Cactus League: The Cincinnati Reds got by the Los Angeles Dodgers 10-8 Tuesday. The Reds take on the Milwaukee Brewers this evening. The Chicago Cubs and Seattle Mariners played to a 5-5 tie. The Cubs face the Oakland A’s today.
Grapefruit League: The St. Louis Cardinals edged the Miami Marlins 4-3. The Redbirds meet the Houston Astros today. The Atlanta Braves blanked the Minnesota Twins 4-0 and face the Tampa Bay Rays today.
Major League Baseball and the Players Association are making a few rule tweaks ahead of the 2022 season. ESPN reports the sides agreed to three main changes, which include expanded rosters, automatic runners on second base during extra innings and pitchers being able to stay in games as designated hitters. Rosters will be expanded to 28 players through May 1st and the use of extra inning runners will occur only during the regular season. The pitcher rule applies to pitchers who are listed as the DH and can remain in the game as a batter even after they are pulled from the mound.
The New York Mets avoided arbitration with their first baseman as Pete Alonso has agreed to a one-year, $ 7.4 million contract to remain in New York. The 27-year-old is entering his fourth MLB season and is in his first year of salary-arbitration eligibility. Last season Alonso led the Mets in hits, home runs, RBIs, batting average, and on-base percentage. The 2019 NL Rookie of the Year will gain full free agency in 2025.