As is so often the case in Spring Training, Matt Cain’s performance Monday felt better to him than the results looked in the boxscore.

In 27 years of life, Pat Venditte has only been to Italy once. In fact, the pitcher only speaks a bit of Italian, but that does not mean he isn’t dedicated and committed to playing for Italy in the World Baseball Classic.

Aesthetically, it may not have been a thing of beauty, but Yu Darvish emerged from his second Cactus League start unscathed and his hitless spring still intact.

It was the first time Randy Johnson had appeared at Spring Training for the D-backs since his retirement from baseball following the 2009 season, and judging by the way it went, it won’t be the last.

It was easy for manager Joe Maddon on Monday to imagine highly touted prospect Wil Myers trotting onto the field to play against the Red Sox at Fenway Park, and not just because the Rays were, in fact, playing the Sox and Myers started in right field at JetBlue Park, with its replica Green Monster looming in left.

Tony Dungy delivered an impassioned pre-workout locker room speech to the Bucs in the morning, and his inspirational and motivational message can still have a delayed effect on the club.

The Cardinals scheduled a Monday consultation between head team physician Dr. George Paletta and shortstop Rafael Furcal, who has been shut down indefinitely due to pain in his right elbow.

Though there’s an assumption by some that Jacoby Ellsbury will never again match his dream season of 2011, the veteran center fielder doesn’t blink when surmising that he’s capable of turning in an even better 2013 campaign.

If there’s one trend the Rockies hope to see continue in 2013, it’s the increasing versatility on their roster. And when you’re looking for the poster child for the Rockies’ versatility, look no further than Jordan Pacheco.

Joey Votto held a session with the media on Monday to announce that he will play for Team Canada in the World Baseball Classic.

U.S. manager Joe Torre announced Monday that knuckleballer R.A. Dickey will start the team’s opener on Friday at 9 p.m. ET against Mexico at Chase Field in Phoenix.

Somewhere down the road — perhaps later this season, maybe next season — the Pirates believe Gerrit Cole and Jameson Taillon will be hugely important in putting the finishing touches on turning around baseball in Pittsburgh.

After wins over Australia and the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Chinese Taipei faces Korea on Tuesday with the goal of sweeping through Pool B on its way to the second round.

Michael Young brought three gloves to Phillies camp, the same three he carried everywhere the last two years. There’s only one difference: He’s only had to use one of them this spring.

Nothing against the cast of characters that has been taking grounders at shortstop this spring, but Yankees manager Joe Girardi would agree that the lineup cards he has slapped against the dugout wall have lacked a certain star quality at the position.

Rangers left-handed pitcher Martin Perez was lost for at least two months when he suffered a broken left arm during Sunday’s 7-6 loss to the Mariners.

The timeline is blurring. Less than 24 hours after general manager Sandy Alderson said Johan Santana was at least 10 days away from throwing off a mound, Santana did precisely that on a brisk Sunday morning in Port St. Lucie.