NATIONAL LEAGUE SPRING TRAINING NOTES

ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS

Ketel Marte has a new position this year. The former middle infielder will be the regular center fielder. He takes the place of A.J. Pollock, who signed a four-year, $55 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers in free agent.

❚ Signed to a six-year, $68.5 million contract prior to the 2015 season, outfielder Yasmany Tomas spent last season in the minor leagues. The Diamondbacks are trying the Cuban at first base this spring to see if he could help replace the traded Paul Goldschmidt.

ATLANTA BRAVES

Touki Toussaint had a rough second outing as he competes with left-hander Luiz Gohara and right-handers Mike Soroka and Kyle Wright for the fifth starter’s job.

The 22-year-old right-hander was rocked for five runs in one inning by the Detroit Tigers on Feb. 28. The rookie debuted with the Braves late last season, going 2-1 with a 4.03 ERA in seven games, including five starts.

❚ Wright, the fifth overall selection in the 2017 amateur draft from Vanderbilt, pitched two scoreless innings in his Grapefruit League debut.

CHICAGO CUBS

Cole Hamels is 35 and his eight-year, $173 million contract expires at the end of the year. However, the left-hander isn’t thinking about retirement.

Hamels wants to play until 45. In attempt to reach that goal, he changed his winter workout routine, including hiring a “posture specialist.”

❚ Another lefty, Jose Quintana, had a strong first start in the Cactus League, holding the Diamondbacks scoreless for two innings March 1.

CINCINNATI REDS

Yasiel Puig is fitting in well with his new team. The Reds acquired the dynamic right fielder from the Dodgers in a trade.

Perhaps it helps that Puig’s favorite color is red. Who was acquired with Puig. “Its fun, it’s entertaining. You get a lot of laughs out of it. He keeps everybody loose and keeps everybody wondering what he’s going to do next.”

❚ Right-hander Sonny Gray has been slowed by elbow stiffness but is expected to be ready for the start of the regular season. He was acquired from the New York Yankees in an offseason trade and signed to a four-year, $38 million extension.

COLORADO ROCKIES

Jon Gray cut his long hair last week and started wearing a Mohawk-style haircut.

The right-hander is looking for a fresh start after going 12-9 with a 5.12 ERA in 31 starts. Gray pitched three scoreless innings against the Cubs in a Cactus League game March 1 after the haircut.

❚ Third baseman Nolan Arenado built a safeguard into his eight-year, $260-million extension. He can opt out of the contract following the 2021 season.

LOS ANGELES DODGERS

The Dodgers could be without three-time Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw for the start of the season as the staff ace begins to rebuild from shoulder soreness that caused him to shut down his spring training, manager Dave Roberts acknowledged. The Dodgers open March 28 against Arizona.

Kershaw has made a franchise- record eight consecutive opening day starts.

❚ Right-hander Julio Urias has looked healthy this spring and could win a rotation spot after missing the first 5 ½ months of last season while recovering from shoulder surgery.

MIAMI MARLINS

Martin Prado’s career has come full circle. To make room for Brian Anderson at third base, Prado will be a reserve infielder. The 35year-old will primarily back up the corners in the final season of his three-year, $40-million contract “This is how I came up,” said Prado, entering his 14th season. “I was a utility guy with the Braves. I’m familiar with this.”

Prado has been limited to 91 games over the last two seasons by leg and abdominal injuries.

❚ Center fielder Lewis Brinson hit three home runs in his first six Grapefruit League game. Last year, as a rookie, he hit just .199 with 11 homers in 109 games.

MILWAUKEE BREWERS

Brett Lawrie is trying to make a comeback after the 29year-old infielder sat out the last two seasons.

Released by the Chicago White Sox during spring training in 2017, Lawrie is in camp as a non-roster invitee but will begin the season in the minor leagues. He played six seasons in the majors.

He is a .261 career hitter with 71 homers and 253 RBI in 588 games over six seasons with Toronto, Oakland and Chicago.

❚ Utility player Cory Spangenberg made a good early impression by hitting two home runs in his first five games. He was signed as a free agent in the offseason after not being tendered a contract by the San Diego Padres.

NEW YORK METS

It would be difficult for Jacob deGrom to have a better year than 2018. The right-hander won the NL Cy Young Award while going 10-9 with a 1.70 ERA in 32 starts.

However, deGrom says he would like to improve his concentration.

❚ Righty Noah Syndergaard walked five Houston Astros in 2 2 / 3 innings on March 2. He has averaged just 2.3 walks per nine innings during his four-year career.

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES

The free agent signing of Bryce Harper to a record 13year, $330 million contract leaves only one opening left in the outfield.

Odubel Herrera is the favorite to retain the center-field job and join Andrew McCutchen and Harper in the outfield. However, Aaron Altherr, Roman Quinn and Nick Williams remain in contention.

Herrera was told he had to win his spot in the lineup back after hitting .255 with 22 home runs in 148 games last season. He reported to spring training in much better shape.

❚ Harper also has many performance bonuses in his contract, including $500,000 for being named league MVP. He won the award with in 2015 while playing for the Washington Nationals.

PITTSBURGH PIRATES

Jordan Lyles entered spring training as the early favorite to be the fifth starter after the right-hander signed a one-year, $2.05 million contract as a free agent.

Lyles gave up four runs in his first five innings but isn’t getting caught up in results.

He is competing with lefthander Steven Brault and right-handers Rookie Davis and Nick Kingham.

❚ Catcher Elias Diaz may begin the season on the injury list. He is listed as “week-to-week” with an undisclosed virus.

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS

It took Matt Wieters until the final day of February to find a home.

The Cardinals signed Wieters to a minor league contract after the four-time All-Star batted .238 with eight home runs in 76 games for the Nationals last season. His playing time could be limited while backing up Yadier Molina, the durable nine time All-Star.

❚ The Cardinals are targeting March 14 for Molina to make his Grapefruit League debut. He is recovering from knee surgery.

SAN DIEGO PADRES

Manny Machado can now get down to playing baseball.

The third baseman made his Cactus League debut March 2 and went 0-for-1 with a walk against the San Francisco Giants. That came a little more than a week after Machado signed a 10-year, $300-million contract as a free agent.

❚ Veteran right-hander Adam Warren was signed to bolster the bullpen for one year and $2.5 million.

SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS

Jeff Samardzija is healthy again after having his 2018 season ruined by a shoulder injury.

The right-hander was 1-5 with a 6.25 ERA in 10 starts. He made only one start after the All-Star break.

❚ CEO Larry Baer is taking a leave of absence from the team after video surfaced of a physical incident with his wife last week. In a statement posted on social media by the Giants, the team’s board of directors wrote that it is “closely monitoring the matter” and cooperating with Major League Baseball as it investigates what occurred.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS

Ryan Zimmerman is changing his spring training approach and playing more major league exhibition games.

Last year, the first baseman opted to play almost entirely in minor league camp games. He then hit .264 with 13 home runs in 85 games as he dealt with a variety of injuries,

❚ Right fielder Adam Eaton went 3-for-8 with four walks in his first five games. He played in a combined 118 the previous two seasons because of injuries.