NL Central

Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Pedro Alvarez has been diagnosed with a mild hyperextension of his right elbow. He will be re-evaluated after missing the next "few" games. 

Continue for updates.

The Chicago Cubs are going to pay for the funeral of legendary infielder Ernie Banks after the company that handled the services filed a claim that it hadn't been paid amid a legal battle over the Hall of Famer's estate.

Spring training is only a couple of games in, but there are already players starting to set themselves apart. Obviously, the stats include small sample sizes, but the ability that some players are showing has been impressive.

There is plenty of time left in spring training, but for now, there are teams clearly setting themselves apart with their work ethic and results. In particular, these five players have been turning heads so far.

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As spring training games are about to begin, Cincinnati Reds fans are curious as to what the team's Opening Day roster will look like.

Fans can probably guess the majority of the roster. This team is loaded with veteran players, so most of the roster positions are filled. However, there are a few position battles that will be played out this spring. 

Turn back the calendar only two years, and Milwaukee Brewers slugger Ryan Braun was one of the premier hitters in all of baseball—if not the best.

The focus tends to be on who will make the team in spring training for most teams. For the Chicago Cubs, most of that appears to be set. However, there are a couple of position battles that should be intriguing. Unfortunately for some, losing these battles could mean starting the season in Triple-A or looking for a job this summer.

It wasn’t long after the end of the 2014 season that general manager John Mozeliak and manager Mike Matheny informed Carlos Martinez that he’d report to spring training as a starter in 2015.

You wouldn't expect a team with five straight seasons of at least 87 losses to be all the rage heading into a new season. The Chicago Cubs, however, have worked hard to be an exception.

With the increasing number of arm injuries to pitchers in baseball, talks of possibly going to a six-man rotation instead of the usual five have heated up.  

The idea is that with a six-man rotation, starters would not only be given more rest in between starts, but they would also be throwing fewer innings per season, which could increase their longevity by reducing the risk of devastating injuries.  

Ever spoken with a recently terminated employee? Ever heard what they have to say about their former employer? Even if you haven't, if you read the comments from Mat Latos in an interview with Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal, you'll see how it goes.