ANGELS
Richards at 75 percent
TEMPE, Ariz. -- Garrett Richards hopes to be ready to pitch for the Los Angeles Angels by opening day, ahead of the schedule projected when he hurt his left knee last summer.
Richards tore the patellar tendon in his left knee on Aug. 20 as he attempted to cover first base in a game at Boston and had surgery two days later. Angels manager Mike Scioscia said then that Richards would miss the early part of the 2015 season.
Richards threw his second bullpen session since the injury on Friday, when pitchers and catchers reported to camp, and said he is at about 75 percent.
The right-hander was 13-4 with a 2.61 ERA in 26 starts when he got hurt, a turnaround from his 7-8 record the previous year. His plan is to be ready when the Angels open April 6 at Seattle.
MARLINS
Fernandez to toss in March
JUPITER, Fla. -- Miami Marlins ace Jose Fernandez says he's on schedule to return from elbow surgery at midseason, and he expects to begin throwing off a mound in early March.
Fernandez reported Friday with the Marlins' other pitchers and catchers for the start of camp. He said he is throwing every day from a distance of 150 feet, began to toss breaking balls this week and has had no setbacks in his rehabilitation.
The Marlins return from the All-Star break July 17, and Fernandez said his doctor has tentatively targeted that date for the right-hander's return to the rotation. The 2013 NL Rookie of the Year underwent Tommy John surgery on his throwing elbow last May 16.
Fernandez, 22, has a 16-8 record with a 2.25 ERA in 36 career starts.
ATHLETICS
Pair looks toward June
MESA, Ariz. -- Two of the pitchers at spring training with the Oakland Athletics are getting ready for June, not April.
Right-handers Jarrod Parker and A.J. Griffin are both coming off Tommy John surgery, Parker for the second time.
Parker had elbow ligament-replacement surgery for the second time on March 24, following an initial operation in October 2009, when he was with Arizona. Griffin had Tommy John surgery for the first time on April 30.
Each threw about two dozen pitches during a bullpen session Friday when the A's held their first spring training workout.
"I'm pretty happy about how things went today," Griffin said. "I was able to make some adjustments about halfway through the session. It was kind of like learning to ride a bike -- wobbly at first, but I was able to get my rhythm down and repeat my delivery."
The 27-year-old Griffin was 7-1 in 2012, then 14-10 the following season. The 26-year-old Parker was 12-8 for the A's in 2013 and 13-8 in 2012.
"We are looking at how they respond physically," manager Bob Melvin said. "We want them to make progress each time out, but we are more concerned about how they feel afterward."
METS
Harvey could toss 200
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- While the New York Mets plan to closely monitor Matt Harvey's innings, General Manager Sandy Alderson says his ace right-hander could throw 200 -- including the postseason -- in his first year back from elbow surgery.
Harvey hasn't pitched in a game since Aug. 24, 2013, and had elbow ligament-replacement surgery that Oct. 22.
Speaking a day before the Mets' first workout of his fifth spring training as their GM, Alderson didn't want to be more specific about Harvey's contemplated workload.
YANKEES
A-Rod return tops talk
TAMPA, Fla. -- Even before Alex Rodriguez arrives, his looming return dominates spring training for the New York Yankees.
After missing the playoffs in consecutive seasons for the first time in two decades, the Yankees open their first spring training since Derek Jeter's retirement with an aging roster in transition, questions about key starting pitchers and intense focus on A-Rod's return at age 39 from a yearlong drug suspension.
During manager Joe Girardi's opening 33-minute news conference Friday, which was televised live back to New York, nine of 36 questions were about Rodriguez, including seven of the first 21. A-Rod isn't even due to report until Wednesday, and Girardi expects "a big splash."
"A lot of media coverage, a lot of questions you have to answer, that's part of the gig here," Girardi said. "If you're with the New York Yankees, you have to learn how to handle situations like this because it's going to happen. The one thing you need to have as a New York Yankees' player, the one thing you have to have as a champion, is thick skin."
New York re-signed Chase Headley during the offseason to play third base. Rodriguez will have to compete for at-bats at designated hitter and perhaps as an infield backup.
"I think it's fair for him to have a number of at-bats before you really start to judge where he might be at," Girardi said. "I think it's going to take him a good part of spring training just to get his timing down."
Rodriguez was suspended for violations of baseball's drug agreement and labor contract. He turns 40 in July, has had major operations on both hips and hasn't played a full season since 2007.
New York is responsible for $61 million owed to Rodriguez in the final three seasons of his 10-year contract.
"He's on our roster," Girardi said. "I think you have to prove yourself in the sense for playing time and how you fit in. We really haven't seen him play in two years."
Sports on 02/21/2015