St. Louis pitcher Carlos Martinez will begin the season on the injured list as the two

JUPITER Marcus Stroman Jersey , Fla. (AP) — -time All-Star tries to work his way back from shoulder weakness.Martinez will not appear in exhibition games. He is to throw on flat ground for the next week before moving to a mound.“He’s in a good spot,” St. Louis manager Mike Shildt said. “He’s taken advantage of the time he’s had off to strengthen, and now he’ll get back to playing catch.”St. Louis has not announced a timetable for the completion of Martinez’s strengthening program. The pitcher received a platelet-rich plasma injection two weeks ago, which Martinez said improved the condition.“I’m not trying to rush this out,” Martinez said through an interpreter. “I just want to have a lot of strength in my shoulder so I’ll be able to pitch as long as the team needs me.”A 27-year-old right-hander, Martinez was the Cardinals‘ opening-day starter last year but did not pitch for St. Louis from May 8 until June 5 last year because of a strained right lat muscle Devon Travis Jersey , then was out between July 19 and 30 because of a strained right oblique and between July 30 and Aug. 21 because of a strained right shoulder.When he returned, Martinez pitched out of the bullpen and had five saves. He finished 8-6 with a 3.11 ERA in 18 starts and 15 relief appearances.“That’s impossible to answer right now on a couple levels,” Shildt said of Martinez’s role this year.Martinez could be available as a reliever a few weeks earlier than as a member of the rotation.“I’m a starter until somebody tells me otherwise and if they tell me otherwise I’m more than happy to help the team another way,” Martinez said.Top prospect Alex Reyes isn’t a candidate to be the fifth starter. After throwing only four innings combined over the past two seasons because of Tommy John surgery and a lat injury, Reyes is vying for a bullpen spot.Dakota Hudson, John Gant Roy Halladay Jersey , Daniel Ponce de Leon and Austin Gomber are contenders to start. Gomber would be rotation’s the lone lefty.Miles Mikolas will start opening day for the Cardinals at Milwaukee as part of a rotation projected to include Jack Flaherty, Michael Wacha and Adam Wainwright. CLEVELAND (AP) — Carlos Carrasco’s $14 million club option for 2023 under his new deal with the Cleveland Indians would become guaranteed if he pitches 170 or more innings in 2022 and is expected to be healthy for the following season.The 31-year-old right-hander agreed Dec. 6 to a $47 million, four-year contract, a deal that was finalized on Thursday.Carrasco’s contract includes $37.25 million in new guaranteed money. It keeps his $9.75 million salary this year and calls for $10.25 million in 2020, which had been the option price of his previous deal. The agreement adds salaries of $12 million in 2021 and ’22 plus the new option year.His 2020 salary would increase by $2 million for a Cy Young Award this year, $1 million for finishing second or third http://www.bluejaysfanproshop.com/authentic-curtis-granderson-jersey , $750,000 for fourth or fifth, and $500,000 for sixth through 10th, as long as he receives at least two votes.For the remainder of the contract, salaries could escalate by up to $3 million using the same formula.He would get a one-time assignment bonus if traded Roberto Osuna Jersey , $3 million if dealt before the end of this season and $1 million if traded after.Carrasco won 35 games over the past two seasons and is a core member of one of baseball’s best rotations, which could be changed if the Indians trade either two-time Cy Young winner Corey Kluber or All-Star Trevor Bauer.Carrasco went 17-10 with a 3.38 ERA in 30 starts last season for the AL Central champions, finishing with a career-high 231 strikeouts as the Indians became the first team to have four pitchers to fan 200 in the same season.