The Cincinnati Reds expect left-hander Alex Wood to open the sea

GOODYEAR http://www.giantsfanproshop.com/authentic-evan-longoria-jersey , Ariz. (AP) —son on the injured list as he recovers from a sore back that has limited him during spring training.Wood was part of the trade that brought outfielders Yasiel Puig and Matt Kemp to Cincinnati from the Los Angeles Dodgers. He made one spring training start before his back tightened, and had a setback when he resumed throwing last week.Reds manager David Bell said Monday that it’s likely Wood will miss the first couple weeks of the season as he tries to catch up.“It will be mid-April, if everything is perfect,” Bell said.Bell and his staff haven’t decided whether Wood will stay in Goodyear for extended spring or bring him to Cincinnati to continue his throwing. The Reds open the season March 28 at Great American Ball Park against the Pirates.Right-hander Tyler Mahle, who was one of five rookies on last year’s opening day roster, is the likely replacement in the rotation. Mahle made 23 starts for Cincinnati last season before being sent to Triple-A in August. He returned after the minor league season ended Duane Kuiper Jersey , making one appearance on Sept. 4 before shutting down with a shoulder fatigue. He finished with a 7-9 record and a 4.98 ERA.Asked if Mahle is the likely fill-in for Wood, Bell said: “He’s right there, definitely. Even before we came into the spring, we knew how important he was to this team, so yeah he’s right there.”The Reds overhauled their rotation with three offseason trades as they try to end a streak of four straight 90-loss seasons. They also added Sonny Gray from the Yankees and Tanner Roark from the Nationals. Anthony DeSclafani and Luis Castillo are the holdovers from last season. ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Houston shortstop Carlos Correa and Washington outfielder Michael A. Taylor became the first players of the year to go to salary arbitration hearings.Correa asked for a raise from $1 million to $5 million http://www.giantsfanproshop.com/authentic-evan-longoria-jersey , and the Astros argued for $4.25 million during Thursday’s session before arbitrators Elizabeth Neumeier, James Oldham and Gary Kendellen.Taylor asked for a hike from $2.5 million to $3.5 million, and the Nationals countered with $3.25 million before arbitrators Mark Burstein, James Darby and Matt Goldberg.Decisions are expected Friday.Correa hit .239 with 15 homers and 65 RBIs last season, slowed by a bad back. He batted .315 with 24 homers and 84 RBIs in 2017, helping the Astros win their first World Series title.Taylor hit .227 with six homers and 28 RBIs last year Derek Holland Jersey , down from a .271 average with 19 homers and 53 RBIs in 2017.Eleven players remain scheduled for hearings through Feb. 15, including Astros right-handers Gerrit Cole and Chris Devenski, and Washington reliever Kyle Barraclough.Colorado third baseman Nolan Arenado avoided a hearing when he agreed Thursday at $26 million, the largest one-year contract for an arbitration-eligible player. He topped third baseman Josh Donaldson’s $23 million deal with Toronto last winter.Players won 12 of 22 hearings last year, their second winning record in three years but just their fourth since 1996. The 22 decisions were the most since players went 14-10 in 1990.