By The Associated Press

Published: Wednesday, March 13, 2013, 9:24 p.m.
Updated: Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Stephen Strasburg will make his second Opening Day start for the Washington Nationals when the National League East champions open the season at home against the Miami Marlins on April 1.

Strasburg went 15-6 with a 3.16 ERA last season before he was shut down after 1591⁄3 innings. The Nationals did not want to tax his arm in his first season back from Tommy John surgery. The decision to keep Strasburg on an innings count with Washington headed to the playoffs was the subject of debate last season.

The Nationals lost to St. Louis in a deciding fifth game of the NL Division Series last season.

There is innings restriction planned for Strasburg this season.

Jeter plays field

Yankees captain Derek Jeter is having an easy day in his return to shortstop.

Jeter didn't get any chances in the field through the first three innings Wednesday night in an exhibition game against Philadelphia.

The 38-year-old Jeter hadn't played the field since breaking his left ankle in the first game of the ALCS last October.

Brewers re-sign Gomez

Outfielder Carlos Gomez and the Brewers have agreed to a $28.3 million, four-year contract.

The 27-year-old outfielder would have been eligible for free agency after this season. He had agreed to a $4.3 million, one-year deal in January, and the new contract includes salaries of $7 million in 2014, $8 million in 2015 and $9 million in 2016.

Gomez hit .260 with 19 homers and 37 stolen bases in 137 games in 2012. He was one of only five players in the major leagues with at least 15 homers and 30 stolen bases, joining teammate Ryan Braun, Mike Trout of the Angels, B.J. Upton of the Rays and Jimmy Rollins of the Phillies.

Royals shake up rotation

The Royals sent former No. 1 overall draft pick Luke Hochevar to the bullpen after more than five seasons of shaky results in the starting rotation.

Hochevar had been competing with Bruce Chen, Will Smith and Luis Mendoza for the fifth spot in the Royals' revamped rotation his spring.

Hochevar, who is scheduled to make $4.56 million this season, is 38-59 with a 5.39 ERA. He'll operate as a long reliever and could work back into the rotation, though it's possible the Royals will seek to trade him or offer his release.

Castro back in lineup

After two weeks out with a hamstring injury, Starlin Castro was happy to be back on the field. Even if it was only for three innings.

Sidelined since Feb. 27, the All-Star got a single and walked Wednesday in the Cubs' 2-0 loss to the Rockies.

Castro, who hurt his left leg in a game against the Dodgers, walked against Jorge De La Rosa leading off the first, singled in the third and came out after the inning.

Greinke gets treatment

Zack Greinke has a sore elbow and Chad Billingsley doesn't, neither of which the Dodgers really expected this spring.

What they have in common is that Billingsley's partially torn elbow ligament responded last year to injections of platelet-rich plasma, and now the Dodgers are waiting to see if a similar injection, along with anti-inflammatory medication like cortisone, will have the same result with Greinke.

The Dodgers have been using the treatment since 2008, when reliever Takashi Saito responded well to the procedure as has Billingsley, avoiding Tommy John surgery.

Around the league

The Tigers have released outfielder Brennan Boesch. Boesch hit .240 with 12 home runs in 132 games last year. ... Indians reliever Frank Herrmann will miss the season after having Tommy John surgery. The right-hander pitched in 95 games for Cleveland over the past three seasons.

1. MLB notebook: Cubs: Rizzo ‘a very big part of our future’
2. MLB notebook: Draft bonus pool up 8.2 percent
3. In baseball, ‘quality start’ getting bad name

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