Baseball Notes: Brewers pick up Roenicke's option

Milwaukee manager Ron Roenicke's 2016 option was exercised Thursday by the Brewers.

Roenicke replaced Ken Macha after the 2010 season and has led the Brewers to a 335-313 record. Milwaukee won the NL Central in his first season, then finished third and dropped to fourth in 2013.

Milwaukee started 20-7 last season and led the division for five months, then lost 22 of its last 31 games and finished third at 82-80. The Brewers announced at the end of the season that Roenicke would return for 2015.

"It makes me feel good," said Roenicke, who didn't want to enter the season in the final guaranteed year of his contract. "It's uncomfortable, especially when I concentrate so much on what I'm doing with my job, I don't want to have to answer questions about the personal side of it."

Roenicke said he has a great working relationship with general manager Doug Melvin.

Dillon Gee returned to the Mets rotation as part of an open competition for the fifth starter job.

Gee and fellow candidate Rafael Montero both worked three-plus innings and Michael Cuddyer and Curtis Granderson homered as the split-squad Mets beat Houston, 3-1, at Tradition Field in St. Lucie, Fla.

Gee, 7-8 with a 4.00 ERA in 22 starts last season, had been relegated to the bullpen when spring training began because of Matt Harvey's return from elbow surgery. Gee now appears to have regained a rotation spot because of Zack Wheeler's season-ending torn elbow ligament.

Gee threw 47 pitches, walked two, and struck out nine without allowing a run.

Johnny Gomes drove in two runs and Kelly Johnson went 2 for 2, leading the Atlanta Braves over the Miami Marlins, 6-3, in Kissimmee, Fla.

Braves starter Manny Banuelos allowed one run and three hits in two innings for the Braves. He's a candidate for the final spot in the rotation but has a 17.18 ERA in three appearances.

Tom Koehler, 10-10 for the Marlins last season, gave up four runs - three earned - in four innings.