortly here in Sacramento," Fisher said. "It's a great city and one that's been extremely supportive of our coming here. But it's always been clear from the beginning that our years in Sacramento were going to be interim years. I think Sacramento is an incredible market for an expansion team down the road, but we're coming to Las Vegas, and so we felt that it was appropriate and was the right thing to just be the Athletics during those interim years."

The six-time All-Star missed the first few months of the season with elbow soreness, then finished 8-5 in 17 starts with 3.41 ERA, 1.126 WHIP and 99 strikeouts over 95 innings. He made five postseason starts, going 1-0 with 2.17 ERA over 12 2/3 innings.

Cole struggled in his spring training outing on Thursday against the Minnesota Twins, surrendering six runs in 2 2/3 innings.

The extent of Cole's injury is unclear.

Losing Cole would be a crucial blow for the Yankees, who have World Series aspirations. Fellow starter Luis Gil, the reigning American League Rookie of the Year, is expected to miss at least three months with a lat strain.

Potential trade candidate Marcus Stroman suddenly appears to be an important piece of the roster. He would easily slide back into the rotation, alongside Max Fried, Carlos Rodon and Clarke Schmidt.

Stroman was left off the Yankees' AL Division Series roster, and Fried's signing added more uncertainty to his role. Nevertheless, the veteran right-hander was a solid performer last season. In 30 games, he recorded a 4.31 ERA, 113 strikeouts and 0.7 WAR.

Boston scored in each of the eight innings that it came to the plate, topped by a six-run third inning that included homers from Story and Alex Bregman.

Trayce Thompson and Nate Eaton also went deep for the Red Sox. Story wound up 3-for-4 with three RBIs and three runs. Walker Buehler gave up one run in three innings for the win.

Jack Winkler hit a three-run homer for the Marlins. Miami starter Edward Cabrera yielded six runs in 1 2/3 innings.

Twins (ss) 7, Braves 1

Willi Castro doubled twice and scored a run as a Minnesota split squad beat Atlanta in Fort Myers, Fla.

Ty France and Ryan Jeffers each had two hits and an RBI for the Twins, and Brooks Lee also amassed two hits. Minnesota starter Bailey Ober fanned five while allowing one run in four innings.

Braves starter Reynaldo Lopez was tagged for five runs (three earned) on six hits in 3 1/3 innings. Jarred Kelenic homered to account for Atlanta's lone run.

Twins (ss) 9, Rays 9

Kevin Maitan's RBI groundout in the ninth inning allowed a Minnesota split squad to emerge with a tie against Tampa Bay in Port Charlotte, Fla.

The Twins jumped out to an 8-1 lead before the Rays found their offense, ultimately going up 9-8 in the seventh inning on Jake Mangum's two-run double. Jonathan Aranda also knocked in two runs for Tampa Bay.

Edouard Julien and Luke Keaschall each collected two hits for the Twins. Minnesota reliever Travis Adams was charged with a blown save, but he threw three scoreless innings.

Pirates 3, Phillies 2

Jared Jones fired three innings of one-run ball, striking out six, as Pittsburgh edged Philadelphia in Bradenton, Fla.

Ji Hwan Bae had two hits and two stolen bases for the Pirates, who got a two-inning save from Eddy Yean.

Kody Clemens homered for the Phillies, and Otto Kemp hit an RBI double. Cristopher Sanchez gave up one run in three innings.

Royals 8, Angels (ss) 2 (6 innings)

Bobby Witt Jr.'s two-run first-inning homer sent Kansas City on its way to a rain-shortened win over a Los Angeles split squad in Surprise, Ariz.

Hunter Renfroe, Peyton Wilson, Vinnie Pasquantino and Brian O'Keefe also went deep for the Royals.

Tim Anderson and Nolan Schanuel each went 2-for-3 for the Angels.

Guardians 12, Athletics 5

Austin Hedges, Tyler Freeman and Daniel Schneemann each had two hits, including a home run, as Cleveland trounced the Athletics in Mesa, Ariz.

Kyle Manzardo and Micah Pries added long balls for the Guardians. Cleveland starter Joey Cantillo delivered three scoreless innings.

Miguel Andujar finished 3-for-3 for the A's. Starter Osvaldo Bido was rocked for eight runs on nine hits in 3 1/3 innings.

Tigers 11, Orioles 7

Spencer Torkelson delivered two homers and a single as Detroit outslugged Baltimore in Lakeland, Fla.

Gleyber Torres and Andrew Navigato added home runs for the Tigers. Casey Mize struck out five in a scoreless three-inning relief stint.

Sam Basallo smacked a three-run triple for the Orioles. Dean Kremer allowed six runs on six hits in three-plus innings.

Cardinals 6, Astros 4

Catchers Ivan Herrera and Leonardo Bernal homered as St. Louis topped Houston in Jupiter, Fla.

Herrera also doubled for St. Louis, which turned four double plays. Starter Miles Mikolas permitted two runs in four innings.

Jake Meyers went 2-for-2 to lead the Astros' offense. Spencer Arrighetti walked four but gave up just one run in two innings.

Nationals 5, Mets 4

CJ Abrams hit a solo homer and an RBI single as Washington edged New York in West Palm Beach, Fla.

James Wood added a two-run homer for the Nationals. Trevor Williams logged four innings of one-run ball.

Jose Azocar had two of the Mets' eight hits and knocked in a run. Paul Blackburn permitted three runs on five hits in 2 1/3 innings.

Yankees 8, Blue Jays 7

Cole Gabrielson's two-run double in the bottom of the ninth lifted New York over Toronto in Tampa.

The Blue Jays, who blew a 5-3 lead to fall behind 6-5 in the eighth, scored twice on an error in the top of the ninth to move in front.

Cody Bellinger, Everson Pereira and Austin Wells homered for the Yankees. Nathan Lukes went deep for Toronto.

Rainouts

Five games scheduled for Friday -- Chicago Cubs-Chicago White Sox in Phoenix; San Francisco Giants-Cincinnati Reds in Goodyear, Ariz.; Arizona Diamondbacks-Los Angeles Angels split squad in Tempe, Ariz.; San Diego Padres-Milwaukee Brewers in Phoenix; and Texas Rangers-Colorado Rockies in Scottsdale, Ariz. -- were rained out.

None of the games will be rescheduled.

Beeks is a six-year MLB veteran. He began his career with the Boston Red Sox, pitching only two games, before being traded to the Tampa Bay Rays for Nathan Eovaldi.

In Tampa, he appeared in 129 total games across five seasons, posting a 4.18 ERA. His best season came in 2022, when he recorded a 2.80 ERA and 70 strikeouts in 42 games.

Last season, Beeks played 45 games for the Colorado Rockies before being traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates in late July. Between the two teams, the 31-year-old recorded a 4.50 ERA and 1.486 WHIP with 55 strikeouts in 71 appearances.

Beeks' fastball averages 94.5 miles per hour. He also utilizes a changeup and cutter. Last season, he rarely threw his curveball (12 total pitches) or sinker (five total pitches).

This offseason, the Astros lost two key bullpen pieces in Ryan Pressly and Hector Neris. Kendall Graveman departed in free agency, as well, but he missed the entire 2024 season with a shoulder injury.

General manager Justin Hollander discussed the situation with the media on Friday.

"George Kirby has not been feeling great after his outings," Hollander said. "In the outings, he's throwing the ball well -- same velocity as you would expect. He just hasn't felt like he's bouncing back great. We did an MRI -- MRI looks great. No structural concerns whatsoever, and I will repeat that: zero structural concerns.

"There is some inflammation in there that we need to get out, so much to George's chagrin, we are going to take the ball out of his hands ... This is more like a week-to-week thing than a day-to-day thing. We just want to make sure we're doing the right thing for the big picture of the whole season as opposed to worrying about Opening Day."

Since being called up in 2022, Kirby has played three seasons for Seattle.

In 2023, he secured his first All-Star nod, posting a 3.35 ERA and 1.038 WHIP along with 172 strikeouts in 31 starts.

Last season, he continued his elite play, recording a 3.53 ERA and 1.068 WHIP, while striking out a career-high 179 batters. His 33 starts were tied for the highest mark in MLB.

Kirby was selected by the Mariners in the first round of the 2019 MLB Draft.

Devers focused on building strength in his shoulders because of injuries last season and has not yet played in a Grapefruit League game for the Red Sox this spring. Boston started new addition Alex Bregman at third base on Friday and he entered the game batting .400 this spring.

Devers is scheduled to be used as Boston's designated hitter in his first game action of 2025, which will be either Tuesday or Wednesday at Fenway South in Fort Myers.

"He needs the reps on the field, but (also to) understand what he is working on. Obviously, (we are talking about) the shoulder. We have to be patient," manager Alex Cora said Friday. "The goal for him is to be ready for Texas [on Opening Day]."

When the Red Sox signed Bregman, Devers was defensive about holding onto his preferred spot at third, referring to it as "my spot."

Bregman said he's willing to play second base. One of the organization's top prospects, Kristian Campbell is a second baseman, but he began spring in a 1-for-17 slump with nine strikeouts. He had a .330 batting average over three levels of minor-league baseball in the Red Sox system last year and was named Hitting Prospect of the Year.

Cora addressed the perceived Bregman-Devers friction early in camp, dispelling the notion there wasn't room for both on Boston's roster. He's still not showing his hand about how the Red Sox might deploy them in the regular season.

"I've been answering this question a lot of times, and I'm going to give you the same answer: The decision will be made when we have to," Cora said Friday. "There is a lot of competition out there. Versatility and athleticism will come into play and we'll take the best 26 [players] to Texas. We are going to have our best defensive and offensive lineup for the first game of the season."

Another factor for Cora to consider: Bregman won the American League Gold Glove last season while Devers led AL third basemen in errors for the seventh straight season.

Located on the former site of the Tropicana hotel, the team expects to break ground on the 33,000-seat stadium during the second quarter of this year with a target date of opening in time for the 2028 season. It is being designed by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) and HNTB.

The team began taking deposits for season tickets on Friday, with the $19.01 cost representing the year the franchise was established in 1901.

The renderings show the bullpens for both teams stacked together beyond the left-field wall, along with a shortened foul territory that the team said would allow for the closest seats to the field of any stadium in Major League Baseball.

The renderings were unveiled during a Las Vegas Stadium Authority meeting at the Las Vegas Convention Center on Thursday, ahead of the A's two-game exhibition series against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Las Vegas Ballpark this weekend.

The franchise left Oakland after last season and is slated to play in Sacramento for the next three seasons.

MLB.com reported the deal, which is pending a physical, includes a team option for 2032. While Butler was not eligible for free agency until 2029, the A's seemingly are committed to building a foundation for the future as they prepare to relocate to Las Vegas, planned for 2028.

In January, the A's signed outfielder/designated hitter Brent Rooker to an extension with the highest annual average value -- $12 million on a five-year, $60 million contract -- that could be worth millions more if incentives are met.

Butler, 24, had a strong rookie season, hitting. .262 with 24 doubles, two triples, 22 home runs, 57 RBIs and 18 stolen bases over 125 games.

In his 61 games after the All-Star break, he hit .300 with 43 runs, 13 homers and 32 RBIs.

Entering Friday, he's batting .563 (9-for-16) with two homers, five RBIs and five runs in spring training.

At the A's spring training facility in Mesa, Ariz., Butler told reporters a few weeks ago how much he wanted to spend his entire career with the Athletics.

"It would mean everything to me," Butler said. "I love the A's. They're the team that gave me an opportunity as a young 17-year-old out of high school. I'm grateful for that opportunity and I've developed some of my best friendships here. For me to play here for (many more) years, it'll mean a lot to me.

"At the end of my career, I would love to have my jersey retired here and be talked about like Dave Stewart and Rickey Henderson. That would be amazing."