A look at what’s happening all around spring training in Florida and Arizona today:
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NEWS FROM THE BAT CAVE?
Queens is holding its breath waiting to hear more on the status of Mets star Matt Harvey. The right-hander was scratched from his final spring training appearance on Monday and could miss his opening-day start at Kansas City because of an unspecified medical issue. “It’s a non-baseball medical issue we have to address,” Mets general manager Sandy Alderson said.
FINAL AUDITION
Masahiro Tanaka might start on opening day for the Yankees, but first, the team wants to evaluate the right-hander’s last spring outing against Philadelphia. “We want to make sure that we feel that he’s ready and that he feels good about where he’s at before we really talk about who’s going to be our opening-day starter,” manager Joe Girardi said. “We want to see him dial it up a little bit. I think it’s important that we see something.”
POWERING UP
If spring training is any indication, Seattle second baseman Robinson Cano could be ready to reverse what has been a slow decline in his power numbers. The 33-year-old’s slugging percentage has dropped each of the past three seasons, but he has been mashing this spring. He has seven homers in 49 at-bats, including three on Sunday and one more on Monday.
BUST OUT
Jesus Montero is on the move again, this time with far less fanfare. The former top prospect was waived by the Mariners and picked up by the Blue Jays on Monday after four disappointing seasons with Seattle. Montero was acquired from the Yankees in 2012 for starter Michael Pineda in a blockbuster swap of promising youngsters, but hit just .247 with 24 homers in 208 games with the Mariners.
MEET UP BY THE THREE RIVERS
Pirates minor leaguer Jacob Stallings never expected his dad to beat him to Pittsburgh, but that’s just what happened when Kevin Stallings was hired as the men’s basketball coach at Pitt over the weekend. “He’s been (at Vandy) since I was in the fourth grade, 17 years,” the catcher said. “It’s just wild that it’s Pittsburgh. A funny coincidence.”