Rockies’ Tulowitzki, Gonzalez in lineup Monday
by R.J. White | CBSSports.com

(10:59 am ET) Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki and outfielder Carlos Gonzalez are in the starting lineup for Monday’s game against the Reds.

Gonzalez, who is on his way back from August knee surgery, will bat second. Tulowitzki, who is recovering from August hip surgery, is slotted third. Both players have been ahead of schedule this spring.

Nationals’ Werth has timeline to throw pushed back by a week
by Michael Hurcomb | CBSSports.com

(10:55 am ET) The Nationals were hoping outfielder Jayson Werth (shoulder) would begin throwing this week, but it appears that timeline has been pushed back. Manager Matt Williams said Monday that Werth will probably start throwing next week, per The Washington Post.

Nationals’ Michael Taylor set for extra playing time with Span out
by R.J. White | CBSSports.com

(10:52 am ET) Nationals outfielder Michael Taylor will receive the majority of the playing time in center field this spring while Denard Span is sidelined, the Washington Post reports.

Span underwent surgery on his right core muscle Monday, opening a chance for Taylor to impress during Grapefruit League play. He hit .205/.279/.359 in 39 at-bats in his debut with the Nationals last season.

Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said they took Taylor aside a few days ago knowing Span would miss time and said, “You’re the guy.”

Taylor also hit .304/.390/.526 with 23 home runs, 64 RBI and 37 stolen bases in 428 at-bats between Double-A Harrisburg and Triple-A Syracuse.

Blue Jays RP Brett Cecil could resume throwing Tuesday
by Michael Hurcomb | CBSSports.com

(10:47 am ET) Blue Jays pitching coach Pete Walker said reliever Brett Cecil, who is competing for the closer’s role, “feels good” Monday, per Sportsnet.ca. The Blue Jays are hopeful Cecil will resume throwing Tuesday.

Cecil is currently sidelined due to inflammation in his rotator cuff. He has been sidelined since being scratched from his spring outing Friday.

Rays’ Archer impressed with Rene Rivera’s presence behind the plate
by Michael Hurcomb | CBSSports.com

(10:41 am ET) Rays starting pitcher Chris Archer said he was impressed with the way catcher Rene Rivera performed behind the plate during Sunday’s spring game against the Phillies, per The Tampa Tribune.

Archer added he likes the way Rivera holds his mitt for a moment after catching a pitch, which allows the pitcher to see how much he is missing his spot.

“Pitches that you just miss on, instead of just taking them out of the zone and tossing it back to you, he shows you, and that gives you confidence as a pitcher,” Archer said. “He’s back there like, ‘Let’s go, baby, let’s go,’ communicating to you while you’re right here about to throw a pitch, and for me, that’s nice. He’s in front of you, but at the same time, he’s behind you 100 percent.”

Rays formulate contingency plan in case Smyly not ready by opener
by Michael Hurcomb | CBSSports.com

(10:33 am ET) While the Rays are not overly concerned about Drew Smyly‘s left shoulder tendinitis, the team is formulating a contingency plan in the event he is not ready by the start of the season, per The Tampa Tribune.

Nathan Karns, Matt Andriese, Burch Smith and Alex Colome — who are all competing for the final spot in the team’s rotation — could be stopgap options in case Smyly begins the year on the disabled list. 

Manager Kevin Cash added Everett Teaford  and Enny Romero, who appear to be two pitchers headed for Triple-A, could also be options, if they pitch well this spring.

Rays’ Cash: Cautiously optimistic Alex Colome will be here soon
by Michael Hurcomb | CBSSports.com

(10:25 am ET) Rays pitcher Alex Colome, who is in the running for the final spot in the rotation, still has yet to show up to camp due to visa issues. However, he is working out at the team’s academy in the Dominican Republic, which is good enough for now, according to manager Kevin Cash.

“We’re cautiously optimistic that Colome will be here soon,” Cash said, per The Tampa Tribune. “The good thing with Colome is when he’s coming in, he’ll be ready to go. From all our reports it should be pretty seamless his getting here and getting on the mound.”

Red Sox SP Brian Johnson quietly moving up prospect rankings
by Michael Hurcomb | CBSSports.com

(10:10 am ET) The Red Sox have plenty of quality pitching prospects, including Henry Owens, Eduardo Rodriguez and Matt Barnes. However, one player quietly making a name for himself in the minors is Brian Johnson, who is now considered the Red Sox’s fifth-best prospect and third-best pitching prospect by Baseball America.

“If you look at last year, you could make the case he had the best minor-league season of anyone in our system,” one member of the Red Sox front office said, per The Boston Herald.

The 2012 first-round pick out of the University of Florida went 13-3 with a 2.13 ERA in 25 starts between high Class A and Double-A in 2014. He is 15-9 with a 2.23 ERA over 48 minor-league starts.

Johnson was on the hill Sunday against the Mets. He allowed one run on three hits in two innings, while striking out two.

“He’s got good mound presence,” Red Sox manager John Farrell said. “He works quick. He’s shown a little bit more velocity, particularly on an occasional fastball. But just the overall package of strike-throwing and confidence and pace on the mound has been impressive.

“He might not have garnered a lot of the same attention outside of the Red Sox, but we value him, and he’s a good pitcher.”

Twins GM Terry Ryan not ready to name favorite for final rotation spot
by Michael Hurcomb | CBSSports.com

(9:58 am ET) Jim Souhan of The Star Tribune wrote in his Sunday column he feels Alex Meyer is the leading candidate for the final spot in the Twins’ rotation. He mentioned it to Twins general manager Terry Ryan, who doesn’t appear to have anyone atop his list yet as the favorite for the role of fifth starter.

“You’re ahead of yourself,” Ryan said. “There are people who are going to argue with you. There are other people out there who are going to compete for that job and believe they’re ahead of Alex Meyer, because of their track record and experience.

“One of them is Tommy Milone. He’s got a lot more experience than Alex Meyer. He’s got somewhat close to the same stuff. He’s won 13 games in the big leagues. He isn’t going to want to hear that … stuff.

“There are guys competing out there who want to send Alex Meyer back to the minors. Alex better realize he has to earn this thing. Which is a good position for us to be in.

“Tim Stauffer is another guy. He had a good year in San Diego about three years ago. He’s no slouch.

“Mike Pelfrey is a good man.  I’m hoping things turn for him. He certainly wants to earn his keep. He has a shot at the fifth spot, and if that doesn’t work out, he has a shot at the bullpen.”

Cardinals’ Lance Lynn: ‘I’m going to be able to make my next start’
by R.J. White | CBSSports.com

(9:51 am ET) Cardinals pitcher Lance Lynn left Sunday’s outing due to a hip injury but insists he would have continued pitching had it been a regular-season game, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

“I would have figured it out,” Lynn said. “It’s something that I always feel. There are times when you can push through it. I know how to push through it. They’re going to make sure I’m smart about it. They’re going to make me take it slow. … When it’s all said and done, I’m going to be able to make my next start.”

Lynn said he “pulled back” while going for a ground ball.

“I think if I went after that the way that I could go after it, something bad might have happened,” Lynn said. “So I made sure that I pulled back. I went to go (for the ball) and I thought, ‘I don’t know if that’s a good idea.’ I tried to throw the next pitch and it wasn’t going the way I wanted to go. Something worse would have happened.”

Lynn said he expects to throw a bullpen session on his regular schedule, but manager Mike Matheny indicated a new schedule would be made based upon the results of tests on the injured hip Monday.