The San Diego Padres are thrilled following a clubhouse visit by Muhammad Ali.
Dozens of players and coaches waited in a long line to shake hands and take pictures with the boxing great, who made a 45-minute appearance for the Athletes for Hope foundation on Monday.
Padres officials say Ali is only scheduled to meet with a few big league teams.
Outfielder Aaron Cunningham and reliever Mike Adams heard on Sunday that Ali might be visiting, so they each purchased a pair of boxing gloves just in case. Both walked away with autographs and a cherished memory.
Outfielder Tony Gwynn Jr. says he usually isn't star-struck, but was by Ali's visit.
-- The Associated Press
WESTBROOK FINALLY BACK ON MOUND (6:38 p.m. ET)
Jake Westbrook pitched 1 2/3 innings in his first game against major league hitters in almost two years and the Cleveland Indians beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 3-2 on Monday.
Westbrook allowed one run and one hit, walked three and hit a batter in his first big league outing since undergoing Tommy John surgery in June 2008.
Westbrook pitched in just three minor league games last year. The right-hander is expected to be Cleveland's Opening Day starter on April 5 in Chicago.
Michael Brantley went 3 for 4 with an RBI for Cleveland.
Rodrigo Lopez, a candidate for the No. 5 spot in Arizona's rotation, allowed a run in two innings.
-- The Associated Press
BECKETT, CARPENTER BATTLE ON MOUND (5:16 p.m. ET)
Josh Beckett pitched three scoreless innings and struck out three, and Che-Shuan Lin hit a run-scoring single in the ninth inning to lead the Boston Red Sox to a 7-6 exhibition win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday.
Boston pitchers kept the Cardinals hitless into the seventh inning.
In five innings this spring, Beckett has given up just one run.
Chris Carpenter, making his first appearance of the spring, went two innings for St. Louis. He gave up a run on four hits with a strikeout and no walks.
Three-time National League MVP Albert Pujols did not make the cross-state trip because of discomfort in his back. He is not expected to play Tuesday against the Minnesota Twins.
--The Associated Press
TOP PROSPECT HEYWARD HITS BOMB (4:39 p.m. ET)
Jason Heyward homered during a five-run first inning Monday and the Atlanta Braves went on to a 12-4 exhibition victory over the Detroit Tigers.
The 20-year-old outfielder, considered one of the top prospects in baseball, blasted a 3-2 pitch by Detroit's Max Scherzer an estimated 450 feet to drive in the first two runs of the game.
Scherzer didn't get out of the first inning, giving up four hits and three walks to the eight batters he faced.
Atlanta starter Tim Hudson pitched three innings, giving up one run on an RBI single by Jeff Larish while striking out three.
Troy Glaus and Eric Hinske each went 2 for 2 and scored twice for the Braves, and David Ross drove in four runs. Mitch Jones hit a home run in the eighth inning.
-- The Associated Press
MAINE SOLID IN SPRING DEBUT (4:25 p.m. ET) John Maine struck out four of the eight batters he faced in his spring debut, and Chris Carter hit two ninth-inning homers to help the New York Mets beat a Florida Marlins split squad 11-2 on Monday.
Maine allowed one run, two hits and one walk in 1 2/3 innings. He threw 21 of his 39 pitches for strikes.
Carter began the ninth with a pinch-hit homer, and had a three-run drive with two out.
The Mets are 6-2 this spring and have scored 91 runs.
Marlins second baseman Dan Uggla committed two errors on one play in the first inning, bobbling a grounder and then making a wild throw, and Jason Bay's single scored a run.
Florida's Ryan Tucker gave up two runs in two innings.
-- The Associated Press
OLSEN RETURNS FOR NATS (4:24 p.m. ET)
Washington's Scott Olsen, making his first start since season-ending shoulder surgery last July, threw two innings in the Nationals' 11-2 loss against a Florida Marlins split squad Monday.
The left-hander, penciled into a rotation spot provided he is healthy, allowed seven hits and three runs. Olsen gave up a three-run home run to Jorge Cantu in the first inning after a bloop single and a broken-bat liner off the glove of third baseman Ryan Zimmerman.
Washington is 0-6 this spring and has been outscored 67-30.
Florida right-hander Ricky Nolasco worked three innings in his first turn against major leaguers this spring, allowing a run on four hits with five strikeouts.
Josh Willingham and Zimmerman homered for the Nationals.
Florida's Ronny Paulino had four hits.
-- The Associated Press
ACEVES MAKES CASE FOR 5 SPOT (4:21 p.m. ET)
Alfredo Aceves may be pushing his way into the thick of the battle for the No. 5 spot in the New York Yankees' starting rotation.
Aceves tossed four perfect innings Monday in a 6-0 victory against the Pittsburgh Pirates in a split squad game for both teams. In two outings this spring, both against the Pirates, the right-hander has retired all 18 batters he's faced.
Aceves, who worked one inning more than originally planned, struck out three. He threw just 36 pitches in the game, then tossed another 16 in the bullpen before cooling down.
"He's a strike-throwing machine," said Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez. "He's a great weapon for us."
Along with Sergio Mitre and Chad Gaudin, Aceves went into spring training as a long-shot for a rotation job. The front-runners are Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes. Even if he doesn't wind up a starter, Aceves could nab a roster spot as a long reliever and fill-in starter.
"I would like to be a starter," Aceves said. "But it's not up to me."
Also, Javier Vazquez settled down after allowing a first-pitch homer to Jimmy Rollins, striking out four of his last five batters to help a New York Yankees split-squad beat the Philadelphia Phillies 7-5.
Vazquez was pitching for New York for the first time since he gave up a first-pitch grand slam to Boston's Johnny Damon in Game 7 of the 2004 ALCS.
-- The Associated Press
SORIANO PHYSICALLY FINE, MENTALLY GUN-SHY (3:11 p.m. ET)
Chicago Cubs left fielder Alfonso Soriano said Monday that although his knee feels 100 percent, he is still trying to overcome the mental hurdle in terms of extending himself and going all out in spring training.
Soriano on Saturday made his first appearance in the Cubs lineup since knee surgery ended his 2009 season on Sept. 15, later saying he planned to play back-to-back Cactus League games Monday and Tuesday.
"I want to test and trust my knee a little bit more," Soriano said Saturday.
According to Cubs manager Lou Piniella, Soriano will hit either fifth or sixth in the Cubs lineup this season. The Cubs slugger said he has been working on better balance at the plate with new hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo.
-- Buster Olney, ESPN The Magazine
WANG RETURNS TO NATS, STARTS IN WITH LONG TOSS (11:33 a.m. ET)
Chien-Ming Wang is back with the Washington Nationals, but there's no timetable for the right-hander's return to the mound.
Nationals manager Jim Riggleman says Wang's health will determine when he pitches. Wang is recovering from right shoulder surgery that ended his 2009 season in late July.
The 29-year-old pitcher played long toss with Jordan Zimmermann from about 120 feet for 20 minutes Monday morning. He also threw some soft pitches from both the stretch and windup from about 90 feet. Wang signed a one-year, $2 million deal last month that could earn him another $3 million in performance incentives. Wang was 1-6 with a 9.54 ERA for the New York Yankees last season.-- The Associated Press RIVERA HAS FIRST BP SESSION (11:02 a.m. ET)
New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera threw 34 pitches during his first batting practice session Monday.
Rivera has taken a slower approach at spring training for the past few years. The 40-year old right-hander went 3-3 with 44 saves and a 1.76 ERA in 66 games last season. He will make the first of his eight or nine game appearances early next week.
Left-handed reliever Damaso Marte had his initial bullpen session, making 27 pitches. Meanwhile, Nick Johnson was back in New York's lineup after missing the previous four games with lower back stiffness.
-- The Associated Press
