Welcome to The Stew’s Spring Headlines, our daily look at the biggest MLB stories and news items from around spring training. Here you’ll find a quick recap of all the day’s action and other fun stuff from around the internet that we think is worth your time.
BIGGEST NEWS OF THE DAY: The Los Angeles Angels received some tough news on closer Huston Street. The veteran right-hander was forced from his spring debut on Friday due to what was originally termed as triceps irritation. A subsequent MRI revealed Street suffered a Grade 1 lat strain, which will keep him sidelined for the 3-4 weeks.
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That all but guarantees Street will miss opening day, which is disappointing considering how limited he was by injuries last season. Street appeared in just 26 games, posting a career-worst 6.85 ERA. His offseason was dedicated to getting in shape and reestablishing his durability, but he’s already fighting from behind. With free agency looming, he won’t be able to afford any further setbacks.
As for the Angels, they’re likely to give closing opportunities to both Cam Bedrosian or Andrew Bailey . If one runs away with the job, Street may have to battle to win it back. [@pedromoura]
ANGELS PREVIEW: Speaking of the Angels, here’s a detailed look-ahead to their 2017 season. [The Stew]
FEELING GOOD: Jacob deGrom says he’s feeling good, and the radar gun backed that up Saturday. The Mets right-hander was hitting 97 mph with his fastball while tossing two perfect innings in his spring debut. That’s up five ticks from last spring, before he entered into an injury-riddled campaign. DeGrom missed three weeks in April with a lat injury, then the final months before undergoing surgery to reposition the ulnar nerve in his right elbow. The hope is 2017 will be a healthier season, and this is certainly a promising start. [NY Post]
WHO’S IN, WHO’S OUT: Pirates infielder Josh Harrison added to Team USA’s World Baseball Classic roster on Saturday. He’ll replace Cardinals infielder Matt Carpenter, who’s dealing with lingering back soreness. Carpenter is still expected to be ready for opening day. {@Ken_Rosenthal]
STRETCH TIME: Nationals right-hander Stephen Strasburg is pondering a big change to his delivery. During his most recent outing, Strasburg pitched from the stretch for all 23 of his offerings. Strasburg says he’s looking for consistency with his arm slot, in addition to taking stress off his arm. The experiment is in the early stages, but will be worth watching all spring. [AP]
BANGED UP: Rockies outfielder David Dahl’s back injury is worse than initially expected and could threaten his opening day status. Manager Bud Black says Dahl is slated for some tests and scans, and could miss up to two weeks. Colorado is deep in the outfield with Carlos Gonzalez, Charlie Blackmon, Gerardo Parra and even Ian Desmond, so there’s no need to rush Dahl back. [Denver Post]
NO DEAL: After signing Matt Wieters, the Nationals have been trying to move Derek Norris in a trade. So far though, there hasn’t been much interest in Norris or his $4.2M salary coming off a season in which he hit just .186/.255/.328. Norris could end up being a candidate to be released due to the fact that arbitration salaries aren’t fully guaranteed prior to opening day. The Nationals would only be on the hook for roughly $690K. [Washington Post]
WBC PREVIEW: Everything you need to know about Team Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic. [The Stew]
More MLB coverage from Yahoo Sports:
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at bigleaguestew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
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