Physically and mentally, Giancarlo Stanton is ready to start Spring Training later this month with no restrictions. But to make sure there is no hesitation, Miami’s two-time All-Star right fielder will wear a protective guard on his helmet.

On Monday, the Reds and Major League Baseball announced that fans can register for the opportunity to purchase full ticket strips for the 2015 All-Star events by visiting allstargame.com or reds.com.

Can Carlos Correa be as good as Troy Tulowitzki? Will Addison Russell push Starlin Castro off of shortstop? Jim Callis answers these questions and more in the latest Pipeline Inbox.

The Rockies have signed reliever John Axford to a Minor League deal, adding another veteran to their bullpen. Axford’s deal guarantees him a $2.6 million base salary, if he makes the Major League roster, and he can make an additional $1.5 million in incentives.

The glistening black Transporte Sonnell charter bus rolled to a stop late Saturday afternoon in the hotel parking lot in the Condado neighborhood of San Juan. The bus doors flipped open, and one by one, players from the Cuban team — a team often shrouded in mystery — stepped into the island breeze.

Watching the Seahawks drive down the field with time running out on Super Bowl XLIX on Sunday night, D-backs outfielder A.J. Pollock had that familiar feeling in the pit of his stomach.

The Braves got their Early Throwing Program underway on Monday. The club’s annual week-long ritual is an exciting event for many because it precedes the team packing up and leaving for Spring Training, but it was especially exciting for left-hander Alex Wood.

The Rays on Monday officially signed Ronald Belisario, Alexi Casilla and Robert Zarate to Minor League contracts with invitations to Major League Spring Training.

Longtime first baseman Dave Bergman, who played in parts of 17 Major League seasons and was a key player on the Tigers’ 1984 World Series championship team and who went on to become a key contributor to the Detroit community, died Monday morning at age 61.

Larry Andersen, Roy Halladay, Dave Hollins, Greg Luzinski, Dan Plesac and Aaron Rowand will work with players for a week or two as guest instructors, which is customary, but Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt and former manager Charlie Manuel will be present for most of camp, and they will be heavily involved as the Phillies implement a new hitting program.

The Indians have made it known to veteran Jason Giambi that the club is willing to offer him a role within the organization, but the conversation between the two sides has not progressed beyond that point.

Since Great American Ball Park opened for the 2003 season, there has been only one enthusiastic and resounding voice — that of public-address announcer Joe Zerhusen — that has greeted fans as they enter, informed them about that day’s lineups, told them who is batting and announced information between innings.

Rangers infielder Jurickson Profar has a goal for Spring Training. “Just to play in all the games,” Profar said. But the question is: Will the Rangers let him do that while still going through the latest rehabilitation program on his right shoulder?

How Indians ace Corey Kluber got here to this Cy Young stage, to this spot among the game’s elite arms, might be a bit unorthodox, and he might be the classic late bloomer. But for Kluber, the wayward journey has only enhanced his appreciation for the end result, and time has no substitute.

In honor of Groundhog Day — and the legendary film that celebrates the occasion — we asked current former and players to tell us about a moment in their career they wish they could take a mulligan on, or to give us a day they wish they could replay over and over again because it was so memorable.

No matter what Punxsutawney Phil decides on Monday, pitchers and catchers will be reporting to their Spring Training camps in just over two weeks. That means ground balls, not groundhogs. That means baseball is back in the collective American sports spotlight, and it begins with the week ahead.

Rick Horton, whose Major League pitching career spanned seven years and included stops in three cities, still has a front-row seat to the game with his current position as an analyst for Cardinals’ broadcasts. Yet out of all the players he sees each season, he doesn’t hesitate when asked which he most looks forward to watching: Aroldis Chapman.