Corey Hart stated Friday that he is already ahead of schedule in his rehabilitation after surgery on his right knee, and if things continue at his current pace he could be ready to play by the end of April.
Hart will have an MRI done in three weeks, and barring any setbacks he could beat his projected recovery time by a full month with a late-April return. While it’s encouraging news, Hart owners still shouldn’t expect him back until sometime in May. Mat Gamel will hold down the fort at first base in his absence.
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Jordan Pacheco recently traveled to San Luis Obispo, California to work with Rockies catching instructor Jerry Weinstein.
Pacheco worked on blocking drills and focused on throwing mechanics. While he only started five games behind the plate last season, the versatility should give him a leg up on keeping a roster spot. “I definitely feel comfortable doing it,” said Pacheco. “But I want to make sure the pitchers feel comfortable with me. In spring training, I need to work with them to create that.”
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Reds designated RHP Todd Redmond for assignment.
The move clears a spot for the newly-signed Manny Parra on the 40-man roster. Redmond, 27, made one spot start with the Reds last season and posted a 3.63 ERA and 136/39 K/BB ratio over 148 2/3 innings at the Triple-A level between Cincinnati and Atlanta. He could draw interest on waivers from a team in need of rotation depth.
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Reds signed LHP Manny Parra to a one-year contract.
No word on the terms involved. Parra was non-tendered by the Brewers in late November after posting a 5.06 ERA and 61/35 K/BB ratio over 58 2/3 innings last season, but he has good stuff and could still turn into a useful reliever.
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Yankees designated INF/OF Russ Canzler for assignment.
The move clears a spot for the newly-signed Travis Hafner on the 40-man roster. This is the latest development in a busy winter for Canzler, who could soon be claimed off waivers for the fourth time in the space of two months. The 26-year-old batted .269/.299/.398 with three homers and a .697 OPS in 97 plate appearances with the Indians last season and has posted some strong numbers in the minors.
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Yankees signed DH Travis Hafner to a one-year, $2 million contract.
He’ll have a chance to make $4 million more through incentives. Hafner is obviously a poor bet to stay healthy, but he’s a good bet to be pretty productive when on the field, and, at $2 million, the Yanks haven’t risked much. The 35-year-old batted .228/.346/.438 with 12 home runs and a .784 OPS in 66 games with the Indians last season while battling knee and back injuries. He’ll be the Bombers’ regular DH against right-handed pitching.
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Chad Billingsley said Friday that he’s thrown eight bullpen sessions so far this offseason and not had any issues with his pitching elbow.
That’s encouraging. Billingsley was shut down late last season with a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament, but he was given platelet-rich plasma injections and has had a relatively normal offseason. There’s always the possibility that his ligament will snap, but for now it appears he has a good shot at being ready for the start of the season.
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Matt Garza (elbow) on Friday threw his first bullpen session of the offseason.
Garza, who is coming back from a stress reaction in his pitching elbow, was cleared to resume throwing in late December but just now was given the go-ahead to throw from the bump. The right-hander might be a little behind other pitchers at the start of spring training but is expected to be ready to go for Opening Day. He’s an in-season trade candidate.
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White Sox claimed 1B/OF Lars Anderson off waivers from the Diamondbacks.
Anderson had been designated for assignment last week. The former top prospect hit just .250/.353/.396 with nine homers and 59 RBI in 111 games between Boston’s and Arizona’s Triple-A affiliates in 2012. He could win an Opening Day bench spot.
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Phillies sent RHP J.C. Ramirez outright to Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
Ramirez cleared waivers after being designated for assignment earlier this week. He will receive an invitation to spring training. Ramirez posted a 4.01 ERA and 52/31 K/BB ratio over 67 1/3 innings between Double- and Triple-A in 2012.
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