Outfielder Rusney Castillo, who had been sidelined since March 3 by left oblique injury, made his spring debut off the bench Friday and he will start Saturday.

Cubs pitcher Jon Lester was scratched from Saturday’s start against the Mariners as a precautionary measure, manager Joe Maddon said.

The alarm clock would buzz at 5:30 a.m. five days a week, alerting Chris Martin that he had a half hour to get to Lowe’s and get on the forklift in the lawn and garden section. He’d finish the evening in the UPS warehouse at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, loading boxes onto trailers until 11 p.m.

When the NCAA tournament really gets going today, many sports fans will be thinking about the number 64, representing the teams left in the March Madness field. In honor of this celebrated sports number, here is MLB.com’s ranking of the top 64 fantasy stars for 2015, which can be used to navigate through the first few rounds of fantasy drafts.

Spring Training games continue in Florida and Arizona on Thursday, when the reigning World Series champs will look to turn things around after an off-day, a former ERA champion will continue his comeback from injury and plenty of talented young arms will be on the hill.

Yankees left-hander Jose de Paula will undergo an MRI exam on his throwing shoulder on Thursday due to lingering soreness in the area.

When A.J. Pierzynski casually strolled toward the Braves dugout during the sixth inning of Wednesday night’s 12-5 loss to the Yankees, it initially appeared he might be in need of a new piece of equipment. There was no apparent sign of an ejection until a video replay showed West casually gesture an ejection by swiping his fingers toward the home dugout.

For all the ups and downs from Tigers relievers this spring, manager Brad Ausmus indicated his bullpen picture remains the same, with one spot or two tops up for grabs. At least one of those is still expected to go to a second lefty reliever, complementing Gorzelanny.

Starling Marte hit a two-run homer in the sixth off lefty Tom Gorzelanny and the Pirates went on to defeat the Tigers, 8-7, in Grapefruit League play on Wednesday, despite a three-hit night from Ian Kinsler.

If Masahiro Tanaka has any lingering issues from the elbow injury that cut short his 2014 season, he sure hasn’t shown it this spring.

There was no truth to the rumor that when Tony Sanchez came off McKechnie Field late Wednesday night and entered the clubhouse, he set off the fire alarm. He’s aflame only in a baseball sense, but it’s white-hot nonetheless.

Despite not toeing the rubber in a Major League game for the last 19 months, Yankees right-hander Andrew Bailey said he felt right at home when he returned to the mound in Wednesday night’s 12-5 victory over the Braves.

This is the progression of March 2015 on the topic of who might be the starting center fielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers: 1. The rookie, Joc Pederson, could start. 2. The rookie should start. 3. How can anybody possibly keep the rookie from starting?

Having already created the assumption that he would be best off beginning the season with Triple-A Gwinnett, Mike Foltynewicz took the mound at Champion Stadium on Wednesday night and pitched like a young man determined to prove he is ready for the Major League level.

In two days since comments by manager Brad Ausmus seemed to indicate Tyler Collins was ticketed for Triple-A to start the season, the outfielder has homered, picked up an outfield assist and tallied an RBI single.

Jacoby Ellsbury will be shut down from baseball activities for approximately one week after an MRI exam on Wednesday confirmed he has a mild oblique strain.

Pirates infielder Jung Ho Kang must feel like he’s carrying the weight of a country as he tries to become the first position player to make the transition from stardom in the Korea Baseball Organization to the Major Leagues. He’s struggled this spring but him manager and teammates remain behind him.