Royals OF Alex Rios out at least two games with thumb injury
by Igor Mello | CBSSports.com

(11:56 am ET) Royals outfielder Alex Rios is expected to sit out at least two games due to a jammed thumb, according to MLB.com. Rios lost the last month of the 2014 to the same thumb injury. He is hitting .333/.349/.619 with three home runs in 42 spring at-bats.

Twins C Josmil Pinto could see game action this weekend
by Igor Mello | CBSSports.com

(11:49 am ET) Twins catcher Josmil Pinto (concussion) is scheduled to hit in the cages and do everything but catch a bullpen on Thursday. If he makes it through without any setbacks, he’ll get into a game this weekend, according to MLB.com.

Phillies 3B Cody Asche scratched Thursday due to back tightness
by Michael Hurcomb | CBSSports.com

(11:29 am ET) Phillies third baseman Cody Asche was scratched from Thursday’s spring lineup against the Blue Jays due to back tightness. Asche said he began to feel tightness in his back while the team was stretching Thursday.

Asche is batting .238 (10 for 42) with two doubles, three home runs, five runs and seven RBI in 16 spring games.

Yankees OF Jacoby Ellsbury (oblique) eyeing March 31 return
by Igor Mello | CBSSports.com

(11:27 am ET) Yankees outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury, who ran, took dry swings and played catch Wednesday, is targeting a return to exhibition play on March 31, according to MLB.com.

Ellsbury is scheduled take tee and flip on Thursday, while he works his way back from an oblique injury. He has been sidelined March 15 due to the issue, but remains unconcerned about his Opening Day status.

“I can still get in quite a few games, and that would be great,” Ellsbury said. “Today is a nice little step in the right direction in the sense of swinging. I feel pretty confident that I’ll definitely be in the Opening Day lineup.”

Dodgers RP Brandon League (shoulder) getting second opinion
by Michael Hurcomb | CBSSports.com

(11:20 am ET) Dodgers reliever Brandon League is awaiting the results of Wednesday’s MRI on his injured shoulder, according to MLB.com. However, regardless of the results, he is planning to get a second opinion.

Yankees’ Mark Teixeira: Didi Gregorius is ‘as good a SS as I’ve seen’
by Igor Mello | CBSSports.com

(11:19 am ET) Yankees shortstop Didi Gregorius has big shoes to fill replacing Derek Jeter, but so far he’s earned nothing but praise from his New York teammates this spring.

“Didi is unbelievable, as good a shortstop as I’ve seen,” first baseman Mark Teixeira said, per Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. “And I’m not overexaggerating.”

Teixeira was Alex Rodriguez’s teammate back 2003 with the Rangers, when Rodriguez was highly touted for his defensive skillset at shortstop. When Rosenthal relayed Teixeira’s comments to Rodriguez, he said: “He has a rare combination of speed and explosiveness. But what you don’t see is an incredibly strong arm that is so accurate. That combination is lethal,” Rodriguez said.

“[Gregorius] has made plays from the hole, from his back foot, throwing the ball 90 mph across the diamond from his back foot,” Rodriguez said. “You don’t see that. It also makes it a lot easier for your third baseman to play third base.”

Still, manager Joe Girardi doesn’t plan on changing the way his club uses defensive shifts based on Gregorius’ range.

“We’ll still shift. We’ll still go according to the charts,” Girardi said.

Gregorius, 25, was acquired from the Diamondbacks in a three-team trade this offseason. He hit .226 with six home runs and 27 RBI in 270 plate appearances in 2014. He has a .680 OPS in 724 career plate appearances, including a .490 OPS against left-handed pitching.

Braves OF Joey Terdoslavich (wrist) cleared to play
by Michael Hurcomb | CBSSports.com

(11:17 am ET) Braves outfielder Joey Terdoslavich (wrist) made the trip for Thursday’s spring game against the Pirates and is available to play, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Terdoslavich missed a few days after hurting his wrist Saturday.

Terdoslavich is batting .278 (10 for 36) with one home run, six doubles, seven RBI, eight runs and 12 strikeouts in 18 spring games.

Cosart scratched from start, caught off guard by betting situation
by Michael Hurcomb | CBSSports.com

(11:11 am ET) Marlins starting pitcher Jarred Cosart briefly met with the media Thursday to talk about Major League Baseball investigating potential sports-related gambling ties. However, Cosart didn’t have any shocking revelations.

Cosart told reporters he is following protocol as the investigation is ongoing, per MLB.com. Cosart said he was “caught off guard” by the situation, per ESPN.

The Miami New Times reported Wednesday that Cosart deleted his official Twitter handle Tuesday night after screenshots of an alleged private conversation between Cosart and a gambling authority surfaced via social media.

Per MLB rules, players can legally bet on sports outside of baseball. However, Cosart could be banned for one year, if he is found guilty of betting on baseball, per MLB Rule 21. Marlins spokesman Matt Roebuck confirmed Wednesday the league was investigating the matter.

“Major League baseball is aware and they are investigating it and we have no further comment at this time,” Roebuck said, per the Miami Herald.

In baseball news, Cosart was scratched from his scheduled spring start Friday against the Astros due to a blister on his hand, per MLB.com. Cosart is scheduled to open the season as part of the Marlins’ rotation.

Victorino blasts radio hosts for implying he wants Betts traded
by Michael Hurcomb | CBSSports.com

(10:53 am ET) Red Sox outfielder Shane Victorino was not a happy man Thursday.

Victorino spent time with the media Thursday lashing out at sports radio hosts Michael Felger and Tony Massarotti for suggesting Victorino was advocating trading top prospects for Phillies ace Cole Hamels, in his comments to the Philadelphia Daily News.

“All I said, a question was asked of me about getting Cole Hamels,” Victorino said, per the Boston Herald. “I said, ‘Hey, if you can go get Cole, I’ll be all for it.’ Nothing against everybody in this clubhouse. I said from Day 1, I’ll be fine with what we have. We can go win with what we have. But if you can add another element of a guy who’s been there, I said, why wouldn’t you? And that’s the part for me is they took it obviously as me, and the names that were attached to these (rumors), I never mentioned anybody’s name. I said, ‘If you can give up two or three prospects, could be anybody, could be a second-, third-tier guy, my whole career I’ve watched that.”

Although Victorino didn’t mention any players by name, the radio hosts accused Victorino of lobbying the Red Sox to trade Mookie Betts, who is competing for the starting job in center field this spring. Felger also accused Victorino of “throwing your young players under the bus.”

“You have a 34-year-old, breaking-down outfielder whose job is potentially going to be taken by whom? Mookie Betts, or by default, Rusney Castillo,” Massarotti said. “And so who are we talking about, potentially, in this trade? Mookie Betts. So is that the deal? Mookie Betts is going to take his job, (and Victorino says), ‘Hey, get the kid out of here, because we can win now if we get Hamels.'”

Victorino seemed really upset Betts’ name was mentioned since he is a big fan of the 22-year-old outfielder.

“If there’s one person that’s an advocate of that individual who was named in the article, Mookie Betts, it’s me,” Victorino said. “I don’t have any fear or feel like there’s competition that I’ve got to get him shipped out of here. That’s the part for me, where individuals put words in your mouth, that sit behind a mic and say something, you know where I’ll be. I’ll be more than happy to talk to you about it. But don’t get behind a mic and be a coward and try to put words in my mouth, because not once in that article did I mention anybody’s name.”

Astros’ Samuel Deduno appears to be fading in SP competition
by Michael Hurcomb | CBSSports.com

(10:43 am ET) It appears the competition for the final spot in the Astros’ rotation is down to Asher Wojciechowski and Roberto Hernandez after Samuel Deduno pitched in relief Wednesday against the Phillies. It seems the Astros are lining Deduno up for a role as a sixth starter/long reliever.

“We wanted to simulate more of a long reliever role for him,” manager A.J. Hinch said of Deduno’s outing Wednesday, per the Houston Chronicle. “We know we can stretch him out and he can start. He can throw a lot of pitches. He’s got a resilient arm, but he’ll have an outing here where he’ll go pitch, (have a) couple days off, pitch.”