Baseball Notes: Yelich signs 7-year, $49.5M deal with Marlins
Miami Marlins outfielder Christian Yelich has signed a seven-year contract extension said to be worth $49.5 million. The Marlins have a club option for an eighth year with the 2010 first-round draft pick. They have locked up two-thirds of their outfield through 2021. Giancarlo Stanton signed a 13-year deal worth $325 million in November.
Miami Marlins outfielder Christian Yelich has signed a seven-year contract extension said to be worth $49.5 million.
The Marlins have a club option for an eighth year with the 2010 first-round draft pick. They have locked up two-thirds of their outfield through 2021. Giancarlo Stanton signed a 13-year deal worth $325 million in November.
The 23-year-old Yelich hit .284 last year in his first full major-league season. He had nine homers and 54 RBIs and also won a Gold Glove. He is the latest homegrown product Miami has secured for the long term.
Yankees' Pirela injured
New York Yankees prospect Jose Pirela was taken to a hospital Sunday after crashing into the center-field wall on a play in the first inning that ended up as an inside-the-park home run for the Mets' Juan Lagares.
Lagares' drive off CC Sabathia - the lefthander's third pitch of the game - was just out of Pirela's reach on the warning track. The centerfielder's momentum carried him into the wall, where he appeared to crash face first. Pirela then fell and hit the back of his head on the track. He tried sitting up but went onto his back.
With manager Joe Girardi looking on, a Yankees trainer examined Pirela, a versatile 25-year-old who has played several positions this spring. Pirela was able to walk and was helped into a golf cart.
He was taken by ambulance from the Mets' complex.
Jays' Estrada a scratch
Marco Estrada of the Toronto Blue Jays was scratched from his scheduled start Sunday against the Tampa Bay Rays after slightly injuring his ankle during fielding practice. Roberto Osuna took his place.
Manager John Gibbons says he expects Estrada to start Tuesday against Minnesota or Wednesday against Baltimore.
Estrada, a candidate for the fifth spot in the rotation, is 1-1 with a 9.39 ERA in four outings this spring. The righthander was acquired by the Blue Jays last November for first baseman Adam Lind.
Darvish feeling 'great'
Texas Rangers ace Yu Darvish says he's "feeling great" after season-ending surgery on his right elbow and looks forward to coming back stronger than before.
Darvish is back in Arizona with the team and spoke Sunday for the first time since the elbow ligament-replacement procedure five days earlier in Florida.
"I'm going to take this year to come back strong," Darvish said, holding up his right arm, which was in a cast.
The 28-year-old likely will be sidelined until early 2016.
Tigers' Cabrera returns
Miguel Cabrera made his Grapefruit League debut, going 1 for 3 with a single and two strikeouts.
Cabrera, who won the AL Triple Crown in 2013 and batted .313 with 25 homers and 109 RBIs last season, had offseason surgery to remove a bone spur from his right ankle and repair a stress fracture in his right foot.
Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said Cabrera would be a designated hitter Tuesday. He didn't make any guarantees on whether Cabrera would be ready for opening day but said the odds were better than 50-50.