MLB Bullets Turns Brother Against Brother

I'm still not 100%, but I always give 110%, so it must all even out in the end, right?

• I've often said the only real news in Spring Training is if someone is injured. The Cardinals suffered the biggest "news" so far this spring as shortstop Jhonny Peralta will miss 2 to 3 months with a torn ligament.
• Mike Axisa looks at six players who might be available to replace Peralta if the Cards decide to go outside the organization.
• The other big "news" is that, as expected, Marlins reliever Carter Capps will undergo Tommy John surgery with the normal 12-18 month recovery time expected.
• And Phillies outfielder Aaron Altherr is out for 4 to 6 months with a wrist injury. Altherr was expected to be an Opening Day starter for the Phillies.
• Here's a good one. Red Sox 2014 first-round draft pick Michael Kopech has a broken pitching hand after an "altercation" (meaning he threw a punch) with his Spring Training roommate. Some guys just aren't going to make it, no matter how much talent.
• The Dodgers have already suffered some attrition in their starting rotation and Ken Rosenthal thinks the Dodgers are going to have to be creative to cobble together a starting staff this season.
• Maybe related to the injuries, maybe not, but John Shea talked to members of the Giants and writes that Spring Training is too long. (h/t Hardball Talk)
• C.C. Sabathia writes a moving piece for The Players' Tribune about his decision to enter rehab for his alcoholism this past fall. That's today's must-read piece.
• The Orioles have agreed to a one-year, $5.75 million deal with Pedro Alvarez.
• David Schoenfield wonders just how many home runs the Orioles are going to hit this season? If every projected regular matched their career high, they'd smash the MLB single-season team HR record.
• Dave Cameron wonders just how many times the Orioles are going to strike out this season? And will it be a problem? I really wonder if someone like Chris Archer or Chris Sale or Felix Hernandez could manage to strike out 21 Orioles in a game this year.
• Gabe Lacques notes that while the rest of the game is moving towards pitching and defense, the Orioles are going all out for power. It's just a 90s retro-thing, like The X-Files or Fuller House.
• Mark Brown at Camden Chat thinks that Orioles right fielders are cursed, probably by Nick Markakis. If Mark Trumbo plays RF for the Birds this summer, I think he means that Orioles right fielders are cursed at.
• When the White Sox signed Austin Jackson, they designated Mike Olt for assignment. Does that sound familiar? It should because when the Cubs traded for Jackson last summer, they designated Olt for assignment. In related news, Olt is starring in "Groundhog Day 2."
• The Braves and the Marlins will play a regular season game on July 3 at Ft. Bragg because the Braves don't want to spend one day more at Turner Field than they have to to honor and thank America's military.
• There's a report of a blockbuster deal in 2014 between the Yankees and Braves that would have sent Andrelton Simmons and Jason Heyward to the Bronx but the Yankees didn't go through with it.
• We're all glad that Heyward is a Cub instead, and Simmons has made a big impression so far at Angels camp.
• Andrew Simon thinks that players on new teams in the same division as their old one will be a major storyline this season. Yes, Heyward and John Lackey are on his list.
• An interesting piece from JP Morosi about the rise of baseball in the Czech Republic and the connection to hockey. I didn't realize why so many Canadians bat left-handed until I read this piece and yes, it's also related to hockey.
• A kid almost got hit in the face with a flying bat at a Spring Training game.
• Craig Calcaterra tells critics who think that the kid should have been paying more attention to be honest: no one pays attention to every single pitch of a baseball game. That's part of the game's charm.
• If you want another reason to feel crappy that Chris Archer never pitched for the Cubs, Ken Rosenthal has another profile of this incredible young man and his relationship to his adopted parents.
• Jorge L. Ortiz notes that brothers Kyle and Bradley Zimmer could accomplish a very rare feat this season if Bradley gets to bat against Kyle. I didn't realize it's only happened a few times in the majors since Ken Brett retired in 1979.
• Cliff Corcoran explains how teams can benefit by giving their free agent signings opt-out clauses, as long as they resist the temptation to re-sign them.
• Astros manager A.J. Hinch got a new contract from the team.
• David Schoenfield lists players at the crossroads for each American League team.
• Craig Calcaterra looks at the problems with the contracts of pre-arbitration players. He says that there's no real good solution available.
• Evan Grossman remembers 1972, the worst year in Philadelphia sports ever: except when Steve Carlton pitched for the Phillies.
• MLB historian John Thorn looks back at the 19th century origins of the designated hitter rule.
• Check out Yoenis Cespedes' sweet new ride: a tricycle.
• Brett Lawrie falls for a card trick.
• BEES! RUN! BEES!
• And finally, Nationals prospect Lucas Giolito has taken up a new hobby this offseason, baking.

And tomorrow will be a better day than today, Buster.