MLB

With opposition to the use of smokeless tobacco picking up steam at many of Major League Baseball's ballparks, it was revealed Friday that players, coaches and other personnel who violate anti-tobacco rules could be subject to league discipline.  

Spring training not only serves as training camp for MLB teams, but it provides general managers and coaching staffs the chance to evaluate their overall rosters and, hopefully, address any areas of need before the end of camp.

With the regular season quickly approaching, time is running out for teams to address those needs, and some may be left considering in-house options who, while not ideal solutions for what ails the roster, are the best available options at the moment.

The great thing about the baseball season is we know we're in for seven months of surprises. The tough thing about making "bold" predictions is if we actually knew what was going to happen, it wouldn't be a surprise.

Baseball is unpredictable enough that the boldest predictions can sound completely outrageous—and then they can come true. We're not guaranteeing all of these will happen, but we do guarantee that any of them could happen.

Tommy John surgery has become as much a brand name as Band-Aid, Kleenex or Coke. We accept the once-experimental surgery as a surefire remedy to fix a pitcher’s arm.

Maikel Franco has apparently decided on the Kris Bryant route to stardom: hit a whole bunch of dingers in spring training, and then keep right on slugging in the regular season.

A fine choice, indeed. And one that could pay off just as well for Franco as it did for Bryant.

You're ready for the season to begin, and so is Madison Bumgarner.

Oh, he may still have a few kinks to work out in terms of stuff or mechanics. But in a Cactus League start Thursday against the Chicago Cubs, the cantankerous San Francisco Giants left-hander proved he was in midseason umbrage form.

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Jake Arrieta is dealing with a blister on his right throwing hand leading up to Opening Day, per Carrie Muskat of MLB.com.

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New York Mets outfielder Michael Conforto left Wednesday's spring training game against the Toronto Blue Jays because of back stiffness. 

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Chase Field may be fewer than 20 years old, but the Arizona Diamondbacks are already considering playing elsewhere in the future.

Craig Harris of the Arizona Republic reported Thursday the team is upset that Maricopa County is unable to provide what it feels are necessary $187 million stadium renovations.

According to Detroit Tigers manager Brad Ausmus, starting pitcher Daniel Norris has "nondisplaced fractures in [his] spinous process," per MLB.com's Jason Beck.

Continue for updates.